Explore the vast range of titles available.

We suggest a novel theoretical analysis of what is known as the reactive what-x construction. This construction, which has recently been noticed and described in Põldvere & Paradis (2019, 2020), has primarily clarificational properties and requires the presence of an antecedent in the preceding context. We begin by summarizing its syntactic properties and main functions, based on data drawn from the London–Lund Corpora of spoken British English, and then address a pattern that has escaped notice thus far, i.e. that the majority of the instances of this construction feature a type of ellipsis known as fragments. Departing from the analysis articulated in Põldvere & Paradis (2020), we present one that captures the elliptical properties of the reactive what-x construction by assimilating it to two classes of fragments: those serving as reprise utterances and those serving as direct utterances. Our analysis relies on Ginzburg & Sag's (2000) detailed analysis of reprise and direct fragments couched within a non-sententialist approach to ellipsis. This allows us to analyze the reactive what-x construction as a type of an in-situ interrogative clause whose elliptical properties are licensed by a version of the constraint Ginzburg & Sag (2000) use to license fragments.

In order to ensure the structural safety of liquefied natural gas (LNG) aluminum plate-fin heat exchangers, a model is established to simulate the thermal–structural stress characteristics of head structures based on thermal-elasticity theory and finite element method of thermal–structural coupling. The results show that the area with the lowest temperature and largest equivalent stress is located on the inner wall of connection position between the nozzle and head body, and its temperature and stress are obtained as 92.1 K and 117.4 MPa, respectively. The influences of different operating and structural parameters on the fatigue life are compared and analyzed for head structures. The results show that for operating parameters, the fatigue life of head structures becomes shorter with the increase in operating pressure. For structural parameters, the fatigue life of head structures is positively correlated with nozzle opening rate and negatively correlated with cylinder radius-thickness ratio. In addition, the fatigue life of head structures is obtained based on the S - N model, third and fourth strength theories. The results show that compared with traditional assessment methods, most of data points calculated by this standard are within the error range of ± 60% and the BS PD5500 standard is proposed for fatigue life calculation of head structures in engineering. That is, the analysis results of BS PD5500 standard can be considered relatively accurate and reliable. This is because the fatigue analysis process mainly focuses on the simulations, and there is a certain error range during simulation process, which is normal for the results. The above research results provide an important theoretical basis for the structure design optimization of LNG aluminum plate-fin heat exchangers in engineering.

Bacteriophage T4 is decorated with 155 180 Å-long fibers of the highly antigenic outer capsid protein (Hoc). In this study, we describe a near-atomic structural model of Hoc by combining cryo-electron microscopy and AlphaFold structure predictions. It consists of a conserved C-terminal capsid-binding domain attached to a string of three variable immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domains, an architecture well-preserved in hundreds of Hoc molecules found in phage genomes. Each T4-Hoc fiber attaches randomly to the center of gp23* hexameric capsomers in one of the six possible orientations, though at the vertex-proximal hexamers that deviate from 6-fold symmetry, Hoc binds in two preferred orientations related by 180° rotation. Remarkably, each Hoc fiber binds to all six subunits of the capsomer, though the interactions are greatest with three of the subunits, resulting in the off-centered attachment of the C-domain. Biochemical analyses suggest that the acidic Hoc fiber (pI, ~4–5) allows for the clustering of virions in acidic pH and dispersion in neutral/alkaline pH. Hoc appears to have evolved as a sensing device that allows the phage to navigate its movements through reversible clustering–dispersion transitions so that it reaches its destination, the host bacterium, and persists in various ecological niches such as the human/mammalian gut.

The design of open irrigation channels typically includes a bed slope to achieve the desired hydraulic performance, governing key parameters such as velocity, water depth, and discharge. Diversion head structures, often constructed across these channels, raise upstream water levels, generating potential energy that converts into high-velocity kinetic energy downstream Previous research has studied the type and configuration of water energy dissipaters, considering most hydraulic parameters affecting their performance, except for canal bed slope. The current work aims to explore the extent to which canal bed slope affects the performance efficiency of water energy dissipaters behind head structures, ensuring their safety. The experiments utilized a tilting flume under controlled conditions at six different bed slopes (0.05% to 0.30%) in addition to a zero bed slope, with five discharge values ranging from 9.76 to 17.14 L/s. Through 150 experimental runs, all hydraulic parameters affecting the performance efficiency of the water energy dissipater (relative energy loss, hydraulic jump, sequent depth ratio, and jump length) are measured and recorded. The results clearly show that increasing the canal bed slope to 0.20% enhances the water energy dissipater’s performance efficiency by 31.9%, reduces the jump length by 20% and lowers the sequent depth ratio ( y 2 y 1 ) by 20%. The recommended relative dissipater location ( L b b ) of 5.83 is accurate for canals with slopes up to 0.20% but for steeper slopes, this ratio must be checked.

This article delineates and analyzes the syntactic and semantic parameters of variation exhibited by English FILLER-GAP CONSTRUCTIONS. It demonstrates that a detailed, fully explicit account of the observed variation is available within a framework embracing the notion 'grammatical construction'. This account, which explicates similarities and differences among topicalization, interrogatives, relatives, exclamatives, and comparative correlatives in terms of linguistic types and hierarchical constraint inheritance, is articulated in detail within the framework of SIGN-BASED CONSTRUCTION GRAMMAR (SBCG), a version of HEAD-DRIVEN PHRASE STRUCTURE GRAMMAR (HPSG) integrating key insights from Berkeley CONSTRUCTION GRAMMAR. The results presented here stand as a challenge to any analysis incorporating transformational operations, especially proposals couched within Chomsky's 'Minimalist program'.

Squeezed branch piles, originally developed for building and bridge foundations, have been downsized and deployed at larger pile spacing for reinforcing embankments over soft soils. However, the working mechanism of squeezed branch pile-supported embankments remains unclear. In this study, a three-dimensional numerical model of this embankment was established based on field tests. The analyses consider different pile types (squeezed branch piles and straight piles) and pile-head structures (beam-type cap and plate-type cap). These concrete components were modeled utilizing an advanced concrete model, which captures the strain-softening/hardening and yielding behavior. Simulation results show that squeezed branch piles provide better settlement control in the subsoil beneath the embankment than straight piles for the studied cases. The beam-type cap with squeezed branch piles behaves as a pile-beam foundation that reduces maximum settlement by around 38% compared to that of the plate-type cap, while the plate-type cap system functions as a composite foundation that enhances surcharge capacity by about 35–40%. The instability of the embankment is driven by tensile failure in concrete: The beam-type cap leads to a localized failure along the ground beam, and the plate-type cap system induces a progressive failure centered on the squeezed branch piles. Within the plate-type cap, the dimensions of the pile-head plate significantly influence settlement control and the stability of the embankment in soft soil.

Morphological convergence is expected when organisms which differ in phenotype experience similar functional demands, which lead to similar associations between resource utilization and performance. To consume prey with hard exoskeletons, snakes require either specialized head morphology, or to deal with them when they are vulnerable, for example, during molting. Such attributes may in turn reduce the efficiency with which they prey on soft‐bodied, slippery animals such as fish. Snakes which consume a range of prey may present intermediate morphology, such as that of Thamnophiine (Natricinae), which may be classified morphometrically across the soft–hard prey dietary boundary. In this study, we compared the dentition and head structure of populations of Thamnophis melanogaster that have entered the arthropod–crustacean (crayfish)‐eating niche and those that have not, and tested for convergence between the former and two distantly related crayfish specialists of the genus Regina (R. septemvittata and R. grahamii). As a control, we included the congener T. eques. Multivariate analysis of jaw length, head length, head width, and number of maxillary teeth yielded three significant canonical variables that together explained 98.8% of the variance in the size‐corrected morphological data. The first canonical variable significantly discriminated between the three species. The results show that head dimensions and number of teeth of the two Regina species are more similar to those of crayfish‐eating T. melanogaster than to non‐crayfish‐eating snakes or of T. eques. It is unclear how particular head proportions or teeth number facilitates capture of crayfish, but our results and the rarity of soft crayfish ingestion by T. melanogaster may reflect the novelty of this niche expansion, and are consistent with the hypothesis that some populations of T. melanogaster have converged in their head morphology with the two soft crayfish‐eating Regina species, although we cannot rule out the possibility of a morphological pre‐adaptation to ingest crayfish. We analyzed the possible morphological convergence in the dentition and head structure of populations of the snake Thamnophis melanogaster that have invaded a new feeding niche in the direction of two crayfish specialist snakes (Regina).

Background： The lateral pillar of the femoral head is an important site for disease development such as osteonecrosis of the femoral head. The femoral head consists of medial, central, and lateral pillars. This study aimed to determine the biomechanical effects of early osteonecrosis in pillars of the femoral head via a finite element （FE） analysis. Methods： A three-dimensional FE model of the intact hip joint was constructed from the image data of a healthy control. Further, a set of six early osteonecrosis models was developed based on the three-pillar classification. The von Mises stress and surface displacements were calculated for all models. Results： The peak values of von Mises stress in the cortical and cancellous bones of normal model were 6.41 MPa and 0.49 MPa, respectively. In models with necrotic lesions in the cortical and cancellous bones, the von Mises stress and displacement of lateral pillar showed significant variability： the stress of cortical bone decreased from 6.41 MPa to 1.51 MPa （76.0% reduction）, while cancellous bone showed an increase from 0.49 MPa to 1.28 MPa （159.0% increase）; surface displacements of cortical and cancellous bones increased from 52.4 μm and 52.1 μm to 67.9 μm （29.5%） and 61.9 μm （18.8%）, respectively. In addition, osteonecrosis affected not only pillars but also adjacent structures in terms of the von Mises stress and surface displacement levels. Conclusions： This study suggested that the early-stage necrosis in the femoral head could increase the risk of collapse, especially in lateral pillar. On the other hand, the cortical part of lateral pillar was found to be the main biomechanical support of femoral head.

The bandwidth and output power of underwater acoustic transmitters are important for high-performance sonar detection systems. A mismatch between the impedance of the transducer and the transmitting circuit results in a low power factor, significantly limiting the sonar’s operating bandwidth and detection range. In addition, the radial head structure of the Tonpilz transducer plays an important role in determining the radiation characteristics of the sound field. This paper proposes a new radiation head structure along with an impedance-matching network circuit. First, a mathematical model of active power is established based on the Krimholtz–Leedom–Matthaei (KLM) model of the transducer. The adaptive Gauss–Newton algorithm is then used to calculate the parameters of the broadband impedance-matching network components, ultimately determining the network parameters and the structure of the transducer’s radiation head. Experimental results indicate that the transmitter voltage response of the proposed transducer is 6 dB higher than that of a conventional transducer and can be further increased by 5 dB with impedance matching. The impedance-matching network enhances the power factor of the transducer by 3.2 times, expands the frequency band by a factor of 1.6, and significantly enhances the acoustic field radiation characteristics of the underwater acoustic transducer.

Background Although relationship between the retinal vessel caliber (RVC) and glaucoma is well known, there has been a paucity of information on the effects of glaucoma-related optic nerve head (ONH) structural factors on the RVC. Information on this relationship should be useful in studying possible roles of ocular circulation in the development and progression of glaucoma. Method Subjects were from Kumejima Study participants aged 40 years and older in Kumejima, Japan. Normal subjects and eyes were defined according to standardized systemic and ocular examinations. The central retinal artery and vein equivalents (CRAE and CRVE) were determined on fundus photographs by correcting the magnification using the refractive error, corneal curvature, and axial length (AL) of an individual eye and paraxial ray tracing; the ONH structural parameters were determined by planimetry. Results In a total of 558 right eyes (558 normal subjects), aged 49.0 ± 7.1 (standard deviation) years with gradable photographs and planimetric results, CRAE averaged 136.1 ± 12.3 μm and CRVE 216.9 ± 17.4 μm. After adjustment for the effects of confounding factors in multivariate analysis, the AL ( P  < 0.001), rim area ( P  = 0.019), disc area ( P  = 0.042), and smoking ( P  = 0.035–0.043) correlated positively, and the mean blood pressure ( P  < 0.001) negatively with CRAE; the AL ( P  < 0.001), rim area ( P  = 0.001), disc area ( P  = 0.005), smoking ( P  < 0.001), and male sex ( P  = 0.013) correlated positively, and the β-peripapillary atrophy (β-PPA) area ( P  = 0.044), vertical Cup/Disc ratio (v-C/D) ( P  = 0.035), and age ( P  < 0.001) negatively with CRVE. Conclusion The current study showed significant effects of rim area, v-C/D or β-PPA area determined on the photographs on the RVC measurement results. Further, it showed a necessity to incorporate the glaucoma-related ONH structural parameters as co-variables to correctly estimate the effects of various factors on the RVC.