Compatibility Considerations Research Articles

Full Transformer Framework for Robust Point Cloud Registration With Deep Information Interaction.

Point cloud registration is an essential technology in computer vision and robotics. Recently, transformer-based methods have achieved advanced performance in point cloud registration by utilizing the advantages of the transformer in order-invariance and modeling dependencies to aggregate information. However, they still suffer from indistinct feature extraction, sensitivity to noise, and outliers, owing to three major limitations: 1) the adoption of CNNs fails to model global relations due to their local receptive fields, resulting in extracted features susceptible to noise; 2) the shallow-wide architecture of transformers and the lack of positional information lead to indistinct feature extraction due to inefficient information interaction; and 3) the insufficient consideration of geometrical compatibility leads to the ambiguous identification of incorrect correspondences. To address the above-mentioned limitations, a novel full transformer network for point cloud registration is proposed, named the deep interaction transformer (DIT), which incorporates: 1) a point cloud structure extractor (PSE) to retrieve structural information and model global relations with the local feature integrator (LFI) and transformer encoders; 2) a deep-narrow point feature transformer (PFT) to facilitate deep information interaction across a pair of point clouds with positional information, such that transformers establish comprehensive associations and directly learn the relative position between points; and 3) a geometric matching-based correspondence confidence evaluation (GMCCE) method to measure spatial consistency and estimate correspondence confidence by the designed triangulated descriptor. Extensive experiments on the ModelNet40, ScanObjectNN, and 3DMatch datasets demonstrate that our method is capable of precisely aligning point clouds, consequently, achieving superior performance compared with state-of-the-art methods. The code is publicly available at https://github.com/CGuangyan-BIT/DIT.

Design and Performance Evaluation of a Specialized Bubbler System for Accurate and Repeatable Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) Testing

Accurate assessment of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) performance demands standardized testing conditions, particularly in stable steam delivery. Fluctuations in steam concentration and flow rate can significantly impact measured open-circuit voltage (OCV) and polarization behavior. Although direct steam injection is straightforward, it is often hindered by instability resulting from intermittent liquid water flux, pressure fluctuations, and fractional distillation effects. Bubbler humidification systems have the potential to offer consistent steam, but tailored designs for SOEC testing are currently absent.This study introduces a specialized bubbler system designed to deliver stable steam to SOEC test stands accommodating both oxygen-conducting (O-SOEC) and proton-conducting (H-SOEC) cells. The bubbler components include a refill water reservoir, a level control module, heating elements, pressure relief valves, check valves, tubing, and fittings integrated with the test stand. The system humidifies the sweep gas, transporting steam to the cell test fixture situated within a high-temperature furnace.The design process involved meticulous considerations of materials compatibility, hydrogen safety, and overtemperature protection. All wetted components employ stainless steel, glass, or PTFE materials in their construction construction. Redundant thermocouples ensure safe process temperatures with automated overtemperature shut off. The refill reservoir and bubbler headspace operate near ambient pressure, facilitated by an exhaust line vent sized for minimal backpressure.In various executed O-SOEC tests, the bubbler maintained OCV stability within ±5 mV over several hundred hours for each cell operating at 750°C, eliminating spikes caused by steam fluctuations observed with direct injection methods. This facilitates precise electrochemical analysis and determination of area-specific resistance losses. Polarization curves align with expected behavior based on the Nernst equation. The system has demonstrated safe and stable functionality for over thousands of hours across various operating conditions.The bubbler design presents researchers with notable advantages over existing steam supply options for SOEC test stands, addressing performance, safety, and flexibility concerns. Online instrumentation enables closed-loop control of steam conditions, enhancing stability. Standardization of test equipment is crucial for quality results, and this work contributes progress toward reproducible protocols in the international SOEC community. The modular bubbler approach, integrated with safety features, also signifies safer methodology choices for lab-scale experimental research.

Extended Battery Compatibility Consideration from an Electrolyte Perspective.

The performance of electrochemical batteries is intricately tied to the physicochemical environments established by their employed electrolytes. Traditional battery designs utilizing a single electrolyte often impose identical anodic and cathodic redox conditions, limiting the ability to optimize redox environments for both anode and cathode materials. Consequently, advancements in electrolyte technologies are pivotal for addressing these challenges and fostering the development of next-generation high-performance electrochemical batteries. This review categorizes perspectives on electrolyte technology into three key areas: additives engineering, comprehensive component analysis encompassing solvents and solutes, and the effects of concentration. By summarizing significant studies, the efficacy of electrolyte engineering is highlighted, and the review advocates for further exploration of optimized component combinations. This review primarily focuses on liquid electrolyte technologies, briefly touching upon solid-state electrolytes due to the former greater vulnerability to electrode and electrolyte interfacial effects. The ultimate goal is to generate increased awareness within the battery community regarding the holistic improvement of battery components through optimized combinations.

C3-Symmetric ligands in drug design: An overview of the challenges and opportunities ahead

C3-symmetry is a type of star-shaped molecule consisting of a central core and three symmetrically attached chains. These molecules are used in drug discovery due to their unique three-fold rotational symmetry, which allows for specific binding interactions and improved molecular recognition. In this text, we provide an overview of synthetic approaches with C3-symmetry as a pharmaceutical tool: progress, challenges, and opportunities. C3-symmetric ligands offer both challenges and opportunities in drug design. Their unique symmetry can enhance binding interactions, but careful consideration of rigidity, synthetic complexity, and target compatibility is crucial. Further research and advancements in synthetic methods and modeling tools will likely drive their exploration in drug discovery, leading to the discovery of potent C3-symmetric ligands.

Formulation, Development and Evaluation of Ophthalmic Solution of Timolol Maleate 0.5%

Delivery of medication to the human eye is an integral part of medical treatment. Ophthalmic drug delivery is one of the most interesting and challenging endeavors facing the pharmaceutical scientist. The anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry of the eye render this organ highly impervious to foreign substances. A significant challenge to the formulator is to circumvent the protective barriers of the eye without causing permanent tissue damage. Development of newer, more sensitive diagnostic techniques and novel therapeutic agents continue to provide ocular delivery systems with high therapeutic efficacy. The preparation may have any several purposes like therapeutic, prophylactic or palliative. The versatility of dosage form enables therapeutic agent to be suitable for function of preparation. Therapeutically active formulation may be designed to provide extended action for either convenience or reduction in dose frequency, improved bioavailability of an agent or improved delivery to target tissue. The residence time of an ocular preparation may range from few seconds (ophthalmic solutions) to hours (gel, ointments), to months or years (intra ocular or periocular dosage forms). Ophthalmic preparations are similar to parenteral dosage form in their requirements for sterility as well as consideration for osmotic pressure (tonicity), preservation, and tissue compatibility, avoidance of pyrogens and particulate matter and suitable packaging.

Performance investigation of phenol–formaldehyde resin (PF) and organic montmorillonite (OMMT) compound-modified bituminous mixture

ABSTRACT Composite modification has proven to be an effective strategy in addressing the insufficient performance associated with single-modified bituminous mixture. This research aims to thoroughly investigate the performance of the compound-modified bituminous mixture incorporation phenol–formaldehyde resin (PF) and organic montmorillonite (OMMT). The performance investigations of the bituminous mixture were conducted through the Marshall stability test, dynamic stability test, indirect tensile test, immersion Marshall test, freeze–thaw splitting test, indirect tensile fatigue test and long-term aging test. The test results indicated that OMMT plays a crucial role in advancing thermal storage stability and compatibility between PF and bitumen. Importantly, the optimal dosage of OMMT was determined not to exceed 5%. The 3%PF+5%OMMT bituminous mixture demonstrated excellent rutting and cracking resistance, superior water stability and anti-fatigue capabilities. Furthermore, the 2%PF+5%OMMT and 3%PF+5%OMMT bituminous mixtures exhibited superior anti-aging abilities. In consideration of laboratory performance and bitumen compatibility, the combination of 3%PF+5%OMMT can be utilised to enhance the bituminous mixture performance. The results of single-factor analysis of variance indicated that PF and OMMT had significantly impact on the bituminous mixture performance. Notably, the influence of PF/OMMT dosage on the cracking resistance, water stability and anti-aging ability requiring attention when considering them as bitumen modifiers.

Effect of heat application on the physicochemical properties of new endodontic sealers: an in vitro and SEM study.

Understanding the properties of endodontic sealers is vital for treatment planning. Calcium silicate-based sealers are important in modern endodontics. This study investigates the effect of heat on the physicochemical properties of new calcium silicate sealers, addressing concerns raised by clinicians seeking to combine their benefits with the gutta-percha obturation technique. Five endodontic sealers (AH Plus Bioceramic®, Total Fill® BC®, One-fil® Bioceramic, K-Biocer, Any-seal®) were evaluated. Each sealer (n = 16/group) was either kept at 37°C or subjected to heat at 60 or 200°C for 30s. ISO 6876-2012 standards were used to measure setting time, flow, film thickness, and dimensional changes over time. SEM and EDS were utilized for surface and chemical analysis. Data analysis employed IBM SPSS Statistics version 26 with a 5% significance level for two-sided tests. The sealers' setting times were shortened by heat, except for Total Fill® BC with extended setting time. All sealers had significantly longer setting times than manufacturer specifications. Film thickness increased with temperature, while flow values decreased. K-Biocer sealer showed the highest flow (16.89 ± 0.57mm) at 200°C, while Total Fill® sealer had the lowest (15.32 ± 0.62mm). Shrinkage was significant at 60°C and 200°C, with greater shrinkage at 200°C. Heat caused surface deformations in all sealers. The 200°C groups exhibited more voids in AH Plus Bioceramic®, Any-seal®, and One-fil® sealers, and higher void area in Total Fill®, One-fil®, and K-Biocer sealers (p value < 0.001). EDX analysis confirmed heat-induced chemical and elemental changes in all tested sealers. Elevated temperature affects the physicochemical properties and structure of the tested endodontic sealers. The consideration of endodontic sealer compatibility is essential when warm gutta-percha obturation techniques are used.

Blood Demand Forecasting and Supply Management: An Analytical Assessment of Key Studies Utilizing Novel Computational Techniques

Use of data-driven methodologies in enhancing blood transfusion practices is rising, leveraging big data, machine learning, and optimization techniques to improve demand forecasting and supply chain management. This review used a narrative approach to identify, evaluate, and synthesize key studies that considered novel computational techniques for blood demand forecasting and inventory management through a search of PubMed and Web of Sciences databases for studies published from January 01, 2016, to March 30, 2023. The studies were analyzed for their utilization of various techniques, and their strengths, limitations, and areas for improvement. Seven key studies were identified. The studies focused on different blood components using various computational methods, such as regression, machine learning, hybrid models, and time series models, across different locations and time periods. Key variables used for demand forecasting were largely derived from electronic health record data, including clinical related predictors such as laboratory test results and hospital census by location. Each study offered unique strengths and valuable insights into the use of data-driven methods in blood bank management. Common limitations were unknown generalizability to other healthcare settings or blood components, need for field-specific performance measures, lack of ABO compatibility consideration, and ethical challenges in resource allocation. While data-driven research in blood demand forecasting and management has progressed, limitations persist and further exploration is needed. Understanding these innovative, interdisciplinary methods and their complexities can help refine inventory strategies and address healthcare challenges more effectively, leading to more robust, accurate models to enhance blood management across diverse healthcare scenarios.

Stress field model for bond in reinforced concrete ties

The interaction of the reinforcing bars and the surrounding concrete plays an important role in structural concrete as it is decisive for the reinforcing bar anchorage and the load-deformation behaviour, including stiffness and deformation capacity. Therefore, understanding this interaction – commonly known as bond – is highly relevant to a safe and efficient structural concrete design. Bond depends on many parameters, which affect the local reinforcing bar-concrete interface as well as the global load transfer between the reinforcing bars and the surrounding concrete. The latter governs the formation of transverse and longitudinal cracks and the activation of transverse confinement, which are as decisive for bond as the local interface characteristics. Nonetheless, most bond models and code provisions focus on the local interface and merely account for the global configuration by means of empirically calibrated factors accounting, e.g. for good or bad bond conditions in confined or unconfined situations, respectively.This study investigates the potential of stress fields for modelling bond based on the lower-bound theorem of plasticity theory. Stress fields facilitate the investigation of the local interface and the global load transfer consistently in one model, providing valuable insight into the flow of forces. For simplicity, the fundamental case of a concrete tie reinforced with one deformed steel bar is studied in this paper, superimposing axisymmetric discontinuous stress fields originating at each reinforcing bar rib. Each stress field consists of a triaxial nodal zone adjacent to a rib and a conical compression field that spreads the bond force radially, and is equilibrated along its outer perimeter by axial tensile stresses and confining hoops. The model relies on geometric parameters and basic material properties. The validation against experiments on reinforced concrete ties shows a good correlation between the predicted and observed bond strength and the crack spacing. The predictions can be improved by assigning stiffnesses to the stress field components and requiring interface compatibility, i.e. ensuring contact between the concrete and the reinforcing bar at every rib. Even when assuming a simplified, linearly elastic constitutive behaviour for concrete, the consideration of interface compatibility allows for reproducing the steel strain dependency of the local and average bond stresses and the occurrence and impact of splitting cracks.

Antiemetic Drugs Compatibility Evaluation with Paediatric Parenteral Nutrition Admixtures.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting are defined as the most common of side effects of treatment and, at the same time, are very difficult to accept for patients', frequently causing changes in the therapy regimen, significantly reducing its effectiveness. Thus, an antiemetic prophylactic is essential to the provision of such a therapy for the patient. Pharmacotherapy often includes various drugs, including antiemetics, with the administration of such drugs by injection through two separate catheters being the preferred method. However, the co-administration of drugs and parenteral nutrition admixtures (PNAs) requires the consideration of compatibility, stability and potential negative interactions. To meet the purposes of clinical pharmacy, a compatibility test of ondansetron, dexamethasone and hydrocortisone with paediatric PNAs was conducted. PNAs differ in the composition of amino acid source (Primene® or Aminoplasmal Paed® 10%) and the type of injectable lipid emulsion (Lipidem® 200 mg/mL, Clinoleic® 20%, SMOFlipid® 200 mg/mL, Intralipid® 20%). An in vitro evaluation was performed in a static way as a simulated co-administration through a Y-site. The drug PNA ratios were determined based on the extreme infusion rates contained in the characteristics of medicinal products. All calculations were performed for a hypothetical patient aged 7 years weighing 24 kg. As a result of this study, it can be concluded that all tested PNAs showed the required stability in the range of parameters such as pH, osmolality, turbidity, zeta potential, MDD and homogeneity. The co-administration of antiemetic drugs does not adversely affect lipid emulsion stability. This combination was consistently compatible during the evaluation period.

Design and thermal-hydraulic analysis for CFETR divertor OVT in consideration of RH compatibility

The divertor is a key in-vessel component of the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR), which is mainly used to remove high heat load and exclude particles. In addition, the CFETR divertor also needs to meet requirements of Remote handling (RH) maintenance due to activation of materials by neutrons. CFETR proposed the concept of hybrid divertor-blanket to meet the requirements mentioned above and improve tritium breeding ratio (TBR). The new concept cancels the cassette and adopts a separate structure. Space below the divertor is occupied by the breeding blanket to improve TBR, and targets are directly fixed on the breeding blanket to improve RH maintenance efficiency. The outer vertical target (OVT) is a high heat load component of the divertor, which needs to remove the heat flux of 20 MW/m2 and neutron radiation heat at 1.5 GW fusion power and meet the requirements of RH maintenance. The structure design, RH compatible structure design, RH process and thermal-hydraulic analysis of OVT are completed in this paper. The relevant design effectively reduces the weight and complexity of RH maintenance and improves RH efficiency of OVT. RH process for OVT proves to have great engineering feasibility. Advanced low activation materials are adopted for OVT. Thermal-hydraulic analysis verifies that OVT can remove heat flux of 20 MW/m2 and neutron radiation heat at 1.5 GW fusion power, which confirms the rationality of the cooling system and effectively prompts the structural analysis of OVT.

Existence, uniqueness, and asymptotic stability results for the 3-D steady and unsteady Navier–Stokes equations on multi-connected domains with inhomogeneous boundary conditions

We consider both stationary and time-dependent solutions of the 3-D Navier–Stokes equations (NSE) on a multi-connected bounded domain Ω ⊂ R 3 with inhomogeneous boundary values on ∂ Ω = Γ; here Γ is a union of disjoint surfaces Γ 0 , Γ 1 , … , Γ l . Our starting point is Leray’s classic problem, which is to find a weak solution u ∈ H 1 ( Ω ) of the stationary problem assuming that on the boundary u = β ∈ H 1 / 2 ( Γ ). The general flux condition ∑ j = 0 l ∫ Γ j β · n d S = 0 must be satisfied due to compatibility considerations. Early results on this problem including the initial results in (J. Math. Pures Appl. 12 (1933) 1–82) assumed the more restrictive flux condition ∫ Γ j β · n d S = 0 for each j = 1 , … , l. More recent results, of which those in (An Introduction to the Mathematical Theory of the Navier–Stokes Equations, vol. II 1994 Springer–Verlag) and (In Lectures on the Analysis of Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations 2013 237–290 Int. Press) are particularly representative, assume only the general flux condition in exchange for size restrictions on the data. In this paper we also assume only the general flux condition throughout, and for virtually the same size restrictions on the data as in (In Lectures on the Analysis of Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations 2013 237–290 Int. Press) we obtain the existence of a weak solution that matches that found in (In Lectures on the Analysis of Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations 2013 237–290 Int. Press) when the assumptions imposed here and those assumed in (In Lectures on the Analysis of Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations 2013 237–290 Int. Press) are both met; additionally we demonstrate that this solution is unique. For slightly stronger size restrictions we obtain the existence and uniqueness of solutions of both Leray’s problem and global mild solutions of the corresponding time-dependent problem, while showing that both the stationary and time-dependent solutions we construct are a bit stronger than weak solutions. The settings in which we establish our results allow us to culminate our discussion by showing that our time-dependent solutions converge to each other exponentially in time, so that in particular our stationary solutions are asymptotically stable. We also discuss additional features which allow for data of increased size on certain domains, including those which are thin in a generalized sense.

Multiple-Receiver Inductive Power Transfer System Based on Multiple-Coil Power Relay Module

Due to the compatibility considerations, it is not attractive for the commercial wireless charger to modify the Qi-standard coils for charging multiple loads. This paper would explore the potential of a power relay module (PX) to address this issue. The multiple-coil PX would enhance the effective coupling when the standard coupler fails. In this paper, different types of PXs are developed for various applications, including a two-coil PX using series compensation, a two-coil PX using high-order compensation, and a three-coil PX using high-order compensation. Their power and efficiency characteristics are analyzed in a uniform manner, and the benefits of different PXs are justified through a planar charger and a bowl-shape charger in the experiment. The implemented bowl-shape charger is able to offer one fast-charging channel for a single device (30 W) and one multiple-load channel for at most four devices (each 10 W) simultaneously. The peak efficiency is 88% when the overall delivered power of PX is 70W.

Blockchain-assisted internet of things framework in smart livestock farming

Smart Livestock Farming (SLF) is an approach that utilizes technological advances to improve economic viability, operational efficacy, and ecological sustainability in the cattle industry. Among the most promising areas of smart livestock farming is extensive livestock farming, in which individual animals are monitored and studied. By keeping an eye on harvests, planning out the property, and providing them with data to establish rational methods and techniques, the IoT helps farmers save time and resources. The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to transform livestock management by linking distant farmers with the biological data of their animals and environmental data collected by embedded technology. Limiting livestock's greenhouse gas emission impact is one obstacle, as is the inherent complexity, context, and repetition of day-to-day livestock management tasks. To improve customer and product identification, especially in farming supply chain operations, BlockChain (BC) has emerged as a cutting-edge technology. In this study, the paper addresses how blockchain technology may be used for livestock-based goods after analyzing the research on its uses in the food market and the farming supply chain. The framework incorporates Internet of Things technology and utilizes BlockChain technology to create a Smart Livestock Farming system (IoT-BC-SLF), allowing for a transparent and safe exchange between farmers. Finally, the study reveals that the primary concerns of blockchain implementation in this field are safeguarding the records of agricultural output, tracking the processes involved in the production, and keeping tabs on the finished goods. The sensing system that utilizes Blockchain technology helps to trace the transmission of agricultural and related goods via farmers to ultimate consumers, to track and regulate the value chain of dairy, fruits, vegetables, meat, etc., and to avoid financial losses. Real livestock farming with IoT-BC-SLF technology and management will benefit several facets of agriculture, including human resources, product costs (both agricultural and livestock), animal protection, and environmental sustainability. The farmers' exact livestock management on numerous farms is implemented after careful consideration of information security, protection, and compatibility. Based on analysis of Response time, internal temperature measurement, 92% of Livestock tracking probability, and 91% of Livestock behavioral activity with better improvement, it is clear that the proposed IoT-BC-SLF system is superior to existing approaches.

Kaleidoskop der Berge : kulturreflexives Lernen im DaF-Hochschulunterricht am Beispiel der Alpen

Foreign language teaching represents a place that combines linguistic and cultural learning. The Alps as a culturally diverse living space are suitable as a topic for culturally reflective teaching. The focus of the paper is to explore how the concepts of Places of Memory (Erinnerungsorte) and Patterns of Interpretation (Deutungsmuster) can be used inclusively in teaching German as a foreign language. After an introduction of the two concepts, considerations of compatibility and didactic potential are made. This is followed by a presentation of the two concepts using the Alps as an example. On the one hand it is about life in mountain villages and cultural identity, on the other hand it is about traditional costume. The goal of the exercises is a critical examination from different perspectives. Specifically, they aim at providing access to Patterns of Interpretation as well as the development of discourse competence and symbolic competence for orientation in official German-speaking regions and, beyond that, one's own positioning.

Response of Inclined Loaded Pile in Layered Foundation Based on Principle of Minimum Potential Energy

To investigate the responses of inclined loaded piles in layered foundations, this paper proposes a generalized solution based on the principle of minimum potential energy. First, the energy equations for an inclined loaded pile and the surrounding soil are deduced. With the consideration of deformation compatibility and the pile–soil interaction, the governing differential equation for the pile is obtained via a power series method based on the energy method. Subsequently, the power series solutions for the pile deformation under axial and lateral loads are obtained. The results indicate that the analytical solution proposed in this study can provide consistent predictions with experimental results. Furthermore, the ratio of the elastic modulus between the upper and the lower soil, the length–diameter ratio, and the change ratio of the elastic modulus of the adjacent soil have significant influence on the lateral displacement and the bending moment of the inclined loaded pile.

Automated Rational Design of Metal-Organic Polyhedra.

Metal–organic polyhedra (MOPs) are hybrid organic–inorganic nanomolecules, whose rational design depends on harmonious consideration of chemical complementarity and spatial compatibility between two or more types of chemical building units (CBUs). In this work, we apply knowledge engineering technology to automate the derivation of MOP formulations based on existing knowledge. For this purpose we have (i) curated relevant MOP and CBU data; (ii) developed an assembly model concept that embeds rules in the MOP construction; (iii) developed an OntoMOPs ontology that defines MOPs and their key properties; (iv) input agents that populate The World Avatar (TWA) knowledge graph; and (v) input agents that, using information from TWA, derive a list of new constructible MOPs. Our result provides rapid and automated instantiation of MOPs in TWA and unveils the immediate chemical space of known MOPs, thus shedding light on new MOP targets for future investigations.

Quick Block Transport System for Scalable Hyperledger Fabric Blockchain Over D2D-Assisted 5G Networks

This paper presents a quick block transport system for scalable Hyperledger Fabric (HLF) blockchain over device-to-device (D2D)-assisted 5G networks. The objective of the proposed system is to increase the transaction throughput and further enable the application of the blockchain to delay-sensitive 5G services. To this end, the system rapidly disseminates the block data to all the peers on the blockchain network. The blockchain network is organized with mobile edge cloud (MEC) server and mobile peers in the 5G network. To ensure a scalable and reliable blockchain architecture, the core functionalities of the HLF blockchain are appropriately distributed among the mobile edge cloud and each mobile peer. The MEC server handles core functionalities for the blockchain network, such as block generation and membership management. In addition, it is responsible for gathering the network status of all peers and organizing the overlay structure to be utilized to rapidly propagate the block with a low network cost. On the other hand, the mobile peers handle the endorsing and validating functionalities to prevent block data tampering in the blockchain network. Furthermore, locality-aware device-to-device networking is utilized in 5G network coverage to achieve faster block dissemination. The proposed system is designed to work seamlessly in an existing HLF blockchain framework with consideration of scalability and compatibility. It is fully implemented using the open-source HLF and OpenAirInterface. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed block transport system, it was evaluated in an actual 5G network as well as 802.11 network. The experimental results verified its feasibility.

Uncertainty-oriented reliability and risk-based output control for complex systems with compatibility considerations

This study addresses two challenges, namely, the generally existent uncertainty that has been overlooked by many current approaches, and compatibility with multiple surrogate models in the process of output control instead of relying on one specific model. In the proposed approach, reliability and risk are used to better represent and model the generally existent uncertainty. Furthermore, the proposed approach has a higher level of compatibility, which is independent of a specific surrogate model. These two aspects are the major theoretical contributions of the proposed approach. A practical case study of reducing building tilt rate (BTR) in tunnel engineering shows that the BTR can be reduced from the original [0.8516, 2.7573] to [0.4904, 1.0664] by 41.65%-73.17% with an average reduction of 56.64%. When uncertainty was not considered, the average reduction of the BTR was 50.36%, while overestimation and underestimation were observed in most sets of data. Three surrogate models were cross-checked to validate the compatibility of the proposed approach, namely the Gaussian process regression (GPR), back-propagation neural network (BPNN), and belief rule base (BRB). The results of cross-checking show that: (1) GPR and BPNN are mutually recognizable, that is, the mutual MAPE is less than 1%, (2) GPR has recommended the most robust parameter settings, and (3) BRB has underestimated the BTRs. Owing to the ability to represent and model uncertainty and the high compatibility of the surrogate models, the proposed approach can be extended to more engineering problems in various fields.

Exploring Protein Structures of SARS‐CoV‐2 Variants of Concern within an Undergraduate Research Course

Lane College is a Historically Black College with a legacy of educating underserved minority students. As a primarily undergraduate teaching college, faculty and students have limited opportunities to engage in undergraduate research. To address this concern, the biology department created the undergraduate research course sequence (Undergraduate Research I and II) to provide course‐based undergraduate research experiences for students. During the Spring 2021 semester, to limit the spread of COVID‐19, the College began the first few weeks with complete online instruction before switching to hybrid or face‐to‐face modality. For the biology undergraduate research students, the projects were redesigned based on input from the students to explore the viral protein structural changes in newly emerging SARS‐CoV‐2 variants of concern (VOC). First, students explored the virology of SARS‐CoV‐2 and structures of key viral proteins using curriculum available from Rutgers University on the Protein Data Bank during the online instruction period. Then the students selected a variant of concern, B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), or P.1 (Gamma), and a specific viral protein containing at least one mutation for further study. During the hybrid instruction period, using open‐source bioinformatics tools, including NCBI SARS‐CoV‐2 genome sequences, PANGO Lineage VOC data, UCSC Genome Browser and SNAP Gene, the students mapped the location of the VOC mutation on their chosen protein’s known structure. They then modeled the effect of the mutation on the protein structure using Chimera or iCN3D, since Chimera is not compatible with Chromebooks. Students determined that the mutations found in nsp3 in Alpha variant and ORF8 in Gamma variant did not have a large impact on the overall structure of the proteins and predicted that there would not be significant effects on protein function. In contrast, several mutations found in Beta variant spike protein likely impact receptor binding domain interactions with angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptor. The methods developed here will be useful for further investigations of protein structures from emerging variants of concern. This experience demonstrates the utility of bioinformatics research projects in online and hybrid courses and the importance of consideration of compatibility of various open‐source tools with student devices.