Search Results (729)

Reinforced concrete (RC) deep beams constructed with low-strength concrete are susceptible to sudden splitting failures in the strut region due to shear–compression stresses. To mitigate this vulnerability, various strengthening techniques, including steel plates, fiber-reinforced polymer sheets, and cementitious composites, have been explored to confine the strut area. This study investigates the structural performance of RC deep beams with low-strength concrete, strengthened externally using an Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) layer. To ensure effective confinement and uniform shear distribution, shear reinforcement was provided at equal intervals with configurations of zero, one, and two vertical shear reinforcements. Four-point bending tests revealed that the ECC layer significantly enhanced the shear capacity, increasing load-carrying capacity by 51.6%, 54.7%, and 46.7% for beams with zero, one, and two shear reinforcements, respectively. Failure analysis through non-linear finite element modeling corroborated experimental observations, confirming shear–compression failure characterized by damage in the concrete struts. The strut-and-tie method, modified to incorporate the tensile strength of ECC and shear reinforcement actual stress values taken from the FE analysis, was used to predict the shear capacity. The predicted values were within 10% of the experimental results, underscoring the reliability of the analytical approach. Overall, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of ECC in improving shear performance and mitigating strut failure in RC deep beams made with low-strength concrete. Full article

For the past few decades, during each disastrous earthquake, severe damage and poor seismic performance of masonry infilled RC frames, including many newly designed ones, have been reported extensively. Inherent problems related to analysis and design methods for tight-fit infilled frame structures have not yet been solved and are recognized as being far from satisfactory in terms of completeness and reliability. The primary objective of this research was to propose and test an innovative method that can effectively mitigate undesirable interaction damage to masonry infilled RC frame structures. This proposed technical solution consists of connection of the infill panel to the bounding columns with steel reinforcement connections deployed in mortar layers and anchored to the columns. This is practical, cheap and easy to implement without any specific technology, which is especially important for developing countries. A three story, two bay RC building model with the proposed connection implemented on the infill walls was designed and tested on the shake table at IZIIS in Skopje, N. Macedonia. The test results and design guidelines/recommendations from the proposed research are also expected to benefit the infrastructural development in other countries threatened by earthquakes, preferably in the Balkan and the Mediterranean region. Full article

This study investigated the immunonutritional potential of high-molecular-weight (Mw~85 kDa), non-degraded chitosan (NCS) and gamma-radiation-degraded, low-molecular-weight chitosan (RCS) incorporated into aquafeeds for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). RCS was produced by γ-irradiation (10 kGy) in the presence of 0.25% (w/v) H₂O₂, yielding low-viscosity, colloidally stable nanoparticles with Mw ranging from 10 to 13 kDa. Five diets were formulated: a control, NCS at 0.50%, and RCS at 0.025%, 0.050%, and 0.075%. No adverse effects on growth were observed, confirming safety. Immune gene expression (e.g., ifng1, nfκb, tnf), antioxidant markers (e.g., reduced MDA, increased GSH and GR), and nonspecific humoral responses (lysozyme, IgM, and bactericidal activity) were significantly enhanced in the NCS-0.50, RCS-0.050, and RCS-0.075 groups. Notably, these benefits were achieved with RCS at 10-fold lower concentrations than NCS. Following challenge with Edwardsiella tarda, fish fed RCS-0.050 and RCS-0.075 diets exhibited the highest survival rates and relative percent survival, highlighting robust activation of innate and adaptive immunity alongside redox defense. These results support the use of low-Mw RCS as a biologically potent, cost-effective alternative to traditional high-Mw chitosan in functional aquafeeds. RCS-0.050 and RCS-0.075 show strong potential as immunonutritional agents to enhance fish health and disease resistance in aquaculture. Full article

This study investigates the effect of code-switching (CS) on the processing and attachment resolution of ambiguous relative clauses (RCs) like ‘Bill saw the friend of the neighbor that was talking about football’ by heritage speakers of Spanish. It checks whether code-switching imposes a prosodic break at the place of language change, and whether this prosodic break affects RC parsing, as predicted by the Implicit Prosody Hypothesis: a high attachment (HA) preference results from a prosodic break at the RC. A prosodic break at the preposition ‘of’ in the complex DP ‘the friend of the neighbor’ entails a low attachment (LA) preference. The design compares RC resolution in unilingual sentences (Spanish, with a default preference for HA in RC, and English, with the default LA) with the RC parsing in sentences with CS. The CS occurs at the places of prosodic breaks considered by the IPH. The results show sensitivity to the place of CS in RC attachment. CS prompting LA causes longer response times. The preference for HA in Spanish unilingual sentences is higher than in English ones. Heritage speakers are sensitive to the prosodic effects of CS. However, there is high variability across speakers. Full article

The performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures will gradually decrease over time, posing a threat to the safety of buildings. Although the performance of some buildings may still meet the safety requirements, they cannot meet new usage requirements. Therefore, this paper proposes a new-type joint to promote the development of research on the reinforcement and renovation of RC frame structures in response to this situation. The RC beams and columns of the joints are connected by embedded horizontal steel plate (a single plate with dimension of 150 mm × 200 mm × 5 mm), and the beams and columns are individually wrapped in steel. Through conducting low cyclic loading tests, this paper analyzes the influence of carrying out wrapped steel treatment and the thickness of wrapped steel of the beam and connector on mechanical performance indicators such as hysteresis curve, skeleton curve, stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation. The experimental results indicate that the reinforcement using steel plate can significantly improve the dynamic performance of the joint. The effect of changing the thickness of the connector on the dynamic performance of the specimen is not significant, while increasing the thickness of wrapped steel of beam can effectively improve the overall strength of joint. The research results of this paper will help promote the application of reinforcement and renovation technology for existing buildings, and improve the quality of human living. Full article

With the increasing integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) into power systems, batteries are playing a critical role in ensuring grid reliability and flexibility. Among them, vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) have emerged as a promising solution for large-scale storage due to their long cycle life, scalability, and deep discharge capability. However, achieving optimal control and system-level integration of VRFBs requires accurate, real-time modeling and parameter estimation, challenging tasks given the multi-physics nature and time-varying dynamics of such systems. This paper presents a lightweight physics-informed neural network (PINN) framework tailored for VRFBs, which directly embeds the discrete-time state-space dynamics into the network architecture. The model simultaneously predicts terminal voltage and estimates five discrete-time physical parameters associated with RC dynamics and internal resistance, while avoiding hidden layers to enhance interpretability and computational efficiency. The resulting PINN model is integrated into a modulated model predictive control (MMPC) scheme for a dual-stage DC-AC converter interfacing the VRFB with low-voltage AC grids. Simulation and hardware-in-the-loop results demonstrate that adaptive tuning of the PINN-estimated parameters enables precise tracking of battery parameter variations, thereby improving the robustness and performance of the MMPC controller under varying operating conditions. Full article

Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) require thermochemically stable proppant materials capable of sustaining fracture conductivity under harsh subsurface conditions. This study systematically investigates the response of commercial proppants to coupled thermo-hydro-chemical (THC) effects, focusing on chemical stability and microstructural evolution. Four proppant types were evaluated: an ultra-low-density ceramic (ULD), a resin-coated sand (RCS), and two quartz-based silica sands. Experiments were conducted under simulated EGS conditions at 130 °C with daily thermal cycling over a 25-day period, using diluted site-specific Utah FORGE geothermal fluids. Static batch reactions were followed by comprehensive multi-modal characterization, including scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Proppants were tested in both granular and powdered forms to evaluate surface area effects and potential long-term reactivity. Results indicate that ULD proppants experienced notable resin degradation and secondary mineral precipitation within internal pore networks, evidenced by a 30.4% reduction in intragranular porosity (from CT analysis) and diminished amorphous peaks in the XRD spectra. RCS proppants exhibited a significant loss of surface carbon content from 72.98% to 53.05%, consistent with resin breakdown observed via SEM imaging. While the quartz-based sand proppants remained morphologically intact at the macro-scale, SEM-EDS revealed localized surface alteration and mineral precipitation. The brown sand proppant, in particular, showed the most extensive surface precipitation, with a 15.2% increase in newly detected mineral phases. These findings advance understanding of proppant–fluid interactions under low-temperature EGS conditions and underscore the importance of selecting proppants based on thermo-chemical compatibility. The results also highlight the need for continued development of chemically resilient proppant formulations tailored for long-term geothermal applications. Full article

With the rapid advancement of UAV-based remote sensing and image recognition techniques, identifying environmental risk factors from aerial imagery has emerged as a focal point in intelligent inspection during the power transmission and distribution projects construction phase. The uneven spatial distribution of risk factors on construction sites, their weak texture signatures, and the inherently multi-scale nature of UAV imagery pose significant detection challenges. To address these issues, we propose a one-stage SRW-YOLO algorithm built upon the YOLOv11 framework. First, a P2-scale shallow feature detection layer is added to capture high-resolution fine details of small targets. Second, we integrate a reparameterized convolution based on channel shuffle (RCS) of a one-shot aggregation (RCS-OSA) module into the backbone and neck’s shallow layers, enhancing feature extraction while significantly reducing inference latency. Finally, a dynamic non-monotonic focusing mechanism WIoU v3 loss function is employed to reweigh low-quality annotations, thereby improving small-object localization accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate that SRW-YOLO achieves an overall precision of 80.6% and mAP of 79.1% on the State Grid dataset, and exhibits similarly superior performance on the VisDrone2019 dataset. Compared with other one-stage detectors, SRW-YOLO delivers markedly higher detection accuracy, offering critical technical support for multi-scale, heterogeneous environmental risk monitoring during the power transmission and distribution projects construction phase, and establishes the theoretical foundation for rapid and accurate inspection using UAV-based intelligent imaging. Full article

In this study, we explored the dose-dependent effects of neutral sodium humate (NSH) on the growth performance, slaughter traits, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health of yellow-feathered broilers. A total of 240 one-day-old male yellow-feathered broilers were randomly allocated into three groups, with each group consisting of four replicates containing 20 birds per replicate. The control group (Blank) received a basal diet, while the NSH-L and NSH-H groups were provided with the same basal diet included with neutral sodium humate at concentrations of 0.15% and 0.3%, respectively. The results indicate that dietary inclusion of neutral sodium humate at both low (NSH-L) and high (NSH-H) doses significantly increased the body weight and leg muscle yield of yellow-feathered broilers and improved meat quality (p < 0.05). Furthermore, NSH inclusion effectively reduced serum total cholesterol levels and elevated total protein concentration (p < 0.05). In addition, NSH significantly improved duodenal and ileal morphology (e.g., increased villus height and reduced crypt depth), strengthened intestinal barrier integrity (p < 0.05), and enhanced antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05). Notably, the high-dose NSH group (NSH-H) demonstrated significantly greater enhancements in intestinal and barrier integrity compared to the low-dose group (NSH-L). Microbiome analysis revealed that, compared to the Blank group, both the NSH-L and NSH-H groups exhibited significant shifts in cecal microbiota composition, including increased abundance of Bacteroidota and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and reduced abundance of Euryarchaeota and Methanobrevibacter. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that neutral sodium humate acts as a multifunctional feed additive in yellow-feathered broilers, enhancing productivity and gut health. The study provides a theoretical foundation for the scientific application of neutral sodium humate in broiler production. Full article

Background/Objectives: Red bone marrow irradiation is a major concern for patients with advanced prostate cancer undergoing [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA therapy. However, low uptake in the red bone marrow and the presence of bone lesions complicate image-based red bone marrow dosimetry. This study aimed to investigate the general feasibility of image-based red bone marrow activity estimation for [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA treatment and to develop a fully automated workflow for clinical implementation. Methods: In the first part of the study, 175 virtual patient phantoms with realistic ¹⁷⁷Lu activity distributions were generated based on 639 pre-therapeutic [¹⁸F]F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT scans. The SIMIND Monte Carlo tool was used to simulate the ¹⁷⁷Lu SPECT acquisitions (24 h post-injection (p.i.)), which were used to assess the uncertainty of red bone marrow activity estimation. In the second part, red bone marrow self- and cross-absorbed doses were estimated for four therapy cycles of 20 patients. Results: The simulation study shows a significant overestimation of activity in skeletal sites with bone lesions, with median recovery coefficients (RCs) across all phantoms yielding a median of 225% (range: 106–1015%). In contrast, the median RCs were markedly lower in skeletal sites neighboring or distant to lesion-carrying sites (105% [72–163%] and 107% [77–130%], respectively). The median total absorbed dose to the red bone marrow was 20.8 mGy/GBq (range: 5.6–297.9 mGy/GBq). Median blood levels decreased with an increasing median cumulative total absorbed dose. Conclusions: Reliable estimation of activity concentration in skeletal sites without bone lesion infiltration has been shown to be feasible. Based on this finding, an automated workflow for routine image-based red bone marrow dosimetry was developed. Full article

The effectiveness of an innovative retrofit scheme using near-surface-mounted (NSM) X-shaped CFRP ropes for the strengthening of substandard RC beam–column joints was investigated experimentally. Three large-scale beam–column joint subassemblages were constructed with poor reinforcement details. One specimen was subjected to cyclic lateral loading, exhibited shear failure of the joint region and was used as the control specimen. The other specimens were retrofitted and subsequently subjected to the same history of incremental lateral displacement amplitudes with the control subassemblage. The retrofitting was characterized by low labor demands and included wrapping of NSM CFPR-ropes in the two diagonal directions on both lateral sides of the joint as shear reinforcement. Single or double wrapping of the joint was performed, while weights were suspended to prevent the loose placement of the ropes in the grooves. A significant improvement in the seismic performance of the retrofitted specimens was observed with respect to the control specimen, regarding strength and ductility. The proposed innovative scheme effectively prevented shear failure of the joint by shifting the damage in the beam, and the retrofitted specimens showed a more dissipating hysteresis behavior without significant loss of lateral strength and axial load-bearing capacity. The cumulative energy dissipation capacity of the strengthened specimens increased by 105.38% and 122.23% with respect to the control specimen. Full article

We have previously shown that the mitochondrial respiratory chain (RC) can switch between the following two states: (i) an “ATP-producing” state characterized by the low production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the vigorous translocation of hydrogen ions (H⁺), and the storage of energy from the H⁺ gradient in the form of ATP, and (ii) an “ROS-producing” state, where the translocation of H⁺ is slow but the production of ROS is high. Here, we suggest that the RC transition from an ATP-producing to an ROS-producing state initiates a mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) by generating a burst of ROS. Numerous MPT activators induce the transition of the RC to an ROS-producing state, and the ROS generated in this state activate the MPT. The MPT, in turn, induces changes in conditions that are necessary for the RC to return to an ATP-producing state, decreasing the ROS production rate and restoring the normal permeability of the inner membrane. In this way, the transient MPT prevents cell damage from oxidative stress that would occur if the RC remained in an ROS-producing state. It is shown that an overload of glutamate, which enters through excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs), induces the RC to switch to an ROS-producing state. Subsequent MPT activation causes a transition back to an ATP-producing state. The model was used to predict the spatial–temporal dynamics of glutamate concentrations and H₂O₂ production rates in a three-dimensional digital phantom of nervous tissue. Full article

The electrical grid is undergoing increasing integration of decentralized power sources connected to the low-voltage network. In this context, the concept of a microgrid has emerged as a system comprising small-scale energy sources, loads, and storage devices, coordinated to operate as a single controllable entity capable of functioning in either grid-connected or islanded mode. The microgrid may be organized in a centralized configuration, such as a master-slave scheme, wherein the centralized converter, i.e., the grid-forming converter (GFC), plays a pivotal role in ensuring system stability and control. This paper introduces a plug-in repetitive controller (RC) strategy tuned to even harmonic orders for application in a three-phase GFC, diverging from the conventional approach that focuses on odd harmonics. The proposed control is designed within a synchronous reference frame and is targeted at centralized AC microgrids, particularly during islanded operation. Simulation results are presented to assess the microgrid’s power flow and power quality, thereby evaluating the performance of the GFC. Additionally, the proposed control was implemented on a Texas Instruments TMS320F28335 digital signal processor and validated through hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation using the Typhoon HIL 600 platform, considering multiple scenarios with both linear and nonlinear loads. The main results highlight that the RC improves voltage regulation, mitigates harmonic distortion, and increases power delivery capability, thus validating its effectiveness for GFC operation. Full article

Turbo Codes (TCs) are a family of convolutional codes that provide powerful Forward Error Correction (FEC) and operate near the Shannon limit for channel capacity. In the context of modern communication systems, such as those conforming to the DVB-RCS2 standard, Turbo Encoders (TEs) play a crucial role in ensuring robust data transmission over noisy satellite links. A key computational bottleneck in the Turbo Encoder is the non-uniform interleaving stage, where input bits are rearranged according to a dynamically generated permutation pattern. This stage often requires the intermediate storage of data, resulting in increased latency and reduced throughput, especially in embedded or real-time systems. This paper introduces a vector processing algorithm designed to accelerate the interleaving stage of the Turbo Encoder. The proposed algorithm is tailored for vector DSP architectures (e.g., CEVA-XC4500), and leverages the hardware’s SIMD capabilities to perform the permutation operation in a structured, phase-wise manner. Our method adopts a modular Load–Execute–Store design, facilitating efficient memory alignment, deterministic latency, and hardware portability. We present a detailed breakdown of the algorithm’s implementation, compare it with a conventional scalar (serial) model, and analyze its compatibility with the DVB-RCS2 specification. Experimental results demonstrate significant performance improvements, achieving a speed-up factor of up to 3.4× in total cycles, 4.8× in write operations, and 7.3× in read operations, relative to the baseline scalar implementation. The findings highlight the effectiveness of vectorized permutation in FEC pipelines and its relevance for high-throughput, low-power communication systems. Full article

Background/Objectives: Lymph node metastases (LNM) undetected by standard hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) have been associated with unfavorable prognosis in colorectal cancer. The One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA) assay has demonstrated superior sensitivity in detecting LNM compared to H&E. We aimed to assess the performance of OSNA in detecting LNM, as well as its prognostic value in rectal cancer (RC) patients. Methods: Lymph nodes (LNs) of patients from 15 centers were analyzed by both H&E and OSNA. The total tumor load (TTL) was defined as the sum of cytokeratin 19 mRNA copies/µL in all LNs from a surgical specimen, using a threshold of 250 copies/μL for OSNA positivity. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to assess the effect of TTL ≥ 250 or 6000 copies/μL on cancer-specific survival (CSS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), with Firth’s method applied to account for low event rate. Results: A total of 97 RC patients were included. Of these, 84 patients were eligible for survival analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of OSNA, compared to H&E, were 91.7% and 84.7%, respectively. TTL ≥ 6000 versus <6000 copies/μL was related to worse CSS and RFS. When dividing TTL into three groups: ≤250, 250–6000, and >6000 copies/μL, only TTL ≥ 6000 copies/μL was significantly associated with worse CSS and RFS. Conclusions: The OSNA assay is highly sensitive for detecting LNM in RC patients. A TTL of ≥6000 copies/μL could identify a subset of RC patients with worse CSS and RFS who might benefit from adjuvant treatment or intensive surveillance. Full article