Standard Construction Research Articles

A single-stranded based library preparation method for virome characterization

BackgroundThe gut virome is an integral component of the gut microbiome, playing a crucial role in maintaining gut health. However, accurately depicting the entire gut virome is challenging due to the inherent diversity of genome types (dsDNA, ssDNA, dsRNA, and ssRNA) and topologies (linear, circular, or fragments), with subsequently biases associated with current sequencing library preparation methods. To overcome these problems and improve reproducibility and comparability across studies, universal or standardized virome sequencing library construction methods are highly needed in the gut virome study.ResultsWe repurposed the ligation-based single-stranded library (SSLR) preparation method for virome studies. We demonstrate that the SSLR method exhibits exceptional efficiency in quantifying viral DNA genomes (both dsDNA and ssDNA) and outperforms existing double-stranded (Nextera) and single-stranded (xGen, MDA + Nextera) library preparation approaches in terms of minimal amplification bias, evenness of coverage, and integrity of assembling viral genomes. The SSLR method can be utilized for the simultaneous library preparation of both DNA and RNA viral genomes. Furthermore, the SSLR method showed its ability to capture highly modified phage genomes, which were often lost using other library preparation approaches.ConclusionWe introduce and improve a fast, simple, and efficient ligation-based single-stranded DNA library preparation for gut virome study. This method is compatible with Illumina sequencing platforms and only requires ligation reagents within 3-h library preparation, which is similar or even better than the advanced library preparation method (xGen). We hope this method can be further optimized, validated, and widely used to make gut virome study more comparable and reproducible.EMStnH64sPQJC5VtA73CKfVideo

Analysis of the Application and Prospects of Intelligent Technology in Sustainable Railway Operations

With the rapid development of technology, intelligent technology plays an increasingly important role in the sustainable operation of railways. This paper explores the application and prospects of intelligent technology in sustainable railway operations, emphasizing its key roles in enhancing operational efficiency, strengthening safety assurance, optimizing passenger experience, and promoting environmental protection and energy conservation. Through intelligent dispatching, real-time monitoring, big data prediction, personalized services, and mobile ticketing technologies, the railway system achieves efficient resource allocation and service innovation. The intelligent transformation of railways demonstrates significant economic and social benefits, contributing to emission reduction targets and sustainable development. Future efforts should focus on strengthening top-level design, technological innovation, standard construction, and network security to advance the intelligent railway process and co-create a new era of smart, green, and efficient railway transportation.

Towards partial monitoring: Never too early to give in

Runtime Verification is a lightweight formal verification technique used to verify whether a system behaves as expected at runtime. Expected behaviour is typically formally specified using properties, which are used to automatically synthesise monitors. Properties that can be verified at runtime by a monitor are called monitorable, while those that cannot are termed non-monitorable. In this paper, we revisit the notion of monitorability and demonstrate how non-monitorable properties can still be used to generate partial monitors. We tackle this from two different perspectives: (i) by recognising that a monitor can give up on monitoring the property under analysis if it recognises that the monitoring will never conclude the satisfaction or violation of the property; (ii) by recognising that a monitor can give up on events that are not necessary for successful monitoring of the property under analysis. By considering these two aspects, we present how to achieve partial monitoring of Linear Temporal Logic properties by building upon the standard monitor construction. Finally, we present a prototype implementation of our approach and its application to a remote inspection case study, as well as a set of evaluation experiments to stress test our approach using synthetic properties.

Experimental studies for evaluation of the removal time of form on concrete using ultrasonic pulse velocity methods

In this study, the form removal time of concrete was evaluated using ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV). The evaluation was performed based on the form removal strength specified in the American Concrete Institute (ACI), British Standard (BS), and Korean Construction Standards (KCS). Additionally, physical and mechanical properties of the concrete were evaluated from the early stages up to 28 days after casting. Specimens of both plain and lightweight concrete (LWC) were prepared for analysis. For the purpose of evaluating the concrete at various strengths, the water-to-cement (W/C) ratios were established at 0.41 and 0.28, aimed at achieving target compressive strengths of 30 MPa and 60 MPa for plain concrete, respectively. The measurement of mechanical properties was conducted through the assessment of penetration resistance, compressive strength, and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV). Models for predicting the strength based on regression analysis were proposed, taking into account the characteristics of the setting times (both initial and final). Additionally, the aggregate cross-section, matrix structure, and crystalline phases were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In the results of the experiments, it was observed that Mortar60 reached both initial and final set quicker than Mortar30, a phenomenon attributed to the higher cement content. Initially, Plain and LWC specimens exhibited comparable trends in compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV). However, when examining the compressive strength development from 1 to 28 days, a notable difference of approximately 33 % was observed between Plain60 and LWC60. Similarly, differences in UPV ranged from 10.12 % to 11.88 %. The logistic regression model was found to predict the form removal strength more accurately than the exponential model, as indicated by the regression analysis results. When these results were compared with previous strength prediction models, the difficulty in predicting form removal strength became evident, primarily due to the substantial errors present in these models. Analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the presence of hydration products within the lightweight aggregate, which signifies the hydration reaction. These products seemed to enhance the performance of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the aggregate and cement paste. Furthermore, Mortar60 was characterized by larger crystalline hydration products, a denser matrix structure, and higher XRD peaks in comparison to Mortar30.

Analysis and Optimization of the Effectiveness of Production Safety Standardization Construction Based on Set-Pair Analysis

Analysis and Optimization of the Effectiveness of Production Safety Standardization Construction Based on Set-Pair Analysis

Applying an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Young Drivers’ In-Vehicle Information System (IVIS) Use Intention and Behavior While Driving: A Longitudinal Two-Wave Survey

In-vehicle information system (IVIS) use while driving has raised concerns about driver distraction, especially for young drivers. To understand better their psychological factors, an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) was employed to predict young drivers’ IVIS use intentions and behavior while driving. A two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted to explore the temporal effects of ‘intention–behavior’ causality. At Time 1, 236 qualified participants completed a main questionnaire assessing the standard TPB constructs (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control) and the extended constructs (descriptive norms, moral norms, and perceived risks). At Time 2, 145 follow-up questionnaires measuring self-reported behavior were successfully administered. The hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that the standard constructs account for 36.5% of the intention variance and 41.2% of the behavior variance. The extended constructs additionally contributed 20.3% of intention variance. All variables were identified as significant predictors of intentions, except for perceived crash risks and perceived risks of being caught and fined. The sole significant predictor of prospective behavior was intention. Theoretically, the findings further support the efficacy of the TPB in explaining IVIS use while driving. Practically, it is helpful to design non-legal interventions that sustainably reduce young drivers’ engagement in IVIS-related distractions.

A Platform of Serious Video Games Co-built for the General Interest

In a context where training takes place both in initial courses and in lifelong continuing education, the use of games offers a way of promoting effective and sustainable learning: by its very nature, this medium is an open work in which players can become involved and give meaning to their learning. Ikigai - Games for Citizens offers a unique ecosystem for creating serious, expert video games and offering them free of charge to people who want to learn while having fun, as well as producing a set of learning-related data that can be used for research and customizing training courses. By bringing together universities, Grandes Ecoles, research laboratories, associations, and institutions, Ikigai is a collaborative consortium of general interest, implementing the co-construction of videogame services between scientific experts, video game professionals and educational engineers. Together, they are producing a centralized platform of serious games and associated services that can be used by teachers at a moderate cost by pooling resources: the building blocks of each game can be reused in other games developed. The consortium is committed to general interest and popular education by making the games available free of charge to members and the general public. The decentralized infrastructure set up by Ikigai, which respects privacy by design, means that game usage data can now be collected on a national scale, but conceptually it could extend much further. The data collected in compliance with the RGPD will eventually be used to draw up enriched user profiles to offer personalized courses, teaching recommendations and progress monitoring as close as possible to the learner, using AI in particular. Ikigai is also heavily involved in the construction of new digital standards in education, which are needed to ensure the interoperability of data for lifelong monitoring of learners. But also, for the digital education ecosystem, to guarantee a sovereign, efficient, coherent, and sustainable cloud on a European scale.

Effect of continuous improvement of standardized construction of China Chest Pain Center on treatment time and mortality of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: A population-based study.

Standardized construction of China Chest Pain Center improves outcomes in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). A total 778 patients with a definite diagnosis of STEMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in our hospital from March 2017 to November 2022 were selected. Among them, 194 patients admitted from March 2017 to December 2019 were included as the pre-continuous improvement period (control group), and 584 patients admitted from January 2020 to November 2022 were included as the continuous improvement period (study group). Major quality control indicators were compared between the 2 groups. In continuous improvement period, the time of electrocardiograph (ECG) diagnosis, time of dual antiplatelet drug administration, troponin I return time, catheter activation time, and door to wire (D2W) were all significantly shorter than those in the pre-continuous improvement period (P < .05). The reperfusion rate of patients in the continuous improvement period was 98.12%, which was significantly higher than that in the pre-continuous improvement period (92.78%; P < .001). The mortality rate of STEMI patients in continuous improvement period was 3.42%, lower than 4.64% in the pre-continuous improvement period with no statistical difference (P = .439). Age, previous history of coronary artery disease, and high Killip class (Killip III-IV) were derived as independent risk factors for death by logistic regression analysis (OR＞1, P < .05). Continuous improvement of the chest pain center can effectively shorten the treatment time of STEMI patients, improve the reperfusion rate, and improve myocardial blood supply by restoring TIMI blood flow as early as possible.

Comparing Multipin Clamps With Outriggers With Standard Clamps for Lower Extremity Periarticular External Fixation: Similar Radiographic and Clinical Outcomes.

Staged treatment of high-energy periarticular tibia fractures involves temporization with closed reduction and external fixation, aiming to provide early reduction and stabilization while mitigating soft-tissue complications. Various external fixator configurations exist, including those that use a "multipin" clamp capable of holding multiple pins but limiting pin placement to a single plane. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical and radiographic outcomes and associated costs of standard and multipin outrigger clamp constructs in tibial plateau and pilon fractures treated with temporary external fixation. We hypothesized that use of the multipin clamp may be associated with poorly aligned reductions and increased complication rates. A retrospective review of 100 patients with periarticular tibial plateau (AO/OTA: 41B/C) or pilon (43B/C) fracture at a Level 1 trauma center from 2014 to 2023 was conducted. Patient, injury, and complication characteristics were collected. Patients were categorized based on the external fixator clamp used: multipin (MP) or standard (S). Clinical outcomes and complication rates were assessed. Radiographic alignment was evaluated by the change in anterior and lateral distal tibial angles, and sagittal plane translation for pilon fractures, and medial and posterior proximal tibial angles for plateau fractures. 70 patients underwent standard (25 pilon, 45 plateau) and 30 multipin (10 pilon, 20 plateau) external fixation. MP and S groups showed no notable differences in demographics or injury characteristics. Both groups demonstrated comparable complication rates and radiological alignment outcomes, with no notable differences observed. MP constructs were more costly than standard systems. In this retrospective study of 100 patients, there was no difference in radiographic or clinical outcomes between the standard frame and multipin frame groups. Typical costs for the multipin frame constructs were $635 to $1249 more than the standard frame constructs.

Enhancing prosthesis stability at the cricoid cartilage in equine laryngoplasty using 3-D-printed laryngeal clamps: An ex vivo model study.

To assess a three-dimensional (3-D)-printed laryngeal clamp (LC) designed to enhance the anchoring of laryngeal prostheses at the cricoid cartilage. Ex vivo biomechanical study. A total of 22 equine larynges. Two experimental groups included larynges with standard prosthetic laryngoplasty (PL; n = 10) and larynges with prosthetic laryngoplasty modified with laryngeal clamps (PLLC; n = 10). All constructs underwent 3000 cycles of tension loading and a single tension to failure. Recorded biomechanical parameters included maximum load, actuator displacement, and construct failure. Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed on one PL and one PLLC construct. The maximum load at single tension to failure was 183.7 ± 46.8 N for the PL construct and 292.7 ± 82.3 N for the PLLC construct (p = .003). Actuator displacement at 30 N was 1.7 ± 0.5 mm and 2.7 ± 0.7 mm for the PL and PLLC constructs, respectively (p = .011). The cause of PL constructs failure was mostly tearing through the cartilage whereas the PLLC constructs failed through fracture of the cricoid cartilage (p = .000). FEA revealed an 11-fold reduction in the maximum equivalent plastic strain, a four-fold reduction in maximum compressive stress, and a two-fold increase in the volume of engaged cartilage in PLLC constructs. The PLLC constructs demonstrated superior performance in biomechanical testing and FEA compared to standard PL constructs. The use of 3-D-printed laryngeal clamps may enhance the outcomes of laryngoplasty in horses. In vivo studies are necessary to determine the feasibility of performing laryngoplasty using the laryngeal clamp in horses.

Geproci sets on skew lines in [formula omitted] with two transversals

The purpose of this work is to pursue classification of geproci sets. Specifically we classify [m,n]-geproci sets Z which consist of m=4 points on each of n skew lines, assuming the skew lines have two transversals in common. We show in this case that n≤6. Moreover we show that all geproci sets of this type and with no points on the transversals are contained in the F4 configuration. We conjecture that a similar result is true for an arbitrary number m of points on each skew line, replacing containment in F4 by containment in a half grid obtained by the so-called standard construction.

Advancing Science to Prevent Firearm Violence in Communities: A Process for Harmonizing Studies to Develop Research Infrastructure.

The Community Firearm Violence Prevention Network (CFVP Network), funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports a network of research projects that develop and test interventions through collaborations with community partners to prevent firearm violence, injury, and mortality. The CFVP Network presents a unique opportunity to accelerate the science of preventing firearm injuries. The data harmonization workgroup of the CFVP Network led the process of aligning studies across the three unique inaugural network projects, with particular attention to how the CFVP Network could address current gaps in the science. The goal of the data harmonization workgroup was to align study measures, assessment timelines, and data management and archival processes across projects to enable robust cross-project analyses that accelerate the science of preventing firearm injuries. To accomplish this goal, the workgroup established the infrastructure to facilitate cross-project data collection, data sharing and archiving, and analyses. Among the three inaugural network projects, the workgroup's process resulted in harmonizing two assessment timepoints (baseline and one year post-implementation) and 60 constructs (with 31 identical standardized constructs). These harmonized products provide opportunities for novel analyses across the network projects. We expect that the harmonized study infrastructure developed through this process will catalyze future research focused on preventing firearm injury, including and extending beyond CFVP Network projects. The CFVP data harmonization workgroup's process can serve as a model for future networks that seek to build the science in a particular area.

An Empirical Investigation of Organizational Readiness towards Hospital Autonomy.

We aimed to investigate Tehran's University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) affiliated hospitals organizational readiness toward implementing the 'Autonomous Hospitals' program as a change initiative from a managerial perspective in 2020. A census covering all eligible managers working in TUMS affiliated hospitals, Tehran, Iran (350 individuals) was carried out. Overall, 281 questionnaires were returned (a 30% non-responsiveness rate). A standard construct was adopted for data collection which was validated through a process of translation- back translation, face validity, and content validity (CVI=0.86, CVR=0.76). The reliability was acquired using Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.87 and over 0.7). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to draw conclusions .SPSS 26 was used for data analysis. Total organizational readiness for change (TORC) in hospitals was 60.75%±10.11 showing a state of medium to upper-medium readiness status. Also, the 'Clear mandate and centralized leadership' theme scored the lowest mean (53.02%±15.78) for ORC. 'Hospital accreditation level' (r=-0.14, P≤0.05), 'bed occupancy rate' (r=-0.19, P ≤0.05), and 'leadership status' (r=0.26, P≤0.001), also showed significant association with TORC. In addition, 'standardized bed occuPancy rate' (P≤0.05, B=-2.41), a 'male' leader (P ≤0.05, B=3.42), and 'academic affiliation' (P≤0. 1, B=-9.52), were good Predictors of TORC based on 'Backward Multiple Linear Regression' analysis. Full support from hospital and headquarters executives, delegation of sufficient decision-making authority to hospital managers, and implementation of comprehensive performance evaluation criteria were prerequisites for robust hospital autonomy in TUMS-affiliated hospitals.

Towards a mathematical foundation for music theory and composition: a theory of structure

This paper proposes mathematical foundations for music theory and composition. While mathematical methods have proven effective in music theory, a deficiency in rigorous mathematical foundations often leads to ad-hoc constructions and a reliance on intuitive notions with inexplicit definitions. The proposal introduces a comprehensive environment for encoding musical phenomena, as well as a theory of musical parameter. Drawing from the methodologies of (Mazzola, Guerino. 2002. The Topos of Music: Geometric Logic of Concepts, Theory, and Performance. Basel: Birkhäuser Verlag), the proposed framework aims to extend his theory of forms to accommodate a wider class of musical structures. Additionally, I advocate for a framework characterized by “comprehensive comprehension” (accommodating a broad class of musical objects), “explicit encoding” (capturing essential features of objects), and “limited ontological commitments” (minimizing posited ontological primitives). These three aspects aim to ensure the framework's generality, explicit representation of structure, and economic efficiency in theoretical constructions. Minimizing ontological commitments also has the benefit of facilitating easier comparisons between entities. This approach is motivated by the desire for a highly versatile framework that enables systematic and standardized construction methods without constraining the intended domain of discourse. To achieve these goals, the paper introduces a mathematical theory of structure grounded in topos theory. By offering a unified and systematic approach, this work contributes to establishing a more rigorous and standardized basis for mathematical music theory. This, in turn, fosters a deeper understanding of musical phenomena and enables more robust theoretical constructions and compositional applications.

Quantitative Assessment of the Architect’s Role under US Standard Construction Contracts: A Graph Theory Approach

Quantitative Assessment of the Architect’s Role under US Standard Construction Contracts: A Graph Theory Approach

A sustainable recycling approach for construction: A case of remanufacturing waste rebar into steel nails

Minimizing waste in the construction industry provides economic and environmental benefits. Since steel has high embodied energy and many applications, recycling rebar waste contributes to a circular economy. This study proposes remanufacturing rebar into nails as a valuable by-product. In an experimental case-study to prove the technical feasibility of the process, short pieces of rebar waste were stripped to remove the ribs, welded into a coil, drawn to reduce the diameter, and formed into nails. The costs and technology of four alternative remanufacturing process portfolios were analyzed, giving an average profit of 576 USD/t of waste rebar. A cement consumption database was constructed based on literature data and regression analysis was applied to analyze the consumption of concrete and new rebar. The potential rebar waste was calculated assuming 3 %, 5 %, 8 %, or 10 % of the total new rebar consumption. Cement consumption data at the global and country scales were used to calculate the consumption rates of new and waste rebar to derive profit–remanufacturing potential curves. Regression analysis of these curves was performed to determine the economic sustainability degree of satisfaction (DSes). A second approach to find DSes applied regression analysis to the remanufacturing profits for the four rates of rebar waste together. The mean DSes values (0.62–0.87) and economic sustainability index (0.33) exceed the literature threshold of 0.6 and 0.26, respectively, indicating that remanufacturing rebar waste into steel nails is an economically sustainable business. The nails can be used in the construction industry to contribute to a circular economy, thereby reducing the environmental impact of steel waste and the production of new steel nails. The overall sustainability was considered by introducing Okun's Law to ensure that profitability is not achieved at the expense of development, and weighting the importance of economic sustainability based on literature averages. Rebar is used as a standard construction material globally, so these findings have broad significance. The proposed remanufacturing process is especially relevant for less-developed economies with higher rebar waste rates to stimulate small businesses and a circular construction industry.

Advancing Circular Buildings: A Review of Building Strategies for AEC Stakeholders

The uptake of a circular economy (CE) in the building sector is challenging, primarily due to the complexity associated with the design process and the dynamic interaction among architects, engineers, and construction (AEC) stakeholders. The standard and typical design process and construction methods raise concerns about building life cycles. Buildings should not only fulfill current needs, but one also needs to consider how they will function in the future and throughout their lifetime. To address these complexities, early planning is required to guide designers in holistically applying systems thinking to deliver CE outcomes. This paper outlines a critical review of CE implementation in buildings, with a proposed trifecta of approaches that significantly contribute to the development of circular buildings (CBs). The findings outline a proposed visualized framework with a conceptual formula that integrates CE design strategies to simplify and enhance AEC stakeholders’ perception of the circularity sequence in buildings. By strategically integrating loop-based strategies with the value retention process (VRP) and design for X (DFX) strategies, along with efficient assessment tools and technologies, it becomes feasible to embrace a CE during the design phase. The outcome of this review informs AEC stakeholders to systematically and strategically integrate the critical dimensions of a CE throughout the building life cycle, striking a balance between environmental concern, economic value, and future needs.

Local land regulatory governance and land transaction prices: Micro evidence from land audits

It is of great significance to explore the role of land supervision in the standardization of local land transactions. We document the DID strategy to systematically evaluate how land audits affect the transactions in the land market. The results show that: (1) land audits have restrained the transactions of low price of industrial lands and the high price of commercial and residential lands, raised the unit price of industrial lands transactions, and reduced the price of commercial and residential lands, and these effects would not exist in the public sectors land transactions; (2) the impacts of land audits are more pronounced in State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and enterprises with large-scale operations and high capital intensity; (3) audits have overall positive significance, which has increased the total investment of local industrial enterprises and reduced the investment bubble. However, there are no deterrent effects. The conclusions have important implications for our understanding of the loss of lands and resources, supervision, and the standardized construction of the trading market.

Уравнения Лакса на супералгебрах Ли

It is demonstrated that the standard construction of Lax equations on Lie algebras can be extended to Lie superalgebras, with the even subspace carrying the usual Lax equations. The extended equations inherit the existence of the canonical trace polynomial integrals of motion. An extra set of integrals exists in the odd subspace, with a nontrivial homological structure of the orbit space. This establishes a curious algebraic link between integrable evolution equations, supersymmetry and the deformation theory.

Far Cortical Locking Versus Standard Constructs for Locked Plate Fixation in the Treatment of Acute, Displaced Fractures of the Distal Femur

Background: Fixation of distal femoral fractures remains a challenge, and nonunions are common with standard constructs. Far cortical locking (FCL) constructs have been purported to lead to improved fracture-healing as compared with that achieved with traditional locking bridge plates. We sought to test this hypothesis in a comparative effectiveness clinical trial. Methods: This randomized trial was performed across 16 centers and included adult patients with an AO/OTA type 33A or 33C distal femoral fracture that was suitable for bridging fixation. We excluded patients with periprosthetic fractures. Participants were randomly assigned to either FCL fixation or standard locking plate fixation. The primary outcome was a hierarchical composite of radiographic and clinical fracture-healing at 3 months after fixation. We estimated between-group differences with use of the win ratio approach. Secondary outcomes included radiographic healing, clinical fracture-healing, complications, reoperations, and health-related quality of life (Short Form-36 Health Survey Version 2 [SF-36] Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary scores) at 3, 6, and 12 months after fixation. Results: We randomly assigned 193 patients to treatment with either FCL screws (96 patients) or standard screws (97 patients). The study population had a mean age of 63.4 years, consisted predominantly of women (68%), and was well-balanced between AO/OTA 33A and 33C fractures. Based on 4,355 pairwise comparisons, the calculated win ratio was 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77 to 1.79; p = 0.45), indicating that patients assigned to FCL screws had better outcomes in 51% of the comparisons. Radiographic healing did not differ significantly between the groups (odds ratio, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.69 to 2.72; p = 0.38), nor did Function IndeX for Trauma (FIX-IT) scores (p = 0.41). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of SF-36 Physical Component Summary scores at 3 months or in the change in scores at 12 months after fixation. Conclusions: In this multicenter randomized trial of adult patients with an AO/OTA type 33A or 33C distal femoral fracture, similar clinical and radiographic healing outcomes were observed in the FCL and standard fixation groups. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.