External Changes Research Articles

Weather-Related Combined Effect on Failure Propagation and Maintenance Procedures towards Sustainable Gas Pipeline Infrastructure

Weather-related events are among the major causes of failure propagation in natural gas pipeline infrastructure. The interaction between multiple natural-force factors, such as temperature, precipitation, and wind, and their unpredictable simultaneous occurrence can intensify the vulnerability of pipeline infrastructure, increasing the likelihood of leaks, ruptures, and mechanical damage. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the combined effect of weather-related events on the failure propagation of pipelines, focusing on the impact of weather-related external force factors and climate change on sustainable pipeline integrity, including corrosion, erosion, and mechanical damage. Additionally, the paper examines various maintenance policies and strategies that can be implemented to mitigate the impact of weather-related failures. The review highlights gaps in existing knowledge and future research directions to enhance the understanding of weather-related failure propagation in natural gas pipeline infrastructure. This paper provides insights into the challenges and opportunities for improving the resilience and sustainability of pipeline infrastructure to weather-related failures.

Nature-Inspired Incorporation of Precipitants into High-Strength Bulk Aluminum Alloys Enables Life-Long Extraordinary Corrosion Resistance in Diverse Aqueous Environments.

The safe service and wide applications of lightweight high-strength aluminum alloys are seriously challenged by diverse environmental corrosion, since high strength and corrosion resistance are mutually exclusive for metals while surface protection cannot provide life-long corrosion resistance. Here, inspired by fish secreting slime from glands to resist external changes, a strategy of incorporating precipitants as the slime into bulk metals using the inner cavity of opened carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the glands is developed to enable high-strength aluminum alloys with life-long superior corrosion resistance. The resulting material has ultrahigh tensile strength (≈700MPa) and extraordinary corrosion resistance in acidic, neutral and alkaline media. Notably, it has the highest resistance to intergranular corrosion, exfoliation corrosion and stress-corrosion cracking, compared with all previously reported aluminum alloys, and its corrosion rate is even much lower than that of corrosion-resistant pure aluminum, which results from the pronounced surface enrichment of precipitants released (secreted) from exposed CNTs forming a protective surface film. Such high corrosion resistance is life-long and self-healing due to the on-demand minimal self-supply of the precipitants dispersed throughout the bulk material. This strategy can be readily expanded to other aluminum alloys, and could pave the way for developing corrosion-resistant high-strength metallic materials.

Alternative Exchange Rate Systems for Oil-Exporting Countries: Frankel’s Currency-Plus-Commodity Basket Proposal versus the Current System

Choosing an appropriate exchange rate regime is crucial for economic policy, particularly for developing countries seeking to establish robust macroeconomic frameworks to mitigate external shocks. However, such nations, including those reliant on oil and natural gas exports, often face challenges in selecting suitable regimes, exacerbated by a lack of traditional advice. The debate around this issue intensified in the aftermath of the 2014 oil price decline. In response, Jeffrey Frankel proposed the currency-plus-commodity basket (CCB) arrangement in 2017, blending the benefits of floating and pegging. This study applies the CCB system to Algeria, aiming to evaluate its impact compared to the current managed floating regime from 2001 to 2021, on indicators of internal (inflation rates) and external (change in foreign exchange reserves) balance using monthly data. Employing wavelet analysis and robustness tests, specifically quantile-on-quantile regression (QQR), the findings suggest that the CCB regime surpasses managed floating in maintaining monetary stability and achieving internal and external balance. Moreover, it provides greater flexibility and stimulates the domestic economy through its ability to stabilize terms of trade via active countercyclical monetary policy. Nonetheless, further discussion, adjustment, experimentation, and development of the proposed regime are warranted.

Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategies in Morphable Architecture: Analyzing Transformation Modes and Practical Applications

Global climate change and carbon emissions have garnered widespread attention on a global scale. The construction industry, as a significant source of carbon emissions, plays a crucial role in achieving carbon neutrality and sustainable development goals. Conventional methods of building design and construction typically involve substantial carbon emissions, encompassing aspects such as material production, construction, and transportation. Therefore, it is imperative to explore new architectural design approaches to reduce or entirely eliminate carbon emissions. Morphable architecture represents an inevitable direction for the future of the industry and a pivotal pathway to addressing this issue. Morphable structures exhibit strong adaptability to external environmental changes, offer substantial adjustability in interior functionality, and possess distinct advantages in shaping architectural forms. They provide modern buildings with diverse usage requirements through high-tech operational modes and intelligent control methods. With the progression of time and advancements in technology, morphable architecture is poised to undergo extensive development, leveraging its advantages that surpass those of traditional construction. The study analyzes the modes of adaptability in architecture and places net zero carbon emissions as the core design strategy. It examines the challenges that traditional architectural practices face and presents corresponding solutions. This results in the formulation of several specific design approaches, providing conceptual and strategic guidance for the future of morphable architecture.

Личностные предикторы педагогической оценки способностей у студентов-актеров

<p>One of the main way for the study of acting can be considered the process of training student-actors, in which the mechanisms and techniques of creating an image and assuming a role are unfolded and highlighted. Special attention in the study of this problematic should be paid to the factors contributing to the mastery of the profession. It is assumed that personal characteristics play a key role in the issue of successful training of a student-actor, because it is the actor's personality that can be considered as the main tool that the actor has in the art of acting transformation. The aim is to identify personal predictors of pedagogical assessments of acting abilities among student actors. Psychodiagnostic study using the following techniques: “16 personality factors” by R. Kettell and “Short portrait questionnaire of the Big Five” by M.S. Egorova and O.V. Parshikova, the scale of average assessments of acting abilities. It was revealed that two personality traits are associated with the pedagogical assessment of the acting skills of an actor student: “consciousness” (B5-10) and “sensitivity” (I, 16PF). They also contribute to this average estimate. In this regard important factors for the success of mastering the acting profession are consciousness, organization, focus on maintaining relationships in the learning process, as well as the sensitivity of the student actor to internal and external changes, the richness of his emotional experience.</p>

The Myth (or Folly) of African Debt

Despite past debt relief initiatives, the external debt of Africa is rising again, and it has some new worrying features: diminishing concessionality and a rising private creditor. Sub-Saharan African countries devote a significant portion of their fiscal resources to service the debt, and this prevents them from increasing development expenditures (generally imports of strategic goods that can't be produced domestically). By adding a human development factor to the Geometry of Debt Sustainability model (GDS) (Vaggi and Prizzon 2014) and following the analytical framework of Pasinetti (1998), we assess how external debt sustainability changes when countries increase the foreign currency purchasing of health and education goods and services. Not only these types of human development expenditures are central to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but they have become even more important due to impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on many low income countries (LICs). We evaluate external debt sustainability in two African contexts: Kenya and a composite country, called Ubuntu, which is representative of Sub-Saharan Africa average indebtedness conditions. The results confirm the existence of a trade-off between debt service and human development expenditures. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Sub-Saharan African countries were on unsustainable debt trajectories as the debt-to-GDP ratios would stabilize only at extremely high values.

Highly sensitive formaldehyde detection using biomass hydrogel with core-shell structure

The indoor formaldehyde concentration is in trace quantities; however, it considerably deteriorates indoor air quality and poses a serious threat to human health and ecosystems. Since current formaldehyde analyzers are only suitable for high-concentration detection or are expensive, there is a pressing need for an easy-to-use, storable, and highly sensitive formaldehyde detector. In this study, we developed a colorimetric sensing sphere using affordable and eco-friendly sodium alginate as a porous matrix. Polyethyleneimine, a molecule rich in amino groups, and an indicator are embedded in the matrix to create a core-shell structured, responsive porous hydrogel colorimetric sensor for indoor formaldehyde detection. The sensing sphere exhibits high sensitivity and excellent detection limits at a polyethyleneimine to pH agent mass ratio of 23:1, reaching a sensitivity of 0.02 mg/m3 and a detection limit of 0.06 mg/m3. The sensing sphere demonstrates superior selectivity among common indoor pollutants and remains unaffected by temperature (up to 70 ℃) or humidity (20–80 %) changes. Moreover, the core-shell structure of the colorimetric sensor ball addresses the poor stability and storage issues. The core-shell structure resists interference from external environmental changes, offering remarkable stability for 6 months and longer, hence, facilitating easy transportation and storage. The colorimetric sensing sphere is simple, cost-effective, and reliable for ordinary households, thus maintaining the indoor air quality and health of residents.

Bifurcations and mixed mode oscillations in a bi-stable plasma model with slow parametric excitation.

In this study, considering a bi-stable plasma model with slow parametric excitation, the bifurcation of periodic and chaotic responses as well as the resulting fast-slow motions is discussed analytically and numerically. For a nonautonomous fast sub-system, the generalized harmonic balancing method is utilized to obtain an averaged system. Bifurcation analysis about the averaged system shows that the critical manifolds form a S-shape structure. Meanwhile, supercritical and subcritical period doubling (PD) occurs on the upper branch simultaneously. As the frequency of the external excitation changes, bifurcation points on the limit cycle manifolds can present different relative locations. Moreover, an additional bi-stable structure induced by Cusp bifurcation emanates from the upper branch. On the other hand, the existence of a chaotic attractor and the corresponding boundary crisis phenomenon are verified using the Melnikov method and the basin of attraction. The structures of the numerical bifurcation diagram show good agreements with the analytical results. Considering two cases of low-frequency excitation, the corresponding fast-slow dynamics are discussed. It is found that, when the fast-slow flow passing the subcritical PD point, a low frequency with different magnitudes will lead to two patterns of bifurcation delay, i.e., the typical one and the excessive delay, which suppress the PD. As for the boundary crisis point, the slow passage effects show no distinct influence. Thus, three transition mechanisms based on two cases of the bifurcation structure are explained, including "fold of cycle-fold of cycle" type, "fold of cycle-delayed subcritical PD" type, and "fold of cycle-boundary crisis" type.

Overcoming barriers to digitalization of small and medium-sized enterprises under martial law

The object of this study was the digitalization of small and medium-sized enterprises under martial law. The problem being solved was to overcome obstacles that slow down the introduction of digital technologies into the business processes of small and medium-sized enterprises during periods of conflict or war. During the period of martial law, the consequences for small and medium-sized enterprises are instability, material losses, resource limitations, and security threats. Despite the reduction in the number of small and medium-sized enterprises in Ukraine during the military invasion by 29.39 %, most of them continued to function, adapting to the new conditions of the crisis situation. However, neither the crisis conditions nor the increase in Internet users prompted these enterprises to make significant changes in the use of digital technologies. This was due to a number of barriers, including the following. The lack of liquidity and financing, the forced nature of implementation, the need to constantly adapt business processes to external changes are more related to the crisis situation. Inappropriate digital tools, lack of package solutions, lack of sufficient knowledge and skills, low trust in the state, small size of the enterprise, lack of understanding of the need or direction of reformatting business processes do not depend on the state of war. Overcoming the barriers to digitization of small and medium-sized enterprises under martial law is envisaged through interaction and partnership with other stakeholders. Cooperation and partnership are based on financial and informational support, training, platform model, and shared use of resources. The necessity and possibility of applying the developed proposals to overcome the barriers of digitalization of small and medium-sized enterprises under the conditions of martial law predetermines the practical significance of reported results

Analysis of the Role of BPK RI in Promoting Organizational Capacity Development of ASEANSAI in the Period 2018-2023

The development of international audit organizations is crucial for enhancing accountability, transparency, and integration of public sector financial management globally. In Southeast Asia, the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI) is significant for fostering regional cooperation in financial auditing. The Supreme Audit Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BPK RI) plays a pivotal role as the ASEANSAI Secretariat, supporting and developing the organization's performance. As ASEANSAI matures, organizational capacity development becomes a key challenge. This study aims to analyze BPK RI's role in enhancing ASEANSAI's organizational capacity during the 2018-2023 period, utilizing Dillen et al.'s (2019) theory of transition from managerial roles to strategic experts and Walters' (2019) theory of organizational capacity development. Employing a qualitative methodology and conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 individuals from both internal and external ASEANSAI, the study identified several suboptimal aspects in the Secretariat's role and ASEANSAI's capacity development, including human resource management, financial management, and organizational performance stability. The findings suggest that these issues stem from inadequate strategic human resource development, limited financial resources, and external environmental changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic and regional socio-humanitarian issues.

A FORECAST MODEL FOR ASSESSING THE LEVEL OF FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF AN INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISE FOR

The article is devoted to the problem of forecasting the level of industrial enterprises financial and economic potential as a strategically important management tool for the need to adapt to internal and external market changes. The implementation of the forecast model using the adaptive method of forecasting economic time series is proposed: the model of exponential smoothing of the time series. During the implementation, the integral indicator of financial and economic potential level was calculated, the choice of the forecasting method was justified, the quality of the smoothing model and the reliability of the obtained forecast values were evaluated, and the interpretation of the forecasting results was also given. The research was conducted on the basis of a comprehensive assessment using integral indicators of financial and economic potential level, namely its components (budgetary-resource, financial-investment, security-oriented, loan, (corporate, credit-market, investment, innovative-technological and risk-adaptive) according to the criterion of established benchmarks and the application of the adaptive model of economic time series forecasting, exponential smoothing of the Holt series, which made it possible to establish the trends of the indicator change (decrease, increase or significant fluctuations). Based on this, the parameters of the forecasting model were systematized for each research object and the value of the average absolute percentage error with the provision of appropriate recommendations for ensuring stability and increasing their financial and economic potential in the long term. The practical value of the proposed theoretical and methodological approach is the possibility of using calculations of the integral indicator of financial and economic potential level of industrial enterprises as an information base formation of an adaptive management mechanism that will allow business entities to successfully face external challenges and internal threats, will ensure their stability and competitiveness in the market.

Advanced thermal energy storage made of a ternary CPCM with two phase change temperatures in building walls

This paper introduces a ternary composite phase change material (CPCM) comprising three phase change materials, with a eutectic mixture as the low phase change temperature (PCT) component. The thermal performance and stability of the CPCM are rigorously evaluated through simulations and experiments including step cooling curves, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal cycling, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The ternary CPCM CA/C18-TD (2.0:8.0) exhibits superior latent heat storage—224.53 J/g compared to 143.83 J/g for the binary CA-TD (3.0:7.0)—and maintains stability without supercooling after 300 thermal cycles. It also proves cost-effective compared to its components. In building applications, walls integrated with the CPCM CA/C18-TD (2.0:8.0) exhibited significantly enhanced thermal regulation properties, including longer thermal delay times and reduced attenuation factors across both winter and summer conditions. Specifically, the CPCM wall reduced temperature fluctuations by up to 31.91 % in comparison to ordinary wall and 21.63 % against single PCM wall in winter, 54.51 % and 44.22 % lower than the ordinary and single PCM walls respectively in summer. These walls also showed a remarkable reduction in heat flow density by up to 17.49 W/m2 and 5.41 W/m2 compared to ordinary wall under summer and winter conditions, respectively. This means that the CPCM has superior insulation performance and reduces susceptibility to external environmental changes. These findings confirm CA/C18-TD (2.0:8.0) as an optimal CPCM for seasonal thermal energy storage in energy-efficient PCM wall.

Barriers and facilitators to implementing workplace interventions to promote mental health: qualitative evidence synthesis

BackgroundDespite growing interest in workplace mental health interventions, evidence of their effectiveness is mixed. Implementation science offers a valuable lens to investigate the factors influencing successful implementation. However, evidence synthesis is lacking, especially for small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and for specific work sectors. The objectives of this review are to establish the scope of research with explicit analysis of implementation aspects of workplace mental health interventions and to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation in general and within SMEs and selected sectors.MethodsA systematic scoping review and meta-synthesis of mixed methods process evaluation research from 11 databases, with the evaluation of methodological quality (MMAT) and confidence in findings (CERQual), was conducted. We selected information-rich studies and synthesised them using domains within the Nielsen and Randall implementation framework: context, intervention activities, implementation; and mental models.ResultsWe included 43 studies published between 2009 and 2022, of which 22 were rated as information-rich to be analysed for barriers and facilitators. Most studies were conducted in healthcare. Facilitators reflecting ‘high confidence’ included: relevant and tailored content, continuous and pro-active leadership buy-in and support, internal or external change agents/champions, assistance from managers and peers, resources, and senior-level experience and awareness of mental health issues. Healthcare sector-specific facilitators included: easy accessibility with time provided, fostering relationships, clear communication, and perceptions of the intervention. Stigma and confidentiality issues were reported as barriers overall. Due to the small number of studies within SMEs reported findings did not reach ‘high confidence’. A lack of studies in construction and Information and Communication Technology meant separate analyses were not possible.ConclusionsThere is dependable evidence of key factors for the implementation of workplace mental health interventions which should be used to improve implementation. However, there is a lack of studies in SMEs and in a larger variety of sectors.Systematic review registrationResearch Registry (reviewregistry897).

Highly Sensitive Force Sensor Based on High-Q Asymmetric V-Shaped CaF2 Resonator.

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonators have high-quality factors and can be used in high-sensitivity sensors due to the narrow line width that allows for the detection of small external changes. In this paper, a force-sensing system based on a high-Q asymmetric V-shaped CaF2 resonator is proposed. Based on the dispersion coupling mechanism, the deformation of the resonator is achieved by loading force, and the resonant frequency is changed to determine the measurement. By adjusting the structural parameters of the asymmetric V-shaped resonator, the deformation of the resonator under force loading is improved. The experimental results show that the sensitivity of the V-shaped tip is 18.84 V/N, which determines the force-sensing resolution of 8.49 μN. This work provides a solution for force-sensing measurements based on a WGM resonator.

Functional role of geminivirus encoded proteins in the host: Past and present.

During plant-pathogen interaction, plant exhibits a strong defense system utilizing diverse groups of proteins to suppress the infection and subsequent establishment of the pathogen. However, in response, pathogens trigger an anti-silencing mechanism to overcome the host defense machinery. Among plant viruses, geminiviruses are the second largest virus family with a worldwide distribution and continue to be production constraints to food, feed, and fiber crops. These viruses are spread by a diverse group of insects, predominantly by whiteflies, and are characterized by a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) genome coding for four to eight proteins that facilitate viral infection. The most effective means to managing these viruses is through an integrated disease management strategy that includes virus-resistant cultivars, vector management, and cultural practices. Dynamic changes in this virus family enable the species to manipulate their genome organization to respond to external changes in the environment. Therefore, the evolutionary nature of geminiviruses leads to new and novel approaches for developing virus-resistant cultivars and it is essential to study molecular ecology and evolution of geminiviruses. This review summarizes the multifunctionality of each geminivirus-encoded protein. These protein-based interactions trigger the abrupt changes in the host methyl cycle and signaling pathways that turn over protein normal production and impair the plant antiviral defense system. Studying these geminivirus interactions localized at cytoplasm-nucleus could reveal a more clear picture of host-pathogen relation. Data collected from this antagonistic relationship among geminivirus, vector, and its host, will provide extensive knowledge on their virulence mode and diversity with climate change.

Sequential Assessment of External Nasal Deviation Angle Changes in Patients With a Deviated Nose Who Underwent Bilateral Osteotomy.

A deviated nose is traditionally classified as bony, cartilaginous, or combined deviation. Osteotomy is commonly used to correct bony deviation, and accurate surgical techniques and postoperative patient management are important for favorable outcomes. The authors investigated the change in the external nasal deviation angle over time using sequential clinical photographs to identify the optimal postoperative follow-up duration. Medical records and sequential standardized clinical photographs of 22 patients who underwent bilateral medial and lateral osteotomies without dorsal augmentation from January 1, 2014 to May 31, 2021, were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical photographs were classified into 4 periods: "a" preoperative, "b" postoperative day (POD) ≤3 weeks, "c" POD ≤9 weeks, and "d" POD >9 weeks. The angle of deviation (AoD) was measured in both frontal and chin-on-chest views for each period. Differences in AoD between temporally adjacent periods were analyzed. Nineteen men and 3 women (mean age: 28.8y) were included. Thirteen patients showed rightward deviation, whereas 9 showed leftward deviation. Eleven patients underwent surgery through an endonasal approach, whereas the other 11 underwent surgery through an external approach. In the frontal view, AoD differences (mean ± SD) between periods "a" and "b," "b" and "c," and "c" and "d" were 5.79 ± 3.36 degrees (P < 0.001), 1.44 ± 1.14 degrees (P < 0.001), and 1.07 ± 1.24 degrees (P < 0.05), respectively. In the chin-on-chest view, the values were 5.17 ± 2.69 degrees (P < 0.001), 2.06 ± 2.63 degrees (P < 0.001), and 1.46 ± 1.31 degrees (P < 0.001), respectively. No statistically significant difference in AoD differences was observed between the two approaches. Angle of deviation can change even 9 weeks after bilateral osteotomy. Thus, long-term follow-up using sequential clinical photographs is mandatory. If needed, close follow-up with early postoperative interventions may be required. The chin-on-chest view showed better sensitivity for assessing AoD than the frontal view.

2D ordered porous VO2-based composite film with enhanced thermochromism performance and high stability for smart windows

Thermochromic vanadium dioxide (VO2) can autonomously adjust near-infrared light transmittance in response to the external temperature changes, offering a significant reduction in building energy consumption when applied it in smart window. However, it is a big challenge for simultaneous optimization of visible light transmittance, solar modulation ability, and stability in VO2. To address such a big challenge, this study successfully prepared a 2D ordered porous VO2@Zn3V3O8 composite film. The as-obtained film exhibits exceptional optical performance with a visible light transmittance (Tlum) of 62.75 % and the solar modulation ability (ΔTsol) of 10.62 %, based on the anti-reflective effects of porous structure and the localized surface plasma resonance (LSPR) absorption of independently distributed VO2 nanoparticles. In addition, the composite structural film showcases excellent environmental durability that 80 % of ΔTsol could be retained after 30 days aging under the conditions of 50 % humidity and 100 °C. This work propels the practical application of VO2 smart windows and offers valuable insights for the design of composite structures.

Self-powered triboelectric sensor based on a carbon fiber/glass fiber/epoxy structural composite for efficient traffic monitoring

Intelligent transportation systems (ITSs) are being investigated as potential solutions for traffic congestion. Triboelectric sensors (TESs) have gained prominence among ITS technologies owing to their efficiency and self-powered capabilities in detecting external changes through friction-generated electrical signals. Herein, a traffic monitoring system using a fiber-reinforced plastic-based TES (FRP-TES) is proposed, designed with high-strength and high-stiffness fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) as the core material. FRP is a structural composite comprising high-strength fibers impregnated with engineering resin. When the surface of the epoxy, which has a charged layer, reacts with the charged tire, electrostatic induction occurs in the carbon fibers. By leveraging the principles of carbon and glass fiber/epoxy-reinforced infrastructure, along with corresponding electrical properties, we analyze electrical signals produced when a tire traverses the FRP-TES. We subject the FRP-TES to electrical durability and tensile tests to verify signal stability and mechanical properties (strength ≤ 1770.87 MPa, modulus ≤ 41.38 GPa). The analysis proposes an effective method for obtaining the tire position, movement direction, speed, and acceleration using paired FRP-TES units. The proposed approach achieves significant reduction in maximum errors (0.52 % in speed, 3.24 % in acceleration) with eight evenly spaced FRP-TES units in a 240 mm section. A larger FRP-TES is fabricated to demonstrate practicality for personal mobility. Incorporating FRP-TES units into road infrastructure can enhance structural stability while providing reliable real-time data for traffic monitoring, accident response, and prediction.

Experimental study on the effect of flexible joints of a deep-buried tunnel across an active fault under high in-situ stress conditions

During dislocation, a tunnel crossing the active fault will be damaged to varying degrees due to its permanent stratum displacement. Most previous studies did not consider the influence of the tunnel’s deep burial and the high in-situ stress, so the results were not entirely practical. In this paper, the necessity of solving the anti-dislocation problem of deep-buried tunnels is systemically discussed. Through the model test of tunnels across active faults, the differences in failures between deep-buried tunnels and shallow-buried tunnels were compared, and the dislocation test of deep-buried segmental tunnels was carried out to analyze the external stress change, lining strain, and failure mode of tunnels. The results are as follows: (1) The overall deformation of deep-buried and shallow-buried tunnels is both S-shaped. The failure mode of deep-buried tunnels is primarily characterized by shear and tensile failure, resulting in significant compressive deformation and a larger damaged area. In contrast, shallow-buried tunnels mainly experience shear failure, with the tunnel being sheared apart at the fault crossing, leading to more severe damage. (2) After the segmental structure design of the deep-buried tunnel, the “S” deformation pattern is transformed into a “ladder” pattern, and the strain of the tunnel and the peak stress of the external rock mass are reduced; therefore, damages are significantly mitigated. (3) Through the analysis of the distribution of cracks in the tunnel lining, it is found that the tunnel without a segmental structure design has suffered from penetrating failure and that cracks affect the entire lining. The cracks in a flexible segmental tunnel affect about 66.6% of the entire length of the tunnel, and cracks in a tunnel with a short segmental tunnel only affect about 33.3% of the entire length of the tunnel. Therefore, a deep-buried tunnel with a short segmental tunnel can yield a better anti-dislocation effect. (4) By comparing the shallow-buried segmental tunnel in previous studies, it is concluded that the shallow-buried segmental tunnel will also suffer from deformation outside the fault zone, while the damages to the deep-buried segmental tunnel are concentrated in the fault zone, so the anti-dislocation protection measures of the deep-buried tunnel shall be provided mainly in the fault zone. The results of the above study can provide theoretical reference and technical support for the design and reinforcement measures of the tunnel crossing active fault under high in-situ stress conditions.

Antidepressant-related microstructural changes in the external capsule.

Several magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have reported that antidepressant medications are strongly linked to brain microstructural alterations. Notably, external capsule alterations have been reported to be a biological marker for therapeutic response. However, prior studies did not investigate whether a change in the neurite density or directional coherence of white matter (WM) fibers underlies the observed microstructural alterations. This MRI-based case-control study examined the relationship between patients' current use of antidepressant medications and advanced measurements of external capsule WM microstructure derived from multishell diffusion imaging using neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI). The study compared a group of thirty-five participants who were taking antidepressant medications comprising selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (n = 25) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) with a control group of thirty-five individuals matched in terms of age, sex, race, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk factors. All participants were selected from the Dallas Heart Study phase 2, a multi-ethnic, population-based cohort study. A series of multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to predict microstructural characteristics of the bilateral external capsule using age, sex, and antidepressant medications as predictor variables. There was significantly reduced neurite density in the bilateral external capsules of patients taking SSRIs. Increased orientation dispersion in the external capsule was predominantly seen in patients taking SNRIs. Our findings suggest an association between specific external capsule microstructural changes and antidepressant medications, including reduced neurite density for SSRIs and increased orientation dispersion for SNRIs.