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Due to the high conductivity and low permeability of giant magnetostrictive materials (GMMs), eddy currents and temperature rise caused by these materials are unavoidable. These factors will significantly impact the output efficiency and reliability of giant magnetostrictive transducers (GMTs). It is essential to conduct precise evaluations of the output characteristics in various temperature settings to effectively design and optimize the transducer. However, to reduce the eddy current loss of GMMs, a radial slit is introduced. The intricate geometry also contributes to the complexity of analysis. According to the practical engineering requirements, this paper initially established a testing system for GMM characteristic and analyzed the mechanism between material temperature and output characteristics. Second, improvements have been made to the equivalent circuit method. Research has been conducted on the influence of temperature and eddy currents on the electrical and mechanical equivalent circuits, leading to the creation of a comprehensive equivalent circuit model for GMTs. Finally, a testing platform has been set up to assess the temperature-output characteristics of the transducer. The impedance and displacement characteristics of a GMT were examined to validate the proposed model. The test results demonstrated that within the 20 – 100 °C range, the discrepancy between the model and the measured impedance is under 1%, and the displacement amplitude error is less than 5%, thus confirming the precision of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy is a widely used non-contact detection technology with significant potential in the field of non-destructive testing. In this study, the transfer function of the coating system is derived based on the Rouard model and the refractive index of the coating within the transfer function is modelled using the Debye model. The hierarchical thickness of the multilayer composite material is fitted by random optimisation algorithm. Considering the complexity of the objective function and the practical accuracy requirements in engineering problems, the integer genetic algorithm is adopted to find the optimal parameters. The comparison of the ordinary genetic algorithm and the integer genetic algorithm reveals that the integer genetic algorithm requires a significantly smaller population size and computation time than the ordinary genetic algorithm. Furthermore, the predicted thickness obtained by the integer genetic algorithm is more repeatable, has higher computational efficiency, and exhibits smaller errors. Our results indicate that combining the integer genetic algorithm with the Rouard model holds potential applications in thickness measurement of multilayer composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain technology has attracted significant attention in both academia and industry. Recently, the application of blockchain has been advocated in software engineering. The global software engineering paradigm exacerbates trust issues, as distributed and cross‐organizational teams need to share software artifacts. In such a context, there is a need for a decentralized yet reliable traceability knowledge base to keep track of what/how/when/by whom software artifacts were created or changed. This study presents a blockchain‐enabled framework for trustworthy and collaborative traceability management and identifies benefits, challenges, and potential improvements based on the feedback of software engineering experts. A qualitative approach was followed in this study through semistructured interviews with software engineering (SE) experts. Transcripts were analyzed by applying the content analysis technique. The results indicated the emergence of five categories, further grouped into three main categories: experts' perceptions, blockchain‐based software process improvement, and experts' recommendations. In addition, the findings suggested four archetypes of organizations that may be interested in blockchain technology: distributed organizations, organizations with contract‐based projects, organizations in regulated domains, and regulators who may push the use of this technology. Further efforts should be devoted to the integration of the proposal with tools used throughout the software development lifecycle and leveraging the potential of smart contracts in validating the implementation of requirements automatically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin is classified as the second most abundantly available biopolymer after cellulose and as a main aromatic resource material. Lignin structure differs based on sources of origin and species of biomass with around 15–40% of lignin content based on dry weight. It is extracted from various types of lignocellulosic biomass through different pulping extraction methods. After extraction, lignin can be further functionalized through different chemical reactions to meet the requirements and specifications before being used in end products. Therefore, in this review paper, the details on extraction and the type of lignin, as well as chemical functionalization, are discussed. The chemical functionalization can be used to modify the lignin such through phenolic depolymerization or by other aromatic compounds, creating novel chemical active sites to impact a reactivity of lignin and through functionalization of hydroxyl functional group for enhancing its reactivity. Furthermore, the recent sustainable application of lignin was discussed in different fields such as nanocomposite, flame retardant, antioxidant, cosmetic, natural binder and emulsifier. This review hence provides a summary of the current stateoftheart in lignin technology and future outlook of potential application areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Inorganic Analytical Chemistry / Zhongguo Wuji Fenxi Huaxue is the property of Beijing Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy Technology Group 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.)

Rapid restoration of access to essential goods and services has long been regarded as paramount for community recovery. Yet, there remains ambiguity in how access should be defined, measured, or operationalized. Defining accessibility as the ability to use available goods and services with a reasonable level of effort and cost requires evaluating it across six dimensions (proximity, availability, adequacy, acceptability, affordability, and awareness) while considering the perspective of both users and providers in the evaluation. But common distance-based metrics that focus solely on physical access and travel time often fall short of fully capturing these requirements, overlooking the user's perception. This paper introduces a new spatio-temporal accessibility metric that combines four out of these six dimensions, including proximity, acceptability, adequacy, and availability. The metric considers uncertainty in measuring each dimension and addresses both user and provider perspectives in measuring the acceptability and adequacy dimensions. The variation in the metric across the disaster timeline serves as a proxy for community recovery. The metric aligns with common engineering-oriented functionality-based resilience frameworks as the functionality level of the providers has been incorporated in its development. Operating at the household level, the metric determines the ratio of post-disruption access time to the intended good or service against its pre-disruption access time and yields a unitless ratio between zero and one, with zero expressing a total loss in accessibility and one signifying the same level of accessibility as pre-disruption. The proposed metric, while being scientifically principled, is a practical tool whose output is easily understood even by non-expert individuals. The metric is illustrated for schools and pharmacies using the Lumberton Testbed and data collected following the 2016 flood in Lumberton, North Carolina after Hurricane Matthew. Findings provide new insight into recovery plan prioritization and can be used to trigger protective actions. The paper concludes by discussing issues and barriers related to developing and validating accessibility metrics while highlighting areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pool-type demonstrative China Fast Reactor 600 (CFR-600) adopted a series of improved safety designs, among which the hydraulic suspended passive shutdown subassembly (HS-PSS) is employed for inherent safety enhancement, especially suitable against unprotected loss of flow accident (ULOF). In this article, functional requirements for HS-PSS design in hydro-dynamic aspects are proposed, with the corresponding performance indicators discussed. To address these functional requirements, qualitative analysis on the equilibrium solution properties of the nonlinear dynamical model equation of the hydraulic moving body (HMB) in the HS-PSS are conducted, which leads to the determination of an applicable design parameter domain of the HMB for its practical design from the broad range of structural and parametric design options available for HS-PSS. Furtherly, hydraulically characterizing and modeling the constituent paths and consequent fluid network, hydraulic characteristics of the HS-PSS, as well as the coupled hydro-dynamic motion behaviors of the HMB for suspension and dropping states, were simulated and test-validated. Considering the HS-PSS hydro-dynamic behaviors, key indicators such as critical flowrate, drop time, hydraulic self-tightening performance, as well as the hydraulic characteristics curve are for fulfilling the functional requirements. Meanwhile, through sensitivity study of some structural parameters' impact on hydraulic characteristics, some most sensible structural parameters for adjusting and optimizing detailed design are observed. The work is quite significant in supporting the conceptual design of the HS-PSS as well as its engineering improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection affecting the lungs. Symptoms of viral and bacterial pneumonia are similar. Rapid diagnosis of the disease is difficult, since polymerase chain reaction-based methods, which have the greatest reliability, provide results in a few hours, while ensuring high requirements for compliance with the analysis technology and professionalism of the personnel. This study proposed a Concatenated CNN model for pneumonia detection combined with a fuzzy logic-based image improvement method. The fuzzy logic-based image enhancement process is based on a new fuzzification refinement algorithm, with significantly improved image quality and feature extraction for the CCNN model. Four datasets, original and upgraded images utilizing fuzzy entropy, standard deviation, and histogram equalization, were utilized to train the algorithm. The CCNN's performance was demonstrated to be significantly improved by the upgraded datasets, with the fuzzy entropy-added dataset producing the best results. The suggested CCNN attained remarkable classification metrics, including 98.9% accuracy, 99.3% precision, 99.8% F1-score, and 99.6% recall. Experimental comparisons showed that the fuzzy logic-based enhancement worked significantly better than traditional image enhancement methods, resulting in higher diagnostic precision. This study demonstrates how well deep learning models and sophisticated image enhancement techniques work together to analyze medical images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite slab has extensive application in building industrialization. In this study, a novel composite slab with a joint was proposed, where the precast planks with bent-up rebar are only partially prefabricated along the thickness direction at the joint for cast-in-site pouring of concrete, and the rest is fully prefabricated in the factory. The flexural performance of the composite slab was compared with that of a traditional cast-in-site slab with the same geometric dimensions through four-point bending test. The results demonstrate that the bending performance of the composite slab, including cracking load, yield load, and ultimate load, is basically consistent with that of the cast-in-site slab, and can meet the engineering requirements. Based on experimental results, numerical research was conducted on the composite slabs. The effects of slab thickness, diameter of steel bar, concrete strength of precast plank, and slab span on the flexural behavior of composite slab were investigated. The numerical results show that the cracking load, yield load, and load corresponding to the deflection limit of the specimen increase with the increase in slab thickness and decrease with the increase in slab span. Increasing the steel bar diameter can increase the load corresponding to the deflection limit and yield load, while the effect on the cracking load is almost negligible. The concrete strength of precast plank has no significant effect on the flexural behavior of the composite slab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the complexity and high computational burden in the design of drip irrigation networks, the Jaya algorithm is utilized to study factors affecting project costs, including equipment and pipeline depreciation and the operation and management costs of the irrigation area. A mathematical model of synchronization optimal design of pipe layout and pipe diameter selection in a drip irrigation network system with constraints on pipe diameter, flow velocity, and pipe pressure is established. Using an irrigation district in Xinjiang, China, as an example, the Jaya algorithm optimization design program was run independently 50 times, and the relative deviation of each optimization result from the optimal solution was calculated. The results show that the annual cost per unit area o is reduced to 635.99 RMB/hm2, a 25.34% reduction compared to the original engineering program, and the investment-saving effect is obvious. The relative deviation is controlled within 3%, which shows that the algorithm has stable convergence performance and can meet the requirements of actual engineering design. The Jaya algorithm eliminates the need for parameter tuning, and it excels in cost savings, algorithm stability, and computational accuracy, making it an effective method for the single-objective optimization design of drip irrigation networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intricate structure of human hands requires personalized orthotic treatments, especially with the growing aging population's demand for accessible care. While traditional orthoses are effective, they face challenges of cost, customization time, and accessibility. Additive manufacturing, particularly material extrusion (MEX) techniques, can effectively address challenges in orthotic device production by enabling automated, complex, and cost-effective solutions. This work aims to provide engineers with a comprehensive set of design considerations for developing hand orthoses using MEX technology, focusing on applying design for additive manufacturing principles, to enhance rehabilitation outcomes. This objective is achieved by establishing design requirements for hand orthoses, reviewing design choices and methodologies across conventional and state-of-the-art MEX-based devices, and proposing an innovative approach to orthotic design. Hand orthosis design requirements were gathered through workshops with occupational therapists and categorized into engineer-, medical-, and patient-specific needs. A review of 3D-printed hand orthoses using MEX analyzes various design approaches, providing insights into existing solutions. The study introduces a modular design concept aimed at improving rehabilitation by enhancing customizability and functionality. It highlights the potential of MEX for creating personalized, cost-effective orthoses and offers recommendations for future research, to optimize designs and improve patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting the anchoring length is an integral part of the quality inspection of the bolt anchoring, which is crucial to the safety of the roadway support. This paper studies the influence of the anchoring length on the propagation characteristics of the exciting stress wave of the bolt. The research finds that the change in the anchoring length affects the attenuation rate and frequency distribution of the stress wave signal amplitude. Under the same test conditions, the anchoring length negatively correlates with the consolidation wave velocity. The VMD analysis and processing method decomposes the original detection signal once or the characteristic mode function twice. The bottom reflection time is obtained from the bottom reflection signal identified according to the decomposed mode function. Based on the propagation characteristics of the exciting stress wave in the anchor rod, a method of calculating the anchoring length using the bottom reflection time is proposed. Experimental verification of anchoring models for different anchoring lengths is carried out. The calculated results are consistent with the actual anchoring length; the longer the length, the smaller the relative error. The error rate meets the accuracy requirements of on-site engineering tests and guarantees safe production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The calculation of the water droplet collection coefficient (WDCC) is a crucial step in the numerical study of aircraft icing and the iterative design of anti-icing and deicing systems. Rapid and efficient methods for predicting WDCC are essential for enhancing the efficiency of icing numerical calculations and accelerating the design cycle of these systems. The existing prediction methods are inefficient and fail to meet the real-time requirements of engineering applications. This paper proposes a rapid prediction method for the WDCC for multiple airfoils utilizing deep learning techniques. The method takes enhanced airfoil section images and icing condition parameters as inputs and WDCC as output. A deep neural network prediction model, IncDynamicFusion, for sustainable learning is established by integrating a multimodal dynamic fusion method with an improved iCaRL method (incremental classifier and representation learning). Numerical experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model can quickly and effectively predict the WDCC of multiple airfoils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To simplify the computational complexity of the Joint Probabilistic Data Association (JPDA) algorithm for multi-target tracking in low-signal-to-clutter-ratio underwater acoustic scenes, and to solve the problem of unstable tracking caused by poor measurement accuracy of active sonar, a trajectory information-based JPDA optimization algorithm (TJPDA) is designed to meet the real-time and stability requirements of practical engineering. The false alarm rate is reduced by accumulating correlated target trajectories in multiple frames, and the influence factor is introduced to modify the correlation probability and simplify the confirmation matrix splitting process. This effectively solves the problem of information combination explosion and trajectory divergence caused by adjacent target interference in low signal-to-clutter-ratio underwater acoustic scenes. The simulation results show that compared with the JPDA algorithm, the TJPDA algorithm not only improves target-tracking accuracy but also reduces computation time, making it more suitable for practical engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking a shear wall structure in a high-intensity area of 20 floors as an example, the seismic reduction scheme of the structure was determined, and the Etabs software was used to conduct time history analysis on the seismic and non-seismic structures. The floor shear force, overturning moment, and short-term surface pressure of the isolation support were obtained. The results showed that under frequent earthquake action, the average maximum floor shear force in the direction of the isolated upper structure was only about 28 % of that of the non-isolated structure. The maximum inter story shear ratio was 0.34, and the maximum floor shear force in the direction was only about 25 % of that of the non-isolated structure. The maximum inter story shear ratio was 0.31. The average maximum overturning moment of the upper structure in the direction after isolation is about 30 % of that of the non-isolated structure. The maximum overturning moment ratio is 0.36, and the average overturning moment of the maximum floor in the direction is about 22 % of that of the non-isolated structure. The maximum overturning moment ratio is 0.26. Under rare earthquake action, the maximum inter story displacement angles in the and directions of each floor of the seismic isolation structure are 1/302 and 1/446, respectively. The maximum surface pressure value of the isolation bearing under rare earthquake is 28.9 MPa, the minimum surface pressure value is 5.58 MPa, and the maximum displacement is 579 mm, which meets the requirements of the specifications. Overall, the seismic performance of the seismic isolation structure is good, and the isolation scheme is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document from the Journal of Engineering Design discusses the importance of managing margins in engineering design to address uncertainties and risks. It highlights the need for intentional identification and management of margins to create engineered systems that deliver value throughout their lifecycle. The document also emphasizes the significance of margins in balancing decisions about system architecture properties and managing risks in a disruptive world. Through workshops and curated papers, the document explores various perspectives, models, and valuations of margins in engineering design, aiming to establish a new design paradigm where margins are essential for system value and resilience. [Extracted from the article]

Currently, digital technologies for modeling buildings and infrastructure are successfully used in international and national practice for the implementation of complex construction projects and large-scale programmes. At the same time, the transition to machine-readable standards, implemented in many countries to improve the quality of design documentation and automate its verification, faces serious methodological and technical challenges. First of all, these challenges are due to the complexity of digital models, as well as the variety of requirements formulated in natural languages and imposed on these models at the state, regional, departmental, and corporate levels. Attempts to create catalogs of requirements and software tools for their management and use generally have specific purposes and do not provide necessary completeness, normalization, consistency, interconnectedness, unambiguity, traceability, and validability of requirements description. In this regard, it seems reasonable to use formal methods for specification and verification of requirements that have proven themselves in system and software engineering. This paper provides a comparative analysis of software tools for automated verification of regulatory requirements in the construction domain. There is a growing interest in tools focused on international standards, such as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) and Information Delivery Specification (IDS), that allow one to control the completeness of the object and attribute composition of models, as well as the clarification of acceptable domains of values values. However, the IDS standard is not formalized and does not enable the specification of requirements expressed in terms of arbitrary algebraic conditions. The EXPRESS object-oriented data modeling language, in which the IFC data schema is specified, seems promising for the formal specification and verification of requirements for digital models used in the construction industry. As a substantiation, it is shown that IDS specifications can be represented by logical expressions and EXPRESS functions, as well as that arbitrary algebraic conditions can be specified as EXPRESS declarative rules. To illustrate the proposed approach, we consider some examples of the formalization of requirements from national construction standards and sets of rules concerning the safety of buildings, structures, and processes. The possibility of harmonizing the proposed formal approach with the IDS standard by defining new facets for the representation of local, uniqueness, and global EXPRESS rules is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, cultural projects utilizing digital applications and immersive technologies (VR, AR, MR) have grown significantly, enhancing cultural heritage experiences. Research emphasizes the importance of usability, user experience, and accessibility, yet holistic approaches remain underexplored and many projects fail to reach their audience. This article aims to bridge this gap by presenting a complete workflow including systematic requirements analysis, design guidelines, and development solutions based on knowledge extracted from previous relevant projects. The article focuses on virtual museums covering key challenges including compatibility, accessibility, usability, navigation, interaction, computational performance and graphics quality, and provides a design schema for integrating virtual museums into such projects. Following this approach, a number of applications are presented. Their performance with respect to the aforementioned key challenges is evaluated. Users are invited to assess them, providing positive results. To assess the virtual museum's ability to attract a broader audience beyond the usual target group, a group of underserved minorities are also invited to use and evaluate it, generating encouraging outcomes. Concluding, results show that the presented workflow succeeds in yielding high-quality applications for cultural heritage communication and attraction of wider audiences, and outlines directions for further improvements in digitized heritage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweat glucose serves as a significant biomarker of health, necessitating accurate determination at the micromolar level for noninvasive monitoring. To address this need, we design an organic field‐effect transistor (OFET)‐based enzymatic sensor to quantify glucose levels in human sweat. The extended‐gate structure of the OFET device ensures stable analyte detection in human sweat owing to its isolated configuration. The extended‐gate‐type OFET has been functionalized with glucose oxidase and an N‐ethylphenazonium‐based mediator‐attached monolayer. This configuration facilitates electron relay, enabling accurate and reproducible glucose detection. Leveraging the amplification ability of the OFET, the enzymatic sensor exhibited highly sensitive glucose detection, achieving a low limit of detection (2.9 μM) suitable for sweat analysis requirements. In addition, the sensor exhibited high discriminability in detecting glucose amidst interferents commonly found in sweat, indicating its practical feasibility for sweat analysis. Validation of glucose recovery rates (95–105 %) in human sweat, without pretreatment, was performed using established instrumental analysis methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formal requirements modeling and traceability management are essential for effectively implementing Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). However, few studies have explored the integration of requirement modeling, traceability management, and verification within MBSE-based systems engineering methodologies. Moreover, the predominant modeling language for MBSE, SysML, lacks sufficient capabilities for requirement description and traceability management and for depicting physical attributes and executable capabilities, making it challenging to verify functional and non-functional requirements collaboratively. This paper proposes an integrated approach for requirement modeling, traceability management, and verification, building on the previously proposed integrated modeling and the simulation language called X language. Our contributions primarily include defining the ReqXL specification for MBSE-oriented requirement modeling based on X language, proposing an algorithm for automatically generating requirement traces, and an integrated framework for requirements modeling, traceability management, and verification was developed by combining the X language with ReqXL. These functionalities were customized on the self-developed integrated modeling and simulation platform, XLab, which is specifically tailored for the X language. Furthermore, we showcase the efficacy and promise of our approach through a case study involving the design of an aircraft electrical system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Automatisierungstechnik is the property of De Gruyter 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.)

The rheological behavior of concrete pumping in the bend section is complex. The existing conversion calculation for pumping pressure loss based on the straight pipe section often fails to meet engineering precision requirements. This paper develops a pressure loss correction model for a concrete pumping bend section based on a new one-dimensional flow model for the straight pipe section simulation of particle flow; the study analyzes the impact of parameters such as elbow shape and pumping flow rate on pressure loss. An equivalent conversion relationship between the bend section and the straight section is established. The comparison with the measured pressure values from the project shows that the relative error between the pressure loss values calculated by the correction model and the actual measurements is 15.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) wireless communication system, using a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system for signal transmission and reception of the millimeter wave frequency band can effectively improve data rate performance and received signal quality. Besides, precoding is an important method of beamforming in MIMO transmission. With the properly selected precoding matrices, the transmitter and receiver can adjust the transmitting and receiving behaviors in accordance with the changes of the current channel state to reduce the interferences between users and increase the received signal strength. In this paper, a low complexity precoding selection method is proposed based on the steering angle characteristics of the precoding matrices of 5G NR. In addition, for this paper, we used the software defined radio to implement the precoding selection following the requirement of the specifications of 5G. With this implementation, both the transmitter and receiver can determine the suitable precoding matrices according to different precoding selection methods. Results showed that with a little error vector magnitude performance degradation, the proposed precoding selection method can reduce at least 50% of the required computational complexity of the full search method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with the traditional "earth pressure balance" tunneling mode, the "air-pressure assisted" mode of shield tunneling has a more complex mechanism for maintaining excavation face balance, with significant differences in ground deformation and tunneling parameters compared to conventional full-chamber earth pressure balance tunneling mode. In order to quantitatively assess the stability of the excavation face under the air-pressure assisted tunneling mode and to determine a reasonable air-pressure setting, this study proposed an evaluation method for overall excavation face stability in the air-pressure assisted mode by using the limit equilibrium method, considering the spatial surface characteristics of the slip surface. Based on the Krabbe formula, considering the layering of the strata and the influence of groundwater, the formula for calculating gas loss was modified. In addition, a comparative tunneling test was conducted under different tunneling modes in the same strata condition, comparing the overall stability, air-pressure loss, ground settlement and tunneling parameters of the excavation face. The results showed that: according to the proposed overall stability evaluation method and the gas loss calculation method, the experimental section of this project met the overall stability requirements for air-pressure assisted tunneling. The selected air compressor had sufficient power for maintaining air-pressure stability in the strata, and the air-pressure setting met the requirements of engineering safety. Compared to the full-chamber earth pressure balance mode, the total thrust and cutterhead torque in the air-pressure assisted mode were reduced by 35% and 44%, respectively, while the advancing speed increased by 173% and energy consumption decreased by 66%. The air-pressure assisted tunneling mode resulted in a higher ground loss rate and relatively larger surface settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction duration of long-span arch bridges is excessively prolonged due to insufficient closing precision and the non-convergence of traditional cable adjustment calculation methods. This study investigates cable force management in long-span concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) arch bridges during cable-stayed buckle construction, aiming to improve construction safety and precision in arch rib alignment. Using the Pingnan Third Bridge and Tian'e Longtan Bridge as practical examples, the research develops a multi-objective optimization method for cable forces that integrates influence matrices, constrained minimization, and a forward iterative approach. This method offers a robust strategy for tensioning and cable-stayed buckling, enabling real-time monitoring, calculation, and adjustment during the construction of large-span CFST arch bridges. The results reveal that the iterative approach notably enhances calculation efficiency compared to conventional methods. For instance, field measurements at the Pingnan Third Bridge show a minimal arch closure error of only 3 mm. Additionally, the study addresses concerns about excessive stress in exposed steel tubes during concrete casting. By optimizing the sequence of main arch closure and concrete casting, stress in the exposed steel tube is reduced from 373 MPa to 316 MPa, thus meeting specification requirements. In summary, the multi-objective cable force optimization method demonstrates superior efficiency in determining cable tension and controlling rib alignment during cable-stayed buckle construction of long-span CFST arch bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the design concept of a strong column and weak beam, a new type of reinforced concrete frame structure beam–column joint is proposed. Considering different column end amplification factors (beam–column bending moment ratio), the finite element method (FEA) is used to analyze the parameters that affect the seismic performance of RC frame structure beam–column joints. The reliability verification error is within 4.8% to 11.7%, meeting the requirements of engineering accuracy. Then, through parameter analysis, the effects of different concrete strengths, stirrup diameters, and axial pressures on the seismic performance of the joint are studied. The study results show that enhancing concrete strength has a significant effect on the seismic performance of the structure, especially when the amplification factor is 2.0. Compared with the C20 specimen, the bearing capacity of the C40 specimen increased by 26.88%. However, the increase in stirrup diameter did not significantly improve the performance of the specimen. In addition, a high axial pressure ratio may affect the bearing capacity of the structure. This study provides a new type of beam–column joint that conforms to the design concept of a strong column and weak beam and provides a theoretical basis for its application in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the traditional mass concrete temperature field calculation, the accuracy of the thermal parameters is extremely important. However, the actual thermal parameters of mass concrete may have some errors with the laboratory-measured values or specification values due to the site ambient temperature, concrete surface insulation measures, cooling water flow, etc. Therefore, it can be combined with the measured temperature of the field temperature sensors using the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) for the inverse analysis of thermal parameters. Firstly, to address the problem that SSA has low convergence accuracy and easily falls into local optimum, a mixed strategy was adopted to improve the algorithm, including Logistic Chaos mapping initialization of the population, the introduction of adaptive weighting factors, and the use of the Cauchy mutation strategy. Then, the performance test was carried out to compare the performance of the algorithm with three different intelligent algorithms and reflect the superiority of the SSA that was improved by mixed strategies (SSAIMSs). Finally, the proposed method was applied to the thermal parameter inversion of a mass concrete pile cap. The inversion results demonstrated that SSAIMSs can improve the accuracy and speed of thermal parameter inversion, and the calculated results of the thermal parameters and temperatures obtained using the SSAIMSs matched well with the measured results in the field, which can meet the accuracy requirements of the actual engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shape design of arch dams requires consideration of multiple complex factors, such as the shape of the valley at the dam site, engineering geological conditions, regional seismic intensity, hub layout, and flood discharge methods. Therefore, the shape design of arch dams is a typical complex optimization problem. In this paper, a general parametric design method of arch dam shape is proposed, which can describe all kinds of arch dams such as parabola and hyperbola. By fixing the position of the arch end and adjusting the position, shape, and thickness of the arch crown beam to drive the shape change of the arch dam, automatic modeling and finite element stress deformation calculation of the arch dam are achieved. Taking the minimum volume of the arch dam as the optimization objective, intelligent optimization of the arch dam shape is carried out under constraints such as geometry, stress, and stability. Using this method to optimize the shape of a high arch dam, the optimization efficiency is high and the optimization effect is obvious. The stress of the optimized arch dam body and the equivalent stress of the foundation surface meet the requirements of the specifications, and the flexibility coefficient and stress level also meet the indicators recommended by experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of cloud computing methods in everyday life is growing as a result of the exponential advancement and refinement of artificial technology. As cloud computing makes more progress, it will bring with it new opportunities and threats that affect the long-term health of society and the environment. Many questions remain unanswered regarding sustainability, such as, "How will widely available computing systems affect environmental equilibrium"? When hundreds of millions of microcomputers are invisible to each other, what will society look like? What does this mean for social sustainability? This paper empirically investigates the ethical challenges and practices of cloud computing about sustainable development. We conducted a systematic literature review followed by a questionnaire survey and identified 11 sustainable cloud computing challenges (SCCCs) and 66 practices for addressing the identified challenges. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were then used to identify and analyze the interrelationship between the SCCCs. Then, based on the results of the ISM, 11 process areas were determined to develop the proposed sustainable cloud computing challenges mitigation model (SCCCMM). The SCCCMM includes four main categories: Requirements specification, Quality of Service (QoS) and Service Legal Agreement (SLA), Complexity and Cyber security, and Trust. The model was subsequently tested with a real-world case study that was connected to the environment. In a sustainable cloud computing organization, the results demonstrate that the proposed SCCCMM aids in estimating the level of mitigation. The participants in the case study also appreciated the suggested SCCCMM for its practicality, user-friendliness, and overall usefulness. When it comes to the sustainability of their software products, we believe that organizations involved in cloud computing can benefit from the suggested SCCCMM. Additionally, researchers and industry practitioners can expect the proposed model to provide a strong foundation for developing new sustainable methods and tools for cloud computing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust high‐valence metal–organic framework (MOF) membranes for CO2 separations show great promise for achieving carbon neutrality. Herein, the elegant fabrication of tetravalent zirconium Materials of Institute Lavoisier‐140A (MIL‐140A) membranes are pioneered and validated the intriguing dual role for both CO2‐selective and CO2‐rejective separations by combining structural regulation with the exploitation of the appropriate anisotropic ultramicropores. This inimitable separation ability of "hitting two targets with one arrow" with distinctive molecular size cut‐offs, which originated from the significant orientation transformation, enables the membranes to satisfy multiscenario CO2 capture requirements. The preferred (h0h)‐oriented MIL‐140A membranes exhibit superior mixed CO2/CH4 separation capacities (a separation factor of ≈30), while the highly (200)‐oriented MIL‐140A membranes exhibit remarkable mixed H2/CO2 separation capacities (a separation factor of ≈540), and they both ranked at the top among the present MOF membranes. This work highlights the promising prospects of the fresh MIL‐140 series for a given membrane‐based multiscenario CO2 separation application through microstructure customization and manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of the low end positioning accuracy of large hydraulic rock drilling robotic arms due to machining error and the working environment, this paper proposes an end positioning error compensation method based on an Improved Secretary Bird Optimization Algorithm (ISBOA) optimized Back Propagation (BP) neural network. Firstly, the good point set strategy is used to initialize the secretary bird population position to make the initial population distribution more uniform and accelerate the convergence speed of the algorithm. Then, the ISBOA is used to optimize the initial weights and biases of the BP neural network, which effectively overcomes the defect of the BP neural network falling into a local optimum. Finally, by establishing the mapping relationship between the joint value of the robot arm and the end positioning error, the error compensation is realized to improve the positioning accuracy of the rock drilling robot arm. The experimental results show that the average positioning error of the rock drilling robotic arm is reduced from 187.972 mm to 28.317 mm, and the positioning accuracy is improved by 84.94%, which meets the engineering requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While Human Factors (HF) methods have been applied to the design of decision support systems (DSS) to aid clinical decision-making, the role of HF to improve decision-support for population health outcomes is less understood. We sought to comprehensively understand how HF methods have been used in designing digital population health DSS. Materials and methods: We searched English documents published in health sciences and engineering databases (Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus, Comendex, Inspec, IEEE Xplore) between January 1990 and September 2023 describing the development, validation or application of HF principles to decision support tools in population health. Results: We identified 21,581 unique records and included 153 studies for data extraction and synthesis. We included research articles that had a target end-user in population health and that used HF. HF methods were applied throughout the design lifecycle. Users were engaged early in the design lifecycle in the needs assessment and requirements gathering phase and design and prototyping phase with qualitative methods such as interviews. In later stages in the lifecycle, during user testing and evaluation, and post deployment evaluation, quantitative methods were more frequently used. However, only three studies used an experimental framework or conducted A/B testing. Conclusions: While HF have been applied in a variety of contexts in the design of data-driven DSSs for population health, few have used Human Factors to its full potential. We offer recommendations for how HF can be leveraged throughout the design lifecycle. Most crucially, system designers should engage with users early on and throughout the design process. Our findings can support stakeholders to further empower public health systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development process of a system is shaped by numerous variables that influence its progress and outcome. As a result, complexity can increase throughout the development process, potentially leading to negative consequences, which makes the management of complexity critical. Most development processes begin with the definition of needs and requirements. In this paper, the authors present a novel approach that enables the automated extraction of structure from requirements specifications. The approach uses Natural Language Processing to elicit three structural layers from a set of requirements, which are subsequently analyzed using metrics to assess complexity. In a case study, the approach is demonstrated using a set of 79 requirements, within which 246 individual entities are identified. These entities and the requirements are structured and analyzed using network density and spectral entropy. The metrics allow for interpretation and insight generation, such as identifying an increase in the number of potentially problematic loops. The approach achieved a detection and structural accuracy of over 98% in the given case study and is planned to be expanded with future cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of smart cities has revolutionized urban living by providing innovative solutions, such as smart homes, smart hospitals, and smart parking. These smart applications have made life easier for people by improving infrastructure and accessibility. However, the development of smart cities also poses significant challenges for cybersecurity. The smooth operation of smart applications is essential to ensure the well‐being of users, and any disruption caused by cyber‐attacks can lead to critical situations. Malware, malicious software that can cause harm to devices or systems, is the most common type of cyber‐attack. Smart applications may consist of various heterogeneous devices, each with different security requirements and specifications, making it difficult to present an efficient mechanism against malicious software for all devices within different smart applications. Hence, developing a flexible and efficient solution to overcome this challenge is vital. This research presents a framework termed as Secure Software Update for the Internet‐of‐Things (SSUIT), which is designed to protect IoT devices from malicious software updates. This framework includes three primary components: publishers hosted on the cloud platform, an intelligent broker implemented on edge devices, and IoT devices as the subscribers. The publishers send software updates to the intelligent broker, which detects whether the update is malicious or not. The intelligent broker includes a secure software engine that integrates a disassembler, a preprocessor, and predictive models to detect malicious software. The predictive models are designed by taking into account the resource‐constrained nature of IoT systems. The end‐to‐end time taken for complete execution of a software update is also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Medical phantoms play a crucial role in medical imaging and therapy. However, the successful development of these phantoms heavily relies on a comprehensive understanding of the requirements specific to each application. Methods: In this paper, we emphasize the significance of requirement analysis in medical phantom development and develop a novel approach for gathering and classifying requirements specific for phantom development. Results: The implemented survey tool is designed to accommodate the diverse needs of stakeholders involved in phantom development, including medical staff, physicists, engineers, and product developers. To validate the effectiveness of the approach, we conduct the development of a multimodal deformable pelvic phantom, providing insights into the process and its applicability. Discussion: The results demonstrate the utility and reliability of our approach in systematically gathering, categorizing, and prioritizing requirements, thus facilitating the streamlined and efficient development of medical phantoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Plan – Do – Check – Act (PDCA) cycle is the basis of the process approach applied in ISO management system standards. The experience gained in working with management systems and summarized in the author’s monograph have been creatively adapted and applied in the analysis of the requirements of ISO/IEC 42001:2023 – the first standard for artificial intelligence management systems. This paper presents a method for determining the type of each requirement of the ISO/IEC 42001:2023 standard in relation to the PDCA cycle. The application of the PDCA cycle is demonstrated for selected processes and is used for creating process flowcharts. They can be based on the standards with requirements for quality, educational organizations, research and innovation centres, etc. Further on they can serve as the foundations for developing relevant documented procedures that comprise the artificial intelligence management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problems of the existing construction quality inspection with time-consuming information retrieval and data integrity concerns, according to the requirement analysis of engineering quality acceptance management, the traceability and immutability of blockchain and the efficiency and responsiveness of information processing of human-machine interaction (HMI), the construction quality inspection system based on blockchain and HMI was proposed. The proposed system was verified by the real-world case, and the performance evaluation was conducted by read/write latency and data storage. The results show that under ideal network conditions, the read and write latencies for construction quality data are below 1.5 seconds and 3.5 seconds, respectively. The storage capacity for accumulating construction quality acceptance transaction data is within the manageable range. The results align with the established performance requirements for blockchain systems as outlined in existing research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are complex systems that integrate information control devices with physical resources, which can be automatically and formalized verified by model checking according to the expected requirements in the formal specification. The counterexamples in model checking are witnesses to the violation of the specification properties of the system and can provide important diagnostic information for debugging, controlling, and synthesizing CPS. Designing a rational specification language for CPS and generating effective counterexamples allows security vulnerabilities to be detected and addressed early in the system development. However, CPS involve frequent interactions between cyber and physical systems and often operate in unreliable environments, which poses new challenges for comprehensive modeling and designing specification languages for CPSs with discrete, continuous, time, probabilistic, and concurrent behaviors. Moreover, finding the smallest counterexample of CPS with probabilistic behavior in the shortest possible time has been identified as a Non-Deterministic Polynomial-complete (NP-complete) problem. Although a number of heuristics have been devised to address this challenge, the accuracy and efficiency of the solved counterexamples need to be improved due to the difficulty in determining the heuristic functions. We first provide a comprehensive model for CPS by introducing the Hybrid Probabilistic Time Labeled Transition System (HPTLTS). Subsequently, we design a specification language HPTLTS Temporal Logic (HPTLTS-TL) that can describe the properties of CPS. In addition, we propose an optimization algorithm CACO-A, which combines the Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm and the A-algorithm to efficiently generate the counterexample of CPS, which is represented as the diagnostic subgraph. Finally, we discuss a typical CPS example to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrations induced by hard rock tunnel boring machine (TBM) construction have become an important concern affecting the environmental quality, particularly in urban environments. Herein, the vibration mechanism of TBM construction is studied by synchronously evaluating the three-dimensional vibration acceleration at different positions (such as the TBM cutterhead, rock stratum, and ground surface) based on the TBM construction subway tunnel project in Qingdao, China. At the TBM cutterhead, the acceleration value in the X direction considerably exceeds those in the Y and Z directions. The effective acceleration values in the X, Y, and Z directions are 0.007, 0.005, and 0.004 m/s2, respectively. Because of the presence of structural cracks in rock mass, the vibration influence of strongly weathered rock strata exceeds that of slightly weathered rock strata. On the ground, the acceleration values in the X and Y directions are amplified at 8.5 m away from the tunnel axis and the vibration signals of different frequencies will rebound at different distances from the tunnel axis. Although the vibration induced by TBM construction does not exceed the national specification requirements, the noise exceeds the set limit, thus necessitating noise control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to demonstrate the impact of administrative developments in government work on the mechanism for preserving documents and archives in the Sultanate of Oman, a field study in the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, by identifying the reality of administrative developments in the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, and its reflection on the mechanism for preserving documents and archives, in addition to identifying the challenges facing Personnel managing its documents to achieve the requirements of the Authority. The study relied on a mixed approach to achieve its research objectives, as it used the review form, questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews to collect the required data from the study sample consisting of (30) employees working in the Department of Documents and Archives Preservation from various administrative levels. In order to identify the impact of administrative developments in government work on the mechanism of preserving documents and archives in the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. The results of the study found that there is a statistically significant effect for each of: the development of the organizational structure, the development of legislation and laws, and the development of technical and technological means on the mechanism of preserving documents and archives in the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. The study came out with several recommendations, most notably: the need for the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism to pay attention to applying all the requirements and tools adopted by the Authority to manage archives and current and intermediate documents, to ensure that its documents are handled by correct and proper procedures, including activating records or databases organizing document management operations, and the need for the Ministry to Heritage and Tourism to prepares places to save its intermediate documents following the requirements and specifications of the authority. Also, to ensure the preservation and security of its documents from loss or damage, to expedite the provision of an electronic system for managing documents, and electronic documents, to intensify training and awareness programs for the Ministry's employees on document management procedures and to prepare explanatory publications that simplify and clarify the necessary methods for managing documents-finally, giving priority to employees specialized in document management who possess professional skills and competencies to assume supervisory functions related to document management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Numerical simulation analysis was conducted on the ear pressure of a certain vehicle model during door closing process. Firstly, relevant airflow channel parameters are formulated based on the benchmark vehicle data, and transient closing ear pressure simulation calculation is carried out using overset grid technology. Then, the impact of key structural parameters on the interior ear pressure of the car was analyzed. Finally, based on the requirements of actual engineering design, the design scheme for the peak pressure of the car was determined, and the results will be a reference for the development and design of later vehicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 4th Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, intends to transform manufacturing processes into smart factories with full digitalization and intelligent, decentralized, and flexible production. In this scenario, Industry 4.0 systems (i.e., software‐intensive systems that automate smart factories) have required rigorous and continuous development, but smart factory companies often have difficulty dealing with Requirements Engineering (RE) where requirements continuously change and emerge at runtime to support the changeability of complex production processes. Such requirements encompass engineering (e.g., mechanical, electrical, electronic, production/manufacturing) and business areas and involve the vertical and horizontal integration of heterogeneous manufacturing systems. There is also a lack of a panorama of how Industry 4.0 projects have performed with RE activities. The main goal of this paper is to present the state‐of‐the‐art research concerning RE in Industry 4.0 and draw attention to the next most urgent steps. For this, we selected and examined studies that address RE for Industry 4.0, noting that much of this literature is recent but does not fully address the complexity and dynamism of the requirements for Industry 4.0. Grounded on these studies and our academic and industry experience, we highlight the need for Continuous Requirements Engineering (CRE) for Industry 4.0. Significance and Practitioner Points: The main implications of this paper are: (i) For researchers: It offers the state of the art of RE in the context of Industry 4.0 and points out several important open issues that require an urgent investigation through new research topics; and (ii) For practitioners: It provides directions for new or even existing Industry 4.0 projects on how to deal with RE activities aiming to overcome the several challenges to perform them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex practical system designs pose significant challenges from a research perspective, often resulting in high computational requirements for analysis. Model order reduction (MOR) is a valuable technique to address this issue. This study provides a comprehensive review of the literature on MOR, focusing specifically on high-dimensional complex systems. It examines the fundamental theories and limitations of established MOR methods, including the Factor division method, Pade approximation (PA) method, Stability equation (SE) method, Differentiation method, and Routh approximation (RA) method. The study also investigates the frequency domain approach for obtaining a reduced-order model (ROM). Among the MOR methods, the PA method is a widely studied and practical approach that aims to retain the crucial dynamics of a high-dimensional complex system. This survey presents a detailed discussion of the PA method for obtaining the ROM. Additionally, six test systems are analyzed to compare the step and frequency responses generated by various MOR strategies. The integral square error criterion is used to assess the effectiveness of the reduction procedures. Finally, the study proposes a new system abatement method based on Atomic Orbital Search (AOS) optimization for obtaining the ROM of large-scale linear time-invariant (LTI) systems and designing controllers based on the reduced order model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the concerns regarding a disused tailings pond, a closure engineering design and dam flood control safety evaluation were conducted. The proposed reservoir closure treatment methods, including adding flood drainage system (spillway), plugging the existing overflow tower and drainage pipe, were developed in combination with the construction conditions of the reservoir area. Then, hydrological calculations and flood routing for the tailings pond were performed, and the flood control safety of the tailings pond was evaluated. The results of the study indicate that after the designed closed pond treatment method for the tailings pond is adopted, a 1000-year design flood would result in a flood elevation of 0.7 m, a minimum safety super-elevation of 2.0 m, and a minimum dry beach of approximately 130 m. These findings are in compliance with the relevant regulations and requirements of the specifications, and thus ensure the flood control safety of the tailings pond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine the Russian automatic lunar missions "Luna-25," "Luna-26," and the scientific objectives and landing site of the "Luna-27″ spacecraft. The landing of "Luna-27″ is planned directly in the South Polar region, which, due to ballistic and engineering requirements, is confined to a sector extending from 51°E to 1°W in longitude and from 83°S to 79°S in latitude. This area is characterized by complex terrain, and to identify suitable landing territories, a suitability map has been created that takes into account the distribution of slopes, the degree of illumination, and visibility of Earth. A total of five sites measuring 30 × 15 km (landing ellipse) within the considered region meet such scientific and technical requirements as slope distributions of less than 7–10°, sunlight illumination of more than 35 %, and Earth visibility of more than 50 %. All landing sites are ranked by priority from 1 to 5 depending on the content of water equivalent of hydrogen (WEH) in the lunar soil. Site №1, by its characteristics, is considered the best and may be chosen as the primary landing site, while sites №2 and №3 could serve as backups. It is demonstrated that with increased landing precision, with a deviation probability from the given point up to 0.5 km, the number of suitable landing sites satisfying primarily scientific rather than engineering-technical safety criteria, which are also inherently met, significantly increases. • Landing zone: 51°E to 1°W, 83°S to 79°S. • Map identifying suitable area for spacecraft landing. • Slope distribution, Sun illumination, Earth visibility, water-hydrogen content. • Only five sites (30 × 15 km ellipsoids) meet criteria. • Landing accuracy crucial for meeting scientific needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of seismic analysis and design requirements are presented to improve seismic stability of steel two-tiered eccentrically braced frames (EBFs) with I-shaped link beams. The proposed requirements include strength, stability, and stiffness provisions for braces, intermediate beams, and columns. In particular, these requirements aim to make use of intermediate beams to limit out-of-plane deformation of diagonal braces, torsionally brace the link beam in the intermediate level using diagonal braces, utilize column stiffness and strength to brace the intermediate beam out-of-plane, estimate and account for in-plane bending demands of the columns due to uneven yielding of the links, and control inelastic link rotation. The proposed special analysis and design requirements for two-tiered steel EBFs prevent excessive out-of-plane deformation of the intermediate beam and columns, promote sequential yielding of link beams, and limit inelastic rotation of the link in the tier experiencing the largest lateral deformation. The proposed requirements are demonstrated for a case study two-tiered EBF. Nonlinear static and dynamic analyses are performed to evaluate the seismic response of the case study frame against the frame designed without special design provisions and to validate the proposed requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]