Search Results (66)

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become an indispensable tool for risk management and construction oversight, especially in the case of complex and irregularly shaped buildings. BIM’s ability to reduce construction errors has been proven through advanced features like clash detection, schedule forecasting, and cost estimation. As the adoption of BIM grows, software providers such as Autodesk, Bentley, Trimble, and Nemetschek have developed advanced tools that incorporate Project Lifecycle Management (PLM). However, these tools are not easily transferable to Asian countries, where construction management often uses unit pricing rather than the more intricate systems common in Europe and the US. Legacy data also play a crucial role in Asian construction management, impacting risk profiling and cost predictions for similar projects. This study explores the integration of 4D BIM data within a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) framework in a real-world setting. The first step was the creation of an in-house BIM platform, CEV (Civil Easy View), built on the Autodesk Forge viewer. CEV is designed as a BIM viewer tailored for field staff and supervisors. This 4D BIM application showed strong connectivity through standardized WBS codes, allowing for automatic synchronization between object and schedule data. Full article

Our group has recently demonstrated that exercise intervention affects the release and function of bone marrow endothelial progenitor cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in transgenic hypertensive mice. Whether such an exercise regimen can impact circulating EVs (cEVs) remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the influence of exercise on cEV level and function. Transgenic hypertensive mice (Alb1-Ren) underwent 8-week treadmill exercise (10 m/min for 1 h, 5 days per week). Age- and sex-matched sedentary Alb1-Ren mice served as controls. cEVs were isolated from the blood of exercised and sedentary mice and are denoted as ET-cEV and nET-cEV, respectively. cEVs were labeled to determine their uptake efficiency and pathways. The functions of cEVs were assessed in an Angiotensin II (Ang II) plus hypoxia-injured cerebral microvascular endothelial cell (mBMEC) injury model. Cellular migration ability and oxidative stress were evaluated. We found that treadmill exercise stimulated cEV release, and ET-cEVs were more prone to be internalized by mBMECs. The ET-cEV internalization was mediated by macropinocytosis and endocytosis pathways. Functional studies showed that ET-cEVs can improve the compromised migration capability of mBMECs challenged by Ang II plus hypoxia. Additionally, ET-cEV treatment upregulated the expression of p-Akt/Akt in mBMECs. Compared to nET-cEVs, ET-cEVs significantly reduced ROS overproduction in Ang II plus hypoxia-injured mBMECs, associated with decreased Nox2 expression. All these findings suggest that exercise-intervened cEVs can protect cerebral microvascular endothelial cells against hypertensive and hypoxic injury. Full article

Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) technology provides a low-latency, high-bandwidth, and CPU-bypassed method for data transmission between servers. Recent works have proved that multipath transmission, especially packet spraying, can avoid network congestion, achieve load balancing, and improve overall performance in data center networks (DCNs). Multipath transmission can result in out-of-order (OOO) packet delivery. However, existing RDMA transport protocols, such as RDMA over Converged Ethernet version 2 (RoCEv2), are designed for handling sequential packets, limiting their ability to support multipath transmission. To address this issue, in this study, we propose ORNIC, a high-performance RDMA Network Interface Card (NIC) with out-of-order packet direct write method for multipath transmission. ORNIC supports both in-order and out-of-order packet reception. The payload of OOO packets is written directly to user memory without reordering. The write address is embedded in the packets only when necessary. A bitmap is used to check data integrity and detect packet loss. We redesign the bitmap structure into an array of bitmap blocks that support dynamic allocation. Once a bitmap block is full, it is marked and can be freed in advance. We implement ORNIC on a Xilinx U200 FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), which consumes less than 15% of hardware resources. ORNIC can achieve 95 Gbps RDMA throughput, which is nearly 2.5 times that of MP-RDMA. When handling OOO packets, ORNIC’s performance is virtually unaffected, while the performance of Xilinx ERNIC and Mellanox CX-5 drops below 1 Gbps. Moreover, compared with MELO and LEFT, our bitmap has higher performance and lower bitmap block usage. Full article

The skew generalized power series ring $R\left[\right[S,\omega \left]\right]$ is a ring construction involving a ring R, a strictly ordered monoid $(S,\le )$, and a monoid homomorphism $\omega :S\to End\left(R\right)$. The ring $R\left[\right[S,\omega \left]\right]$ is a common generalization of ring extensions such as (skew) polynomial rings, (skew) Laurent polynomial rings, (skew) power series rings, (skew) Laurent series rings, (skew) Mal’cev–Neumann series rings, and (skew) monoid rings. In this paper, we study the nilpotent elements of skew generalized power series rings and the relationships between the properties of the rings R and $R\left[\right[S,\omega \left]\right]$ expressed in terms of annihilators, such as weak symmetry, weak zip, and the nil-Armendariz and McCoy properties. We obtain results on transferring the weak symmetry and weak zip properties between the rings R and $R\left[\right[S,\omega \left]\right]$, as well as sufficient and necessary conditions for a ring R to be $(S,\omega )$-nil-Armendariz or linearly $(S,\omega )$-McCoy. Full article

Nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and chlorobenzene (CB) released during waste incineration and iron ore sintering pose significant threats to both the atmosphere and human health, necessitating effective control measures. Vanadium-based catalysts are commonly employed for the simultaneous control of NO_x and CB; however, their catalytic performance requires further enhancement. In this study, the NH₃-SCR activity and CB catalytic oxidation (CBCO) activity were significantly enhanced by doping the V10W/Ti catalyst with Ce. During the multi-pollutant control (MPC) reaction, the optimized 15CeV10W/Ti catalyst demonstrated NO_x conversion approaching 100% and N₂ selectivity exceeding 95% at temperatures between 210 and 450 °C. Additionally, it achieved CB conversion nearing 100% and CO₂ selectivity above 80% at temperatures above 350 °C. These results were markedly superior to those of the conventional commercial 1%V₂O₅–10%WO₃/TiO₂ catalyst. Characterization studies indicated that the 15CeV10W/Ti catalyst possessed improved redox performance and more acidic sites. In the MPC reaction, the declined CBCO activity, compared to the CB separate oxidation, can be attributed primarily to the competitive adsorption of NH₃ with CB. Conversely, the observed decrease in NO_x conversion at lower temperatures was primarily due to the suppression of the oxidation of NO to NO₂ by CB. Full article

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been proposed as an alternative to live-cell administration for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). MSC-EVs can be chiefly influenced by the environment to which the MSCs are exposed. Here, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) priming of MSCs was used as a strategy to boost the natural therapeutic potential of the EVs in acute lung injury (ALI). Methods: The regenerative and immunemodulatory effect of LPS-primed MSC-EVs (LPS-EVs) and non-primed MSC-EVs (C-EVs) were evaluated in vitro on alveolar epithelial cells and macrophage-like THP-1 cells. In vivo, ALI was induced in adult male rats by the intrapulmonary instillation of HCl and LPS. Rats (n = 8 to 22/group) were randomized to receive a single bolus (1 × 10⁸ particles) of LPS-EVs, C-EVs, or saline. Lung injury severity was assessed at 72 h in lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage. Results: In vitro, LPS-EVs improved wound regeneration and attenuated the inflammatory response triggered by the P. aeruginosa infection, enhancing the M2 macrophage phenotype. In in vivo studies, LPS-EVs, but not C-EVs, significantly decreased the neutrophilic infiltration and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in lung tissue. Alveolar macrophages from LPS-EVs-treated animals exhibited a reduced expression of CXCL-1, a key neutrophil chemoattractant. However, both C-EVs and LPS-EVs reduced alveolar epithelial and endothelial permeability, mitigating lung damage. Conclusions: EVs from LPS-primed MSCs resulted in a better resolution of ALI, achieving a greater balance in neutrophil infiltration and activation, while avoiding the complete disruption of the alveolar barrier. This opens new avenues, paving the way for the clinical implementation of cell-based therapies. Full article

An analytical derivation of the conditional moment-generating function (MGF) for a regime-switching nonlinear drift constant elasticity of variance process is established. The proposed model incorporates both regime-switching mechanisms and nonlinear drift components to better capture market phenomena such as volatility smiles and leverage effects. Regime-switching models can match the tendency of financial markets to often change their behavior abruptly and the phenomenon that the new behavior of financial variables often persists for several periods after such a change. Closed-form formulas for the MGF under various conditions, which are then applied for option pricing, are also derived. The efficacy and accuracy of the results are validated through a discrete Markov chain simulation. The results obtained from the proposed formulas completely match with those from MC simulations, while requiring significantly less computational time. Full article

Here, we report the discovery of two viruses associated with a disease characterized by severe diarrhea on a large-scale goat farm in Jilin province. Electron Microscopy observations revealed two kinds of virus particles with the sizes of 150–210 nm and 20–30 nm, respectively. Detection of 276 fecal specimens from the diseased herds showed the extensive infection of peste des petits ruminants virus (63.77%, 176/276) and caprine enterovirus (76.81%, 212/276), with a co-infection rate of 57.97% (160/276). These results were partially validated with RT-PCR, where all five PPRV-positive and CEV-positive specimens yielded the expected size of fragments, respectively, while no fragments were amplified from PPRV-negative and CEV-negative specimens. Moreover, corresponding PPRV and CEV fragments were amplified in PPRV and CEV double-positive specimens. Histopathological examinations revealed severe microscopic lesions such as degeneration, necrosis, and detachment of epithelial cells in the bronchioles and intestine. An immunohistochemistry assay detected PPRV antigens in bronchioles, cartilage tissue, intestine, and lymph nodes. Simultaneously, caprine enterovirus antigens were detected in lung, kidney, and intestinal tissues from the goats infected by the peste des petits ruminants virus. These results demonstrated the co-infection of peste des petits ruminants virus with caprine enterovirus in goats, revealing the tissue tropism for these two viruses, thus laying a basis for the future diagnosis, prevention, and epidemiological survey for these two virus infections. Full article

Wastewater treatment systems produce large volumes of sludge which is not used; its final disposal is in soil or landfill. This sludge represents a biomethane-energy alternative through anaerobic co-digestion, contributing to reducing the environmental impacts caused by their inadequate disposal. Biomethane production by the two-stage production method in batch digesters with pH and temperature control was evaluated by two qualities of waste-activated sludge (SLB₅₀ and SLB₉₀) and with a mixture of two co-substrates: cow manure (CEV₅₀ and CEV₉₀) and residual edible oil (CAV₅₀ and CAV₉₀). Bacteria in good-quality sludge (SLB₉₀) showed a faster adaptation of 2 days than those in low-quality sludge (SLB₅₀), with a 25-day lag phase. The highest CH₄ production was for SLB₉₀ (303.99 cm³ d⁻¹) compared to SLB₅₀ (4.33 cm³ d⁻¹). However, the cow manure–sludge mixture (CEV₉₀) contributed to the increased production of CH₄ (42,422.8 cm³ d⁻¹) compared to CEV₅₀ (12,881.45 cm³ CH₄ d⁻¹); for CAV₉₀ and CAV₅₀, these were 767.32 cm³ d⁻¹ and 211.42 cm³ d⁻¹, respectively. The addition of sludge co-substrates improves the nutrient balance and C/N ratio; consequently, methane production improves. This methodology could be integrated into concepts of the circular economy. Full article

This paper integrates intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS) with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to enhance the transmission performance of the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) through non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA). It focuses on strengthening the signals from cell edge vehicles (CEVs) to the base station by optimizing the wireless propagation environment via an IRS-equipped UAV. The primary goal is to maximize the sum data rate of CEVs while satisfying the constraint of the successive interference cancellation (SIC) decoding threshold. The challenge lies in the non-convex nature of jointly considering the power control, subcarrier allocation, and phase shift design, making the problem difficult to optimally solve. To address this, the problem is decomposed into two independent subproblems, which are then solved iteratively. Specifically, the optimal phase shift design is achieved using the deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm. Furthermore, the graph theory is applied to determine the subcarrier allocation policy and derive a closed-form solution for optimal power control. Finally, the simulation results show that the proposed joint phase shift and resource management scheme significantly enhances the sum data rate compared to the state-of-the-art schemes, thereby demonstrating the benefits of integrating the IRS-equipped UAV into NOMA-enhanced IoV. Full article

This study investigates ambiguity aversion within the framework of a utility-maximizing investor under a modified constant-elasticity-of-volatility (M-CEV) model for the underlying asset. We derive closed-form solutions of a non-affine type for the optimal allocation and value function via a Cauchy problem. This work generalizes previous results in non-ambiguous settings by extending existing work to Hyperbolic Absolute Risk Aversion utility (HARA), correcting some typos in the literature for Constant Relative Risk Aversion utility (CRRA). Helpful details and derivations are also included in the manuscript. Full article

This study aims to investigate the effect of antipsychotic agents on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CVD/CEV) and mortality risks in the older population living in a community. A cohort of 42,650 new users of antipsychotic agents was built using Quebec healthcare databases (1998–2011). The outcomes were CVD/CEV and mortality incidence in 5 years of follow-up in the total cohort, sub-cohort of patients with no schizophrenia/dementia, sub-cohort with schizophrenia, and sub-cohort with dementia. Comparisons were made between the new users who continued the treatment (adherent level ≥ 60%) vs. those ceasing treatment (adherence level < 60%) using inverse probability of treatment weighting and Cox models. Comparing high adherence vs. low levels, CVD/CEV risk was increased by 36% in the sub-cohort with schizophrenia for atypical antipsychotic users and by 25% in the sub-cohort with dementia for typical antipsychotic users. An increasing mortality risk of 2- to 3-fold was linked with the typical antipsychotic use in all cohorts except the sub-cohort with schizophrenia; in addition, mortality risk is linked with the use of high vs. low doses. Antipsychotics were not linked with CVD/CEV risk, except for atypical antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia and typical antipsychotics in patients with dementia. The mortality risk was linked with the use of typical antipsychotics and the dose used. Full article

Creating environmentally friendly and renewable resources for various industrial uses has attracted increasing attention over the past few years. The thermal and mechanical features of epoxy-based composites filled with coir powder, an organic and sustainable fiber made from coconut husks, are examined in this work. The current study focuses on the thermo-mechanical performance of epoxy matrix composites with coir filler in the micrometer range. Tension, flexural, and dynamic mechanical analysis were all carried out to characterize and forecast the thermal behavior of the micro-composites and pure polymers. According to the findings of this study, 8 and 6 wt.% of coir filler-based composites exhibit the highest tensile and flexural strengths of 41.36 MPa and 171.24 MPa, respectively. In the case of dynamic mechanical analysis, 8 wt.% filler had the highest storage modulus of 1214.98 MPa. The results demonstrate that the damping factor increases dramatically as the temperature rises and reaches its maximum value after the glass transition section. Additionally, including coir powder improves the composites’ thermal insulation capabilities, indicating their promise in demanding thermal resistance and insulation. Full article

A healthy lifestyle is considered by young people as the adoption of positive behaviors, such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, or the decreased consumption of harmful substances. Living a healthy lifestyle during adolescence promotes a better quality of life and psychological well-being in adulthood. The objective of this research is to identify how a healthy lifestyle is related to stress, self-esteem, and school violence roles. The sample is composed of a total of 743 adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years. The instruments used were the Healthy Lifestyles Questionnaire (CEVS-II), the Student Stress Inventory (SSI-SM), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and an ad hoc questionnaire to evaluate school violence roles. The results obtained indicate that there are negative correlations between healthy lifestyle and stress, but positive correlations between healthy lifestyle and self-esteem. Adolescents who participate in situations of school violence have a higher mean of substance use and stress. However, those who do not experience such situations have higher mean self-esteem and lead a healthy lifestyle. In addition, the fact of suffering stress increases the probability of being a victim or an aggressor. Living a healthy lifestyle can have significant implications for health promotion and positive adolescent development. Full article

Control charts with conditional expected value (CEV) can be used with novel statistical techniques to monitor the means of moderately and lowly censored data. In recent years, machine learning and deep learning have been successfully combined with quality technology to solve many process control problems. This paper proposes a residual control chart combining a convolutional neural network (CNN) and support vector regression (SVR) for type-I censored data with the Weibull model. The CEV and exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) statistics are used to generate training data for the CNN and SVR. The average run length shows that the proposed chart approach outperforms the traditional EWMA CEV chart approach in various shift sizes and censored rates. The proposed chart approach is suitable to be used in detecting small shift size for highly censored data. An illustrative example presents the application of the proposed method in an electronics industry. Full article