bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THERMOPLASTIC INDUCTION WELDED JOINT DESIGN FOR STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING DAMAGE DETECTABILITY
Authors: MAZZESCHI MATTIA , VALBUENA ADRIAN PEDROSA , NUNEZ KARINA CARLA , FERNANDEZ MAITE , CANIBANO ESTEBAN , MERINO JUAN CARLOS
Published: December 2023

In the present work, the design of thermoplastic induced welded joints was carried out considering different aspects related to structural performance, manufacturability and structural health monitoring capability. Three lap-joints configurations were considered: two of them having welded plates with two different carbon fibers plies stacked layups and one obtained by welding carbon fibers fabric laminates. A numerical analysis was carried out by performing (i) structural simulations to assess the mechanical properties of the joints, (ii) induction welding process simulations to evaluate temperature distribution in the welded interface area and (iii) damage detection assessment by reproducing the response of a structural health monitoring sensor bonded in correspondence of the joint overlap area. Electromagnetic-based structural health monitoring techniques were employed to evaluate local variation of electromagnetic characteristics due to defect presence. The results obtained show that the design choices have a significant influence on the physical properties of the welded material such as the electrical conductivity anisotropy. The different induced currents distribution obtained during both the fabrication and damage inspection phase, affects respectively the manufacturing and detection capability. An experimental validation was carried out by mechanical tests under quasi-static loading for the case with the best tradeoff between structural performance, manufacturing feasibility and damage detection capability. The proposed approach show the importance of taking into account the requirement of damage detectability from an early stage of the design.
IMPACT MONITORING OF LARGE AND COMPLEX STRUCTURES BASED ON TRANSFER LEARNING
Authors: ZHAO BOWEN , ZHAN YILIANG , ZENG XIANPING , QING XINLIN
Published: December 2023

Aircraft structure impact monitoring is important to the safe operation of aircraft. However, aircraft structures are often structurally complex, increasing the uncertainty of the signal during transmission. Traditional impact monitoring methods need to obtain sufficient structural change signals through dense sensor arrays to obtain good monitoring results. But too many sensors can increase the cost of operating an aircraft. Therefore, this paper adopts sparse sensor array arrangement, proposes a two-step impact monitoring strategy from region to point location, and adopts deep learning and traditional methods to monitor impact events. Firstly, the test structure is divided into several regions of a certain size, and a model capable of accurate regional location is trained by convolutional neural network. In this process, in view of the large size of the aircraft structure and the difficulty in obtaining training data, the transfer learning strategy of model fine-tuning is adopted to transfer the trained feature knowledge of the source domain model to the target domain model, reducing the cost required for data acquisition and training model. Then in the second step, on the basis of accurate regional positioning, weighted centroid method is used to estimate the impact location.
HEALTH MONITORING OF A LENTICULAR TRUSS BRIDGE USING WIRELESS STRAIN SENSORS AND FINITE ELEMENT MODELS: A CASE STUDY
Authors: ENSHAEIAN ALIREZA , GHAHRAMANI BEHZAD , RIZZO PIERVINCENZO
Published: December 2023

An increasing number of new and old structures are instrumented with some sort of structural health monitoring (SHM) systems, which include a variety of sensors driven or governed by dedicated hardware and software. This paper presents the monitoring of the Smithfield Street Bridge, one of the oldest and most iconic bridges in the city of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania). The bridge was instrumented with wireless strain, displacement, and rotation sensors by an independent party not involved with the research presented here. In order to interpret the sensors' data, a finite element model was developed, and a static analysis was performed to quantify the deformation at certain members of the bridge under known loading conditions. The results of the finite element analysis were then compared with the results of a test in which a truck of known weight crossed the bridge multiple times. Finally, the data from the strain sensors relative to three-years of uninterrupted monitoring were processed and analyzed to identify eventual anomalies.
SCOUR DAMAGE DETECTION OF BRIDGE PIERS USING THE VIBRATION-BASED METHOD: NUMERICAL STUDY ON A STEEL-CONCRETE BRIDGE IN FRANCE
Authors: HACHEM SOLAINE , BOURQUIN FREDERIC , SIEGERT DOMINIQUE
Published: December 2023

The scour is one of the main reasons for bridge collapse. Soil removal around bridge foundations alters their embedment conditions and affects the stability of the structure. Therefore, scour detection is crucial to ensure the safety of bridges and prevent their failures. This paper presents a vibration-based analysis method for detecting scour in its early stages, using frequency values as a scour indicator. Scour is represented by the degradation of foundation stiffness. A robust expression is developed to calculate the variation of frequency as a function of stiffness variations. Different scour scenarios are numerically simulated on a steel-concrete bridge model, revealing that frequencies related to horizontally displaced modes are sensitive to scour, while the deck bending modes are insensitive. The SVD method used to solve the inverse problem has proven to be robust in estimating stiffness reduction based on frequency changes and identifying the location of scour.
A COMPARISON OF STRUCTURAL SIMILARITY METRICS WITHIN POPULATION-BASED STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING
Authors: BRENNAN DANIEL S. , CROSS ELIZABETH J. , WORDEN KEITH
Published: December 2023

Population-based Structural Health Monitoring (PBSHM) aims to gain additional insights into the health of a structure when using data available across a population of similar structures, as compared to the insight available when using only data from a single structure. Before knowledge can be transferred across structures, the similarity between structures (or substructures), within the population must be established. As a result of recent developments within PBSHM, there are now several methodologies for the comparison of structures, including Graph Matching Networks (GMNs) and the Jaccard index. The recent work on GMNs has highlighted how different methodologies may be required for different structure types or populations. This paper looks at these aforementioned algorithms and evaluates the performance of each algorithm against different toy and real-world datasets and determines which algorithms have the potential for being used within which scenarios.
NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING AND EVALUATION OF TIMBER AND STEEL H-PILES
Authors: ZATAR WAEL , NGHIEM HIEN , NGUYEN HA , FOUST BRADLEY , MALIK HAROON
Published: December 2023

Timber and steel H-piles have been used in the construction of many aging locks, dams, levees, and other structures in the United States. Failure of these piles may adversely affect the structural integrity, and potentially cause damage and/or catastrophic structural failure. This study aims at utilizing state-of-the-art nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques to assess the condition of steel and timber piles. Two pairs of timber piles and steel H-piles were prepared and nondestructively tested in the laboratory. The test parameters were the two types of piles and pre-planned defect sizes/locations. Four NDT methods were investigated including bending wave (BW), dispersive wave (DW), combinations of dispersive-bending wave (DW/BW), and parallel seismic (PS). Wavelet transform, an advanced signal processing method, was used to post-process the NDT data. The method known as “peak identification (PI)” was used to detect the pile tip in both BW and DW/BW tests. The results reveal that the DW/BW accurately detected the pre-planned defects for timber piles. For steel piles, the PI method could only detect deeper defects in the DW/BW tests. The reflected signals from shallower defects had a relatively high signal-to-noise ratio and were hard to interpret. The wavelet transform approach was successfully used to detect both the shallow and deep defects in all the piles. The PS tests were proved to accurately and effectively capture all the pre-planned defects in both the timber and steel H-piles.
LOW-COST EFFICIENT WIRELESS INTELLIGENT SENSOR (LEWIS) DEPLOYMENT FOR COMMUNITY DRIVEN DECISION MAKING
Authors: ALAMPALLI SANDEEP , MALEK KAVEH , MOHAMMADKHORASANI ALI , MOREU FERNANDO
Published: December 2023

There have been several advances in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) throughout the last two decades. Among these advances is that sensors and data acquisition have become smaller in size while wireless technologies have been making wireless communication and data accessing easier. These advances create cost effective sensing solutions for communities where flooding and wildfires put their members and infrastructure at risk. Therefore, with higher community involvement in understanding and utilizing new sensing technologies, there is more to be gained in preparing for and mitigating the effects of natural hazards. Low-cost easily deployable sensors will make sensor technology more popular and easier for communities to utilize and give them the ability to make decisions during natural hazards. LEWIS, a Low-cost Efficient Wireless Intelligent Sensor platform, is created by the Smart Management of Infrastructure Laboratory (SMILab) at the University of New Mexico (UNM) at Albuquerque for such a purpose: to give communities the ability to create innovative monitoring solutions, including combating climate change. This paper briefly discusses the LEWIS platform, their use for communities to combat natural hazards to make quick decisions to improve public safety, training and education components, and community (from student to industry professional) engagement efforts.
EVALUATING POST-TENSIONED TRUNNION GIRDERS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SCALE MODEL TESTS AND NUMERICAL ANALYSES
Authors: ZATAR WAEL , NGHIEM HIEN , RAY JASON , NGUYEN HAI , ANDERSON SHAWN
Published: December 2023

Water flow in dams is commonly regulated using Tainter or miter gates, which are extensively employed in the navigation network of locks and dams managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Tainter gates are well known for their effectiveness in managing the flow of water through dam spillways. Post-tensioned Tainter gate anchorages are widely utilized in numerous dams across the nation, particularly within the Mississippi Valley Division (MVD), the Great Lakes and Rivers Division (LRD), the Southwestern Division (SWD), and the Northwestern Division (NWD). Between 2010 and 2017, ten dams underwent testing, revealing that eight of them had failed rods. Out of the 5,371 greased trunnion anchor rods tested, 22 were found to be broken, and 6 had slipped gripping hardware. While the overall failure rate might appear low, a detailed analysis shows that individual anchorage failure rates ranged from 2 percent to 29 percent, potentially affecting anchorage capacity and performance. Apart from the trunnion rods that failed due to breaking or slipped connections, 278 rods (202 on Markland Dam and 76 on Greenup Dam) exhibited significant cantilever bending or corrosion, conditions that can contribute to anchor rod failure. This study aims to establish experimental and numerical methods for posttensioned anchorages with different rod configurations. Laboratory tests on scaled anchorages, featuring a concrete trunnion girder with nine high-strength post-tensioning rods, were conducted. Finite element (FE) analyses were validated using experimental data, replicating various trunnion rod failure scenarios. The FE results accurately predicted load changes on each rod under different loads and de-tensioning configurations. The findings from this research provide valuable insights into anchor rod failure rates, which can assist district engineers in assessing the current condition of anchor rods and planning proactive maintenance and remediation strategies.
ABNORMALITY DETECTION ALGORITHM OF HORIZONTAL DISPLACEMENT MONITORING DATA DURING FOUNDATION PIT EXCAVATION BASED ON TEMPORAL-SPATIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Authors: SU HUI , ZHANG JINFENG , CHU WEIHONG , CHEN WEINAN , LUO ZHIHUA , LU SHIJI
Published: December 2023

Horizontal displacement of the enclosure structure or soil is one of the key indicators to evaluate the safety of deep foundation pit excavation. However, the monitoring data of horizontal displacement will have short- or long-term abnormal fluctuations due to the interference of various non-structural factors, which would directly affect the assessment and identification of the risk of deep foundation pit excavation. In order to avoid missing and misjudging the true large deformation of the foundation pit and consider the requirements for the accuracy and timeliness of the monitoring data, an abnormal data identification and correction algorithm was proposed in this paper considering the temporal-spatial characteristics of the horizontal displacement monitoring data. The algorithm builds a spatial distribution matrix according to the deployment position relationship of multiple sensors, records the historical measured values of sensors in a period of time, and calculates the estimated values of the measured values of sensors at the next time based on multidimensional Kalman filtering. After obtaining the latest horizontal displacement monitoring value at the current time, calculate the difference between the measured value and the estimated value based on the spatial matrix to correct the data, mark the sensor with the difference greater than the adaptive threshold, and finally update the historical measured value, adaptive threshold, Kalman filter parameters, etc. in the window, waiting for the input of the monitoring data at the next time. The abnormal data identification and correction algorithm described in this paper was successfully applied in a deep foundation pit excavation project in Shanghai. The anomaly identification and correction of single sensor data and the horizontal displacement curve were both given. In general, this method can simultaneously discriminate and correct the data of multiple sensors in real time, effectively eliminate the abnormal fluctuation of monitoring data, and has good engineering application value.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE NOVEL RAIL DAMPERS UTILIZING PARTICLE DAMPING FOR THE RAIL TRACK STRUCTURE
Authors: YE XIN , WANG YU-LING , AO WAI KEI , NI YI-QING
Published: December 2023

Particle damping has various pronouncing merits in field application due to its straightforward mechanism. This technology is achieved by a granular material-filled enclosure that could dissipate vibration energy through the particle motion caused by collision and friction effects. This particle-damping technology will be used to manufacture cost-effective particle dampers (PDs). The noveldesigned PDs are robust in extreme working conditions, in which the metal or ceramic-made grains could resist fatigue failure and high temperatures. This research presents the development of rail particle dampers (RPDs) in applying railway tracks’ vibration reduction and noise cancellation. An impact hammer test was selected for a single-bay rail track laboratory test to evaluate different performances on different grain types. The investigation involves the grains' material, size, and filling ratio. In addition, the effectiveness of the RPDs was verified through an operating urban metro line on the viaduct structure. Full- and half-configurated installations of RPDs were adopted on-site. The RPDs can effectively reduce rail track vibration and mitigate noise under train by-passing. Consequently, the RPDs could ensure the railway’s sustainable and reliable transportation in urban areas.
EXPERIMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION AND COMPUTER VISION-ASSISTED DETECTION OF PITTING CORROSION ON STAINLESS STEEL STRUCTURAL MEMBERS
Authors: MUEHLER RILEY J. , VENZ JOHUA B. , TODD MICHAEL D. , WANG LONG
Published: December 2023

Pitting corrosion is a prevalent form of corrosive damage that can weaken, damage, and initiate failure in corrosion-resistant metallic materials. For instance, 304 stainless steel is commonly utilized in various structures (e.g., miter gates, heat exchangers, and storage tanks), but is prone to failure through pitting corrosion and stress corrosion cracking under mechanical loading, regardless of its high corrosion resistance. The pit growth typically follows a sigmoidal trend with an initial high growth rate during nucleation, followed by an eventual saturation limit, which will ultimately lead to material failure. In this study, to better understand the pitting corrosion damage development, controlled corrosion experiments were conducted to generate pits on 304 stainless steel specimens with and without mechanical loading. The pit development over time was characterized using a high-resolution laser scanner. In addition, to achieve scalable and automatic assessment of pitting corrosion conditions, a convolutional neural network-based computer vision algorithm was adopted and implemented to identify the existence of pitting damage.
IMPLEMENTATION OF DECISION ANALYSIS ON A STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING SYSTEM APPLIED TO A BRIDGE BENCHMARK STUDY
Authors: POZO GABRIEL A. DEL , SVENDSEN BJØRN T. , ØISETH OLE
Published: December 2023

Structural health monitoring (SHM) of bridges addresses the need for efficient and cost-effective monitoring of structures. The purpose of SHM is to detect structural damage and provide information related to maintenance, inspection, and repair. This information would then be supplied to asset managers in order to make improved maintenance decisions. This paper presents an investigation into the connection between SHM and decision-making via Bayesian decision theory and the value of information (VoI) obtained from SHM. The results and properties of an SHM damage classifier are used to update the probabilities of a tree-based decision model. Two analyses are included. Firstly, a sensitivity analysis of the value of information (VoI) of an SHM system for varying cost ratios is performed. The SHM system was applied to a benchmark study in which the dynamic behaviour of a steel bridge was measured for both undamaged and damaged structural conditions. Secondly, the relationship between the expected costs of the available actions and the size of the sensor network of the SHM system is obtained by selecting sub-sets from the complete measurement system utilized in the benchmark system. The applicability of SHM results for informing and updating damage probabilities is demonstrated.
EVALUATION OF ELECTRO-MECHANICAL IMPEDANCE (EMI) FOR STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING (SHM) OF POST-TENSIONED GROUND ANCHORS
Authors: THURMER CLAYTON , RAY JASON , GLASSCOTT MATTHEW , EICK BRIAN
Published: December 2023

The US Army Corps of Engineers has demonstrated a need to monitor ground anchors within their large civil works portfolio in order to avoid structural damage to critical infrastructure. Ground anchors (ie, “tiebacks”) are used for securing loose soil or rock by placing a tendon (such as seven wire strand) into a predrilled hole, pulling it into tension against an anchor plate or block, then typically grouting it into place. A common failure mode of these ground anchors is tendon degradation due to corrosion resulting in tension loss. However, the tendons are difficult to monitor due to embedment in material limiting visual inspection to exposed anchor plates, wedges, and strand ends. Furthermore, retrofitting sensors onto existing anchor installations is limited to the exposed components. Therefore, instrumentation is desired to detect and quantify corrosion and/or tension loss of the embedded tendon as part of a comprehensive Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) plan. An effort to evaluate instrumentation to this end was undertaken by the authors. A process for inducing accelerated corrosion of cable sections using additively manufactured corrosion cells was developed in order to facilitate a more time-efficient evaluation of sensing modalities’ ability to detect corrosion induced material loss. Literature reveals that electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) using PZT (Lead zirconate titanate) patches (i.e. piezoelectric transducers) has been previously experimentally evaluated for both corrosion monitoring of steel components and cable tension respectively, although not concurrently. This paper presents an experimental methodology and laboratory results of corrosion detection and tension monitoring using PZT patches affixed to seven strand steel wire rope. Preliminary results from separate experiments indicate an ability to detect material loss due to corrosion and changes in tension using EMI.
ONLINE MONITORING SYSTEM FOR SHORT STATOR MAGLEV TRAIN
Authors: LU YANG , WANG SEMEI , ZHU QI , LIU SHENGYUAN , NI YIQING
Published: December 2023

Maglev train is a new kind of transportation mode that uses magnetic force to levitate and propel the train along a track. It is becoming more popular especially in China, where several maglev lines are in operation or under construction. Unlike the traditional wheel-based train, maglev train is suspended above the track, with a desired gap of about 8 mm. Due to the small gap, any disturbance of the suspension system may cause failure of suspension. The sources of disturbance include irregularity of track, variation in load, variation in parameters of the train structure (such as stiffness and damping of air spring), unexpected coupling vibration of the train-track-bridge system, and large displacement of the track and bridge. An online monitoring system was designed and installed on a maglev train and the corresponding line to collect the necessary data for analyzing the condition of the train and line and the mechanism of dynamic interaction of the train-track-bridge system. The monitoring items for the maglev train include the acceleration of the maglev bogies and carriages, the suspension gap, and the current of electromagnets. The monitoring items for the line include the acceleration of the bridge and track in concrete straight section, concrete curve section, tunnel wall and steel turnout. They also include relative displacement between concrete bridge and track, and strain of the track. Piezoelectric accelerometers, laser displacement sensors, fiber Bragg grating sensors and electric eddy displacement sensors are used in the monitoring system. All sensors are connected to data acquisition equipment by signal cable. The online monitoring system detected some unexpected conditions of the train and line, such as over-limit irregularity of the track, vibration resonance between the train and track, and suspension failure of the train. The data collected when the train was operating at different speeds and passing through different sections of the line was analyzed. The online monitoring system helped to speed up the debugging process before the maglev line started its official operation.
DIAGNOSIS OF CONCURRENT SENSOR FAULTS IN STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING SYSTEMS
Authors: GECK CARLOS CHILLÓN , AL-ZURIQAT THAMER , DRAGOS KOSMAS , SMARSLY KAY
Published: December 2023

Sensor faults in structural health monitoring (SHM) systems may occur due to aging, exposure to harsh weather conditions, manufacturing defects in hardware components, damage during installation or operation, and issues with data transmission. If undetected, sensors faults may result in inaccurate or incomplete sensor readings, which may significantly impact the accuracy, reliability, and performance of SHM systems. As a result, fault diagnosis in SHM systems may help improve the accuracy, reliability, and performance of SHM systems. However, most fault diagnosis approaches for SHM only consider single-fault occurrence, which may oversimplify actual fault occurrences in real-world SHM systems, where sensor faults may occur concurrently in multiple sensors. To extend fault diagnosis in SHM towards concurrent sensor faults in multiple sensors, this paper presents an adaptive fault diagnosis approach based on analytical redundancy. The approach encompasses four steps, (i) initialization (ii) fault detection, (iii) fault isolation and (iv) fault accommodation, using correlated data from multiple sensors of an SHM system. The proposed fault diagnosis approach is validated using data recorded using a real-world SHM system. The results show the high accuracy, reliability, and performance of the proposed approach in detecting concurrent sensor faults in real-world SHM systems.
ASSESSMENT OF CORROSION DAMAGE IN STEEL SAMPLES USING ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ACOUSTIC MEASUREMENTS
Authors: PETERSON LUKAS , NWOKOCHA THANKGOD , ZAGRAI ANDREI , BURLEIGH T. DAVID
Published: December 2023

Ultrasonic thickness resonance and pulse propagation speed can be effectively used to find the thickness of thin-walled structures present in the skin of aircraft, fluid handling equipment such as pipes and in fluid storage tanks. Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers (EMATs) yield several advantages over more traditional piezoelectric based transducers, namely that they can be used in a non-contact fashion allowing measurement regardless of surface condition or temperature. The main disadvantage of EMATs is their low efficiency. Therefore, resonance techniques, in which most of the energy is concentrated near structural resonance frequencies, are preferable to boost efficiency of electro-magnetic acoustic measurements. Thickness resonance is a technique commonly used to measure small changes in structural thickness, by integration of a ringdown curve in a wide time-domain window at different excitation frequencies. The Pulse Propagation Speed technique relies on the fact that ultrasonic waves travel faster in ticker plates in comparison to thinner plates at the same frequency. These techniques were applied to 316L stainless steel thin plates. Samples consisted of different thickness rolled material, machined samples, and samples artificially corroded with both uniform corrosion as well as pitting corrosion. These samples were used to determine the effect of thickness reduction and corrosion on the resonant peaks and lamb wave velocity. EMAT liftoff distance was also studied to quantify its effect on the amplitude, spread, and frequency of resonant frequencies and signal transition. Detectability of corrosion using EMATs was explored and quantified. Recommendations for use of EMATs for assessing corrosion damage were presented.
WAYSIDE ACOUSTIC FAULT DIAGNOSIS OF TRAIN WHEELSET BEARING BASED ON IMPROVED FREQUENCY SPARSITY BAYESIAN LEARNING
Authors: ZHENG YOU-LIANG , WANG YOU-WU , NI YI-QING
Published: December 2023

Important train component like wheelset bearing endure severe mechanical loads and alternating stresses for an extended period when the train is in operation. The cracks due to bearing fatigue are often difficult to detect in time, which is the biggest hidden problem for train safety. The wayside acoustic detection of train bearing faults plays an important role in maintaining the safe operation of trains. However, the acoustic signals collected by the wayside microphones are usually complex, mixed with other irrelevant signals with strong background noise when in the condition monitoring of wheelset bearings. Moreover, when the train passes through the detection area at a certain speed, the microphone picks up the acoustic signal for a short time, which makes it difficult to obtain accurate fault signal characteristics. Trackside acoustics often uses microphone arrays to overcome the problem of short sampling time. To diagnose wheelset bearing faults more effectively with fewer microphones, this paper proposes a wayside acoustic fault diagnosis method based on improved sparsity Bayesian learning. Advanced sparse representation (SR)-based approaches usually include two primary stages: recovery of fault pulses in the time domain and frequency transformation of the estimated signal envelope. However, any inaccurate signal recovery in the time domain can introduce the problem of error accumulation in the subsequent frequency transform, which suffers from the disadvantage of low resolution, especially for short time sampled acoustic signal. Taking the limitations into consideration, a new algorithm has been developed by combining the group sparsity and periodic structure of fault pulses with variational Bayesian inference (VBI) technology. This advanced method effectively extracts the fault pulse signal, even in the presence of high noise levels, which leads to a significant enhancement in the fault detection performance. With the aid of this method, in conjunction with the Doppler distortion preprocessing correction algorithms, the proposed approach has been successfully applied to the diagnosis of faults in train trackside acoustic wheelset bearings. The experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve good performance in fault diagnosis compared with conventional analysis method, making it more effective to monitor wheelset bearing faults.
Decision Analysis to Advance Environmental Sustainability
Authors: Robinson Kelly F. , Baker Erin , Ewing Elizabeth , Hemming Victoria , Kenney Melissa A. , Runge Michael C.
Published: December 2023

Decision analysis provides a robust framework for complex decisions related to environmental sustainability and conservation, including for energy and water, fisheries and wildlife management, agriculture, and climate change response. The complexities of these problems stem from their large scope and scale, which leads to multiple decision makers, stakeholders, rightsholders, and other entities with potentially competing objectives. These problems often are time limited (e.g., urgent action is required to prevent species’ extinction), involve management interventions over long time scales and delayed responses to management (deep uncertainty), and are impeded by limited resources (funding, capacity, etc.). In this Special Issue on “Decision Analysis to Advance Environmental Sustainability,” we present five case studies of applications of decision analysis to complex problems in environmental sustainability and conservation. These case studies incorporate multiple objectives related to ecological and environmental sustainability, economic and social concerns, and logistics of implementation. They showcase a wide range of tools and applications to these problems. We also provide suggestions for new avenues of research and application of decision analysis to problems of environmental sustainability and conservation, including how to incorporate other decision-making tools into decision analysis processes, how to broaden the reach of decision analysis to other sustainability problems, how to incorporate more stakeholders and rightsholders into the decision process, the potential to incorporate new technology into these processes, identifying more creative alternatives, how to secure more funding, ways to move from decision to action, and how to move beyond status quo to make big transitions necessary to achieve sustainability.
Online Learning for Dual-Index Policies in Dual-Sourcing Systems
Authors: Tang Jingwen , Chen Boxiao , Shi Cong
Published: December 2023

Problem definition: We consider a periodic-review dual-sourcing inventory system with a regular source (lower unit cost but longer lead time) and an expedited source (shorter lead time but higher unit cost) under carried-over supply and backlogged demand. Unlike existing literature, we assume that the firm does not have access to the demand distribution a priori and relies solely on past demand realizations. Even with complete information on the demand distribution, it is well known in the literature that the optimal inventory replenishment policy is complex and state dependent. Therefore, we focus our attention on a class of popular, easy-to-implement, and near-optimal heuristic policies called the dual-index policy. Methodology/results: The performance measure is the regret, defined as the cost difference of any feasible learning algorithm against the full-information optimal dual-index policy. We develop a nonparametric online learning algorithm that admits a regret upper bound of [Formula: see text], which matches the regret lower bound for any feasible learning algorithms up to a logarithmic factor. Our algorithm integrates stochastic bandits and sample average approximation techniques in an innovative way. As part of our regret analysis, we explicitly prove that the underlying Markov chain is ergodic and converges to its steady state exponentially fast via coupling arguments, which could be of independent interest. Managerial implications: Our work provides practitioners with an easy-to-implement, robust, and provably good online decision support system for managing a dual-sourcing inventory system.

Funding: This work was supported by the Amazon Research Award.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.0323 .
A case of optic chiasm stroke, a condition rarely described in the literature
Authors: Fideles Rita , Coelho Marina , Araújo João , Gonçalves Carolina , Henriques Carla , Costa Ana
Published: December 2023

Acute bilateral blindness is an emergent condition that may signal life-threatening disease. The approach focuses on identification of life-threatening disease processes, while differentiating between ocular, psychogenic and neurologic aetiologies. We present the case of an 88-year-old man with multiple cardiovascular risk factors and bilateral chronic glaucoma and cataracts. He presented to the emergency department with sudden onset bilateral loss of visual acuity with no other relevant changes on physical examination, including other neurologic deficits. Ophthalmologic observation showed no sign of acute disease. Contrast orbit and cranioencephalic CT was unremarkable, so the patient underwent an orbit and cranioencephalic MRI that showed changes in fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences and diffusion restriction involving the optic chiasm and the initial segment of the optic radiations bilaterally. Optic chiasm strokes are rare, owing to the rich supply of collateral circulation. The most frequent presentation is bitemporal hemianopsia but rarer presentations are described. Bilateral loss of visual acuity is very rare and infarction of the whole optic chiasm is unusual.
PESQUISAR E PUBLICAR NAS CIÊNCIAS CRIMINAIS: APONTAMENTOS CRÍTICOS SOBRE A PESQUISA (QUE SE ANUNCIA COMO) CIENTÍFICA E A PRETENSÃO DE PUBLICAÇÃO EM PERIÓDICOS QUALIFICADOS
Authors: Leitão Bruno , França Júnior Francisco de Assis de
Published: December 2023

O artigo tem como objetivo principal diagnosticar os instrumentos que devem constituir uma qualificada pesquisa científica, mas, aqui, com um dedicado enfoque nas ciências criminais. A problemática explorada está concentrada nos seguintes núcleos: o que e como pesquisar e no como publicar a pesquisa? A hipótese central (e que se confirmará nas conclusões) é a de que as pessoas que mais têm dificuldades nesse processo discursivo são aquelas para as quais geralmente falta um direcionado acúmulo de leitura. O texto, portanto, é direcionado à comunidade científica em geral, mas sobretudo àquelas pessoas que menos tem frequentado o espaço da pesquisa científica na qualidade de autor(a), na maior parte das vezes por falta de uma orientação acessível na base de sua formação. A originalidade do que adiante se apresenta deve ser reconhecida não por não existirem reflexões a respeito do tema, mas pelo resgate que pretende ver efetivado, utilizando-se de métodos e de técnicas que por vezes são menosprezadas nas faculdades, cujos focos geralmente têm sido nas regras da Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas – ABNT. Assim, partindo-se de autores estrangeiros e brasileiros, o método utilizado é o hipotético-dedutivo, com abordagem qualitativa, amparando-se na técnica da coleta de dados a partir da revisão da literatura.
CAUSALIDADE ALTERNATIVA INCERTA E RESPONSABILIDADE AMBIENTAL: UMA REFLEXÃO A PROPÓSITO DO AC. TRL DE 10-9-2019 (Proc. nº922/15.4T8VFX.L1-7)
Authors: Barbosa Mafalda Miranda
Published: December 2023

Contra uma sociedade empresária que produz, importa, exporta e comercializa adubos, e cuja principal unidade fabril se localiza no concelho de Vila Franca de Xira, foi proposta uma ação de responsabilidade civil por danos, na sequência da contaminação de uma pessoa com a bactéria do legionário. O caso concretamente decidido pelo Tribunal da Relação de Lisboa, lidando com danos causados a um sujeito por meio da lesão de uma componente ambiental, envolve problemas dogmáticos complexos e particularmente interessantes. O trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a existência de caminhos de fundamentação que, caso percorridos pelo tribunal, poderiam conduzir a uma decisão procedente relativamente aos intentos do lesado. A análise dos fundamentos aplicáveis ao caso concreto em tela tem como intuito contribuir para o amadurecimento dos institutos da responsabilidade civil decorrente de dano ao meio ambiente e à saúde humana.
Exploring the Nexus between Transfer of Technology Obligations and the Promotion of Foreign Investments in Renewable Energy
Authors: Ghaziani Mohammad Akefi , Ziaee Seyed Yaser , Fazaeli Mostafa
Published: December 2023

Renewable energies are among the alternatives for developing countries to fulfil their growing energy needs and meet the requirements of the energy transition. However, renewable energy deployment costs billions of dollars and many countries are not able to afford the costs and technologies required to launch and utilise them. Therefore, developing countries strive not only to attract investments but also to have access to modern renewable energy technologies to upgrade their technological capabilities to international levels. IIAs can contribute to this aim since they contain provisions for the transfer of technology. However insisting on the technology transfer obligations can ceteris paribus make foreign investors reluctant to invest, as there is a prevailing disagreement regarding who should bear the costs associated with sharing these technologies. It is in the light of these challenges that the question of how IIAs can contribute to the promotion of foreign investments in this sector is of high importance from both practical and academic points of view. This article sheds light on this dilemma by expounding on the concept of the transfer of technology and describing the major challenges to this process. It further analyses the pertinent clauses in IIAs and analytically underpins the relevant approaches.
Hard-to-heal peripheral wounds infected with Corynebacterium striatum: a prospective study
Authors: Virgilio Edoardo , Solmone Mariacarmela , Scardigno Alessandro , Fradiani Piera , Ceci Diego , Teggi Antonella , Enea Di Domenico Gino , Cavallo Ilaria , Ensoli Fabrizio , Borro Marina , Simmaco Maurizio , Santino Iolanda , Cavallini Marco
Published: December 2023

Objective:

To investigate Corynebacterium striatum as a nosocomial pathogen infecting hard-to-heal peripheral wounds, such as skin wounds, soft tissue abscesses and osteomyelitis. As of 2023, the medical community were alerted against the risk of emerging systemic and central infections; on the other hand literature on peripheral cutaneous regions is still scarce.

Method:

In this study, two groups of patients with similar lesions which were infected were compared: one group with the presence of the coryneform rod, the other without.

Results:

In total, Corynebacterium striatum was cultured from 62 patients and 131 samples. Corynebacterium striatum infection correlated well with the presence of: foot ulcer; venous leg ulcer; altered ambulation and/or altered foot loading; peripheral vascular and arterial disease; hospitalisation; malignancy; spinal cord injury; and recent administration of antibiotics (p<0.05 for all associations). Patients with Corynebacterium striatum had a lower overall survival rate compared to patients in the non-Corynebacterium striatum group (28.6 versus 31.6 months, respectively; p=0.0285). Multivariate analysis revealed that Corynebacterium striatum infection was an independent factor for poor prognosis (p<0.0001).

Conclusion:

In view of the findings of our study, Corynebacterium striatum appears to be an important opportunistic pathogen infecting peripheral tissues and complicating wound healing. Given its numerous and worrying virulence factors (such as multidrug resistance and biofilm production), particular attention should be given to this pathogen by professional wound care providers in nosocomial and outpatient environments.
Leading Through Uncertainty: Transformational Leadership and Cultural Resonance in Vietnamese Higher Education Post-COVID-19
Authors: Thao Le Thanh , Thuy Pham Trut , Thuy Tran Thi
Published: December 2023

This study delves into the role of leadership in addressing disparities in higher education arising from the post-COVID-19 era, as experienced by Vietnamese lecturers. Drawing on qualitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews with 15 university lecturers across diverse regions and institutions in Vietnam, the research aimed to capture the essence of effective leadership behaviors during this unprecedented crisis. The study is underpinned by the Transformational Leadership Theory and Sociocultural Theory. Findings underscore the significance of visionary and inspirational leadership, emphasizing a clear direction amidst adversities. The importance of empathetic and supportive leadership, active faculty engagement, flexibility, commitment to capacity-building, and transparent communication emerged as paramount. Viewed through the theoretical frameworks, the results elucidate how leadership strategies resonated with both universal leadership principles and culturally specific Vietnamese values. The implications drawn highlight the need for adaptive and culturally attuned leadership in crisis scenarios, especially in academic settings. Though the study offers a profound understanding of leadership in a post-pandemic Vietnamese educational context, it also recommends expanded, diverse, and cross-cultural investigations to provide a more holistic perspective in future research endeavors.
Analysis of Koryo medicine research: clinical medicine topics in Koryo medicine
Authors: Yi Eunhee , Kim Hanul , Kim Dongsu
Published: December 2023

Objectives: South Korea, the United States, and the United Nations have imposed extensive economic sanctions against North Korea, which increased the use of traditional Korean medicine in North Korea to maintain its national health care system. This study attempts to study the latest trends of traditional Korean medicine research through bibliographic analysis of one of the North Korean medical journals. It will then provide insights into how traditional Korean medicine is used in North Korea.Methods: This study is based on 611 clinical research articles out of 931 articles extracted from 13 volumes of Koryo Medicine (2016 ~ 2019). The articles were classified according to the researched treatment, diseases and use alongside conventional drugs.Results: Based on the analysis of Koryo Medicine, the proportion of clinical research articles investigating the treatment effects was very high (65.6%). Also, clinical research using herbal medicine as treatment was the most common, accounting for 17.69% of the total. Some of the clinical research in Koryo Medicine were conducted in tandem with conventional drug treatment, especially on acupuncture.Conclusion: This study conducted a bibliographic analysis of Koryo Medicine to understand the current status of traditional Korean medicine within North Korea. The analysis identified main diseases, treatment methods, and integration with conventional drugs in the clinical research of traditional Korean medicine. As a country actively seeking to use traditional Korean medicine, North Korea will become an interesting field of global traditional medicine and complementary medicine research.
Bojungikgi-tang for Anorexia in Lung Cancer Patients with Treated with Chemotherapy: A Single-arm, Open-label, Single-center Trial
Authors: Cho Im-Hak , Yoon Seong-Hoon , Kim So-Yeon , Kang Byoung-Kab , Seo Chang-Seob , Choi Young-Eun , Shin Hyeun Kyoo , Choi Jun-Yong
Published: December 2023

Objectives: This study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Bojungikgi-tang for lung cancer patients with anorexia.Methods: This was a single-arm, open-label, and single-center trial, and suitable participants took Bojungikgi-tang (Buzhongyiqi-tang in Chinese, Hochuekki-to in Japanese) three times a day before or between meals for six weeks (42 days). After registration of clinical trials (visit 2), they visited the hospital every three weeks (visits 3 and 4) and measured or tested the effectiveness or safety evaluation variables to analyze the results. The primary outcome was the anorexia/cachexia subscale (A/CS) of functional assessment of anorexia/cachexia therapy (FAACT) score.Results: Seventeen lung cancer patients were included in the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. Lung cancer patients had higher A/CS of FAACT scores after six weeks of Bojungikgi-tang administration compared to that at the baseline. This was not significant four lung cancer (p=0.1668). In the secondary outcomes, the visual analog scale (VAS) score of anorexia decreased significantly (p=0.0009), and the CD4/CD8 ratio (p=0.0396) and CD4 levels (p=0.0345) significantly increased after six weeks of treatment. No serious adverse events were reported with Bojungikgi-tang in lung cancer patients.Conclusions: Bojungikgi-tang can be an effective and safe treatment for anorexia in lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Effects of Cardiotonic Pills® on Cerebrovascular CO2 Reactivity and Erythrocyte Deformability in Normal Subjects: A Pilot Study
Authors: Moon Sang-Kwan , Lee Han-Gyul , Kwon Seungwon , Cho Seung-Yeon , Park Seong-Uk , Jung Woo-Sang , Park Jung-Mi , Ko Chang-Nam , Cho Ki-Ho
Published: December 2023

Backgrounds and objectives: Cardiotonic Pills® (CP) are used for vascular diseases such as coronary diseases, atherosclerosis, and cerebral infarction. This study aimed to determine the transient effects of CP on cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity (CVR) and erythrocyte deformability in normal subjects.Methods: This study had a crossover design and included 10 participants who were randomly allocated to 2 groups. The experimental group was given CP with water, while the control group was given only water. CVR was measured by hyperventilation-induced CVR of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) using transcranial Doppler (TCD). Erythrocyte deformability was measured using a Rheoscan-D microfluidic ektacytometer. All measurements were performed prior to and 1, 2, and 3 hours after CP or water administration. Blood pressure and heart rate were also measured before and after administration.Results: CP significantly improved CVR 3 hours after administration in the experimental group compared to the control group (p = 0.042). The corrected blood flow velocity at partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO2) = 40mmHg (CV40) was also significantly improved 2 and 3 hours after administration in the CP group compared to the control group (p = 0.036 and p = 0.021, respectively). CP significantly improved erythrocyte deformability 3 hours after administration in the experimental group compared to the control group (p = 0.027). Mean heart rate and mean blood pressure showed no change.Conclusions: This study demonstrated that CP increases CVR and erythrocyte deformability. These results suggested that CP improves cerebral microcirculation which provide evidence for the future use of CP for prevention of ischemic stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.