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The moisture with salt ions adsorbed on the mineral soil surface is crucial to the cohesion process when the media is exposed to marine or coastal environments. However, the impact of salinity on the cohesion of soils is not well studied at the nanoscale. In this study, the salinity effect was investigated by studying the wettability and capillary force of NaCl solutions on quartz substrates via a molecular dynamics-based approach. Besides, a new visualization method was proposed to measure the contact angle of liquid droplets from the aspect of nanoscale. The results indicated that salt ions can weaken the wettability of the liquid on the quartz surface and inhibit the capillary force. Compared with water, the liquid with a 10% NaCl solution can achieve a capillary force reduction of around 70%, resulting in a detrimental effect on the cohesion of soils. Overall, this study enhanced the understanding of the nanoscale salinity effect on the cohesion process and provided insights into the modification of the mechanical properties of soils from the aspect of nanoscale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the resistance and, at times, outright condemnation of including transgender individuals in sports continue to draw upon "scientific" arguments, despite the acknowledged importance of sociocultural and (geo)political factors, resulting in a constructed "either science or human rights" landscape. In this article, I analyze historical scientifically driven International Olympic Committee documents and policies from the Olympic Studies Center to examine if and how sport organizations, such as the International Olympic Committee, have historically balanced these seemingly partitioned considerations in previous regulatory documents, especially those relating to sex, gender, fairness, and protection. Using Sheila Jasanoff's co-production, I find that, while knowledge informing policies sometimes circulates biologized gender stereotypes, sociocultural and scientific goals have, can, and should exist in cohesion rather than in contradiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive amount of wasted heat energy from industry has pushed the development of thermoelectric (TE) materials that directly convert heat into electricity to a new level of concern. Recently, multicomponent alloys such as GeTe-based and PbSe-based high-entropy (HE) chalcogenides have attracted a great deal of attention due to their potential application as TE materials. The nature of the interatomic bonding, lattice distortion (LD), and the electronic structure in this class of materials is not fully understood. Herein, we report a comprehensive computational investigation of nine GeTe-based HE alloys with eight metallic elements (Ag, Pb, Sb, Bi, Cu, Cd, Mn, and Sn) with large supercells of 1080 atoms each; seven PbSe-based HE solid solutions: Pb0.99−ySb0.012SnySe1−2xTexSx (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, with y = 0) with supercells of 1000 atoms each; and five Pb0.99−ySb0.012SnySe1−2xTexSx (y = 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25 with x = 0.25) solid solutions with supercells of 1000 atoms each. All these HE models are theoretically investigated for the first time. The electronic structure, interatomic bonding, charge transfer, and lattice distortion (LD) are investigated by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. Multicomponent HE alloys can cause a significant LD, which affects their mechanical, thermal, and TE properties. The calculations for the GeTe-based HE chalcogenides showed that they are semiconductors with a narrow bandgap, except for m8, which has a semi-metallic characteristic, and this makes them good candidates for TE applications. For most of these models, the Fermi level shifts upward and locates deeply in the conduction bands, resulting in the enhancement of the electrical conductivity (σ). The bonding properties showed that most bonds in m5 are more dispersed, indicating highest LD and lower lattice thermal conductivity. For PbSe-based HE solid solutions, the LD calculations showed that the models Pb0.99Sb0.012Se0.5Te0.25S0.25 and Pb0.89Sb0.012Sn0.1Se0.5Te0.25S0.25 have the higher LD, and thus a lower lattice thermal conductivity. Such investigations are in high demand since it enables us to design new HE chalcogenides for TE applications. We use the novel concept of total bond order density as a single quantum mechanical metric to characterize the internal cohesion of these HE alloys and correlate with calculated properties, especially the mechanical properties. This work provides a solid database for HE chalcogenides and a road map for many potential applications. Moreover, the computational procedure we developed can be used to design new HE chalcogenides for specific TE applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distance education is becoming a global phenomenon affecting student teamwork, especially since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, research in management education on changes in team cohesion in student teams remains limited, and even less is known in the context of dynamic forms of modern virtual team collaboration. We address this gap by exploring how dynamic boundaries affect team cohesion via a study conducted across two editions (spring 2018 and spring 2019) of a cross-university course. Results from the qualitative triangulated data collected from a multiple holistic case study composed of 11 virtual student teams (n = 65 participants) suggest that in the virtual student teams, dynamic boundaries (such as dispersion, sub team formation, boundary spanning, multi teaming, and moving on and off the team) diminish team cohesion in favor of "participant alignment" and have differential relationships with this novel concept. Our results contribute to the literature on management education and team dynamics and can be applied in academic and management practice by shifting the focus away from team cohesion and toward participant alignment as a new individual-level, multidimensional concept. This has the potential to become an important aspect of successful virtual teams operating under modern dynamic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, the structural and external validity of data derived from two shorter versions of the Multidimensional Assessment of Teamwork in Sport (MATS) were examined using multilevel analyses. Evidence of model–data fit was shown for both a 5-factor model comprising 19 items (with subscales assessing teamwork preparation, execution, evaluation, adjustments, and management of team maintenance) and a single-factor model comprising five items (providing a global estimate of teamwork). In general, data from both versions were positively and significantly correlated with (and distinct from) athletes' perceptions of team cohesion, collective efficacy, performance satisfaction, enjoyment in their sport, and commitment to their team and their coaches' transformational leadership. The measures appear well suited to detect between-teams differences, as evidenced by intraclass correlation coefficients and acceptable reliability estimates of team-level scores. In summary, the 19-item Multidimensional Assessment of Teamwork in Sport-Short and five-item Multidimensional Assessment of Teamwork in Sport-Global provide conceptually and psychometrically sound questionnaires to briefly measure teamwork in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selling is often associated with competitiveness, which has led many scholars to examine trait competitiveness as a driver of salesperson performance. However, it is also suggested that competitiveness contributes to less cohesive work environments which can have adverse effects on firms and their stakeholders. The authors explore this dichotomy by first conducting a field study utilizing multilevel, multisource data acquired from 358 salespeople working at 86 offices of a large company. Using Mplus, the authors employ a 1-2-1 multilevel model to test the effects of trait competitiveness on work group cohesion, along with subsequent effects on sales performance and turnover. Findings reveal a surprising positive relationship between trait competitiveness and work group cohesion, with the latter reducing turnover likelihood. Thus, trait competitiveness has indirect effects, through work group cohesion, in reducing turnover, while having direct and positive effects on sales performance. Results of a follow-up qualitative study reveal that the positive relationship between trait competitiveness and work group cohesion can be attributed to the competitive focus (i.e. interpersonal, intergroup, or intrapersonal) of the individuals within the sales organization. Overall, this work shows that organizations can have both competitive salespeople and cohesive work environments, contributing beneficially toward sales output and turnover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing functional adhesives combining strong adhesion, good recyclability and diverse harsh‐condition adaptability is a grand challenge. Here, we introduce a general dendritic molecule doping strategy to activate commercial polymers into a new family of supramolecular adhesives integrating high adhesion strength, ultralow temperature, water resistant and multi‐reusable properties. Our method involves rational design of a new rigid‐flexible coupled dendritic molecule—M4C8OH as a versatile dopant, while simple M4C8OH doping into commercial polymers can modulate internal and external non‐covalent interaction to enable H‐bonding enhanced interchain cross‐linking for tough cohesion along with enhanced interphase interaction. This endows 20 wt % M4C8OH‐doped polycaprolactone (PCL) adhesives (PCL‐M4C8OH) with improved adhesion strength on various substrates with the maximum increase up to 2.87 times that of PCL. In particular, the adhesion strengths of PCL‐M4C8OH on polymethyl methacrylate at 25 °C and −196 °C reach 4.67 and 3.58 MPa—1.9 and 2.3 times those of PCL and superior to diverse commercial adhesives and most reported adhesives. PCL‐M4C8OH also displays markedly‐improved multi‐usability and tolerance against ultralow temperature and diverse wet environments. Mechanism studies reveal the crucial role of M4C8OH molecular structures toward superior adhesion. Our method can be expanded to other polymer matrices, yielding diverse new supramolecular adhesives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing functional adhesives combining strong adhesion, good recyclability and diverse harsh‐condition adaptability is a grand challenge. Here, we introduce a general dendritic molecule doping strategy to activate commercial polymers into a new family of supramolecular adhesives integrating high adhesion strength, ultralow temperature, water resistant and multi‐reusable properties. Our method involves rational design of a new rigid‐flexible coupled dendritic molecule—M4C8OH as a versatile dopant, while simple M4C8OH doping into commercial polymers can modulate internal and external non‐covalent interaction to enable H‐bonding enhanced interchain cross‐linking for tough cohesion along with enhanced interphase interaction. This endows 20 wt % M4C8OH‐doped polycaprolactone (PCL) adhesives (PCL‐M4C8OH) with improved adhesion strength on various substrates with the maximum increase up to 2.87 times that of PCL. In particular, the adhesion strengths of PCL‐M4C8OH on polymethyl methacrylate at 25 °C and −196 °C reach 4.67 and 3.58 MPa—1.9 and 2.3 times those of PCL and superior to diverse commercial adhesives and most reported adhesives. PCL‐M4C8OH also displays markedly‐improved multi‐usability and tolerance against ultralow temperature and diverse wet environments. Mechanism studies reveal the crucial role of M4C8OH molecular structures toward superior adhesion. Our method can be expanded to other polymer matrices, yielding diverse new supramolecular adhesives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The primary purpose is to discuss the productivity and digitalisation interaction at the theoretical level, analyse the productivity and digitalisation differences between the European Union (EU)-14 and EU-13 countries, and evaluate the digitalisation impact on the manufacturing sector labour productivity of the EU countries. Need for study: The average added value created per capita in new EU countries (EU-13) is one-third lower than in old EU countries (EU-14). To increase productivity, manufacturing companies must adapt to modern trends and take advantage of industrial digitisation opportunities. Digitisation can improve production efficiency, reduce costs, and improve product quality, allowing continuous monitoring and analysis of production data, enabling informed decisions and faster problem-solving. Methodology: Analysis of scientific literature, comparing viewpoints, insights, and conclusions. The empirical study includes calculating rates of change of indicators, differences between EU-14 and EU-13, and structural analysis. The impact of digitisation on the productivity of EU countries is studied by creating a correlation matrix and using regression analysis: ordinary least square models. Findings: EU-13 countries are behind EU-14 in labour productivity and manufacturing digitalisation. Digitalisation positively impacts productivity per employee. A faster increase in digitisation, industrial robot use, and e-commerce sales could significantly increase productivity in EU-13, reducing productivity differences between countries. Practical implications: This study highlights the need for policy promoting digitisation innovation, particularly in EU-13 countries, to be implemented by both national and EU-based economic development and regional and cohesion institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing a rational numerical model to characterize the compressive mechanical properties of shale is highly significant for large-scale shale-related engineering demonstrations. By analyzing the effects of the Parallel bond and Smooth joint model parameters on shale macroscopic mechanical properties, a rational Parallel bond and Smooth joint dual-model mesoscopic parameter calibration method is developed. The superiority of this calibration method in simulating the mechanical properties and failure modes of shale compression is verified by fitting the uniaxial compression test data of shale samples with various inclination angles. The results show that in the Parallel bond model, the mesoscopic particle's and bond's elastic modulus ( E * , E ¯ * ) have a greater influence on the macroscopic elastic modulus, the mesoscopic cohesion and tensile strength ( c ¯ , σ ¯ c ) have a greater influence on the peak intensity, and in the Smooth joint model, the tangential stiffness k s and tensile strength σ c of the joint significantly influence the stress–strain curve pattern; compared with the single Parallel bond model, the Parallel bond and Smooth joint dual-model mesoscale parameters are used to calibrate the elastic modulus and peak strength of the sample, and the simulation results of compression failure modes are in good agreement with the test results. The fitting applicability of this calibration method to the degraded shale sample is weaker than that of the original sample, which is related to the uneven degradation distribution and the formation of extremely weak surfaces of shale. Highlights: The Parallel bond and Smooth joint dual model is used to make up for the defects of traditional single Parallel bond model in simulating the mechanical properties of bedding rock such as shale. The roles of corresponding model parameters in controlling the shale compression failure mode are explored in detail. The accuracy enhancement of the dual model in simulation is verified. The shortcomings and reasons in simulating the compression response of degraded shale are explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the mechanisms of crack propagation and failure behavior in rocks is fundamental for geotechnical engineering and mining applications. This study employs a coupled damage model based on the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method that integrates the Drucker–Prager and Grady–Kipp models. This mixed failure model is then implemented to simulate the crack propagation morphology and failure modes in uniaxial compression tests of flawed rock samples, and validated against multiple experimental observations. The numerical results exhibit good agreement with experimental observations from the literature in terms of the initiation and propagation of tensile and shear fractures, as well as the final failure morphology. Additionally, this work incorporates contact algorithms to simulate the loading plates, thereby better representing the actual experimental conditions encountered in uniaxial compression tests. Furthermore, a comprehensive parametric study is conducted to investigate the influence of key factors, such as pre-flaw geometry, cohesion, friction at the loading plate interface, and discretization parameters, on the simulated fracture processes and mechanical response. The outcomes indicate the proposed coupled damage model within the SPH framework can accurately capture complex fracture patterns and failure mechanisms in uniaxial compression of flawed rocks. This work demonstrates the capability of the SPH-based mixed-mode failure model to provide insights into rock fracture and failure mechanisms. Highlights: A coupled damage model integrating the Drucker–Prager and Grady–Kipp criteria within a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) framework is applied to simulate both shear and tensile failure modes in rocks firstly. The model is validated against more experimental observations, demonstrating the model's ability to reproduce the crack propagation and characteristic stress–strain behavior. This work presents a comprehensive parametric study investigating the influence of key factors, such as pre-flaw geometry, cohesion, friction at the loading plate interface, and discretization parameters, on the simulated fracture processes and mechanical response. These systematic investigations provide valuable insights into the governing mechanisms and highlight the importance of proper model calibration for accurate predictions. This work incorporates contact algorithms to simulate the loading plates, thereby better representing the actual experimental conditions encountered in uniaxial compression tests. The tensile wing cracks subjected to uniaxial compression, oriented vertically towards the top boundary of the specimen, are successfully captured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water plays a crucial role in underground engineering, significantly influencing the short-term and long-term strength and deformation behavior of rocks. Understanding the mechanics of rock deformation under water–rock coupling is vital for assessing the stability of underground structures. In this study, short-term strength compression and creep experiments were conducted on sandstone samples with varying water contents. Critical water contents (0%, 0.8%, 1.6%, 2.4%, and 3.3%) were determined through water absorption experiments, with corresponding tests performed under confining pressures of 0 MPa, 6 MPa, 9 MPa, and 12 MPa. Results revealed an exponential decrease in uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus with increasing water content, while confining pressure influenced radial deformation, leading to a linear increase in compressive strength. Water content also significantly impacted micro-cohesion and internal friction angle, with cohesion being more sensitive to water. The creep experiment demonstrated a deformation trend similar to compressive strength, with analysis revealing three stages of creep deformation: viscoelastic, plastic, and nonlinear acceleration. Critical strengths entering different stages were identified, with their ratio to compressive strength stabilizing between 0.44–0.59 and 0.59–0.74. A strain parameter εac, related to steady-state and accelerated creep failure time, showed little correlation with water content but exhibited a linear relationship with confining pressure. Short-term and long-term failure modes of sandstone were analyzed, indicating a transition from "X-shaped" conjugate shear failure to single oblique shear failure with changing confining pressure and water content. Mitigation measures, such as groundwater isolation and the application of high confining pressure, were identified as effective means to mitigate long-term rock deformation's adverse effects on structural integrity in onsite engineering projects, ensuring structural stability throughout construction. The study's findings and data are crucial for informing the long-term stability of engineering structures. Highlights: Water content significantly affects the short-term and long-term strength and deformation behavior of rocks. The creep behavior of rocks is influenced by water content, confining pressure, and shear stress. The water content and confining pressure affect the formation and evolution of cracks in rocks during creep. Different failure modes are observed in rocks, depending on water content and confining pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the deformation failure and damage evolution law of weathered granite (WG) under different confining pressures, triaxial compression simultaneous acoustic emission (AE) tests were conducted on WG, and the mechanical and AE parameter characteristics of WG were obtained. It is shown that with the increase of confining pressure, the strength and modulus of elasticity of WG increase, and the failure pattern evolves from splitting failure to shear failure. Using the Mohr-Coulomb criterion, the cohesion c of WG is calculated to be 7.03 MPa, and the angle of internal friction φ is 61.95°. Analysing the AE peak frequency and energy at the characteristic points of the differential stress-axial strain curves, it is evident that the confining pressure limits crack evolution. The fractal characteristics of the WG AE ringing counts at each confining pressure are good, and the correlations between their ln r-ln C(r) curves and the fitted curves are all above 0.90. The WG at each confining pressure showed an increasing growth rate in the values of the damage variables and a rapid and substantial decrease in the fractal dimension before failure occurred. The study's results can provide a theoretical basis for the stability analysis of the WG surrounding rock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of the Fe-rich intermetallic compound phases (IMC) on the solidification cracking susceptibility (Hot Tearing Susceptibility, HTS) of the Al–Mn–Cu alloy and the associated controlling factors were investigated. Using the Al–1.15Mn–1.0Cu–0.5Si–0.08Ti–0.016B–0.15Fe and Al–1.15Mn–1.0Cu–0.5Si–0.08Ti–0.016B–0.4Fe alloys, the HTS and mechanical properties in the partially solidified state were experimentally obtained. As a result, the HTS decreased with the increasing Fe contents. In addition, the tensile strength of the alloys in the partially solidified state (σmax) increased with the increasing Fe contents. The fraction of solid cohesion considering the Fe-rich IMC phase (fsc IMC) based on the Campbell's model (fsc Campbell) is proposed as the controlling factor of σmax. The fsc Campbell, which simulates the two-phases model of the α-Al and liquid phases, did not consistently demonstrate the dependence of σmax on fsc Campbell for the two alloys (σmax = f(fsc Campbell)). However, when employing the fsc IMC, which incorporates the Fe-rich IMC phase in a three-phases model, a consistent correlation is observed between fsc IMC and σmax for the two alloys (σmax = f(fsc IMC)). Therefore, it is suggested that the controlling factor influencing the change in σmax with the Fe content should be the fsc IMC. Additionally, the bonding of primary α-Al phase together with Fe-rich IMC phase that is crystallized at the grain boundary will increase σmax, contributing to the reduction of HTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of loneliness varies widely across Western societies. However, the underlying sources of these cross-national disparities are still the subject of debate. In particular, recent advances in the literature put emphasis on exploring the moderating role of country-level characteristics for a better understanding under which condition individual-level factors predict loneliness. One such predictor for loneliness is neighborhood cohesion as perceiving the community as reciprocal and supportive has a large protective potential against loneliness. The present study links these lines of research and explores how three country-level characteristics (i.e. norms of cultural pluralism, welfare spending, and internet penetration rates) explain cross-national disparities in loneliness and whether they exert a moderating influence on the relationship between neighborhood cohesion and loneliness. By running linear multilevel models using data from the European Social Survey (N = 45042) as well as Eurostat Data, we find that all three country-level characteristics explain national disparities in loneliness as well as neighborhood cohesion. However, only norms of cultural pluralism moderate the association between neighborhood cohesion and loneliness on the individual level. This suggests that the potential of interventions aiming at fostering neighborhood cohesion to prevent loneliness varies depending on the cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergetic effects of alkaline red mud (RM) and sulfate-based phosphogypsum (PG) on the undrained triaxial behavior of cement-admixed clay were explored in this study. A series of isotropically consolidated undrained triaxial tests were performed on stabilized clay with respect to different admixed RM/PG proportions. The triaxial behavior of stabilized clay is presented in terms of a stress–pore pressure–strain relationship, failure mode, undrained deformation modulus, stress path, and failure envelope. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were conducted to survey microscopic evolution. The results showed that the brittleness of the specimen intensified with a high RM content, which was manifested by a predominant postpeak strength reduction. As the PG content increased, the strain-softening behavior weakened and gradually evolved into strain-hardening. The failure mode changed from local shear failure to the single cone failure and bulging failure correspondingly. The RM played a role in increasing soil cohesion, whereas PG contributed to a larger frictional angle at the postyield stage. Microscopic observations indicated that the alkali source from RM significantly promoted pozzolanic reactions and strengthened cementation bonds, which increased the peak strength, deformation modulus, and cohesion. In addition, the sulfate in PG contributed to ettringite generation among clay particles and clusters, resulting in a more ductile behavior and a larger frictional angle due to large clusters formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of tunnels, the stability of tunnel faces is generally considered in dry, saturated and homogeneous soils. However, the actual condition of some soils has been found to be inhomogeneous, with unsaturated seepage. In this paper, an analytical method is applied to estimate the safety factor when the supporting force at the tunnel face is zero under steady unsaturated seepage and inhomogeneous conditions. This method combines kinematic limit analysis techniques with strength reduction techniques; an efficient stress formulation utilizing suction stress is employed to determine the apparent cohesive force to obtain the solution of the steady unsaturated seepage problem, and indicators of soil inhomogeneity are attributed to the effect on cohesion. A 3D log-spiral collapse mechanism is used to find the zero supporting pressure and determine the safety factor through an iterative method. This paper analyzes the effect of variations in the unsaturated parameters, inhomogeneity parameters and tunnel dimensional parameters on the stability of the tunnel face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change induces extreme effects with lower-than-designed restoration periods, imposing the necessity of strengthening the structural integrity of existing and mainly older RC structures, which are often demonstrated to be under-reinforced in terms of the shear capacity, mainly due to outdated and old design codes/standards. Thus, finding cost-effective and feasible methods to strengthen RC elements is becoming increasingly important. Thin RC layers for jacketing represent a modern advancement in repairing and retrofitting RC members. In this context, U-shaped mortar jackets were employed to strengthen three shear-critical beams. In addition, a critical aspect in the success of any jacketing method is the degree of bonding and interaction between the original member and the new jacket. Additionally, the performance of these U-shaped jackets was assessed using an Electro-Mechanical-Impedance-based (EMI-based) method using a Piezoelectric-Transducer-enabled (PZT-enabled) technique. The integration of advanced monitoring technologies in retrofitting applications offers valuable insights into the performance and longevity of the retrofit system. Therefore, this study aims to experimentally investigate the cohesion between construction materials and assess the effectiveness of U-shaped jackets. Through the proposed Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) technique, any degradation at the interface or slippage of the retrofitting jacket can be promptly detected, restraining further damage development and potential failure of the structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandstone is the fundamental material in various engineering and construction projects. However, the mechanical integrity of sandstone can be compromised by initial unloading damage resulting from activities such as engineering excavations. Furthermore, this degradation is further exacerbated under periodic dry-wet environmental conditions. This study investigated the effects of dry-wet cycles and unloading on the mechanical properties of jointed fine sandstone using uniaxial and triaxial compression tests. These tests were performed on rock samples subjected to varying unloading degrees and different numbers of dry-wet cycles. The results demonstrate that with an increase in the unloading degree from 0% to 70%, there is a corresponding decrease in peak stress ranging from 10% to 33%. Additionally, the cohesion exhibits a reduction of approximately 20% to 25%, while the internal friction angle experiences a decline of about 3.5% to 6%. These findings emphasize a significant unloading effect. Moreover, the degree of peak stress degradation in unloading jointed fine sandstone diminishes with an increase in confining pressure, suggesting that confining pressure mitigates the deterioration caused by dry-wet cycles. Additionally, as the number of dry-wet cycles increases, there is a notable decline in the mechanical properties of the sandstone, evidencing significant dry-wet degradation. Utilizing the Drucker Prager criterion, this study establishes a strength criterion and fracture criterion, denoted as σ1(m, n) and KTII(m, n), to quantify the combined impacts of dry-wet cycles and unloading on jointed fine sandstone, which provides a comprehensive understanding of its mechanical behavior under such conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban forests are expected to mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect in megacities. The mechanism and factors influencing the cooling effect of urban forest have been extensively discussed; however, the spatial scale effect of cooling heterogeneity of the urban forest is still uncertain. Based on Landsat 8/9 OLI/TIRS imagery, the relationship between land surface temperature (LST) and the spatial patterns of forest vegetation in Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin was investigated at different spatial scales, including patch level, rural–urban gradient, and multiple spatial extents. The results indicated that the cooling effect of forest vegetation is stronger than that of grassland. The combination of the three indicators—Area, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and the percentage of neighboring greenspace (NGP)—can largely explain the differences in cooling intensity between forest vegetation patches. The results suggest that the cooling effect of forest vegetation was affected by air humidity, and the cooling intensity of forest vegetation is stronger in coastal cities than in inland cities. In dry cities, the impact of the patch area on the cooling intensity of forest patches is greater than the NDVI, while the opposite is true in humid coastal cities. The LST variations in the urban–rural gradient can largely be explained by the landscape composition. This study proposes to apply larger spatial extents (e.g., 450 m × 450 m grid in this study) to investigate the relationship between landscape configuration metrics (e.g., Aggregation and Cohesion in this study) and the LST; and to use smaller spatial extents (e.g., 90 m × 90 m grid in this study) to reveal the relationship between area and shape related metrics. This study extends our scientific understanding of scaling effects to the relationship between landscape metrics and the LST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interface between soil and concrete in cold climates has a significant effect on the structural integrity of embedded structures, including piles, liners, and others. In this study, a novel temperature control system was employed to conduct direct shear tests on this interface. The test conditions included normal stress (25 to 100 kPa), temperature (ranging from 20 to −6 °C), water content (from 10 to 19%), and shear rates (0.1 to 1.2 mm/min). Simultaneously, the deformation process of the interface was continuously photographed using a modified visual shear box, and the non-uniform deformation mechanism of the interface was analyzed by combining digital image correlation (DIC) technology with the photographic data. The findings revealed that the shear stress–shear displacement curves did not exhibit a discernible peak strength at elevated temperatures, indicating deformation behavior characterized by strain hardening. In the frozen state, however, the deformation softened, and the interfacial ice bonding strength exhibited a positive correlation with decreasing temperature. When the initial water content was 16% and the normal stress was 100 kPa, the peak shear strength increased significantly from 99.9 kPa to 182.9 kPa as the test temperature dropped from 20 °C to −6 °C. Both shear rate and temperature were found to have a marked effect on the peak shear strength, with interface cohesion being the principal factor contributing to this phenomenon. At a shear rate of 0.1 mm/min, the curve showed hardening characteristics, but at other shear rates, the curves exhibited strain-softening behavior, with the softening becoming more pronounced as shear rates increased and temperatures decreased. Due to the refreezing of interfacial ice, the residual shear strength increased in proportion to the reduction in shear rate. On a mesoscopic level, it was evident that the displacement of soil particles near the interface exhibited more pronounced changes. At lower shear rates, the phenomenon of interfacial refreezing became apparent, as evidenced by the periodic changes in interfacial granular displacement at the interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered structures comprising coral sand and gravel have been observed in hydraulic filled foundations in the coral reefs in the South China Sea, leading to anisotropy in their physical and mechanical properties. However, the effect of a layered structure on the strength and deformation of the coral soil foundation remains unclear. In this study, a series of large-scale triaxial compression tests and step-loading tests were carried out on four types of samples, i.e., clean coral sand, clean coral gravel, sand-over-gravel layered sample, and gravel-over-sand layered sample, to investigate the impact of confining pressure and the layered structure on the strength and failure modes of these soils. The results indicate that the stress–strain relationships of all samples predominantly exhibit strain hardening under drained conditions. Under identical confining pressures, the peak strength of clean coral sand is the lowest, while that of coral gravel is the highest. The peak strengths of the two layered samples fall between these extremes, with the gravel-over-sand layered sample exhibiting higher strength. All four samples have similar peak friction angles, slightly exceeding 40°. The difference in peak strength among the four types of samples is attributed to the variations in cohesion, with the cohesion of clean coral gravel being up to four times that of clean sand, and the cohesion of layered samples falling between these two. Both clean sand and clean gravel samples exhibit a bulging phenomenon in the middle, while the layered samples primarily exhibit bulging near the coral gravel layer. In the step-loading tests, the bearing capacity of the layered samples falls between those of clean coral sand and coral gravel, with the gravel-over-sand layered samples demonstrating higher strength. Moreover, the p-s curve of the gravel-over-sand layered samples obtained from the large-scale triaxial apparatus under a confining pressure of 400 kPa resembles that from the plate load tests on the same samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Standard Penetration Test (SPT) is used to determine the soil strength for many purposes. This research aims to estimate the relationship between the friction angle of sand and the cohesion of clay in Jordan, Palestine and the USA, using SPT since the soil strength tests are expensive and the SPT is common test and widely use. After data collection, comprehensive laboratory tests were carried out. The regression analysis was used to draw relationship between studied parameters (friction angle vs SPT in sand and cohesion vs SPT in clay). The proposed equations were validated and compared with other equations obtained from similar regions. Furthermore, the proposed equations were used to calculate the friction angles and cohesion values. Moreover, the results from Palestine and USA equations show good correlations with errors not more than 10% and (13 to 30) kPa, for friction angle and cohesion, respectively. The Jordan national code equation overestimated the results compared with the proposed equation for Jordan. The Jordanian national code equations need to be changed to calculate friction angle and cohesion based on the proposed equations. Accordingly, the proposed equations are useful to estimate the friction angle and cohesion based on the SPT prior to the final design stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contrary to the importance of citizens' perception and attitude towards the government and its performance, and extensive studies in this field, few studies have dealt with the perception and negative attitude towards the public sector that are not related to the inefficiency of the government. The aim of the current research is to investigate the relationship between bureauphobia and social capital. The research has been conducted in terms of purpose, application and descriptive-correlation method. To conduct the research, the presence of bureauphobia phenomenon and the level of social capital were studied and investigated by surveying citizens through a questionnaire. Then, the relationship between these two variables was analyzed. The research population was all citizens aged 18 to 70 who had visited one of the public sector organizations at least once in the past year. A sample of these individuals was selected using the accessible method and the questionnaire was administered to them. Among these individuals, 412 people completed the research questionnaire, which is sufficient given the unlimited size of the population and based on Morgan's table. The data were analyzed by drawing a consensus table and using the Chi-square test. The results showed that mistrust of the government and public sector employees is not only related to the performance of public services, but also that 29.12 percent of the respondents are afraid of bureaucracy. Also, the results showed that 66.5% had weak social capital. Finally, the results indicated that there is a significant relationship between social capital and bureauphobia. Finally, it can be said that as national cohesion and trust decrease, the negative image that is not the result of the government's performance increases, which has implications for officials and those involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is very important to clarify the optimization method of the rock-like material ratio for accurately characterizing mechanical properties similar to the original rock. In order to explore the optimal ratio of rock-like materials in gneissic granite, the water–paste ratio, iron powder content and coarse sand content were selected as the influencing factors of the ratio. An orthogonal test design and sensitivity analysis of variance were used to obtain the significant influencing factors of the ratio factors on seven macroscopic mechanical parameters, including compressive strength σc, tensile strength σt, shear strength τf, elastic modulus E, Poisson's ratio ν, internal friction angle φ and cohesion c. A multivariate linear regression equation was constructed to obtain the quantitative relationship between the significant ratio factors and the macroscopic mechanical parameters. Finally, a rock-like material ratio optimization program based on genetic algorithm inversion was written. The results show that the water–paste ratio had extremely significant effects on σc, σt, τf, E, ν and c. The iron powder content had a highly significant effect on σc, σt, τf and c, and it had a significant effect on ν and φ. Coarse sand content had a significant effect on σc, E and c. The multiple linear regression model has good reliability after testing, which can provide theoretical support for predicting the macroscopic mechanical parameters of rock-like materials to a certain extent. After testing, the ratio optimization program works well. When the water–paste ratio is 0.5325, the iron powder content is 3.975% and the coarse sand content is 15.967%, it is the optimal ratio of rock-like materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with the design of modern environmentally friendly and non-toxic flame retardants based on expandable graphite 25 K + 180 (EG) modified by cellulose ethers (Lovose TS 20, Tylose MH 300, Klucel H) and nanocellulose (CNC) that are biocompatible with wood and, therefore, are a prerequisite for an effective surfactant for connecting EG to wood. The effectiveness of the formulations and surfactants was verified using a radiant heat source test. The cohesion of the coating to the wood surface and the cohesion of the expanded graphite layer were also assessed. The fire efficiency of the surfactants varied greatly. Still, in combination with EG, they were all able to provide sufficient protection—the total relative mass loss was, in all cases, in the range of 7.38–7.83% (for untreated wood it was 88.67 ± 1.33%), and the maximum relative burning rate decreased tenfold compared to untreated wood, i.e., to 0.04–0.05%·s−1. Good results were achieved using Klucel H + EG and CNC + EG formulations. Compared to Klucel H, CNC provides significantly better cohesion of the expanded layer, but its high price increases the cost of the fireproof coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial cohesion between precast normal concrete (NC) and cast‐in‐place ultra‐high performance concrete (UHPC) is an important index to evaluate their interfacial bond strength, which is of great importance for the application of UHPC as a connection material for precast structural bridges. Interfacial cohesion is related to several influencing factors. However, there needs to be more research on the interrelationship model between multiple influencing factors and interfacial cohesion. This study took the UHPC wet joint in a precast concrete structure as the object. First, the relationship between the interface cohesion of UHPC wet joint and substrate strength, UHPC age, interfacial roughness, interfacial moisture content, and curing method was studied; The result shows that the key factors affecting interfacial cohesion include UHPC age, interface roughness, and substrate strength, with interfacial moisture content potentially playing a secondary role. Second, the failure types of the interface zone surface by using digital image correlation (DIC) are divided into three categories. Finally, the quantitative mathematical model of interfacial cohesion under the coupling effect of multiple factors was established based on the above four factors. The model is in good agreement with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stakeholders increasingly expect to be engaged in corporate social responsibility (CSR) agendas through dialogue; the joint creation of meaning between firms and stakeholders, or among stakeholders. Dominant conceptions of stakeholder dialogue in CSR prioritize firm interests, and uncertainty as to what constitutes stakeholder dialogue, and how it should be practiced, permeates theory and practice. What is (and is not) stakeholder dialogue and how does it generate positive impacts for business and society? To unpack this question, we systematically reviewed 374 scholarly outputs across the CSR and stakeholder dialogue literatures over a 30‐year timeframe. Operating at the intersection of these two literatures, we identify 'conceptualizations' of stakeholder dialogue in CSR as either integral (an intrinsic component of CSR) or incidental (a communicative response to CSR), as well as the 'contours' (i.e., boundaries) and 'contexts' of stakeholder dialogue in CSR. In doing so, we posit that the key to generating effective stakeholder dialogue for business and society lies not only in greater cohesion between CSR and stakeholder dialogue literatures, but in practicing dialogue that is ongoing, stakeholder (rather than firm) focused and avoids idealization. Herein, we stimulate a research agenda for scholars interested in communication and CSR at a time when the social and environmental demands placed on firms continue to escalate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An evolutionary-biological framework may predict strengthened partners' cohesion resulting from certain mating strategies. We compared interpersonal equality in a relationship, emotional (life scale) submissiveness toward other people (LS), and future partnership expectations in three groups of BDSM women. The first group experienced submission only during sexual activities (PLAY). The second group also felt submissive in the relationship (REL). The last group was sexually aroused by both submission and dominance (SWITCH). When comparing LS and future partnership expectations, REL scored higher, while PLAY did not differ from SWITCH. Therefore, we summed PLAY+SWITCH and compared them to REL. REL, who expected a hierarchical interpersonal difference in the relationship, wanted to invest more into the relationship, would have missed the partner more, and were more likely to reject single sexual encounters, short, or parallel relationships than PLAY+SWITCH. Our findings suggest a mating strategy that involves stronger rejection of short-term relationships and higher investments into the relationships. Women of the REL group were also more submissive toward other people, so we consider this subgroup highly vulnerable to discrimination. Furthermore, their effort to maintain the relationship can make them vulnerable to violent partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research note draws from the social identity model of deindividuation effects (SIDE), uncertainty-identity theory, and intergroup threat theory to investigate the conditions under which members of online political networks are likely to endorse extremism. Using a national survey of 717 U.S. adults who self-identify as members of an online group comprising politically like-minded others, we find that when perceived group threat is high, group cohesion relates to radicalism intentions. Moreover, additional analysis suggests this relationship was particularly concentrated among conservatives. We argue that this may relate to the different ways in which conservatives and liberals manage uncertainty and threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores contemporary understandings of military duty and dynamics of cohesion during deployment with a focus on host–citizen relations. Duty is treated as a perception-based dynamic construct shaped, in part, by operational experiences. Traditionally, Western military duty is defined by conventional obligations of loyalty to the military unit and mission in the context of combat operations, in these ways linked to military cohesion. However, in response to increasingly "population-oriented" military operations, I argue the need to broaden the study of military duty and cohesion beyond interpersonal bonds of the military organization to include the role of host–citizen relations. In-depth interviews with Swedish service members reaffirm the centrality of conventional duty to the mission and military unit, yet also indicate varying levels and forms of obligations to local actors. Overall, understandings of duty matter to cohesion both as a unifying force and source of tension within the mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of steel strut force servo systems in deep excavation engineering is not widespread, and there is a notable scarcity of in-situ measured datasets. This presents a significant research gap in the field. Addressing this, our study introduces a valuable dataset and application scenarios, serving as a reference point for future research. The main objective of this study is to use machine learning (ML) methods for accurately predicting strut forces in steel supporting structures, a crucial aspect for the safety and stability of deep excavation projects. We employed five different ML methods: radial basis function neural network (RBFNN), back propagation neural network (BPNN), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF), utilizing a dataset of 2208 measured points. These points included one output parameter (strut forces) and seven input parameters (vertical position of strut, plane position of strut, time, temperature, unit weight, cohesion, and internal frictional angle). The effectiveness of these methods was assessed using root mean square error (RMSE), correlation coefficient (R), and mean absolute error (MAE). Our findings indicate that the BPNN method outperforms others, with RMSE, R, and MAE values of 72.1 kN, 0.9931, and 57.4 kN, respectively, on the testing dataset. This study underscores the potential of ML methods in precisely predicting strut forces in deep excavation engineering, contributing to enhanced safety measures and project planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social identity (one's sense of belongingness to a group) and social identity content (what it means to belong to a group) are important psychological constructs for cognition and behaviour. Whilst some longitudinal social identity research exists, researchers have yet to explore the temporal effects of social identity content in sport. Across a competitive season, we therefore explored the main and interactive effects of social identity and two types of social identity content (results and friendships) on cohesion, self and team-level efficacy, and subjective team performance. Participants were 167 male rugby league athletes (Mage = 18.16 ± 0.44 years) drawn from all eight teams competing in a single English Premier Rugby League Division. At the start, middle, and end of their nine-week season, participants completed a series of measures. Multilevel modelling analyses found that social identity significantly and positively predicted all study outcomes amongst athletes, and self and team-level efficacy across time. As athletes' social identity strengthened across the season, so too did self and team-level efficacy. Also at the time-level, the interaction between social identity and friendships content significantly and positively predicted team-level efficacy. In other words, social identity was important for team-level efficacy throughout the season when friendships content was high. Overall, our findings suggest that social identity is important for cohesion, efficacy, and team performance. The lack of interaction effects between social identity and results/friendships contents may be attributable to athletes adopting social creativity by altering the importance placed on results and friendships throughout the season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the predictive roles of psychological flexibility and frustration discomfort on marital adjustment among married women. Specifically, it sought to assess how these psychological constructs influence marital satisfaction and cohesion. Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional design was employed, sampling 350 married women from various counseling centers in Tehran in 2023. Participants completed standardized questionnaires measuring marital adjustment (Dyadic Adjustment Scale), psychological flexibility (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire - II), and frustration discomfort (Frustration Discomfort Scale). Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using SPSS version 27 to explore the predictive value of psychological flexibility and frustration discomfort on marital adjustment, adjusting for potential confounders such as age and gender. Findings: The results revealed that both psychological flexibility (ß = 0.25, p < 0.01) and frustration discomfort (ß = 0.29, p < 0.01) significantly predicted marital adjustment, accounting for 42% of the variance in marital adjustment scores. These findings indicate that higher levels of psychological flexibility and lower levels of frustration discomfort are associated with better marital satisfaction and cohesion. Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of psychological flexibility and frustration discomfort in influencing marital adjustment. It suggests that interventions aimed at enhancing psychological flexibility and reducing frustration discomfort may contribute to improving marital satisfaction and stability. These findings highlight the need for a holistic approach in marital counseling and therapy that considers these psychological constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2016, the EU has widely been considered to be in a state of 'polycrisis', where simultaneous, mutually reinforcing challenges threaten the Union's cohesion and legitimacy. Such polycrises may fracture Europe's political space, creating cross-cutting 'polycleavages' that polarise member states and their citizens asymmetrically, thereby constraining the EU's capacity to forge effective compromises on key policy issues. In so doing, they exacerbate the risk of the EU's falling into a multi-level 'politics trap', where negative politicisation of European issues inhibits national leaders from agreeing ambitious solutions in intergovernmental negotiations, while the ensuing deadlock in turn saps the Union's output-based legitimacy and fuels a Eurosceptic 'constraining dissensus'. In this introductory article, we develop an analytical framework elaborating the concepts of polycrises, polycleavages, and politics traps, which we then use to present and interpret the main findings of the contributions to this collection, focused on the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The most important takeaway from the contributions to this collection is that – consistent with our framework – the EU has clearly proved more resilient to the potential negative consequences of politicisation than many commentators had expected at the beginning of this long polycrisis decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structurally controlled slope failure in open-pit mining occurs when the shear stress acting on the geological structure exceeds its shear strength. Mining slope stability is an extremely important topic from the ramifications of safety, social, economic, environmental and regulatory factors. This study reports the engineering geological setting of a bedded mining slope in China, and evaluates its stability via a numerical approach. First, a slope profile model is constructed using a synthetic rock mass (SRM) modeling approach. More specifically, the mechanical behavior of colluvium, intact rock and discontinuities are represented by linear contact model, bonded particle model and smooth joint model, respectively. Then, the factor of safety (FOS) and instability process are investigated by integrating the discrete fracture network (DFN)-distinct element method (DEM) and strength reduction technique (SRT). In addition, shear stress analyses of colluvium and bedrock are conducted for revealing the potential failure mechanism. Finally, the well-established limit equilibrium (LEM) and finite element method (FEM) are adopted for simulation results comparison and validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents' academic performance, which has been found to be closely associated with parental factors, is an important part of adolescents' development. In the current information age, the internet is also profoundly influencing adolescents' academic performance. This study aimed to examine the association between parental autonomy support and adolescents' academic performance, as well as the potential roles of active parental internet mediation and parent–child cohesion in this relationship. A sample of 990 adolescents (47.3% boys) volunteered to participate in this study and complete a set of scales. The results revealed that: (a) parental autonomy support was positively associated with adolescents' academic performance; (b) active parental internet mediation and parent–child cohesion mediated the association between parental autonomy support and academic performance in parallel; and (c) active parental internet mediation and parent–child cohesion were found to play a chain-mediating role in the association between parental autonomy support and adolescents' academic performance. The study demonstrates that positive parenting (including parental autonomy support and active parental internet mediation) and parent–child cohesion improve adolescents' academic performance. The results have value for guiding adolescents to use the internet responsibly and improving their academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the shear mechanical properties of rock joint under different unloading stress paths, the RDS-200 rock joint shear test system was used to carry out direct shear tests on concrete joint specimens with five different morphologies under the CNL path and different unloading stress paths. The unloading stress paths include unloading normal load and maintaining constant shear load (UNLCSL), unloading normal load and unloading shear load (UNLUSL), unloading normal load and increasing shear load (UNLISL). The results show that the peak shear strength, cohesion, internal friction angle, pre-peak shear stiffness and residual shear strength of concrete joints under CNL path increases with the increasing JRC and normal stress. Under the UNLCSL path, under the same initial shear stress τ1, instability normal stress σi decreases with the increasing JRC, and normal stress unloading amount Δσn increases with the increasing JRC. Under the same JRC, σi increases with the increase of τ1, and Δσn decreases with the increasing τ1. Under the same JRC and σi, τi is significantly smaller under the UNLCSL path than the CNL path. Under the same JRC, the cohesion under the UNLCSL path is less than the CNL path, and the internal friction angle is higher than that the CNL path. Under the same JRC and σi, τi is the largest under the path of CNL and UNLISL, followed by the UNLCSL path, and τi under the UNLUSL path is the smallest. Compared with the CNL path, the variation range of the specimen internal friction angle is within 3% while the average decrease percentage of the specimen cohesion reaches 37.6% under the UNLCSL path, UNLISL, and UNLUSL. Therefore, it can be inferred that the decrease in cohesion caused by normal unloading is the main reason for the decrease in joint instability shear strength. After introducing the correction coefficient k of cohesion to modify the Mohr-Coulomb criterion, the maximum average relative error after correction is only 3.5%, which is significantly improved compared with the maximum average relative error of 56.9% before correction. The research conclusions can provide some reference for the accurate estimation of shear bearing capacity of rock joints under different unloading stress paths, which is of great significance to the stability evaluation and disaster prevention of rock mass engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the influence of varied mechanical parameters of coal mass on rock burst occurrence during deep roadway tunneling, the surrounding coal and rock mass of a deep roadway were taken as the research objects. A geometric model of roadway tunneling was developed using 3DEC numerical simulation software, and the failure characteristics of the coal mass in the roadway side were analyzed based on the rock burst mechanism and stress difference gradient theory for deep mining. The risk of rock burst during roadway tunneling was quantitatively assessed using the change rate of the stress difference gradient (Dgc), thereby elucidating the burst failure patterns of the deep roadway under the influence of varied mechanical parameters. The findings indicate that the coal mass in the roadway side zone is more prone to burst failure due to stress disturbances during deep excavation compared to the coal and rock mass in the roof and floor zones, and that the released kinetic energy and the risk of burst failure are positively correlated with the magnitude of the ground stress. The variation of the mechanical properties of coal mass has a significant effect on the rock burst risk during roadway tunneling. The variation of both internal friction angle and cohesion significantly affects rock burst, with cohesion exerting a greater influence. Conversely, the elastic modulus does not significantly impact the risk. The tendency of bursting in the coal mass is positively correlated with the coefficient of variation (COV) in cohesion and negatively correlated with the COV in internal friction angle. These research findings offer valuable insights for the quantitative assessment of rock burst risk during roadway tunneling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spaceborne photon-counting LiDAR holds significant potential for shallow-water bathymetry. However, the received photon data often contain substantial noise, complicating the extraction of elevation information. Currently, a denoising algorithm named ordering points to identify the clustering structure (OPTICS) draws people's attention because of its strong performance under high background noise. However, this algorithm's fixed input variables can lead to inaccurate photon distribution parameters in areas near the water bottom, which results in inadequate denoising in these areas, affecting bathymetric accuracy. To address this issue, an Adaptive Variable OPTICS (AV-OPTICS) model is proposed in this paper. Unlike the traditional OPTICS model with fixed input variables, the proposed model dynamically adjusts input variables based on point cloud distribution. This adjustment ensures accurate measurement of photon distribution parameters near the water bottom, thereby enhancing denoising effects in these areas and improving bathymetric accuracy. The findings indicate that, compared to traditional OPTICS methods, AV-OPTICS achieves higher F 1 -values and lower cohesions, demonstrating better denoising performance near the water bottom. Furthermore, this method achieves an average M A E of 0.28 m and R M S E of 0.31 m, indicating better bathymetric accuracy than traditional OPTICS methods. This study provides a promising solution for shallow-water bathymetry based on photon-counting LiDAR data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rocks exhibit various mechanical properties under different stress conditions, with changes during unloading having significant implications for geological engineering safety. This study carried out triaxial loading and unloading mechanical tests on sandy slate to investigate its mechanical properties, deformation characteristics, and failure mechanisms at different initial stress levels and stress paths. The results showed that during the unloading process, the deformation modulus (E) of the sandy slate decreased, and the Poisson's ratio (μ) gradually increased. This indicates that significant volume expansion of the rock is the dominant factor in its deformation and failure. The exponential function can be used to describe the evolution of E and μ with confining pressure during unloading. The damage stress of the rock under unloading conditions was lower than that under loading conditions, suggesting that unloading led to an earlier onset of volumetric expansion in the sandy slate. Under conditions where the initial axial stress level approached the damage stress, the mechanical properties were most significantly affected by unloading. Compared to loading conditions, when the initial axial stress level was at 70% of the peak strength, the cohesion (c) decreased by 15.77 to 29.37%, while the internal friction angle (φ) increased by 1.88 to 5.14%. The rock's failure process can be divided into four stages based on the development of microcracks. Unloading during the stages of microcrack initiation and propagation can lead to tensile cracks of varying degrees, resulting in different mechanical properties and failure characteristics under loading and unloading conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nestmate recognition in ants is regulated through the detection of cuticular hydrocarbons by odorant receptors (ORs) in the antennae. These ORs are crucial for maintaining colony cohesion that allows invasive ant species to dominate colonized environments. In the invasive Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, ORs regulating nestmate recognition are thought to be present in a clade of nine-exon odorant receptors, but the identity of the specific genes remains unknown. We sought to narrow down the list of candidate genes using transcriptomics and phylostratigraphy. Comparative transcriptomic analyses were conducted on the antennae, head, thorax, and legs of Argentine ant workers. We have identified a set of twenty-one nine-exon odorant receptors enriched in the antennae compared to the other tissues, allowing for downstream verification of whether they can detect Argentine ant cuticular hydrocarbons. Further investigation of these ORs could allow us to further understand the mechanisms underlying nestmate recognition and colony cohesion in ants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear strength (SS) parameters are essential for understanding the mechanical behavior of materials, particularly in geotechnical engineering and rock mechanics. This study proposes a novel hierarchical ensemble model (HEM) to predict SS parameters: cohesion (C ) and angle of internal friction (φ ). The HEM addresses the limitations of traditional machine learning models. Its performance was validated using leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) and out-of-bag (OOB) evaluation methods. The model's accuracy was assessed with R-squared correlation (R2), absolute average relative error percentage (AAREP), Taylor diagrams, and quantile–quantile plots. The computational results demonstrated that the proposed HEM outperforms previous studies using the same database. The model predicted φ and C with R2 values of 0.93 and 0.979, respectively. The AAREP values were 1.96% for φ and 4.7% for C . These results indicate that the HEM significantly improves the prediction quality of φ and C , and exhibits strong generalization capability. Sensitivity analysis revealed that σ_3maxσ3max (maximum principal stress) had the greatest impact on modeling both φ and C . According to uncertainty analysis, the LOOCV and OOB had the widest uncertainty bands for the φ and C parameters, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examines the discourse function of intonation in an audio clip taken from the syllabus for teaching English in Iraq. The study addresses the question: How does intonation contribute to the cohesion of discourse? To answer this question, the study adopts Brazil's (1997) model of discourse intonation of a recorded conversation between two teachers. The analysis reveals that the pattern of a fall-rising question, followed by a falling answer, keeps stretches cohesive and marks openings, pauses, and closing of turns to regulate discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the result of a cross-disciplinary and diachronic examination of cohesive devices used in high citation research article (HCRA) titles, a hitherto less-explored subgenre of academic discourse. Based on Halliday and Matthiessen's (2014) Cohesion Model, the research analyzed the employment of connectors in a self-constructed corpus of 30,000 HCRA titles from disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, Linguistics, and Music from 1980 to 2023. Comparisons of disciplinary and diachronic changes of connectors were made in two-way multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA), and follow-up analyses of variance (ANOVA). Major findings indicate that discipline, as compared to period, is the determinant of cohesion in HCRA titles, albeit in medium effect size. The use of Extension and Enhancement prevail HCRA titles, suggesting an exponential increase of sophistication and comprehensiveness of information in the curation and dissemination of scientific knowledge. Specifically, cohesion of HCRA titles is predominantly realized by additive, temporal, and causal connectors with sharp contrasts between soft and hard sciences, indicating longer titles with these connectors attract readers by harnessing their familiarity of disciplinary knowledge. Quantitative characterization of cohesion in HCRA titles shed light on how expert writers coherently organize titles to maximize informativeness and research impact, thereby contributing pedagogically to academic writing for English for Academic and Specific Purposes, and empirically for the research on the predictability of citation impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study characterizes the statistical uncertainties in the bivariate distribution of friction angle and cohesion of soils using bootstrap method and explores its application to the reliability‐based design of slopes. First, the bivariate distribution of friction angle and cohesion is modelled using the copula approach based on limited test data. Then, the statistical uncertainties in the derived bivariate distribution of friction angle and cohesion are characterized by the bootstrap method. Finally, an infinite slope is employed to investigate the impact of the statistical uncertainties in friction angle and cohesion on slope reliability. The reliability‐based designs of slopes based on the point and interval estimate of reliability index are compared. The results indicate that the bivariate distribution of friction angle and cohesion derived from limited test data exhibits large statistical uncertainties. The reliability index of the infinite slope shows visible variation because of the large statistical uncertainties in friction angle and cohesion. The reliability index of slopes considering the statistical uncertainties in friction angle and cohesion is presented as a confidence interval. The interval estimate of reliability index gives a more comprehensive description of slope reliability than the point estimate of reliability index. Furthermore, the reliability‐based design of slopes based on the interval estimate of reliability index can reflect the effect of the amount of test data on the design and link the site investigation efforts and investments on shear tests to final design savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is fairly little research on using translation to advance pragmatic competence in learners of English and highlight how translation can advance cross-cultural pragmatic awareness in EFL. The study attempts to explore how audio-visual translation (AVT) can introduce cross-cultural pragmatics to Greek learners of English. The data derive from the animated film Inside Out (Pixar 2015). The study takes dubbed dialogues to be a target-oriented data set, with the subtitles as an intermediate, constrained type of transfer where pragmatic shifts may be least visible or not at all. The research uses (a) the positive/negative politeness distinction as manifested through interpersonal proximity/distance (Brown and Levinson 1978; Sifianou 1992; Yule 1996; Horn and Ward 2006), and (b) the un/certainty avoidance communication style (Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov 2010). The aim is to familiarize learners with the significance of cross-cultural pragmatic awareness and its use in EFL teaching and learning. Analysis of the data is followed by a questionnaire addressing bilingual participants who confirmed the findings of the study. Results show types of pragmatic variation across English and Greek: for instance, the subtitles showed less signs of positive politeness strategies and more uncertainty features, while dubbing manifested more positive politeness strategies and stronger uncertainty avoidance, i.e., in alignment with features of the target language. Findings allow learners to look beyond grammaticality, at the level of pragmatic preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automotive industry is experiencing a significant shift, transitioning from traditional hardware-centric systems to more advanced software-defined architectures. This change is enabling enhanced autonomy, connectivity, safety, and improved in-vehicle experiences. Service-oriented architecture is crucial for achieving software-defined vehicles and creating new business opportunities for original equipment manufacturers. A software update approach that is rich in variability and based on a Merkle tree approach is proposed for new vehicle architecture requirements. Given the complexity of software updates in vehicles, particularly when dealing with multiple distributed electronic control units, this software-centric approach can be optimized to handle various architectures and configurations, ensuring consistency across all platforms. In this paper, our software update approach is expanded to cover the solution space of the feature-based product line engineering, and we show how to combine our approach with product line engineering in creative and unique ways to form a software-defined vehicle modular architecture. Then, we offer insights into the design of the Merkle trees utilized in our approach, emphasizing the relationship among the software modules, with a focus on their impact on software update performance. This approach streamlines the software update process and ensures that the safety as well as the security of the vehicle are continuously maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic regional policies are increasingly expected to tackle significant spatial disparities, promote territorial justice, and ensure equal opportunities, thereby supporting various aspects of sustainability. This article focuses on the case of Bulgaria, serving a dual purpose: it outlines the emergence and evolution of contemporary regional policy in the country and measures the extent and dynamics of socio-economic inequalities at different territorial levels. The conceptualization of a comprehensive regional policy framework following the socialist era was largely driven by top-down Europeanization impulses, which catalysed political debates on the transformed roles of the regions and the necessity for effective decentralisation. However, despite years of domestic regional policy implementation, socio-economic inequalities in Bulgaria remain substantial, with certain peripheral regions notably trailing behind. The comprehensive assessments conducted in this study include primarily descriptive statistics, regression and correlation analyses, time series analyses, and classification/categorization of territorial units. They indicate significant spatial heterogeneity and the prevalence of pronounced 'centre-periphery' patterns, which pose a serious threat to the long-term sustainable development of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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