Simple Strategy Research Articles

A flexible, antifreezing, and long-term stable cellulose ionic conductive hydrogel via one-step preparation for flexible electronic sensors

Ionic conductive hydrogels have attracted great attention due to their good flexibility and conductivity in flexible electronic devices. However, because of the icing and water loss problems, the compatibility issue between the mechanical properties and conductivity of hydrogel electrolytes over a wide temperature range remains extremely challenging to achieve. Although, antifreezing/water-retaining additives could alleviate these problems, the reduced performance and complex preparation methods seriously limit their development. In this work, a simple strategy without additives was provided to prepare an ionic conductive cellulose hydrogel (ICH) in one step through molten salt hydrate. The hydrogel featured controllable mechanical properties (0.19 MPa - 0.67 MPa), high ionic conductivity (78.96 mS/cm), excellent freezing resistance (−80 °C). More importantly, due to the existing metal salts component, the ICH exhibited long-term stability in water-retention ability (75.6 %, after 90 days) and ionic conductivity (85 %, after 90 days) over a wide working temperature range (−80 °C to 40 °C). Benefiting from these advantages, the ICH exhibited excellent electromechanical performance in human movement detection and movement direction identification, indicating a promising apply for flexible electronic device.

Fire safety and high mechanical strength epoxy resin enabled by a bis-benzimidazole-primed phenyl phosphonic acid

Preparation of fire safety and high mechanical strength epoxy resin (EP) has become a hot topic for its valuable applications in construction and other fields. Here, bis-2-aminobenzimidazole-modified phenyl phosphonates (PP-BMI) with symmetric structures were synthesized by a simple chemical modification strategy, and its fine structure and composition have been thoroughly characterized. Due to the multifaceted functions of PP-BMI in both gaseous and condensed phases, EP composite with 5 wt% PP-BMI reached a UL-94 V-0 rating and high LOI of 34.3 %. The excellent fire safety of EP/5PP-BMI was further verified with a significant reduction of 57 %, 52 % and 46 % in peak heat release rate (PHRR), total heat release (THR) and peak CO production (P-COP), respectively, compared to the original EP. The flame retardancy of PP-BMI on EP can be attributed to the dilution of non-combustion gases, free radical trapping and catalytic charring functions. More importantly, PP-BMI can further enhance the mechanical properties of EP, which is closely related to the interaction between PP-BMI and EP matrix. Furthermore, EP/PP-BMI composites have good resistance to acids and alkalis, ensuring long-lasting flame retardancy and mechanical properties. This work provides a new strategy for realizing epoxy composites with high fire safety and excellent mechanical properties in construction and multifaceted areas.

Arrays of Bowl-Shaped Janus Particle Film with Structured Colors.

Structural colors generated via total internal reflection (TIR) using nanostructure-free micro-concave shapes have garnered increasing attention. However, the application of large micro-concave structures for structural coloration remains limited. Herein, a flexibly tunable structural color film fabricated by casting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) on an array of large poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) bowl-shaped particles is reported. The resultant film exhibits tunable red to green structural colors with changing observation angles. Moreover, the color can be further tailored by altering the shape of the film itself. The incorporation of the PDMS layer not only facilitates a shift in the locus of TIR from the bottom surface to the top concave surface of the particles, thereby enabling the generation of structural color, but also confers enhanced flexibility to the film. Further decoration with silver nanoparticles imparts antimicrobial properties, yielding a novel antimicrobial coating material with structural colors. The simple and cost-effective strategy for the production of structural color films provides potential applications in antimicrobial coatings, enabling accessible and customizable structural coloration using big-size micro-concave particles.

On the shortcut learning in multilingual neural machine translation

In this study, we revisit the commonly-cited off-target issue in multilingual neural machine translation (MNMT). By carefully designing experiments on different MNMT scenarios and models, we attribute the off-target issue to the overfitting of the shortcuts of (non-centric, centric) language mappings. Specifically, the learned shortcuts biases MNMT to mistakenly translate non-centric languages into the centric language instead of the expected non-centric language for zero-shot translation. Analyses on learning dynamics show that the shortcut learning generally occurs in the later stage of model training, and multilingual pretraining accelerates and aggravates the shortcut learning. Based on these observations, we propose a simple and effective training strategy to eliminate the shortcuts in MNMT models by leveraging the forgetting nature of model training. The only difference from the standard training is that we remove the training instances that may induce the shortcut learning in the later stage of model training. Without introducing any additional data and computational costs, our approach can consistently and significantly improve the zero-shot translation performance by alleviating the shortcut learning for different MNMT models and benchmarks.

A simple and effective strategy for W[sbnd]Cu functionally graded materials with continuous gradient

Functionally graded materials (FGM) have great potential in various applications, but require reliable and efficient manufacturing techniques. This study proposes a preparation strategy for WCu FGM with continuous gradient structure. The W green bodies with a continuously varying W content were prepared by using a self-designed mold to control compression deformation. Subsequently, two types of WCu FGM samples were successfully fabricated through pre-sintering and infiltration processes. The W contents ranged from 64.8 wt% to 81.1 wt% and 75.3 wt% to 90.5 wt% respectively. The microstructure, density, Vickers hardness and electrical conductivity exhibited a continuous trend of change with the variation of W content. This gradient structure control method facilitated the efficient preparation of WCu FGMs with continuously varying compositions. Moreover, it could be extended to achieve the continuous variation of composition and properties in other materials prepared via infiltration techniques.

Molybdate intercalated CoFe-layered double hydroxides for overall water splitting

The exploration of bifunctional electrocatalysts with abundant resources and excellent catalytic performances is currently one of the fundamental conditions for the development and promotion of hydrogen energy technology. In this work, an extremely simple one-step hydrothermal strategy was proposed for the preparation of CoFe-layered double hydroxide nanosheets intercalated with molybdate (CoFe-LDH-MoO42-). The well-designed electrocatalyst exhibits outstanding catalytic activity due to the adjustability of two-dimensional layered materials, synergistic effects of Co and Fe, as well as expanded inter-layer distance, which necessitates overpotential of 74 and 92 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for HER and OER, respectively. When the CoFe-LDH-MoO42- is assembled in a two-electrode system, it requires a cell voltage of 1.50 V to drive 10 mA cm−2. The innovative exploration of this work offers a novel approach to construct multifunctional electrocatalysts for efficient and stable total water splitting.

Exploring optimal sampling strategy of testate amoebae as hydrological bioindicators in UK upland peatlands

Many modified or degraded blanket bogs in the UK have been undergoing restoration by different rewetting strategies. While testate amoebae (TA), well-known as hydrology-sensitive species, have been increasingly applied to assess and monitor peatland restoration success, we still do not know the most appropriate sampling strategy of TA in heather-dominated peatlands. In this study, TA communities were taken from two modified blanket bog sites and one intact border mire across a strong hydrological gradient to explore the optimal sampling strategy. The results showed that: 1) TA communities from Sphagnum moss performed better to indicate the hydrological gradient of peatland habitats than other plant types (i.e., other mosses, heather and sedge litter), among which the dominant and second abundant Sphagnum moss species had similar performance as combined all Sphagnum moss did; 2) there was a clear and marked vertical separation in TA community composition, living status and species-specific niche preference; and 3) TA species richness and density incrementally increased from March to next January although median species richness decreased from September to the following January; by contrast, the average number of encysted TA was much higher in June and January than in March and September, which highlights the capability of TA to form cysts in response to extreme hot/dry and cold weather and this change may also suggest a non-negligible influence on ecosystem processes (e.g., C-cycling). Considering sampling cost and practicality, this study in heather-dominated peatlands recommends sampling the entire segment/length of the dominant Sphagnum moss from relatively flat (lawn) positions (although more studies are needed for microtopographic investigation) during the autumn or early winter as a simple but effective sampling strategy to assess the potential of TA as hydrological bioindicators or when using them to monitor the restoration (rewetting) success.

Enhanced in vivo Stability and Antitumor Efficacy of PEGylated Liposomes of Paclitaxel Palmitate Prodrug.

The clinical use of paclitaxel (PTX) in cancer treatment is limited by its poor water solubility, significant toxicity, and adverse effects. This study aimed to propose a straightforward and efficient approach to enhance PTX loading and stability, thereby offering insights for targeted therapy against tumors. We synthesized a paclitaxel palmitate (PTX-PA) prodrug by conjugating palmitic acid (PA) to PTX and encapsulating it into liposomal vehicles using a nano delivery system. Subsequently, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo performance as well as the underlying mechanisms of PTX-PA liposomes (PTX-PA-L). PTX had a remarkable antitumor effect in vivo and significantly decreased the myelosuppressive toxicity of PTX. Moreover, the introduction of PA increased the lipid solubility of PTX, forming a phospholipid bilayer as a membrane stabilizer, prolonging the circulation time of the drug and indirectly increasing the accumulation of liposomes at the tumor site. Our in vivo imaging experiments demonstrated that PTX-PA-L labeled with DiR has greater stability in vivo than blank liposomes and that PTX-PA-L can target drugs to the tumor site and efficiently release PTX to exert antitumor effects. In a mouse model, the concentration of PTX at the tumor site in the PTX-PA-L group was approximately twofold greater than that of Taxol. However, in a nude mouse model, the concentration of PTX at the tumor site in the PTX-PA-L group was only approximately 0.8-fold greater than that of Taxol. Furthermore, the originally observed favorable pharmacodynamics in normal mice were reversed following immunosuppression. This may be caused by differences in esterase distribution and immunity. This prodrug technology combined with liposomes is a simple and effective therapeutic strategy with promising developmental prospects in tumor-targeted therapy owing to its ability to convert PTX into a long-circulating nano drug with low toxicity, high pharmacodynamics, and good stability in vivo.

Interfacial metallization in segregated structured PEEK composite for enhanced thermal conductivity and electromagnetic interference shielding

The increasing integration of electronic devices has created an urgent demand for multi-functional composites with efficient thermal management and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) continuous metal–carbon hybrid thermally/electrically conductive network structure is fabricated by in-situ nickel plating of core–shell structured polyetheretherketone (PEEK) hybrid particles. The hybrid particles realize phonon and electron dual heat-transfer pathways and reduce the interfacial thermal resistance by using metallic Ni nanoparticles to bridge the gap. Furthermore, the interfacial metallization and segregated structure significantly enrich the multiple electromagnetic wave reflection and attenuation mechanisms. The PEEK composites with metallized-segregated structure and filler content of 28.26 vol% exhibit an excellent through-plane thermal conductivity of 6.52 W m−1·K−1 and an efficient EMI shielding of 91 dB, thus demonstrating their significant potential as multi-functional thermal management materials. The heat-transfer and EMI shielding process of the composites can be visualised using the finite element model, which further proves the effectiveness of the segregated structure and metallization. This simple and efficient strategy is expected to facilitate the manufacture of multi-functional thermal management composites with high thermal conductivity and excellent EMI shielding.

Analysis of the high-temperature transport property in GaN-based single and double heterostructures

GaN-based heterostructures have been proved to be excellent candidates for high-voltage, large-power, high-frequency and high-temperature application fields, thanks to their superior material properties. To further improve the carriers’ confinement, using InGaN channel layer or introducing AlGaN back barrier layer is promoted. These structures are also proved to be favorable for the robust electron mobility at high temperature. However, the reason solely rests on the longitudinal optical (LO) phonon scattering and the behind mechanism is still absent. This work compares the temperature-dependent electronic transport properties in three groups of GaN-based heterostructures, including GaN-based single heterostructure (SH) with/without AlN interlayer, GaN-based SH and double heterostructure (DH), and GaN-based DH with AlGaN or GaN channel layer. The advantageous high-temperature mobility is attributed to the enhanced LO phonon energy in heterostructures. By self-consistent calculations of the Schrödinger–Poisson equations, a close relation between the narrow electron distribution in the quantum well with the high LO phonon energy, and consequently superior mobility at high temperature is implied. The results provide a simple strategy for the optimized design of the GaN-based heterostructures outperforming at high temperature.

Outcome expectations, self-efficacy, eating environment, and eating behaviors by the stages of change in adequate sodium intake among university students: a cross-sectional study

Objectives: This study investigated whether outcome expectations, self-efficacy, eating environment, and eating behaviors differed according to the stages of change in adequate sodium intake among university students. Methods: The participants were students recruited from nine universities in Seoul, Korea. An online survey was conducted, and data from 351 participants were analyzed. Participants were classified into pre-action and action stages based on adequate sodium intake. Data were analyzed using t-test, χ2-test, analysis of covariance, and correlation analysis. Results: Participants in the action stage (22.8%) felt fewer disadvantages of eating sodium adequately compared to those in the pre-action stage (77.2%, P < 0.001) and perceived more self-efficacy for healthy eating behaviors (P < 0.001) and controlling sodium intake (P < 0.01). The participants in the action stage also showed more desirable eating behaviors than those in the pre-action stage, including general eating behaviors, behaviors related to sodium intake, and sodium checks (P < 0.001). The physical environment in the action stage was more supportive of adequate sodium intake (P < 0.05). Eating behaviors, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations were significantly correlated with the stages of change; however, some differences were noticed in the correlation of the subscales of variables with the stages of change when examined by sex. Conclusion: We observed differences in factors according to the stages of change in adequate sodium intake. For the pre-action stage, nutrition education can be planned to modify negative expectations of eating adequate sodium, foster self-efficacy, and practice general eating behaviors and behaviors to gradually reduce sodium intake. It is also necessary to alter the physical environment to reduce sodium intake. In the action stage, support and reinforcement are needed to continually practice and maintain desirable eating behaviors. Nutrition education for women may be planned using multiple paths, whereas a simple strategy may be useful for men.

Scaled-up production and recovery of lipopeptide biosurfactant and its application for washing petroleum-contaminated drill cuttings

A simple and efficient fermentation strategy using chitosan-immobilized Bacillus subtilis GY19 was developed for large-scale lipopeptide production from waste glycerol and palm oil. When a fed-batch fermentation approach was employed, excessive foaming was minimized, while lipopeptide production was greater than that of conventional batch fermentation. When a 700 L stirred tank fermenter with a 400 L working volume was used, a lipopeptide concentration and yield of 7.55 g/L and 0.190 g/g of substrate, respectively, were achieved. The pilot-scale recovery process involved sequential bacterial cell removal via centrifugation, elimination of impurities through acidification of the cell-free broth, and partial purification and concentration of the lipopeptides via ultrafiltration. A 5 kDa stabilized cellulose-based membrane maintained a constant permeate flux and resulted in 67.2 % lipopeptide recovery. The concentrated lipopeptide retentate contained 16.8 g/L lipopeptides and a surface tension of 28.82 mN/m. A biobased washing agent for the treatment of petroleum-contaminated drill cuttings was later formulated with the retentate and various vegetable oil-based surfactants via the simplex−lattice mixture design methodology. The mixture of 1 % retentate and 4 % fatty alcohol ethoxylate 5EO presented the greatest removal efficiency of 83.2 % for drill cuttings containing 15 % (w/w) total petroleum hydrocarbons. The formulation also mobilized petroleum hydrocarbons into a distinct free oil layer, which would be easy to separate and subsequently recycle. These findings demonstrate the scalability of the lipopeptide production and recovery process, while the biobased washing agent offers an environmentally friendly approach for petroleum remediation.

Repurposing trityl-substituted triphenylamine-based polyimides for gas separation membranes by blending with a fluorinated polyimide

In the attempt to develop gas separation membranes by reusing polymers with no film-forming ability but with great potential for this purpose, blending has been approached as a simple, time- and cost-effective strategy. Herein, blends of trityl-substituted triphenylamine (TTA)-based polyimides and a fluorinated polyimide (6F-PI) were involved to prepare dense membranes by drop-casting technique. The two blend components involved in variable amounts led to different film morphologies with a strong impact on most blends' properties and gas separation performance. According to optical microscopy, SEM, AFM, and FTIR investigations, the blend series containing hexafluoroisopropylidene (6F) groups in both polyimide components proved to be fully miscible at the molecular levels. When a single 6F-based component was integrated into the blend, the polymers proved to be compatible, but only partially miscible, with a two-phase structure, in which 6F-PI wrapped around the TTA-PI growth fibrillar domains. However, all blends displayed a single glass transition and FTIR bands which do not sum the ones of the polymer components, as well as a high thermal stability, close to that of 6F-PI. Regardless of their miscibility level, all blends behaved as classical polyimide films, with good mechanical properties and chemical resistance to corrosive media like acid vapors or basic solutions. The blend composition and diimide structure of TTA-PI little affected the dielectric behavior, unlike the gas separation performance that strongly depended on these characteristics. The higher amount of 6F groups in the miscible blends endowed the membranes with superior permeability and selectivity, allowing in some cases to surpass the trade-off rule. Generally, the gas permeability decreased with the increase of TTA-PI content, with some exceptions. The low intermolecular interfacial interactions promoted by TTA-PI were found to be beneficial in preserving a good selectivity of gas molecules with a small kinetic diameter (He, CO2) though their permeability is lost. The gas permeability changes as a function of the blend composition and structure were mostly due to changes in the solubility coefficient and less from gas diffusion capability, at least for CO2 and N2.

Machine learning assisted dual-modal SERS detection for circulating tumor cells

Detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood has become a promising approach for cancer diagnosis. Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) has rapidly developed as a significant detection technology for CTCs, offering high sensitivity and selectivity. Encoded SERS bioprobes have gained attention due to their excellent specificity and ability to identify tumor cells using Raman signals. Machine learning has also made significant contributions to biomedical applications, especially in medical diagnosis. In this study, we developed a detection strategy combining encoded SERS bioprobes and machine learning models to identify CTCs. Dual-modal SERS bioprobes were designed and co-incubated with tumor cells by the “cocktail” method. An identification model for CTCs was constructed using principal component analysis (PCA) and the Random Forest classification algorithm. This innovative strategy endows SERS bioprobes with both effective magnetic separation and highly sensitive identification of CTCs, even at low concentrations of 2 cells/mL. It achieved a high detection rate of 98% for CTCs and effectively eliminated interference from peripheral WBCs. This simple and efficient strategy provides a new approach for CTCs detection and holds important significance for cancer diagnosis.

Honeycomb-like Microthermal Traps on a Photothermal Surface for Highly Efficient Solar Evaporation.

Solar evaporation is an ecofriendly and practical method for seawater desalination. The photothermal layer, which absorbs solar energy and converts it to thermal energy, plays a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency of the evaporator. However, structural design methods for photothermal layers are often complex and energy-intensive. This work reports a simple and efficient strategy for fabricating a necklace-like beaded nanofiber self-organized honeycomb-structured photothermal material. The honeycomb-like cavities form numerous microscale thermal traps, achieving thermal localization while maintaining high energy utilization efficiency, which not only increases light absorption but also facilitates the diffusion and escape of steam. Besides, the hydrophobic honeycomb layer separates the photothermal layer and the interface water, which reduces considerable heat conduction loss and achieves an effective antisalting performance. These functional features endow the evaporator with an evaporation efficiency of 92.9%, and the evaporation rate reaches 2.11 kg m-2 h-1 at 1 sun irradiance, demonstrating its great potential for practical solar-driven seawater desalination under natural sunlight.

Synthesis of biomass-based triple-emission carbon dots for dopamine sensing

Biomass carbon dots (CDs) typically suffer from red fluorescence quenching in water, limiting their practical applications. This study introduces a simple pH regulation strategy to enhance water-solubility by converting lipophilic surface groups to hydrophilic ones. Using mugwort as a precursor, novel triple-emission biomass-based CDs (T-CDs) with good water-solubility were successfully synthesized. Comprehensive structural and spectral characterizations were performed to elucidate the properties of the T-CDs and the origins of their luminescence, providing valuable insights for the design of future CDs. The T-CDs were further modified with hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), producing modified triple-emission CDs (mT-CDs) with enhanced photostability. These mT-CDs were effectively employed as fluorescent probes for selective dopamine (DA) sensing, achieving a linear range of 0.8 to 300 μM and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.17 μM, demonstrating their potential in biochemical applications. To explore additional applications, mT-CDs were incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to create thin films. These films exhibit pink fluorescence under 254 nm UV light and phosphorescence after the UV source is removed, making them suitable for information encryption and anti-counterfeiting purposes.

Direct Synthesis of Perovskite Quantum Dot Photoresist for Direct Photolithography.

Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) photoresists are promising building blocks for photolithographically patterned devices. However, their complex synthesis and combination processes limit their optical properties and potential patterning applications. Here, we present an exceptionally simple strategy for the synthesis of PQDs photoresist. Unlike traditional approaches that involve centrifugation, separation, and combination processes, our direct synthesis technique using polymerizable acrylic monomer as solvent to fabricate PQDs photoresists without complex post-synthesis process. We demonstrate that the change in solubility of the precursors is the main reason for the formation of PQDs in the polymerizable monomer. By direct photolithography, colorful PQD patterns with high photoluminescence quantum yields and high thickness are successfully demonstrated. This work opens a new avenue for the direct synthesis of PQDs photoresist, expanding their applications in various integrated applications, such as photonic, energy harvesting, and optoelectronic devices.

Direct Synthesis of Perovskite Quantum Dot Photoresist for Direct Photolithography

AbstractPerovskite quantum dots (PQDs) photoresists are promising building blocks for photolithographically patterned devices. However, their complex synthesis and combination processes limit their optical properties and potential patterning applications. Here, we present an exceptionally simple strategy for the synthesis of PQDs photoresist. Unlike traditional approaches that involve centrifugation, separation, and combination processes, our direct synthesis technique using polymerizable acrylic monomer as solvent to fabricate PQDs photoresists without complex post‐synthesis process. We demonstrate that the change in solubility of the precursors is the main reason for the formation of PQDs in the polymerizable monomer. By direct photolithography, colorful PQD patterns with high photoluminescence quantum yields and high thickness are successfully demonstrated. This work opens a new avenue for the direct synthesis of PQDs photoresist, expanding their applications in various integrated applications, such as photonic, energy harvesting, and optoelectronic devices.

Peroxymonosulfate Activation by Rice-Husk-Derived Biochar (RBC) for the Degradation of Sulfamethoxazole: The Key Role of Hydroxyl Groups.

In this work, rice-husk-derived biochar (RBC) was synthesized by using simple one-step pyrolysis strategies and served as catalysts to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for degrading sulfamethoxazole (SMX). When the annealing temperature (T) = 800 °C, RBC800 exhibits the typical hardwood structure with several micropores and mesoporous. Furthermore, RBC800 obtains more defect sites than RBC600, RBC700, and RBC900. In the RBC800/PMS system, the removal rate of the SMX reached 92.0% under optimal conditions. The kinetic reaction rate constant (kobs) of the RBC800/PMS system was 0.009 min-1, which was about 1.50, 1.28, and 4.50 times that of the RBC600/PMS (kobs = 0.006 min-1), RBC700/PMS (kobs = 0.007 min-1), and RBC900/PMS (kobs = 0.002 min-1) systems, respectively. In the RBC800/PMS system, sulfate radical (SO4•-) is the main active species. Compared with other active sites, the hydroxyl group (C-OH) on the surface of RBC800 interacts more strongly with PMS, which is more likely to promote the stretching of the O-O bond of the PMS, thus breaking into the activated state and significantly reducing the activation energy required for reaction. The degradation intermediates of SMX were speculated, and the toxicity analysis was conducted. Generally, this work reveals in depth the interaction between reactive sites of biochar-based catalysts and PMS at the molecular level.

A block-based numerical strategy for modeling the dynamic out-of-plane behavior of unreinforced brick masonry walls

AbstractIn this paper, a numerical procedure is proposed to simulate the dynamic out-of-plane response of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls. A state-of-the-art damaging block-based model, originally developed for quasi-static simulations, is extended for the first time in a dynamic regime. The blocks are represented using solid 3D finite elements governed by a plastic-damage constitutive law for both tension and compression. A cohesive-frictional contact-based formulation is used to account for interactions between the blocks. A simplified mechanical characterization is formulated to improve efficiency in wall-level analyses. Dynamic simulation is performed using a generalized HHT-$$\alpha$$ α direct integration implicit solver and by implementing Rayleigh damping in the bulk. Such consideration allows the use of both mass and stiffness proportional terms of the Rayleigh damping without compromising efficiency. The strategy is applied to simulate incremental dynamic experiments performed on full-scale walls, showing good agreement between numerical and experimental results. The calibrated numerical model is then optimized to reduce computational effort while maintaining accuracy. The optimized model is used to investigate the effect of relative support motion on the one-way bending out-of-plane seismic response of URM walls, demonstrating the potential of the modeling strategy to explore the effect of boundary conditions that occur in real buildings but are often overlooked in laboratory experiments. This investigation also explores the adequacy of simplifications in capturing the effect of relative support motion, which can be adopted for simple modeling strategies commonly used in standard engineering practice.