The object of this paper is the analysis of isotropic rectangular thin plates supported (simply supported or clamped) along two opposite edges whereby the other edges have arbitrary support conditions; the plates are subjected to external bending moments, concentrated or distributed, and perpendicular to the supported edges. The standard approach to this problem is to replace the bending moment with a couple of forces infinitely close and to use the known expressions of efforts and deformations for the plate subjected to concentrated forces; the results are then related to the first derivatives of those efforts and deformations with respect to the position of application of the load. In this study, the external bending moment was expanded into a Fourier series, leading to a distributed external bending moment, and the boundary conditions and continuity equations were applied. Various types of rectangular plates were analyzed, as well as plates of infinite length whose results were identical to those in the literature. In addition, results for cantilever plates of infinite length were presented.

In order to alleviate the problems regarding conventional damping modeling techniques in nonlinear structural simulations, using concentrated plasticity formulation including rotational end springs with no damping plus middle elastic parts with modified assigned damping has recently been proposed. However, a proper selection for springs’ stiffness is a source of contention. In this paper, the effect of choosing different ratios for springs’ rotational stiffness to the elastic part of the elements on the seismic performance of RC moment frames was investigated. Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) was performed and the derived responses were used for seismic performance assessment methodology. The results demonstrate that using flexible springs may lead to a greatly conservative estimation of collapse capacity, annual losses, and repair costs compared to a rigid one. Due to lack of experimental data, it is not possible to certainly assert the most appropriate ratio. However, such variation in the seismic performance of a building model with different stiffness modification necessitates more investigation on this modeling strategy.

Atta capiguara is a grass-cutting ant species frequently found in Cerrado biome. However, little is known about the giant nest architecture of this ant. In this study, we investigated the architecture of three A. capiguara nests from the fragment of cerrado in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. Casts were made of the nests by filling them with cement to permit better visualization of internal structures such as chambers and tunnels. After excavation, the depth and dimensions (length, width, and height) of the chambers were measured. The results showed the typical shape of Atta capiguara nests consisting of mounds of loose soil with unique features resembling a conic section. The fungus chambers were found outside the apparent main part of the nest and were spaced apart and distributed laterally at ground level. The waste chambers were located beneath the largest mound of loose soil. Both the fungus and waste chambers exhibited a sectoral distribution. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the so far unknown nest architecture of the grass-cutting ant A. capiguara.

This paper analyzes and compares models for predicting average magnet losses in interior permanent-magnet motors with fractional-slot concentrated windings due to harmonics in the armature reaction (assuming sinusoidal phase currents). Particularly, loss models adopting different formulations and solutions to the Helmholtz equation to solve for the eddy currents are compared to a simpler model relying on an assumed eddy-current distribution. Boundaries in terms of magnet dimensions and angular frequency are identified (numerically and using an identified approximate analytical expression) to aid the machine designer whether the more simple loss model is applicable or not. The assumption of a uniform flux-density variation (used in the loss models) is also investigated for the case of V-shaped and straight interior permanent magnets. Finally, predicted volumetric loss densities are exemplified for combinations of slot and pole numbers common in automotive applications.

The paper presents the prediction of hydrodynamic characteristics of different rudder -plane configurations behind a submarine in deep water through the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes method in Ansys Fluent Solver. The hydrodynamic force and moment acting on the Cross-plane, X-plane, and Y-plane rudder configurations are analyzed for estimating hydrodynamic coefficientsfor predicting the advantages of each configuration to control the ship. The obtained results show that X-force of the X-plane rudder configuration is larger than the force acting on the Cross-plane rudder and Y-plane rudder configurations. However, Y-force, and Z-force of the X-plane rudder configuration are significantly greater than the Y-force of the left configurations. The same tendency can be seen in the moment of the X-plane rudder about the y-axis and z-axis. The roll moment induced by the Y-plane and Cross-plane rudder configurations is significantly larger than the case of the X-plane rudder configuration.

A large core size and bending resistance are very important properties of mid-infrared energy transfer fibers, but large core sizes usually lead to a deterioration of bending properties. A negative-curvature nested node-free anti-resonant hollow-core fiber (AR-HCF) based on quartz is proposed. It was made by adding a nested layer to a previous AR-HCF design to provide an additional anti-resonance region while keeping the gap between adjacent tubes strictly correlated to the core diameter to produce a node-free structure. These features improve the fiber’s bending resistance while achieving a larger core diameter. The simulation results show that the radial air-glass anti-resonant layer is increased by the introduction of the nested anti-resonant tube, and the weak interference overlap between the fiber core and the cladding mode is reduced, so the fiber core’s limiting loss and the sensitivity to bending are effectively reduced. When the capillary wall thickness t of the fiber is 0.71 μm, the core diameter D is 70 μm, the ratio of the inner diameter of the cladding capillary to the core diameter d/D is 0.62, and the diameter of the nested tube is d0=29 μm, the fiber has a lower limiting loss at the wavelength of 2.79 μm, and the limiting loss is 3.28×10-4 dB/m. At the same time, the optimized structure also has good bending resistance. When the bending radius is 30 mm, the bending loss is only 4.72×10-2 dB/m. To our knowledge, this is the first research to achieve an anti-bending low-loss micro-structure hollow fiber with a bending radius of less than 30 mm in the 2.79 μm band. An anti-bending low-loss anti-resonant hollow-core fiber with this structure constitutes a reliable choice for the light guiding system of a 2.79 μm band erbium laser therapy instrument.

A set of polymer composite bolted T-joints with novel configuration consisting of internal skeleton and external skin was fabricated using a prepreg-RTM co-curing molding process. Experiments were conducted to study their mechanical properties under bending load. A finite element model with a polymer resin area between the skin and skeleton was established and verified by the experimental results. Then, the damage propagation process and failure mechanism of the joint and the influence of three factors related to the layer characteristics of the skin and skeleton were investigated by the validated models. The results show that the bending stiffness and the yield limit load of the novel composite T-joint are 0.81 times and 1.65 times that of the 2A12 aluminum T-joint respectively, while at only 55.4% of its weight. The damage of the joint initiates within the resin area and leads to a degradation of the joint bending performances. The preferred stacking sequence of the skeleton is [0/+45/90/-45]ns when primarily subjected to bending loads. The decrease in bending performances is within 5% with the inclining angle of the skeleton less than 12 degrees. The more layers of 90° in the skin, the better bending performances of the joints, while the more layer of 0°, the poorer bending performances.

A co-curing resin system consisting of 9368 epoxy resin for prepreg and 6808 epoxy resin for resin transfer molding (RTM) was developed. A corresponding preparation method of novel polymer composite bolted T-joint with internal skeleton and external skin was proposed based on prepreg-RTM co-curing process, and novel T-joints were fabricated. A series of conventional configuration T-joints based on RTM process and T-joints made of 2A12 aluminum alloy were prepared simultaneously. Bending performances were studied on these T-joints experimentally. The results indicate that 9368 epoxy resin and 6808 epoxy resin exhibit good compatibility in rheological and thermophysical properties. The novel T-joints prepared with prepreg-RTM co-curing process show no obvious fiber local winding or resin-rich regions inside, and the interface quality between internal skeleton and external skin is excellent. The main failure modes of the novel T-joint under bending load include separation of skin and skeleton and fracture along the thickness on the base panel; the skeleton carries the main bending load, but there is still load transfer between external skin and internal skeleton through their interface. The internal damages of the novel T-joint are highly consistent with surface damages observed visually, facilitating the detection and timely discovery of damages. The initial stiffness, damage initiation load, and ultimate load of the novel T-joint are 1.65 times, 5.89 times, and 3.45 times that of conventional T-joint, respectively. When considering the influence of density, the relative initial stiffness and relative ultimate load of the novel T-joint are 1.44 times and 2.07 times that of aluminum alloy T-joint, respectively.

Reasonable allocation of production plans and saving the overall electricity cost are crucial for large manufacturing conglomerates, which is an effective way for conglomerates to realize open-source and cost-saving. This paper develops an optimization model of off-site industrial production scheduling for enterprises in response to the problems of high electricity costs due to the irrational allocation of production schedules on the demand side of China's electric power and the difficulty of promoting industrial and commercial distributed photovoltaic (PV) projects in China. The model makes full use of the conditions of different PV resources and different electricity prices in different places to optimize the scheduling of industrial production in different places. The model is embedded with two sub-models of the electricity price prediction model and distributed photovoltaic kWh cost model to complete the model parameters, in which the electricity price prediction model utilizes the LSTM neural network. The integrated model is then solved by the particle swarm algorithm. To verify the effectiveness of the model in solving the problem of off-site production scheduling on the demand side of electricity, the research team researched two off-site pharmaceutical factories belonging to the same large pharmaceutical company. Finally, the research data were substituted into the model for solving, and it was concluded that the optimization model could significantly reduce the cost of electricity consumption of the enterprise by about 7.9 %.

This paper provides orthogonal moments (OM) such as, Zernike Moments(ZM), Psuedo Zernike Moments(PZM) and Orthogonal Fourier Mellin Moments(OFMM) for the analysis of melanoma images. The moment invariants may vary with respect to geometric variations. For the analysis of orthogonal moments hundred random melanoma images and hundred non-melanoma images have been taken into consideration from the database of 570 melanoma images and 250 non-melanoma images respectively. Orthoganal moments have been computed by varying the phase angles from 10° to 40° with an equal interval of 10° degree for the orders 2, 4,8,16,32,64,128,256 respectively. For the optimal OMs Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique have been used. These set of extracted optimal OMs have been further applied to classify melanoma images. Support Vector Machine (SVM) has been used for the classification of [1]sensitivity=88.78%.

Deadlock is a real problem that can cause expensive, time-dependent hang-ups or failures in distributed computing systems. Some studies have been conducted with deadlock detection and resolution in generalized request computing models, most of these studies are based on the diffusing computation scheme, where forward and backward propagated probe and reply messages respectively are diffused between dependent processes. The replies carry the dependency information between processes for the initiator. Using this dependency information initiator can detect and resolve the deadlock cycle. It has been proven in the literature that a deadlock cycle length distribution is skewed with a large majority of cycles (90%) having length two. Based on this fact an improved algorithm is proposed for handling deadlock detection in distributed computing systems under the distributed request model where each process has several requests at a time. The improved algorithm depends mainly on message propagation and timeout policy. Probe and reply messages are propagated between the initiator and its successors only to detect deadlock cycles between them. Global timeout policy is used to detect potential deadlock cycles with large length distribution. The proposed algorithm can handle concurrent executions. Simulation experiments are performed to see the effectiveness of the improved algorithm. It is found that the improved algorithm compares favorably with other existing algorithms and it shows better results for several performance metrics especially in reducing deadlock latency and execution time.

Graph symmetry detection, similarity, and identity measures have been extensively studied in graph automorphism and isomorphism problems. Nevertheless, graph isomorphism and automorphism detection remain an open (unsolved) problem for many decades. In this paper, a new optinalytic coefficient termed as an optical moment coefficient was introduced for optinalysis. Its characteristic efficiency was tested for bijective property, invariance, deterministic polynomiality and non-polynomiality. The test results show that the new optical moment coefficient is very efficient for symmetry detections, similarity and identity measures between two isometric isomorphs and automorphs; and deterministic on polynomial and non-polynomial graph models.

This paper proposed a three-layer distributed simulation network architecture: 1. Distributed virtual simulation network, 2. Perception and control sub-network, and 3. Collaborative communication service network. This simulation architecture runs on a distributed platform. The platform can provide a unique virtual scenario and several simulation services to verify the individual robot system's basic perception, control, and planning algorithms and the distributed collaborative algorithms of heterogeneous multi-robot systems. Furthermore, we designed a simulation experiment scenario for classical heterogeneous robot systems such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). At last, We gave a rough estimation model of the bandwidth.

Renovation, restoration, remodeling, refurbishment, and retrofitting of build-ings often imply modifying the behavior of the structural system. Modification sometimes includes applying forces (i.e., concentrated loads) to beams that before were subjected to distributed loads only. For a reinforced concrete structure, the new condition causes a beam to bear a concentrated load with the crack pattern that was produced by the distributed loads that acted in the past. If the concentrated load is applied at or near the beam’s midspan, the new shear demand reaches the maximum around the midspan. But around the midspan, the cracks are vertical or quasi-vertical, and no inclined bar is present. So, the actual shear capacity around the midspan not only is low, but also can be substantially lower than the new demand. In order to bring the beam capacity up to the demand, fiber-reinforced-polymer composites can be used. This paper presents a design method to increase the concentrated load-carrying capacity of reinforced concrete beams whose load distribution has to be changed from distributed to concentrated, and an analytical model to pre-dict the concentrated load-carrying capacity of a beam in the strengthened state.

Integrated Model of Distributed Systems is used for modeling and verification. In formalism, the distributed system is modeled as a collection of server states and agent messages. The evolution of the system takes the form of actions that transform the global system configuration (states and messages) into a new configuration. Formalism is used in the Dedan verification environment for finding different kinds of deadlocks: communication deadlocks in the server view and resource deadlocks in the agent view. For other purposes, a conversion has been developed to equivalent models: to Petri nets for structural analysis and do Distributed Autonomous and Asynchronous Automata (DA3) for easy graphical modeling in terms of system components. In addition, it is possible to simulate a verified system on distributed components in DA3. The automata have two forms: Server-DA3 (S-DA3) for the server view and Agent-DA3 (A-DA3) for the agent view. DA3 formalism is compared to other concepts of distributed automata known from the literature.

This study explores the potential to reach a circular economy for post-consumer recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) packaging and bottles by using it as a distributed recycling for additive manufacturing (DRAM) feedstock. Specifically, rPET is processed using only an open source toolchain with fused particle fabrication (FPF) or fused granular fabrication (FGF) processing. In this study, first the impact of granulation, sifting and heating (and their combination) is quantified on the shape and size distribution of the rPET flakes. Then feeding studies were performed to see if they could be printed through an external feeder or needed to be direct printed with a hopper using two Gigabot X machines, one with extended part cooling and one without. Print settings were optimized based on thermal characterization and for the latter which was shown to print rPET directly from shredded water bottles mechanical testing is performed. The results showed that geometry was important for extended feeding tubes and direct printed using a hopper. Further there is a wide disparity in the physical properties of rPET from water bottles depending on source and the history of the material. Future work is needed to enable water bottles to be used as a widespread DRAM feedstock.

The spin magnetic moments and spin g factors (g_s = -2) of electron, muon and tau are explained based on the electric charges (EC) and lepton charges (LC) in terms of the three-dimensional quantized space model. The spin g factors of electron, muon and tau are g_s = -2 which is the sum of the EC g factor (g_EC = -1) and the LC g factor (g_LC = -1). The spin g factor (g_s = -2) of the electron is predicted by the Dirac’s equation. The orbit g factors of electron, muon and tau are g_L = g_EC = -1 from the EC g factor (g_EC = -1) without the contribution of the LC g factor (g_LC = -1). The spin g factors of the elementary fermions are calculated from the equation of g_s = g_EC + g_LC + g_CC where g_EC = EC/|EC|, g_LC = LC/|LC| and g_CC = CC/|CC|. For example, the spin g factors of the neutrinos and dark matters are g_s = -1. The spin g factors of the u and d quarks are g_s = 0 and g_s = -2, respectively. The g factor problem of neutrinos with the non-zero LC charges are solved by the LC Coulomb force of F_c(LC) ≈0. It is, for the first time, proposed that the binary motion (fluctuations) of the m_EC and m_LC masses for the electron, muon and tau leptons make the anomalous g factor. This binary motion could be originated from the virtual particle processes including the photons. Also, the weak force (beta) decay is closely related to the binary motion of the m_EC and m_LC for the electron, muon and tau leptons.

An analysis is presented of the possible existence of a second anomalous dipole moment of Dirac’s particle next to the one associated with the angular momentum. It includes a discussion why, in spite of his own derivation, Dirac has doubted about its relevancy. It is shown why since then it has been overlooked and why it has vanished from leading textbooks. A critical survey is given on the reasons of its reject, including the failure of attempts to measure and the perceived violations of time reversal symmetry and charge-parity symmetry. It is emphasized that the anomalous electric dipole moment of the pointlike electron (AEDM) is fundamentally different from the quantum field type electric dipole moment of an electron (eEDM) as defined in the standard model of particle physics. The analysis has resulted into the identification of a third type Dirac particle, next to the electron type and the Majorana particle. It is shown that, unlike as in the case of the electron type, its second anomalous dipole moment is real valued and is therefore subject to polarization in a vector field. Examples are given that it may have a possible impact in the nuclear domain and in the gravitational domain.

Considering the spectrum shortage problem of IoT devices, we introduce a collaborative spectrum sensing (CSS) framework in this paper to identify available spectrum resources, so that IoT devices can access it and meanwhile avoid causing harmful interference to the normal communication of the primary user (PU). However, in the process of the PU’s signal detection in IoT devices, the issue about the stopping time and decision cost arises. To this end, we propose a distributed cognitive IoT model, which includes two IoT devices independently using sequential decision rules to detect the PU. On this basis, we define the stopping time and cost function for IoT devices, and formulate an average cost optimization problem in CSS. To solve this problem, we further regard the optimal stopping time problem as a finite horizon problem, and solve the threshold of the optimal decision rule by dynamic programming. At last, numerical simulation results demonstrate the correctness of our proposal in terms of the global false alarm and miss detection probability, and it always achieves minimal average cost under various cost of each observation taken and thresholds.

Consumer IoT (CIoT) manufacturers seek customer feedback to enhance their products and services, creating a smart ecosystem like a smart home. Due to security and privacy concerns, Blockchain-based federated learning (BCFL) ecosystems can let CIoT manufacturers update their Machine Learning (ML) model using end-user data. FL uses privacy-preserving ML techniques to forecast customers' needs and consumption habits, and blockchain replaces the centralised aggregator to safeguard the ecosystem. However, Blockchain technology (BCT) struggles with scalability and quick ledger expansion. In BCFL, local model generation and secure aggregation are other issues. This research contributes a novel architecture emphasising Gateway Peer (GWP) in blockchain network to resolve scalability, ledger optimisation and secure model transmission issues. In the architecture we replace the centralised aggregator by the blockchain network, while GWP restricts the number of local transactions to execute in BCN. Considering the security and privacy of FL processes, we have added differential privacy and advanced normalisation techniques to ML processes. The approaches strengthen end-users' cyber security and encourage the adoption of technological innovation standards by service providers. The proposed approach has been tested extensively using a well-respected Stanford Cars dataset. We experimentally demonstrate that the proposed architecture makes the network scalable and optimises the ledger significantly. In addition, the normalisation technique outperforms batch normalisation when features are under DP protection.

An analysis is presented of the possible existence of a second anomalous dipole moment of Dirac’s particle next to the angular one. It includes a discussion why, in spite of his own derivation, Dirac has doubted about its relevancy. It is shown why since then it has been overlooked and why it has vanished from leading textbooks. A critical survey is given on the reasons of its reject, including the failure of attempts to measure and the perceived violations of time reversal symmetry and chargeparity symmetry. It is emphasized that the anomalous electric dipole moment of the pointlike electron (AEDM) is fundamentally different from the quantum field type electric dipole moment of an electron (eEDM) as defined in the standard model of particle physics and that its measurement requires different instrumentation. A proposal has been described how to prove or disprove its existence by experiment. Moreover, by reference from literature, the possible impact is discussed in the nuclear domain and in the gravitational domain.

In particle physics, spin is an intrinsic form of angular momentum carried by the elementary particles. It is believed that spin is a solely quantum-mechanical phenomenon, which does not have a counterpart in classical mechanics. We have derived the simplest equations of spin and magnetic moment of a charged elementary particle. These formulas enable us to understand the physical nature of the spin and the structure of elementary particles. It is shown that the electron and muon are in the shape of a thin ring with a circular cross section (torus), and the proton is in the form of a ring with a non-circular cross section (toroid). The connection between the photon’s spin of and the propagation of electromagnetic waves is considered.

We present a high-throughput nanoindentation study of in-situ bending effects on incipient plastic deformation behavior of polycrystalline and single-crystalline pure aluminum and pure copper at ultra-nano depths (<200nm). We find that hardness displays a statistically inverse dependence on in-plane stress for indentation depths smaller than 10nm, and the dependence disappears for larger indentation depths. In addition, plastic noise in the nanoindentation force and displacement displays statistically robust noise features, independently of applied stresses. Our experimental results suggest the existence of a regime in FCC crystals where ultra-nano hardness is sensitive to residual applied stresses, but plasticity pop-in noise is insensitive to it.

Continuum robots play the role of end-effector in various surgical robots and endoscopic devices. The robots may be categorized as rigid or soft continuum robots (SCRs). While the SCRs have proven advantages such as safety and compliance, more research and development are required to enhance their capability for specific medical scenarios. This research aims at designing a soft robot considering concepts of geometric and kinematic similarities. The chosen application is a semi-invasive medical application known as Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE), but the methodology can be implemented in other similar applications. Since established rigid carrier construction make use of principles we find as well embodied in vertebral spines, the paragon for soft robot solution can be the phylogenetic precursor of the spine, the Chorda dorsalis. The feasibility of fabrication of a soft endoscopic device derived from that paragon within a robotics laboratory was shown empirically by producing a three-segment pneumatic SCR. The kinematic model was proposed based on the method of transformation matrices, and an algorithm based on a self-organizing map (SOM) was proposed and applied to realize kinematic similarity. The simulation results indicate that the algorithm acting as an open-loop controller forces the soft robot tip to follow the desired path which in this case is the path of the rigid probe. It is concluded that the solution provides a soft robot that can surrogate and succeed the traditional rigid counterpart owing to size, workspace, and kinematics.

This study examined how practice distribution schedules influenced accuracy and efficacy in the tennis serve. 24 recreational players were randomized into two experimental groups. Both groups carried out 4 series of 10 services per session during 12 sessions. Massed practice group did not rested between services and rested 10 seconds between series. Distributed practice group rested 10 seconds between services and 30 seconds between series. The accuracy and efficacy were registered and computed based on the 2D digitalization. The learning and retention were tested in a post-test and retention test. The learning program increased the efficacy in the post-test in both groups (p =.001 massed group; p =.015 distributed group). On the retest, the group of massed practice decreased efficacy (p =.021). In accuracy, the group of massed practice reduced its performance in the post-test (p =.015). The effects of the program on the accuracy in the retention test were not observed. It is concluded that this type of sports learning programs, applied at a recreational level, can provide a rigorous approach that contributes with guarantees to the learning of tennis.

Extruded polystyrene (XPS) is frequently used in the construction of many different structures. It is therefore necessary to appropriately characterize its mechanical properties to ensure the safety of said structures. Among the available characterization tests, static bending tests are simple and easy to perform; owing to these characteristics, they should be performed more frequently than other tests. However, in static bending tests on XPS, there are several challenges owing to the high flexibility of XPS, and the chosen testing method and sample configuration affect the accuracy of characterization. In this study, three bending properties (Young’s modulus, proportional limit stress, and bending strength) of samples cut from an XPS panel were determined using three-point bending (TPB), four-point bending (FPB), and compression bending (CB) tests with varying sample span/depth ratios, and statistical analyses were performed to determine the relevance of the tests. The experimental results suggest that the TPB and CB tests were more feasible than the FPB test when the span/depth ratio was appropriately determined. However, clear differences were observed in the sample bending properties determined in these tests. In light of these findings, further studies should be conducted to elucidate these differences.

To have a better protection, strong toughness and good flexibility, all lives and plants must have skins, similarly, all books should have covers. In this paper, considering interlayer friction as a perturbation, we formulate a hardcover-book-like laminated plates with internal friction. For a quasi-static problem, detail analysis on the bending response and energy dissipation are carried out for a three-point-supported plates. Our numerical investigations show that the hardcover is more essential than the core layers in terms of bending response, and the energy dissipation within per loading-unloading cycle can be made to vary by a considerable amount. The central goal of studying is not only to predict the bending deformation of the book-like-plates, but also as a representative case to help finding some clue on the universal behaviours of multilayered architectures with internal friction.

Demolished concrete and plastic waste are two increasingly aggravating problems. In this study, a novel method was proposed to simultaneously recycle concrete and plastic wastes by compacting concrete and plastic powders together under pressure and temperature. The influence of compression pressure and temperature as well as the mixture proportion on the bending strength of specimens was investigated. The results showed that pressure and temperature had a positive effect on the specimen strength; however, the molding temperature should not exceed the melting temperature of plastic. The proportion of plastic had a minimal effect on the bending strength of the specimen when plastic accounted for 25%–75% of the overall mass of the test piece.

The precise regulation of hinge moment and pitch angle driven by the pitch regulated mechanism is crucial for modulating thrust requirements and ensuring stable attitude control in Martian coaxial rotorcraft. Nonetheless, the aerodynamic hinge moment in rotorcraft presents time-dependent dynamic properties, posing significant challenges for accurate measurement and assessment for such characteristics. In this study, we delve into the detailed aerodynamic hinge moment characteristics associated with the pitch regulated mechanism of Mars rotorcraft under a spectrum of control strategies. A robust computational fluid dynamics model has been developed to simulate rotor’s aerodynamic loads, accompanied by a quantitative hinge moment characterization that takes into account the effects of varying rotor speeds and pitch angles. Our investigation has yielded a thorough understanding of the interplay between aerodynamic load behavior and rotor surface pressure distributions, leading to the creation of an empirical mapping model for hinge moments. To validate our findings, we engineered a specialized test apparatus capable of measuring the hinge moments of the pitch regulated mechanism, facilitating empirical assessments under replicated atmospheric conditions of both Earth and Mars. The result indicates aerodynamic hinge moments depend non-linearly on rotational speed, peaking at a 0° pitch angle and showing minimal sensitivity to pitch under 0°. Above 0°, hinge moments decrease, reaching a minimum at 15° before rising again. Simulation and experimental comparisons demonstrate that under Earth conditions, the aerodynamic performance and hinge moment errors are within 8.54% and 24.90%, respectively. For Mars conditions, errors remain below 11.62%, proving the CFD model’s reliability. This supports its application in the design and optimization of Mars rotorcraft systems, enhancing their flight control through accurate prediction of aerodynamic hinge moments across various pitch angles and speeds.

Modification of Scots pine sapwood (Pinus sylvestris L.) with heterocyclic compounds, imidazole and succinimide, was investigated. Pressure-impregnation with aqueous solutions containing imidazole, imidazole + citric acid, succinimide, succinimide + citric acid, and citric acid + sorbitol (CIOL®) at 5%, 10%, and 15% solid content was followed by oven-curing at 220 °C for 1 hour. Mass changes during treatment steps, bending properties, and anti-swelling efficiency (ASE) were examined. Results indicate that solid concentrations within the range of 5% to 10% were optimal. Results seem to show there are two differing mechanisms in the modification of imidazole and succinimide, respectively. Mass loss due to the heat treatment was highest in imidazole-treated specimens, whereas it remained low and concentration-independent in succinimide-treated specimens. ASE after three cycles reached 31% for imidazole-treated specimens and improved to 38% with the addition of citric acid. For succinimide, ASE increased from 17% to 41%. Bending properties generally showed improvement, except for succinimide + citric acid and CIOL®, which displayed a reduced modulus of rupture. Chemical analyses are warranted to fully understand the reaction mechanisms of the treatments. Imidazole treatment's positive effects are suggested to stem from a thermal reaction between the chemical and wood, indicated by substantial mass loss during leaching and specimen darkening. Succinimide and citric acid might exhibit polymerization with each other and wood components, akin to the CIOL® process. Further research should delve into reaction mechanisms and the impact of imidazole and succinimide on biological durability.

The pyrolysis process has emerged as an attractive option for waste treatment. In this technology, inorganic compounds play catalytic effects in the pyrolytic reaction of organic materials, increa-sing the char's yield, porosity, and physicochemical properties. The present research investigates and compares the slow pyrolysis of spent coffee grounds (SCG) using potassium hydroxide (KOH) (weight ratio of 1:1) and landfill leachate membrane concentrate (LLMC) residue (weight ratio of 1:1) as pyrolitic additives. We hypothesized that the high content of alkali and alkaline earth metals in LLMC could enhance the yield or improve the quality of the carbon-based material produced in pyrolysis. This strategy could be a sustainable alternative for valorizing SCG and landfill wastes, replacing catalyzing agents such as steam, CO2, and chemical additives used on an industrial scale. The char yields in slow pyrolysis ranged from 18 to 24%. The SCG had a low specific surface area (4.5 m2 g-1), contrasting with the notable surface areas observed in both ac-tivated chars. In particular, the KOH-activated char displayed a higher surface area than the LLMC-activated char (1960 vs. 1130 m2 g-1). On the other hand, the combustion enthalpy of the LLMC-activated material was estimated at 22 MJ kg-1. This value was 22% higher than the energy enthalpy of SCG and KOH-activated char used for comparison. Our findings confirm that pyrolysis of SCG with KOH produces a microporous material with a high specific surface area. In contrast, the resulting LLMC-activated char demonstrates a higher calorific value. Our findings could contribute to establishing potential industrial applications for SCG and LLMC residues to produce energy and high-value materials.

Consumption of prebiotic fibers to modulate the human gut microbiome is a promising strategy to positively impact health. Nevertheless, given the compositional complexity of the microbiome and its inter-individual variances, generalized recommendations on the source or amount of fiber supplements remain vague. This problem is further compounded by availability of tractable in vitro and in vivo models to validate certain fibers. We employed a gnotobiotic mouse model containing an a priori characterized 14-member synthetic human gut microbiome (SM) for their ability to metabolize a suit of fibers in vitro; the SM contains 14 different strains belonging to five distinct phyla. Since soluble purified fibers have been a common subject of studies, we specifically investigated the effects of concentrated raw fibers (CRFs)—containing fibers from pea, oat, psyllium, wheat and apple—on the compositional and functional alterations in the SM. We demonstrate that, compared to a fiber-free diet, CRF supplementation increased the abundance of fiber-degraders namely Eubacterium rectale, Roseburia intestinalis and Bacteroides ovatus and decreased the abundance of the mucin-degrader Akkermansia muciniphila. These results were corroborated by a general increase of bacterial fiber-degrading α-glucosidase enzyme activity. Overall, our results highlight the ability of CRFs to enhance the microbial fiber-degrading capacity.

This paper presents an exact solution to the Timoshenko beam theory (TBT) for first-order analysis, second-order analysis, and stability. The TBT covers cases associated with small deflections based on shear deformation considerations, whereas the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory (EBBT) neglects shear deformations. Thus, the Euler–Bernoulli beam is a special case of the Timoshenko beam. The moment-curvature relationship is one of the governing equations of the EBBT, and closed-form expressions of efforts and deformations are available in the literature. However, neither an equivalent to the moment-curvature relationship of EBBT nor closed-form expressions of efforts and deformations can be found in the TBT. In this paper, a moment-shear force-curvature relationship, the equivalent in TBT of the moment-curvature relationship of EBBT, was presented. Based on this relationship, first-order and second-order analyses were conducted, and closed-form expressions of efforts and deformations were derived for various load cases. Furthermore, beam stability was analyzed and buckling loads were calculated. Finally, first-order and second-order element stiffness matrices were determined.

The object of study is a transversely bent triangular plate made of orthotropic material fixed along the edges of the plate under the action of a uniformly distributed load. Fourth-order differential equilibrium equations with variable orthotropy parameters were used. The equations were approximated by finite differences for a grid of scalene triangles. This type of mesh accurately describes the boundary contour of the triangular-shaped plates. The boundary conditions for the mesh consider the orthotropy of the plate material. Seven standard finite-difference equations have been developed considering the boundary conditions along the three edges of the plate and the presence of three angles of an irregularly shaped triangle. A finite difference matrix is obtained. The matrix structure makes calculating a triangular plate at different base angles possible. The boundary conditions were varied in the form of rigid or hinged support of triangular plates. The calculation method considers the orthotropic parameters of the material in two mutually perpendicular planes. The adaptation of the numerical method to the calculation of orthotropic plates of arbitrary shape is described. Relationships are given for determining the rigidity characteristics of orthotropic materials. An algorithm for simple engineering calculation of triangular orthotropic plates is proposed, which makes it possible to perform accurate calculations in variant design.

We report herein high-resolution x-ray diffraction measurements of basal plane bending of homoepitaxial single-crystal diamond (SCD). The results reveal that growth parameters such as temperature, growth time and basal plane bending of the substrate affect the basal plane bending of SCD. First, the basal plane bending of SCD depends mainly on the substrate itself. The basal plane bending of SCD becomes more severe with increasing basal plane bending of the substrate and this type of basal plane bending cannot be recovered. The SCD growth experiments show that the basal plane bending increases at high temperature and with increasing growth time. Finally, to understand the mechanism behind basal plane bending, we investigate the substrate-surface temperature distribution as a function of basal plane bending of SCD fabricated by chemical vapour deposition (CVD). This allows us to propose a bending model and understand the origin of basal plane bending. The results indicate that an uneven temperature distribution on the substrate surface is the main cause of the CVD diamond base-plane bending.

Blockchain technology has emerged as a necessity for the decentralization of payment methods and transactions, but it has brought with it many properties of distributed systems that have made it a crucial technology for overcoming some of society's challenges, especially in the context of decentralizing services, transparency of information, availability, and security. Its architecture and communication methods, although possessing some complex nuances to understand, particularly for the lay audience in the field of distributed systems, protocols, and computer networks. In this article, we will explore some topics of distributed systems related to blockchain technology.

Volatility estimation and quantile regression are relevant active research areas in statistics, machine learning and econometrics. In this work, we propose two procedures to estimate local variances in generic regression problems by using of kernel smoothers. The proposed schemes can be applied in multidimesional scenarios (not just for time series analysis) and easily in a multi-output framework, as well. Moreover, they allow the possibility of providing uncertainty estimation using a generic kernel smoother technique. Several numerical experiments show the benefits of the proposed methods, even comparing with benchmark techniques. One of these experiment involves a real dataset analysis.

In the perspective of designing complex concentrated alloys (CCAs) for structural applications, sigma (σ) phase is important. It is generally known to be an embrittling phase leading to a degradation in the mechanical properties of CCAs. This necessitates detailed investigations on the evolution of σ phase in these alloys. In the present study, an equiatomic CoCrCuMnNi CCA is chosen, in which σ phase appears at 800°C, as reported in a recent publication [1]. To this end, the present investigation aims at understanding the evolution of this phase so that its presence can be controlled for the purpose of preventing degradation in mechanical properties. In the present work, a vacuum arc melted alloy, after homogenisation (at 400°C for 5h), is heat-treated for different times ranging from 1 to 9h at 800°C followed by water quenching. Extensive characterisation has been carried out using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) techniques to understand the sequence of σ phase precipitation at 800°C.

The goal of this lab is to look at how the characteristics of cementitious materials are affected by bending loads combined with dry and wet cycles of sulfate. In this paper, three sets of specimens with different water–cement ratios were designed. This study applied 20% and 40% of the ultimate bending load as a continuous bending load to the cementitious material specimens for a sulfate erosion test. It was discovered that the specimens' porosity, flexural strength, and compressive strength all tended to improve initially before declining as the cementitious material was degraded in the sulfate solution aged. The flexural strength of the cementitious materials declined as the bending load increased, and their internal sulfate ion concentration rose. A transport model of sulfate ions in cementitious materials under the coupling effect of bending load and sulfate erosion was created by combining the improved version of Fick’s second law and chemical reaction kinetics. The simulation results show that the ion transport properties of sulfate ions in cementitious materials are in accordance with the experimental laws. These research results formed the basis of the unified standards for the coupling of load dry and wet cycle systems, as well as evaluating the durability of cementitious materials under corrosive environments.

It is well known that the photon trajectories follow a curved path in a gravitational field. We explore here the gravitational bending of electric field lines. It seems that the electric field lines of a charge, supported in a gravitational field, follow exactly the trajectories of photons emitted isotropically from a source situated at the charge location. From a detailed examination of the electrostatic field of a charge accelerated uniformly in the instantaneous rest frame, exploiting the strong principle of equivalence, one can determine the bending of the electric field lines of a charge in a gravitational field. The fraction of electric field lines crossing a surface, stationary above or below the charge in the gravitational field, is shown to be exactly similar to the fraction of photon trajectories, emitted from a source placed at the charge location, intersecting that surface. On the other hand, for a freely falling charge in the gravitational field there is no such bending of electric field lines. The field lines continue to extend in radial straight lines from the instantaneous 'present' position of the charge, as do the trajectories of photons streaming away from the instantaneous position of a freely falling source in the gravitational field. The electric field configuration of a freely falling charge in the gravitational field is shown to be exactly the same as that of a charge moving uniformly in an inertial frame with velocity equal to the instantaneous ``present'' velocity of the freely falling charge.

The Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) is a project dedicated to global studies of extremely extended cosmic-ray phenomena, the cosmic-ray ensembles (CRE), beyond the capabilities of existing detectors and observatories. Up to date cosmic-ray research has been focused on detecting single air showers, while the search for ensembles of cosmic-rays, which may overspread a significant fraction of the Earth, is a scientific terra incognita. Instead of developing and commissioning a completely new global detector infrastructure, CREDO proposes approaching the global cosmic-ray analysis objectives with all types of available detectors, from professional to pocket size, merged into a worldwide network. With such a network it is possible to search for evidences of correlated cosmic-ray ensembles. One of the observables that can be investigated in CREDO is a number of spatially isolated events collected in a small time window which could shed light on fundamental physics issues. The CREDO mission and strategy requires active engagement of a large number of participants, also non-experts, who will contribute to the project by using common electronic devices (e.g. smartphones). In this note the status and perspectives of the project is presented.

Bending pipe is a common component of long distance pipeline. Accurately understanding the flow law of hydrate particles in elbow pipe is of great significance for optimizing pipeline design, improving production efficiency of gas transmission pipeline and ensuring pipeline safety. Taking the flow of hydrate particles in a Bending pipe as the object of study, the spiral flow attenuation and hydrate particle deposition under different bending pipe angles, different rate of bending pipe to diameter, different Reynolds number and different torsion were studied by numerical simulation method. The results show that the larger the swirl number, the higher the spiral flow intensity. When the fluid enters the bending pipe, the Angle of the bending pipe is larger, the torsional rate is smaller, and the Reynolds number is larger, the swirl number is larger, the intensity of the swirl flow is stronger, and the swirl number is larger at the same position. However, the larger the bending pipe to diameter ratio, the greater the change of the total swirl number and the weaker the strength at outflow, but the slower the change of swirl number, indicating that the spiral flow attenuation is slower. The larger the bending pipe Angle, the larger the bending pipe diameter rate, the smaller the torsion rate and the larger the Reynolds number, the smaller the deposition rate of the particles after flowing through the pipe. The results show that the spiral flow strength can be maintained in a proper way to reduce the deposition and ensure the safety of the conveying process.

The Cosmic Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) is a newly formed, global collaboration dedicated to observing and studying cosmic rays (CR) and cosmic ray ensembles (CRE): groups of a minimum of two CR with a common primary interaction vertex or the same parent particle. The CREDO program embraces testing known CR and CRE scenarios, and preparing to observe unexpected physics, it is also suitable for multi-messenger and multi-mission applications. Perfectly matched to CREDO capabilities, CRE could be formed both within classical models (e.g. as products of photon-photon interactions), and exotic scenarios (e.g. as results of decay of Super Heavy Dark Matter particles), their fronts might be significantly extended in space and time, and they might include cosmic rays of energies spanning the whole cosmic ray energy spectrum. CRE are expected to be partially observable on Earth even if the initiating interaction or process occurs as far as ~1 Gpc away. They would have a footprint composed of at least two extensive air showers with correlated arrival directions and arrival times. Since CRE are mostly expected to be spread over large areas and, because of the expected wide energy range of the contributing particles, CRE detection might only be feasible when using available cosmic ray infrastructure collectively, i.e. as a globally extended network of detectors. Thus, with this review article, the CREDO Collaboration invites the astroparticle physics community to actively join or to contribute to the research dedicated to CRE, and in particular to share any cosmic ray data useful for the specific CRE detection strategies.

Drag-dominant tidal turbine energy holds tremendous clean energy potential but faces significant hurdles as unsuitability of Disk Actuator theory due to the varying swept blockage area, unaccounted bypass flow downstream interaction and rotor parasitic drag whereas Blade Element Momentum theory is computably effective for majorly 3-blade lift-dominated aerofoil. This study proposes a novel method to find the optimal TSR of any turbine with a cost-effective and user-friendly Moment Balancing algorithm to support robust tidal energy development. Performance analysis CFD study of Pinwheel and Savonius tidal turbines was carried out. Dynamic TSR matrix was developed with varying rotational speeds and fluid velocities for reliability, unlike previous works simulated at a fixed fluid velocity. Novel parameters such as thrust and idle moment are introduced as functions of only inlet fluid velocity and rotational speed respectively. These relationships are verified through regression analysis, and the turbines' net moment equations are established based on these parameters. Rotational speed was a reliable predictor for Pinwheel's idle moment, while inlet velocity was a reliable predictor for thrust moment in both models. The optimal (Cp, TSR) values for Pinwheel and Savonius turbines were (2.37, 0.223) and (0.63, 0.16) respectively, within an acceptable error range for experimental validation.

Stress relaxation tests in cantilever bending were performed on the C7025 and C7035 alloys at 298K and 393K，respectively. The effect of stress-relief treatments on stress relaxation properties was investigated. The structural changes associated with the stress relaxation process were examined using transmission electron microscope. The stress relaxation curve fits well to empirical formula σ*=[Kˊln(t+α₀)+C]^-n for stress relaxation. The curves can be split into two stages. The stress relax quickly in the first stage, slows down in the second stage, and tends to be a certain limit value after a long time. The curve and microstructure reveals that the C7035 alloy has a lower rate of stress relaxation and a higher anti-stress relaxation capacity than the C7025. The first reason is that the movement of vacancies required by spinodal decomposition is inhibited, and the quantity of cobalt -containing vacancies decreases dramatically in the C7035 alloy. The other reason is that the precipitated phases became uniformly diffused in the C7035 alloy. The precipitate phase uniformly distributes in the grain boundaries and the matrix, during the relaxed condition, and thus the dislocations moving is blocked by the precipitates.

It is well known that X-ray crystallography is based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) by atoms and molecules. The diffraction pattern arises as a result of scattering of incident radiation, which makes it possible to determine the structure of the scattering substance. With the advent of ultrashort radiation sources, the theory and interpretation of X-ray diffraction analysis remained the same. This work shows that when an attosecond laser pulse is scattered on a DNA molecule, including during its nicking and bending, the pulse duration is an important characteristic of the scattering. In this case, the diffraction pattern changes significantly compared to the previously known scattering theory. The results obtained must be used in XRD theory to study DNA structures, their mutations and damage, since the previously known theory can produce large errors and, therefore, the DNA structure can be “deciphered” incorrectly.

Increasing traffic loads and changes in code provisions lead to deficits in shear and flexural capacity of many existing highway bridges. Therefore, a lot of structures in Europe and North America are expected to require refurbishment and strengthening in the future. This projection is based on the current condition of many older road bridges. Different strengthening methods for bridges exist to extent their service life, all having specific advantages and disadvantages. By applying a thin layer of carbon textile reinforced mortar (CTRM) to bridge deck slabs and the webs of prestressed concrete bridges, the fatigue and ultimate strength of these members can be increased significantly. The CTRM-layer is a combination of a corrosion resistant carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabric and an efficient mortar. In this paper, the strengthening method and the experimental results obtained at RWTH Aachen University are presented.

Rebar quantity estimation is pivotal for determining the cost of construction projects and essential for bidding purposes. A bar bending schedule plays a crucial role by providing rebar information and bending instructions, facilitating efficient procurement. Traditional methods of bar bending schedules, which involve manual extraction from 2D (two-dimensional) drawings, are error-prone and hinder construction productivity. This study proposes a Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based algorithm that automates the generation of a Bar Bending Schedule (BBS) directly from the 3D (three-dimensional) BIM models, ensuring accuracy and eliminating manual errors. The effectiveness of the algorithm was verified by comparing the rebar quantities generated by the model against those derived from optimization calculations. The results demonstrated a mean absolute error of 0.017 and a mean absolute percentage error of 1.13%, validating the algorithm’s precision. Additionally, it achieved a remarkable 33.33% reduction in the manpower required for preparing BBSs, highlighting its potential to revolutionize construction workflow efficiency and accuracy.

Many ethical issues arise when robots are introduced into elder-care settings. When ethically charged situations occur, robots ought to be able to handle them appropriately. Some experimental approaches use (top-down) moral generalist approaches, like Deontology and Utilitarianism, to implement ethical decision-making. Others have advocated the use of bottom-up approaches, such as learning algorithms, to learn ethical patterns from human behaviour. Both approaches have their shortcomings when it comes to real-world implementations. Human beings have been observed to use a hybrid form of ethical reasoning called Pro-Social Rule Bending, where top-down rules and constraints broadly apply, but in particular situations, certain rules are temporarily bent. This paper reports on implementing such a hybrid ethical reasoning approach in elder-care robots. We show through simulation studies that it leads to better upholding of human values such as autonomy, whilst not sacrificing beneficence.

In the laboratory practice, several standards for testing the bending stiffness of corrugated board are used. There are often cases of tests where the results depend on the way the sample is placed on the supports. The problem arises when the board is five-ply (with two corrugated layers with different corrugation heights) or when the board has asymmetrically selected papers on the flat layers. In this article, we focus our attention on the problem related to boundary conditions, with particular attention to the local effects of the support of the sample. Since the cardboard layers, both flat and corrugated, have a small thickness, a slight deformation of the papers can always be observed at the point of contact between the sample and the support, which affects the readings of the measured stiffness. The paper presents theoretical and numerical analyzes showing how much the method of supporting the sample affects the measured bending stiffness of various samples. Numerical observations were also compared with the results of analyzes presented by other scientists as well as with experimental results.

The analytical method for the calculation of the properties of a bolted connection established by the structural Eurocodes proposes the T-stub as a component for the characterization of the tension and compression zones in moment joints. In this article, a review of the state of the art on the T-stub component is developed, where the works developed since it was initially defined, and from the perspectives of formulation, experimentation and numerical simulation are summarized and discussed. Additionally, possible future lines of work are proposed.

Primocane-fruiting (PF) blackberries are adaptable to different production systems. To increase yields in PF blackberries, their primocanes are typically tipped or topped in summer to encourage branch formation from axillary buds below the cut. In this study, we determined in PF ‘Prime-Ark Traveler’ whether early emerging primocanes were more productive than those that emerged later in the season and the effect of primocane bending and defoliation on flowering. The primocanes that emerged in April produced 64% more flower shoots than those that emerged after May. Also, these findings indicate the alternative primocane management practices of selecting the early emerging primocanes and bending to orient primocanes horizontally and leaf removal increase budbreak and flower shoot emergence. The present work contributes toward a better understanding of primocane emergence time and orientation-flowering relations and how they mediate crop performance in PF blackberry.

Directed energy deposition (DED) is an efficient method to fabricate functionally graded materials (FGMs) with gradient composition and complex structures, allowing for local tailoring of properties instead of the costly need for extraneous welds and joints. In this study, a FGM from stainless steel to Inconel alloy was successfully fabricated using the powder-based laser DED. A very refined grain structure has been observed in at the composition with 75 wt.% Inconel alloy content, which also exhibits the highest (entropy). For the first time, the post heat treatments, microstructure and aging precipitation behaviors of FGMs were systematically studied via experimental characterization and computation, to elucidate their effects on the gradient smoothing and mechanical properties. The diffusion and segregation of Ni, Nb and Ti elements underly the transformation mechanism between Laves, δ, γ’ and γ’’ phases during precipitation. Homogenization on FGMs not only eliminates the heterogeneity inherited from the AM process, but also provides a practical way to smoothen the gradient on composition and microstructure for the eventual good gradient properties. It has a direct influence on the following precipitation behaviors in the FGM, which highly relies on the diffusion degree of the elements in the matrix and grain boundaries. The high-throughput thermodynamic modeling and kinetic modeling were exploited to evaluate the experimental microstructure and address computational uncertainty using different thermodynamic conditions and databases, which enables an accelerated design through local tailoring of process-structure-property relationships to develop new functional materials.

Distributed Energy Resources might have a severe influence on Power Line Communications, as they can generate interfering signals and high frequency emissions or supraharmonics that may cause loss of metering and control data. In this paper, the influence of various energy resources on Narrowband Power Line Communications is described and analyzed through several test measurements performed in a real microgrid. Accordingly, the paper describes the effects on smart metering communications through MAC layer analysis. Results show that the commutation frequency of inverters and the presence of battery chargers are remarkable sources of disturbance in low voltage distribution networks. In this sense, the results presented can contribute to efforts towards standardization and normative of emissions at higher frequencies higher, such as CENELEC EN 50160 and IEC/TS 62749.

Hypotrochoidal profile contours have been produced in industrial applications in recent years using twin-spindle processes, and they are considered effective high-quality solutions for positive shaft–hub connections. This study mainly concerns analytical approaches to determine the bending stresses in hypotrochoidal profile shafts. The formulation was developed according to bending principles using the mathematical theory of elasticity and conformal mappings. The loading was further used to investigate the rotating bending behaviour. The stress factors for the classical calculation of maximum bending stresses were also determined for all those profiles presented and compiled in the German standard DIN3689-1 for practical applications. The results were also compared with the corresponding numerical and experimental results, and very good agreement was observed. Additionally, based on previous work, the stress factor was determined for the case of torsional loading to calculate the maximum torsional stresses in the standardised profiles, and the results are listed in a table. This study contributes to the further refinement of the current DIN3689 standard.

This research aims to investigate the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) when subjected to tensile, bending, and compression. Half of the specimens are also subjected to water to find out how water influences. The CFRP is created using a combination of carbon fiber layers and epoxy resin Bisphenol A Epichlorohydrin with hardener and is formed using the vacuum infusion method. From the water absorption test, it was found that the average weight gain of the specimens was 2.9% and the lowest value was at 0.6%, it was concluded that the increase in wet specimen weight was not too significant and water absorption tended to be slow. Mechanical testing ob-tained the highest average tensile stress, bending stress, compressive stress, and modulus of elasticity of 195 MPa, 295 MPa, 96 MPa, and 8914 MPa were from dry specimens while the lowest average values were 146 MPa, 286 MPa, 81 MPa, and 6160 MPa from wet specimens. The results of micro-photo observations on the tensile test fracture show that the specimen has a XGM fracture character with delamination and splitting fractures happening in multiple areas. In the bending test, the specimens experienced buckling fracture due to the fiber breaking and the inability of the matrix to withstand the additional stress. Shear fracture happened during the compressive test. In conclusion, water absorption has a bad impact towards the composite strength.

A large amount of concrete waste is generated around the world and its recycling is an urgent issue. In this research, a new approach to recycle concrete waste with wooden waste was studied. Concrete and wooden wastes were crushed, mixed, and heat compacted to produce plates with different water contents and mix proportions at various temperatures, pressures, and durations of compaction. The bending strength of the plates was measured after compaction. The result indicated that with an increase in the percentage of wooden waste in the mixture, pressure, or temperature improved the bending strength. The increase in water content reduced the bending strength. Most of the products exhibited higher bending strength than that of ordinary concrete.

The purpose of this study is to propose a consecutive manufacturing process system to secure the productivity of excellent STKN540B steel tube in the respect of economy and safety as the supporting material for mega structures such as building, bridge and ship. The components of consecutive manufacturing are press-bending, orbital auto welding and steel tube correction. By using STKN540B a high-strength steel material with low yield point that requires a special manufacturing process unlike other steel materials, an actual tube manufacturing is carried out at each stage in this experimental study. With this, the quality of steel tube and the efficiency of the manufacturing process are analyzed to draw out some points to improve in the future.

This paper aims to analyse the mechanical properties response of polylactic acid (PLA) parts manufactured through fused filament fabrication. The influence of six manufacturing factors (layer height, filament width, fill density, layer orientation, printing velocity, and infill pattern) on the flexural resistance of PLA specimens is studied through an L27 Taguchi experimental array. Different geometries have been tested on a four-point bending machine and on a rotating bending machine. From the first experimental phase, an optimal set of parameters deriving in the highest flexural resistance have been determined. Results show that layer orientation is the most influential parameter, followed by layer height, filament width, and printing velocity, whereas the fill density and infill pattern show no significant influence. Finally, the fatigue fracture behaviour is evaluated and compared with previous studies results, to present a comprehensive study of the mechanical properties of the material under different kind of solicitations.

The goal of this study was to analyze the instability during stepping of young and older adults at fast and spontaneous speed. To this aim, the anteroposterior and the mediolateral distances between the body center of mass (COM) and the minimum moment axis (MMA) were computed. A total of 15 young adults (25y.o. [19-29]) and 15 older adults 68.7y.o. [63-77] volunteered for this study. For the computation of the distances, a complete biomechanical protocol combining two force platforms and a 3D motion capture analysis system was setup. The subjects were equipped with 47 reflective markers and were modeled as a frictionless multibody with 19 segments, 18 joints and 42 degrees of freedom and were asked to perform a stepping at both speeds. The stepping was divided in 5 phases with successive swing and double stance phases. The greater instability was observed during the swing phases. The distances indicate a significant higher instability at fast speed for both groups (p &lt; 0.001) for all the phases. The anteroposterior distance also increases significantly for older adults highlighting greater instability while no differences were observed for the mediolateral distance all along the 5 phases suggesting higher risks of backward of forward falls during stepping.

Magneto-electrochemistry (MEC) is a unique paradigm in science, where electrochemical experiments are carried out as a function of an applied magnetic field, creating a new horizon of potential scientific and technological applications. Over the time, detailed understanding of this research domain was developed to identify and rationalize the possible effects exerted by a magnetic field on the various microscopic processes occurring in an electrochemical system, such as: electrolyte properties governed by charge-transfer process (electric conductivity, viscosity, and diffusivity), mass transfer, electrochemical kinetics and on the structure/quality of products formed either at the working electrode or in the electrochemical cell. Particularly, magnetic field controlled chiral architecture obtained from deposited metal, alloys and catalyst and their excellent enantio-recognition in experimental frame is highly appealing. Interestingly, Hall effect was also demonstrated in electrolytic medium via an impressive experimental technique which is being employed for further theoretical understanding in the field of magneto-electrochemical science. Later, a highly reproducible local temperature variation was observed in electrochemical electrolytes exposed to perpendicular magnetic and electric fields. However, until recent studies, none of the above mentioned reports considered the possibility of a spin-dependent related charge-transfer process. Recent experimental and theoretical studies reveal that electron’s transmission through chiral molecules is spin-selective and this effect has been referred to as chiral-induced spin-selectivity (CISS) effect. The CISS effect pave the way for the building up of a system characterized by a net magnetic moment exploiting the spin-filtering ability of chiral molecules. This interplay between chirality and magnetism may shed light on fundamental scientific aspects underlying the enantio-recognition and highly efficient electron-transfer that occurs in biological process.

Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) are extensively employed in the aerospace industry due to their excellent properties. Delamination damage occurring at critical locations in CFRP can seriously reduce the safety of in-service components. The detection and localization of delamination damage using Lamb waves hold significant potential for widespread application in non-destructive testing. However, the choice of damage localization algorithm may produce different delamination damage localization results. This research presented an IRAPID (improved reconstruction algorithm for probabilistic inspection of defects) method derived from the ORAPID (original reconstruction algorithm for probabilistic inspection of defects) method, aiming to improve the accuracy and reliability of delamination damage localization. Three CFRP bending plates, including a healthy bending plate and two bending plates with delamination damage sizes of Φ20 mm and Φ40 mm, were prepared in the experiment, respectively. The detection experiment of the CFRP bending plate using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) as a transducer to excite and receive Lamb waves was conducted, and the influence of excitation signal frequency on the performance of the proposed method was discussed. Under the condition of excitation signal frequency of 220 ~ 320 kHz and step size of 10 kHz, the accuracy of the delamination damage localization method proposed in this paper was compared with that of the existing methods. The experimental results indicate that the IRAPID algorithm exhibits good stability in the localization of delamination damage across the frequency variations range considered. The localization error of the IRAPID algorithm for delamination damage is significantly lower than that of the DaS (delay-and-sum) algorithm and the ORAPID algorithm. As the size of the delamination damage increases, so does the localization error. The accuracy of delamination damage localization is lower in the X-axis direction than in the Y-axis direction. By averaging the localization results across various frequencies, we can mitigate the potential localization errors associated with single-frequency detection to a certain extent. For the localization of delamination damage, Lamb waves at multiple frequencies can be employed for detection, and the detection results at each frequency are averaged to enhance the reliability of localization.

In this paper, thin plate theory and moderately thick plate theory are proposed for analyzing the bending problem of rectangular plates with stepped thickness resting on elastic half-space foundation. The ground reaction is considered as an unknown coefficient and the hypothesis of Winkler foundation model and two-parameter ground model is eliminated in this method, so as to obtain the law of internal force distribution of the plate and the distribution law of contact reaction force between the stepped rectangular plate and foundation. The stepped rectangular plate is divided into upper and lower plates, and thin plate theory and moderately thick plate theory are used to obtain the analytical solution. The obtained analytical solutions in this paper are compared with results reported in other publications to verify the accuracy of this method. The effects of the elastic modulus and dimensions of the plate, and theory of plate are also considered. The analytical solutions show that it is feasible to decompose the stepped rectangular plate into two plates for analyzing the bending properties of stepped rectangular plate, and this method provide a reference for the study of multilayer stepped rectangular plates.

Deformation behavior of the composite "hen's eggshell - polymer plomb" under bending is examined. Polymer coating does not change the type of behavior of the composite based on eggshell that continues to be brittle despite the mechanical characteristics of the composite could vary in wide limits for brittle structure. Joining "hen's eggshell – polymer plomb" never crack under loading and, hence, it exhibits the high cohesion strength under stresses applied in these experiments. It seems that the composite "hen's eggshell - polymer plomb" could apply as the substitution of the composite "tooth enamel - polymer plomb" under elaboration of novel restorative materials for dentistry, namely, for estimation of their mechanical properties including cohesive strength.

Single-layer core corrugated sandwich panels generally consist of a corrugated core and two layers of panels, while multi-layer core corrugated sandwich panels are formed by stacking multiple layers of panels with multiple layers of core layers. In this study, integrated multilayer core corrugated sandwich panels with different shapes of corrugated cores (triangular, trapezoidal, and rectangular) and the different number of core layers were fabricated using 3D printing technology, and the mechanical behavior of such multilayer core corrugated sandwich panels under quasi-static three-point bending was investigated using experiments and numerical simulations. The effects of core shape and number of core layers on the bending deformation process, damage mode, load carrying capacity, and bending energy dissipation capacity of multilayer core sandwich panels are discussed. Parametric design of multilayer triangular core corrugated sandwich panels was also carried out by finite element software ABAQUS. It was found that a new multilayer corrugated sandwich panel with a multi-layer core is better than the single core shape multilayer corrugated sandwich panel in terms of bending load capacity, energy dissipation capacity and deformation capacity can be obtained through the combination design of different core shapes.

Despite their limited spatial extent, freshwater ecosystems host remarkable biodiversity, including one third of all vertebrate species. This biodiversity is declining dramatically: globally, wetlands are vanishing three times faster than forests and freshwater vertebrate populations have fallen more than twice as steeply as terrestrial or marine populations. Threats to freshwater biodiversity are well- documented but co-ordinated action to reverse this decline is lacking. We present an Emergency Recovery Plan to “bend the curve” of freshwater biodiversity loss. Priorities for action include: 1) accelerating implementation of environmental flows, 2) improving water quality, 3) protecting and restoring critical habitats, 4) managing exploitation of freshwater species and riverine aggregates, 5) preventing and controlling non-native species invasions, and 6) safeguarding and restoring river connectivity. We recommend revised targets and indicators for the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals, and investment in enabling conditions at national, river basin and local scales.

In the last four years, the evolution and adoption of blockchain and, more generally, distributed ledger systems have shown the affirmation of many concepts and models with significant differences in system governance and suitable applications. This work aims to update the critical analysis of blockchain technologies carried out by our previous contribution to this journal, extending the focus to distributed ledger components and systems. Starting from the topical concept of decentralization, we introduce concepts and building blocks currently adopted in the available systems centering on their functional aspects and impact on possible applications. We present some conceptual framing tools helpful in the application context, and we will propose the concept of process authenticity, which we will discuss through two use cases: blockchain document dematerialization and e-voting.

Direct yaw moment control (DYC) is an effective way to alter the behaviour of electric cars with independent drives. Controlling the torque applied to each wheel can improve the handling performance of a vehicle making it safer andfaster on a race track. The state-of-the-art literature covers the comparison of various controllers (PID, LPV, LQR, SMC, etc.) using ISO manoeuvres. However, more advanced comparison on important characteristics of the controllers performance is missed, such as the robustness of the controllers under changes in the vehicle model, steering behaviour, use of the friction circle and, ultimately, lap time on a track. In this study, we have compared the controllers according to some of the aforementioned parameters on a modelled race car. Interestingly, best lap times are not provided by perfect neutral or close-to-neutral behaviour of the vehicle, but rather by allowing certain deviations from the target yaw rate. In addition, a modified PID controller showed that its performance is comparable to other more complex control techniques such as MPC.

The versatile one-pot green synthesis of a highly concentrated and stable colloidal dispersion of AgNPs was carried out using the self-assembled tannic acid without using any other hazardous chemicals. Tannic acid (Plant-based polyphenol) was used as a reducing and stabilizing agent for silver nitrate in a mild alkaline condition. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized for their concentration, capping, size distribution, and shape. The experimental results confirmed the successful synthesis of nearly spherical and highly concentrated (2281 ppm) AgNPs, capped with poly-tannic acid (AgNPs-PTA). The average particle size of AgNPs-PTA was found 9.90 ± 1.60 nm. The colloidal dispersion of synthesized nanoparticles was observed stable for more than 15 months in the ambient environment (25 oC, 65 % relative humidity). The synthesized AgNPs-PTA showed an effective antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus Aureus Escherichia coli. Ag-PTA also exhibited enhanced catalytic properties. It reduces 4-nitrophenol into 4-aminophenol in the presence of NaBH4 with a normalized rate constant (Knor = K/m) of 615.04 mL·s-1·mg-1. Furthermore, AgNPs-PTA were stable for more than 15 months under ambient conditions. The unique core-shell structure and ease of synthesis render the synthesized nanoparticles superior to others, with potential for large-scale applications, especially in the field of catalysis and biomedical.

In this paper, two types of the general fractional derivatives of distributed order as well as a corresponding fractional integral of distributed type are defined and their basic properties are investigated. The general fractional derivatives of distributed order are constructed for a special class of the one-parametric Sonin kernels with a power law singularities at the origin. The conventional fractional derivatives of distributed order based on the Riemann-Liouville and the Caputo fractional derivatives are particular cases of the general fractional derivatives of distributed order introduced in this paper.

The distributed long-range sensing system using the standard telecommunication single-mode optical fiber in a function of a distributed sensor for sensing of mechanical vibrations is described. Various events generating vibrations such as walking or running person, moving cars, trains and others can be detected, localized and classified. The sensor and related sensing system components were designed and constructed and the system was tested both in the laboratory and in the real situation with 88 km telecom optical link, and the results are presented.

Phenotypic studies require large datasets for accurate inference and prediction. Collecting plant data in a farm can be very labor intensive and costly. This paper presents the design, architecture (hardware and software) and deployment of a distributed modular agricultural multi-robot system for row crop field data collection. The proposed system has been deployed in a soybean research farm at Iowa State University.

This paper presents an analytical method for determining the bending stresses and deformations in prismatic noncircular profile shafts with trochoidal cross sections. The so-called higher trochoids can be used as form-fit shaft–hub connections. Hybrid (mixed) higher trochoids (M-profiles) were proposed in [1] and adapted to a practical industrial application in [2]. M-profiles combine the advantages of standardised polygon (DIN 32711 [3]) and spline (DIN 5486 [4]) contours used as shaft–hub connections for the transmission of torsional loads. In this study, the geometric and mechanical properties of the higher hybrid trochoids were investigated using complex functions to simplify the calculations. The pure bending stress and shaft deflection were determined for M-profiles using the bending theory formulated by Muskhelishvili [5]. The loading cases consisted of static and rotating bends. Analytical, numerical, and experimental results agreed well.

Partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) is a promising material with superior combination properties in a wide range of industries. In this study, the effect of grain size on the mechanical properties such as hardness, bending strength and fracture toughness (named as ‘indentation toughness’ in this study) was investigated. The multi-doped zirconia ceramics were prepared by powder processing and pressure-less sintered following four sintering schedules. The measured mechanical properties results show that the polymorph structure sintered at a higher temperature has a lower bending strength and hardness. But 300% more indentation toughness (30.54 Kg/mm) of samples sintered at 1600 °C +1150 °C relative to others was estimated due to the grain size effect by our suggested equation. By contrast, the fracture toughness was calculated with an existing method. The results showed that similar trends were obtained. It appeared to be a novel method for evaluating the toughness of partially stabilized zirconia ceramics with micron grains based on the size effect.

Hybrid fiber reinforced composites can be controlled by price, weight and various mechanical properties depending on fiber ratio and lamination method. Despite these excellent hybrid properties, there is a disadvantage that inter-laminar fracture due to external impact, which is the biggest weakness of fiber reinforced composite materials, is weak. The test specimens were prepared by using a vacuum bag method, which is manufactured by using an autoclave device. The pre-preg is manufactured in the form of a B-stage. In the process of fabricating the nanoparticle pre-preg, the homogeneizer using an ultrasonic wave was used to disperse the epoxy subject without the curing agent into nanoparticles. The dispersion of the nanoparticles was dispersed by the weight of the epoxy resin. This is to take into account the cohesion of HNT and to understand the range of cohesion of HNT in a matrix with viscosity and its phenomenon. According to the Comparison of the interlayer interfacial properties and mechanical properties of Aramid / Basalt fiber hybrid composites by HNT addition, the fracture toughness, ILSS and bending strength of specimens with HNT content of more than a certain level were decreased because of the aggregation of HNT.

Distributed deformation based on Fiber Bragg Grating sensors or other kinds of strain sensors can be used to evaluate safety in operating periods of bridges. However, most of the published researches about distributed deformation monitoring are focused on solid rectangular beam rather than box girder—a kind of typical hollow beam widely employed in actual bridges. Considering that the entire deformation of a single-cell box girder contains not only bending deflection but also two additional deformations respectively caused by shear lag and shearing action, this paper again revises the improved conjugated beam method (ICBM) based on the LFBG sensors to satisfy the requirements for monitoring two mentioned additional deformations. The best choice for the LFBG sensor placement in box gilder is also proposed in this paper due to strain fluctuation on flange caused by shear lag effect. Results from numerical simulations show that most of the theoretical monitoring errors of the revised ICBM are 0.3%~1.5%, and the maximum error is 2.4%. A loading experiment for a single-cell box gilder monitored by LFBG sensors show that most of the practical monitoring errors are 6%~8%, and the maximum error is 11%.

Red mud (RM) is a residue obtained from the production of alumina. It contains a high concentration of metal oxides and waste concentrated sodium hydroxide solution (pH = 13). To increase the value of RM, an environmentally friendly process of transesterification using waste cooking oil (WCO), MeOH and concentrated sodium hydroxide solution (CSHS) from aluminum production was proposed. Triglycerides of WCO reacted with MeOH at 60 oC to yield mixtures of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in the presence of 2.03% (w/w) CSHS/WCO using the CSHS (0.204 mol L-1, predetermined by potentiometric titration) from aluminum production by the Bayer process or with the addition of 0.68% (w/w) fabric softener (3% w/w cetyltrimethylammonium chloride in solution) as a phase transfer (PTA) agent. The addition of PTA to the catalyst resulted in a better yield of the products (greater than 98% yield). A simplified mechanism is presented to account for the experimental results.

(1) Teeth, represent in humans the most resilient tissues. However, exposure to concentrated acids might lead to their obliteration, thus making human identification difficult. Teeth often contain dental restorations from materials that are even more resilient to acid impact. This paper introduces novel method of 3D reconstruction of dental patterns as a crucial step for digital identification with dental records.; (2) With combination of modern methods of Micro-Computer Tomography, Cone Beam Computer Tomography, Attenuated Total Reflection in conjunction with Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Artificial Intelligence Convolutional Neural Network algorithms, the paper presents the way of 3D dental pattern reconstruction and human remains identification. Research studies morphology of teeth, bone, and dental materials (Amalgam, Composite, Glass-ionomer cement) under different periods of exposure to 75% sulfuric acid; (3) Results reveal significant volume loss in bone, enamel, dentine, and as well glass-ionomer cement. Results also reveal significant resistance of composite and amalgam dental materials to sulfuric acid impact, thus serving as strong parts in the dental pattern mosaic. Paper also introduces probably first successful artificial intelligence application in automated forensic CBCT segmentation.; (4) Interdisciplinary cooperation utilizing mentioned technologies can solve problem of human remains identification with 3D reconstruction of dental patterns and their 2D projections over existing ante-mortem records.

Disrupted nutrient recycling is a significant problem for Europe, while phosphorus and nitrogen are wasted instead of being used for plant nutrition. Mineral phosphate is critical raw material, which contains environmentally hazardous elements such as cadmium and uranium. Therefore, phosphorus recovery from agricultural by-product streams is critically important key priority. Phosphorus recovery from food grade animal bone by-products have been applied researched since 2002 with objective driven evolution progress towards specialized pyrolysis processing technology and animal bone char product (ABC) developments in economical industrial scale. Different animal bone by-products tested under different conditions at 400 kg/h throughput capacity in the continuously operated 3R zero emission autothermal carbonization system. The different material core treatment temperatures (between >300°C and <850°C) were combined with different residence times under industrial productive processing conditions. It has been industrial demonstrated that material core treatment temperature <850°C with 20 minutes residence time is necessary to achieve high quality ABC with useful agronomic value. The output ABC product having concentrated >30% phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) and specific quality innovative fertilizer for agronomical efficient organic and low input farming applications as functional organic fertilizer, soil improver, growing medium and/or fertilizing product blend with high mineral phosphate fertiliser replacement value.

Remote distributed generation control and demand response is nowadays a basic need, especially for the Distributed Network Operators (DNOs). The integration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) with stochastic production characteristics into the grid in conjunction with the newly appeared stochastic demand consumers (i.e., electric vehicles) hardens the ef-forts of the DNOs to keep the grid’s operation within safe limits and prevent cascading black-outs while staying in compliance with the SAIDI and SAIFI indices during maintenance and re-pair operations. Taking also under consideration the aging of the existing grid infrastructure, making it year by year more prone to failure, it is yet of great significance for the DNOs to have access to real-time feedback from grid’s infrastructure, fast, with low-cost upgrade interventions, easily deployed on the field and with fast response potential, in order to be able to perform real-time grid management (RTGM). In this article, we describe the architecture, development and deployment of a hybrid real-time control system of distributed generation (DG) units, which has the potential to be applied easily to DNO’s substations, RES plants and consumers (i.e. electric vehicles’ charging stations), that combines a low-cost minimum intervention into the electricity grid and its components and eliminates all communication interoperability problems between the different vendors’ installed electrical equipment.

The utilization of wind energy has become increasingly popular in the United States and many European countries due to its abundant natural source and optimized design. While existing wind turbines are predominantly large-scale and not suitable for standalone or distributed power production, Lubbock County in West Texas offers a diverse range of renewable energy options to meet its energy needs. The region relies heavily on utility-scale wind energy sources to supply power to the Texas Grid, replacing conventional fossil fuel-based systems. Currently, standalone solar PV systems are the preferred choice for renewable energy generation. However, West Texas possesses an ample supply of wind energy that can be harnessed to establish a microgrid and provide standalone power to rural communities. By employing the latest technology and optimizing efficiency, even in low-scale generation, a 6 kW permanent magnet alternator-based distributed wind turbine has been designed. This paper focuses on analyzing the techno-economic aspects of implementing this wind turbine in a real-world scenario, taking into account wind attributes such as velocity and available power at the specific location.

Since smart cities aim at becoming self-monitoring and self-response systems, their deployment relies on close resource monitoring through large-scale urban sensing. The subsequent gathering of massive amounts of data makes essential the development of event filtering mechanisms that enable the selection of what is relevant and trustworthy. Due to the rise of mobile event producers, location information has become a valuable filtering criterion as it not only offers extra information on the event described but also enhances trust on the producer. Implementing mechanisms that validate the quality of location information becomes then imperative. The lack of such strategies in cloud architectures compels the adoption of new communication schemes for IoT-based urban services. To serve the demand for location verification in urban event-based systems (DEBS), we have designed three different fog architectures that combine proximity and cloud communication. Moreover, we have successfully assessed their performance using network simulations with realistic urban traces.

Accurately estimating a person's age is crucial for identity verification at all critical checkpoints, including airports, land borders, and seaports. Human gait may be used as a biometric identifier and indicator of age, among other things. This study aims to develop methods for estimating a person's age by observing their walk. In this paper, a novel technique for preprocessing the proposed gait dataset has been used by utilizing a combination of the gait energy image (GEI), the accumulated frame difference energy image (AFDEI), and the invariant moment of the image. The proposed technique outperformed state-of-the-art methods in terms of accuracy. The proposed method was tested and evaluated using a convolutional neural network (CNN), and it achieved an average accuracy of 90.35% across 14 different view angles within 5 K-Fold, the proposed method resulted in 94.68% and 94.54% in 30º and 75º view degree respectively. concluding that the approach is effective and promising for estimating age using human gait.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of a varying moment on the rotation angle of a large tethered satellite that is orbiting a planet. Two different types of orbits were investigated: a simple circular orbit and an elliptical orbit. Cases with zero and non-zero initial angular rotation velocity were investigated as well. This investigation will assist satellite docking missions. The large rigid tethered satellite is a futuristic concept, and this investigation is meant to assist possible docking missions to the satellite. To simplify the problem, the rotation is constrained to the orbital plane.

The three-point bending behavior of a single Au nanowire deformed with an atomic force microscope was monitored by coherent X-ray diffraction using a sub-micrometer sized hard X-ray beam. While three-dimensional reciprocal-space maps were recorded before and after deformation by standard rocking curves, they were measured by scanning the energy of the incident X-ray beam during deformation at different loading stages. The mechanical behavior of the nanowire is visualized in reciprocal space and a complex deformation mechanism is described. In addition to the expected bending of the nanowire, torsion is detected. Bending and torsion angles are quantified from the high resolution diffraction data.

This review study explores and analyzes distributed database management systems (DDBMS), focusing on the important role of transparency methods in improving the functioning and interaction between users and systems. Transparency in DDBMS refers to several important factors, such as data, replication, performance, scaling, and network transparency. Each one of these components plays a role in concealing the intricate operations that underlie distributed systems from the end user. This not only speeds interactions but also enhances the reliability of the system. The article highlights the criticality of data independence as well as replication transparency in particular. Data independence enables adaptable modifications to the system's architecture and alterations to be made without causing any disruption to user activities. On the other hand, replication transparency ensures that the data remains consistently accurate across distributed nodes, even in the absence of user awareness. Moreover, the article investigates the progression of DDBMS through the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies such as quantum computation and artificial intelligence, which are anticipated to significantly augment the capabilities of data processing. The text proposes potential avenues for further investigation, emphasizing how these advancements may enhance the fundamental resilience of database management systems (DBMS) and expand their applicability in intricate, data-rich settings.

In this paper, a distributed algorithm is proposed to solve a consensus convex optimization problem. It is a Jacobi-proximal alternating direction method of multipliers with a damping parameter $\gamma$ in the iteration of multiplier. Compared with existing algorithms, it has the following nice properties: (1) The restriction on proximal matrix is relaxed substantively, thus alleviating the weight of the proximal term. Therefore, the algorithm has a faster convergence speed. (2) The convergence analysis of the algorithm is established for any damping parameter $\gamma\in(0,2]$, which is larger ones in the literature. In addition, some numerical experiments and an application to a logistic regression problem are provided to validate the effectiveness and the characteristics of the proposed algorithm.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in distributed edge computing resource scheduling. For example, application scenarios such as intelligent traffic systems and Internet of Things(IoT) intelligent monitoring require the scheduling and migration of distributed resources. Distributed resource scheduling needs to consider the cost of resource scheduling, with the primary goal of finding the optimal strategy among various feasible solutions. There are different definitions for optimization objectives in different application scenarios, such as cost, transmission delay, energy consumption, etc. Current research mainly considers the optimization problem of local resource scheduling but needs more consideration of global resource scheduling. This paper defines a global resource scheduling problem for distributed edge computing and proves that the problem is NP-Hard. A heuristic solution strategy based on the Ant Colony Algorithm(ACO) was proposed, and Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO) was used to optimize the parameters of the ACO. Finally, an experimental comparative analysis was conducted to demonstrate that the algorithm proposed in this paper has good accuracy and iteration cost performance.

Photovoltaic (PV) generation is potentially uncertain. Probabilistic PV generation forecasting methods have been proposed with prediction intervals (PIs). However, several studies have dealt with geographically distributed PVs in a certain area. In this study, a two-step probabilistic forecast scheme is proposed for geographically distributed PV generation forecasting. Each step of the proposed scheme adopts ensemble forecasting based on three different machine-learning methods. In this case study, the proposed scheme was compared with conventional non-multistep forecasting. The proposed scheme improved the reliability of the PIs and deterministic PV forecasting results through 30 days of continuous operation with real data in Japan.

Modern agent-based models (ABM) and other simulation models require evaluation and testing of many different parameters. Managing that testing for large scale parameter sweeps (grid searches) as well as storing simulation data requires multiple, potentially customizable steps that may vary across simulations. Furthermore, parameter testing, processing, and analysis are slowed if simulation and processing jobs cannot be shared across teammates or computational resources. While high-performance computing (HPC) has become increasingly available, models can often be tested faster through the use of multiple computers and HPC resources. To address these issues, we created the Distributed Automated Parameter Testing (DAPT) Python package. By hosting parameters in an online (and often free) "database", multiple individuals can run parameter sets simultaneously in a distributed fashion, enabling ad hoc crowdsourcing of computational power. Combining this with a flexible, scriptable tool set, teams can evaluate models and assess their underlying hypotheses quickly. Here we describe DAPT and provide an example demonstrating its use.

The landscape of centralized cloud computing is now changing to distributed and decentralized clouds with promising impacts on energy consumption, resource availability, resilience, and customer experience. This research highlights the impacts of emerging IT trends, namely, 5G wireless technology, blockchain, and industrial Artificial Intelligence (AI) in development and realization of the next generation of cloud computing. Integration of these technologies in cyber-physical system and cloud manufacturing paradigms is explained and a unified edge-fog-cloud architecture is proposed for successful implementation in manufacturing systems.

Artificial general intelligence (AGI) progression metrics indicate AGI will occur within decades. No proof exists that AGI will benefit humans and not harm or eliminate humans. I propose a set of logically distinct conceptual components that are necessary and sufficient to 1) ensure various AGI scenarios will not harm humanity and 2) robustly align AGI and human values and goals. By systematically addressing pathways to malevolent AI we can induce the methods/axioms required to redress them. Distributed ledger technology (DLT, ‘blockchain’) is integral to this proposal, e.g. ‘smart contracts’ are necessary to address evolution of AI that will be too fast for human monitoring and intervention. The proposed axioms: 1) Access to technology by market license. 2) Transparent ethics embodied in DLT. 3) Morality encrypted via DLT. 4) Behavior control structure with values at roots. 5) Individual bar-code identification of critical components. 6) Configuration Item (from business continuity/disaster recovery planning). 7) Identity verification secured via DLT. 8) ‘Smart’ automated contracts based on DLT. 9) Decentralized applications - AI software modules encrypted via DLT. 10) Audit trail of component usage stored via DLT. 11) Social ostracism (denial of resources) augmented by DLT petitions. 12) Game theory and mechanism design.

Clustering is an important task in data mining that has become more challenging due to the ever-increasing size of available datasets. To cope with these big data scenarios, a high-performance clustering approach is required. Sparse grid clustering is a density-based clustering method that uses a sparse grid density estimation as its central building block. The underlying density estimation approach enables the detection of clusters with non-convex shapes and without a predetermined number of clusters. In this work, we introduce a new distributed and performance-portable variant of the sparse grid clustering algorithm that is suited for big data settings. Our compute kernels were implemented in OpenCL to enable portability across a wide range of architectures. For distributed environments, we added a manager-worker scheme that was implemented using MPI. In experiments on two supercomputers, Piz Daint and Hazel Hen, with up to 100 million data points in a 10-dimensional dataset, we show the performance and scalability of our approach. The dataset with 100 million data points was clustered in 1198s using 128 nodes of Piz Daint. This translates to an overall performance of 352TFLOPS. On the node-level, we provide results for two GPUs, Nvidia's Tesla P100 and the AMD FirePro W8100, and one processor-based platform that uses Intel Xeon E5-2680v3 processors. In these experiments, we achieved between 43% and 66% of the peak performance across all compute kernels and devices, demonstrating the performance portability of our approach.

Long-range radio transmissions open new sensor application fields, in particular for environment monitoring. As an example, the {\sl LoRa} radio protocol enables to connect remote sensors at distance as long as ten kilometers in line-of-sight. However, the large area covered also bring several difficulties, such as the placement of sensing devices in regard to geography topology, or the variability of communication latency. Sensing the environment also carries constraints related to the interest of sensing points in relation with a physical phenomenon. Criteria for designs are thus evolving a lot from the existing methods, especially in complex terrains. This article describes simulation techniques based on geography analysis to compute long-range radio coverages and radio characteristics in these situations. As radio propagation is just a particular case of physical phenomena, it is shown how a unified approach also allows to characterize the behavior of potential physical risks. The case of heavy rainfall and flooding is investigated. Geography analysis is achieved using segmentation tools to produce cellular systems which are in turn translated into code for high-performance computations. The paper provides results from practical complex terrain experiments using LoRa, that confirm the accuracy of the simulation, scheduling characteristics for sample networks, and performance tables for simulations on middle range Graphics Processing Units (GPUs).

The various methods used to choose the profile shift coefficients, primarily the so-called equalizations, were based on assumed advantages without physical evidence proving them. In this paper a new calculation method is presented for determining profile shift coefficient. The procedure gives the pair of values ​​of the profile shift coefficients, in which case, under the given load, the resulting bending stress will be of the lowest possible value.

Thin-wall heat pipe is an efficient heat transfer component, which has been widely used in the field of heat dissipation of high-power electronic equipment in recent years. In this study, the orange peel morphology defect of thin-wall heat pipes after bending deformation was analyzed both for the macro 3D profile and for the micro-formation mechanism. The results show that after high temperature sintering treatment, the matrix grains of heat pipe are coarsened seriously and formed a strong Goss texture, while a certain annealing twins with the unique Copper orientation are retained. The distribution of Schmid factor value subjected to the uniaxial stress indicate the inhomogeneity of intergranular deformation exist among the annealing twins and matrix grains. The annealing twin exhibit a “hard-oriented” component during the deformation; thus, it plays a role as barrier and hinder the slipping of dislocation. As the strain accumulates, part of the annealing twins may protrude from the surface of heat pipe, forming a large-scale fluctuation of the surface as the so called the “orange peel” morphology. The 3D profile shows the bulged twins mostly perpendicular to the drawing direction, with about 200-300μm in width and 10-20μm in height.

The paper proposes a traceability framework based on methodological approach for the deployment of IOTA-Based Distributed Ledger in the mining industry, as a first step of certification and labelling of the sustainable material production. The methodology is evaluated in real-world implementation in scope of the DIG_IT project. The implementation provides significant amount of heterogeneous data originating from different processes and sources during the operation in mines, such as vehicles operations, mining and raw material extraction, workers physical parameters, environmental parameters, sensors (field, biometric, assets), market (supply chains, commodity prices), weather data, etc. Most of these datasets, especially the data about the emission, needs integrity and the ability to be audited by the public community, government and the stakeholders. The methodology for establishing the transparency for the mining operations, the requirements, technical architecture, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) assessment, Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) infrastructure, as well as end-to-end traceability, are proposed and evaluated with the actual deployment. The approach advocates end to end security for the increased traceability and data integrity based on Distributed Ledger Technology. Namely, W3C Decentralised Identities and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) should be deployed from the data source to the cloud and anchored onto the Blockchain. The approach showed promising results with the regulations compliance made possible, making the data available and advertised publicly for the emission compliance.

In this study, Brillouin optical time-domain analysis (BOTDA) sensing technology was utilized for monitoring settlement in a similarity model of a highway subgrade. As contact winding cannot be used for an optical fiber that is buried directly in soil, uncoupling between. the fiber and the soil can occur. Thus, an optical-fiber-embedded beam (OFEB) was developed, and a method for measuring and calculating the beam deformation was proposed. A calibration test and a test on a similarity model of a subgrade were carried out to investigate the applicability and monitoring accuracy of the OFEB. It was concluded that the OFEB can accurately measure beam deflection, where the maximum relative error between measurements by the optical fiber and a displacement transducer was approximately 5%. The OFEB was embedded directly into a similarity model of a subgrade to monitor settlement. The deflection deformation of the OFEB was found to be close to the subgrade settlement over a certain settlement range with a relative error below 8.1%. Thus, the OFEB can be used to realize measure large-range distributed settlement in a subgrade. A numerical simulation was performed to identify appropriate beam dimensions and material design parameters, thereby extending the measurement range before decoupling of the OFEB and soil occurs. The enhancement of the measurement range and accuracy of the OFEB based on the preliminary experiments carried out in this study enables further investigation of settlement monitoring.

Distributed Manufacturing (DM) is becoming increasingly important in operations management due to its potential to support sustainability goals, reduce risks in global supply chains, and boost local economies. However, previous analyses of the advantages and disadvantages of DM have mainly focused on operations, overlooking additional benefits across the supply chain. For example, DM can enable local sourcing, better serve end-users, and tackle reverse supply chain challenges. While economies of scale are essential for reducing costs and improving productivity, highly centralised manufacturing can increase transportation costs, vulnerability, and supply chain disruptions, particularly during pandemics or other times of restricted transportation. To address these challenges, this study introduces a Multi-attribute Decision Support System (MADSS) and assessment process that considers impacts across the supply chain and guides stakeholders, academics, and decision-makers. The MADSS handles quantitative and qualitative information, missing data, and uncertainty, and a team of experts from academia and industry in New Zealand has developed the evaluation. The MADSS was used to analyse DM and traditional construction alternatives from economic, social, environmental, and resilience perspectives in New Zealand. The research contributes to a better understanding of the impacts of DM across the entire supply chain. Also, it proposes a flexible decision-making framework to engage with stakeholders and support decision-making in other industries and regions.

Autonomous driving systems are increasingly becoming a necessary trend towards building smart cities of the future. Numerous proposals have been presented in recent years to tackle particular aspects of the working pipeline towards creating a functional end-to-end system, such as object detection, tracking, path planning, sentiment or intent detection. Nevertheless, few efforts have been made to systematically compile all of these systems into a single proposal that effectively considers the real challenges these systems will have on the road, such as real-time computation, hardware capabilities, etc. This paper has reviewed various techniques towards proposing our own end-to-end autonomous vehicle system, considering the latest state on the art on computer vision, DSs, path planning, and parallelization.