Constructive Approach Research Articles

An integrated digital design and construction approach for falsework-minimal masonry vaults

Masonry vaults, mechanically efficient structures, are challenging to build because they require significant tailored falsework as temporary structures for centering, guidework, and scaffolding, which decreases construction productivity and increases financial cost and environmental impact. Traditional building techniques combined with recent digital technologies can eliminate such temporary construction. An integrated digital design and construction approach that leverages the benefits of four construction strategies (namely, thin-tile vaulting, loxodrome tessellation, augmented reality, and prefabricated spine) within a 4D funicular design framework is presented in this paper and illustrated by a large-scale demonstrator, innixAR. This structure demonstrates that the combination of the vernacular craft of thin-tile vaulting with augmented reality technology to produce a digital guidework, informing a 4D funicular design process that considers the entire construction sequence from a prefabricated spine, minimizes the required falsework, making the construction of masonry vaults more efficient and affordable. This approach is benchmarked against alternative conventional vault falsework. Combining thin-tile vaulting and prefabricated spine allowed a reduction of 82% of the falsework mass, making transport lighter. Whereas combining digital guidework and prefabricated spine allowed a reduction of 91% of the falsework elements, making assembly faster. This research contributes to the development of structures that are efficient both mechanically and constructionally.

Novel solution strategies for multiparametric nonlinear optimization problems with convex objective function and linear constraints

AbstractThis paper expands the multiparametric quadratic programming (mp-QP) framework presented in Narciso et al. (Comput Chem Eng 164:107882, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compchemeng.2022.107882) to the more general multiparametric nonlinear programming (mp-NLP) case. First, the vector of parameters in mp-NLP problems is recast so that a unique transformed parameter is implicitly assigned to each of the inequality constraints. Maps of critical regions in this transformed space of parameters feature a set of 1-dimensional parametric edges (two per inequality constraint), which then greatly facilitate solution calculation. In the mp-NLP case, however, parametric edges define nonlinear semi-infinite lines; this requires an adaptation to the mp-QP algorithm (deals with linear parametric edges only), to enable a suitable calculation path to the more general nonlinear case. Three routes are proposed to mp-NLPs: the first route delivers solutions in compact form (same format as in mp-QP) using a single reference point per edge; the second route delivers explicit solutions using a hybrid approach for critical region construction, where all active sets not detected in the parameters space are excluded from the solution (equivalent to first route concerning accuracy); the third route builds on the initial explicit solution and further partitions the parameters space until all solution fragments satisfy an error check. Five algorithms were coded for these routes, and tested in a large range of mp-NLP problems. These strategies enable significant improvements in terms of solution accuracy, algorithm efficiency, and interpretability when compared to the state-of-the-art mp-NLP algorithms.

Left-tail risk and UK stock return predictability: Underreaction, overreaction, and arbitrage difficulties

Recent studies challenge the standard model risk-return trade-off by showing inverse predictive power of firm-specific left-tail risk for future returns (i.e., left-tail momentum). In this work, we investigate the pricing of left-tail risk in UK stocks. Both the portfolio construction approach and Fama-MacBeth regressions reveal the underperformance of stocks with high left-tail risk. We examine alternative channels behind this pricing anomaly, namely, investor underreaction behaviour, continuous overreaction behaviour, and limits to arbitrage. Our findings suggest that the observed underperformance associated with high left-tail risk is largely a manifestation of investor underreaction to bad performance. However, the results also show that the predictable underperformance of high left-tail risk stocks is manifest in past winners. The empirical investigation reveals that, in addition to underreaction, limits to arbitrage interacts with investor high attention levels to explain part of the anomaly. The empirical findings provided here suggest several important implications for practitioners in the equity market.

Enhancing Learning Efficacy for Chinese Undergraduates Majoring in Music — A Constructive Approach

In 1977, the American psychologist Albert Bandura first proposed the concept of Self-efficacy. Once proposed, this concept has had an impact on several research fields. In the field of music learning, self-efficacy, as the intrinsic psychological motivation in the process of music learning, is an important factor affecting students' music learning. This paper examines the self-efficacy status of undergraduates majoring in Music in China using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Based on the results of 50 questionnaires and 6 interviews, this study further proposed possible strategies to enhance students' self-efficacy from a constructivist approach. Constructivism learning theory emphasizes the dynamic nature of knowledge, the richness and difference of students' experience, and the active construction of learning, social interaction and situation, which has certain theoretical value and practical significance for college music education. This paper is expected to provide future researchers and educators in music education with research-driven theoretical support on how to facilitate undergraduates' music learning.

Bilocal holography and locality in the bulk

Bilocal holography provides a constructive approach to the vector model/higher spin gravity duality. It has two ingredients: a change of field variables and a change of space time coordinates. The change of field variables ensures that the loop expansion parameter becomes 1N\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\frac{1}{N} $$\\end{document}. The change of coordinates solves the Clebsch-Gordan problem of moving from the tensor product basis (in which the collective bilocal field is written) to the direct sum basis (appropriate for the description of the gravity fields). We argue that the change of space time coordinates can be deduced by requiring that operators constructed in the bilocal collective field theory are dual to local operators in the AdS bulk.

SMS2DC: Synchronous mobile sinks scheduling for data collection in internet of things‐enabled wireless sensor networks

SummaryEnergy‐efficient data collection in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is crucial due to the limited battery capacity of sensor nodes (SNs). Using a mobile sink (MS) for data collection can lower the energy consumption of SNs to avoid relaying in WSNs. However, a single MS is not a feasible solution for large‐scale WSNs, so it was necessary to use multiple MSs to collect data. A synchronous MS scheduling strategy for data collection (SMS2DC) is proposed in this paper, which uses two types of MS, a local MS to collect data from SN and a global MS to collect data from local MS. In this process, we begin by partitioning the network based on chemical reaction optimization. For each partition, a MS is assigned and scheduled using a path construction strategy according to a geometric path construction approach. In addition, a global MS is scheduled based on a local MS trajectory by identifying the most appropriate collision point to collect data. As a result, the algorithm increases data collection accuracy while minimizing network data loss. The asymptotic time complexity of the proposed SMS2DC algorithm needed . The comparison results show the superiority of the proposed SMS2DC strategy under multiple scenarios under various deployment conditions.

De Casteljau's algorithm in geometric data analysis: Theory and application

For decades, de Casteljau's algorithm has been used as a fundamental building block in curve and surface design and has found a wide range of applications in fields such as scientific computing and discrete geometry, to name but a few. With increasing interest in nonlinear data science, its constructive approach has been shown to provide a principled way to generalize parametric smooth curves to manifolds. These curves have found remarkable new applications in the analysis of parameter-dependent, geometric data. This article provides a survey of the recent theoretical developments in this exciting area as well as its applications in fields such as geometric morphometrics and longitudinal data analysis in medicine, archaeology, and meteorology.

An Elliptic Curve-Based Approach for Construction of Secure Substitution Box

An Elliptic Curve-Based Approach for Construction of Secure Substitution Box

Assessment in Undergraduate Competency-Based Medical Education: A Systematic Review.

Studies that have methodically compiled the body of research on the competency-based medical education (CBME) assessment procedure and pinpointed knowledge gaps about the structure of the assessment process are few. Thus, the goals of the study were to create a model assessment framework for competency-based medical education that would be applicable in the Indian setting as well as to thoroughly examine the competency-based medical education assessment framework. PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were the databases that were searched. The search parameters were restricted to English language publications about competency-based education and assessment methods, which were published between January 2006 and December 2020. A descriptive overview of the included research (in tabular form) served as the foundation for the data synthesis. Databases provided 732 records; out of which 36 fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Thirty-six studies comprised a mix of randomized controlled trials, focus group interviews, and questionnaire studies, including cross-sectional studies, qualitative studies (03), mixed-method studies, etc. The papers were published in 10 different journals. The greatest number was published in BMC Medical Education (18). The average quality score for included studies was 62.53% (range: 35.71-83.33%). Most authors are from the UK (07), followed by the USA (05). The included studies were grouped into seven categories based on their dominant focus: moving away from a behavioristic approach to a constructive approach of assessment (01 studies), formative assessment (FA) and feedback (10 studies), the hurdles in the implementation of feedback (04 studies), utilization of computer or online based formative test with automated feedback (05 studies), video feedback (02 studies), e-learning platforms for formative assessment (04 studies), studies related to workplace-based assessment (WBA)/mini-clinical evaluation exercise (mini-CEX)/direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) (10 studies). Various constructivist techniques, such as concept maps, portfolios, and rubrics, can be used for assessments. Self-regulated learning, peer feedback, online formative assessment, an online computer-based formative test with automated feedback, the use of a computerized web-based objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) evaluation system, and the use of narrative feedback instead of numerical scores in mini-CEX are all ways to increase student involvement in the design and implementation of the formative assessment.

Lactobacilli-derived adjuvants combined with immunoinformatics-driven multi-epitope antigens based approach protects against Clostridium perfringens in a mouse model

Clostridium perfringens is ubiquitously distributed and capable of secreting toxins, posing a significant threat to animal health. Infections caused by Clostridium perfringens, such as Necrotic Enteritis (NE), result in substantial economic losses to the livestock industry annually. However, there is no effective commercial vaccine available. Hence, we set out to propose an effective approach for multi-epitope subunit vaccine construction utilizing biomolecules. We utilized immunoinformatics to design a novel multi-epitope antigen against C. perfringens (CPMEA). Furthermore, we innovated novel bacterium-like particles (BLPs) through thermal acid treatment of various Lactobacillus strains and selected BLP23017 among them. Then, we detailed the structure of CPMEA and BLPs and utilized them to prepare a multi-epitope vaccine. Here, we showed that our vaccine provided full protection against C. perfringens infection after a single dose in a mouse model. Additionally, BLP23017 notably augmented the secretion of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and enhanced antibody production. We conclude that our vaccine possess safety and high efficacy, making it an excellent candidate for preventing C. perfringens infection. Moreover, we demonstrate our approach to vaccine construction and the preparation of BLP23017 with distinct advantages may contribute to the prevention of a wider array of diseases and the novel vaccine development.

Multimodal knowledge graph construction for risk identification in water diversion projects

The operation risks of water diversion projects involve numerous influencing factors, complex interrelationships, and heterogeneous data from multiple sources. This study presents a multimodal knowledge graph construction approach for water diversion projects, aiming to comprehend and identify the key risks associated with engineering operation and their propagation patterns. Utilizing term-masked pre-trained language models enhances comprehension of specialized terminology and identifies risk entities within the text. Employing high-order residual convolutional neural networks improves the processing capability for complex graph data, extracting risk information from images. Aggregating multimodal knowledge graphs based on the semantic relationships among entities and conditional probability to determine the coupled features of different risks. Employing complex network theory, analyze node degree and betweenness centrality to identify the diffusion effects and propagation levels of risks. The results indicate that the knowledge extraction accuracy of our method is high (with an average F1 score of 95.85%), enabling the qualitative analysis and quantitative calculation of operational risks in engineering. Relevant studies can effectively enhance the reliability of engineering safety management and reduce the impact of engineering risks on water supply security.

Dipole moment regulation for enhancing internal electric field in covalent organic frameworks photocatalysts

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have recently emerged as a kind of promising photocatalytic platform in addressing the growing threat of trace pollutants in aquatic environments. Along this, we propose a strategy of constructing internal electric field (IEF) in COFs through the dipole moment regulation, which intrinsically facilitates the separation and transfer of photogenerated excitons. Two COFs of BTT-TZ-COF and BTT-TB-COF are developed by linking the electron-donor of benzotrithiophene (BTT) block and the electron-acceptor of triazine (TZ) or tribenzene (TB) block, respectively. DFT calculations demonstrate TZ block with larger dipole moment can achieve more efficient IEF due to the stronger electron-attractive force and hence narrower bandgap. Moreover, featuring the highly-order crystalline structure for accelerating photo-excitons transfer and rich porosity for facilitating the adsorption, BTT-TZ-COF exhibited an excellent universal performance of photocatalytic degradations of various dyes. Specifically, a superior photodegradation efficiency of 99% Rhodamine B (RhB) is achieved within 20 min under the simulated sunlight. Therefore, this convenient construction approach of enhanced IEF in COFs through rational regulation of the dipole moment can be a promising way to realize high photocatalytic activity.

The fractional soliton solutions of dynamical system arising in plasma physics: The comparative analysis

In light of fractional theory, this paper presents several new effective solitonic formulations for the Langmuir and ion sound wave equations. Prior to this study, no previous research has presented the comparision and obtained the generalized fractional soliton solutions of this kind with power law kernel and Mittag-Leffler kernel. The ion sound and Langmuir wave equations are essential in plasma physics, offering insights into the collective behavior of charged particles in plasmas and enabling diagnostics and control of these complex, ionized gas systems. The two distinct fractional order differential operators are substituted for the traditional order derivative to reshape the examined model. The Atangana-Baleanu non-singular and non-local operator and conformable fractional operator are the fractional-order operators that are used to create the fractional complex system equations for Langmuir waves and ion sound. A constructive approach new auxiliary equation method utilizes to obtain the exact analytical soliton solutions for ion sound and Langmuir wave equation. A wide range of soliton solutions is obtained, including mixed complex solitary shock solutions, singular solutions, mixed shock singular solutions, mixed trigonometric solutions, mixed singular solutions, exact solutions, mixed periodic solutions, and mixed hyperbolic solutions, dark soliton, bright soliton, trigonometric solutions, periodic results, and hyperbolic results. The solitons solution of the ion sound and Langmuir wave equations lies in their ability to maintain wave stability, their role in modeling wave propagation and nonlinear effects, their potential use as diagnostic tools, and their relevance in wave-particle interactions in plasma physics. The solitons provide a valuable framework for understanding the behavior of waves in plasmas and offer insights into the complex dynamics of these charged particle systems. A graphical comparison analysis of a few solutions is also shown here, taking into account appropriate parametric values through the use of the software package. Moreover, the results of this study have important implications for Hamilton's equations and generalized momentum, where solitons are employed in long-range interactions.

Psychological Research in the Multidisciplinary Discourse of Agency: Problems and Prospects

It is shown that the cause of the systemic difficulties experienced by the international mainstream of psychology in developing the problem of agency as a human ability to initiate a change in the environment is that the latter is a phenomenon that has not previously been the focus of attention for international psychology, and thus, for the analysis of which the old methodological optics of the Western-centric mainstream, which took shape in the second half of the 20th century and which is based on the theoretical model of the “universal” human, endowed with “universal” human qualities, is not applicable. In the light of the theory of de-structuration (neo-structuration), focusing on qualitative and radical changes in the social world over the past decades, more promising approaches to understanding contemporary human personality are those grounding on considering personality as a culturally dependent and changeable entity, primarily the subjekt-activity approach which is developing in the Russian discourse and in the international science is not enough known. We consider the subjekt-activity approach not as one of those constituting the global mainstream, but as an alternative to the mainstream for theoretical and methodological grounds. The prospects of developing the problem of agency from the standpoint of the subjekt-activity approach, both in terms of the theory and methodology of psychology, and in terms of practical applications, are substantiated. The relevance of practical applications of the subjekt-activity approach in the field of education is determined by the logic of social macro-processes. As a constructive approach to the development of the problem of agency in psychology, we propose to abandon the two dispositions that dominate in the mainstream: a) the search for the “center of agency” as a separate component and substructure of the psyche, which implements certain functions, skills, etc., - shifting to considering agency as a systemic and integral attribute of the individual, individually specific and developing during the lifetime (a “higher” psychic function); b) the search for the foundations of agency in the sphere of cognition and reflection - changing the focus of research to motivational and volitional sphere.

The Social Construction of Organizational Communication Through Extension in The Mitigation Model of The Consultation on Village Development in Indonesia

Purpose: Understanding the social construction of organisational communication and deliberation is crucial to mitigating village development deliberation in Indonesia. Discrepancies in the outcomes of development deliberation from village to sub-district to district have implications for changes in the quality and quantity of development projects, which may not conform to the rules and policies set by the head village. Methods: This study employs a constructive approach and a normative qualitative method to examine village development. Primary and secondary materials, as well as legal norms, are used to collect data. The data is collected through literature review, observation, interviews, and narrative analysis based on inductive syllogism. Results and Conclusion: Organizational communication is crucial for the sustainability of development. Counseling on the concept of village development can help achieve this. The village head's policy implementation needs improvement in terms of quality and motivation. It is important to adhere to legal norms for village development. Research implications: This research examines the norms of sustainable rural development in Indonesia, providing knowledge, understanding, and skills to all parties involved. It identifies areas for improvement in the planning and implementation of development budgets to ensure quality and transparent development. Originality/value: Analyze the importance of integrating the village development budget plan with existing regulations with the social demands of the community to ensure the immediate realization of certainty and stability of development quality to lead to a special development sector in the rural economic sector that encourages economic growth of the village community.

Laissez-faire leadership, trust in subordinates and problem-solving conflict management: A multigroup analysis across family and non-family businesses

Laissez faire leadership (LFL) has been linked to non-constructive approaches to conflict management, yet if and how LFL can explain the use of more constructive approaches (e.g., problem-solving) has not been studied. This is surprising given that trust in subordinates is characteristic of LFL, which is also key to cooperative relationships where the use of problem-solving is involved. Furthermore, compared to non-family businesses (NFBs), the socioemotional wealth that governs family businesses' (FBs) decision-making should make LFL, the trust placed in subordinates and the use of problem-solving more likely among the latter. In this study, we compare the use of LFL in FBs versus NFBs and analyze whether trust in subordinates lies behind a positive link between LFL and the use of this approach, and whether the distinctive socioemotional wealth of FBs accounts for differences in this relationship. Using a sample of 326 general managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ecuador, two complementary methods, partial least squares (PLS) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA), yielded robust findings. As expected, differences in the strength of this relationship were found across FBs and NFBs, with LFL and both affective and cognitive trust being critical for the use of problem-solving in FBs but with cognitive trust playing this principal role in NFBs. Our findings link the largely separate FB literature on leadership and conflict management.

Bio-QSARs 2.0: Unlocking a new level of predictive power for machine learning-based ecotoxicity predictions by exploiting chemical and biological information

Practical, legal, and ethical reasons necessitate the development of methods to replace animal experiments. Computational techniques to acquire information that traditionally relied on animal testing are considered a crucial pillar among these so-called new approach methodologies. In this light, we recently introduced the Bio-QSAR concept for multispecies aquatic toxicity regression tasks. These machine learning models, trained on both chemical and biological information, are capable of both cross-chemical and cross-species predictions. Here, we significantly extend these models’ applicability. This was realized by increasing the quantity of training data by a factor of approximately 20, accomplished by considering both additional chemicals and aquatic organisms. Additionally, variable test durations and associated random effects were accommodated by employing a machine learning algorithm that combines tree-boosting with mixed-effects modeling (i.e., Gaussian Process Boosting). We also explored various biological descriptors including Dynamic Energy Budget model parameters, taxonomic distances, as well as genus-specific traits and investigated the inclusion of mode-of-action information. Through these efforts, we developed Bio-QSARs for fish and aquatic invertebrates with exceptional predictive power (R squared of up to 0.92 on independent test sets). Moreover, we made considerable strides to make models applicable for a range of use cases in environmental risk assessment as well as research and development of chemicals. Models were made fully explainable by implementing an algorithmic multicollinearity correction combined with SHapley Additive exPlanations. Furthermore, we devised novel approaches for applicability domain construction that take feature importance into account. We are hence confident these models, which are available via open access, will make a significant contribution towards the implementation of new approach methodologies and ultimately have the potential to support “Green Chemistry” and “Green Toxicology”.

Copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative dehydrogenative cyclization to construct polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative dehydrogenative cyclization of benzo[b]thiophene represents an efficient approach for the rapid construction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) containing benzo[b]thiophene groups. However, this remains an underexplored field. Here, we establish a new type of copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative dehydrogenative cyclization of benzo[b]thiophene that enables the utilization of benzo[b]thiophene functionality to access polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This methodology features mild reaction conditions, high atom economy, and remarkable chemo-selectivity, delivering a diversity of PAHs containing benzo[b]thiophene groups. Mechanistic experiments and DFT calculations demonstrate that the in situ generation of benzothiophenyl radical cation intermediate undergoes the intermolecular cyclization and the capture of H2O to furnish the oxidative cycloaromatization reaction. Labeling experiment disclosed that the carbonyl oxygen atom of the product originates from H2O generated during the reaction.

Selection of Either (Fly Ash, Rubber And Rice Husk) Material for Rigid Pavement: Review

Abstract: Road transportation plays a crucial role in India's economic development, providing cost-effective, accessible, and adaptable means of transportation for both passengers and freight. Pavement, as a key component of highway design, must withstand vehicular loads and foot traffic while ensuring safe and efficient movement. This paper reviews existing literature on pavement materials, focusing on sustainable alternatives such as fly ash-based geopolymers, basalt fiber-reinforced concrete, and asphalt mixtures incorporating recycled aggregates and rubber. Additionally, it proposes the combination of rice husk and crumb rubber in concrete as a sustainable approach for pavement construction. The study aims to evaluate the mechanical properties of concrete with partial material replacements through experimental investigation. By addressing gaps in durability studies, comparative analysis, and non-destructive testing, this research seeks to provide valuable insights into the feasibility and sustainability of utilizing waste materials in concrete production. Ultimately, it aims to contribute to advancing sustainable practices in the construction industry and addressing the challenge of waste accumulation.

Constructive Journalism Approaches and Practices in Pakistani Urdu Print Media

The aims of the research and the results of the hypothesis about constructive journalism serve as the foundation for this section, which is based on a comparison of two reputable newspapers. The study design obtained secondary data by evaluating the stories of Jang and Express and applied a categorization scheme to operationalize constructive journalism frameworks and government development projects. Using this data cross-tabulation, descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were applied through SPSS. The research shows that Jang is paying more attention to crucial issues in comparison with Express newspaper. Both of these newspapers show features of constructive journalism which include public-oriented, solution-oriented, future-oriented, and action-oriented stories. According to the statistical analyses presented in the previous chapter, it can be observed that both newspapers provide public-focused, solution-oriented, future-oriented, and action-oriented journalism. The main benefit of this study is to highlight the fact that understanding newspapers’ reporting orientation and/or the absence of helpful journalism frameworks is critical to shaping public opinion and perception in Pakistan because the majority of the population uses Urdu news for information.