Due to the discrete deterioration characteristics of timber sleepers on open bridge deck, continuous replacement is difficult. New bamboo-based composite sleepers (BCSs) offer excellent performance at a low price, making them an ideal alternative to timber sleepers. Therefore, this study focuses on the mechanical properties and safety of the interspersed replacement of timber Sleepers with BCSs. A static model of the open deck track and a vehicle-track coupling dynamic model were established to precisely analyze the influence of 1 in 2, 1 in 3, and 1 in 4 interspersed replacement, as well as full replacement with BCSs on the force and deformation of the track structure and the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle-track system. After the interspersed replacement of timber sleepers with BCSs, the sleeper compression, sleeper vertical displacement, and gauge reduction were decreased; however, the sleeper bending moment, vehicle acceleration, wheel-rail force, and bridge deck acceleration were slightly increased. At the longitudinal beam support, the BCSs showed a negative bending moment, with compression at the bottom and tension at the top. The maximum tensile and compressive stresses were 4.87MPa and 7.97MPa, respectively, which are both below the allowable stress of the material-meeting the strength requirements for BCSs. Although the interspersed replacement of timber sleepers with BCSs leads to uneven track stiffness, the track deformation, stress distribution and dynamic response remain within acceptable limits. This research provides new ideas for track structure upgrades and maintenance strategies.

A combination of fault and fracture analyses, paleostress reconstructions from calcite twins, and U-Pb dating of syn-kinematic calcite mineralization provides new insights into the Cretaceous–Tertiary tectonic evolution of the Provence fold-and-thrust belt. This approach helped unravel 90 million years of polyphase deformation in this belt, which represents the eastward continuation of the northern Pyrenees. Focusing on three main targets along an NNE-SSW transect oriented roughly parallel to the regional Pyrenean shortening (the southernmost Nerthe range, the Bimont Lake area, and the northern Rians syncline), we date a wide range of scales and natures of deformation structures such as stylolites, veins, mesoscale faults, and major thrust fault zones. The reconstructed long-lasting tectonic history includes (1) the Durancian uplift and related NNE-SSW extension (~110 to 90 Ma); (2) the ~N-S Pyrenean compression related to the convergence then collision between Eurasia and Iberia and the Corsica–Sardinia block (~80 to 34 Ma); the Oligocene E-W to WNW-ESE extension related to the West European Cenozoic Rift System (ECRIS) and the Oligo–Miocene NW-SE to NNW-SSE extension related to the Liguro-Provençal Rifting (LPR); and a middle-late (?) N-S to NW-SE Alpine compression. We show that the Pyrenean shortening in Provence occurred during two main phases, 81–69 Ma and 59–34 Ma, coeval with the inversion of the pre-Pyrenean rift and the main Pyrenean collision, separated by a tectonic quiescence as described in the Pyrenees. Together with the published literature, our U-Pb ages also support the overall northward (forelandward) in sequence propagation of Pyrenean shortening across Provence. Our U-Pb results further allow us to refine the interpretation of local and regional fracture sets and reveal unsuspected polyphase development of fractures sharing a common strike. Beyond regional implications, our study shows that sampling structures of various natures and scales for U-Pb geochronology is probably the most efficient strategy to encompass the entire time interval of deformation in fold-and-thrust belts.

Background:Metatarsalgia is a painful and debilitating condition that is often linked to plantar fat pad atrophy, particularly in active individuals and those with structural foot deformities. Current treatment options range from conservative measures—such as orthotics and padding, which often provide only temporary relief—to more invasive surgical corrections. Fat pad restoration has emerged as a promising nonsurgical solution. Human adipose tissue allograft (hATA) is a novel therapeutic option for reconstruction or supplementation of adipose defects or damage.Methods:This retrospective case series included 9 patients (10 feet) with metatarsalgia secondary to plantar fat pad atrophy who underwent in-office implantation with 1.5 mL of hATA between August and November 2024. All procedures were performed using an 18G blunt-tip cannula, with offloading protocols postinjection. Outcomes were assessed at 12 weeks using ultrasound-based measurements of fat pad thickness and Foot and Ankle Disability Index scores.Results:At 12 weeks, 9 of 10 treated feet showed increased fat pad thickness (mean gain 0.21 cm, 65% improvement). Foot and Ankle Disability Index scores improved in 8 of 9 patients, with a mean increase from 66.0 to 84.2 (18.1 points); 56% of patients exceeded the minimum clinically important difference of 10 points. No statistically significant correlation was observed between tissue thickness gain and functional improvement (Pearson r = −0.38).Conclusions:Use of hATA seems to be a safe, nonsurgical option with potential to restore cushioning and reduce symptoms in patients with metatarsalgia.

Propolis, a bee-derived resin with diverse pharmacological properties has an unclear dose-dependent effect on cellular homeostasis. This study evaluated the toxicological effects of a standardized 10% (w/v) water-soluble extract of Anatolian propolis on the eukaryotic model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Wild-type yeast and its isogenic deletion mutants lacking cytosolic catalase T, thioredoxin-disulfide reductase, and glutathione synthase were exposed to propolis at 0.005-0.125% (v/v) for 24h. Cell proliferation assays demonstrated that propolis was nontoxic to wild-type cells up to 0.01% (v/v) but significantly reduced proliferation at ≥ 0.025% (v/v). Furthermore, 0.01% (v/v) propolis notably impaired cell proliferation in mutant strains relative to the wild type. FTIR spectroscopy revealed subtle biochemical alterations at 0.01% (v/v), while higher concentrations resulted in distinct spectral clustering. In parallel, cell surface integrity was preserved at 0.01% (v/v), whereas elevated doses induced pronounced structural deformations. Total oxidant status (TOS) rose significantly from 0.01% (v/v), while total antioxidant status remained stable above 0.025% (v/v), indicating a threshold beyond which oxidative stress exceeds antioxidant capacity. Lipid peroxidation occurred at ≥ 0.005% (v/v), while protein and DNA damage appeared at ≥ 0.025% (v/v). Altogether, the data demonstrate a concentration-dependent dichotomy in propolis action, reinforcing dosage as a key determinant of safety.

Outcomes of augmented versus non-augmented broström for lateral ankle instability in the setting of ankle deformity.

Background: This study analyzed the indications, 90-day, and 10-year complication rates among young patients aged 15 to 45 years treated with contemporary total hip arthroplasty (THA) implants. Methods: Primary or conversion THA patients aged 15 to 45 years were identified from the PearlDiver M165Ortho data set. Surgical indications were categorized by International Classification of Disease codes into the following groups: primary osteoarthritis (OA), osteonecrosis, structural deformities (SD), posttraumatic OA (PTOA), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Demographics of THA patients stratified by indication were determined. Ninety-day adverse events and readmissions, 10-year periprosthetic fractures, dislocations, and revisions were determined for each group. Multivariable analysis identified independent predictors of adverse outcomes and 10-year Kaplan–Meier survival to revision analysis was done. Results: A total of 46,021 THA patients aged 15 to 45 years were identified. The primary surgical indication was OA in 27,805 (60.4%), osteonecrosis in 11,251 (24.4%), SD in 3873 (8.4%), PTOA in 1778 (3.9%), and RA in 1314 (2.9%). Ninety-day adverse events were below 15% and similar across indications. Ninety-day readmissions were highest for the RA group 16.4%. The incidence of 10-year periprosthetic fractures, dislocations, and revisions were highest for PTOA patients at 2.64% and 5.79%, 5.20%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, predictors of 90-day adverse events were younger age, female sex, and PTOA as the indication for surgery (relative to OA). Younger age also strongly predicted 90-day readmissions. Predictors of 10-year periprosthetic fractures included PTOA or SD (relative to OA), and dislocation or revision included PTOA and female sex (relative to male). Younger age was a protective factor against 10-year dislocations and revisions. Although implant survival was different by Kaplan–Meier analysis out to 10 years ( P = 0.02), the indication groups were clinically similar, ranging from 93.9% to 94.6%. Conclusions: Among young THA patients, postoperative complication rates varied by indication; however, long-term implant survival is reassuring regardless of surgical indication—with 10-year survival at approximately 94% for all groups analyzed.

Residual stress & structural deformation in welded stiffened cylindrical pressure hull: Phase transformation-induced mechanisms

Antifungal activity and function mechanisms of chitooligosaccharide against Gymnosporangium pleoporum, the pathogen causing rust in Juniperus przewalskii.

A digital twin method for real-time analysis of structural deformation and failure for high arch dams

Biomechanical Performance of Implant-Tooth-Supported Prostheses: A Numerical 3D Finite Element Analysis.

Diminutive tuning of lattice oxygen controlled by sulfur-mediated vacancies for oxygen evolution reaction.

A variety of Offshore Floating Photovoltaics (OFPVs) applications rely on the capacity of their floating support structures displacing in the shape of surface waves to reduce extreme wave-induced loads exerted on their floating-mooring system. This wave-adaptive displacement behaviour is typically realized through two principal design approaches, either by employing slender and continuously deformable structures composed of highly elastic materials or by decomposing the structure into multiple floating rigid pontoons interconnected via flexible connectors. The hydrodynamic behaviour of these structures is commonly analyzed in the literature using potential flow theory, to characterize wave loading, whereas in order to deploy such OFPV prototypes in realistic marine environments, a high-fidelity numerical fluid–structure interaction model is required. Thus, a versatile three-dimensional numerical scheme is herein presented that is capable of handling non-linear fluid-flexible structure interactions for Very Flexible Floating Structures (VFFSs): Multibody Dynamics (MBD) for modularized floating structures and floating-mooring line interactions. In the present study, this is achieved by employing the Smoothed Particles Hydrodynamics (SPH) fluid model of DualSPHysics, coupled both with the MBD module of Project Chrono and the MoorDyn+ lumped-mass mooring model. The SPH-MBD coupling enables modelling of large and geometrically non-linear displacements of VFFS within an Applied Element Method (AEM) plate formulation, as well as rigid body dynamics of modularized configurations. Meanwhile, the SPH-MoorDyn+ captures the fully coupled three-dimensional response of floating-mooring and floating-floating dynamics, as it is employed to model both moorings and flexible interconnectors between bodies. The coupled SPH-based numerical scheme is herein validated against physical experiments, capturing the hydroelastic response of VFFS, rigid body hydrodynamics, mooring line dynamics, and flexible connector behaviour under wave loading. The demonstrated numerical methodology represents the first validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) application of moored VFFS in three-dimensional domains, while its robustness is further confirmed using modular floating systems, enabling OFPV engineers to comparatively assess these two types of wave-adaptive designs in a unified numerical framework.

The failure behavior of dry-joint masonry walls and building envelopes subjected to differential settlement is simulated with a 3D GPGPU-parallelized combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM). Due to material degradation, mortar is usually lost or with little remaining cohesion in ageing masonry structures, and thus the dry-joint assumption can be reasonably accepted. Dry-joint masonry walls and building envelopes are composed of individual blocks, and exhibit high nonlinearity and discontinuity. Each masonry block is discretized into a number of four-node linear tetrahedral elements (TET4) in 3D FDEM. A finite element formulation is incorporated into each TET4 element, enabling decent predictions on contact forces and structural deformation. Using the FDEM, deformation and discontinuity of masonry structures can be represented in a more rational manner. Virtual experiments on masonry walls were conducted and the emergent phenomena are validated with the physical tests. A case study on a masonry building envelope subjected to differential settlement was investigated, and the influence of settlement profile on the failure behavior was studied. It was found that settlement within the plane of a single façade resulted in limited spatial effect. The three-dimensional effect was well exhibited in the cases of combined front-side foundation settlement, and the out-of-plane behavior was well identified by the FDEM.

Real-time monitoring of building movement is essential to mitigate structural damage risks, particularly in earthquake-prone regions. The application of Internet of Things (IoT) technology enables continuous and efficient measurement of structural deformation and inclination through the integration of smart sensors and cloud-based systems. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of a MEMS-based IoT sensor system in detecting displacement and angular changes in building structures. An experimental laboratory test was conducted by comparing the readings of accelerometer, gyroscope, and inclinometer sensors with standard measuring instruments. Results indicate an average measurement error of 1.58%, a response time of 2.34 seconds, and data transmission reliability of 97.8%, demonstrating high accuracy and stability. The integration of sensors, an ESP32 microcontroller, and a cloud computing platform shows strong potential for implementation as an effective IoT-based Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system, supporting the development of resilient and sustainable smart infrastructure

Road vehicles contribute to significant levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A potential strategy for improving their aerodynamic efficiency and reducing emissions is through active adaptation of their exterior shapes to the aerodynamic environment. In this study, we present a reduced-scale morphing vehicle prototype capable of actively interacting with the aerodynamic environment to enhance fuel economy. Morphing is accomplished by retrofitting a deformable structure actuated by built-in motors. The morphing vehicle prototype is integrated with an optimization algorithm that can autonomously identify the structural shape that minimizes aerodynamic drag. The performance of the vehicle prototype is investigated through experiments in a large-scale wind tunnel facility. The autonomous optimization algorithm identifies an optimal morphing shape that can elicit an 8.5% drag reduction. This benefit of shape morphing is corroborated by repeated measurements in the wind tunnel, demonstrating a consistent decrease in drag as the vehicle transitions from a suboptimal to the optimal shape. This study highlights the feasibility and benefits of real-time shape morphing under conditions representative of realistic road environments, paving the way for the realization of full-scale morphing vehicles with enhanced aerodynamic efficiency and reduced GHG emissions.

External spur gear pumps are widely employed in hydraulic systems for their simplicity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness; however, the conventional CAD-based methods used to design these components remain time-intensive and prone to inconsistencies, particularly during iterative structural analysis and optimization. To address these limitations, this study presents a parametric, automated design platform for external spur gear pumps by integrating the SOLIDWORKS API with a custom C# desktop application. The tool automatically generates 3D solid models and facilitates strength analysis and housing wall-thickness optimization through a user-friendly interface. Geometric and hydraulic inputs are used to define model parameters and simulation conditions, into which an empirical pressure distribution model, derived from prior experimental data, is embedded to establish accurate boundary conditions. This integrated configuration enables structural analysis in SOLIDWORKS Simulation, allowing systematic variation of wall thickness and geometry within prescribed constraints. Results from the case study yielded a configuration achieving an 18.42% reduction in housing mass while maintaining a minimum factor of safety of 3.948 and a maximum deformation of 0.012 mm. The system effectively reduces design time, improves repeatability, and minimizes human error, while demonstrating robustness across varied design scenarios. Overall, the proposed approach provides a practical and efficient solution for automated design and optimization of external gear pumps, supporting parametric flexibility and advancing CAD/CAE integration in hydraulic component design workflows.

This study investigates the effects of deformation modes, atomic composition and temperature on the structural properties, lattice deviations and mechanical strain of the Al[Formula: see text]Mg[Formula: see text] Cr[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text] Si[Formula: see text] alloy (hybrid AA5052) using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results reveal that the hybrid AA5052 alloy exhibits 15 atomic bonds, including Al-Al, Al-Mg, Al-Cr, Al-Fe, Al-Si and others, with five key bonds analyzed in detail. The bond length between Al-Al atoms is 2.89[Formula: see text]Å, while the Al-Mg, Al-Cr, Al-Fe and Al-Si bonds consistently measure 2.87[Formula: see text]Å, except for Al-Si, which is 2.74[Formula: see text]Å at 83.8[Formula: see text]K (liquefied carbon gas temperature). Increased strain significantly alters the structural unit count. Tensile strain exhibits a higher Young’s modulus compared to compressive strain. Moreover, increasing the number of atoms enhances tensile strain characteristics, while higher temperatures reduce them. The deformation process (tension or compression) is expressed through the conversion of structural units from FCC to HCP, BCC, Amor. Through MD simulation, the results clarify the atomic bonding mechanism and structural phase transition that are difficult to observe directly by experimental methods. These results provide a foundation for experimental studies aimed at fabricating hybrid AA5052 alloys for aerospace applications, where the material is widely used in the aviation industry and in fuel tanks due to its durability and corrosion resistance.

Due to high strength and lightweight, composite material structures have been widely used in various industries such as aerospace, automotive, civil engineering, and healthcare. Real-time deformation monitoring based on optical fiber sensing technology holds immense potential in composite materials’ structural health monitoring (SHM). In this study, structural deformation reconstruction algorithms have been investigated by improving the slope recursion algorithm and the Ko displacement theory. The slope recursion algorithm is enhanced through angle averaging. Cross-validation is employed to increase strain-fitting accuracy for the Ko displacement theory. Finite element simulation analysis and deformation reconstruction experiments of a carbon fiber composite plate were conducted to validate the deformation reconstruction algorithms. Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors were applied to measure quasi-distributed strain as inputs for the algorithms. The results show that the overall reconstruction accuracy increased by 1.91% with the improved slope method and by 0.92% with the optimized Ko displacement theory. Deformation reconstruction experiments of a composite material reinforced structure were carried out, and 70 FBG sensors were installed on its surface for strain field measurement. The experimental results indicate the feasibility of the proposed deformation reconstruction methods for complex structures.

Advance glycation end products (AGEs) and very crucial in development of diabetic complications since these are main reason for protein structure deformation. We investigated Tagetes patula ( T. patula ) essential oil (EO) for its AGEs inhibitory potential using computational (ADMET, docking) and experimental (antioxidant, Anti AGEs) validation. The caryophyllene (31.67%), β-caryophyllene (39.49%) and α -cedrene (16.21%) were major compounds noticed in GCMS analysis. Molecular docking with transcription regulators 3CJJ, 3TOP and 4F5S showed a stable complex formation with ligands. A significant lowering of oxidative stress was noticed in H 2 O 2 inhibition (62.3 ± 2.4), DPPH scavenging (22.1 ± 0.12) and FRAP assays (217 ± 16.7 µg AAE/g). The EO showed a substantial α-glucosidase (IC 50 0.094mg/mL) and AGEs inhibition in oxidative (IC 50 1.78 mg/mL) and non-oxidative (IC 50 1.4mg/mL) modes. Further in mechanistic studies a momentous results was recorded. It was this concluded that T. patula (EO) can be used for management of diabetes and AGEs and this is due to high terpenoid contents that posess significant antioxidant potential. Further in vivo and formulation design studies are proposed.

Thin-walled honeycomb structures have been studied and applied in various industrial fields, due to their impressive mechanical properties, such as high specific strength and excellent energy absorption performance. However, it is a challenge to quantitatively study their mechanical multiscale behavior under loading due to the complex geometrical morphology and large deformation. This study proposes an optic based deformation measurement strategy for thin-walled honeycomb structures by utilizing color image processing and branch point establishment. Firstly, the principle and procedure are elaborated in detail. Subsequently, the efficiency of the proposed strategy is revealed by compression simulation and experiment. The results indicate that the proposed strategy is able to measure the deformation of honeycomb structure in the densification stage under loading with acceptable precision. In addition, the deformation of all cell walls and the variation tendency of structural pores are calculated based on the displacements of branch points and their connection relationships. As compared to previous study, the main contribution of this work is to separate the contacted cell walls and estimate the branch points by nearby end points. Moreover, the limitations associated with cell wall recognition and branch point determination are discussed, which provide guidance for subsequent research.