Type Of Construction Research Articles

Characterization of Stronghold Fortifications by 2D/3D/4D Electrical Resistivity Tomography: Major Push Towards Quantitative Interpretation

AbstractGeophysical methods are widely used as noninvasive tools for archaeological prospection. In a first step is usually applied basic prospection of vast areas, when data are evaluated only in qualitative way. Sometimes is performed second step, during which take place more detailed multidimensional or combined surveys in order to image archeological monuments complexly, allowing quantitative interpretation. Hence, we used a unique and novel combination of multidimensional electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) on the Early Middle Ages stronghold fortifications at Vinoř (Czechia) to achieve such interpretation. The joint results of 2D/3D/4D (time-lapse) surveys allowed us to precisely characterize individual construction components of the fortifications, including a ditch and rampart enhanced by a front wall with a berm. The ERT results recovered the fortification dimensions and the volume of building material used. The surveyed fortification section was verified by excavations directly after the ERT measurements. A comparison of the excavated section with geophysics proved that ERT was able to infer all the important fortification characteristics. In addition, illustrative picture of the resistivity manifestations of the basic components of this very typical fortification construction were obtained. The results show that multidimensional ERT provide access to quantitative interpretation allowing to explain archaeological structures behind investigated anomalies. In result, sites containing cultural heritage can be leaved intact, excavations can be substituted in surprisingly large extent, while unprecedented amount of archaeological information is still retrieved.

Roles of lean learners for successful lean implementation in the construction industry: a force-directed graph

PurposeThe proliferation of lean principles in the construction industry is offset by the enduring uncertainty among industry stakeholders regarding their respective roles in lean implementation. This uncertainty is further compounded by the scarcity of empirical investigations in this area. Consequently, this study undertakes the task of bridging this knowledge gap by identifying the critical roles of lean learners and their indispensable contributions to achieving successful lean implementation.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative exploratory approach informed by an interpretivism perspective was adopted. The case study strategy was employed to gather data from three contracting organisations that had implemented lean practices. Empirical data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with fifteen industry experts and complemented by document reviews. To analyse the data, a code-based content analysis approach was employed using NVivo software, while Power BI software was utilised to develop a comprehensive force-directed graph visualisation.FindingsThe research findings substantiated nine lean learners and unveiled a set of seventy-three roles associated with them. The force-directed graph facilitated the identification of lean learners and their connections to the emerged roles. Notably, the graph highlighted the pivotal role played by project managers and internal lean trainers in ensuring the success of lean implementation, surpassing the contributions of other lean learners.Originality/valueThe implications of findings extend to industry professionals seeking to establish a robust lean learning framework to expedite lean implementation within the construction sector. This study not only provides a comprehensive definition of lean learners’ roles but also transcends specific construction types, making it a significant catalyst for global impact.

Research progress and development trend of flexible hand rehabilitation gloves

The flexible hand rehabilitation glove is proposed to solve the problems of long rehabilitation training time for patients and high workload for doctors, and to make the treatment more effective. With the advances in robotics, robotic-assisted therapy has developed rapidly and has become an essential complement to conventional treatment. To understand flexible hand rehabilitation glove devices, with the different construction types of actuators and drive methods as the mainline, the corresponding study of these structures as the auxiliary lines. The characteristics and the current state of research have been discussed. A brief introduction to manufacturing actuators and rehabilitation systems is also given. Through the analysis of hand rehabilitation gloves, some current advantages and disadvantages are summarized, and future directions and functional diversification are envisaged. Certain feasible research suggestions have been proposed for future development regarding structure, functional diversity, and a combination of driving methods. These include that there will be more combinations of pneumatic and motor driven, combining the advantages of both methods to overcome the disadvantages of each. The structural design will be more in line with anatomy and ergonomics, make it more esthetically pleasing. More innovative controls methods will be adopted to achieve more complex rehabilitation functions.

Impacts of sea level rise on the cultural heritage of oceanic islands: Modeling twenty-first century scenarios in the Canary archipelago

Oceanic islands constitute 0.05% of emerged land masses but account for 2% of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Physical constraints have determined that the history of these remote territories is marked by globally unique forms of colonization and human cultures. A significant part of this heritage, located in coastal areas, is threatened by the mean sea level rise (SLR) due to anthropogenic climate change. This paper presents a regional approach to the risk estimation of SLR in the cultural heritage of oceanic islands, taking the Canary Islands (Spain) as an example. The Canary Islands is one of the most prominent oceanic archipelagos in the world (∼1500 km of coastline), where cultural heritage, preferentially located in the coastal areas (up to 50% in the first 1 km), nicely represents the two major stages of human occupation of islands (aboriginal and European). Through process-based modeling, high resolution flood maps were obtained for 20 climate scenarios and complete coverage of the archipelago. These maps were combined with detailed planimetries of 343 officially designated cultural heritage sites, applying damage functions to relate flood depth with the type of construction and the historical period. The results indicate potential damage to 55 cultural heritage sites of the Canary Islands which could be significant in 15 of them. For these cases, it is recommended to study specific adaptation measures aimed at mitigating the flood risk, such as moving the heritage assets away from the hazard areas or reinforcing and protecting the structures to reduce their vulnerability.

Сause and Random Causation (on French Data)

This article addresses the semantic similarities and differences between causative constructions (CiveC) and causal constructions (CsalC) in French, with its findings probably relevant for typology studies as well. A contrastive syntactic and semantic analysis of the two construction types shows that while syntactically different, they are similar semantically in that both express cause vs. consequence relations. This similarity is not, however, complete. French has three types of CiveCs: factitive constructions with the auxiliary faire, permissives with the auxiliary laisser, and constructions with notional causative verbs. Causal constructions exist in two types – multiclause constructions, and nominal constructions. Revealing the ability of CiveCs and CsalCs to undergo mutual synonymic transformations, the article concludes that the similarities/differences of their grammatical meanings depend on the randomness/non-randomness of the causation (cause). Random causation takes place in agency situations with active agents. Non-random causation emerges where one event generates/impacts the other one. The conclusions are the following: 1) the factitive construction faire + Inf. can express two grammatical meanings: a) cause, b) random causation/active purposive action; 2) permissive constructions normally express random causation, except for constructions with inanimate subjects; 3) notional causative verbs can express both meanings above; 4) causal, both nominal and multiclause, constructions never express random causation, invariably signaling cause.

Individualized social niches in animals: Theoretical clarifications and processes of niche change.

What are social niches, and how do they arise and change? Our first goal in the present article is to clarify the concept of an individualized social niche and to distinguish it from related concepts, such as a social environment and a social role. We argue that focal individuals are integral parts of individualized social niches and that social interactions with conspecifics are further core elements of social niches. Our second goal in the present article is to characterize three types of processes-social niche construction, conformance, and choice (social NC3 processes)-that explain how individualized social niches originate and change. Our approach brings together studies of behavior, ecology, and evolution and integrates social niches into the broader concept of an individualized ecological niche. We show how clarifying the concept of a social niche and recognizing the differences between the three social NC3 processes enhance and stimulate empirical research.

Effect of noise and hand-transmitted vibration exposure on hearing and equilibrium under a simulated work environment with building tools.

Construction workers are exposed to hand-transmitted vibration (HTV) and/or noise caused by vibrating hand tools in the work environment. The present study aims to investigate the effects of exposure to HTV and/or noise on workers' hearing loss and body balance. Forty construction workers were exposed to HTV (10 m/s2 rms, 31.5 Hz) and/or typical construction noise (90 dBA) in three simulated experiment scenarios with the vibrating hand-held tool for 30 minutes over three days. The hearing loss from 1000 to 6000 Hz and the body balance were determined before and after each exposure scenario. Separate noise exposure at all frequencies except for 1000 Hz could significantly affect hearing threshold levels (p-value<0.05). Separate exposure to HTV cannot lead to a remarkable effect on hearing loss (p-value>0.05); however, it can synergistically increase the effect of noise on hearing loss. Also, the affected frequency range in concurrent exposure has been greater than in separate noise exposure. The separate effects of exposure to HTV and noise on the subjects' body balance were not statistically significant (p-value>0.05); however, these effects became significant in concurrent exposure (p-value<0.05). Based on the estimated effect sizes, noise could synergistically increase the observed effect of HTV on body balance. There is a synergistic interaction between HTV and noise on hearing loss and body balance. It seems necessary to pay attention to the risk evaluation of simultaneous exposure to noise and HTV when setting the occupational action limit values.

The categorization of causatives in modern Chinese

The article presents a model for applying methods of corpus linguistics to the categorization of causatives that convey semantics of causality in contemporary Chinese. The author employs the core functions of the corpus manager Sketch Engine, including thesaurus, concordance and word list in order to select contextual synonyms, search to find illustrative material and generate lexical units with preset parameters accordingly. Specifically, online corpus of Chinese Web 2017 (zhTenTen17) Simplified, which contains approximately 16.6 billion tokens, was used to conduct the study.Notably, in modern Chinese, the category of causality is primarily realized through causative constructions, which/whose type is determined by the causative predicate. The present paper studies both lexical and grammatical causatives. The results illustrate that lexical causatives include mono- andmulti-component types, while grammatical causatives are divided into those formed by two full verbs; those formed by a full verb and a resultative component; and those formed by a combination of light and non-causative verbs. Besides, grammatical causative constructions are divided into two main subtypes: morphological and analytical. The morphological one conveys semantics of causality either through causative affixes or phonological changes, while the analytical one being the most prevalent in modern Chinese are further classified into three models, namely: those formed with causative markers; those formed with the causative preposition 把; and those formed with the word 得. Future research may focus on the pragmatics of the choice in different types of causative constructions, with a regard to the conceptual and linguistic worldview of the Chinese people.

Lateral load response of semi-interlocking mortarless masonry-infilled frames

Structural frames infilled with masonry material called masonry-infilled frames (MIFs) are common types of constructions around the world. These structures generally have mortared masonry as infill material which made the buildings stiff during past earthquakes and generated additional torsional forces. With a view to improve the seismic performance of MIFs this paper presents the results of a numerical simulation study on the behaviour of previously-tested MIFs with semi-interlocking masonry (SIM) material. In a simplified micro-modelling approach, the concrete and masonry materials are simulated using Concrete Damaged Plasticity technique and the joints are considered as zero-thickness cohesive interfaces modelled using traction-separation model. The numerical model is then used to study the lateral load response of the alternate MIF with SIM. The methodology for FE modelling of MIFs with SIM as an infill material is developed and explained in detail. The numerical models incorporate the sliding of the masonry units under the application of lateral loads. It is shown that the models capture the experimental results quite well although the modelling technique has certain limitations. The outcomes of a sensitivity analysis on the effects of the interface mechanical properties are presented along with discussion of limitations and suggestions for future improvements.

Semigroup collaborations between elementary operations

Given two operations ∗\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$*$$\\end{document} and ∘\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\circ $$\\end{document} on a set S, an operation ⋆\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\star $$\\end{document} on S is said to be a collaboration between ∗\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$*$$\\end{document} and ∘\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\circ $$\\end{document} if for all a,b∈S\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$a,b \\in S$$\\end{document}, a⋆b\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$a \\star b$$\\end{document}∈{a∗b,a∘b}\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\in \\{a *b, a\\circ b \\}$$\\end{document}. Another term for collaborations is two-option operations. We are interested in learning what associative collaborations of two given operations ∗\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$*$$\\end{document} and ∘\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\circ $$\\end{document} there may be. We do not require that ∗\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$*$$\\end{document} and ∘\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\circ $$\\end{document} themselves be associative. For this project, as an initial experiment, we consider Plus-Minus operations (i.e. collaborations between addition and subtraction on an abelian group) and Plus-Times operations (i.e. collaborations between the addition and multiplication operations on a semiring.) Our study of Plus-Minus operations focuses on the additive integers but extends to ordered groups. For Plus Times operations, we make some headway in the case of the semiring of natural numbers. We produce an exhaustive list of associative collaborations between the usual addition and multiplication on the natural numbers N\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\mathbb {N}}$$\\end{document}. The Plus-Times operations we found are all examples of a type of construction which we define here and that we call augmentations by multidentities. An augmentation by multidentities combines two separate magmas A and B to create another, A(B), having A⊔B\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$A \\sqcup B$$\\end{document} as underlying set, and in such a way that the elements of B act as identities over those of A. Hence, B consists of a sort of multiple identities (explaining the moniker multidentities.) When A and B are both semigroups then so is A(B). Understanding the connection between certain collaborations and augmentation by multidenties removes, in several cases, the need for cumbersome computations to verify associativity. A final section discusses connections between group collaborations and skew braces.

Implementation of Mini Piles and Retaining Wall in the Construction of the North Kalimantan Provincial DPRD Building in Bulungan Regency

Piles are used as the foundation for a building's construction when the underlying soil beneath the structure lacks sufficient bearing capacity to support the weight of the construction and its load, or when hard soil with enough bearing capacity lies at a significant depth. Retaining walls are a type of civil construction built to withstand the lateral active pressure of soil or water. Therefore, the construction of a retaining wall must be planned and designed to safely counter potential forces that could cause structural failure. The purpose of this writing is to understand the implementation of mini pile foundations and retaining walls concerning the stability control of the retaining wall against sliding, overturning, and soil-bearing capacity. The observational method used involves collecting secondary and primary data. The mini pile foundations are driven to a specified depth, with each pile segment being 4.0 meters long, and this piling activity aligns with the plan. The retaining wall used is a cantilever retaining wall with concrete quality K-300 f’c 25 MPa, where the successive heights, upper width, and bottom width of the retaining wall are 4.5 m, 0.3 m, and 2.7 m, respectively.

Social and seismic structural vulnerability in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico

The spatial distribution of the social and seismic structural vulnerabilities in Zihuatanejo (ZIH), Guerrero, Mexico, was estimated. Social vulnerability was assessed considering twelve indicators, including parameters such as access to health services, education, housing, employment, and unfavorable family conditions. Seismic structural vulnerability was evaluated characterizing the structural features of local houses, assessing the type and age of construction, and the quality of building materials. Surveyed households were randomly selected from a statistically significant sample. Our findings indicate that in the western and eastern areas of ZIH the population has high and very high social vulnerability. The main factors that condition these levels of social vulnerability are low-income, female-headed families, and households with marginal access to information technology, such as internet and telephone. Although seismic ground amplification in ZIH is relatively low, the regions to the west and southwest of the city are zones where the impact of strong earthquakes to constructions may be greater than in other areas. In particular, the districts of Lázaro Cárdenas, Benito Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, Emiliano Zapata, Las Mesas, Buenos Aires, Lomas del Quebrachal, and Lomas del Riscal would be affected. In general, houses vulnerable to the impact of earthquakes are in regions where the population is socially more vulnerable. More than 50% of the population and 30% of the houses have high and very high level of social and structural vulnerability, respectively. Our results provide information to the local and federal authorities to strengthen their civil protection and mitigation plans.

ECONOMIC CONSTANT OF INTRODUCING RESOURCE-SAVING TECHNOLOGIES AT A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY IN AN UNSTABLE MARKET ENVIRONMENT WITH LIMITED RESOURCES

Theoretical concepts and applied possibilities concerning the feasibility of introducing resource-saving technologies in a construction company under the influence of an unstable market environment and limited resources are determined. The article considers the dependence of construction production on many factors of the external and internal environment: natural and climatic, engineering and geological, economic, suppliers, sub-suppliers. This leads to the existence of a variety of projected cost and time indicators for a given construction project. This is due to the impossibility of obtaining accurate information on the conditions of project implementation. In the authors’ opinion, the limited availability of raw materials and the threat of their depletion are the reason for the constant rational use of raw materials and the search for new energy sources. The authors argue that in an unstable market environment and with limited resources, introducing resource-saving technologies can have a significant economic impact. Economic benefits, reduction of negative impact on the environment, improvement of the company’s image and status are the main advantages of introducing such technologies. It is necessary to compare the economic benefits of implementing resource-saving technologies with the costs of their installation and operation in order to determine the economic feasibility constant. Economic benefits include increased productivity, reduced costs due to resource savings and improved product quality. Costs are related to the installation of new technology, replacement of equipment, staff training and other factors. Economic feasibility is an economic assessment that helps determine whether introducing resource-saving technologies is economically viable. It can help construction companies make decisions about investing in new technologies in the context of an unstable market environment and limited resources. The article gives examples of the use of cost-effective resource-saving technologies: the reconstruction of Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) – the use of inventory shuttering in the complex use of softeners and chemical additives to concrete; the rationale for types of individual housing construction using recycled materials and the introduction of energy-saving technologies; the concept of “smart building”; the use of recycled materials such as bottles, paper, plastic and other materials in the construction of buildings. The article concludes that the use of resource-saving technologies can be an effective tool for ensuring the competitiveness and sustainable development of a construction company in an unstable market environment and with limited resources.

Universal 20 restriction reloaded

In this work we show that Old Italo-Romance varieties have two types of pragmatic related movement to the left periphery of both the clausal and nominal domains: one that focuses the moved constituent itself and another that marks the moved constituent as background, resulting in emphasis of the non-moved portion. While Focus fronting does not obey the U20 restriction originally proposed in Cinque (2005), (back)grounding does. This counters the idea that only meaningless movements (i.e., movements deriving the canonical word order of a language) need to obey the U20 restriction, since some meaningful movements do as well. After having examined the properties of both types of constructions, we derive the distinction on the basis of the type of feature that triggers the movement. While operators like Focus have their own feature, which is read by the labeling algorithm, all other cases of movement must use the label of the lexical head, which therefore must be contained in the moved subtree. Hence, (back)grounding must drag along the lexical head to be labeled, while Focus does not need to.

Evaluation of Compressive Strength of Concrete with Various Proportions of Stone Dust as Fine Aggregate

Concrete is the most dynamic engineering material in construction due to its durability and strength properties, which have been used in almost all types of physical infrastructure construction. Crushed stone dust is a supplementary material that can be utilized to produce sustainable concrete. The concept of replacing natural fine aggregate in concrete production with stone dust (SD) could enhance the consumption of stone dust produced during aggregate production as well as reduce the requirement for landfill area for stone dust management. The study aims to compare the compressive strength of nominal mixed M20 and M25-grade concrete by replacing fine aggregates with stone dust. The results reveal that compressive strength increases with an increase in stone dust, but the rise in SD percentages beyond a certain level has a negative impact on the strength of concrete. However, fresh density has a similar trend of compressive strength, and the workability of concrete shows a declining trend with a rise in SD levels. From the results of the experimental investigations conducted, it is concluded that the SD can be used as a replacement for fine aggregate. It is found that 40% replacement of fine aggregate by SD gives a maximum compressive strength than normal M20 and M25 grade concrete, which starts decreasing beyond 40% replacement. The compressive strength of the concrete has been quantified by replacing sand with varying percentages of stone dust and found that it does not satisfy the specification except for 40% replacement for M20 grade concrete, though it can be used for low and medium strength concrete production. The cost savings for M20 and M25-grade concrete at 40% sand replacement are 8.23% and 7.62%, respectively.

Contemporary Urban Agriculture in European and Chinese Regions: A Social-Cultural Perspective

With its early start in urbanization, Europe has accumulated a wealth of practical experience in urban agriculture (UA), exploring various development models. This paper compares and analyzes the characteristic patterns of UA in Europe and China through theoretical research, academic frontier exploration, and case analysis. In order to investigate and analyze theoretical developments and the current state of academic frontiers in a systematic, accessible, and comprehensive approach, the methodology of bibliometric analysis has been utilized. A bibliometric method is applied to analyze relevant data from the Web of Science (WoS) core collection database and 2230 CNKI publications. The case study section conducts separate field research on nine representative European practices of urban food gardening and urban farming. Additionally, the study scrutinizes UA research development and its implementation in Hangzhou, China. Based on the findings of this study, the authors recommend that European approaches to the development of UA in China’s future UA practice be taken into account, in particular their methods and strategies for realizing social and cultural benefits. It is imperative to integrate UA projects into urban green space system planning and to rationalize their construction types. Simultaneously, Chinese scholars are encouraged to explore the socio-cultural functions of UA, with a particular focus on urban agricultural heritage conservation.

Experimental investigation of sliding-based isolation system with re-centering functions for seismic protection of masonry structures

A sliding-based isolation system is an efficient strategy to enhance the seismic performance of low-rise brick masonry buildings, a common type of construction across the globe. The previously developed isolation systems lack a proper re-centering mechanism. Therefore, in this study, a low-cost isolation system, termed reinforced cut wall (RCW) with an appropriate re-centering mechanism, is designed and tested experimentally using a shake table, which hasn’t been tested previously. Two unconfined reduced scale (1:3) brick masonry buildings were subjected to frequency-based seismic excitation, and the model's corresponding acceleration and displacement response were captured. Compared to the fixed base model, considerable reductions were observed in the acceleration and displacement response in the case of the isolated model. Similarly, the inter-story drift and floor relative displacement response was also reduced in the isolated model. Furthermore, the rebars used for the re-centering mechanism remained within the linear viscoelastic range. Based on the experimental validation, the proposed low-cost RCW isolator was found to be an efficient isolation strategy for low-rise masonry buildings in high seismic regions.

Towards a new typology of comparative constructions in East Asian languages

Abstract This paper presents a typology that sheds light on the diversity and complexity of comparative constructions across languages. Specifically, this study focuses on topic-prominent comparatives, a newly discovered type of comparative construction commonly found in East Asian languages, providing a comprehensive analysis of their features and subtypes. Drawing from a wide range of East Asian languages, this study delineates three subtypes of topic-prominent comparatives: double-comparatum comparatives (‘Hair she is longer than me’), comparee-standard mismatched comparatives (‘Her hair is longer than me’), and standard-topic comparatives (‘My hair, her hair is longer’). Additionally, this study introduces a pair of new parameters: concrete measurement and abstract measurement of comparative degrees. Concrete measurement involves the use of precise numerical values or quantifiable units to make comparisons, such as three years in I am three years older than you. Conversely, abstract measurement involves the use of non-specific, relative terms to establish comparisons, such as much in I am much older than you. These parameters are positioned differently in some East Asian languages.

The Three-dimensional Environment of Type Ⅰ Collagen Gels With Varying Stiffness Modulates the Immunological Functions of NK Cells

To construct type Ⅰ collagen gels with different stiffness and to investigate the effects of three-dimensional (3D) culture environments of the gels on the morphology, free migration ability, and cell killing function of natural killer (NK) cells. Type Ⅰ collagen was isolated from the tails of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and collagen gels with different levels of stiffnesses were prepared accordingly. The microstructure of the collagen gels was observed by laser confocal microscopy. The stiffness of the collagen gels was assessed by measuring the plateau modulus with a rheometer. NK-92MI cells were cultured in collagen gels with different levels of stiffness. The morphology of NK-92MI cells was observed by inverted microscope. High content imaging system was used to record the free migration process of NK-92MI cells and analyze the migration speed and distance. NK-92MI cells were cultured with type Ⅰ collagen gels with different levels of stiffness for 24 h and 48 h and, then, co-cultured with human colorectal DLD-1, a human adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line. CCK8 assay was performed to determine the proliferation rate of DLD-1 cells and analyze the cell killing ability of NK-92MI cells. Low-stiffness type Ⅰ collagen gel and high-stiffness type Ⅰ collagen gel with the respective stiffness of (10.970±2.10) Pa and (114.50±3.40) Pa were successfully prepared. Compared with those cultured with the low-stiffness type Ⅰ collagen gel, the NK-92MI cells in the high-stiffness type Ⅰ collagen gel showed a more elongated shape (P<0.05), the mean area of the cells was reduced ([69.88±26.97] μm2 vs. [46.59±21.62] μm2, P<0.05), the roundness of the cells decreased (0.82±0.12 vs. 0.78±0.18, P<0.05), cell migration speed decreased ([2.50±0.91] μm/min vs. [1.70±0.72] μm/min, P<0.001) and the migration distance was shortened ([147.10±53.74] μm vs. [98.03± 40.95] μm, P<0.0001), with all the differences being statistically significant. Compared with those cultured with the low-stiffness type Ⅰ collagen gel, NK-92MI cells cultured with high-stiffness type Ⅰ collagen gel for 24 h could promote DLD-1 cell proliferation, with the proliferation rate being (46.39±12.79)% vs. (65.87±4.45)% (P<0.05) and reduce the cell killing ability. Comparison of the cells cultured for 48 h led to similar results, with the proliferation rates being (31.36±2.88)% vs. (74.57±2.16)% (P<0.05), and the differences were all statistically significant. The 3D culture environment of type Ⅰ collagen gels with different levels of stiffness alters the morphology, migration ability, and killing function of NK-92MI cells. This study provides the research basis for exploring and understanding the mechanisms by which the biomechanical microenvironment affects the immune response of NK cells, as well as laying the theoretical foundation for optimizing immunotherapy protocols.

Basic types and evolutionary characteristics of the socialist built heritage in China, 1949–1978: bibliometrics analysis of the People’s Daily

The socialist built heritage (SBH) is a product of the great and typical socialist construction and is considered to be one of the unique contemporary legacies. However, due to political controversy and a shorter history, its conservation status is dire. In order to better understand and promote future conservation, this study explored the typology and evolution of SBH, using representative socialist China as an example. Based on the official People’s Daily, the spatial term database of various socialist construction fields was generated by utilizing Python and Excel software. Through qualitative logical induction and quantitative word frequency statistics, the basic types and evolutionary characteristics of SBH were obtained. It was found that (1) the composite, multiscale, and extensive SBH were identified as twenty-six basic types. It was most widespread in the industry and agroforestry fields, while factories and facilities, collective organization buildings, government agencies, and assembly buildings were the most common basic types. (2) Related to social development, the fastest growth stage for SBH was from 1953 to 1960 and vice versa from 1966 to 1975. The evolution of SBH in technology field shifted from a non-significant increase to a sudden increase, while those in the finance and trade, and diplomacy fields fluctuated. The remaining fields were marked by large fluctuations to smoothness. The nature of SBH has become more modernized over time. These results further illustrated the distinctive value of the SBH, and can provide positive targeted support for their conservation.