Orientation Mechanism Research Articles

A Flexible Thin-Film Pressure Sensor Based on Thermal Conduction Mechanism for Pressure, Orientation, and Mapping Signal Acquisition

In recent years, high-performance flexible pressure sensors have boomed with wide applications in touch screens, wearable electronic devices, human–machine interface, real-time physiological signal perception, and other fields, and have drawn extensive research attention in the field of wearable electronic devices and intelligent E-skin. However, because the “function” of sensors is often incompatible with a “simple” manufacturing strategy, the flexible sensor can hardly simultaneously meet the objectives of low cost and excellent performance. Herein, we propose a facile and low-cost flexible thermal resistive pressure sensor (FTRPS) based on the heat transfer sensing mechanism. The device consists of an ultra-thin thermal sensing film (thermal detectors: platinum resistors on Parylene-C film: <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$20\,\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) and an elastomer pressure converter (Dragon Skin). The pressure value can be transduced via the elastomer deformation and monitored through the heat loss of the thermal sensing film. Leveraging different Young’s modulus of the elastomer, the measurement range of different sensors can be tuned with material selection. The fabricated sensor exhibits high linearity ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${R}^{2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> : 0.996) for the whole measurement range and realizes the pressure orientation sensing function with the circular thermal detector design. Furthermore, the single sensor has been validated in chess piece recognition, and the successful application of the sensor matrix in the pressure mapping of a letter protruding indicates that the FTRPS can be a part of wearable devices and human–machine interfaces. The proposed FTRPS can be used in mass production and promotes the application of flexible pressure sensors.

Goal Orientation in Music Composition and Other Social Behaviors Leading to the Common Quantitative Law

The power-law distribution is ubiquitous and common in many natural, engineering, and social systems. In this article, we found that goal orientation is the driving reason on the power-law distribution in typical social behaviors. A unified model is constructed to formulate the goal orientation mechanism in many social systems. Three mathematical characteristics of tonal music melody are found based on music composition theory. The constrained entropy maximization model (CEMM) is constructed, and the power-law distribution of melodic intervals is the result of solving the problem formulated in this model. Three other typical power-law models in economics, linguistics/informatics, and design of complex engineering systems are reviewed, and their goal orientation behaviors are analyzed. It is found that the models quantifying different social behaviors with goal orientation are consistent with the unified model. The power law is actually the result of the well-known social distribution mechanisms with limited resources, such as the maximal wealth with limited economic capability, the minimal cost under constrained resources, and the maximal entropy with restrictions. If without limit or constraint, these social systems would not observe the power law. This finding could inspire the study on other common laws in computational social systems.

The Nexus between Business Analytics Capabilities and Knowledge Orientation in Driving Business Model Innovation: The Moderating Role of Industry Type

The importance of business analytics (BA) in driving knowledge generation and business innovation has been widely discussed in both the academic and business communities. However, empirical research on the relationship between knowledge orientation and business analytics capabilities in driving business model innovation remains scarce. Drawing on the knowledge-based view and dynamic capabilities theory, this study develops a model to investigate the interplay between knowledge orientation and BA capabilities in driving business model innovation. It also explores the moderating role of industry type on this relationship. To test the model, data were collected from a cross-sectional sample of 207 firms (high-tech and non-high-tech industries). Descriptive and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to test the hypotheses. The findings showed that knowledge orientation and BA capabilities are significantly and positively related to business model innovation. Knowledge commitment, shared vision, and open-mindedness are significantly and positively related to BA perception and recognition capabilities and BA integration capabilities. BA capabilities mediated the relationship between knowledge orientation and business model innovation. The path mechanism of knowledge orientation → BA capabilities → business model innovation shows that industry type has a moderating effect on knowledge orientation and BA capabilities, as well as BA capabilities and business model innovation. This study provides empirically proven insights and practical guidance on the dynamics and mechanisms of BA and organizational knowledge capabilities and their impact on business model innovation.

Heart rate variability in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and comorbid pathology

Aim. To study the features of heart rate variability in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and comorbid pathology.Materials and methods. Polysomnography and registration of heart rate variability (HRV) were performed in 98 patients who applied to a neurologist.Results. Most of the HRV indicators in patients with OSA were significantly lower compared to the control group with orthostatic loading. The most notable of these were: TP (ms2), SDNN (ms), CV (%), HF (ms2), RMSSD (ms), DX (ms), LF (ms2). There were higher CI at rest (3.29 (1.53; 6.10), p = 0.034) and IVR (455.45 (286.95; 704.87), p = 0.014) during exercise in patients with OSA in comparison with the control group (1.73 (0.79; 3.93) and 344.00 (171.57; 440.87), respectively). It was found that arterial hypertension (94.6 %), chronic cerebral ischemia (80.4 %), and acute cerebrovascular accident (10.7 %) were significantly more common in patients with OSA than those examined without apnea (71.4 %, 42.9 % and 0.0 % respectively).Conclusions. BMI, neck volume, saturation level, and desaturation index can be considered as criteria for referring patients for HRV registration in order to assess the state of adaptive reserves. In patients with OSA, according to HRV indicators, a shift in the autonomic balance was found, which is expressed by a weakening of vagal influences and the degree of participation of the autonomic circuit in the regulation of heart rate with an increase in sympathetic orientation and central control mechanisms, a decrease in the body's adaptive resources. Work should be continued to clarify the contribution of comorbid pathology in patients with OSA to the development of autonomic dysfunction.

Research on Online Platform for Ideological Training Guided by Comprehensive Evaluation of Ideological Theory Based on Brainwave Data Mining

Grasp the development trend of ideological and political courses, and build a "five-dimensional" evaluation-oriented system that integrates scientific content, comprehensive process, teacher leadership, student subjectivity and social effectiveness. The socialist qualified successor" is an inevitable requirement for "realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation". The key to realizing the integration of the two is to build a scientific and reasonable integration mechanism. Therefore, we can build a reasonable matching mechanism, a correct orientation mechanism, a two-way coordination mechanism, an interactive sharing mechanism, and an effective incentive mechanism.

Geomagnetic disturbance associated with increased vagrancy in migratory landbirds

Rare birds known as “accidentals” or “vagrants” have long captivated birdwatchers and puzzled biologists, but the drivers of these rare occurrences remain elusive. Errors in orientation or navigation are considered one potential driver: migratory birds use the Earth’s magnetic field—sensed using specialized magnetoreceptor structures—to traverse long distances over often unfamiliar terrain. Disruption to these magnetoreceptors or to the magnetic field itself could potentially cause errors leading to vagrancy. Using data from 2 million captures of 152 landbird species in North America over 60 years, we demonstrate a strong association between disruption to the Earth’s magnetic field and avian vagrancy during fall migration. Furthermore, we find that increased solar activity—a disruptor of the avian magnetoreceptor—generally counteracts this effect, potentially mitigating misorientation by disabling the ability for birds to use the magnetic field to orient. Our results link a hypothesized cause of misorientation to the phenomenon of avian vagrancy, further demonstrating the importance of magnetoreception among the orientation mechanisms of migratory birds. Geomagnetic disturbance may have important downstream ecological consequences, as vagrants may experience increased mortality rates or facilitate range expansions of avian populations and the organisms they disperse.

Correction: Yang, J.; Yu, M. The Influence of Institutional Support on the Innovation Performance of New Ventures: The Mediating Mechanism of Entrepreneurial Orientation. Sustainability 2022, 14, 2212

In the original publication [...]

Fracture behavior of B2 phase matrix of Ti2AlNb-based alloy with microcracks of different orientations

The influence mechanism of crack orientation on B2 phase crack propagation behavior under cyclic loading is studied by using the meta-atom molecular dynamics (MAMD) method, and the simulation results are compared and verified based on the theory of linear elastic fracture mechanics. According to the different propagation speed of crack in B2 phase matrix, the crack propagation process can be divided into three stages: elastic stage, rapid propagation stage and slow propagation stage. The toughness or brittleness of the crack mainly depends on the competition between the cleavage fracture of the atomic bond and the plastic slip at the crack tip. The crack propagation behavior is obviously orientation dependent. Orientation I and orientation II expand in the form of ductile fracture. Orientation III shows obvious brittleness and expands in the form of cleavage fracture. Orientation IV (Orientation I-IV represent the four angles between the crack plane and the crystal orientation) shows both ductile fracture and brittle cleavage fracture. The defects and stress concentration at the crack tip provide a driving force for martensitic nucleation, and the hcp phase produced by martensitic transformation effectively increases the toughness of the crack. The simulation results of molecular dynamics are basically consistent with the theoretical prediction of linear elastic fracture mechanics. This suggests that the variation of the orientation could tune the crack tip plasticity and toughening in B2 phase matrix.

An Empirical Study of Strategic Orientation and Dual Competence on Service Quality

It is the purpose of this study and that of great theoretical and practical significance for the long-term development of property management companies in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to examine the influence of the strategic orientation of enterprises on the service quality of property management companies. The service quality of property management companies was measured by two dimensions: soft service quality and hard service quality. Using the Likert 5-point scale, a survey of managers of 10 property management companies in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau was planned, and 350 data samples were expected to be collected. Then, with the help of SPSS22.0 for data processing, stepwise regression analysis was adopted to verify the research hypotheses and explore the influence mechanisms of market orientation, technology orientation, exploration ability, and utilization ability on the service quality of property management companies. In this research, the findings propose more comprehensive suggestions and measures for how property management companies can improve their service quality from multiple perspectives, which provides new ideas on how to improve the service quality of property management companies, on the one hand, it concluded that it the findings are effectively ensuring the long-term development of property management companies in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Review of phase change heat transfer enhancement by metal foam

• Enhancement characteristics of metal foam on solid-liquid phase change heat transfer and liquid-gas phase change heat transfer are reviewed. • The mechanism of metal foam enhancing phase change heat transfer and the factors affecting the phase change heat transfer process are comprehensively discussed. • Existing methods for optimizing phase change heat transfer performance within metal foam are classified and evaluated. • The practical applications of metal foam enhanced phase change heat transfer in recent years are summarized and compared. • This review will lead to a better understanding on the designing and applying of efficient metal foam-phase change heat transfer systems. Metal foam is a novel multifunctional material with high porosity, high surface density, and excellent heat transfer performance. Embedding metal foams into phase change heat transfer systems can be used to improve the comprehensive heat transfer performance, which is receiving increasing attention in the field of thermal management. This paper focuses on the lasted advances in solid-liquid phase change heat transfer and liquid-gas phase change heat transfer within metal foams, and specifically analyzes the influencing factors on phase change heat transfer performance as well as the mechanism of metal foam effects on phase change heat transfer. Different optimized techniques for improving phase change heat transfer within metal foams and the current state of metal foam engineering applications for improving phase change heat transfer are reviewed and discussed. It is concluded that the addition of metal foam can significantly enhance the heat transfer performance of solid-liquid phase change systems and liquid-gas phase change systems, but it is accompanied by an inhibitory effect on natural convection, an obstructive effect on bubble overflow and an elevated effect on pressure drop. The application of gradient porous structure, metal foam fins, V-groove structure or changing the surface wettability of metal foam is a feasible way to alleviate the above problems. Meanwhile, it is pointed out that the heat transfer performance of phase change within metal foam is influenced by the interaction of various factors, and some key issues regarding the influence mechanism of PCM-device orientation, pore distribution, surface wettability, and structural properties on heat transfer performance still need to be studied to develop more efficient and compact heat sinks.

Function Orientation, System Adaptation, and Governance Mechanisms in Community Renewal from the Perspective of Social Space Theory

Function Orientation, System Adaptation, and Governance Mechanisms in Community Renewal from the Perspective of Social Space Theory

Research on the Social Value Orientation Mechanism of Value Cultivation from the Comparative Perspective of China and Japan

Research on the Social Value Orientation Mechanism of Value Cultivation from the Comparative Perspective of China and Japan

Integrating orientation mechanisms, adrenocortical activity, and endurance flight in vagrancy behaviour

Avian migratory processes are typically precisely oriented, yet vagrants are frequently recorded outside their normal range. Wind displaced vagrants often show corrective behaviour, and as an appropriate response is likely adaptive. We investigated the physiological response to vagrancy in passerines. Activation of the emergency life-history stage (ELHS), assessed by high baseline plasma corticosterone, is a potential mechanism to elicit compensatory behaviour in response to challenges resulting from navigational error, coupled with response to fuel load and flight. We compared circulating plasma corticosterone concentrations and body condition between three migratory groups in autumn: (1) wind displaced southwest (SW) vagrants and (2) long range southeast (SE) vagrants on the remote Faroe Islands, and (3) birds within the expected SW migratory route (controls) on the Falsterbo peninsula, Sweden. Vagrants were further grouped by those sampled immediately upon termination of over-water migratory flight and those already on the island. In all groups there was no indication of the activation of the ELHS in response to vagrancy. We found limited support for an increased rate of corticosterone elevation within our 3 min sample interval in a single species, but this was driven by an individual ELHS outlier. Fat scores were negatively correlated with circulating corticosterone; this relationship may suggest that ELHS activation depends upon an individual’s energetic states. Interestingly, in individuals caught at the completion of an obligate long-distance flight, we found some evidence of corticosterone suppression. Although limited, data did support the induction of negative feedback mechanisms that suppress corticosterone during endurance exercise, even when fuel loads are low.

The Mechanism of Cumulative Ecological Risk Affecting College Students' Sense of Social Responsibility: The Double Fugue Effect of Belief in a Just World and Empathy.

According to bioecological theory, the development of college students' social responsibility is affected by the cumulative effect of ecological risks. However, research on the impact of cumulative ecological risk on social responsibility and its potential mechanisms are still lacking. Carol Gilligan (1982) proposed that the ethics of care and justice are like two related but independent melodies, which together constitute the whole of moral psychology. However, despite being an important part of moral psychology, social responsibility has rarely been investigated empirically with regards to the psychological mechanisms of justice and caring orientation. Therefore, the current study had 1607 college students complete questionnaires regarding cumulative ecological risk, social responsibility, belief in a just world, and empathy, aiming to explore the impact of cumulative ecological risk on college students' sense of social responsibility and the mediating roles of belief in a just world and empathy. Results showed that: (1) cumulative ecological risk was significantly negatively correlated with college students' sense of social responsibility, belief in a just world, and empathy, whereas social responsibility, belief in a just world, and empathy were significantly positively correlated; (2) belief in a just world and empathy played mediating roles in the relationship between cumulative ecological risk and social responsibility. The results also showed that the development of college students' sense of social responsibility was affected by the cumulative ecological risk from various directions; this influence was also seen to play a role in the motivation system of social responsibility through the ethics of care with empathy as the important part, as well as through the ethics of justice. The results suggest that we should reduce the ecological risks at their source, and improve and consolidate students' social support systems; moreover, we should not only enhance college students' sense of mission and responsibility to consciously maintain social justice order, but also adopt empathy training as a part of the curriculum to improve students' empathy at the individual level.

In vitro approach points to a chemotactic effect of melatonin on ram spermatozoa

Sperm orientation mechanisms, such as chemotaxis, are essential for the sperm to reach the oocyte and fertilize it. Melatonin is secreted by the cumulus cells and is also present in the follicular fluid in mammals. The presence of membrane receptors for melatonin in ram spermatozoa, and its proven involvement in the sperm functionality, may suggest a possible role in the guided movement towards the oocyte. Hence, the objective of the present work is to study the in vitro potential chemotactic action of melatonin on ram spermatozoa, analysing the influence of the season (breeding and non-breeding) and the sperm capacitation state. The first experimental approach consisted in the inclusion of melatonin in the upper layer of a swim-up selection method. During the non-breeding season, the presence of melatonin at 100 pM and 1 μM concentrations significantly increased the cell recovery rate, and induced changes in the sperm location of the MT2 melatonin receptor, compared with the standard swim-up. Moreover, the selected sperm population with 100 pM melatonin presented a higher percentage of capacitated spermatozoa. The greater recovery rate obtained with melatonin could be due to the stimulation of sperm movement in random directions, i.e., a chemokinetic effect, or due to a guided movement (chemotaxis) towards the gradient of the melatonin. To elucidate this issue, together with the study of the influence of the sperm capacitation status, we performed a second experimental approach which consisted in the use of chemotaxis chambers and an open-source software (Open-CASA) that analyses the sperm trajectories towards the hormone gradient and calculates a chemotaxis index (SL index). There was a significant difference between the SL index in the presence of 1 μM melatonin and the control without hormone. This effect was only observed in capacitated spermatozoa with cAMP-elevating agents (Cap-CK samples) obtained during the non-breeding season. These results would point to an in vitro chemotactic effect of melatonin on ram spermatozoa, although chemokinesis cannot be ruled out. Nonetheless, the inclusion of this hormone in the swim-up procedure could enhance the sperm recovery rate.

Insight into the Interaction of Furfural with Metallic Surfaces in the Electrochemical Hydrogenation Process.

Electrocatalytic hydrogenation of furfural on metal surfaces has become an important research subject due to the potential of the reaction product 2-methylfuran as a renewable energy resource. Identifying effective determinants in this reaction process requires a thorough investigation of the complex electrode-electrolyte interactions, which considers a variety of the influential components. In this work, in operando electrochemical Raman Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics simulations were utilized to investigate different characteristics of the interface layer in the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of furfural. Hereby, the influence of applied potentials, electrode material, and electrolyte composition were investigated in detail. The studied parameters give an insight into furfural's binding situation, molecular orientation, and reaction mechanism.

Chemotaxis of capacitated ram spermatozoa to ewe follicular fluid

Sperm orientation mechanisms, as chemotaxis, are essential for the sperm to reach the oocyte and then fertilize it. The follicular fluid is the biochemical environment where the oocyte develops until its ovulation, and its composition changes throughout the estrous cycle. The follicular fluid is released together with the oocyte at the moment of ovulation, and it has been proposed as a chemoattractant for spermatozoa. This chemotactic ability has been demonstrated in some mammals, but to date, no studies have been done in the ovine species. Also, it has been reported that only capacitated and hyperactivated spermatozoa can respond to chemotactic stimuli. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the chemotactic response of ovine spermatozoa to ewe follicular fluid, obtained at various stages of the estrous cycle, and to evaluate the influence of the capacitation status in the chemotaxis mechanism. In order to perform the experiments, ovine follicular fluids were obtained in the early and late follicular and luteal phases, and two concentrations, 2 and 10%, were tested. Semen samples were collected from nine Rasa Aragonesa rams, and spermatozoa were selected by the swim-up/dextran method. In vitro capacitation was induced by incubation without (cap-TALP) or with cAMP-elevating agents (cap-Cocktail). After sperm quality evaluation (motility, viability, and capacitation state), the chemotactic assays were carried out with the aim of the commercial device (IBIDI® µ-Slide Chemotaxis chamber, Ibidi GmbH). Swim- up, cap-TALP or cap-Cocktail samples were loaded in the chambers in the presence of follicular fluid. Individual trajectories were analyzed by the OpenCASA software (Alquezar-Baeta et al., PLoS Comput Biol, 15(1), 2019), which calculates a chemotaxis index. Differences were analysed by χ² test, except for the chemotaxis index (ANOVA) using GraphPad PRISM® (Version 8.0.1). Follicular fluid at 2 and 10% concentrations, obtained in luteal and early follicular phases, induced sperm chemoattraction. This chemotactic response was only observed in capacitated spermatozoa, which supports previous evidence in other species. These results reveal, for the first time, the chemotactic effect of ewe follicular fluid in ram spermatozoa. Grants: AGL-2017- 83799-R and DGA A07-17R. S.M.-J. has a predoctoral contract from the Diputación General de Aragón (DGA).

High-Throughput Preparation and Characterization of ZrMoTaW Refractory Multi-Principal Element Alloy Film

In this work, high-throughput screening technology is applied to four-member refractory multi-principal element alloys (RMPEAs) films with high W content. The exploration of refractory metals such as W is strictly limited by the high melting temperature in this work; a multi-gradient deposition method was introduced to overcome this obstacle. By adjusting the power and distance from the target to the sample, component Zr11Mo11Ta25W53 with the best hardening performance was successfully obtained. The uniformity of the material library was analyzed from the perspectives of phase structure and micromorphology. With the help of Hume-Rothery theory and XRD analysis, it is shown that the film has a stable bcc structure. It is believed that film uniformity, nanoscale size, preferential orientation, surface roughness, and solution mechanism are the pivotal factors to improve hardness performance, especially for high W components. The hardness and modulus of elasticity can reach 20 GPa and 300 GPa, respectively, and the H/Er and H3/Er2 values are 0.067 and 0.065, showing the best wear resistance in many samples.

Orientation Detection System Based on Edge-Orientation Selective Neurons

In this paper, we propose a mechanism of orientation detection system based on edge-orientation selective neurons. We assume that there are neurons in the V1 that can generate response to object’s edge, and each neuron has the optimal response to specific orientation in a local receptive field. The global orientation is inferred from the aggregation of local orientation information. An orientation detection system is further developed based on the proposed mechanism. We design four types of neurons for four local orientations and used these neurons to extract local orientation information. The global orientation is obtained according to the neuron with the most activation. The performance of this orientation detection system is evaluated on orientation detection tasks. From the experiment results, we can conclude that our proposed global orientation mechanism is feasible and explainable. The mechanism-based orientation detection system shows better recognition accuracy and noise immunity than the traditional convolution neural network-based orientation detection systems and EfficientNet-based orientation detection system, which have the most accuracy for now. In addition, our edge-orientation selective cell based artificial visual system can greatly save time and learning cost compared to the traditional convolution neural network and EfficientNet.

Breaking with the Past to Face the Future? Organizational path dependence in family businesses

This study adopts a qualitative approach in order to determine why and how the idiosyncrasies of family business influence path formation and path-breaking (and their outcomes) in strategically persistent family businesses. Findings are based on an analysis of six in-depth case studies of family businesses from Switzerland’s textile industry, including interviews with family and nonfamily firm members, archival data and expert interviews. The study finds that idiosyncrasies rooted in power hierarchy, chronicle orientation, and network embeddedness spur self-reinforcing mechanisms – in particular expectation effects and learning and investment effects – in path formation. However, at a later stage, they may become drivers of path-breaking. The study contributes to research on organizational path dependence by illuminating the role of power hierarchies in path formation and breaking. Path-breaking requires certain shifts in formal and informal power hierarchies; such shifts of power happen not only with respect to individual family members but also between family subgroups and nonfamily members. The study further identifies different strategic outcomes of path-dependent processes: protecting by renewing, pivoting and perfecting. While protecting by renewing and pivoting encompass path-breaking, perfecting occurs within the framework of a strategic path by leveraging incremental changes. In the case of protecting by renewing, businesses develop new revenue streams detached from the previous core business; these are partly used to subsidize the remains of the previous core business, thereby accepting inefficiencies for parts of the business. Pivoting refers to changing the business model without accepting inefficiencies. Implications for family and nonfamily businesses are discussed.