Multilayer Concept Research Articles

Multilayer textile-based concept for non-invasive biosensor platform

AbstractThe surface area of the working electrode plays a crucial role in determining the sensor’s performance, especially in enzymatic sensors. Increasing the surface area of the working electrode has a significant impact on the sensor’s functionality. This research focused on developing textile-based sensors using a multi-layer concept, employing the direct coating method. Two different sensors which are multilayer textile-based sensor (MTBS) and single-layer textile-based sensor (STBS) were prepared, while commercial screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was also used as a comparison. The measurements were carried out using potassium ferricyanide solutions with concentrations of 0.01 M, 0.02 M, 0.03 M, 0.04 M, and 0.05 M at a voltage of 1 V, with a maximum duration up to the end of the measurement and a time interval of 0.5 s. According to the research findings, the fluid spreading speed of the SPCE is the lowest when compared to the spreading speeds of the MTBS and STBS. Specifically, the fluid spreading speed of the SPCE is 4.3 times slower than that of the STBS and 51 times slower than that of the MTBS. Utilizing a multi-layer concept with specific coatings can lead to better-performing sensors in terms of stability and sensitivity. The MTBS exhibits the greatest sensitivity, as indicated by its linear equation slope of 717.230 µA µM−1 cm−2.

The Interaction Fidelity Model: A Taxonomy to Communicate the Different Aspects of Fidelity in Virtual Reality

Fidelity describes how closely a replication resembles the original. It can be helpful to analyze how faithful interactions in virtual reality (VR) are to a reference interaction. In prior research, fidelity has been restricted to the simulation of reality—also called realism. Our definition includes other reference interactions, such as superpowers or fiction. Interaction fidelity is a multilayered concept. Unfortunately, different aspects of fidelity have either not been distinguished in scientific discourse or referred to with inconsistent terminology. Therefore, we present the Interaction Fidelity Model (IntFi Model). Based on the human-computer interaction loop, it systematically covers all stages of VR interactions. The conceptual model establishes a clear structure and precise definitions of eight distinct components. As a communication tool, it helps teams to understand and discuss fidelity in VR. It was reviewed through workshops with fourteen VR experts. We provide guidelines, diverse examples, and educational material to apply the IntFi Model universally to any VR experience and propose foundational research opportunities.

The Dynamic Nature of European Identity

EU citizenship requires a multilayered and dynamic concept of European identity. The idea of European identity embodied in the Declaration on European Identity and within A Charter on European Identity needs to be rethought. These documents should not contain essentialist assumptions based on the difference between "Europe" and "Other" that excludes and marginalizes a number of citizens. European identity should not create new forms of nationalism. That is why the concept of European identity should be flexible and dynamic. The concepts of identity, values, and Europe need to be rebuilt and reinterpreted in a multifaceted, adaptable, and dynamic manner. We can only discuss the dynamic nature of the European Union and the European identity in this sense. The concept of European identity should be developed less in terms of a predetermined past and more in terms of shared projects, long-term goals and connections resulting from a long-term, deliberate process.

Robust multi-view clustering via collaborative constraints and multi-layer concept factorization

Robust multi-view clustering via collaborative constraints and multi-layer concept factorization

Investigation of the Flexibility Potential by Decoupling Building Mass and Room Temperature

Using the thermal building mass as a thermal storage received increasing attention in research during recent years. Due to the large mass of concrete, it offers a large storage capacity and thus a high potential for flexibility. However, passive heat losses during cool down of a thermally activated building influence room temperature and thus limit its flexibility potential. In this contribution a multi-layer activation concept was investigated which thermally decouples the building mass and room air. The study aims to analyse the cool down of a thermally activated building in terms of different charging parameters while considering other heat sources such as solar gains. A dynamic building simulation of a demonstration building was set-up and compared to simulative studies from literature to proof the validity of its dynamic behaviour. In the simulation model the room temperature could be kept above 19 °C between 100 - 190 h. However, when charging the building structure quickly, room temperatures above 24 °C are reached easily. Considering other heat sources such as solar gains, advanced control algorithms are required for efficient operation of the heating system.

Influence of mothers' stress on their infants' stress level: A preliminary study.

In a previous study, mothers' stress was demonstrated to affect the stress of their infants. However, stress is a multi-layered concept, and there is a lack of studies on the type of stress that influences infant stress. This study examined how various types of mothers' stress influence their infants' stress by measuring stress that emanates from COVID-19, child rearing, and stress levels based on speech and cortisol in saliva. This study was conducted in two phases, and the stress of 21 mother-infant dyad were evaluated using questionnaires, participants' saliva, and voice recording. The results demonstrated that maternal stress increased infant stress, rearing stress decreased infant stress, and COVID-19 stress did not affect infant stress. Furthermore, there was no relationship between stress measured using questionnaires and stress measured using saliva, indicating that these factors independently affect infant stress. It is clear that stress is multi-layered and that it is necessary to grasp each of the various stresses and their relationship appropriately.

Functionally graded thick-walled tubes analysis by numerical methods

Functionally graded materials are increasingly used in the practice of engineering design, as is the case with thick-walled tubes. The use of these constructive elements requires a calculation, which should be as accurate, as accessible and as fast as possible. The present work responds to these requirements. For the calculation of tubes with thick walls made of functionally graded materials, two new ways were used, based on the concepts of multilayer (material) wall and equivalent material. The multi-layered wall concept considers the tube wall made of several layers, as in the case of the well-known multilayer plates, and the equivalent material concept considers the thick-walled tube made of homogeneous and isotropic material, but with fictitious properties, equivalent in behavior to the functionally graded material. The influence of Poisson's ratio is illustrated by some comparative results. The development of the calculus, the validation of the models and the analysis of the results are based on the numerical calculus using the finite element method. The models used, the transverse plane model, the axial-symmetric plane model and the 3D longitudinal model, are made in several variants regarding the fineness of the mesh. The paper also analyzes the influence of the Poisson ratio variation, compared to adopting a constant value. The results of the study, the models and concepts used are useful to specialists and designers of structures of this type, they have a high degree of generality and present openings for the use of other calculation methods.

Pompē, Peplos, Poikilia: Picturing the Panathenaia on an Athenian Amphora

Abstract An Athenian black-figure amphora from the Etruscan site of Orvieto juxtaposes a scene of Zeus, Athena, and Herakles battling Giants with three kitharōidoi in procession. Attributed to the Painter of Berlin 1686, the amphora shares much with the painter’s name vase, also featuring musicians but in a sacrificial procession to Athena. The Gigantomachy composition, meanwhile, echoes a group of vases by different painters dedicated on the Athenian Akropolis. I propose that the Orvieto amphora was inspired by the Greater Panathenaia, combining the Gigantomachy as a central myth of the festival with kitharōidoi from its grand pompē. Foregrounding the multilayered concept of poikilia, I further suggest the painter evoked the Panathenaia’s multisensory experience through the amphora’s materiality and aesthetics. Together, the amphora’s paired scenes encourage contemplation of harmony (harmonia) and divine order (kosmos).

Federalism, Decentral Governance, and Joint Decision-Making: Bad News for the Implementation of International Environmental Agreements?

Abstract There is a lingering myth in the international compliance literature that domestic multilevel structures have a negative impact on the fulfilment of international commitments. This article argues that this literature has failed to understand multilevel structures as a multi-layered concept. Instead of viewing multilevel governance as a one-dimensional concept or a mere system of veto-players, I propose to study the effects of the individual components, i.e., federalism, decentral governance, and joint decision-making. I test the plausibility of this approach by analyzing the implementation of the Ramsar Wetlands Convention. My findings debunk the myth about the negative effects of multilevel structures on the implementation of international agreements. I show that states in which subnational decision-makers can act autonomously from the central level are better placed to produce implementation measures in the area of environmental conservation.

Radial Displacements in a Rotating Disc of Uniform Thickness Made of Functionally Graded Material

The finite element method is used to calculate a rotating disc, which has a uniform thickness and is made of functionally graded materials, based on the concepts of multilayer disc and equivalent material. These concepts are also available for analytical calculus. The multilayered disc concept perceives the disc as constructed from several layers, and the equivalent material concept regards the disc material as composed of homogeneous and isotropic material but with fictitious properties equivalent in behavior to the functionally graded material. These two concepts, encompassed in this study, allow us to contemplate the variation according to the material law and Poisson's ratio, which is often neglected, to reduce the mathematical complexity. The concepts, models, and methods involved in this study were validated by employing numerical and analytical calculations. The proposed method introduced simplicity, precision, and accessibility to solve the complex problem of functionally graded structures. The calculus development, model validation, and result analysis were based on numerical calculus using the finite element method. The utilized models were grounded on the existence of an axial-symmetric plane. So, 2D or 3D simplified models can be used with several variants regarding the mesh fineness. This study results and models are useful to specialists and structure designers of this type, have a high degree of generality, and present opportunities for the application of other calculation methods.

Risk Analysis of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine with a Multilayer Concept of System Order

Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing across technology domains including healthcare, commerce, the economy, the environment, cybersecurity, transportation, etc. AI will transform healthcare systems, bringing profound changes to diagnosis, treatment, patient care, data, medicines, devices, etc. However, AI in healthcare introduces entirely new categories of risk for assessment, management, and communication. For this topic, the framing of conventional risk and decision analyses is ongoing. This paper introduces a method to quantify risk as the disruption of the order of AI initiatives in healthcare systems, aiming to find the scenarios that are most and least disruptive to system order. This novel approach addresses scenarios that bring about a re-ordering of initiatives in each of the following three characteristic layers: purpose, structure, and function. In each layer, the following model elements are identified: 1. Typical research and development initiatives in healthcare. 2. The ordering criteria of the initiatives. 3. Emergent conditions and scenarios that could influence the ordering of the AI initiatives. This approach is a manifold accounting of the scenarios that could contribute to the risk associated with AI in healthcare. Recognizing the context-specific nature of risks and highlighting the role of human in the loop, this study identifies scenario s.06—non-interpretable AI and lack of human–AI communications—as the most disruptive across all three layers of healthcare systems. This finding suggests that AI transparency solutions primarily target domain experts, a reasonable inclination given the significance of “high-stakes” AI systems, particularly in healthcare. Future work should connect this approach with decision analysis and quantifying the value of information. Future work will explore the disruptions of system order in additional layers of the healthcare system, including the environment, boundary, interconnections, workforce, facilities, supply chains, and others.

Exploring children’s participation from Froebelian practitioners’ perspectives in Scottish context

ABSTRACT Participation has been discussed as a multi-layered concept with varied outlooks on children’s lived experiences. Children’s participation occupies a complicated terrain in that whose participation counts and how it manifests itself within complex adult–child relations are enduring questions in the early childhood field. This qualitative study explored early years practitioners’ perspectives about children’s participation through their Froebelian lenses in the Scottish context. Semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 14) were conducted online (May 2020–September 2020). As a result of the thematic analysis, three interrelated themes unfold practitioners’ conceptualisations of children’s participation: (i) listening to children’s perspectives, (ii) acting upon children’s perspectives and (iii) active learning and development. The study shows that Froebelian approaches open diverse intellectual spaces for practitioners to consider children’s participation, agency and competency alongside everyday pedagogical encounters. Children’s participation, which was not a common concept in Froebel’s time, is reconceptualised by the practitioners in this research and identified as a substantial but fluid concept in children’s multiple experiences, which is also acknowledged as children’s rights.

MUNICIPAL PUBLIC POLICY IN THE CONTEXT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM

The article presents an analysis of the main novelties of the reorganization of local self-government related to the proposed draft law No. 40361-8 "On the general principles of the organization of local self-government in a unified system of public power" through the prism of the phenomenon of public policy. The latter is a framework concept related to the civil competencies of state/municipal management, the quality and level of public activity of civil society, which allows influencing the adoption of socially significant decisions. Municipal public policy is more based on the use of tools of intersectoral social partnership, which contributes to building a public dialogue of all active parties of the local community and the formation of an "agenda". The reform proposed by the bill "centralizes" local self-government, significantly changing the principles of its territorial and organizational structure, enlarging municipalities by abolishing the settlement level. The multilayered concept of municipal public policy allows us to judge the optimal ratio of political and administrative properties of state and municipal authorities, combining administrative regulation and the use of forms of public participation of the population. From the point of view of the interests of the development of civil self-organization and "grassroots" public initiatives, the desire to make local self-government bodies the lower level of state power through the concept of "unity of public power" is undoubtedly alarming, which can lead to its administratization, affect the quality of the implementation of the principles of municipal public policy, reduce the opportunities for the subjective formation of an increasingly complex society.

Someone Else's Home: Consciousness of Mother Tongue in Migration and Exile Literature

Identity, a multi-layered concept, is shaped according to the tools a person uses to define themselves. Mother tongue is one of the dominant elements within these tools. In times and places where the dominance of the mother tongue is lost due to reasons such as forced or voluntary migration, exile, captivity, occupation, the consciousness of the mother tongue operates in different ways. The bond an individual establishes with their mother tongue can manifest in behaviors such as acceptance, forgetting, denial, suppression, highlighting, sanctification, or belittlement, depending on these conditions. Depending on their consciousness of their mother tongue, the individual rejects their existing identity or chooses to create new identities while constructing a new identity according to these behavioral patterns in the abstract or concrete space where they do not feel they belong. Whatever the reason, the bond or disconnection established with language, an important element of identity and one of the tools of self-expression, is also reflected in literature. In this study, the reflections in literature of individuals who cannot speak their mother tongue for various reasons, the consciousness of the mother tongue in literary works, and the changing views on the approach to the mother tongue over the years will be discussed, examining the effect of social changes on the approach to the mother tongue.

The Potential of Double-Faced Polyester-Viscose Woven Fabric as a Porous Substrate for Direct-Coating and Multilayer Concept.

Textile-based sensors fabricated using the direct-coating method are the appropriate choice to meet the aspects of flexibility, non-invasiveness, and lightness for continuous monitoring of the human body. The characteristics of the sensor substrate are directly influenced by factors such as the type of weave, thread fineness, fabric density, and the type of polymeric constituent fibers. The fabric used as the sensor substrate, fabricated using the direct-coating method, must be capable of retaining the electrode paste solution, which has higher viscosity, on one surface of the fabric to avoid short circuits during the fabrication process. However, during its application, this fabric should allow the easy passage of analyte solutions with low viscosity as much as possible. Hence, an appropriate fabric construction is required to serve as the substrate for textile-based sensors to ensure the success of the fabrication process and the effectiveness of the resulting sensor's performance. The development of the structural design of the fabric to be used as a substrate for non-invasive biosensors with a multilayer concept is carried out by weaving and sewing processes utilizing polyester-viscose fibers. During the production process, variations are applied, such as weft yarn density, the characterization of wetting time, absorption rate, maximum wetted radius, spreading speed, and accumulative one-way transport index. The most suitable fabric for use as a substrate for non-invasive biosensors with a multilayer concept, such as in this research, is a fabric with a weft thread density of 70 strands per inch, along with the addition of an analyte transfer thread configuration.

Introduction: Marshall in Brussels? A new perspective on social citizenship and the European Union

This introductory article to the Special Issue Marshall in Brussels? A new perspective on social citizenship and the European Union first argues that there is a need for a novel systematic framework that captures the increasingly complex web of relationships between the European level and the national and local levels in the creation and implementation of social rights. It then summarizes the contributions of the articles included in the Special Issue, starting with the first article that provides such a novel framework, a power resource-based and multi-layered conception of social rights which looks at social rights as bundles of three key power resources: normative, enforcement and instrumental resources. It then shows how the other articles apply this framework when analysing a variety of issues related to European social citizenship. Finally, it sums up the main contributions of the Special Issue: its contribution to the further development of power resource theory; to the theory of social citizenship; and to capturing how social rights in the EU increasingly result from the creative assemblage of different resources provided by different actors and levels of government, resulting in a ‘marble cake’ pattern akin to that existing in historical federations like the US or Switzerland.

The Forgotten Father: Freedom and its Foes in Karl Jaspers’ Post-war Writings

Largely forgotten today, Karl Jaspers was one of the foremost public figures in post-war Germany to champion the idea of liberty, offering a unique blend of paternalist and populist politics. Freedom for Jaspers was both ideal and real, tied closely to the depths of existential being yet made concrete through the actions and choices of thinking individuals. Alongside developing this multi-layered conception of freedom, Jaspers also set out a number of ways that a culture of freedom could be fostered on both a national and an international level. A nationwide political education, guided by both paternalist great statesmen and by the people themselves, was to form the bedrock of Germany’s transition to democracy. Internationally, Jaspers believed that a decentralised system of cooperation, one which rose above the world’s increasingly irrelevant nation states, was the only means to stave off the dangers of totalitarianism. By placing Jaspers in his historical and intellectual contexts and comparing him with his contemporaries, we can shine new light into the tensions behind the polemics of this philosopher turned political pundit and highlight his important role as one of the Bundesrepublik’s intellectual fathers.

Synergetic effect of MXene/MoS2 heterostructure and gradient multilayer for highly sensitive flexible piezoelectric sensor

In this study, we proposed a flexible piezoelectric sensor made of gradient multilayer polyacrylonitrile (PAN) MXene/Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanocomposites prepared by layer-by-layer electrospinning technology. Each layer of the composite film was formed by adding different mass ratios of MXene and MoS2 (MXene: MoS2 = 4:1, 2:1, 1:1) as filler materials, with a constant content of MXene (2% of the PAN matrix), and the concentration of MoS2 increases progressively from the inner layer to the outer layer. In addition, a heterojunction structure was formed using MXene and MoS2, which formed hydrogen bonds with –CN on PAN, thereby enhancing their interaction. By employing this novel concept of gradient multilayer and 2D/2D heterostructure, the interface coupling effect could be effectively promoted, and more 31−helical conformations could be transformed into planar zigzag conformations, significantly improving the dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of the multilayer composite fiber films, thereby enhancing its output performance. With the gradient multilayer structure, the piezoelectric sensor exhibited excellent voltage sensitivity (14.9 V/N). The piezoelectric sensor detected body movement during basketball shooting and offered excellent breathability for enhanced comfort. It shows promise for use in health monitoring, electronic skin, and human-computer interaction.

Requiem for the spiritual experience : Reconceptualising ‘quality of the environment’ by looking at the renovation process of the Samen district in Mashhad, Iran

Imam Reza’s holy shrine in the Samen area in Mashhad and its impact on the urban fabric of the area has always been of interest to residents and pilgrims. In addition to being an area where people live and businesses are based, the district has continuously supported the sacred act of pilgrimage. Although mainstream sources have defined the quality of Samen’s environment mostly from a physical and psychological perspective, this neighbourhood fabric also has spiritual values. This paper aims to reconceptualise the quality of the environment by looking at the renovation process that the district has experienced to date. The research approach is qualitative, and grounded theory, including descriptive techniques, frames the methodology. The philosophical position of the study is interpretivism, and the research strategy is abductive. We collected data through libraries (documents) and survey techniques (observation and interview). The statistical population surveyed was people who are well informed about the plan and the district. We then conducted theoretical sampling through 28 semi-structured interviews. The number of interviews continued until data saturation. Using MAXQDA, we coded the interviews in three phases: open, axial, selective. The findings show that the quality of the environment is a multilayered concept and includes management, physical, economic, sociocultural and environmental dimensions, helping planners and policymakers respond to physical, psychological and spiritual spheres needs. In the case of the Samen district, decision makers must develop all aspects of the environment’s quality, including those related to the pilgrimage culture.

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Liver and Gastrointestinal Cancer Randomized Controlled Trials.

For many years, outcomes such as mortality and morbidity were the standard for evaluating oncological treatment effectiveness. With the introduction of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), the focus shifted from a mere extension of a patient's life or release from disease to the improvement of a multilayered concept of health, decisively affecting life satisfaction. In this study, we deal with the topic of PROMs in liver and gastrointestinal randomized controlled trials. The final database included 43 papers reporting results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for liver or gastrointestinal cancer interventions where one of the primary or secondary outcomes was a health-related quality of life measure. The most often used PROM was the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) for both liver cancer and gastrointestinal cancer (in 62% of gastrointestinal cancer studies and 57% of liver cancer studies). For the gastrointestinal cancer group, the QLQ-STO22, a cancer-specific extension of the QLQ-C30, was the second most commonly used PROM. In liver cancer, the generic PROM Short Form 36 and the EORTC QLQ-HCC18, a cancer-specific extension of the QLQ-C30, were the second most commonly used PROMs. We found that RCTs often do not include comprehensive quality-of-life measures. When quality of life is part of an RCT, it is often only a secondary outcome. For a holistic view of the patient, a stronger integration and weighting of patient-reported outcomes in RCTs would be desirable.