Main Mode Research Articles

Numerical Simulation and Application of Radial Steel Gate Structure Based on Building Information Modeling under Different Opening Degrees

The safe and stable operation of the radial gate is highly essential for hydropower stations. As the dynamic load of gate, water flow generally causes the irregular distribution of strength, stiffness, and the stability of the gate structure. Traditional simulation technology is usually used to investigate the impact of water flow on gate structure; however, there is a lack of integration and interaction of building information modeling (BIM) and numerical simulation technology to study this issue. Therefore, this paper proposed a computational framework combing BIM and numerical simulation to calculate and analyze the large complex hydraulic radial steel structure. Firstly, the 3D model of the radial gate was established by MicroStation2020, then, the finite element model was output by using it. Secondly, the change laws of strength, stiffness, and stability of the radial gate were analyzed by Ansys-Workbench2020R2 under different opening degrees. The numerical simulation results show that the maximum equivalent stress value was 142.19 MPa, which occurred at the joint between the lower longitudinal beam and the door blade. The maximum deformation was 3.446 mm, which occurred at two longitudinal beams’ middle in the lower part of the panel. When the opening degree is 0.0 m–9.0 m, the natural vibration frequency increases irregularly with the increase in the opening of the gate. Three main vibration modes of the gate vibration were obtained. It proves that it is feasible to analyze the structural performance of radial gates by using BIM and numerical simulation. Finally, the BIM and numerical simulation information management process was established to make the simulation results more valuable. This study expands the application value of BIM and provides a new research idea for large complex hydraulic steel structural analysis. The information management process described in this research can serve as a guide for gate operation and maintenance management.

Towards a Regulatory Framework for Electronic Medical Record Interoperability in Canada.

All complex systems are potentially predisposed to failure. Healthcare systems are complex systems that are prone to many errors that can result in dire consequences for patients and healthcare providers. The healthcare system in Canada is under unprecedented strain due to shortages of healthcare providers, provider burnout, inefficient workflows, and a lack of appropriate digital infrastructure. We used failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) to identify the failure modes for care provided in primary care settings. We identified failure modes in appointment scheduling, patient-provider communications, referrals, laboratory and diagnostic procedures, and medication prescriptions as the main failure modes. To mitigate the detected risks, we recommend solutions to 'close the loop' on failure modes to prevent patients from falling through the cracks, as vulnerable patients who cannot advocate for themselves are most likely to do so. We provide preliminary requirements for a regulatory regime for electronic health records that can reduce provider burnout, improve regulatory compliance, and improve system efficiency, all while improving patient safety, experience, and outcomes.

Comprehensive Analysis of the GRAS Gene Family in Paulownia fortunei and the Response of DELLA Proteins to Paulownia Witches' Broom.

The GRAS (GAI\RGA\SCL) gene family encodes plant-specific transcription factors that play crucial roles in plant growth and development, stress tolerance, and hormone network regulation. Plant dwarfing symptom is mainly regulated by DELLA proteins of the GRAS gene subfamily. In this study, the association between the GRAS gene family and Paulownia witches' broom (PaWB) was investigated. A total of 79 PfGRAS genes were identified using bioinformatics methods and categorized into 11 groups based on amino acid sequences. Tandem duplication and fragment duplication were found to be the main modes of amplification of the PfGRAS gene family. Gene structure analysis showed that more than 72.1% of the PfGRASs had no introns. The genes PfGRAS12/18/58 also contained unique DELLA structural domains; only PfGRAS12, which showed significant response to PaWB phytoplasma infection in stems, showed significant tissue specificity and responded to gibberellin (GA3) in PaWB-infected plants. We found that the internodes were significantly elongated under 100 µmol·L-1 GA3 treatment for 30 days. The subcellular localization analysis indicated that PfGRAS12 is located in the nucleus and cell membrane. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays confirmed that PfGRAS12 interacted with PfJAZ3 in the nucleus. Our results will lay a foundation for further research on the functions of the PfGRAS gene family and for genetic improvement and breeding of PaWB-resistant trees.

Experimental study on axial compression performance of unbonded prestressed mortise-tenon precast concrete mid joint

This paper presents an unbonded prestressed mortise-tenon precast concrete (MTPC) structure, where the beam-column joints are connected by mortise and tenon construction and are tightly crimped using longitudinal prestressed steel strand. It has the advantages of no wet works, easy on-site assembly, short construction period and can be disassembled. First, the structure and assembly method of MTPC joints were introduced. Five full-scale models of MTPC mid joints and one full-scale model of cast-in-place joint were produced. Then the axial compression test was carried out on these models. According to the test results, the damage mode and axial bearing capacity of the MTPC mid joint were analyzed. The analysis results show that the mortise and tenon construction of MTPC joint can effectively transfer the axial compression load, and its axial compression load bearing capacity is about 37%–46% of that of the cast-in-place joint. Unlike cast-in-place joint, there is an obvious compaction stage in MTPC joint under the axial compression. The damage of MTPC joint is concentrated in the beam-column joint area, and the main damage mode is short column damage. The weakest part of the joint is the lower column mortise, which is weakened by the small cross-sectional area and shear-compression force state. The MTPC joint is sensitive to the construction error and assembly error, which will cause the joint to be in eccentric force state and lead to the decrease of its bearing capacity. Finally, this paper proposes a method to calculate the axial compression bearing capacity of MTPC mid joint.

Ultrastretchable Helical Carbon Nanotube-Woven Film.

Helical carbon nanotube (HCNT) is regarded as one of the most promising nanomaterials due to its excellent tensile strength and superhigh stretchability. Here, a novel HCNT-woven film (HWF) is proposed, and its in-plane and out-of-plane mechanical properties are systematically investigated via molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The MD results show that HWF possesses highly stretchable capability resulting from sliding and straightening of CNT segments, and the maximum tensile strain can reach 2113%. Furthermore, the HWF presents an obvious tensile mechanical anisotropy. The torsion failure is the main fracture mode when the HWF is stretched along the longitudinal direction. However, when the HWF is stretched along the transverse direction, the fracture is mainly caused by intertube compression. On the other hand, the HWF can dissipate large amount of kinetic energy of projectile via sliding and fracture of HCNTs, leading to high specific penetration energy. This work provides a theoretical guidance for designing and fabricating next-generation superstrong two-dimensional CNT-based nanomaterials.

Bacterial nucleoid is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

Bacterial chromosome, the nucleoid, is traditionally modeled as a rosette of DNA mega-loops, organized around proteinaceous central scaffold by nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs), and mixed with the cytoplasm by transcription and translation. Electron microscopy of fixed cells confirms dispersal of the cloud-like nucleoid within the ribosome-filled cytoplasm. Here, I discuss evidence that the nucleoid in live cells forms DNA phase separate from riboprotein phase, the "riboid." I argue that the nucleoid-riboid interphase, where DNA interacts with NAPs, transcribing RNA polymerases, nascent transcripts, and ssRNA chaperones, forms the transcription zone. An active part of phase separation, transcription zone enforces segregation of the centrally positioned information phase (the nucleoid) from the surrounding action phase (the riboid), where translation happens, protein accumulates, and metabolism occurs. I speculate that HU NAP mostly tiles up the nucleoid periphery-facilitating DNA mobility but also supporting transcription in the interphase. Besides extruding plectonemically supercoiled DNA mega-loops, condensins could compact them into solenoids of uniform rings, while HU could support rigidity and rotation of these DNA rings. The two-phase cytoplasm arrangement allows the bacterial cell to organize the central dogma activities, where (from the cell center to its periphery) DNA replicates and segregates, DNA is transcribed, nascent mRNA is handed over to ribosomes, mRNA is translated into proteins, and finally, the used mRNA is recycled into nucleotides at the inner membrane. The resulting information-action conveyor, with one activity naturally leading to the next one, explains the efficiency of prokaryotic cell design-even though its main intracellular transportation mode is free diffusion.

МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО ПРОЦЕССА ПРЕДОКРАСОЧНОЙ ОБРАБОТКИ КУЗОВНОЙ ОБШИВКИ ЖЕЛЕЗНОДОРОЖНОЙ ТЕХНИКИ

There are data on the mathematical modeling of the manufacturing process of gas dynamic treatment. The study objective is to obtain a mathematical apparatus that allows the calculation of the main manufacturing modes of gas dynamic treatment according to the destruction rate of operational pollution, as well as to the invasiveness of the body covering. To do this, the paper presents the main provisions of the mathematical model and the results of the research.

More Trouble for a Troubled Geist: Finding Certainty in the Uncertain through Creative Unknowing

ABSTRACT The main response to the multiple crises besetting Western societis in the past decades has been the attempt of the academic and scientific as well as political circles to gain a sense of orientation—and of social cohesion—by two main modes of thinking: identity politics and evidence-based knowlegde. Regarding the latter, I argue that if scientific knowledge is reduced to facts, data and numbers, as the basis for political decisions without any alternatives, it would become a dogma propagating the truth—that is, a new religion. Politicians will no longer have to struggle with other perspectives, once there is a consensus about following the line that “the numbers or the facts speak for themselves.” While many people would perhaps find in this new religion a guarantee of security in an insecure world, this sense would be illusionary. I argue that the role intellectuals should play in a spiritual crisis of this kind is paradoxically to cultivate a sense of more security by strengthening a culture of “insecureness” or docta ignorantia against the dogmas within science and religion. To create and encourage a new art of questioning and listening, and of learning to appreciate non-knowledge as the basis of coming together. This notion is found in the Greek and Christian as well as the Jewish tradition of European thought, and it continues in the works of modern thinkers such as Paul Ricoeur, Hermann Cohen, Martin Buber, Hartmut Rosa, and of philosophers who focus on the question of the ineffable. My aim is to present this quality of certainty within uncertainty by examples from different fields, including philosophy, art and psychotherapy, and to elaborate on the paradoxical question: does a troubled Geist need more trouble in order to help us find a sense of orientation through disorientation?

Magnetic anisotropy and ferromagnetic resonance in inhomogeneous demagnetizing fields near edges of thin magnetic films

Using local ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy, we have studied the magnetic properties near edges of thin tangentially magnetized permalloy films, in which a well-defined uniaxial magnetic anisotropy was induced perpendicular to one of the edges. In the experiment, two samples with thicknesses of 90 and 300 nm and with slightly different compositions were examined. To explain the magnetization dynamics near edges, we propose a simple yet effective model of a film in the form of a rectangular prism, which yields the modified Kittel formula for the resonance frequency. In this formula, the locally averaged distance-dependent demagnetizing field that emerges near the edges is included as an additional uniaxial anisotropy term. The measurements reveal that at a certain distance from the edge, the resulting (apparent) anisotropy, determined from the angular dependencies of the resonance field, almost vanishes. Moreover, its easy axis reorients to become parallel to the edge. The model predictions agree well with these results, proving that the main resonance mode behavior near the film edges can be accurately described by introducing additional effective uniaxial anisotropy, provided the measuring area is relatively large. However, for the thick (300 nm) sample, additional precession modes are also observed. These modes distort the angular dependence of the main mode, thus demonstrating the limitations of the model.

Dislocation structure evolution during room temperature dwell loading of a Ti-6Al-4 V alloy

The current work examines the evolution of the dislocation structure, within both the α and β phases, of a Ti-6Al-4 V alloy subjected to room temperature dwell loading performed at about 96% of the macroscopic yield stress level for several durations, as part of a synchrotron in-situ deformation experiment. The obtained findings represent a vital contribution to creating a scientific basis for improving lifing predictions for aero-propulsion components. The dislocation configuration, type and density were examined post-mortem using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Despite the relatively low applied stress level, well-developed dislocation structures were already formed within the α phase at a dwell duration of 10 min and changed only modestly up to 60 min. The plastic deformation of the above phase took place solely via dislocation slip. To facilitate a comparison between different dwell durations, the TEM investigation focused on the regions oriented for the prismatic glide that represented the main deformation mode due to the starting crystallographic texture. After deformation, the regions oriented for the prismatic slip contained planar slip bands largely consisting of dislocations of a screw type. There was rather limited interaction between different bands, as the dislocation arrays passed through the slip band intersections with only minor difficulty. The screw-type dislocations seemed to preferentially form during straining. Dislocation Burgers vectors experimentally determined within the β phase occasionally departed from the Schmid rule and such dislocations typically showed a prevalent screw component. Some deformation banding and {112} 〈111〉 − type mechanical twin formation were locally detected within the β phase.

The impact and mechanism analysis of preceding sea surface temperature anomalies on summer runoff in the Yangtze River basin and its southern region

AbstractThe Yangtze River basin (YRB) and its southern region in China (20°–34°N, 104°–123°E, YRBSC) are highly susceptible to climate change and experience extreme hydrological events. To understand the spatial and temporal distribution of summer runoff in these regions, a statistical diagnosis method was applied using monthly mean runoff grid data, global Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data and meteorological reanalysis data from 1980 to 2022. The analysis revealed that variations in the isotropic phase within the YRBSC and the north–south inverse phase with the Yangtze River as the boundary are the main modes of summer runoff. Furthermore, a strong correlation was observed between winter SST anomalies (SSTAs) and late summer runoff in the YRBSC, as determined through singular value decomposition (SVD). In the first type of positive SSTA years, the eastward advance of the South Asian high pressure (SAH) and westward shift of the subtropical high pressure (SH) result in sufficient water vapour, strong upward movement and increased summer runoff. The second type of positive SSTA years exhibits a westward retreat of the SAH, upward movement north of 28°N, and downward movement between 20°N and 28°N. These conditions, combined with water vapour intermixing and dispersion, lead to a northward increase and southward decrease of summer runoff in the YRBSC, with the boundary at 28°N. Additionally, the study analysed the extreme drought situation observed in the YRB during the summer of 2022. The findings of this research provide valuable insights for ecological environmental protection, water resource planning and management in the region.

House and socio-demographic features vs. electricity consumption time series in main heating mode classification

Demand-side flexibility is crucial for integrating variable renewable energy sources cost-effectively. Home heating systems determine the potential for flexibility in individual households. We examine different approaches to classify heating systems in Finland and find that using hourly electricity consumption time series is more effective than house and socio-demographic features. Classification based on electricity consumption data achieves higher precision (0.62) and recall (0.64) than house and socio-demographic features (0.41 and 0.43, respectively). Therefore, the availability of electricity consumption time series data should be considered from a competition policy perspective due to its value in estimating flexibility potential.

Study on the Stability of Cut Slopes Caused by Rural Housing Construction in Red Bed Areas: A Case Study of Wanyuan City, China

The red beds that are widely distributed in hilly areas in eastern Sichuan Province are inevitable rock and soil masses in engineering construction. In order to obtain a larger building area, engineering slope cutting is quite common in red bed hilly areas. Engineering slope cutting destroys the inherent stability of a slope and causes geological disasters. In order to practice the concept of sustainable development and explore ways to develop and utilize land resources reasonably and reduce the possibility of geological disasters caused by engineering slope cutting, this paper took the slope cutting sites caused by rural housing construction in the red bed area of Wanyuan City as research objects. The internal and external factors affecting the stability of the cut slopes were summarized through a field investigation, and two typical slopes were selected for analysis. Sampling and indoor tests were conducted to obtain the geotechnical parameters. Geo Studio software (2018 R2) was employed to establish numerical models, simulate the stress and strain distributions, and compute stability coefficients under different slope cutting conditions at the same time. Based on field investigations and numerical simulations, the three main failure modes of shallow landslides caused by slope cutting were summarized, and the evolution process of slope landform accelerated by slope cutting activities was deduced. In an engineering application, the functional relationship between the cutting height and the stability coefficient was fitted. It was found that the critical cut height values of soil slope were 6.3 m, 6.2 m, 5.2 m, and 2.6 m at slope of 10°, 20°, 30° and 40°, respectively; the critical cut height values of rock–soil mixed slope were 9.3 m, 6.5 m, 5.9 m, and 2.2 m at slope of 10°, 20°, 30° and 40°, respectively. The research findings can be used to prevent and manage the hazards caused by slope cutting in this study area.

In-plane shear damages consideration of hoop wound composite cylinders using acoustic emission method

The objective of this study was to examine the in-plane shear properties of filament-wound composite cylinders and assess the associated damage mechanisms using acoustic emission techniques. Two distinct composite materials, namely carbon/epoxy and glass epoxy, were manufactured for this purpose. The cylinders were subjected to torsion load conditions in accordance with ASTM D5448. Throughout the testing process, various parameters such as torque, angle of torsion, and strain were meticulously recorded. Additionally, the acoustic emission sensors were utilized to capture signals indicating the occurrence of damages. The findings of the study indicate that the in-plane shear strength and shear modulus of the carbon/epoxy specimens surpass those of the glass/epoxy counterparts. The results from acoustic emission testing indicated that in the CFRP specimens, there were no instances of fiber/matrix debonding. Instead, the main mode of damage observed was fiber breakage, accounting for approximately 71% of the total damage detected. On the other hand, in the GFRP specimens, the primary damage mechanism was found to be fiber/matrix debonding, making up approximately 50% of the overall damage recorded.

Discovery of a novel androgen receptor antagonist, MEL-6, with stereoselective activity and optimization of its metabolic stability

A new chemical scaffold with antagonistic activity towards the androgen receptor (AR) was identified. The parent compound, (3-Methoxy-N-[1-methyl-2-(4-phenyl-1-piperazinyl)−2-(2-thienyl)ethyl]benzamide) referred to as MEL-6, binds in the ligand binding pocket of AR and induces an antagonistic conformation of the ligand binding domain, even in presence of the antagonist-to-agonist switch mutations W741C, T877A and F876L-T877A. MEL-6 has antiproliferative effects on several AR positive prostate cancer cell lines. We further identified AR as the specific target of MEL-6 since it demonstrates little effect on other steroid receptors. In LNCaP cells it also inhibits the androgen-regulated transcriptome. These findings identify MEL-6 as a promising candidate for treatment of patients with prostate tumors that have become resistant to current clinically used AR antagonists. Analytical studies on the chemical composition of MEL-6 identified the presence of four isomers (two enantiomeric pairs), among which one isomer is responsible for the antiandrogenic activity. We therefore developed a synthetic route towards the selective preparation of the active enantiomeric pair. Various MEL-6-like analogues had improved metabolic stability while maintaining antiandrogenic activity. Metabolite identification of MEL-6 derivatives pinpointed N-dealkylation of the piperazine as the main mode for inactivation by liver enzymes. For further structural optimization, MEL-6 derivatives were purchased or synthesized having alterations on the N-phenyl group of the piperazine, the benzoyl group and additionally substituting the thiophen-2-yl ring of MEL-6 to a phenyl ring. This optimization process resulted in compound 12b with sustained AR inhibition and a 4-fold increased half-life due to the 1-(5-chloro-2-methylphenyl)-piperazine substitution, thienyl-to-phenyl substitution and chloro in para-position of the benzoyl group.

Structural and vibrational characteristics of Ge-S-Br glass system: ab initio calculation and Raman study

To improve the understanding of the structure network of chalcogenide glass, we report an investigation of the structure and vibrational property of the Ge-S-Br system chalcogenide glass. The structural origin was interpreted by the result of ab initio calculation performed on the basic units such as ethane-like(ETH) structure(Ge2S6 and Ge2Br6),edge-sharing(ES) structure Ge2S2SnBr4-n (n=0,1,2,3,4) and isolated GeSnBr4-n tetrahedron (n=0,1,2,3,4), which represent the local structure of Ge-S-Br glassy system. In addition, We have compared the experimental spectra of GeS2, GeS3Br, GeSBr2 glasses and liquid GeBr4 to the calculated main vibrational modes of basic units by ab initio calculation. The calculated vibrational modes of the GeSnBr4-n cluster are assigned by group theory. Moreover, the symmetrical stretching modes related to the Ge-S and Ge-Br bond are in accordance with the vibrational coupling theory. The variation of calculated main vibrational modes of GeSmBrn clusters reveals the structure formations of Ge-S-Br glassy system with different S/Br ratios, which can be in agreement with vibrational spectra of Ge-S-Br glass.

Experimental verification of PEKK stiffened panel under compression

The paper presents the experimental strain and stress analysis of a thermoplastic composite stiffened panel subjected to compression load. The panel has five stringers with a non-symmetric design. Two panels are investigated. The experimental analysis deals with the pristine panel without any flaws and the panel with an artificial crack at the middle stringer interface with the skin. Panels were made from a thermoplastic polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) carbon composite. The buckling and mechanical analysis is based on digital image correlation, strain gauge measurements, and linear variable differential (LVDT) transducers. The crack subcritical extension was defined and analysed. The results show that crack propagation starts coupled with sudden buckling mode transition. The crack growth behaviour is influenced by the buckling shape, which consists of two main modes (with three and four half-waves) in the longitudinal direction in each skin bay.

Effect of stable-structural 3D woven preform on tensile and flexural properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composites

The geometry of yarns effect the structural stability of 3D woven preform, which influence the mechanical properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composites. To investigate the effect of stable-structural preform on the elastic properties of 3D woven composites, the factors that caused the unstable structure of preform were discussed, and comparative study was conducted. The geometric models of yarn cross-section and preform were established to discuss the stability. The results showed that increasing the opening angle of warp yarns and the elongation of yarn outer contour can improve the stability of preform. The tensile and bending tests of 3DLAC and 3DBAC with stable and unstable structural preform were conducted. The results showed that the tensile and flexural elastic moduli were inversely proportional to the curvature of load-bearing yarns, and the elastic modulus of composites with stable-structural preform can increase by 9%–13%. The redistribution of internal stress in composites was macroscopically manifested as stable changes in experimental process. 3D woven composites with stable-structural preform showed the regular fracture cross-section, and fiber fracture and interface adhesion effect were the main failure mode in tensile tests, and fiber fracture on the compression surface and matrix cracking were the main failure modes in bending tests.

Research on cavitation characteristics of water-jet pumps with different blade tip clearances based on entropy production theory

Water-jet pumps are widely used in ship and other power fields. An axial-flow water-jet pump is studied with different size of tip clearance, and the cavitation characteristics are studied based on the theory of entropy production. Modified SST with curvature correction and modified Zwart cavitation model based on vortex identification are adopted, and the numerical calculation method is verified by reference experiments of a model pump. Under normal operating conditions, the results show that when the size of the tip clearance varies from 1.6‰ to 7.9‰ of the impeller diameter, efficiency takes a linear decrease accordingly, and the total entropy production increases linearly. At the same time, the main energy dissipation mode changes from wall dissipation to turbulent dissipation. Under severe cavitation conditions the total entropy production adds 30%. The water-jet pump shows that the entropy production in the impeller section is the highest, which accounts for 40%-50% and is closely related to the vortex and cavitation flow field in the tip clearance of the impeller. The tip leakage vortex region causes cavitation, but significant energy dissipation occurs at the outer edge of leakage vortex and on the nearby wall area, while the attached cavitation on the blade surface is the main source of turbulent dissipation.

Solvent effects on the optical properties of photosynthetic pigments evaluated by evolutionary optimization

With the development of computational technologies, it became possible to do numerical simulations of the optical properties of molecules and organic crystals taking into account the modern sophisticated theoretical approaches. Our work is devoted to the study of carotenoids in different solvents. Carotenoids, being photosynthetic pigments, are located inside pigment-protein complexes and are covalently bound to the proteins. They have a wide variety and despite their relative simple structure, their optical properties remain poorly understood. Thus, their role in photosynthetic machinery is still an open question. In this study, we investigate the properties of carotenoid electronic excitations by fitting their absorption spectra considering pigments in polar and nonpolar solvents. As it is known, carotenoids have four main nuclear vibration modes. Each mode is characterized by three parameters: frequency, Huang-Rhys factor and damping factor. In particular, the Huang-Rhys factor cannot be measured experimentally. To do the modeling, we developed special software to fit experimental data using differential evolution (DE) algorithm, which allows obtaining an unambiguous solution for applied quantum models. With the help of DE, it was possible to estimate the influence of the solvent on the excited states of a pigment. Examining astaxanthin and lycopene spectra in three solvents (chloroform, hexane, ethanol), we have shown that some quantum parameters are very sensitive to the type of solvent and can be considered as markers of polarity.