Search Results (24)

The dynamic response of tall bridge piers with varying damping ratios under three-dimensional pulse ground motion remains insufficiently understood. To control the pulse characteristic parameters accurately and eliminate interference from actual seismic records, this study uses the earthquake wave synthesis software to generate three pulse seismic waves and non-pulse seismic waves with varying seismic characteristic periods. The dynamic response analysis of tall bridge piers under one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional seismic input conditions is carried out. The influence mechanism of pulse effect, damping ratio and ground motion dimension on structural response is mainly discussed. The results show that the peak displacement and peak shear stress response of tall bridge pier structures under pulse ground motion are 0.0614 m and 0.1727 MPa larger than those under non-pulse ground motion, respectively. The responses of the displacement and shear stress of the tall bridge pier subjected to pulse ground motion exceed those under non-pulse ground motion. When the action time exceeds 18 s, the influence on the displacement and shear stress time history curve of the tall bridge pier is ranked as follows: pulse ground motion > damping ratio > non-pulse ground motion. Under multidimensional non-pulse ground motion, the maximum errors in peak displacement at the Z section and peak shear stress at the YZ section of a tall bridge pier are 0.05% and 5.27%, respectively. These errors increase to 0.67% and 1.68% under multidimensional pulse ground motion, respectively. Compared with one-dimensional seismic conditions, two-dimensional and three-dimensional ground motions result in smaller displacement and shear stress errors at the Z section, but larger errors at the X section, particularly for peak displacement and shear stress at the YZ section. This highlights the greater complexity of multidimensional seismic forces and their varying impacts on different sections of tall bridge piers. Full article

The number of coffee shops in China is rapidly increasing, and they are becoming a gathering place for young people. In order to enhance their competitiveness, the design of coffee shops has become the core force of competition. To clarify the preferences of young people for coffee shop design, this study takes the most intuitive exposure of consumers to building façades as the starting point. Based on the façade model in the previous research, the façade model was reconstructed through expert group discussions. In total, 80 out of 490 design cases were selected and combined with the reconstructed façade model to construct a questionnaire. Then, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 595 Chinese YZ generation members. The results of the classification summary and post hoc multiple comparison analysis showed that façade design was considered an important factor affecting their choices, and if the façade design met their aesthetic preferences, they would visit the store again. In addition, the aesthetic preferences of the YZ generation for coffee shop façade design, including different façade shapes, contours, visual forms, functional forms, decorative material types, textures, tones, brightness, and color matching methods, are consistent. They prefer the modernist style and pursue more visually stimulating exterior design, and this preference does not differ in terms of generational and gender differences. The differences in aesthetic standards for façades are more reflected in income levels. The YZ generation gave a “like” rating to all façade model contents and cases, but their aesthetic differences in different façade models can still be seen through specific numerical differences. Full article

The youcai mosaic virus (YoMV) can infect a diverse array of crop species, such as Raphanus sativus, Brassica napus, Solanum nigrum, and Rehmannia glutinosa, causing substantial economic damage. This study aimed to develop a rapid, sensitive, and economical diagnostic method for YoMV. We successfully expressed and purified the recombinant His-CP^YoMV-YZ protein in E. coli BL21, which was used to immunize New Zealand White rabbits, generating high-titer polyclonal antibodies (PAb-CP^YoMV-YZ). Additionally, a serological-based reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (S-RT-LAMP) assay was refined, combining serological and molecular detection techniques to enhance practicality. Utilizing PAb-CP^YoMV-YZ, we developed four techniques for detecting YoMV: Western blot, dot immunoblotting assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and S-RT-LAMP. YoMV isolates from various regions and hosts were analyzed. The results indicated that PAb-CP^YoMV-YZ was highly effective in detecting YoMV across a range of hosts and isolates from diverse regions. This study fills an important gap in the serological detection of YoMV and provides a practical tool for on-site diagnosis and control of YoMV infection. Full article

At present, no consensus has been reached on the generation mechanism of anisotropy in materials fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), and most attention has been focused on crystallographic texture. In this paper, an analysis and test were carried out on the hardness, defect distribution, residual stress distribution, and microstructure of WE43 magnesium alloy fabricated by LPBF. The results indicate that LPBF WE43 exhibits obvious anisotropy—the hardness HV of X–Z surface (129.9 HV on average) and that of Y–Z surface (130.7 HV on average) are about 33.5% higher than that of X–Y surface (97.6 HV on average), and the endurable load is smaller in the stacking direction Z compared to the X and Y directions. The factors contributing more to the anisotropy are listed as follows in sequence. Firstly, the defect area of the X–Y projection surface is about 13.2% larger than that of the other two surfaces, so this surface shows greatly reduced mechanical properties due to the exponential relationship between the material strength and the number of defects. Secondly, for laser scanning in each layer/time, the residual stress accumulation in the Z direction is higher than that in the X and Y directions, which may directly reduce the mechanical properties of the material. Finally, more fine grains are distributed in X–Z and Y–Z surfaces when comparing them with those in an X–Y surface, and this fine-grain strengthening mechanism also contributes to the anisotropy. After T5 aging heat treatment (250 °C/16 h), a stronger crystallographic texture is formed in the <0001> direction, with the orientation density index increasing from 10.92 to 21.38, and the anisotropy disappearing. This is mainly caused by the enhancement effect of the texture in the <0001> direction on the mechanical properties in the Z direction cancelling out the weakening effect of the defects in the X–Y surface in the Z direction. Full article

The study presented herein concerns the mechanical properties of two common polymers for potential biomedical applications, PLA and PETG, processed through fused filament fabrication (FFF)—Material Extrusion (ME). For the uniaxial tension tests carried out, two printing orientations—XY (Horizontal, H) and YZ (Vertical, V)—were considered according to the general principles for part positioning, coordinates, and orientation typically used in additive manufacturing (AM). In addition, six specimens were tested for each printing orientation and material, providing insights into mechanical properties such as Tensile Strength, Young’s Modulus, and Ultimate Strain, suggesting the materials’ potential for biomedical applications. The experimental results were then compared with correspondent mechanical properties obtained from the literature for other polymers like ASA, PC, PP, ULTEM 9085, Copolyester, and Nylon. Thereafter, fatigue resistance curves (S-N curves) for PLA and PETG, printed along 45°, were determined at room temperature for a load ratio, R, of 0.2. Scanning electron microscope observations revealed fibre arrangements, compression/adhesion between layers, and fracture zones, shedding light on the failure mechanisms involved in the fatigue crack propagation of such materials and giving design reference values for future applications. In addition, fractographic analyses of the fatigue fracture surfaces were carried out, as well as X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) and Thermogravimetric (TGA)/Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC) tests. Full article

The future of architectural environments in China will serve the needs of, and thus be shaped/re-shaped by, the Chinese Y and Z generations. Although Shan-Shui designs have long been a classic style of architectural environment in China, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on how the Chinese Y and Z generations perceive Shan-Shui designs as an architectural style. Quantitatively analyzing and understanding Chinese YZ generations’ perceived relationships between Shan-Shui designs and architectural environments will have many implications for both the economy and education. In this paper, we present a large-scale study by conducting a questionnaire survey of 441 human subjects representative of both the Y and Z generations. The questionnaires were carefully designed with a focus on understanding the perceptions and cognitions of Shan-Shui designs in the survey group. The survey results were analyzed using the widely adopted SPSS25 method. Our overall analyses show that the Chinese Y and Z generations have a tendency to subconsciously perceive Shan-Shui as a relatively independent form/style from architectural environments. Between the Y and Z generations, our comparative analyses show that the latter has a more positive perception with respect to different aspects of Shan-Shui designs in architectural environments. Full article

Background and Objectives: Preoperative anxiety is a common emotional response before elective surgery that influences postoperative outcomes and can increase analgesic requirements. However, clinicians frequently overlook these concerns. This study aimed to quantify preoperative anxiety and evaluate its association with patient-related factors. Materials and Methods: Anxiety levels were evaluated in adult patients awaiting elective surgery using the Korean-translated version of the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Korean YZ form (STAI-KYZ). The patients were also surveyed regarding the subjective causes of preoperative anxiety. Results: The study found that a total of 55 adult patients had a well-balanced subject distribution. Both questionnaires showed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.85 and 0.93). Significant correlations were observed in situational anxiety scores from the questionnaires, indicating differences between groups with high trait anxiety and those with normal anxiety levels (p < 0.05). Notably, female sex was the only patient-related factor that significantly affected the anxiety scores (p < 0.05). Furthermore, when considering additional patient factors stratified by sex, it became evident that younger females and females with prior general anesthesia experience displayed higher anxiety levels than their male counterparts. The most commonly reported subjective concern related to anesthesia was the fear of not regaining consciousness, followed by concerns about postoperative pain, intraoperative emergence, and other issues. Conclusions: This study confirms that being female is a significant risk factor for preoperative anxiety. Therefore, it is necessary to provide enhanced preoperative anxiolytic therapies, including preoperative patient education and other interventions, to individuals undergoing surgical procedures. Full article

Background: Several analytical methods for the fiber pull-out test have been developed to evaluate the bond strength of fiber–matrix systems. We aimed to investigate the debonding mechanism of a fiber–silicone pull-out specimen and validate the experimental data using 3D-FEM and a cohesive element approach. Methods: A 3D model of a fiber–silicone pull-out testing specimen was established by pre-processing CT images of the typical specimen. The materials on the scans were posted in three different cross-sectional views using ScanIP and imported to ScanFE in which 3D generation was implemented for all of the image slices. This file was exported in FEA format and was imported in the FEA software (PATRAN/ABAQUS, version r2) for generating solid mesh, boundary conditions, and material properties attribution, as well as load case creation and data processing. Results: The FEM cohesive zone pull-out force versus displacement curve showed an initial linear response. The Von Mises stress concentration was distributed along the fiber–silicone interface. The damage in the principal stresses’ directions S11, S22, and S33, which represented the maximum possible magnitude of tensile and compressive stress at the fiber–silicone interface, showed that the stress is higher in the direction S33 (stress acting in the Z-direction) in which the lower damage criterion was higher as well when compared to S11 (stress acting in the XY plane) and S23 (stress acting in the YZ plane). Conclusions: The comparison between the experimental values and the results from the finite element simulations show that the proposed cohesive zone model accurately reproduces the experimental results. These results are considered almost identical to the experimental observations about the interface. The cohesive element approach is a potential function that takes into account the shear effects with many advantages related to its ability to predict the initiation and progress of the fiber–silicone debonding during pull-out tests. A disadvantage of this approach is the computational effort required for the simulation and analysis process. A good understanding of the parameters related to the cohesive laws is responsible for a successful simulation. Full article

On the basis of the inhibition effects of pymetrozine on the reproductive behavior of N. lugens, we established a bioassay method to accurately evaluate the toxicity of pymetrozine in N. lugens and clarified the level of pymetrozine resistance of N. lugens in the field. In this study, pymetrozine’s effects on the fecundity of N. lugens were evaluated using the topical application method and rice-seedling-dipping method. Moreover, the resistance of N. lugens to pymetrozine in a pymetrozine-resistant strain (Pym-R) and two field populations (YZ21 and QS21) was determined using the rice-seedling-dipping method and fecundity assay methods. The results showed that treatment of N. lugens third-instar nymphs with LC₁₅, LC₅₀, and LC₈₅ doses of pymetrozine resulted in a significantly reduced fecundity of N. lugens. In addition, N. lugens adults treated with pymetrozine, using the rice-seedling-dipping and topical application method, also exhibited a significantly inhibited fecundity. Using the rice-stem-dipping method, pymetrozine resistance levels were shown to be high in Pym-R (194.6-fold), YZ21 (205.9-fold), and QS21 (212.8-fold), with LC₅₀ values of 522.520 mg/L (Pym-R), 552.962 mg/L (YZ21), and 571.315 (QS21) mg/L. However, when using the rice-seedling-dipping or topical application fecundity assay method, Pym-R (EC₅₀: 14.370 mg/L, RR = 12.4-fold; ED₅₀: 0.560 ng/adult, RR = 10.8-fold), YZ21 (EC₅₀: 12.890 mg/L, RR = 11.2-fold; ED₅₀: 0.280 ng/adult; RR = 5.4-fold), and QS21 (EC₅₀: 13.700 mg/L, RR = 11.9-fold) exhibited moderate or low levels of resistance to pymetrozine. Our studies show that pymetrozine can significantly inhibit the fecundity of N. lugens. The fecundity assay results showed that N. lugens only developed low to moderate levels of resistance to pymetrozine, indicating that pymetrozine can still achieve effective control on the next generation of N. lugens populations. Full article

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the major cause of viral encephalitis in humans throughout Asia. In the past twenty years, the emergence of the genotype I (GI) JEV as the dominant genotype in Asian countries has raised a significant threat to public health security. However, no clinically approved drug is available for the specific treatment of JEV infection, and the commercial vaccines derived from the genotype III JEV strains merely provided partial protection against the GI JEV. Thus, an easy-to-perform platform in high-throughput is urgently needed for the antiviral drug screening and assessment of neutralizing antibodies specific against the GI JEV. In this study, we established a reverse genetics system for the GI JEV strain (YZ-1) using a homologous recombination strategy. Using this reverse genetic system, a gaussia luciferase (Gluc) expression cassette was inserted into the JEV genome to generate a reporter virus (rGI-Gluc). The reporter virus exhibited similar growth kinetics to the parental virus and remained genetically stable for at least ten passages in vitro. Of note, the bioluminescence signal strength of Gluc in the culture supernatants was well correlated with the viral progenies determined by viral titration. Taking advantage of this reporter virus, we established Gluc readout-based assays for antiviral drug screening and neutralizing antibody detection against the GI JEV. These Gluc readout-based assays exhibited comparable performance to the assays using an actual virus and are less time consuming and are applicable for a high-throughput format. Taken together, we generated a GI JEV reporter virus expressing a Gluc gene that could be a valuable tool for an antiviral drug screening assay and neutralization assay. Full article

In this paper, surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology based on love waves was designed in three dimensions for finite element modelling (FEM) and analysis in order to detect volatile organic compounds (VOC). A thin layer of polyisobutylene (PIB), which acted as the sensing layer, was placed on top of the guiding layer of SiO₂ and interdigitated electrodes (IDE), which were modelled on a piezoelectric substrate. The substrate selected was 64° YZ-cut Lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) for love wave generation, and the lightweight electrodes were made of Aluminium (Al). Analytical simulations were conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics 6.0 software. Full article

A folded core is a three-dimensional configuration formed by folding a flat sheet of paper. Similar to foam and honeycomb, folded cores are widely used in aerospace as the cores for sandwich structures due to their excellent mechanical properties and light structural weight. In general, the core’s configuration is heterogeneous and anisotropic, while from a macroscopic point of view it is considered homogeneous. Analytical solutions of equivalent mechanical properties are generally obtained by equivalent methods and modified by numerical simulations due to the complexity of the configuration. We can find the best combination of a core’s parameters by using analytical solutions. The faceted regular folded configuration (RFC), consisting of repetitive identical cells, can be expanded to a plane. According to the principle of equivalent load-deformation, this article investigates the equivalent mechanical properties of the V-type folded core (VFC). The analytical solutions of E_z—equivalent elastic modulus in Direction z, equivalent shear modulus in Plane xz—G_xz, and equivalent shear modulus in Plane yz—G_yz have been obtained and verified by numerical simulations. In addition, the reliability of the equivalent mechanical properties is further demonstrated by the case study. By applying the analytical solutions, the optimization process of VFC can be simplified and sped up, which is of great engineering significance to the aircraft design process. Full article

Fully compensated ferrimagnets do not create any magnetic stray field and allow for a completely polarized current of charges. As a result, these alloys show promising prospects for applications as spintronic devices. In this paper, we investigated the phase stability, the site preference, the tetragonal distortion and the influence of symmetry from the crystal structure and chemical environments of magnetic ions on the magnetic properties of Cr₂YZ and Mn₂YZ (Y = void, Ni, Cu, and Zn; Z = Ga, Ge, and As) full Heusler alloys by first-principles calculations. We found that the selected Cr₂-based alloys, except for Cr₂NiGa and Cr₂NiGe, prefer to crystallize in the centrosymmetric L2₁-type structure, while the selected Mn₂-based alloys, except for Mn₂CuAs, Mn₂ZnGe and Mn₂ZnAs, tend to crystallize in the non-centrosymmetric XA-type structure. Due to the symmetry, the antiferromagnetism of the selected L2₁-type alloys is very stable, and no spin-polarized density of states could be generated. In contrast, the magnetic moment of the selected XA-type alloys depends heavily on the number of valence electrons and tetragonal distortion, and spin-polarized density of states is generated. Therefore, the selected alloys with L2₁-type structures and their tetragonal-distorted structure are potential candidates for conventional antiferromagnets, while those with XA-type structure and their tetragonal-distorted structure are promising candidates for (fully) compensated ferrimagnets. Full article

The study investigates psychopathological symptoms and the Big Five personality traits as predictors of “problematic smartphone use” (PSU) in different generational groups. The generational groups were selected to analyze whether the different life stages and developmental tasks that need to be completed have an impact on PSU. The groups were divided into digital immigrants, digital natives, and Generation Y and Z as subgroups of digital natives. A total of 399 subjects participated (312 women, 86 men, 1 diverse; mean age = 25.9; range 14–67; 44 digital immigrants, 355 digital natives, 35 Generation Y, and 320 Generation Z). They completed the ICD-10 Symptom Rating (ISR), the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10), and the Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS). The results show differences between digital immigrants and digital natives in the expression of PSU, neuroticism, conscientiousness, depression, anxiety, and compulsivity. Concerning Generations Y and Z, differences were only found in the expression of the PSU. Regression revealed that symptoms for obsessive-compulsive disorders, depression, conscientiousness, and gender were significant predictors of PSU. Moderations have shown that being a digital immigrant/native moderates the impact of eating disorders on PSU. Belonging to Generation Y/Z moderates the influence of conscientiousness and depression on PSU. Thus, it shows that in different generations, different factors seem to play a role in the development and maintenance of PSU. Full article

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an opportunistic pathogen with an environmental origin, which presents a characteristically low susceptibility to antibiotics and is capable of acquiring increased levels of resistance to antimicrobials. Among these, fosfomycin resistance seems particularly intriguing; resistance to this antibiotic is generally due to the activity of fosfomycin-inactivating enzymes, or to defects in the expression or the activity of fosfomycin transporters. In contrast, we previously described that the cause of fosfomycin resistance in S. maltophilia was the inactivation of enzymes belonging to its central carbon metabolism. To go one step further, here we studied the effects of fosfomycin on the transcriptome of S. maltophilia compared to those of phosphoenolpyruvate—its structural homolog—and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate—an intermediate metabolite of the mutated route in fosfomycin-resistant mutants. Our results show that transcriptomic changes present a large degree of overlap, including the activation of the cell-wall-stress stimulon. These results indicate that fosfomycin activity and resistance are interlinked with bacterial metabolism. Furthermore, we found that the studied compounds inhibit the expression of the smeYZ efflux pump, which confers intrinsic resistance to aminoglycosides. This is the first description of efflux pump inhibitors that can be used as antibiotic adjuvants to counteract antibiotic resistance in S. maltophilia. Full article