Structural Integrity Analysis Research Articles

Simulation of Spent Fuel Assembly Transport Vertical Drop Based on LS-DYNA

The finite element technology is used to carry out the drop simulation and safety assessment of the spent fuel assembly and its transport cask. In view of the problem of how to reasonably simplify the finite element model, a more reasonable and accurate multistage simplified model is proposed for the spent fuel assemblies packed densely in the transport cask, which needs to be analyzed synchronously when dropping. First, the “key” spent fuel assembly is retained, and the “unimportant” assembly is simplified as a cylindrical entity. Based on this, the structure will continue to be simplified and a 1/4 near-earth model containing all characteristics will be established. Then, the LS-DYNA software is used for explicit dynamic analysis of vertical drop conditions. It is concluded that the failure risk of the spacers is the greatest. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to propose a multistage simplified method for spent fuel assembly and its transport cask, which can provide a reference for the structural integrity analysis of the spent fuel assembly transport drop conditions.

Effects of angles and shapes of a corner crack on the driving force at a set-in nozzle-cylinder in a PWR pressure vessel

Corner cracks are one of the common forms of flaws in the reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) of nuclear power plants (NPPs). Accurate evaluation of the driving force of such corner cracks is essential and critical for the efficient design and integrity assessment of the RPVs. In this study, the combined effect of the depth, length and angle of a given corner crack under the service loading was analyzed using elastic–plastic finite element analysis (EPFEA). Based on the consideration of the distribution profiles of stress intensity factor (SIF) and J integral as the crack growth along corner crack front, the crack growth stability with various crack shapes and angles was analyzed. Finite element analysis (FEA) results showed that the crack growth driving force is affected by the shape and angle of the initial crack. It is also found that the sliding mode (mode II) crack or tearing mode (mode III) crack should be taken into account in the structural integrity analysis of RPVs.

Synthesis, biological screening and in silico studies of new N-phenyl-4-(1,3-diaryl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)thiazol-2-amine derivatives as potential antifungal and antitubercular agents

A new series of N-aryl-4-(1,3-diaryl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)thiazol-2-amine, (8a-x) have been synthesized by a cyclo-condensation reaction of 2-bromo-1-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)ethanone (6a-f) with N-aryl thiourea, (7a-d). The structure of newly synthesized N-aryl-4-(1,3-diaryl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)thiazol-2-amine, (8a-x) derivatives was analyzed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and Mass spectral analysis. The compounds 8a-x were screened for in vitro antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. and antitubercular activity against M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain. Among the twenty-four pyrazolyl-thiazole derivatives, six compounds 8a, 8b, 8j, 8n, 8o and 8s showed good activity against S. aureus. Against A. niger, all synthesized derivatives showed good antifungal activity. Fifteen pyrazolyl-thiazole derivatives 8a, 8f, 8g, 8h, 8j, 8k, 8n, 8o, 8p, 8q, 8r, 8s, 8t, 8w and 8x showed good antitubercular activity with MIC 1.80–7.34 μM (0.8–3.12 μg/mL), these derivatives have showed more activity than the drugs isoniazid and ethambutol. The active compounds were further screened for cytotoxicity activity against the mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (3t3l1) cell lines at 12.5 and 25 μg/mL concentrations and found less or non-cytotoxicity. To know the plausible mode of action, the synthesized pyrazolyl-thiazole derivatives were studied for pharmacokinetics, toxicity profiles and binding interactions along with an in-depth analysis of structural dynamics and integrity using prolonged molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The compounds have shown significant docking scores in the range of −7.98 to −5.52 and −9.44 to −7.2 kcal/mol with the M. tuberculosis enoyl reductase (M. tb. InhA) and C. albicans sterol 14-α demethylase (C. ab. CYP51), respectively. Thus, the significant antifungal and antitubercular activity of N-aryl-4-(1,3-diaryl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)thiazol-2-amine, (8a-x) derivatives incited that, these scaffolds could assist in the development of lead compounds to treat fungal and antitubercular infections.

Comprehensive computational study in the identification of novel potential cholesterol lowering agents targeting proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9

The enzymatic target proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is critically involved in the regulation of the lipoprotein metabolism leading to the degradation of low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLRs) upon binding. Drugs that lower LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) through the inhibition of PCSK9 are useful in the management of hypercholesterolemia which greatly reduces the associated risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). In 2015, anti-PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), alirocumab and evolocumab were approved but owing to their high costs their prior authorization practices were impeded, reducing their long-term adherence. This has drawn considerable attention for the development of small-molecule PCSK9 inhibitors. In this research work, novel and diverse molecules with affinity towards PCSK9 thereby having ability to lower cholesterol. A hierarchical multistep docking was implemented to identify small molecules from chemical libraries with a score cutoff −8.00 kcal/mol, thereby weeding all the non-potential molecules. A set of seven representative molecules Z1139749023, Z1142698190, Z2242867634, Z2242893449, Z2242894417, Z2242909019, and Z2242914794 have been identified from a comprehensive computational study which included assessment of pharmacokinetics and toxicity profiles and binding interactions along with in-depth analysis of structural dynamics and integrity using prolong molecular dynamics (MD) simulation (in-duplicate). Furthermore the binding affinity of these PCSK9 inhibitory candidates molecules was ascertained over 1000 trajectory frames using MM-GBSA calculations. The molecules reported herein are propitious candidates for further development through necessary experimental considerations. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Advances in Fracture, Fatigue and Structural Integrity Analyses of Metals

Given the good response of the scientific and technical communities to our previous Special Issue in Metals, titled “Fracture, Fatigue and Structural Integrity of Metallic Materials” (2019), and given that research in these fields is continuously increasing in qualitative and quantitative terms, this new Special Issue intends to provide a forum for the dissemination of the latest significant advances in fracture, fatigue and structural integrity analyses [...]

Structural integrity assessment of a closure head of a PWR reactor pressure vessel under pressurized thermal shock

The pressurized thermal shock induced during the accidental conditions is the potential threat to the structural integrity of reactor pressure vessel. The pressurized thermal shock puts the reactor pressure vessel under detrimental thermo-mechanical stresses, and a small crack on the surface, particularly at highly stressed locations, may initiate, propagate, become critical, and eventually fail the component. Therefore, critical components are needed to be assessed. For structural integrity analysis of class-I components under pressurized thermal shock, a methodology is proposed in this research article. As a case study, the structural integrity assessment of the closure head (class-I component) of the RPV under pressurized thermal shock is presented here.

Swim Bladder of Farmed Totoaba macdonaldi: A Source of Value-Added Collagen

Finding strategies to use the swim bladder of farmed totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) is of the utmost need to reduce waste. Fish swim bladders are rich in collagen; hence, extracting collagen is a promising alternative with benefits for aquaculture of totoaba and the environment. The elemental biochemical composition of totoaba swim bladders, including their proximate and amino acid compositions, was determined. Pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) was used to extract collagen from swim bladders, and its characteristics were analyzed. Alcalase and papain were used for the preparation of collagen hydrolysates. Swim bladders contained 95% protein, 2.4% fat, and 0.8% ash (on a dry basis). The essential amino acid content was low, but the functional amino acid content was high. The PSC yield was high, at 68% (dry weight). The amino acid composition profile, electrophoretic pattern, and structural integrity analyses of the isolated collagen suggested it is a typical type-I collagen with high purity. The denaturalization temperature was 32.5 °C, probably attributable to the imino acid content (205 residues/1000 residues). Papain-hydrolysates (≤3 kDa) of this collagen exhibited higher radical scavenging activity than Alcalase-hydrolysates. The swim bladder from the farmed totoaba could be an ideal source to produce high-quality type I collagen and may be considered an alternative to conventional collagen sources or bioactive peptides.

Multimodal fluorescence lifetime imaging and optical coherence tomography for longitudinal monitoring of tissue-engineered cartilage maturation in a preclinical implantation model.

Cartilage tissue engineering is a promising strategy for effective curative therapies for treatment of osteoarthritis. However, tissue engineers depend predominantly on time-consuming, expensive, and destructive techniques as quality control to monitor the maturation of engineered cartilage. This practice can be impractical for large-scale biomanufacturing and prevents spatial and temporal monitoring of tissue growth, which is critical for the fabrication of clinically relevant-sized cartilage constructs. Nondestructive multimodal imaging techniques combining fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) hold great potential to address this challenge. The feasibility of using multimodal FLIm-OCT for nondestructive, spatial, and temporal monitoring of self-assembled cartilage tissue maturation in a preclinical mouse model is investigated. Self-assembled cartilage constructs were developed for 4 weeks in vitro followed by 4 weeks of in vivo maturation in nude mice. Sterile and nondestructive in situ multispectral FLIm and OCT imaging were carried out at multiple time points ( , 4, and 8 weeks) during tissue development. FLIm and 3D volumetric OCT images were reconstructed and used for the analysis of tissue biochemical homogeneity, morphology, and structural integrity. A biochemical homogeneity index was computed to characterize nonhomogeneous tissue growth at different time points. OCT images were validated against histology. FLIm detects heterogenous extracellular matrix (ECM) growth of tissue-engineered cartilage. The outer edge of the tissue construct exhibited longer fluorescence lifetime in 375 to 410 and 450 to 485nm spectral channels, indicating increase in collagen content. Significant ( ) decrease of construct homogeneity index was observed between weeks and weeks. Both FLIm and OCT images revealed defects (voids) at the center of the tissue construct during in vitro culture ( and 4 weeks). Cyst formation during in vivo culture was detected by OCT and confirmed with histology. The ability of multimodal FLIm-OCT to nondestructively monitor the heterogenous growth of engineered tissue constructs in situ is demonstrated. Spatial and temporal variation of construct ECM component was detected by FLIm. OCT reveals structural defects (voids and cysts). This multimodal approach has great potential to replace costly destructive tests in the manufacturing of tissue-engineered medical products, facilitating their clinical translation.

Temperature Patterns in TSA for Different Frequencies and Material Properties: A FEM Approach

Thermography techniques are gaining popularity in structural integrity monitoring and analysis of mechanical systems’ behavior because they are contactless, non-intrusive, rapidly deployable, applicable to structures under harsh environments, and can be performed on-site. More so, the use of image optical techniques has grown quickly over the past several decades due to the progress in the digital camera, infrared camera, and computational power. This work focuses on thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA), and its main goal was to create a computational model based on the finite element method that simulates this technique, to evaluate and quantify how the changes in material properties, including orthotropic, affect the results of the stresses obtained with TSA. The numeric simulations were performed for two samples, compact and single lap joints. when comparing the numeric model developed with previous laboratory tests, the results showed a good representation of the stress test for both samples. The created model is applicable to various materials, including fiber-reinforced composites. This work also highlights the need to perform laboratory tests using anisotropic materials to better understand the TSA potential and improve the developed models.

Structural Integrity Analysis of the Rig Mast Following Repair of Two Diagonal Braces in the Upper Mast Section

During a move to the new drilling location, two braces of the upper mast section on a 550 HP oil and gas rig was damaged. When damage is discovered, the rig operating company should conduct a risk analysis related to the damage using the standard used to determine rejection criteria and follow-up repairs. The strength of the rig mast is calculated using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with initial conditions (before damage occurs) where all braces are installed and extreme conditions where neither brace is repaired. The calculation results are then used to assess the risk of reducing the rig mast strength. The results of the integrity analysis will show FEA of rig mast and the distribution pattern of stress ratio values, which is the ratio between the stress that arises and the allowable stress of the material on the mast parts due to loading.

Multiobjective Optimization Method of Solid Rocket Motor Finocyl Grain Based on Surrogate Model

To improve the performance of a solid rocket motor (SRM), a multiobjective optimal design method that can consider the structural integrity, internal ballistic performance, and loading performance of the SRM was proposed based on parametric modeling and surrogate modeling technology. Firstly, the parametric modeling technology was introduced into the field of structural integrity analysis for a high-loading SRM, based on which the influences of load and geometric parameters on the maximum von Mises strain of the SRM grain were analyzed, which effectively improved the sampling speed and prediction accuracy of the surrogate model. Combining the calculation models of the combustion surface area and volume loading fraction of the SRM, the Pareto optimal solution set was obtained based on the NSGA-II algorithm. Under the constraints of the optimization model, the maximum von Mises strain can be reduced by up to 26.72% and the volume loading fraction can be increased by up to 1.83% compared with the original. In addition, the optimal design method proposed in this paper is significantly superior in efficiency, capable of reducing both the single sampling time by more than 95% and the number of numerical simulations from 20,000 to 400, and the average prediction deviation is only 1.87%.

Abstract 17 Comparison of Different Support Materials and Cryoprotectants for Amniotic Membrane Cryopreservation

IntroductionThe amniotic membrane (AM) is a thin membrane derived from the placenta, rich in stem cells and structural components that stimulate tissue regeneration. This tissue has emerged as a biological dressing for several clinical applications. Many preservation techniques have been proposed for AM; however, searching for a method capable of preserving their physical and biological properties remains challenging.ObjectiveThis work investigated different ways to support the AM in packing, as well as two different cryoprotectants to preserve its histological, cytological, and biological characteristics.MethodsHuman placentas were processed for AM isolation and stored under various conditions: gauze (G) and petrolatum gauze (PG) were evaluated as support materials for the AM, while DMSO and glycerol were analyzed as cryoprotectants for both materials. In addition, after selecting the best support material, two forms of product presentation were also explored: flat fragment (FF) and roll (R). All protocols were stored in liquid nitrogen for at least 2 weeks. After this period, tissue was thawed, and structural integrity, cellular viability, and secretome analysis were performed.ResultsCellular viability with PG was significantly reduced compared with fresh AM (Fresh: 63.6% ± 11.8%; PG+DMSO: 37.2% ± 17.9%; PG+glycerol: 23.2% ± 18.9%) (Figure 1A). Regarding gauze presentation, no difference in cell viability was found between cryoprotectants in the flat fragment groups (FF+DMSO: 53.4% ± 20.2% and FF+Glycerol: 55.5% ± 15.8%) (Figure 1B). As for the roll groups, cell viability was significantly better for DMSO (R+DMSO: 63.9% ± 11.8% and R+Glycerol: 37.1% ± 19.5V) (Figure 1B). Structural integrity evaluated by tissue immunofluorescence and picrosirius confirmed that the extracellular matrix components, such as laminin (Figure 1D), fibronectin (Figure 1E), and collagen (Figure 1F and 1G), were preserved with both cryoprotectants. Likewise, this protocol conserved progenitor/stem cells, assessed by the CD117 marker (Fresh: 25.4% ± 8.7%, DMSO:18.1% ± 9.5%, and Glycerol: 23.1% ± 11.7%) (Figure 1C). Secretome analysis showed a slight reduction of the proteins secreted by cryopreserved AM compared with fresh AM, although the difference was not significant (Figure 1H). Essential proteins involved in tissue regeneration (fibronectin, laminins, collagens, cadherins, and cytokeratins) and immune and antimicrobial control (PTX3, TMP1, SOD, lysozyme C, and immunoglobulins) could be detected from both AM (Figure 1I).Figure 1. (A): Cell viability of the cryopreserved AM on different support materials (gauze and petrolatum gauze). (B): Cell viability of the cryopreserved AM from different forms of product presentation (flat fragment and roll). (C): CD117 marker (flow cytometry). (D): Laminin immunofluorescence. (E): Fibronectin immunofluorescence. (F): Collagen fibers (picrosirius). (H-I): Secretome analysis from cryopreserved AM (DMSO) and fresh AM.DiscussionPG support was harmful to cell viability. DMSO exhibited better results in cell viability and biological functions regardless of tissue presentation and cryopreservation.

Structural operability and integrity analysis of the pressure relief valve under severe accident

The pressure relief valves are equipped in the primary circuit loop to release steam to prevent high temperature core melting in severe accident. When severe accident occurs, whether the valve can be opened smoothly and worked reliably are crucial for ensuring the safety of the reactor. In this study, the analysis and evaluation of operability and integrity of the pressure relief valve are performed. The 3D thermo-mechanical coupling simulation is conducted for closed gate valve to predict its operability by taking account of the contact nonlinearities, temperature load and mechanical load. Besides, the structural integrity analysis of the fully-open gate valve under transient thermal shock is investigated by transient fluid flow and heat transfer simulation, instantaneous stress analysis and creep analysis. The instantaneous mechanical performances at critical locations and the creep characteristics of the valve during the pressure releasing process are analyzed and then evaluated according to the RCC-MR criterion. The results show that the valve can be opened smoothly, and the integrity with negligible creep and significant creep can be ensured in the studied severe accident case. The systematic evaluation method of the structural operability and integrity in severe nuclear accident is achieved in this work.

Design and Analysis of Artillery Rocket Launcher Tube Mounted on Truck

The artillery rocket launcher system uses rocket explosives as the projectile mounted on a truck for short and long-range warfare. It consists of a launcher tube in which rockets are loaded which endures very high force, pressure and temperature during the firing of artillery rockets. The study aimed to optimize the artillery rocket launcher tube for geometry, material and cost without compromising the safety and structural stability. The structural and thermal integrity analyses by using the FEA model were performed by considering three thicknesses of the launcher tube viz. 10 mm, 12 mm and 15 mm and three composite materials such as E-glass fiber/epoxy, aramid fiber/epoxy, and carbon fiber/epoxy. The failure analysis of the launcher tube according to the Tsai-Wu failure criterion was obtained from Ansys APDL software. It shows that the maximum value of failure criteria as 0.579 which is less than 1. Overall, the optimum performance artillery rocket launcher tube has been found as the one with E-glass fiber/epoxy composite material with 15 mm thickness.

Structural analysis of solid rocket motor with effects of viscoelastic Poisson's ratio

The new measured viscoelastic Poisson's ratio (VPR) is introduced to investigate the effect of its variation on structure integrity analysis of solid rocket motor. A developed relaxation constitutive model considering VPR is utilized to implement in the finite element code MSC.Marc. Cooling analysis and ignition pressure loading case are designed to analyze the effects along the inner surface of propellant grains. Results show that the little change of the VPR including equilibrium Poisson's ratio (ePR) and reference temperature will affect the output of simulation, and the same up variation of the VPR has relatively less effect on the analysis than the elastic one. Furthermore, the up variation of viscoelastic Poisson ratio will disturb the distribution of strain and stress along the inner surface of propellant grains seriously while the elastic one won’t.

Detection, Location and Quantification of Structural Faults in a Two-Story Building Using the Artificial Immunological System

Large buildings and skyscrapers are vulnerable to environmental, temporal, and anthropological stresses, generating wear and tear that can lead to this social and economic impediment's collapse. The technological improvements of the fourth industrial revolution have resulted in changes in the connection between physical space and man, known as the cyber physic model, which necessitates monitoring systems to protect the structural branch and so correct this structural vulnerability. Thus, the structural health monitoring system is the exact measure of the evolution required by the cyber physic model in construction and the protection of the monumental buildings, ensuring not only their economic development but also the safety of society. Therefore, this research work presents the innovative proposal of the cyber-physical structural health monitoring system aimed at buildings and skyscrapers, based on and differentiated by intelligent computing techniques, using the negative selection algorithm to perform the analysis and monitoring of structural integrity, overcoming the existing traditional work. The cyber-physical structural health monitoring system will be applied to experimental data obtained from the shear building model that represents these imposing skyscrapers. An artificial immune system will be developed and used in the decision-making process based on the acquisition and processing of the obtained signals to perform the identification, localization, and quantification of possible structural damage. Observing the results, this work proved to be efficient, robust, and economically feasible, having high performance and overcoming the shortcomings of traditional techniques. It represents the perfect measure of cyber physics in the monitoring of large buildings and skyscrapers.

Data science application in structural integrity analysis of fixed offshore jacket platform

Abstract Accuracy in analysing the integrity of a structure is critical for determining the structure’s fitness for service and reliability status. Today, a variety of techniques and approaches are applied, including the use of data science applications. Data science is a synthesis of computer science, mathematics, and statistics. Meanwhile, the integrity of a structure is susceptible to a mix of statistical and technical design uncertainties that may remain flexible as long as the structure is capable of successfully managing the encountered load. Numerous applications are used in the oil and gas sector to estimate the probability of failure (POF), but they all have a particular restriction. Integral interference equations based on load versus strength are reliable for determining the POF of fixed offshore structures. This study is a quantitative risk assessment, emphasising the Python application, an improved and reliable method for calculating the POF value. A representative sample of the monopod offshore structure was chosen and subjected to global non-linear analysis in this study. The most reliable form of distribution was predetermined, and the algorithm created using Python was used to apply and compute the suitable integral equation depending on the load and strength conditions. The Python method’s result demonstrated a high degree of confidence in calculating the new POF in intact condition from a design perspective, inspection interval, and risk to consider.

Suicidal Ideation Is Associated With Reduced Functional Connectivity and White Matter Integrity in Drug-Naïve Patients With Major Depression.

Depression is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. Depression is characterized by decreased mood or loss of interest in daily activities, changes in feeding and circadian rhythms and significant impairments in cognitive and executive function. In addition, the occurrence of recurrent thoughts of death and suicidal ideation confers depressed patients a higher risk of suicide than the general population. With this study, we aimed to explore the neural correlates of suicidal ideation in drug-naïve patients diagnosed with depression. Twenty-five patients were scanned using two-different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities, resting state functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Resting state allowed the exploration of connectivity patterns in the absence of a specific stimulus and DTI allowed a detailed analysis of structural white matter integrity with measures like fractional anisotropy (FA). Probabilistic independent component analysis (PICA), network-based statistics and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were applied to analyze resting-state fMRI and DTI data, respectively. Our results showed that, in our sample of drug-naïve patients, suicidal ideation was negatively associated with resting-state functional connectivity in the visual networks and with FA in the genu of corpus callosum and in the right anterior corona radiata. In addition, a significant association was identified between suicidal ideation and a functional connectivity network that included connections between regions in the superior and orbitofrontal cortex, the cerebellum, the cingulate gyrus as well as temporal and occipital regions. In conclusion, this work has expanded our knowledge about the possible functional and structural neuronal correlates of suicidal ideation in drug-naïve patients with depression, paving the way for future personalized therapeutic approaches.

Preface

Due to recent pandemic, the 2022 International Conference on Automation and Space Science and Technology (ASST 2022) was held virtually online during January 14-16, 2022. The decision to hold the virtual conference was made in compliance with many restrictions and regulations that were imposed by countries around the globe. Such restrictions were made to minimize the risk of people contracting or spreading the COVID-19 through physical contact. There were 60 individuals who attended this online conference, represented many countries including Malaysia, India, Japan, Pakistan, and China.China has stepped into the era of rapid development of space science applications, in which automation as a basic support discipline provides key theoretical and technical support. With the goal of the application of space science engineering, the 2022 International Conference on Automation and Space Science and Technology (ASST 2022) integrates the principles and achievements related to automation and intelligent systems, and intend to provide a new platform for communication and discussion in interdisciplinary fields and advance the further integration and development of automation and space technology.During the conference, the conference model was divided into three sessions, including oral presentations, keynote speeches, and online Q&A discussion. In the first part, some scholars, whose submissions were selected as the excellent papers, were given about 5-10 minutes to perform their oral presentations one by one. Then in the second part, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches. In the second part, we invited three professors as our keynote speakers. Prof. Quanxin Zhu, Hunan Normal University, China. His current research interests in Markov process, Stability and Control Theory and Application of Stochastic Systems, and a series of important developments have been made. And then we had Prof. Li Na, Xidian University, China. Her main research direction is high precision electronic equipment error theory, new system antenna structure design and optimization. Assoc. Prof. Fengnan Guo, our finale keynote speaker, from Dalian University of Technology, China. His current research interests focus on thermal fracture of composite materials, design of advanced astronautis propulsion and structural integrity analysis. Their insightful speeches had triggered heated discussion in the third session of the conference. Every participant praised this conference for disseminating useful and insightful knowledge.The proceedings are a compilation of the accepted papers and represent an interesting outcome of the conference. Topics include but are not limited to the following areas: Space detection technology, Air-ground joint technology, Automation in the application of space technology and more related topics. All the papers have been through rigorous review and process to meet the requirements of International publication standard.We would like to acknowledge all of those who supported ASST 2022. The help and contribution of each individual and institution was instrumental in the success of the conference. In particular, we would like to thank the organizing committee for its valuable inputs in shaping the conference program and reviewing the submitted papers.We sincerely hope that the ASST 2022 turned out to be a forum for excellent discussions that enabled new ideas to come about, promoting collaborative research. We are sure that the proceedings will serve as an important research source of references and knowledge, which will lead to not only scientific and engineering findings but also new products and technologies.List of Committee member are available in this pdf.

Analysis of Brain Structural Connectivity Networks and White Matter Integrity in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment

White matter integrity and structural connectivity may be altered in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and these changes may closely reflect decline in specific cognitive domains. Multi-shell diffusion data in healthy control (HC, n = 31) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 19) cohorts were downloaded from the ADNI3 database. The data were analyzed using an advanced approach to assess both white matter microstructural integrity and structural connectivity. Compared with HC, lower intracellular compartment (IC) and higher isotropic (ISO) values were found in MCI. Additionally, significant correlations were found between IC and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores in the MCI cohort. Network analysis detected structural connectivity differences between the two groups, with lower connectivity in MCI. Additionally, significant differences between HC and MCI were observed for global network efficiency. Our results demonstrate the potential of advanced diffusion MRI biomarkers for understanding brain changes in MCI.