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Thin-walled channel beams such as cold-formed steel purlins are primarily used to withstand wind forces in the roofing and walling systems of buildings. Traditionally, these types of members are usually designed for bending moments, with the effects of torsion ignored. However, the loading on thin-walled channels can be much more complicated than simple bending actions. Because of the position of the shear centre outside the section, channels can undergo bending and torsion when subjected to vertical load on the top flange. The applied torsion may cause significant stresses in the channel, which may need to be accounted for in design. There appears to be no research on quantifying the effects of torsion on thin-walled channels subjected to a uniformly distributed load acting on the top flange. In this paper, a theoretical solution is derived for calculating the longitudinal stresses in thin-walled channels subjected to torsion caused by a uniformly distributed load acting on the top flange. The theory is validated by modelling the channels in a finite-element analysis. The theoretical results include calculations of the twist rotation, bimoment, sectorial coordinate and longitudinal stresses, while the results from the finite-element analysis include the twist rotation and longitudinal stresses. The results show that the longitudinal stresses caused by torsion can significantly exceed those caused by the bending moment. Practical advice is also given for engineers on how to minimize torsion in cold-formed steel purlins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visible-infrared person re-identification (VI Re-ID) is designed to perform pedestrian retrieval on non-overlapping visible-infrared cameras, and it is widely employed in intelligent surveillance. For the VI Re-ID task, one of the main challenges is the huge modality discrepancy between the visible and infrared images. Therefore, mining more shared features in the cross-modality task turns into an important issue. To address this problem, this paper proposes a novel framework for feature learning and feature embedding in VI Re-ID, namely Channel Enhanced Cross-modality Relation Network (CECR-Net). More specifically, the network contains three key modules. In the first module, to shorten the distance between the original modalities, a channel selection operation is applied to the visible images, the robustness against color variations is improved by randomly generating three-channel R/G/B images. The module also exploits the low- and mid-level information of the visible and auxiliary modal images through a feature parameter-sharing strategy. Considering that the body sequences of pedestrians are not easy to change with modality, CECR-Net designs two modules based on relation network for VI Re-ID, namely the intra-relation learning and the cross-relation learning modules. These two modules help to capture the structural relationship between body parts, which is a modality-invariant information, disrupting the isolation between local features. Extensive experiments on the two public benchmarks indicate that CECR-Net is superior compared to the state-of-the-art methods. In particular, for the SYSU-MM01 dataset, the Rank1 and mAP reach 76.83% and 71.56% in the "All Search" mode, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,4-Difluoronitrobenzene has been reacted with a linker diamine (ethylenediamine or propylenediamine) and butylamine, in either order, to give new molecular building blocks for porous supramolecular networks. Two structures were established by X-ray single crystal structure determinations. The propylenediamine structure displays small pores, which may be due to the longer and more flexible linker in the structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of exact solutions is suggested for the Poisson equation in a plane region of a certain form for describing a flow of Newtonian incompressible liquid in a channel at low Reynolds numbers. The motion of an ideal liquid in a region bounded by a rotating contour, torsion of a rod, deflection of a membrane at zero displacement on the boundary of its region, and heating of a rod under certain conditions are equivalent to a mathematically formulated problem of such a flow. A possibility is demonstrated to construct approximate solutions to the said problem for certain sections of a channel, having a parabolic segment of the contour, using exact solutions to this problem. Examples are given for the construction of flow regions in a prismatic channel resting on a parabolic contour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the various types of polymeric materials, geosynthetics deserve special attention. A geosynthetic is a product made from synthetic polymers that is embedded in soils for various purposes. There are some basic functions of geosynthetics, namely, erosion control, filtration, drainage, separation, reinforcement, containment, barrier, and protection. Geosynthetics for erosion control are very effective in preventing or limiting soil loss by water erosion on slopes or river/channel banks. Where the current line runs through the undercut area of the slope, the curvature of the arch is increased. If this phenomenon is undesirable, the meander arch should be protected from erosion processes. The combination of geosynthetics provides the best resistance to erosion. In addition to external erosion, internal erosion of soils is also a negative phenomenon. Internal erosion refers to any process by which soil particles are eroded from within or beneath a water-retaining structure. Geosynthetics, particularly geotextiles, are used to prevent internal erosion of soils in contact with the filters. Therefore, the main objective of this review paper is to address the many ways in which geosynthetics are used for erosion control (internal and external). Many examples of hydrotechnical and civil engineering applications of geosynthetics will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the flow dynamics and heat transfer characteristics of Maxwell fluid in a channel influenced by magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), Joule heating, thermal radiation, and boundary layer suction/blowing effects. The governing partial differential equations (PDEs) for momentum, energy, and concentration are transformed into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) using similarity transformations. The boundary value problem (BVP) is solved numerically using the bvp4c solver in MATLAB, yielding accurate solutions for velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles under various parameters. Key findings reveal that the porous parameter decreases the velocity profile but increases the temperature profile for both suction and blowing effects. Additionally, the MHD, Deborah, and Eckert numbers significantly influence the velocity and temperature profiles differently under these conditions. This study highlights the crucial role of integrating MHD, thermal, and boundary control effects to optimize performance and efficiency in engineering systems involving Maxwell fluids, with applications in polymer processing, biomedical engineering, electronics cooling, oil recovery, and chemical processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Coal Geology & Exploration is the property of Xian Research Institute of China Coal Research Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Two-pore channels are pathophysiologically important Na+-and Ca2+-permeable channels expressed in lysosomes and other acidic organelles. Unlike most other ion channels, their permeability is malleable and ligand-tuned such that when gated by the signaling lipid PI(3,5)P2, they are more Na+-selective than when gated by the Ca2+ mobilizing messenger nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate. However, the structural basis that underlies such plasticity and single-channel behavior more generally remains poorly understood. A recent Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of TPC2 bound to PI(3,5)P2 in a proposed open-channel conformation provided an opportunity to address this via molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. To our surprise, simulations designed to compute conductance through this structure revealed almost no Na+ permeation events even at very high transmembrane voltages. However further MD simulations identified a spontaneous transition to a dramatically different conformation of the selectivity filter that involved expansion and a flip in the orientation of two core asparagine residues. This alternative filter conformation was remarkably stable and allowed Na+ to flow through the channel leading to a conductance estimate that was in very good agreement with direct single-channel measurements. Furthermore, this conformation was more permeable for Na+ over Ca2+. Our results have important ramifications not just for understanding the control of ion selectivity in TPC2 channels but also more broadly in terms of how ion channels discriminate ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient mmWave communication interface requires optimized selection of channel-noise aware transmitter components, noise-reduction amplifiers, low-BER (Bit Error Rate) receiver-components and efficient modulation techniques. A wide variety of such optimization models are proposed by researchers, and each of them very in terms of their internal & external operating characteristics. For instance, channel modelling techniques focus on optimizing transmitter components, while amplifier & de-amplifier design models focus on modulation & demodulation component optimizations. Due to such a wide variation is component designs, it becomes ambiguous for designers to identify optimal models for the context-specific communication interface designs. To reduce this ambiguity, a detailed survey of modern-day mmWave communication interfaces is discussed in this text. This discussion includes analysis of these models in terms of their functional nuances, contextual advantages, application-specific limitations, and deployment-specific future scopes. It was observed that deep learning models & bioinspired optimization techniques outperform others in terms of communication efficiency under real-time use cases. Based on this discussion, readers will be able to observe similar recommendations and identify optimal models for their mmWave communication radio designs. This discussion is further extended via a comparative evaluation of these models in terms of their computational complexity, processing delay, efficiency of optimization, BER levels, and scalability levels. Using this comparison, readers will be able to evaluate these models, and use them for their performance-specific use cases. To further contemplate this discussion, these parameters were combined to calculate a novel Communication Interface Rank Metric (CIRM), which will assist readers to identify micro-level communication interfaces that have higher overall efficiency levels even under different noise and channel conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTThe Kir1.1 (ROMK) family of weak inward rectifiers controls K secretion in the renal CCT and K recycling in the renal TALH. A single point mutant of the inward rectifier, F127V-Kir1.1b was used to investigate the K transition between the selectivity filter and the outer mouth of the channel. We hypothesize that normally an aromatic Phe at the external entryway of Kir1.1b facilitates outward K secretion. We tested this by replacing F127-Kir1.1b with a small aliphatic Val. Results indicate that removal of the Phe at 127 suppresses outward currents that normally contribute to K secretion. Results with the F127V mutant could be explained by increased polyamine block and/or a decrease in the avidity of Kir1.1 for K ions near the outer mouth of the channel. The latter is supported by F127V-Kir1.1b having a lower affinity (Km = 33 mM) for K than wild-type Kir1.1b (Km = 7 mM) during external K elevation. Conversely, chelation of K with 18-Crown-6 ether reduced K conductance faster in F127V (half-time = 6s) than in wt-Kir1.1b (half-time = 120s), implying that F127V is less hospitable to external K. In other experiments, positive membrane potentials gated the F127V mutant channel closed at physiological levels of external Ca, possibly by electrostatically depleting K adjacent to the membrane, suggesting that the Phe residue is critical for outward K secretion at physiological Ca. We speculate that the avidity of wt-Kir1.1b for external K could result from a cation-Pi interaction between K and the aromatic F127.

This study conducts a thorough numerical analysis of a complex problem involving magnetohydrodynamic flow, radiation, activation energy, Soret, the Dufour effect, and heat transfer in a permeable channel for a Maxwell fluid. Governing equations for momentum, concentration, and heat are transformed into ordinary differential equations through a similarity transformation, enabling focused analysis. Utilizing a fourth-order Runge-Kutta scheme, we compute dimensionless velocity, temperature, and concentration fields for the steady motion of a Maxwell fluid in a channel. To ensure accuracy, our results are validated against existing research, showing excellent agreement. The study investigates the impact of various physical parameters on fluid motion, revealing insights such as decreased velocity and concentration with increased chemical reaction, and rising fluid temperature. Additionally, concentration distribution decreases with a chemical reaction and a higher Schmidt number. This research enhances understanding of complex fluid dynamics, providing valuable insights for engineering applications, particularly in industries requiring precise fluid behavior control.

AbstractIn this article, we report the design and fabrication of a ‘do-it-yourself’ microfluidic channel with a circular cross-section, created outside a cleanroom facility. In this approach, the fabrication of the channel do not require any chemical etching or lithography steps, making it safe and suitable for small research groups. The channel is fabricated using the soft-lithography method in polydimethylsiloxane (Sylgard® 184). A copper wire with a diameter of 240 µm is used as a mold, and the channel is created using the wire pull-out method. This work also addresses the optimal use of polydimethylsiloxane in channel fabrication, as well as the challenges faced when connecting the microchannel to the outside world via tubing and techniques to overcome them. All simulations were conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics 6.0. The analytical, simulation, and test results, show a good match.

Background and Objectives: In practice, there are often processes in which in the initial state the working medium is single-phase, for example, in the form of gas (steam), and during the process under study conditions are created for the appearance of a new phase in the form of droplets (nuclei). The process of nucleation and further condensation growth of clusters in supersaturated vapor is one of the most important processes leading to the development of the dispersed phase. The liquid phase nuclei that appear as a result of nucleation are quite small (nano-sized) and, therefore, subject to Brownian wander, which leads to their mutual collisions and coagulation. The processes of evaporation and condensation in various media are used to obtain nanomaterials (in particular, in the synthesis of carbon nanotubes), as well as to obtain nano- and ultradisperse particles in expanding channels due to nucleation and their condensation and coagulation growth. Materials and Methods: Using a quasi-equilibrium model based on the equations of mechanics of multiphase media, the flow of a dispersed mixture in a channel with sudden expansion in the presence of processes of nucleation, coagulation of nuclei (clusters) and phase transitions (evaporation, condensation) in a two-dimensional formulation was studied. The homogeneous nucleation model is used to describe the nucleation process. It is assumed that the process of coagulation of clusters occurs due to their Brownian motion. To determine the rate of phase transitions, the Hertz – Knudsen – Langmuir formula is used. The problem of the flow of a gas-dispersed mixture in a channel with sudden expansion in a twodimensional formulation is considered. It was assumed that in the narrow part of the channel, under certain conditions, nuclei of the dispersed phase continuously appear, which enterthewidened part ofthe channelwiththe flow. The calculationswere carried out based onthe algorithm of the numerical “large particles” method, which is based on splitting the original equations into physical processes. Results: As a result of the study, the basic properties of the flow of a two-phase mixture in a channel in the presence of nucleation, coagulation and phase transitions have been established. It has been shown that the flow has a vortex structure, and the largest particles are formed precisely in the vortex zone. Calculations have established that the coagulation process has a fairly strong effect on the distribution of cluster sizes inside the channel. The influence of the degree of steam supercooling on the flow of the dispersed mixture in the channel has been studied and it has been found that this parameter significantly affects the density distribution of the dispersed phase. The flow pattern obtained using calculations is consistent with experiment. Conclusion: The basic properties of the behavior of the mixture parameters along the expanding channel at presence of nucleation, coagulation and phase transitions have been established. The results obtained can be useful in various areas of modern technology: when designing various heat-power and heat-exchange installations, for studying the process of outflow of various mixtures from containers, for modeling the processes of formation and growth of nuclei (in particular, nanoclusters) in saturated media, etc.

This work investigates the problem of efficient packet scheduling and transmission for IEEE 802.15.4e TSCH based on the Traffic-Aware Scheduling Algorithm (TASA). Three Integer Linear Programming (ILP) formulations are proposed, namely ILP1, ILP2, and ILP3, to comprehensively address key aspects of how packets are optimally delivered from child nodes to the root node, including node parent selection, packet scheduling, and frequency assignment. ILP1 is proposed to model the fundamental operations of TASA including packet scheduling and frequency assignment, while ILP2 further takes node parent selection into consideration for jointly optimizing node parent selection, packet scheduling, and frequency assignment. Despite its superior performance, ILP2 is only applicable to relatively small network problems due to high computational complexity. Therefore, we finally propose ILP3 for fast and efficient node parent selection. ILP3 can be combined with ILP1 and, most importantly, TASA for achieving effective node parent selection atop packet scheduling and frequency assignment for practical TSCH networks. ILP3 combined with ILP 1 led to computational complexity while ILP3 combined with TASA yielded good performance where it required less than one second of execution time and less packet delivery time.

A model of the channel and catchment components of sediment runoff has been developed. The model makes it possible to estimate the intensity of redistribution of river and bottom sediment in the riverbed, the size distribution of deposited or migrating particles, the mass of particles in the riverbed and catchment components of sediment load, as well as the contribution of the catchment component. The model is based on the assessment of the transport potential of the watercourse and the dynamics of the curves of the granulometric composition of bottom sediment, and products of soil and channel erosion. This approach is focused on the steady flow movement without additional sources of tributary sediment, intensive abrasion of river banks, and products of anthropogenic load. Calculations based on the model applied to the Narva River showed that the contribution of the catchment component to the sediment flow of this watercourse after intense rain is approximately 98%. The obtained results are well confirmed by the weak dynamics of channel deformations in the studied part of the watercourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow and heat transport presentation of the nanofluid flowing through the metal foam (MF) positioned inside the asymmetrical heated horizontal channel is evaluated computationally in the current study. The MF of 20 pores per inch (PPI) with porosity 0.918 is inserted into horizontal channel test section. The test segment is heated from the top wall with the help of plate (aluminum) heater assemblage positioned at the top of the channel. The novelty of the current examination is to extract the consequences of nanofluids such as Al2O3-H2O and CuO-H2O flowing through the MF filled test segment at various velocities ranging from 0.02 to 0.15 m/s. The conjugate heat transport examination is executed through MF region using integrated DEF (Darcy Extended Forchheimer) with LTE (local thermal equilibrium models). The improvement in thermal presentation achieved for nanofluids are likened with H2O and H2O-C2H6O2 (water with 50 % ethylene glycol) solution and also with clear channel. The procedure adopted in the current analysis is initially confirmed with the help of comparison of present work result with literature upshots. The outcomes are presented in terms of friction factor (FF), Nusselt number (Nu), Colburn j factor, performance evaluation criteria (PEC) and pumping power (PP). The CuO-H2O nanofluid showed the best performance (average PEC of 1.4) among all the fluids considered in the present examination.

In this paper, two heated blocks and three flexible baffles that are alternately placed on the upper and bottom sides of a rectangular channel are used to replicate the transient heat and air movement. The novelty of this research is the use of flexible baffles to destruct the thermal boundary layer with maintaining little pressure drop, and thus reducing the required pumping capacity. The finite thickness blocks are subject to a constant heat flux, while the baffles are very thin and deforms depending on the strength of the flow of coolant (air). Finite element method with arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian approach is used for solving such deforming domain problem. The problem is inspected transiently by varying the dimensionless time (τ=0.0 to 10) and two salient parameters which are Reynolds number Re=10−500, and baffle elasticity parameter E=105−108. Results show that the flexibility feature of the baffles contributes not only in directing the coolant towards the hot blocks, but also contributes in reducing the skin friction and pressure drop through the channel. At Re=150, the skin friction and pressure drop of the flexible baffles are 13.2% and 16.5%, respectively lesser than the rigid baffles. The improvement of Nusselt number with flexibility parameter is marginal and within a limited low Reynolds number, where the maximal improvement is about 3.4% at Re=150.

Abstrak Saluran Parit Berkat merupakan salah satu saluran di daerah rawa pasang surut Desa Punggur Besar, Kecamatan Sungai Kakap yang mengalami perubahan dasar saluran, yakni pendangkalan akibat proses sedimentasi. Pendangkalan yang terjadi di saluran Parit Berkat terutama pada bagian hilir dapat mengganggu aliran ke sungai dan menyebabkan meningkatnya muka air di hulu sehingga air lebih cepat meluap ke permukaan saat musim hujan atau saat terjadi air pasang dan dapat mengakibatkan kekeringan saat musim kemarau. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui debit angkutan sedimen dasar di saluran Parit Berkat. Data yang digunakan adalah data primer dan data sekunder. Data primer berupa penampang saluran dan sampel sedimen dasar. Data sekunder berupa peta catchment area, curah hujan harian stasiun Sungai Kakap PTK-12 dan tinggi muka air pasang surut selama 15 hari. Simulasi aliran dan angkutan sedimen menggunakan program aplikasi HEC-RAS 6.0 dengan metode Meyer-Peter Muller. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan besar angkutan sedimen dasar tertinggi saat kondisi pasang untuk debit periode ulang 10 tahun, yaitu sebesar 1,73 kg/det di titik 1, sedangkan saat kondisi surut, besar angkutan sedimen dasar terendah untuk debit periode ulang 10 tahun adalah sebesar 0,92 kg/det di titik 1. Kata kunci: sedimen dasar, HEC-RAS, Meyer-Peter Muller, saluran, Parit Berkat Abstract Parit Berkat channel is one of the channels in the tidal swamp area of Punggur Besar Village, Sungai Kakap District which has experienced changes in the basis of the channel, namely silting due to the sedimentation process. Siltation that occurs in the Parit Berkat channel, especially in downstream, can disrupt the flow to the river and cause an increase in the water level upstream so that water overflows to the surface faster during the rainy season or high tide and can cause drought during the dry season. This study aimed to determine the amount of bed load transport in the Parit Berkat channel. The data used are primary data and secondary data. Primary data are channel cross-sections and bed load samples. Secondary data are catchment area maps, daily rainfall of Sungai Kakap PTK-12 station, and tidal water levels for 15 days. Flow and sediment transport simulation using the HEC-RAS 6.0 application program with the Meyer-Peter Muller method. The results showed the highest bed load transport during tidal conditions for the 10-year return period, which was 1.73 kg/sec at point 1, while at low tide, the lowest bed load transport for the 10-year return period was 0.92 kg/sec at point 1. Keywords: bed load, HEC-RAS, Meyer-Peter Muller, channel, Parit Berkat

Purpose: hydraulic calculations of the current water supply network of the Chernozemelskaya irrigation system channels. Materials and methods. The materials for the calculations were: operational records of the Chernozemelskaya irrigation system, the results of field surveys of channels and data from instrumental measurements of water levels, velocities and water discharges in the surveyed discharge section lines of distributary channels. The field work was carried out according to the generally accepted rules and methods of surveys, hydrometric measurements and assessment of the reclamation facilities state. Channel hydraulic calculations were performed for the conditions of constant water flow in their channels on rectilinear sections. Calculations of the main elements of the water cross-section of the Chernozemelskaya irrigation system channels were carried out using passport data and the results of field surveys of these channels. Results. Calculations of the main elements of the water cross-section of the channels for the control stations on the Yashkul and Gashun distribution canals of the Chernozemelskaya irrigation system were performed, rating curves of discharge and average water flow velocity in channels from the depth of their filling were constructed; permissible (non-eroding and non-silting) velocities of water flow in the channels were determined. Conclusions. It was found for the discharge section line on the Gashun distribution canal, that siltation of the channel will occur at a water flow discharge of Q < 2.75 m³/s and channel filling of h < 1.0 m. When assessing the channel of the Gashun canal for the susceptibility to erosion, it was determined that the channel in the control station section can pass the specified discharge without being eroded. Checking the channel of the Yashkul distribution canal in the control section for siltation and erosion showed that its channel will not be eroded in the considered range of water flow velocities from 0.62–1.14 m/s.

The aim of channel models is the effective prediction of wireless channels in applicationspecific environments in order to successfully design wireless communication systems. For THz communications, deterministic ray-optical channel predictions are very common. This paper shows inherent limitations of ray-tracing based models due to the accuracy of three-dimensional models of the environment in the context of THz communications and presents a new hybrid channel model approach that combines ray-optical channel predictions with an analytic path gain model extracted from measurements. The model is applied for switchable, point-to-point, wireless inter-rack links at THz frequencies in a data center that make the data center network reconfigurable at runtime. The channel parameters derived by the novel hybrid approach show promising results compared with channel parameters extracted from conducted reference measurements with an overall path gain error below 5 dB for residual multipath components.

This article presents comprehensive double-directional channel measurements with time-domain channel sounding at 300 GHz that characterize the channel of wireless links in a data center. The channels are classified into three scenario-dependent use cases and are individually analyzed providing channel parameters as a function of the required signal-to-noise ratio of the prospective communication system. The spatial and temporal analysis of the channel reveals relevant propagation effects such as the influence of scattering and derives relations between the channel parameters of the propagation and the radio channel. The analysis shows that multipath propagation becomes relevant for systems with high signal-to-noise ratio requirements despite high-gain directional antennas. A first order approximation of relevant propagation effects complements the analysis. The measurement data of the whole measurement campaign with 18250 calibrated impulse responses including all meta data is published so that the research community has a collective benefit.

Thin-walled channel beams such as cold-formed steel purlins are primarily used to withstand wind forces in the roofing and walling systems of buildings. Traditionally, these types of members are usually designed for bending moments, with the effects of torsion ignored. However, the loading on thin-walled channels can be much more complicated than simple bending actions. Because of the position of the shear centre outside the section, channels can undergo bending and torsion when subjected to vertical load on the top flange. The applied torsion may cause significant stresses in the channel, which may need to be accounted for in design. There appears to be no research on quantifying the effects of torsion on thin-walled channels subjected to a uniformly distributed load acting on the top flange. In this paper, a theoretical solution is derived for calculating the longitudinal stresses in thin-walled channels subjected to torsion caused by a uniformly distributed load acting on the top flange. The theory is validated by modelling the channels in a finite-element analysis. The theoretical results include calculations of the twist rotation, bimoment, sectorial coordinate and longitudinal stresses, while the results from the finite-element analysis include the twist rotation and longitudinal stresses. The results show that the longitudinal stresses caused by torsion can significantly exceed those caused by the bending moment. Practical advice is also given for engineers on how to minimize torsion in cold-formed steel purlins.

Blockchain refers to distributed ledger technology which stores records without the help of a central authority. Born with bitcoin, this brainstorming technology finds its applications in healthcare, land registry, education, pharmaceutical industry, digital records, manufacturing companies and so on. The properties of blockchain such as immutability, distributed nature, tamper-resistant made it a disruptive technology in many applications. The highlighting feature of this pioneering technology is the distributed storage of ledger on all the nodes of the network. This helps to achieve decentralization without the trust for third party. The transactions are proposed, executed, validated and are then added as blocks to the blockchain. The problems with all the blockchain framework is scalability with respect to storage space and throughput. Scalability is the most significant factor to be considered in this big data era. This article proposes a solution called Channel Based Clustered Sharding (CBCS) approach for Hyperledger fabric blockchain framework. In this work, a lookup table is maintained which helps in forwarding the transactions to the clustered shards for validation. The CBCS approach helps in parallel transaction processing which in turn improves scalability and throughput of the system. The performance of the proposed work is measured with the help of Hyperledger caliper, a benchmarking tool for the performance analysis of Hyperledger fabric. The results show that the performance of the proposed system is increased from 3000 tps to 30,000 tps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Teras Jurnal: Jurnal Teknik Sipil is the property of Teras Jurnal: Jurnal Teknik Sipil and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Outer membrane proteins perform essential functions in uptake and secretion processes in bacteria. MspA is an octameric channel protein in the outer membrane of Mycobacterium smegmatis and is structurally distinct from any other known outer membrane protein. MspA is the founding member of a family with more than 3000 homologs and is one of the most widely used proteins in nanotechnological applications due to its advantageous pore structure and extraordinary stability. While a conserved C‐terminal signal sequence is essential for folding and protein assembly in the outer membrane of Gram‐negative bacteria, the molecular determinants of these processes are unknown for MspA. In this study, we show that mutation and deletion of methionine 183 in the highly conserved C‐terminus of MspA and mutation of the conserved tryptophan 40 lead to a complete loss of protein in heat extracts of M. smegmatis. Swapping these residues partially restores the heat stability of MspA indicating that methionine 183 and tryptophan 40 form a conserved sulfur‐π electron interaction, which stabilizes the MspA monomer. Flow cytometry showed that all MspA mutants are surface‐accessible demonstrating that oligomerization and membrane integration in M. smegmatis are not affected. Thus, the conserved C‐terminus of MspA is essential for its thermal stability, but it is not required for protein assembly in its native membrane, indicating that this process is mediated by a mechanism distinct from that in Gram‐negative bacteria. These findings will benefit the rational design of MspA‐like pores to tailor their properties in current and future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of dual-mode synaptic plasticity was conducted in thin-film transistors (TFTs) featuring an HfSe2 channel, coupled with an oxygen-deficient (OD)-HfO2 layer structure. In these transistors, the application of negative gate pulses resulted in a notable increase in the post-synaptic current, while positive pulses led to a decrease. This distinctive response can be attributed to the dynamic interplay of charge interactions, significantly influenced by the ferroelectric characteristics of the OD-HfO2 layer. The findings from this study highlight the capability of this particular TFT configuration in closely mirroring the intricate functionalities of biological neurons, paving the way for advancements in bio-inspired computing technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we report the design and fabrication of a 'do-it-yourself' microfluidic channel with a circular cross-section, created outside a cleanroom facility. In this approach, the fabrication of the channel do not require any chemical etching or lithography steps, making it safe and suitable for small research groups. The channel is fabricated using the soft-lithography method in polydimethylsiloxane (Sylgard® 184). A copper wire with a diameter of 240 µm is used as a mold, and the channel is created using the wire pull-out method. This work also addresses the optimal use of polydimethylsiloxane in channel fabrication, as well as the challenges faced when connecting the microchannel to the outside world via tubing and techniques to overcome them. All simulations were conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics 6.0. The analytical, simulation, and test results, show a good match. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study conducts a thorough numerical analysis of a complex problem involving magnetohydrodynamic flow, radiation, activation energy, Soret, the Dufour effect, and heat transfer in a permeable channel for a Maxwell fluid. Governing equations for momentum, concentration, and heat are transformed into ordinary differential equations through a similarity transformation, enabling focused analysis. Utilizing a fourth-order Runge-Kutta scheme, we compute dimensionless velocity, temperature, and concentration fields for the steady motion of a Maxwell fluid in a channel. To ensure accuracy, our results are validated against existing research, showing excellent agreement. The study investigates the impact of various physical parameters on fluid motion, revealing insights such as decreased velocity and concentration with increased chemical reaction, and rising fluid temperature. Additionally, concentration distribution decreases with a chemical reaction and a higher Schmidt number. This research enhances understanding of complex fluid dynamics, providing valuable insights for engineering applications, particularly in industries requiring precise fluid behavior control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water resources formed in the territory of the liberated Karabakh region have special importance in the sustainable water supply of the republic. By using these water resources effectively and comprehensively, it is possible to reliably supply water to the population located in the territory of the liberated Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions. It is necessary to efficiently use the water resources of these rivers, which are very loaded in autumn and spring. It is possible to fully meet the electricity demand of the population living in these economic regions by building hydraulic engineering devices for various purposes on these rivers and create large fishing farms by using the water resources that will be collected in the reservoir basins. In the article, the issues related to the management of the water resources of the Barghushad and Hekari Rivers, which have great hydropower and biological potential. Only the hydropower potential of the Okhchu River, which is located in the area and extremely polluted by Armenia, can be used. The water of the Okhchu River, which is extremely toxic and polluted with heavy metals, poses a serious threat to the fish stock of the Khudafar reservoir built on the Araz River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of periodic oscillations of a dipole, specifically its strength, along the principal axes in a three-dimensional frozen channel is considered. The key points of the problem are taking into account the linear thickness of ice across the channel and ice porosity within Darcy's law. The fluid in the channel is inviscid and incompressible; the flow is potential. It is expected that the oscillations of a small radius dipole well approximate the oscillations of a small radius sphere at a sufficient depth of immersion of the dipole. It was found that during oscillations along the channel and vertical oscillations, waves are generated in the channel, propagating along the channel with a frequency equal to the frequency of dipole oscillations. These waves decay far from the dipole, and the rate of decay depends on the porosity coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abstract is categorized into the following sections as.Background: There are various challenges in the real life, which are required to deal with the specific intervals. Fuzzification is most appropriate way to find the solutions and can provide the accurate results of uncertain problems in specific intervals. Some conditions and imprecise parameters make the problems based on the fluid flow uncertain.Purpose: This current attempt focuses on the investigation of inclined magnetized Cross fluid flow in fuzzy conditions embedded with the chemical process with fuzzy complex conditions.Formulation: The governing system of modeled PDEs are tackled numerically with the utilization of finite difference method under fuzzy conditions at the boundary surface.Finding: The magnetic parameter intensifies the velocity field and induced magnetic field H. Amplification in viscosity parameter diminishes the velocity.Novelty: α‐cut technique for the case of fuzzified Cross fluid has not been studied in the accessible literature.

The work is devoted to an experimental study of the behavior of bubbles when capturing pulverized materials with nanoparticles in the course of colliding of gas-liquid jets in a bubbling layer. The article discusses the use of channels in a jet bubbler and the dependence for detecting horizontal movement of bubbles with nanoparticles in them. The purpose of this stage of research is to study the behavior of gas-liquid jets when exiting without a guide channel and through a guide channel. The results of experiments conducted on the patented design of the jet bubbler are analyzed. The article presents the results of experiments conducted to study the shapes and sizes of formed gas bubbles. The graphs constructed after processing the frames of the kinogram according to the data of the experiments are given. On the basis of preliminary tests, the features of using channels to create the jet collisions in an experimental setup to increase the range of captured solid particles, including nanoparticles, are substantiated.

The optimal operating modes are determined for channel sections based on the condition that all lateral water intakes are guaranteed to receive the planned flow rates of water resources with minimal filtration and evaporation water losses. Lateral outlets are guaranteed to receive water flows if they have appropriate heads of water in front of the facility. These necessary heads determine the values of water levels in the channel sections, which are determined in the process of water distribution. In the process of operational management of water resources in mechanical water-lifting systems, established water distribution limits are implemented, taking into account the current actual situation with the availability of water resources and the technical characteristics of pumping stations and hydrotechnical structures of the irrigation system, as well as the technical characteristics of hydrotechnical structures and canal sections of the entire irrigation system. Currently, optimal management of water resources is carried out with the help of a dispatch service, and the operating modes of canal sections are determined by dispatchers. Therefore, significant deviations of actual regimes from planned values, unevenness and instability of water supply to consumers are constantly observed. Based on the above, the article developed mathematical models of the unsteady flow of water resources in the section of the main canal and seasonal reservoir based on the nonlinear differential equations of Saint-Venant. An algorithmic sequence for determining the operating modes of a hydraulic structure is also given, with the help of which it is possible to manage the water resources of the main canal, which will satisfy the needs of water users with minimal losses of water and energy resources.

Objective. Mathematical modeling of heat transfer in pipes with turbulators for viscous heat carriers at Reynolds numbers characteristic of laminar and transient flow regimes is carried out by the calculation method. The solution of the heat exchange problem for semicircular cross-section flow turbulators based on multiblock computing technologies based on the solution of the Reynolds equations (closed for the transient mode using the Menter shear stress transfer model) and the energy equation (on multi-scale intersecting structured grids) by the factorized finite-volume method (FCOM) was considered.Method. The calculation was carried out on the basis of a theoretical method based on the solution of the Reynolds equations, closed for transient modes using the Menter shear stress transfer model, and the energy equation on multiscale intersecting structured grids (FCOM), by a factorized finite-volume method.Result. Both local and averaged characteristics of the flow and heat exchange in pipes with turbulators for a viscous coolant for laminar and transient flow modes of the coolant were obtained using the FCOM method in the work, which made it possible to determine for these modes the levels of heat exchange intensification that satisfactorily correlate with the existing experiment.Conclusion. The calculated relative hydraulic resistance for low turbulators increases quite slightly, and for medium-altitude turbulators reaches 2÷2.5 to the critical Reynolds number, and subsequently it increases up to 3 times; for high turbulators, the relative hydraulic resistance increases up to 4 times even before the transition flow regime is reached, after which it increases up to 4.5 times. The calculated relative isothermal intensified heat exchange under the laminar flow regime of a viscous coolant for relatively high turbulators increases almost 2 times; for relatively medium heights of turbulators — almost one and a half, and for low relative heights, the intensification of heat exchange is insignificant.

The urgency of brash ice study is growing in connection with intensive shipping in fast ice zone of freezing seas as well as inland waterways. In addition, an important incentive for such studies is the design and construction of port infrastructure in these water areas. The review shows that the main directions of research refer to three main topics. 1) Investigation of morphometrical brash ice characteristics in navigable channels and harbors, their variability under ambient factors. The most well-studied morphometrical parameters of brash ice are relative channel thickness and its distribution over channel width. Size distribution details about brash ice floes are of great interest for researchers. 2) Investigation of porosity and mechanical properties of brash ice as a granular material taking account of freezing between individual ice blocks. In many respects, these parameters determine the pattern of brash ice interaction with ships and the possibility of their movement. 3) Description of consolidated layer formation in brash ice and refinement of predictions for brash ice growth in the water area under consideration depending on the intensity of ship traffic and the number of degree-days with negative temperatures over the time interval between ship passages. Large attention is given to new methods of studies including full-scale and laboratory experiments, as well as the use of ice basins for this purpose, with a brief review of thermal methods for brash ice management. The paper formulates some of the problems yet to solved, which require extra studies.

Esterases/lipases from the GDSL family have potential applications in the hydrolysis and synthesis of important esters of pharmaceutical, food, and biotechnical interests. However, the structural and functional understanding of GDSL enzymes is still limited. Here, we report the crystal structure of the GDSL family esterase EstL5 complexed with PMSF at 2.34 Å resolution. Intriguingly, the PMSF binding site is not located at the active site pocket but is situated in a surface cavity. At the active site, we note that there is a trapped crystallization solvent 1,6-hexanediol, which mimics the bound ester chain, allowing for further definition of the active site pocket of EstL5. The most striking structural feature of EstL5 is the presence of a unique channel, which extends approximately 18.9 Å, with a bottleneck radius of 6.8 Å, connecting the active-site pocket and the surface cavity. Replacement of Ser205 with the bulk aromatic residue Trp or Phe could partially block the channel at one end and perturb its access. Reduced enzymatic activity is found in the EstL5 S205W and EstL5 S205F mutants, suggesting the functional relevance of the channel to enzyme catalysis. Our study provides valuable information regarding the properties of the GDSL-family enzymes for designing more efficient and robust biocatalysts.

Potassium (K) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development and influences yield and quality of agricultural crops. Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most widely distributed crops worldwide. In China, although maize consumes a large amount of K fertilizer, the K uptake/utilization efficiency (KUE) of maize cultivars is relatively low. Elucidation of KUE mechanisms and development of maize cultivars with higher KUE are needed. Maize KUE is determined by K+ uptake, transport, and remobilization, which depend on a variety of K+ channels and transporters. We review basic information about K+ channels and transporters in maize, their functions and regulation, and the roles of K+ in nitrogen transport, sugar transport, and salt tolerance. We discuss challenges and prospects for maize KUE improvement.

In this study of the nanofluid flow in a channel, the power of the magnetic field has been introduced to the momentum and energy equations as an innovative development. The impact of heat transfer due to free convection has also been considered. Nanofluid modeling has made use of Buongiorno's model. The similarity solution was used to transform the governing equations of the problem into ordinary differential equations, which were then solved using the finite element method (FEM). Investigations have been done into how several factors, such as the Hartmann number, Eckert number, Brownian number, Thermophoresis, and Lewis number, affect the profile of velocity, temperature, and concentration. Results indicate that the reduction in the dimensionless maximum velocity increases by 10.7% from Ha = 0 to Ha = 5, 23.5% from Ha = 5 to Ha = 10, and 48.4% from Ha = 10 to Ha = 20. Also, the Joule heating effect is prominent, as evidenced by a significant increase in the dimensionless maximum temperature from Ha = 0 to Ha = 20, reaching a rise of 540.3%.

Research in the field of pharmacology aims to generate new treatments for pathologies. Nowadays, there are an increased number of chronic disorders that severely and durably handicap many patients. Among the most widespread pathologies, obesity, which is often associated with diabetes, is constantly increasing in incidence, and in parallel, neurodegenerative and mood disorders are increasingly affecting many people. For years, these pathologies have been so frequently observed in the population in a concomitant way that they are considered as comorbidities. In fact, common mechanisms are certainly at work in the etiology of these pathologies. The main purpose of this review is to show the value of anticipating the effect of baseline treatment of a condition on its comorbidity in order to obtain concomitant positive actions. One of the implications would be that by understanding and targeting shared molecular mechanisms underlying these conditions, it may be possible to tailor drugs that address both simultaneously. To this end, we firstly remind readers of the close link existing between depression and diabetes and secondly address the potential benefit of the pleiotropic actions of two major active molecules used to treat central and peripheral disorders, first a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (Prozac ®) and then GLP-1R agonists. In the second part, by discussing the therapeutic potential of new experimental antidepressant molecules, we will support the concept that a better understanding of the intracellular signaling pathways targeted by pharmacological agents could lead to future synergistic treatments targeting solely positive effects for comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the relationship between distribution and market share in the wine category. Understanding the influences of product and distribution characteristics at the SKU-level and incorporating them into marketing strategy and planning has important managerial and academic implications. Sales of 3,524 wine SKUs across 4,218 stores in 4 states in the US over one year of observation are analyzed. We use an established distribution velocity model (Reibstein & Farris 1995) to estimate the relationship between distribution and market share. We then use the market share deviations from the expected values and apply a secondary robust regression to investigate possible relationships between various product- and distribution characteristics and those market share deviations. The results show that the distribution velocity in wine retailing is convex and increasing, in line with previous findings for other consumerpackaged goods in the marketing literature. Beyond distribution breadth, we find that overall parent brand performance (above), unit price (above), packaging type (above), country-of-origin, grape variety, sales consistency (above) and store specialization (below) are associated with above or below expected market share of wine SKUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem that the existing channel leakage calculation methods generally ignore the dynamic changes of influencing factors, which leads to a large calculation error, this study attempts to utilize the machine learning method to accurately calculate the channel leakage loss under the dynamic changes in the influencing factors. By using the machine learning method to analyze the impact of dynamic changes in the flow rate and soil moisture content over time on the channel leakage loss in the water transmission process and quantify the impact of the selected factors on the leakage loss, a dynamic simulation model of the multi-parameter channel leakage loss was constructed, and a test was carried out in the irrigation area to verify the accuracy of the model. The test results are as follows: the actual leakage loss of the U1 channel is 1094.03 m3, the simulated value of the model is the 1005.24 m3, and the error between the simulated value and the measured value is 8.12%; the total leakage of the U2 channel is 1111.24 m3, the simulated value of the model is 1021.1 m3, and the error between the simulated value and the measured value is 6.31%. The experimental results show that the use of machine learning to construct a dynamic simulation model of channel leakage loss under the comprehensive consideration of the dynamic change in influencing factors over time has a better effect, and the calculation accuracy is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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An animal's decision to accept or reject a prospective food is based only, in part, on its chemical composition. Palatability is also greatly influenced by textural features including smoothness versus grittiness, which is influenced by particle sizes. Here, we demonstrate that Drosophila melanogaster is endowed with the ability to discriminate particle sizes in food and uses this information to decide whether a food is appealing. The decision depends on a mechanically activated channel, OSCA/TMEM63, which is conserved from plants to humans. We found that tmem63 is expressed in a multidendritic neuron (md-L) in the fly tongue. Loss of tmem63 impairs the activation of md-L by mechanical stimuli and the ability to choose food based on particle size. These findings reveal the first role for this evolutionarily conserved, mechanically activated TMEM63 channel in an animal and provide an explanation of how flies can sense and behaviorally respond to the texture of food provided by particles.

The article aims to describe an analysis of the content on the YouTube as a medium for spreading Arabic language. The research uses descriptive qualitative research. The data sources used are primary data sources and secondary data sources. Primary data sources come from interviews while secondary data sources from books, journals and articles that support the research. The data analysis technique is in three stages, namely data presentation, data reduction, and drawing conclusion. The analysis is focused on the YouTube channel Dars Arabi. This channel presents educational Arabic learning content. The result of this study proves that there are several factors that support the spread of Arabic through the YouTube. The factors cover language structure-based content creation, utilizing You Tube as the most famous social media, focusing on disseminated educational program, and keeping developing content creation. Further, the content is created in a structured manner based on the curriculum of learning Arabic language. The creator of the content in the you tube always increases the content with selection. In conclusion, the YouTube channel of Dars Arabi succeeds to play the role of spreading Arabic language learning.

The influences of perforated-baffles on the local Nusselt number (Nu) and thermo-hydraulic behaviors were comprehensively studied using thermochromic liquid crystal sheet. The perforated-baffles were designed in two forms: perforated-baffle (PB) and perforated-baffle with square wings (SW-PBs). Transverse solid baffles (TBs) were also tested for an assessment. All baffles had an identical height of 12 mm (e/H = 0.3). Experimental results showed that SW-PBs offered better Nu than PBs. It is also seen that PBs and SW-PBs caused lower pressure loss than TBs by around 20.49% and 13.98%, respectively. The reduction of friction loss was primarily due to the baffle perforation. In addition, the PBs yielded the thermal performance factors (TPF) up to 1.01 at the lowest Reynolds number of 6000.

Biological membranes define the boundaries of cells and compartmentalize the chemical and physical processes required for life. Many biological processes are carried out by proteins embedded in or associated with such membranes. Determination of membrane protein (MP) structures at atomic or near-atomic resolution plays a vital role in elucidating their structural and functional impact in biology. This endeavor has determined 1198 unique MP structures as of early 2021. The value of these structures is expanded greatly by deposition of their three-dimensional (3D) coordinates into the Protein Data Bank (PDB) after the first atomic MP structure was elucidated in 1985. Since then, free access to MP structures facilitates broader and deeper understanding of MPs, which provides crucial new insights into their biological functions. Here we highlight the structural and functional biology of representative MPs and landmarks in the evolution of new technologies, with insights into key developments influenced by the PDB in magnifying their impact.