Transitional Segment Research Articles

Seismic Assessment of Masonry Minarets under Different Earthquakes

Minarets are tall and slender structures and form important elements of mosques. Most historical minarets are constructed with masonry (brick or stone units), while modern minarets typically use reinforced concrete. Recent earthquakes have shown that the majority of these structures are highly susceptible to seismic excitation leading to a range of structural damage, from minor cracking to complete collapse. In this paper, the seismic response of a representative masonry minaret was investigated using acceleration records of the 1999 Kocaeli, 2003 Bingöl and 2011 Van earthquakes. All acceleration records were scaled according to the location of the minaret. For this purpose, a representative masonry minaret that is thought to have been built in the city's central part of Elazığ, Turkey was chosen. After the seismic analysis, displacement and stress values obtained on the minaret were presented. It was seen that the displacements were increased along the height of the minaret. Also, the maximum and minimum stress values were obtained between the cylindrical body and transition segment of the minaret in accordance with the damage zones in the past earthquakes.

Women's experiences with continuity for effective coordination during maternal and neonatal continuum in Kenya: An interpretive phenomenology.

Embracing women's experiences in decision-making is imperative for continuity in effective coordination of maternal and neonatal health (MNH); women are the end users within the care ecosystem. Through women's continuous feedback, skilled birth attendants (SBAs) and the healthcare system get to understand emerging issues based on their needs and preferences. The purpose of this article is to describe women's experiences of continuity for effective coordination of care through the transitions in the MNH continuum in Kenya. The study was conducted in selected counties of Kenya based on birth rates per woman as follows: Wajir (7.8) Narok (6.0) Kirinyaga (2.3) and Nairobi (2.7) (1). The clients were interviewed concerning their experiences of the MNH continuum of care in English and Kiswahili. An interpretive hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to construct the experiences of women of continuity during transitions in the MNH continuum for effective care coordination. Twelve participants were interviewed between January and April 2023. Atlas ti 22 software was used for data analysis. Four women experiences were highlighted: Women unawareness of preconception care, use of prenatal care, labour, birthing and postpartum flow and the women's view on the MNH continuum. The women reported their segmental and transitional experience of the MNH continuum as one that did not consistently meet their needs and preferences in order for them to fully agree that the continuum enhanced continuity for effective coordination. They felt that they experienced continuity in some segments while in some they did not.Contribution:The embrace of women's experience of their needs and preferences through the MNH continuum (segments and transitional segments) through the lens of continuity for effective coordination is timely towards the improvement of maternal and neonatal care by 2030.

Does Minimally Invasive Hemilaminectomy for Intradural Extramedullary Tumor Resection Prevent Postlaminectomy Kyphosis or Lordosis Loss?

Minimally invasive hemilaminectomy is a safe and effective alternative to open laminectomy for treating intradural extramedullary tumors. There are no reports of postoperative kyphosis after this approach. This study aims to determine whether performing minimally invasive spine surgery hemilaminectomy for intradural extramedullary tumors can prevent the development of postlaminectomy kyphosis (PLK) or lordosis loss. Sixty-five patients with spinal intradural extramedullary tumors who underwent minimally invasive hemilaminectomy surgery and complete pre and postoperative radiologic imaging were included. The effect of the surgical approach on the spinal sagittal axis was assessed by comparing pre- versus postoperative segmental and local Cobb angles at different spinal levels, considering anatomical localization (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and transition segments) and functional features (mobile, semi-rigid, and transition segments), as well as the extent of the surgical approach (1, 2, or 3 levels) and follow-up. None of the patients had an increase in thoracic kyphosis nor a loss of cervical or lumbar lordosis greater than or equal to 10° after undergoing the minimally invasive spine surgery hemilaminectomy approach.More than 5° of increase in kyphosis was detected on 7.4% and 11.1%, for the segmental and the local angles, respectively; meanwhile, for patients with loss of lordosis, this deviation was detected in 5.3%, for both angles. The occurrence of PLK was more common than that of lordosis loss, but mainly manifested in postoperative angle impairment of less than 5°. No significant differences were evidenced, considering theapproach length. Hemilaminectomy represents a promising approach for preventing PLK and postlaminectomy lordosis loss following intradural extramedullary tumor resection.

A multi-stage spatial queueing model with logistic arrivals and departures consistent with the microscopic fundamental diagram and hysteresis

This paper introduces a spatial queueing model for a single bottleneck during morning peak hours. Utilizing the logistic function and after appropriate calibration, it articulates the arrival and departure flows in continuous, differentiable terms. By validating the model across different peak periods and locations, the demand model’s robustness is superior to other commonly used functions. This model also incorporates constant or varying capacity scenarios. It effectively captures key aspects of morning peak traffic, including the emergence of hysteresis loops in fundamental diagrams (FDs) of density and flow. The model’s multi-stage approach recognizes three distinct phases in traffic flow: freeflow, transition, and queued segments, ensuring spatial consistency in flow and density across these stages. It accounts for the growth of the queued segment and vehicle spillback under various bottleneck intensities, with the resulting FDs for speed and density also displaying hysteresis loops. The calibration of model parameters utilizes time-series data of traffic flow and density space–time maps derived from real-world data. The validation results accurately reflect real traffic scenarios, emulating the counterclockwise hysteresis loops observed in density and its heterogeneity, and provide both planar and three-dimensional FDs at different points along the traffic link, each mirroring real-life traffic patterns. Additionally, a comparison with the cell transmission model (CTM) reveals that the proposed model exhibits superior generalization and robustness.

On-land manifestation of along-strike transitioning of the Red Sea from continental rifting to sea floor spreading

This study uses Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and aeromagnetic data to examine possible reactivation of the Ediacaran, NE-trending Ad Damm Fault Zone (AFZ) and the Fatima Fault Zone (FFZ) in the western Arabian Shield. Reactivation is by latest Paleogene to Neogene and Quaternary structures of the Red Sea. The AFZ is the tectonic boundary between the Tonian Jeddah terrane in the northwest and the Asir terrane to the southeast of the Arabian Shield. The AFZ and FFZ coincide with possible onshore continuation of a transform fault that separates the sea floor spreading segment of the Red Sea in the south from its transitional segment to the north. It has been suggested that the AFZ is a candidate for the formation of a future onshore transform fault that would result in an eastward jump of the Red Sea sea floor spreading center onto the Arabian Shield. The future spreading center will follow the latest Neogene to Quaternary volcanic rocks (Harrat) that are exposed on the eastern side of the Red Sea. The Landsat TM image and the SRTM DEM show that the AFZ dissects the Red Sea topographic escarpment, and both the AFZ and FFZ control paleo-drainage system (wadis). The aeromagnetic data show that there is a ∼100 km wide zone between the AFZ and FFZ dominated by NE-trending short wavelength magnetic anomalies, possibly related to regional tectonic fabric. Additionally, the aeromagnetic data show that both fault zones dissect NW-trending short wavelength magnetic anomalies, interpreted as latest Paleogene to earliest Neogene dike swarms associated with the opening of the Red Sea. This dissection also includes possible Red Sea related narrow marginal grabens and horsts that were formed onshore and offshore parallel to the Red Sea shoreline. Red Sea-related structure might have reactivated the AFZ and FFZ.

Simulation of the Collapse Mechanism of a Minaret under the Effect of Strong Wind

In this study, the collapse mechanism of a destroyed minaret under strong wind influence was simulated to understand such structural interactions and identify potential risky regions. Wind profiles were defined according to Eurocode and Turkish Standards and were used in Computational Fluid Dynamics analyses. The pressure and suction stresses obtained with these wind analyses were applied on the minaret’s surface with Abaqus and the nonlinear finite element analyses were performed. As a result of the numerical analyses, displacements, stresses, plastic strains, and damages were obtained and results were comparatively presented. The results obtained with both standards are quite close and top displacements exceed the limit value specified in the Italian Building Code and Eurocode 8. Besides, many mesh elements in the minaret’s transition segment were damaged with tension stresses in nonlinear finite element analyses. Finally, the minaret’s failure behaviour was successfully simulated with the used methods.

Effects of fuselage shape on helicopter aerodynamic performance in case of intermeshing-rotor interference

To study the influence of fuselage shape on the aerodynamic performance of a helicopter under the interference of an intermeshing-rotor, a numerical simulation method of flow field under the forward flight state of Synchropter is established based on the lattice Boltzmann method. Firstly, the Maryland helicopter was calculated to verify the scientific validity of the method. Then, the simplified S-97 fuselage was used as the object of analysis to analyze the aerodynamic data such as surface pressure, friction, and lift resistance of the fuselage with different head curvature, cross-section shapes, and transition segments under Synchropter interference with different attack angles in forward flight. The results show that increasing the radius of curvature of the nose can reduce the total drag of the fuselage; the fuselage with a circular cross-section shape has better aerodynamic characteristics of lift resistance, and the fuselage with rhombic cross-section shape has better transverse stability; the transition section with backward position, smaller upward dihedral angle, and smooth transition can avoid serious airflow separation and achieve the purpose of drag reduction.

Study on the Arrangement of Roller Sets in the Transition Segment of the Pipe Belt Conveyor

Study on the Arrangement of Roller Sets in the Transition Segment of the Pipe Belt Conveyor

Seismic attenuation and stress on the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield: are we critical yet?

The Parkfield transitional segment of the San Andreas Fault (SAF) is characterized by the production of frequent quasi-periodical M6 events that break the very same asperity. The last Parkfield mainshock occurred on 28 September 2004, 38 years after the 1966 earthquake, and after the segment showed a ∼22 years average recurrence time. The main reason for the much longer interevent period between the last two earthquakes is thought to be the reduction of the Coulomb stress from the M6.5 Coalinga earthquake of 2 May 1983, and the M6 Nuñez events of June 11th and 22 July 1983. Plausibly, the transitional segment of the SAF at Parkfield is now in the late part of its seismic cycle and current observations may all be relative to a state of stress close to criticality. However, the behavior of the attenuation parameter in the last few years seems substantially different from the one that characterized the years prior to the 2004 mainshock. A few questions arise: (i) Does a detectable preparation phase for the Parkfield mainshocks exist, and is it the same for all events? (ii) How dynamically/kinematically similar are the quasi-periodic occurrences of the Parkfield mainshocks? (iii) Are some dynamic/kinematic characteristics of the next mainshock predictable from the analysis of current data? (e.g., do we expect the epicenter of the next failure to be co-located to that of 2004?) (iv) Should we expect the duration of the current interseismic period to be close to the 22-year “undisturbed” average value? We respond to the questions listed above by analyzing the non-geometric attenuation of direct S-waves along the transitional segment of the SAF at Parkfield, in the close vicinity of the fault plane, between January 2001 and November 2023. Of particular interest is the preparatory behavior of the attenuation parameter as the 2004 mainshock approached, on both sides of the SAF. We also show that the non-volcanic tremor activity modulates the seismic attenuation in the area, and possibly the seismicity along the Parkfield fault segment, including the occurrence of the mainshocks.

Nonisocyanate Polyurethane Segmented Copolymers from Bis-Carbonylimidazolides.

Bis-carbonylimidazolide (BCI) functionalization enables an efficient synthetic strategy to generate high molecular weight segmented nonisocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs). Melt phase polymerization of ED-2003 Jeffamine, 4,4'-methylenebis(cyclohexylamine), and a BCI monomer that mimics a 1,4-butanediol chain extender enables polyether NIPUs that contain varying concentrations of hard segments ranging from 40 to 80wt. %. Dynamic mechanical analysis and differential scanning calorimetry reveal thermal transitions for soft, hard, and mixed phases. Hard segment incorporations between 40 and 60wt. % display up to three distinct phases pertaining to the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) soft segment Tg , melting transition, and hard segment Tg , while higher hard segment concentrations prohibit soft segment crystallization, presumably due to restricted molecular mobility from the hard segment. Atomic force microscopy allows for visualization and size determination of nanophase-separated regimes, revealing a nanoscale rod-like assembly of HS. Small-angle X-ray scattering confirms nanophase separation within the NIPU, characterizing both nanoscale amorphous domains and varying degrees of crystallinity. These NIPUs, which are synthesized with BCI monomers, display expected phase separation that is comparable to isocyanate-derived analogues. This work demonstrates nanophase separation in BCI-derived NIPUs and the feasibility of this nonisocyanate synthetic pathway for the preparation of segmented PU copolymers.

Online Deterministic 3D Trajectory Generation for Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing Aircraft

The use of non-piloted eVTOL aircraft in non-segregated airspace requires reliable and deterministic automatic flight guidance systems for the aircraft to remain predictable to all the users of the airspace and maintain a high level of safety. In this paper we present a 3D trajectory generation module based on clothoid transition segments in the horizontal plane and high order polynomial transition segments in the vertical plane. The expressions of the coefficients of the polynomial are derived offline are used to generate the trajectory online, making the system capable of running in real time without requiring enormous computational power. For the horizontal plane, we focus on the flyby transition, and therefore present a thorough analysis of the flyby geometry and the limitations linked to this geometry and the construct of three-segment trajectory generation around a fixed turn rate. We present feasible solutions for these limitations, and show simulation results for the combined horizontal and vertical plane concepts, allowing the system to generate complex 3D trajectories.

The model of ring-spun slub yarn based on random fiber arrangement and its application: Part 2 Prediction of morphology parameters for slub yarn and simulation of slub fabric

The morphology parameters of slub yarn include slub length, base length, the length of the transitional segment, slub multiple, slub linear density, base linear density, and average linear density of slub yarn. These parameters have an impact on the appearance of both slub yarn and its fabric. This paper aims to predict the morphology parameters of spun slub yarn by utilizing the model proposed in Part 1 for ring-spun slub yarns. Once the slub generation mode was known, slub yarn could be simulated with the morphology parameters. The simulated slub fabric was obtained by arranging the simulated slub yarn in the warp and weft directions. According to our study, the prediction accuracy of each morphology parameter was over 80% by comparing the simulated parameters with the measured ones of spun slub yarn. The CV (coefficient of variation) of the slub segment number per unit area was utilized to assess the distribution of slubs in the simulated fabric. This research can facilitate the development of slub yarn and its fabric, providing guidance for technicians to enhance production technology.

Association Between MRI Findings of Facet Arthropathy and Synovitis With Health-Related Outcome and Pain Scores Following Therapeutic Lumbar Facet Injections.

Low back pain is a common complaint among adults. The facet joint is a major source of lumbar pain, and therapeutic facet injections have gained popularity as a minimally invasive treatment option. In addition, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) utilization for diagnosing low back pain has increased significantly over the past few decades. Facet synovitis is an entity characterized by edema and inflammatory changes affecting the facet joints, adjacent bone marrow, and surrounding soft tissues. Although its underlying etiology remains poorly understood, recent reports suggest a high incidence in patients with arthropathy and arthritis. It is essential to explore potential correlations between specific MRI findings and outcomes after lumbar facet injections. This investigation is particularly relevant for facet synovitis, given its inflammatory nature and the common use of anti-inflammatory agents in facet injections. We investigated associations between MRI evidence of facet arthropathy and/or synovitis and the degree of improvement in health-related outcome and pain scores after therapeutic facet injections. The review was conducted on patients who received bilateral therapeutic facet injections, excluding those with prior lumbar spinal surgery or transitional segments. Facet arthropathy and synovitis were assessed on MRI by two neuroradiologists, and postprocedure outcomes such as pain and function were compared using univariate and multivariate analyses based on MRI findings. Our retrospective review indicates that patients receiving facet injections experience greater mean reduction in daily activity and workability burden scores from back pain when facet synovitis is a known portion of their pathology. The authors pose that further study could help identify patient populations that are the best candidates for therapeutic intervention. This may ultimately improve delivery of care, cost efficacy, and patient satisfaction.

Seismic behavior of repairable columns with UHPC segments and replaceable buckling-restrained energy dissipaters

Minimizing earthquake damage and improving repair efficiency are the main principles of resilient structures. The present study proposed a repairable column with UHPC segments and replaceable internal buckling-restrained energy dissipaters. In the UHPC replacement segment, the buckling-restrained energy dissipaters were connected to rebars in other segments through threaded sleeve couplers and could be replaced after an earthquake event. The connected dissipater was unbonded to prevent premature low cycle fatigue failure. A UHPC transition segment was designed to prevent plastic hinge shifting. To evaluate the structural performance of the proposed column, cyclic loading tests were performed on two repairable columns using normal-strength dissipaters or hybrid high- and normal-strength dissipaters before and after repairing. The test results showed that compared with RC columns, the proposed columns exhibited significantly greater strength, deformation capacity, and energy dissipation, as well as low stiffness degradation. Use of high-strength dissipaters improved the strength and energy dissipation, but decreased the deformation capacity. After replacing the dissipaters and cover UHPC, the strengths and energy dissipation of the repaired columns slightly decreased, while the ultimate displacements were almost the same, showing satisfactory seismic resilience. Further, a stress-strain model for the unbonded buckling-restrained energy dissipaters and a flexural strength model for the original and repaired columns were proposed, which were compared with the existing test results.

Bedform evolution along a submarine canyon in the South China Sea: New insights from an autonomous underwater vehicle survey

ABSTRACTTraditional mapping of bedforms in submarine canyons relied on vessel‐mounted and towed sensors, but their fine‐scale geomorphology and shallow structure requires higher resolution datasets. This study utilizes a high‐resolution dataset obtained from an autonomous underwater vehicle, combined with seismic reflection profiles and sediment cores, to analyse bedform sets within a 25.6 km long submarine canyon (canyon C14) in the northern South China Sea. A train of crescent‐shaped axial steps, indicative of cyclic steps formed by supercritical turbidity currents, is imaged along the canyon. Axial steps in the upper course show erosional truncations and sub‐horizontal reflectors on the lee and stoss sides, respectively, pointing to erosional–depositional cyclic steps formed by confined flows with high erosional capacity. This is facilitated by canyon narrowness and steeper axial gradient. After a transition segment, the lower course widens, with a gentler axial gradient, resulting in increased asymmetry and wavelength of axial steps. Backset bed deposits on the stoss sides of these steps indicate depositional cyclic steps with higher aggradation. Sediment filling, almost padding each cyclic step associated scour suggests the reworking of previously formed bedforms by gravity flows fed by destabilization processes on the canyon sidewalls and upstream lee faces and, possibly, by shelf‐edge and uppermost slope spillover into the canyon. At the lowermost course, cyclic steps transition to a furrow field, likely associated with flow velocity reduction facilitated by canyon floor widening and a further decrease in slope gradient. Flow braiding and re‐convergence, related to the erosion of fine‐grained deposits within the canyon floor, should have played a role to produce furrows under supercritical conditions. This work enhances our understanding of the detailed morphology and shallow relief configuration of bedforms in deep‐water submarine canyons, providing insights into their causative processes and evolution.

A novel voltage sag detection method for analyzing charging quality of electric vehicle

Electric car charging quality is severely impacted by voltage sag in the distribution network. Voltage sag events frequently occur in conjunction with other power quality disturbances, which leads to signal waveform distortion, making it difficult to identify voltage sag characteristics in composite power quality disturbance signals. The voltage sag amplitude, phase angle jump, and duration are all accurately detected in the composite power quality disturbance signal thanks to the method's two-stage waveform decomposition model, which eliminates the interference of the transition segment by pinpointing the beginning and ending points of the voltage sag using DQ transform. Moreover, the designed simulation experiments further verify that our proposed method outperforms other mainstream approaches, and it can be well used to effectively detect voltage sags of different causes under various signals that disturb the composite power quality, with an average accuracy rate of over 98.86 %.

Calculation of single-event characteristics for voltage dip based on the goodness of fit test

The typical single-event characteristics of a voltage dip include residual voltage, duration, dip type, point-on-wave and phase-angle jump, which may influence the operation of the sensitive equipment under voltage dip. This operation is the foundation on which the single-event characteristics of a voltage dip can be accurately calculated to mitigate the voltage dip. The challenge of existing studies is that no unified and systematic method to calculate multiple single-event characteristics. This study proposes a robust adaptive method based on Goodness-of-Fit (GoF) test to calculate the characteristics of a voltage dip. First, a calculation method for the transition segment of voltage dip is proposed based on the GoF test. Then, four methods are presented for calculating four different characteristics of the dip based on the detected transition segment. The proposed method is subsequently unified and thus reduces the computation of monitor devices. Moreover, this method can adaptively adjust the critical value according to the sampling rate, avoiding the influence of noise. Finally, this study applies 516 sets of measured voltage dips to verify the performance of the proposed method, comparing the results with that of the existing methods.

Damage evolution and failure analysis of the advanced transition segment behavior of wind turbine tower

The complexity of reinforcement and consequent corrosion of concrete have been technical issues of the transition segments of the hybrid wind turbine tower. A novel concrete transition segment using prestressed ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) that does not necessitate ordinary reinforcement is applied to a 4.8 MW H160 prestressed hybrid wind turbine tower. The mechanical behaviors of the transition segments only with reinforced concrete segment (T-C80RC) and the UHC140 segment without ordinary reinforcement (T-UHC140) are investigated using three-dimensional finite element models. The damage evolutions in the transition segments under overestimated design load are also reported. A structural state monitoring method based on the Mann-Kendall mutation criterion for the strain energy (SSMM-MK) is proposed to evaluate the structural state and determine the failure load of transition segments. Based on the identical sectional dimensions of the concrete segments, the comparative study demonstrates that using UHPC in T-UHC140 results in a decrease in plastic damage, an improvement in overall mechanical performance and consequently increases the ultimate bearing capacity to 2.1 times that of the reinforced concrete segment. The SSMM-MK method provides an innovative and effective way of structural state analysis by combining the finite element model and the evaluation method proposed can effectively evaluate the structural state of the transition segment.

Insight into the deformation transition effect in free bending of tubes

The deformation transition has a significant impact on the forming accuracy in tube free bending. In this paper, the formation mechanism of deformation transition in free bending is analytically revealed. Considering the bending angle and the length of forming area in the transition segment, a modified relationship between the bending die deviation U and the bending radius R is proposed by introducing a new correction factor k. The developed correction method is carefully verified by free bending experiments and simulations using AA5052 tubes, and further, the influence mechanism of the deformation transition in free bending is clarified. This study provides new insights into the understanding of deformation transition in free bending, providing an effective way to design more accurate and robust bending processes for improving product quality.

The model of ring-spun slub yarn based on random fiber arrangement and its application: Part 1. Study on the relationship between fiber distribution and the length of the transitional segment of slub yarn

In this paper, the research on the transitional segment of slub yarn mainly focuses on the length of the transitional segment. Slub yarn was simulated by randomly determining the fiber position with the Monte Carlo method according to the draft principle of ring spinning for slub yarn. The length of the transitional segment was obtained by determining its starting and ending position according to the mass curves of the simulated and real-spun slub yarns. According to the data analysis, the fiber length, acceleration and deceleration time on draft rollers’ velocity, and slub multiple affect the length of the transitional segment. Both the lengths of the left and right transitional segments are all equal. The maximum error rate of the simulated value to the measured value of the length of the transitional segment is approximately 12%. The empirical formula has been established to estimate the length of the transitional segment. Compared with those of the simulated and real spun slub yarns, the error rate of the length of the transitional segment calculated by the empirical formula is less than 10%. The research content of this paper provides a basis for studying the appearance and properties of slub yarn.