In apartment buildings in Korea, irregular walls, such as T-, L-, and U-shaped walls, are commonly used. However, in practical design, the geometric irregularities of walls are often neglected when determining the length of the lateral confinement region. Further, although earthquake loads apply from various directions, the lateral confinement region is typically determined for the in-plane direction of the web. Thus, using finite element analysis, this study investigated the structural performance of irregular walls subjected to various loading directions. As the design parameters, wall shape, cross-sectional aspect ratio, and loading direction were addressed. According to the parametric analysis results, as the length of flange in tension increased, the lateral confinement region should be evaluated with consideration of the geometric irregularity. Further, for the L- and U-shaped walls, it is recommended to evaluate the lateral confinement region for various loading directions. Based on these results, a design method to determine the lateral confinement region of irregular walls was suggested.

Background: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive lung disease marked by excessive fibrosis and declining respiratory function. While pharmacological treatments help manage symptoms, they offer limited reversal of fibrosis and often have side effects. As a result, interest in rehabilitation approaches such as breathing exercises combined with self-myofascial release (SMR) has increased. These techniques may enhance trunk stability and thoracic flexibility, contributing to improved respiratory function. Objectives: This study investigated the effects of thoracic expansion exercises using SMR techniques on pulmonary function and chest mobility in a patient with PF, and assessed their clinical applicability. Design: Single-subject A-B-A′ design. Methods: A 60s male with idiopathic PF underwent 20 days of intervention. Standard rehabilitation was applied during baseline (A) and follow-up (A′) phases. During the intervention (B), SMR-based breathing exercises were added. Outcomes included Functional Reach Test (FRT), chest expansion, and pulmonary function tests (FVC, FEV₁, PEF, FEV₁/FVC). Data were analyzed using the 2SD band method. Results: FRT improved from 23.4 cm (A) to 31.3 cm (B) and 34.2 cm (A′). Chest expansion increased from 1.7 cm to 2.8 cm, and FVC rose from 1.70 L to 2.08 L before dropping to 0.94 L. FEV₁/FVC improved from 80.8% to 86.7% during intervention but decreased at follow-up. Conclusion: SMR-based thoracic expansion exercises may enhance trunk stability, thoracic mobility, and certain pulmonary function indicators in PF patients. These findings suggest potential clinical benefits, warranting further studies to confirm long-term effectiveness.

Due to cognitive differences, traditional perceptual engineering (KE) frequently relies too heavily on designers' experience in analyzing customers' emotional demands, which can result in product designs that deviate from users' expectations. This work suggests a thorough evaluation approach that combines the particle swarm optimization-support vector regression (PSO-SVR) model and perceptual engineering to increase the scientificity and precision of design choices. The approach first determines the subjective weights of users' emotional needs using spherical fuzzy hierarchical analysis (SFAHP). Next, it uses the entropy weighting method to determine the objective weights. Finally, it combines the subjective and objective data using game theory to produce a more rational evaluation system. Finally, the emotional prediction model based on PSO-SVR is constructed to realize the accurate mapping between emotional needs and design features. The empirical study shows that“speed”, “dynamic”and“luxury” are the core emotional demands of users, and the algorithm's prediction results are highly consistent with users' actual evaluations, which strongly verifies the accuracy of the model. Compared with the traditional KE method, the model better integrates subjective experience and objective data and provides more practical support for the design of flybridge yachts.

The number of significant issues on many welding processes are often connected to high productivity and manufacturability at low costs. The research on welding processes in the literature has reported several research activities, but there is still scope for improvement in most industrial settings. The primary goal of this research is to determine the best super-TIG welding settings to use for groove welding. First, in order to determine the quality characteristics and risks associated with them, concepts and frameworks of quality by design (QbD) which is a new standard in pharmaceutical area in order to improve drug qualities were integrated into this process optimization. Second, stepwise experimental design approaches including a factorial design as well as a response surface methodology (RSM) were customized and performed for this specific automated super-TIG welding process. Third, based on experimental design results, the optimal operating conditions with both design space (i.e., acceptable range of operating conditions) and safe operating space (i.e., safe range of operating conditions) were obtained. Finally, a case study including QbD steps, stepwise experimental design approaches, design and operating spaces, the optimal factor settings, and their association validation results was conducted for verification purposes.