Vertical Connections Research Articles

КОНЦЕПЦІЯ НИЗЬКОВУГЛЕЦЕВОЇ ЕКОНОМІКИ: МІСЦЕ В СИСТЕМІ СУЧАСНИХ ЕКОЛОГООРІЄНТОВАНИХ СУСПІЛЬНИХ КОНЦЕПЦІЙ

Introduction. The concept of a low-carbon economy is designed to solve the problem of climate change by transforming the socio-ecological-economic system based on the principles of zero greenhouse gas emissions. However, this issue is also addressed in most other environmentally oriented social concepts. The purpose of the article. The purpose of this article is to determine the place of the low-carbon economy within the system of modern environmentally oriented concepts of social development. Methods. The research was conducted by using general scientific and general economic methods. In particular, the most common methods were abstraction, generalization, comparison, induction, deduction, monographic method, axiomatic method, methods of retrospective and systematic analysis. Results. To achieve this goal, the author analyzed the most popular of environmentally oriented social concepts: the concept of sustainable development, the green economy concept, the blue economy concept, the concept of the blue (ocean) economy, and the circular economy concept. Additionally, a schematic model was constructed to illustrate the position of the low-carbon economy within the system of environmentally oriented concepts of social development. The study provides a retrospective analysis of the inception and evolutionary development of each of the researched concepts. Their guiding ideas, main principles, goals, and tasks were identified. Furthermore, the article differentiates between complementary and interchangeable concepts and shows the horizontal and vertical connections among the reviewed concepts. It was established that the issue of global warming is considered in each of the analyzed concepts. Moreover, the relationship between the analyzed concepts and the low-carbon economy concept was examined. Conclusions. Based on the results of the research, it can be concluded that the low-carbon economy concept consolidates measures and mechanisms to address the important and urgent problem of climate change. Within the system of environmentally-oriented social concepts, the investigated concept occupies the place of a specialized concept focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change to achieve green growth and sustainable development. It is closely related to several other concepts through the common goal of finding ways to combat climate change. Consequently, the ideas of a low-carbon economy have become widespread in the concepts of sustainable development, the green economy, the blue economy, the blue (ocean) economy, and the circular economy.

Solar Species: Energy Optimization of Urban Form Through an Evolutionary Design Process

This paper proposes design guidelines to enhance energy efficiency and energy generation potential in active solar buildings. Additionally, it presents a variety of optimized urban forms characterized by attributes such as shape, layout, and number of buildings on the plot. These urban configurations are classified into solar species, each associated with a distinct range of high passive and active solar potential. These results were achieved by developing and applying a simulation-driven, multi-objective optimization technique for the early-stage design of a residential building cluster in a temperate climate. This method leverages both passive and active energy indicators, employing a genetic algorithm to identify optimal forms that maximize active solar potential while also minimizing operational energy demand. The approach utilizes a parametric modelling routine that relies on vertical cores and horizontal connections to produce design iterations featuring irregular geometry, while ensuring structural continuity and means of egress. The findings reveal a significant variability in onsite energy generation, with optimized solutions differing by a factor of 2.5 solely based on shape, underscoring the critical role of active solar potential. Taken together, these results hint at the descriptive and predictive capabilities of these solar species, making them a promising heuristic model for characterizing urban form in relation to energy performance.

Value orientations of youth and the formation of cultural memory in the region (On the example of the Chechen republic)

The article analyzes the characteristics of the Chechen youth, their value attitudes and roles in the formation of cultural memory. The methodological framework covers theoretical and methodological areas of research of two social phenomena that are important signs of the changing world at the beginning of this millennium: cultural memory and the attitude of the younger generation towards it. The analysis of these phenomena is studied on the example of a specific region as a social space at a certain stage of socio-public transformation, where the foundations of traditional society with the prevalence of vertical connections continue to play an important role. At the same time, young people have a special place in the perception and transformation of values, experiencing at the same time a great influence of globalization and information technologies. The empirical basis of the study was socio-demographic data on the Chechen Republic, quantitative and qualitative methods of surveying the youth of the republic: an online survey was conducted among students (N = 92) aged 19-24 years and in-depth interviews among young people (N = 21), whose average age was 30 years. Additional materials were data from the database of surveys and focus groups collected in recent years. The results of the study showed that the transformation of cultural memory in the region is influenced by both structural factors, primarily demographic, migration dynamics, socio-economic living conditions of the population, etc., and cultural and institutional factors that determine the value attitudes of various segments of the population, the discourses prevailing in the society, attitudes to history, politics, etc. The value landmarks of young people play an important role in the formation of the cultural memory of the Chechen society and act as means of stabilizing and renewing the society. A key feature of the Chechen society is a respect towards elders. The succession of values is under threat of breaking intergenerational ties and subject to an unprecedented information aggression. The issues of an objective attitude to history, developing a position on the modernization of the society are acute.

EVOLUTIONARY TRANSFORMATION OF THE QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM OF DEFENSE GOODS, SERVICES AND WORKS IN UKRAINE

It is inadvisable to limit the quality assurance system for defense-related goods/services/works solely to a set of mechanisms; it must necessarily encompass vertical and horizontal connections both among the relevant functional blocks (subsystems) and between the entities involved in their operation. In the context of not only geopolitical challenges but also the ongoing daily struggle against an aggressor state, it is critically important to establish an effective and efficient system for controlling the quality of defense-related goods/services/works. This article is dedicated to the systematization of the characteristics of transformational changes and the outlining of methodological foundations for the effective functioning of the quality assurance system for defense- related goods, works, and services in Ukraine. A conceptual three-level model of the quality assurance system for defense-related goods, services, and works has been formulated by distinguishing the essential parameters of their operation at the global, national, and micro levels. The peculiarities of forming a quality assurance system for defense-related products at both the micro and macro levels have been justified. It has been emphasized that the effectiveness of the evolutionary transformation of the quality assurance system for defense-related products at all levels of its representation should be characterized by the penetration of market forces into the mechanism of its operation. Attention has been drawn to the substantive directions for implementing the requirements of NATO standards in the AQAP series (AQAP 2110) within the framework of a corporate quality management system in accordance with ISO 9001. Since there are no legal or legislative requirements mandating the implementation of quality management systems, the enhancement and improvement of the efficiency of internal business and production processes should be a direct concern of the enterprise itself, driven by market forces. At the same time, the state should create stimulating mechanisms, for instance, by employing soft regulation; in military procurement specifications, it should mandate the presence of a certificate of compliance with AQAP requirements for the enterprises involved. The expected effects of the transformation of the studied system include economic, organizational, and worldview effects. A comparative analysis of the evolutionary transformation of the quality assurance system for defense-related goods, services, and works has been conducted based on the following criteria: the object and subject of control; the function performed by the control subject; the breadth of the controlling institution’s functionality; the perimeter of the controlling institution’s authority; the level of depth of control; and the level of subordination of the controlling institution to the Ministry of Defense. Despite the complexity of the task declared at the state level regarding the functioning of the state guarantee system for the quality of defense-related products, which is influenced not only by objective factors but also by worldview factors, its implementation has the potential to significantly enhance the quality of Ukraine’s defense products and substantially improve Ukraine’s rankings in terms of transparency, institutional maturity, and the ecological soundness of economic relations in the defense sector.

Vertical Connectors in Ancient Monuments: Documentation and Experimental Study of the Behaviour of Iron and Titanium Connectors

ABSTRACT Ancient monuments are constructed following the dry construction system. Large dimensional structural members, with perfectly plane interfaces, are placed without mortar. Two types of iron connectors, vertical and horizontal, used to connect individual stone blocks, are activated in case of relative displacements, e.g. earthquakes. The paper focuses on, iron or titanium, vertical connectors, crossing the interfaces between successive stone courses, and investigates their seismic behaviour. In situ and bibliographical documentation of vertical connections in ancient Greek monuments, including their topology, dimensions, and typical pathology attributed to them, served as a basis for the design of an experimental program. First, specimens simulating the original connections are tested under monotonic and cyclic actions. The behaviour of those connections, effectuated using iron vertical connectors, having confirmed the pathology observed in situ, i.e. fracture of the substrate, an alternative connection was tested aiming at avoiding or significantly delaying the failure of the substrate (marble). An unbonded length was provided to the connector, close to the interface, to postpone the contact between the connector and the marble. The test results confirmed the anticipated change of behaviour, associated though with smaller shear resistance and larger displacements at its attainment than for the original connections.

Becoming a (Better) Muslim: A Connectivist Perspective on Learning Islam in Finland

Abstract The article explores the multisite learning of Islam by Finnish Muslims from the perspective of the connectivist learning theory, which makes visible the central contemporary ways of learning that emphasize the role of digitalization and collaborative learning with peers. We focus especially on learning in the context of Ramadan because, for many, the holy month is an essential time for apprehending Islamic tenets and practices. Our research indicates that the understanding of Islam among our research participants is a result of a complex set of connections and nodes of information, both online and offline. The research participants’ multisite learning was enriched with an abundance of horizontal (peer-to-peer) and vertical (teacher-to-student) connections, enabling multiple interpretations and reflective learning of Islam. Our research also suggests that in Finland, where Islam is a minority religion, the learning process to become a (better) Muslim contains many aspects shared equally by converts and those born Muslim.

Vertical diaphragms for moment connection of thin-walled CFT column to steel beam

A vertical diaphragm scheme is proposed to connect the concrete-filled thin-walled steel tube (thin-walled CFT) column and steel beam, as an alternative to horizontal diaphragm connections: dual vertical diaphragms are installed inside the steel tube, considering poor out-of-plane resistance of the thin tube wall. For verification of the moment connection, two experimental programs were carried out. In the first experiment, an ultimate tension test was conducted for flange-to-column connections, to identify the fundamental behavior of the proposed connection (i.e., strength, failure mode, and out-of-plane deformation). The design parameters, such as the thickness, number, and continuity of the vertical diaphragms, were considered. All the test specimens exceeded the design strengths based on a yield line model (i.e., the tensile capacity-to-demand ratios ranged Tu/TYL = 1.11–1.31), without early fracture of welded joints. In particular, at the design strengths, the tube out-of-plane deformations were more limited with the heavier diaphragms. In the second experiment, beam-to-column connections using prototype I-section steel were tested under cyclic flexure, to verify the joint flexural strength and rigidity as well as the seismic performance. The beam-to-column connections failed by the beam flexural mechanism, whereas damage was marginal at the joint wall (i.e., the flexural capacity-to-demand ratios ranged Mu/Mj = 0.87–1.09). Overall, the dual diaphragms were effective in achieving rigid (full-strength) connections with satisfactory plastic rotation of the beam. On the basis of the test results, design considerations were recommended for the vertical diaphragm connections.

Climate change adaptation attributes across scales and inter-institutional networks: insights from national and state level water management institutions in India

Effective climate change adaptation requires cohesive inter-institutional networks across different scales, facilitating the sharing of data, information, knowledge, and practices. However, the impact of adaptation attributes across scales is poorly understood due to limited focus on these networks. Based on interviews with 26 institutions operating at the national level (ION) in India and 26 institutions operating within a state (Himachal Pradesh) (IOS), this study analysed adaptation attributes and the inter-institutional networks across the two scales to understand its implications at different scales. IONs have a greater capacity (compared to IOS) to frame guidelines, standards and regulations for practitioners along with better accessibility to resources and information. When coupled with bridging institutions, this can enhance adaptive capacities at other scales. Conversely, learnings from low regret adaptive measures being implemented by IOS are opportunities for informing national policy strategies. While national adaptation strategies and goals can inspire adaptation at lower scales, the currently fragmented inter-institutional network in India reduces the passage and accessibility of data and information, creating a bottleneck for the smooth devolution of adaptation attributes. Recruitment and deployment practices for water officials further entrench silo attitudes, impeding essential data accessibility. Adaptation needs comprehensive networks across vertical, horizontal, and diagonal institutional connections to improve climate risk perception and strategy implementation. Policy measures should consider socio-institutional factors beyond legislative prescriptions.

Polymer-Supported Graphene Sheet as a Vertically Conductive Anode of Lithium-Ion Battery.

The increasing demand for electric vehicles necessitates the development of cost-effective, mass-producible, long-lasting, and highly conductive batteries. Making this kind of battery is exceedingly tricky. This study introduces an innovative fabrication technique utilizing a laser-induced graphene (LIG) approach on commercial Kapton film to create hexagonal pores. These pores form vertical conduction paths for electron and ion transportation during lithiation and delithiation, significantly enhancing conductivity. The nongraphitized portion of the Kapton film makes it a binder-less, free-standing electrode, providing mechanical stability. Various analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are utilized to confirm the transformation of a 3D porous graphene sheet from a commercial Kapton film. Cross-sectional SEM images verify the vertical connections. The specific capacity of 581 mAh g-1 is maintained until the end, with 99% coulombic efficiency at 0.1C. This simple manufacturing method paves the pathway for future LIG-based, cost-effective, lightweight, mass-producible, long-lasting, vertically conductive electrodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Electrical signal interference minimization using appropriate core material for 3D integrate circuit at high frequency applications

As demand for smaller, quicker, and more powerful devices rises, Moore's law is strictly followed. The industry has worked hard to make little devices that boost productivity. The goal is to optimize device density. Scientists are reducing connection delays to improve circuit performance. This helped them understand three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D IC) concepts, which stack active devices and create vertical connections to diminish latency and lower interconnects. Electrical involvement is a big worry with 3D integrates circuits. Researchers have developed and tested through silicon via (TSV) and substrates to decrease electrical wave involvement. This study illustrates a novel noise coupling reduction method using several electrical involvement models. A 22% drop in electrical involvement from wave-carrying to victim TSVs introduces this new paradigm and improves system performance even at higher THz frequencies.

A Single-Board Integrated Millimeter-Wave Asymmetric Full-Digital Beamforming Array for B5G/6G Applications

In this article, a single-board integrated millimeter-wave (mm-Wave) asymmetric full-digital beamforming (AFDBF) array is developed for beyond-fifth-generation (B5G) and sixth-generation (6G) communications. The proposed integrated array effectively addresses the challenge of arranging a large number of ports in a full-digital array by designing vertical connections in a three-dimensional space and successfully integrating full-digital transmitting (Tx) and receiving (Rx) arrays independently in a single board. Unlike the traditional symmetric array, the proposed asymmetric array is composed of an 8 × 8 Tx array arranged in a square shape and an 8 + 8 Rx array arranged in an L shape. The center-to-center distance between two adjacent elements is 0.54λ0 for both the Tx and Rx arrays, where λ0 is the free-space wavelength at 27 GHz. The proposed AFDBF array possesses a more compact structure and lower system hardware cost and power consumption compared with conventional brick-type full-digital arrays. In addition, the energy efficiency of the proposed AFDBF array outperforms that of a hybrid beamforming array. The measurement results indicate that the operating frequency band of the proposed array is 24.25–29.50 GHz. An eight-element linear array within the Tx array can achieve a scanning angle ranging from −47° to +47° in both the azimuth and the elevation planes, and the measured scanning range of each eight-element Rx array is –45° to +45°. The measured maximum effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of the eight-element Tx array is 43.2 dBm at 28.0 GHz (considering the saturation point). Furthermore, the measured error vector magnitude (EVM) is less than 3% when 64-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) waveforms are used.

Motivation components of personnel management at enterprises

Methods. Methods of analysis and synthesis, empirical methods, methods of induction and deduction, graphic and logical methods, methods of financial, economic and statistical analysis were used in the process of researching the components of personnel management of enterprises. The methodological basis of the research is the index method, the results of which allow evaluating the main components of the enterprise personnel management. Results. The article provides a detailed analysis of statistical data and survey results regarding the main motivational components of personnel management at enterprises. The dependence between indicators of economic activity and components of personnel motivation was revealed. The article substantiates the main motivational components of personnel management, improves the structuralfunctional model of the dependence of quantitative and qualitative indicators and the motivational component of personnel management of the enterprise, which synthesizes a comprehensive approach to taking into account all important directions of improvement of motivational processes of personnel management. Novelty. It consists in justifying the need to take into account motivational components when planning and improving the scientific and methodological foundations of the development of a structural and functional model of personnel management and a system for evaluating the economic activity of the enterprise. Practical value. Evaluation of the motivational components of the personnel management of the enterprise is the basis for building effective models of the development of enterprises, which is an analytical tool for organizing the vertical and horizontal connections of the management system of the multi-level and multifunctional management decision-making system, taking into account the properties of the interdependent influence of performance indicators and establishing the safety parameters of individual trajectories of the development of personnel management .

УДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ ДЕРЖАВНОГО УПРАВЛІННЯ СОЦІАЛЬНО-ЕКОНОМІЧНИМ РОЗВИТКОМ АГРОПРОДОВОЛЬЧОЇ СФЕРИ В УМОВАХ АКТИВІЗАЦІЇ ЗЕД ТА ПОСИЛЕННЯ СОЦІАЛЬНОЇ ВІДПОВІДАЛЬНОСТІ БІЗНЕСУ

The improvement of state regulation by the development of the agri-food sector in the conditions of the activation of economic activity and the strengthening of social responsibility of business should be carried out in the context of the ties "state authorities - professional associations of agrarian business entities" at the state and regional levels. The construction of an effective system of coordination of the interests of agrarian subjects is defined as the first priority of the state agrarian policy. After all, the role of the state is to create such a mechanism that allows to ensure the maximum level of self-organization of the agro-food sector within the national economy as a set of interconnected components. The construction of a balanced system of regulation of the development of the agro-food sector allows to ensure its activation through the conclusion of institutional agreements within the proposed structure, which defines the criteria for state intervention, the mutual responsibility of organizations managing socio-economic development and the limits of interdependence of the state's actions with social mechanisms and entities. The conclusion of the proposed institutional agreement should be preceded by a number of measures aimed at the formation of self-sufficient organizations - participants of the proposed structure: activation of the development of selforganization of economic entities; formation of the organizational structure of management of agrarian development, which also includes associations of agrarians; improvement of legislative acts in the direction of liberalization of the activities of self-governing organizations, associations of agrarian subjects in particular. The formation of a clear system of mutual relations is an important step on the way to improving the mechanism of socio-economic development of the agro-food sector, which will maximally take into account the interests of all subjects of agrarian relations. Such an institutional compromise will contribute to: increasing the social and economic responsibility of the state and agrarian business entities; the formation of institutional ties in the system of state regulation of the development of the agro-food sector; avoiding institutional traps caused by the opportunistic behavior of subjects of agrarian management; consolidation of efforts in the direction of achieving priorities for the development of the agro-food sector. Improvement at the "state-region" level of management vertical connections is expedient to ensure the granting of greater autonomy to the regional management of agro-industrial development, in particular in terms of the distribution of agrarian resources and the application of management approaches to the formation of an environment for the development of the agro-food sector. In this regard, it is worth turning to foreign experience of regional development and creating agencies for regional development of the agro-food sector under the executive authorities. To ensure a high level of transparency, it is advisable to entrust these powers to public organizations created at the initiative of state and local authorities.

ANALYSIS OF THE RATIONAL DESIGN OF A HIGH-RISE BUILDING USING A SYSTEM OF OUTRIGGERS AND A CORE UNDER SEISMIC AND WIND LOADS

The article highlights the analysis of the rational design of high-rise buildings, in particular the use of outrigger and core systems, in order to study their effectiveness under seismic and wind loads. 
 The most rigid design of the outrigger (diagram B), in which vertical ties are located at each step of the perimeter columns, leads to a decrease in the horizontal movement of the top of the building by 24% compared to the building without the use of surface stiffness. However, this option is difficult to implement in practice, because in some points of the structure, for example, in the corners of the stiffness core, there is a significant number of elements with rigid nodes. Of the implemented structures, the greatest gain in movements (21%) is demonstrated by variant D, where the ties are evenly located along the perimeter of the arrangement and ensure the same transfer of horizontal influences [6] to the external columns. This version of the arrangement of connections is structurally much simpler than scheme B, with a small (less than 3%) difference in indicators. 
 The location of corner connections between the corners of the rigid core and the corners of the perimeter arrangement leads to a reduction of horizontal [7] movement by 5% in the absence of vertical connections on the short side, compared to the scheme without corner connections. It is important to note that the angular vertical connections do not compensate for the lack of longitudinal connections (schemes I - displacement of 197 mm, Y - 207 mm and Z - 190 mm). Installing only corner connections reduces the horizontal movement of the top of the building by 12% (scheme K), which is the smallest value compared to other options. 
 The use of the outrigger structure significantly increases the rigidity of the building [8], which in turn allows to reduce the cost of construction due to the reduction of the thickness of the building core and the area of reinforcement. 
 The most justified location of the vertical connections of the outrigger is the one in which they are evenly located according to the building plan, that is, they have the same interval along the entire perimeter. It is not recommended to use schemes where vertical connections are established only on the long side of the building [9], and especially only on the short side.Therefore, the use of a rigid belt in the building contributes to the reduction of horizontal movements at the entire height, effectively minimizes fluctuations caused by the influence of wind load. The use of an outrigger structure significantly increases the rigidity of the building, which in turn allows to reduce the cost of construction due to the reduction of the thickness of the building core and the area of reinforcement. 
 The most justified location of the vertical connections of the outrigger is the one in which they are evenly located according to the building plan, that is, they have the same interval along the entire perimeter. It is not recommended to use schemes where vertical connections are installed only on the long side of the building, and especially only on the short side.

Improved segmentation of basal ganglia from MR images using convolutional neural network with crossover-typed skip connection.

Accurate and automatic segmentation of basal ganglia from magnetic resonance (MR) images is important for diagnosis and treatment of various brain disorders. However, the basal ganglia segmentation is a challenging task because of the class imbalance and the unclear boundaries among basal ganglia anatomical structures. Thus, we aim to present an encoder-decoder convolutional neural network (CNN)-based method for improved segmentation of basal ganglia by focusing on skip connections that determine the segmentation performance of encoder-decoder CNNs. We also aim to reveal the effect of skip connections on the segmentation of basal ganglia with unclear boundaries. We used the encoder-decoder CNNs with the following five patterns of skip connections: without skip connection, with full-resolution horizontal skip connection, with horizontal skip connections, with vertical skip connections, and with crossover-typed skip connections (the proposed method). We compared and evaluated the performance of the CNNs in the experiment of basal ganglia segmentation using T1-weighted MR brain images of 79 patients. The experimental results showed that the skip connections at each scale level help CNNs to acquire multi-scale image features, the vertical skip connections contribute on acquiring finer image features for segmentation of smaller anatomical structures with more blurred boundaries, and the crossover-typed skip connections, a combination of horizontal and vertical skip connections, provided better segmentation accuracy. This paper investigated the effect of skip connections on the basal ganglia segmentation and revealed the crossover-typed skip connections might be effective for improving the segmentation of basal ganglia with the class imbalance and the unclear boundaries.

An equivalent spring model for seam-clip connections of high-vertical standing seam metal cladding systems

The mechanical behavior of the seam-clip connections plays a pivotal role in the effective wind resistance design of the extensively used high vertical standing seam metal cladding system (SSMCS). An equivalent spring model is developed to represent the mechanical behavior of these connections to simplify the contact problems in the general finite element model, which is time-consuming due to the highly nonlinear contact boundary conditions. The developed model is composed of continuous horizontal and rotational springs as well as dispersed vertical rigid connections. A series of tensile experiments are first conducted to investigate the mechanical behavior of seam-clip connections to calibrate the spring parameters in the developed model. Subsequently, the equivalent spring model is validated by the structural response of a double-span sheet module (DSSM) using experimental investigation and finite element analyses. It is found that the shell finite element model incorporating the developed equivalent spring model can achieve an acceptable structural response while remarkably reducing memory requirements and computational time to about 0.3 % and 0.4 ‰, correspondingly, compared to the contact boundary condition analysis. It highlights the advancement in evaluating the structural response of high-vertical SSMCS in practical engineering applications using this developed model. Furthermore, the developed equivalent spring model has proved to be effective in predicting wind-induced seam-clip pullout failures according to the established failure criteria derived from the structural response of the system.

Experimental and numerical analysis of different vertical connections of precast shear walls with special regard towards deformability

AbstractNowadays precast concrete multi‐story dual system structures require Finite Element Method structural analysis. The stiffness of the vertical connections between wall panels influences the internal forces distribution. European standard EN 1992‐1‐1 recommends verification of strength and deformability of precast connections to be assisted by testing. Six different connection layouts were tested under pure shear with a special attention towards deformability. All connections showed close to/equivalent monolithic initial stiffness. Depending on the connection layout, the post‐cracking stiffness is reduced. The equation for shear resistance of interfaces between concrete cast at different times according to EN 1992‐1‐1 can lead to significant estimation errors due to its weak physical meaning (in disagreement with experimental observed failure mechanisms). A non‐linear finite element analysis solution strategy is validated by experimental results that shows how stochastic parameters can inflict large variation in terms of strength and stiffness.

A more than 21-year odyssey of developmental local government in South Africa

This paper is an assessment of 21 years of developmental local government as advocated through the 1998 White Paper on local government. In the 21st century, local governments have developed into hubs for developmental objectives. This suggests that they are now expected to go beyond the fundamentals of providing services. For instance, the agenda of local governments has automatically adopted South Africa's idea of a developmental state that primarily prioritises economic development and the need to consider the most suitable intervention scales. With the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) in 2012, South African authorities formalised their intention to pursue a developing state. The authorities' conviction that the developmental state approach is a factor for development is evident from reading the NDP. Because of the vertical connections between regional, sub-regional and local processes of change, strategies must be well-suited to one another, different interventions may be most effective at various spatial scales, and strategy and implementation may also be most effective at particular scales. This study used a multi-site case study as the sole type of research methodology. The study took an exploratory approach, because it constituted contextual research, allowing the researcher to investigate and record research phenomena in line with diverse participant interpretations. The study discovered that despite the ideals outlined in the 1998 White Paper, National Development Plan, and District Development Model, emphasising the influence of the local sphere as closer to citizens, and thus more responsible for their welfare and development, factors such as public participation, a lack of skills, and sub-par infrastructure delivery have negatively impacted developmental local government outcomes. In the end, local government is unable to fulfill its responsibility for development. The paper contends that local government's performance, assessed against its constitutional purposes, hinders the realisation of a progressive state in South Africa against a backdrop of local government incapacity.

Stacks of monogalactolipid bilayers can transform into a lattice of water channels

The lipid matrix of thylakoid membranes is a lamellar bilayer, but under a certain condition it can convert locally into a nonlamellar structure. This is possible because one of the main membrane lipids, MGDG, promotes the formation of an inverse hexagonal phase. Here, the spontaneous transformation of aligned hydrated MGDG bilayers into nonlamellar structures is investigated using all-atom moleculardynamics simulation. Previous studies have demonstrated that MGDG polar head groups connect vertically across the interface. In this study, the evolution of the system's initial structure into a lattice of water channels and contacted surfaces created by numerous vertical MGDG connections depended on the width of the hydrating water layers. These widths controlled the bilayers' ability to bend, which was a prerequisite for channel formation. Locally, an intensive exchange of MGDG molecules between apposing bilayer leaflets occurred, although a stable semi-toroidal stalk did not develop.

Experimental and analytical investigations on compression behaviors of rotary-connected sway column-supported steel modular interior frames

This study examines the compressive behaviors of sway column-supported steel modular interior frames (SCSMIFs) using rotary-type vertical and horizontal inter-modular connections (IMCs). The compression behavior of SCSMIFs was investigated through experimental, numerical parametric, and analytical techniques. Findings indicate that the relative rigidity of beam-to-column connections primarily influences lateral translation. Adjacent upper columns displayed symmetrically inward or outward elastic and plastic S-shaped local buckling without IMC failures. A finite element model (FEM) was developed and validated, achieving a 1% average prediction error for compressive resistance. The examination of 87 SCSMIFs with a validated FEM revealed the effects of different parameters on compressive resistance, initial stiffness, and pre-and post-ultimate ductility. Based on member stiffnesses and rotary-type IMCs in semi-rigid and pinned conditions, theoretical models predicted sub-assembled CMSIF buckling loads. The average theory-to-FEM results for pinned and semi-rigid IMCs were 0.70 and 0.95, indicating that incorporating the stiffness of rotary-type IMCs resulted in more accurate and less scattered buckling load predictions. Considering their unique characteristics, the study's findings contribute to ensuring the structural integrity and design of SCSMIFs with IMCs under compressive loads.