Structural Elements Research Articles

Extracting Pulmonary Nodules and Nodule Characteristics from Radiology Reports of Lung Cancer Screening Patients Using Transformer Models

Abstract Pulmonary nodules and nodule characteristics are important indicators of lung nodule malignancy. However, nodule information is often documented as free text in clinical narratives such as radiology reports in electronic health record systems. Natural language processing (NLP) is the key technology to extract and standardize patient information from radiology reports into structured data elements. This study aimed to develop an NLP system using state-of-the-art transformer models to extract pulmonary nodules and associated nodule characteristics from radiology reports. We identified a cohort of 3080 patients who underwent LDCT at the University of Florida health system and collected their radiology reports. We manually annotated 394 reports as the gold standard. We explored eight pretrained transformer models from three transformer architectures including bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT), robustly optimized BERT approach (RoBERTa), and A Lite BERT (ALBERT), for clinical concept extraction, relation identification, and negation detection. We examined general transformer models pretrained using general English corpora, transformer models fine-tuned using a clinical corpus, and a large clinical transformer model, GatorTron, which was trained from scratch using 90 billion words of clinical text. We compared transformer models with two baseline models including a recurrent neural network implemented using bidirectional long short-term memory with a conditional random fields layer and support vector machines. RoBERTa-mimic achieved the best F1-score of 0.9279 for nodule concept and nodule characteristics extraction. ALBERT-base and GatorTron achieved the best F1-score of 0.9737 in linking nodule characteristics to pulmonary nodules. Seven out of eight transformers achieved the best F1-score of 1.0000 for negation detection. Our end-to-end system achieved an overall F1-score of 0.8869. This study demonstrated the advantage of state-of-the-art transformer models for pulmonary nodule information extraction from radiology reports.

Exploring Narrative Techniques in Chetan Bhagat’s The Three Mistakes of My Life: A Critical Analysis

Chetan Bhagat's novel, The Three Mistakes of My Life, has garnered significant attention for its narrative intricacies and thematic depth. This paper delves into an in-depth examination of the narrative techniques employed by Bhagat in crafting this compelling story. Through a critical analysis, this study explores the use of various narrative devices such as point of view, plot structure, character development, and thematic elements. By scrutinizing these techniques, this paper uncovers the underlying narrative strategies that contribute to the novel's overall impact and resonance with readers. Furthermore, this analysis offers insights into the broader literary significance of Bhagat's work within the contemporary Indian literary landscape. Additionally, this paper seeks to investigate into the thematic depth of the novel, exploring its portrayal of societal issues, cultural dynamics, and individual struggles. This study promises to provide readers with a thorough understanding of Bhagat’s narrative craftmanship and the enduring relevance of his storytelling within both literary and societal contexts. Through this analysis, readers will gain insights into the novel’s thematic complexities and its reflection of contemporary Indian realities.

“The Twa Corbies”: рецепция народной шотландской баллады в русской и осетинской литературе (А. С. Пушкин, Г. М. Цаголов)

The aim of the work is to confirm the idea of the progressiveness of intercultural interactions in the system of full-fledged development of artistic thinking using the example of the transformation of the ideosphere of the Scottish folk ballad “The Twa Corbies” (“Two Ravens”) in Russian (A. S. Pushkin) and Ossetian (G. M. Tsagolov) literature. The article focuses on the similarities and differences in the interpretations of the original narrative by Pushkin and Tsagolov and the introduction by them of an additional semantic field into the traditional figurative structure of the original text. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the joint study of the Scottish ballad, the poems of A. S. Pushkin and G. M. Tsagolov, focusing on the identical value series and the convergence of folklore traditions in literary, author’s work. For the first time in the history of Ossetian scientific thought, Tsagolov’s work is highlighted in the context of interliterary connections and influences and becomes the subject of a comprehensive literary analysis. The presented texts reveal the need to preserve the main structural and figurative elements of the ballad and, in parallel, introduce additional nuances, both semantic and figurative, to enrich the ideosphere of the analyzed works. As a result of the research, the statement is presented that interest in folklore traditions in artistic creativity is one of the basic attitudes for the continuous development of both world literature and national literature; that eternal, archetypical themes raised in the presented poems (“treason/fidelity”) acquire additional connotative layers, are enriched with new symbols and acquire semantic depth, modernizing in the context of constantly changing cultural norms and traditions.

ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ПІДВИЩЕНОЇ ДОВГОВІЧНОСТІ КОНСТРУКЦІЇ ДОРОЖНЬОГО ПОКРИТТЯ НА ЗАЛІЗОБЕТОННИХ АВТОДОРОЖНІХ МОСТАХ

Introduction. The pavement on reinforced concrete road bridges is one of the main structural elements of the structure, the technical condition of which affects the safety of the structure as a whole. The durability of the asphalt pavement is influenced by a number of factors, including the type of construction of the designed pavement, including the waterproofing coating, as well as the resistance of the structure to climatic factors and the effects of traffic. Problemstatement. Most of the highway bridges were built in the 60s and 80s of the 20th century. The artificial structures were designed in accordance with the regulations and technical specifications in force at the time, taking into account the prospects for the development of transport infrastructure and calculating the estimated traffic intensity of up to 20 thousand vehicles per day. However, over the last decade, the intensity and speed of road traffic has increased significantly, as well as the movement of heavy vehicles (mostly uncontrolled), especially in summer, when the air temperature fluctuates above +28 °C. In turn, this leads to excessive load on the bridge deck structures, including the asphalt pavement, which leads to its destruction (formation of cracks, potholes, sagging, rutting and other damage). Results. A technological scheme for the construction of a pavement with increased durability on reinforced concrete road bridges is presented.

Primary Energy and Carbon Impacts of Structural Frames with Equivalent Design Criteria: Influence of Different Materials and Levels of Prefabrication

This study aims to analyze the life-cycle primary energy and climate impacts of structural frames, paying particular attention to the design and prefabrication of different structural materials. The study considers an existing single-story office building with a composite concrete–steel structure and compares it with two functionally equivalent structures, i.e., a conventional reinforced concrete structure and a conventional steel structure. The existing building is located in San Felice sul Panaro, Italy. This study integrates dynamic structural analysis and life-cycle assessment (LCA). The study finds that the use of different materials can reduce the life-cycle primary energy use and CO2-eq emissions by up to 12%. Furthermore, the benefits derived from the recovery and recycling of materials can reduce the primary energy use and CO2-eq emissions by up to 47% and 36%, respectively. The prefabrication of structural elements can also reduce the primary energy use and CO2-eq emissions in the construction stage. A sensitivity analysis considers changes in the electricity supply system and shows that the primary energy and CO2-eq emissions due to prefabrication decrease when assuming marginal electricity based on renewable energies. This analysis supports the development of sustainable structural design to meet the standards concerning the whole-life-cycle carbon emissions of buildings.

ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЯ МЕНЕДЖМЕНТУ БУДІВЕЛЬНИХ ПРОЄКТІВ В УМОВАХ ГЛОБАЛЬНОЇ ЦИФРОВІЗАЦІЯ

Introduction. The article discusses the need for systemic qualitative changes in the management structure and requirements for the construction project management process in the context of digital transformation, characterized by a combination of advanced technologies and the integration of physical and digital systems. The importance of considering the problems and aspects of digital transformation in the context of new generations (a qualitatively new cluster of human capital), digital talent, changing the mindset of project managers, as well as key changes in construction project management systems in the digital environment is highlighted. Problem statement. The construction industry is a fundamental sector of the economy of any country. A construction project is a structural element of the “construction” system, which allows to form the economic effect of the industry's development as a whole. Modern construction project management includes a set of interconnected but heterogeneous subsystems that together should increase the level of economic profitability. The defining subsystems are: 1. Strategic risk management: Given the volatility of raw material markets and the high value of some materials, the introduction of circular approaches in construction management can help reduce the vulnerability of projects to risks associated with fluctuations in material prices. 2. Efficient use of resources: A central goal of construction management is to optimize the use of resources to achieve project goals. The use of circular economy principles will allow to use resources more efficiently and reduce the cost of purchasing new materials.

Insignificance of the Act in Criminal and Administrative Tort Law: Nature and Content

The study develops an idea of the criminal legal nature of the insignificance of the act. The author arguments in favor of the fact that such nature is due to the differentiated approach of the federal legislator to assessing the level of public danger of actions and inaction provided for by criminal law. At the same time, the high role of the law enforcement officer in determining the scale of the threat posed by a specific offense for the object of criminal law protection is stated. Studying the mitigating and aggravating circumstances of the act, the personal characteristics of the offender and the line of their behavior, the court decides on the degree of public danger of the relevant act. Its minimal value becomes the reason for raising the question of recognizing the committed action or inaction as insignificant. The paper considers issues on categories of crimes that the offense formally falls under and thus can be assessed on the grounds of insignificance. It is argued against a well-known judgment that the insignificance of the act containing structural elements of the corpus delicti serves as the basis for evaluating what was done according to the norms and provisions of another branch of Russian legislation. A mechanism for developing the insignificance category potential at the level of an individual criminal wrong, known as a criminal offense, is proposed. The study offers a set of arguments proving the inconsistency of the position of the legislator and law enforcement officer on the issue of the possibility of recognizing an administrative offense as insignificant. Their essence boils down to the fact that the formal essence of administrative offenses excludes their differentiation into groups according to the level of harmfulness. This implies the inexpediency of using the category of insignificance in the legislation on administrative offenses.

Gender Roles in Transition: A Study of Women Issues and the Changing Role of Gender in the Feminist Literature from the Progressive Era

The purpose of this study is to explore the role of women in the Progressive Era through different stories written during similar times, as well as to develop deeper insight into the social and emotional impact on the personal freedom of women. During the 1900s, women were considered inferior in a patriarchal society. They were subdued and discriminated against in all walks of life, and they were obliged to perform family duties and society. Before the Progressive Era, women were oppressed and treated as second-class citizens. They were considered only wives and mothers, created only to obey and serve their husbands, to look after their children and to take care of the household. As women's attitudes changed, reform movements gained momentum in the late 19th century. American women were no longer seen as mothers or wives confined to their homes; rather, societal change demanded that they be educated, work and contribute to the social order. As a result, the Women’s rights movements in the 19th century and the Feminist Movements in the early 20th century were involved in a series of efforts to fight for the restoration of gender equality. Thus, female roles in American society in the Progressive Era changed drastically in terms of education, job opportunities and improved living conditions. The objective of this study is to examine and analyze the women characters, their issues, as well as the changing gender roles in the works of Charlotte Gilman, Kate Chopin and Susan Glaspell based on the structural elements, using qualitative research with documentation technique.

Damage detection in space truss structures using a third-level approach

Monitoring civil engineering infrastructure is crucial to ensuring that the structures can continue to function properly. An important aspect of this assessment is detecting structural damage. This study proposed a method that combined static loading techniques and modal parameters to establish a third level of damage detection. Specifically, the damage locating vector (DLV) was used as the static technique, and mode shapes, along with Modal Assurance Criteria (MAC), were integrated with the Firefly Algorithm (FA) to define the damage percentage. The objective of this method is to determine the location of the damaged members in space truss structures and accurately estimate the reduction in stiffness of the damaged members. DLV was used to show the location of damaged members, while the Modal Assurance Criteria – Firefly Algorithm (MAC-FA) was used to predict the stiffness loss in structural elements. This combined approach improved the DLV method, which could only identify potentially damaged parts. The fundamental concept behind MAC-FA was the relationship between the predicted mode shape and the mode shape of the structure, represented by the MAC value. This method was used to investigate damage detection in two space truss structures. The results demonstrated that the proposed method could identify damaged elements and quantify the loss of stiffness in space truss structures.

The Rapid Evolution of De Novo Proteins in Structure and Complex.

Recent studies in the rice genome-wide have established that de novo genes, evolving from non-coding sequences, enhance protein diversity through a stepwise process. However, the pattern and rate of their evolution in protein structure over time remain unclear. Here, we addressed these issues within a surprisingly short evolutionary timescale (<1 million years for 97% of Oryza de novo genes) with comparative approaches to gene duplicates. We found that de novo genes evolve faster than gene duplicates in the intrinsic disordered regions (IDRs, such as random coils), secondary structure elements (such as α-helix and β-strand), hydrophobicity, and molecular recognition features (MoRFs). In de novo proteins, specifically, we observed an 8-14% decay in random coils and IDR lengths and a 2.3-6.5% increase in structured elements, hydrophobicity, and MoRFs, per million years on average. These patterns of structural evolution align with changes in amino acid composition over time as well. We also revealed higher positive charges but smaller molecular weights for de novo proteins than duplicates. Tertiary structure predictions showed that most de novo proteins, though not typically well-folded on their own, readily form low-energy and compact complexes with other proteins facilitated by extensive residue contacts and conformational flexibility, suggesting a faster-binding scenario in de novo proteins to promote interaction. These analyses illuminate a rapid evolution of protein structure in de novo genes in rice genomes, originating from non-coding sequences, highlighting their quick transformation into active, protein complex-forming components within a remarkably short evolutionary timeframe.

Analysis of load distribution after transpedicular stabilization of burst fractures in the thoracolumbar junction

Background. In the structure of all traumatic spine injuries, the thoracolumbar junction is predominant, accounting for over 53 % of all vertebral fractures. One of the most clinically significant types of injuries in this area are burst fractures. The purpose was to study the stress-strain state of the thoracolumbar spine model with a burst fracture of the Th12 vertebra in various transpedicular fixation options under compression load. Materials and methods. The study developed and investigated a finite element model of the thoracolumbar spine with a burst fracture of the Th12 vertebra. The burst fracture was modeled by dividing the vertebral body of the Th12 into several planes, transforming it into separate fragments. The gaps between these fragments were filled with a material that simulated the interfragmentary regenerate. Variants of transpedicular stabilization using different types of screws, mono- or bicortical, and with or without cross-links, were examined. The model was analyzed under compression load. Results. The maximum level of stress among the bone structures directly involved in fixation was registered in the L2 vertebral body. It amounted to 19.9, 15.6, 19.4, and 15.1 MPa, respectively, for models with monocortical screws without cross-links, bicortical screws without cross-links, monocortical screws with cross-links, bicortical screws with cross-links. Simultaneously, the zone of screw entry into the arch of this vertebra shows values of 10.1, 15, 10.2, and 14.3 MPa for these models, respectively. Peak loads on the metal structure elements are observed on the rods, amounting to 212.5, 159.6, 203.7, 142.8 MPa, respectively, for the considered models. Conclusions. The results of the study showed that under the influence of compression load when modeling a burst fracture of the thoracolumbar junction, the use of long screws leads to a reduction in stress levels, both in the elements of the metal structure and in the bone elements of the model, while the use of cross-links has a negligible effect.

Sculpting Foucauldian power in Game of Thrones as a transmedia project: a systemic functional multimodal discourse analysis

This study analyses the textual, visual and interactional modes employed in creating and representing Daenerys Targaryen in both Home Box Office TV show Game of Thrones and mobile game Reigns: Game of Thrones as a transmedia project to guide users’ construal of the notion of embodied power. The authors examine the structural, functional and semiotic elements that the two media orchestrate to represent how power is attained, developed and relinquished. The results indicate that the two texts/media put forward two different kinds of power (relations) and levels of users’ interactivity. The TV show employs a more linear and developmental conception of power characterizing Daenerys as a transferrable object of power while the game underlines a more dispersed and pervasive notion of power to decentre absolute power. The show deploys immersive cinematic representations/visual spectacle, converging/diverging serial narration that goes beyond the opulent mise-en-scène and complex scenes to attract users’ attention. As for the game, it deploys intellectual and emotional interactivity, choice and coherence that allow users to experience the story, mechanics and environment as users identify with Daenerys. While the show introduces a host of socipolitical tools to maintain longer reign as different forms of governmentality, the game characterizes disciplinary power where subjects/users are offered training opportunities under the designer’s gaze to internalize a series of procedures and sociopolitical tactics. The findings reiterate Foucault’s notion of power as a system of relations, a capillary power that circulates and subjectifies, whilst subjects/users are spaces where subtractive and productive power are wielded, enacted and/or resisted. Each medium deploys its semiotic-specific resources to create meaning differently. While the TV show relies heavily on visual resources and narrative techniques to make meaning, the game mobilizes certain verbo-visual and interactive resources to make meaning. With the growing attention given to transmedia projects as a social practice with social meanings, this article claims to offer critical implications for social semioticians, film creators and game designers through a systematic analytical framework with a special focus on visual meanings.

Mathematical model of dry stack structural elements with geometric imperfections under a cyclic bending moment

Dry stack structural elements are characterized by nonlinear stiffness that arises from geometric imperfections of their components and the absence of any bonding between them. Moreover, such elements dissipate energy under cyclic loading because of their internal structure. The authors considered dry stack structural elements loaded with a bending moment to propose a relatively simple mathematical model of dry stacks composed of only three elements. The model consists of a linear spring, a nonlinear spring, and a spring with hysteresis in series. In this model, the first element describes the idealized properties of a dry stack element, while the second and third elements correspond to the influence of geometric imperfections and the behaviour of dry joints. Furthermore, the authors described a procedure for determining the parameters of the model based on test results. The proposed solution was verified via experimental studies of temporary support structures consisting of a stack of cuboid elements and a hydraulic jack typically used in the process of building rectification. This study showed that the proposed model adequately describes both the nonlinearity and the energy dissipation under a cyclic bending moment.

A new perspective on regional structural architecture across the offshore Otway Basin

Geoscience Australia has undertaken a regional seismic mapping study of the offshore Otway Basin extending across the explored inner basin to the frontier deep-water region. Seismic interpretation covers over 18,000 line-km of new and reprocessed data acquired in the 2020 Otway Basin seismic program and over 40,000 line-km of legacy 2D seismic data. We present new basin-scale isochore maps that show the distribution of the Cretaceous depocentres. Maps for the Lower Cretaceous Crayfish and Eumeralla supersequences, together with those recently published for the Upper Cretaceous Shipwreck and Sherbrook supersequences, complete the set of isochore maps for the main tectonostratigraphic basin intervals. Mapping of basement-involved faults has revealed structural fabrics that have influenced depocentre development. The tectonostratigraphic development of depocentres and maps of deep crustal units delineate crustal thinning trends related to late Cretaceous extension phases. This work highlights the need to review and update structural elements. For example, the boundary between the Otway and Sorell basins is now geologically constrained. The refinements to the tectonostratigraphic evolution of the Otway Basin presented here have important implications for the distribution and potential maturity of petroleum systems, especially with regard to heat flow associated with crustal extension.

ЭЛЕКТРОННЫЕ ПАРАМЕТРЫ КОНФОРМАЦИОННЫХ СОСТОЯНИЙ БЕТА-АМИЛОИДНОГО ПЕПТИДА (25-35)

The electronic characteristics of stable conformational states of beta-amyloid peptide (25-35) have been studied by molecular modeling methods. Beta-amyloid peptide (Aβ) is the main component of senile plaques found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Aβ (25-35) fragment of a molecule with the amino acid sequence Gly-Ser-Asn-Lys-Gly-Ala-Ile-Ile-Gly-Leu-Met. It has been shown that the conformational features of a molecule are largely determined by its environment; therefore, the aim of this work was to study the differences in the conformations of amyloid beta-peptide (25-35) in vacuum and in a low-polarity medium using the methods of molecular mechanics and quantum chemical calculations. The studies were carried out in two stages: 1) the geometric and energy parameters of the low-energy conformational states of the indicated peptide were determined, 2) the electronic characteristics of the established low-energy conformations of these molecule were calculated. Calculations showed that the conformational behavior of this peptide can be described by a set of similar low-energy conformations with structure on the C-terminal sequence. It has also been shown that the low-energy structures of the amyloid beta-peptide (25-35) have the most favorable dispersion contacts and, therefore, it can be expected that they will become most preferable in a low-polarity environment, when electrostatic interactions do not play a significant role. Permissible changes in the dihedral angles of the amyloid beta-peptide (25-35) in the energetically preferred conformation and the stability of secondary structure elements were also investigated. The distribution of electron density and equipotential surfaces in the energetically preferred conformations of the beta-amyloid peptide were obtained and compared (25-35). Quantum chemical calculations showed that the largest negative charges in the peptide are concentrated precisely on the oxygen atoms of the carbonyl groups and the nitrogen atoms of the amino group. The distribution of electron density and equipotential surfaces in the energetically preferred conformations of the beta-amyloid peptide (25-35) were obtained and compared.

SACRED ARCHITECTURE OF JAPAN DURING THE SPREAD OF BUDDHISM: LOCAL TRADITIONS AND CHINESE INFLUENCES

The article examines the sacred complexes of Buddhism and Shinto from the time of the beginning of the spread of Buddhism in Japan in the Nara period (645-783) in order to identify the nature of the mutual influence of two architectural traditions – the continental one, represented by the Buddhist architecture of China, and the local Japanese one, represented by Shinto architecture. As architectural examples, two authentic objects of both religious movements built in the same time period in the area of Nara were chosen, namely: the Toshodai-ji monastery complex, founded in 759 by the Buddhist monk Jianzhen, and the Kasuga shrine complex, built in the early eighth century by representatives of the powerful Fujiwara clan, the protector of imperial power. The analysis of the selected objects is carried out in four aspects: the nature of the organization of space, the nature of the interaction of structural elements, the nature of their accessibility and semantic content. The architecture of the Toshodai-ji monastery complex is dominated by continental influences, which are reflected in the organization of the complex, the structure and interior of its main pavilion kondo, and its semantics. The architecture of the complex shows the beginning of the process of transformation of local architectural traditions into Buddhist architecture, which is mainly reflected in the the structure and organization of the interior space of the kondo. The Kasuga shrine complex, on the contrary, although influenced by continental techniques, remains largely within the framework of local influences, which prevail mainly at the level of organization of the complex and at the level of its semantics. Continental influences are manifested in attempts to organize the structure of the shrine complex following the examples of Buddhist architectural complexes, as well as in the architectural form of the hondo pavilions. The identification of the characteristic features of the two architectural traditions was carried out in parallel for each of the selected objects, and based on the results obtained, the nature of the mutual influence of the two architectural concepts was compared in quantitative terms.

Deep learning networks for olive cultivar identification: A comprehensive analysis of convolutional neural networks

Deep learning networks, more specifically convolutional neural networks, have shown a notable distinction when it comes to computer vision problems. Their versatility spans various domains, where they are applied for tasks such as classification and regression, contingent primarily on the availability of a representative dataset. This work explores the feasibility of employing this approach in the domain of agriculture, particularly within the context of olive growing. The objective is to enhance and facilitate cultivar identification techniques by using images of olive tree leaves. To achieve this, a comparative analysis involving ten distinct convolutional networks (VGG16, VGG19, ResNet50, ResNet152-V2, Inception V3, Inception ResNetV2, XCeption, MobileNet, MobileNetV2, EfficientNetB7) was conducted, all initiated with transfer learning as a common starting point. Also, the impact of adjusting network hyperparameters and structural elements was explored. For the training and evaluation of the networks, a dedicated dataset was created and made available, consisting of approximately 4200 images from the four most representative categories of the region. The findings of this study provide compelling evidence that the majority of the examined methods offer a robust foundation for cultivar identification, ensuring a high level of accuracy. Notably, the first nine methods consistently attain accuracy rates surpassing 95%, with the top three methods achieving an impressive 98% accuracy (ResNet50, EfficientNetB7). In practical terms, out of approximately 2016 images, 1976 were accurately classified. These results signify a substantial advancement in olive cultivar identification through computer vision techniques.

3D bioartificial stretchable scaffolds mimicking the mechanical hallmarks of human cardiac fibrotic tissue

Human cardiac fibrotic tissues are characterized by a higher stiffness relative to healthy cardiac tissues. These tissues are unable to spontaneously contract and are subjected to passive mechanical stimulation during heart functionality. Moreover, scaffolds that can recapitulate the in vivo mechanical properties of the cardiac fibrotic tissues are lacking. Herein, this study aimed to design and fabricate mechanically stretchable bioartificial scaffolds with biomimetic composition and stiffness comparable to human cardiac fibrotic tissues. Poly(&amp;epsilon;-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds with a stretchable mesh architecture were initially designed through structural and finite element method (FEM) analyses and subsequently fabricated by melt extrusion additive manufacturing (MEX). Scaffolds were surface functionalized by 3,4-dihydroxy-DL-phenylalanine (DOPA) polymerization (polyDOPA) to improve their interaction with natural polymers. Scaffold pores were then filled with different concentrations (5%, 7%, and 10% w/v) of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels to support in vitro human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) 3D culture, thereby producing bioartificial PCL/GelMA scaffolds. Uniaxial tensile mechanical tests in static and dynamic conditions (1 Hz; 22% maximum strain) demonstrated that the bioartificial scaffolds had in vivo-like stretchability and similar stiffness to that of pathological cardiac tissue (tailored as a function of the number of PCL scaffold layers and GelMA hydrogel concentration). In vitro cell tests on bioartificial scaffolds using HCF-embedded GelMA hydrogels under static conditions displayed increasing cell viability, spreading, and cytoskeleton organization with decreasing GelMA hydrogel concentration. Moreover, &amp;alpha;-smooth muscle actin (&amp;alpha;-SMA)-positive cells were detected after 7 days of culture in static conditions followed by another 7 days of culture in dynamic conditions and not in HCF-loaded scaffolds cultured in static conditions for 14 days. These results suggested that in vitro culture under cyclic mechanical stimulations could induce an HCF phenotypic switch into myofibroblasts.

Integrated Analysis of Line-Of-Sight Stability of Off-Axis Three-Mirror Optical System

As a space camera works in orbit, the stress rebound caused by gravity inevitably results in the deformation of its optomechanical structure, and the relative position change between different optical components will affect the Line-Of-Sight pointing of the camera. In this paper, the optical sensitivity calculation of a space camera’s Line-Of-Sight pointing is realized based on the optomechanical constraint equations, and the Line-Of-Sight equations are constructed using the second type of response (DRESP2) method to realize an optomechanical integrated analysis of the camera’s Line-Of-Sight stability at the structural finite element solver level. The verification results show that the Line-Of-Sight stability error is 6.38%, meaning that this method can identify the sensitive optical elements of the optical system efficiently and quickly. Thus, the method in this paper has important significance as a reference for the analysis of the Line-Of-Sight stability of complex optical systems.

Typology, current state and non-destructive testing of timber roof trusses of historic churches in the West Vistula Delta, Poland

This paper presents the current state of conservation of historic roof churches located in the Żuławy of Gdańsk (Poland). It also describes the architecture of these temples, the region itself and old carpentry techniques for constructing roof trusses. Interdisciplinary tests were carried out in six churches. The geometry of the load bearing structures, the moisture content and the carpentry technique were specified. The field survey also included visual inspections and non-destructive testing of timber structural elements of the roof constructions. The ground penetrating radar and ultrasonic testing methods were used to assess the structure and extent of the damage to the timber elements. The interdisciplinary research presented in this article is important in the planning of historic buildings conservation works and it might be applied to other timber structures.