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Given the low tensile strength of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls, they are prone to out-of-plane failure, leading to eventual collapse of masonry buildings. In India and several other countries, seismic strengthening of URM buildings often utilizes ferrocement (welded wire mesh with micro-concrete or cement mortar). This study aims to investigate the efficacy of this technique in enhancing flexural capacity of URM walls in out-of-plane action. Six URM panels and 12 strengthened panels are subjected to flexural strength test, parallel and perpendicular to bed-joints. The effect of strengthening on common parameters, pertaining to out-of-plane flexural behaviour of ferrocement–URM composite walls, including failure modes, flexural strength, and modulus of rupture, is investigated. The experimental results are compared with analytical results obtained using ordinary beam theory. The results show that the URM panels exhibit sudden brittle failure whilst strengthened panels failed in a ductile fashion and exhibited a significant increase in the flexural strength. Further, the ordinary beam theory is able to predict the experimental results with reasonable accuracy.

We are reporting a rare case of primary gastric synovial sarcoma in a young male. Synovial sarcoma of the stomach is a very rare tumor. The common involved sites of occurrence of synovial sarcomas are upper and lower extremities. In the English literature, only 47 cases of primary synovial sarcoma of stomach have been reported. Spindle-shaped tumor cells are the basic content of synovial sarcomas with varying degrees of epithelial differentiation. The basic classification of synovial sarcoma depends on the histological pattern and the degree of differentiation and it is classified as monophasic, biphasic, and poorly differentiated. Synovial sarcoma presents with classical chromosomal translocation where they form fusion genes of SS18-SSX1, SS18-SSX2, and SS18-SSX4. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are the molecular analysis techniques to detect these fusion genes. As the available literature support is limited, the role of adjuvant chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and intra-operative lymphadenectomy is still unclear. However, surgical resection with clear margin is the gold standard treatment.

Polysulfone (Psf) hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) have been widely used in blood purification but their biocompatibility remains a concern. To enhance their biocompatibility, Psf/TPGS (d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate) composite HFMs and 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) coated Psf HFMs have been prepared. They have been evaluated for in vivo biocompatibility and graft acceptance and compared with sham and commercial membranes by intra-peritoneal implantation in rats at day 7 and 21. Normal body weights, tissue formation and angiogenesis indicate acceptance of implants by the animals. Hematological observations show presence of post-surgical stress which subsides over time. Serum biochemistry results reveal normal organ function and elevated liver ALP levels at day 21. Histological studies exhibit fibroblast recruitment cells, angiogenesis and collagen deposition at the implant surface indicating new tissue formation. Immuno-histochemistry studies show non-activation of MHC molecules signifying biocompatibilty. Additionally, Psf/TPGS exhibit most favorable tissue response as compared with other HFMs making them the material of choice for HFM preparation for hemodialysis applications.

Background Bone defects, especially critical-size bone defects, and their repair pose a treatment challenge. Osteoinductive scaffolds have gained importance given their potential in bone tissue engineering applications. Methods Polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds are used for their morphological, physical, cell-compatible and osteoinductive properties. The PCL scaffolds were prepared by electrospinning, and the surface was modified by layer-by-layer deposition using either graphene or graphene oxide. Results Graphene oxide-coated PCL (PCL-GO) scaffolds showed a trend for enhanced physical properties such as fibre diameter, wettability and mechanical properties, yield strength, and tensile strength, compared to graphene-modified PCL scaffolds (PCL-GP). However, the surface roughness of PCL-GP scaffolds showed a higher trend than PCL-GO scaffolds. In vitro studies showed that both scaffolds were cell-compatible. Graphene oxide on PCL scaffold showed a trend for enhanced osteogenic differentiation of human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells without any differentiation media than graphene on PCL scaffolds after 21 days. Conclusion Graphene oxide showed a trend for higher mineralisation, but this trend is not statistically significant. Therefore, graphene and graphene oxide have the potential for bone regeneration and tissue engineering applications. Future in vivo studies and clinical trials are warranted to justify their ultimate clinical use. Graphical abstract

We design two estimation schemes, Method I and Method II, for rapidly obtaining separate estimates of the number of active nodes of each traffic type in a heterogeneous machine-to-machine (M2M) network with T types of nodes (e.g., those that send emergency, periodic, normal type data etc.), where T≥2 is an arbitrary integer. Method I is a simple scheme, and Method II is more sophisticated and outperforms Method I. Also, we design a medium access control (MAC) protocol that supports multi-channel operation for a heterogeneous M2M network with T types of nodes, operating as a secondary network using Cognitive Radio technology. In every time frame, our Cognitive MAC protocol uses the proposed estimation schemes to rapidly estimate the active node cardinality of each type, and uses these estimates to find the optimal contention probabilities to be used. We compute a closed form expression for the expected number of time slots required by Method I to execute, and a simple upper bound on it. Also, we analytically obtain expressions for the expected number of successful contentions per frame and the expected amount of energy consumed. Finally, we evaluate the performances of our proposed estimation schemes and Cognitive MAC protocol using simulations.

The differential privacy (DP) literature often centers on meeting privacy constraints by introducing noise to the query, typically using a pre-specified parametric distribution model with one or two degrees of freedom. However, this emphasis tends to neglect the crucial considerations of response accuracy and utility, especially in the context of categorical or discrete numerical database queries, where the parameters defining the noise distribution are finite and could be chosen optimally. This paper addresses this gap by introducing a novel framework for designing an optimal noise probability mass function (PMF) tailored to discrete and finite query sets. Our approach considers the modulo summation of random noise as the DP mechanism, aiming to present a tractable solution that not only satisfies privacy constraints but also minimizes query distortion. Unlike existing approaches focused solely on meeting privacy constraints, our framework seeks to optimize the noise distribution under an arbitrary ( ϵ , δ ) constraint, thereby enhancing the accuracy and utility of the response. We demonstrate that the optimal PMF can be obtained through solving a mixed-integer linear program. Additionally, closed-form solutions for the optimal PMF are provided, minimizing the probability of error for two specific cases. Numerical experiments highlight the superior performance of our proposed optimal mechanisms compared to state-of-the-art methods. This paper contributes to the DP literature by presenting a clear and systematic approach to designing noise mechanisms that not only satisfy privacy requirements but also optimize query distortion. The framework introduced here opens avenues for improved privacy-preserving database queries, offering significant enhancements in response accuracy and utility.

The accurate assessment of water performance in concrete structures requires a comprehensive understanding of material properties and structural connections. Various methodologies and formulas based on established codes have been developed to evaluate the water pressure on highway bridge piers. This research article focuses on developing data-driven models to calculate the water pressure on highway bridge piers and assess their effectiveness and applicability. Computational fluid dynamics analysis was used to obtain research data samples related to water pressure on highway bridge piers. Poisson regression models were created using this data to estimate the water pressure on the piers. Additionally, two conventional code-based equations were employed to compute the water pressures of highway bridges for comparison purposes. The accuracy and effectiveness of these data-driven models were verified by comparing the predicted water pressures from the models with the computational fluid dynamics results. Various statistical evaluation metrics, such as mean square error, mean absolute deviation, mean absolute percentage error, coefficient of determination, and root mean square error, were considered to assess the performance of these models. The results indicated that all of these models successfully forecasted the water pressure on highway bridge piers within reasonable limits. In comparison to the two standard code-based equations, the Poisson regression models built on actual data demonstrated greater precision and reliability. To minimise errors and provide a more robust mathematical equation, a univariate regression-based technique was employed to propose a unique relationship between water pressure and velocity, considering the dependency on velocity.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) deals with equations that control fluid motion. CFD has several applications in diverse technical domains. In this review paper, a discussion was made on the basics of CFD and its applications in multiple domains. To tackle the fluid problem, CFD has some said procedure that needs to be followed to arrive at the solution step. The first step is to write down a mathematical equation for fluid flow. These mathematical equations are a set of partial derivatives. Discretizing is the next step to deriving this equation concerning numerical equivalent. After that, the domain is divided into tiny grids, popularly known as meshing. The final step involves deciding whether boundary conditions align with the fluid problem. In all CFD standards, these three aspects play an essential role, i.e. (1) A pre-processor is responsible for creating geometry, mesh generation, and providing flow characteristics and boundary conditions to the standard code. (2) A flow solver is utilized to solve equations related to the fluid issue. Researchers commonly use flow solvers, including the finite element method, finite difference method, and finite volume method. (3) A post-processor gives the final display output graphically and understandably. According to most researchers, recent improvements in computational fluid dynamics have created low-cost opportunities. This paper helps to comprehend the CFD standards procedure to solve the fluid problem.

The umbilical cord represents the link between mother and fetus during pregnancy. This cord is usually discarded as a biological waste after the child's birth; however, its importance as a “store house” of stem cells has been explored recently. We developed a method of simultaneous isolation of endothelial cells (ECs) from the vein and mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord Wharton's jelly of the same cord. The isolation protocol has been simplified, modified, and improvised with respect to choice of enzyme and enzyme mixture, digestion time, cell yield, cell growth, and culture medium. Isolated human umbilical vascular ECs (hUVECs) were positive for von-Willibrand factor, a classical endothelial marker, and could form capillary-like structures when seeded on Matrigel, thus proving their functionality. The isolated human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) were found positive for CD44, CD90, CD 73, and CD117 and were found negative for CD33, CD34, CD45, and CD105 surface markers; they were also positive for cytoskeleton markers of smooth muscle actin and vimentin. The hUCMSCs showed multilineage differentiation potential and differentiated into adipogenic, chondrogenic, osteogenic, and neuronal lineages under influence of lineage specific differentiation medium. Thus, isolating endothelial cells as well as mesenchymal cells from the same umbilical cord could lead to complete utilization of the available tissue for the tissue engineering and cell therapy.

Ensuring the safety and performance of highway bridges during floods is essential as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. Bridge structures, particularly reinforced concrete piers, are exposed to significant damage from flood forces and debris. Over time, ageing and heavy usage further weaken these structures, making them more vulnerable during severe weather events. This study focuses on assessing damage in reinforced concrete highway bridge piers subjected to flood loading. A deflection based damage index is introduced to quantify the level of structural damage, a method commonly used in earthquake engineering but less explored for flood scenarios. The finite element software ABAQUS is used to develop a model that predicts concrete failure under lateral flood forces. The model’s accuracy is validated through comparison with experimental data. Additionally, the study evaluates the impact of different levels of pier damage and the role of bed stability under flood conditions. The proposed deflection based damage Index offers a reliable way to assess structural integrity by calculating damage indicators based on pier deflection. This method allows for a better understanding of how reinforced concrete piers behave under flood loading, providing insights into potential failure mechanisms. The findings contribute to improving assessment techniques for critical infrastructure, helping enhance resilience and adaptive strategies in the face of increasingly severe environmental threats.