A comfortable and livable living environment can be created through the design of patios in traditional southern rural Chinese dwellings. By connecting indoor and outdoor spaces, patios enable the comprehensive functions of ventilation and shading. To investigate the effects of patios on the building environment and energy conservation, the field parameters of the Wu Family Mansion in Cuijiao Village, Fujian Province, southern China, were measured in August 2016. The results indicate that patios located at the center of dwellings can effectively mitigate the impact of outdoor climate on the indoor environment. Furthermore, a reasonable depth-to-width ratio of the patio is conducive to natural ventilation and energy utilization. Through discussions and simulations using CFD and EcoTECT, it is determined that the reasonable depth-to-width ratio should not be less than 0.06, and a depth of 1.6 m is the most appropriate for patio design to achieve adequate ventilation and illumination. With the Adaptive Predicted Mean Vote (APMV) value ranging from 0 to 1.41, the indoor environment of this rural building falls within the adaptive comfort zone. Compared with air-conditioned rooms, the energy-saving rate achieved by natural ventilation is approximately 26.2%.
Vertical slot fishways are a crucial measure to mitigate the blockage of fish migration caused by hydraulic engineering infrastructures, but their passage efficiency is often hindered by the complex interactions between fish behavior and hydrodynamic conditions. This study combines computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with behavioral laboratory experiments to identify the hydrodynamic characteristics and swimming strategies of three types of fishways—Central Orifice Vertical Slot (COVS), Standard Vertical Slot (SVS), and L-shaped Vertical Slot (LVS)—using the endangered species <i>Schizothorax prenanti</i> from the upper Yangtze River as the study subject. The results revealed that (1) a symmetric and stable flow field was formed in the COVS structure, yet the passage ratio was the lowest (50%); in the SVS structure, high turbulent kinetic energy (peak of 0.03 m<sup>2</sup>/s<sup>2</sup>) was generated, leading to a significant increase in the fish’s tail-beat angle and amplitude (<i>p</i> < 0.01), with the passage time extending to 10.2 s. (2) The LVS structure induced a controlled vortex formation and created a reflux zone with low turbulent kinetic energy, facilitating a “wait-and-surge” strategy, which resulted in the highest passage ratio (70%) and the shortest passage time (6.1 s). (3) Correlation analysis revealed that flow velocity was significantly positively correlated with absolute swimming speed (<i>r</i> = 0.80), turbulent kinetic energy, and tail-beat parameters (<i>r</i> > 0.68). The LVS structure achieved the highest passage ratio and shortest transit time for <i>Schizothorax prenanti</i>, demonstrating its superior functionality for upstream migration. This design balances hydrodynamic complexity with low-turbulence refuge zones, providing a practical solution for eco-friendly fishways.
The vertical load-bearing performance of slab–column joints is significantly affected by bottom reinforcement and concealed beams, but existing studies remain insufficient in analyzing their influence mechanisms. To address this, the effects of bottom reinforcement, concealed beam width, and punch-to-span ratio on the mechanical properties of joints are systematically investigated in this study through finite element analysis. Validating 2 experimental models and establishing 13 parametric models, the results shows that adding bottom reinforcement can enhance the late-stage bearing capacity and ductility of joints; increasing the ratio of top-to-bottom reinforcement improves bearing capacity but reduces ductility; a wider concealed beam leads to better bearing capacity and ductility performance of the joint; and under the same concealed beam width, a larger punching–span ratio reduces bearing capacity but improves ductility. This study reveals the critical role of bottom reinforcement and concealed beams in joint performance, providing a theoretical basis for optimizing design.
Research shows that youth participating in engaged agricultural learning gain important practical skills and knowledge. The physicality, setting, and social aspects of agricultural and horticultural projects are opportune for improving mental, emotional, and social well-being—yet the psychosocial and metacognitive impacts of agricultural learning are still unclear. This study examines psychosocial impacts among youth participants, ages 13–17, in the Felege Hiywot Center’s 2023 STEAM (science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and math) Farm Camp. The Farm Camp combines hands-on urban agriculture with employable skills training while addressing food insecurity in an urban neighborhood with limited access to affordable and nutritious foods. During the camp, students design and maintain garden plots where they grow food, prepare shared meals, and participate in integrative science projects. Using a mix of quantitative and qualitative data collected from surveys and facilitated journaling, we explored the positive psychosocial and metacognitive impacts of camp participation. We found gardening instilled positive feelings and was perceived as a source of stress relief and accomplishment among participants. Teens also gained social support through the development of friendships and mentorships. Furthermore, their participation in the program was associated with metacognitive skills development, including self-awareness and reflection. This case study provides a compelling example of how to engage youth from an underserved area in sustainable urban agriculture while fostering metacognitive skills development and positive psychosocial experiences. We conclude that urban youth agricultural learning programs have valuable impacts on participants that go beyond agricultural education and the achievement of practical skills. These findings—which highlight the potential to contribute to psychosocial well-being, social support, and metacognitive abilities associated with maturation and personal development—may be particularly useful for other programs addressing at-risk and vulnerable youth.
To address the mitigation of excessive short-circuit currents in power grids and the arcing-resistant technology for large oil-filled equipment, this paper proposes a 550 kV fast SF6 circuit breaker solution, the equipment development and engineering implementation were systematically executed to validate the technology. A new electromagnetic repulsion trip device is used to replace the traditional electromagnet, achieving rapid conversion of the control valve oil circuit and reducing the mechanism activation time from the conventional <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10\sim 14$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ms to within 4 ms; by enhancing the operating power of the hydraulic disc spring mechanism, the output force is increased, and the buffer design is optimized, reducing the opening time from <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$19\sim 25$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ms to within 8 ms; the design of SF6 arc-extinguishing chamber is improved and optimized from the aspects of contact gap, arc-blowing pressure, and electric field distribution, reducing the short arcing time from <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$12\sim 14$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ms to within 8 ms. The successful development of the 550 kV fast SF6 circuit breaker achieves a breaking current of 63 kA, a breaking time of no more than 25 ms (approximately half that of conventional circuit breakers). The developed fast circuit breaker has been successfully applied in the Shunjiang sub-station 500kV short-circuit current flexible suppression demonstration project, and further enhances reliability with pilot applications for arcing-resistant of converter transformers at the Dongping and Bangguo converter stations of the Jinshang-Hubei and Longdong-Shandong ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission projects, respectively, with good application prospects.
Studies using source localization results have shown that cortical involvement increased in treadmill walking with brain–computer interface (BCI) control. However, the reorganization of cortical functional connectivity in treadmill walking with BCI control is largely unknown. To investigate this, a public dataset, a mobile brain–body imaging dataset recorded during treadmill walking with a brain–computer interface, was used. The electroencephalography (EEG)-coupling strength of the between-region and within-region during the continuous self-determinant movements of lower limbs were analyzed. The time–frequency cross-mutual information (TFCMI) method was used to calculate the coupling strength. The results showed the frontal–occipital connection increased in the gamma and delta bands (the threshold of the edge was >0.05) during walking with BCI, which may be related to the effective communication when subjects adjust their gaits to control the avatar. In walking with BCI control, the results showed theta oscillation within the left-frontal, which may be related to error processing and decision making. We also found that between-region connectivity was suppressed in walking with and without BCI control compared with in standing states. These findings suggest that walking with BCI may accelerate the rehabilitation process for lower limb stroke.
Nur Handayani Anik, Nur Fitrianti Nabila, Kusumawardana Arya
et al.
This study aims to design and develop teaching materials for Basic Digital Engineering material in the Basics of Electronics Engineering Subject at the Mechatronics Department of SMKN 4 Malang. Obstacles in learning Basic Digital Engineering, lack of practicum facilities and learning resources, encourage the development of digital teaching materials as a structured solution. Autodesk Tinkercad platform is used to support offline practicum implementation. The purpose of using Autodesk-based learning to encourage students to collaborate and continue to carry out practicum independently outside the school environment. This research includes the development of job sheets consisting of teacher’s handbook and student’s handbook, covering basic logic gates, advanced logic gates, and introduction to microcontrollers. In addition, a guidebook was also developed to optimize the use of Autodesk Tinkercad. This research involves testing the feasibility of job sheets and guidebooks in learning Basic Digital Engineering Materials using the Autodesk Tinkercad platform. The results of this study can contribute to improving the quality of learning and conclude that the use of digital teaching materials with the support of Autodesk Tinkercad can increase student independence in Basic Digital Engineering Materials.
The domain of information security is undergoing significant evolution to address the increasingly complex challenges aimed at bolstering system resilience against attacks. The Moving Target Defense (MTD) methodology, which entails altering the system’s configuration—for instance, by relocating virtual machines (VM) or modifying IP addresses—serves to dynamically modify vulnerable components of a system. This strategy effectively disorients potential attackers, complicating their efforts to comprehend or anticipate the system’s configuration. Moreover, MTD can be proactively utilized by, for example, relocating VMs from a network segment that has been compromised. Consequently, MTD emerges as a viable approach for mitigating security concerns, particularly within cloud computing frameworks. A critical facet of MTD involves the system migration across different hardware, presenting logistical and strategic challenges that necessitate a thorough evaluation of factors such as operational downtime and the impact on system performance. Analytical models, particularly those based on stochastic Petri nets (SPN), offer a methodological advantage in strategizing MTD implementations by facilitating the assessment of potential outcomes in a non-live environment. This paper proposes an advanced model that extends prior research through the integration of an event-based MTD mechanism, which encompasses both the probability of intrusion detection and the ability to discern potential threats. Through the application of diverse migration initiation policies, this study aims to identify more efficacious strategies under specific conditions. The findings indicate that reliance on event-detection policies is advantageous when the system possesses a detection accuracy exceeding 50%, underscoring the critical role of precise intrusion detection in the efficacy of MTD strategies.
Amr A. Bekheet, Nahla M. AboulAtta, Neveen Y. Saad
et al.
This study evaluates the effect of the piano key weir’s (PKW) shape and type on the flow efficiency for different inlet and outlet keys width ratios (Wi/Wo). The study is performed experimentally and numerically using a CFD model. Three PKW shapes are studied (rectangular, trapezoidal, and triangular). First, three Type-A shapes were studied experimentally considering Wi/Wo = 0.8. The trapezoidal shape had the highest efficiency, while the triangular had the least. The experimental results were used to verify the numerical model, then, the rectangular and trapezoidal shapes were studied numerically for Wi/Wo = 1.25. The trapezoidal Type-A PKW with Wi/Wo = 1.25 showed the highest flow efficiency of all shapes and Wi/Wo ratios. The rectangular and trapezoidal Type-B PKWs were also studied for Wi/Wo = 1.25 and compared to Type-A. The Type-B PKW showed higher efficiency. The ratio Wi/Wo is the most studied effective parameter on the PKW flow efficiency, followed by the weir’s shape, then its type.
Dmitry Merkushev, Olga Vodyanova, Felix Telegin
et al.
The obtainment of new luminophores for molecular sensorics of biosystems is becoming one of the urgent tasks in the field of chemical synthesis. The solution to each practical problem imposes its own limitations in the design of new structures with practically useful properties. The relationship between the structure and spectral properties is still to be unveiled. Three aza-BODIPY complexes with substituents of different natures were studied using time-resolved and steady-state fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy. The solvatochromic properties of aza-BODIPYs were studied with the use of a combined polyparametric approach and analysis by chemoinformatics methods for the first time. It was found that red shift of aza-BODIPY dyes was due to the increase of their structural lability. Predictive and experimental methods showed that the investigated aza-BODIPYs exhibited a positive solvatochromic effect, in contrast to classic BODIPYs (bearing C in the <i>meso</i>-position of the dipyrromethene core), which represents the negative solvatochromic properties. Spectral maxima in the area of the therapeutic window, low and predictable solvatochromism, and the ability to fine-tune the spectral characteristics make the investigated aza-BODIPYs promising scaffolds for the construction of bioengineering devices. Generalizations on the aza-BODIPYs’ design patterns were made in accordance with further bioimaging applications.
Resilience describes individuals’ and organizations’ recovery from crises and adaptation to disturbances and adversities. Emerging research shows the deterioration of the population’s mental health and well-being during the multiple waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that the resilience developed is insufficient to address the system’s persistent shocks. Drawing on the findings on mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and the psychological and organizational resilience theories, we developed a system dynamics theory model exploring how the presence of multiple shocks to the system challenges the population’s health and well-being. We initiated the model with three shocks with the same intensities and durations, and then experimented with scenarios in which the strength of multiple shocks (duration and intensity) was attenuated and amplified. The model showed that temporary environmental adjustments with limited long-term stabilized solutions and a lack of health service provision can increase the accumulative risks of health and well-being deterioration. We highlight the role of essential health service sectors’ resilience and individuals’ and organizations’ tolerance of adversities and disturbances in providing sustainable resilience. We conclude by discussing critical factors in organizational and psychological resilience development in crises with multiple shocks to the system.
Schwaminger Sebastian P., Werner Helen, Wengler Michael
et al.
Residual fragments can remain after kidney stone extraction which may necessitate another intervention. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) can be applied due to their properties of being able to bind to residual fragments and to be extracted by an external magnetic field. Calcium oxalate crystals and magnetic nanoparticles have been synthesized, characterized and used for binding and magnetic separation studies. The separation is validated by simulation and experimentally. MNP bind covalently to the fractals and a magnetic extraction of calcium oxalate fractals is possible. The agglomeration of MNP can be induced with the addition of salt which improves the extraction process. This proof-of-concept study is the fundament for a new way of stone extraction and can pave the way for new procedures in urology.