A drug-loaded flexible substrate improves the performance of conformal cortical electrodes

Cortical electrodes are a powerful tool for the stimulation and/or recording of electrical activity in the nervous system.However,the inevitable wound caused by surgical implantation of electrodes presents bacterial infection and inflammatory reaction risks associated with foreign body exposure.Moreover,inflammation of the wound area can dramatically worsen in response to bacterial infection.These consequences can not only lead to the failure of cortical electrode implantation but also threaten the lives of patients.Herein,we prepared a hydrogel made of bacterial cellulose(BC),a flexible substrate for cortical electrodes,and further loaded antibiotic tetracycline(TC)and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone(DEX)onto it.The encapsulated drugs can be released from the BC hydrogel and effectively inhibit the growth of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.Next,therapeutic cortical electrodes were developed by integrating the drug-loaded BC hydrogel and nine-channel serpentine arrays;these were used to record electrocorticography(ECoG)signals in a rat model.Due to the controlled release of TC and DEX from the BC hydrogel substrate,therapeutic cortical electrodes can alleviate or prevent symptoms associated with the bacterial infection and inflammation of brain tissue.This approach facilitates the development of drug delivery electrodes for resolving complications caused by implantable electrodes.

In situ formation of multiple catalysts for enhancing the hydrogen storage of MgH_(2) by adding porous Ni_(3)ZnC_(0.7)/Ni loaded carbon nanotubes microspheres

MgH_(2) is considered one of the most promising hydrogen storage materials because of its safety,high efficiency,high hydrogen storage quantity and low cost characteristics.But some shortcomings are still existed:high operating temperature and poor hydrogen absorption dynamics,which limit its application.Porous Ni_(3)ZnC_(0.7)/Ni loaded carbon nanotubes microspheres(NZC/Ni@CNT)is prepared by facile filtration and calcination method.Then the different amount of NZC/Ni@CNT(2.5,5.0 and 7.5 wt%)is added to the MgH_(2) by ball milling.Among the three samples with different amount of NZC/Ni@CNT(2.5,5.0 and 7.5 wt%),the MgH_(2)-5 wt%NZC/Ni@CNT composite exhibits the best hydrogen storage performances.After testing,the MgH_(2)-5 wt%NZC/Ni@CNT begins to release hydrogen at around 110℃ and hydrogen absorption capacity reaches 2.34 wt%H_(2) at 80℃ within 60 min.Moreover,the composite can release about 5.36 wt%H_(2) at 300℃.In addition,hydrogen absorption and desorption activation energies of the MgH_(2)-5 wt%NZC/Ni@CNT composite are reduced to 37.28 and 84.22 KJ/mol H_(2),respectively.The in situ generated Mg_(2)NiH_(4)/Mg_(2)Ni can serve as a"hydrogen pump"that plays the main role in providing more activation sites and hydrogen diffusion channels which promotes H_(2) dissociation during hydrogen absorption process.In addition,the evenly dispersed Zn and MgZn2 in Mg and MgH_(2) could provide sites for Mg/MgH_(2) nucleation and hydrogen diffusion channel.This attempt clearly proved that the bimetallic carbide Ni_(3)ZnC_(0.7) is a effective additive for the hydrogen storage performances modification of MgH_(2),and the facile synthesis of the Ni_(3)ZnC_(0.7)/Ni@CNT can provide directions of better designing high performance carbide catalysts for improving MgH_(2).

The loaded matrix:neurotrophin-enriched hydrogels for stem cell brain repair in Parkinson's disease

More than 200 years after Parkinson's disease was first described by the English surgeon whose name would eventually be given to the condition,available treatments remain purely symptomatic,leaving a critical unmet clinical need for a diseasemodifying therapy.

Prediction of the Pore-Pressure Built-Up and Temperature of Fire-Loaded Concrete with Pix2Pix

Concrete subjected to fire loads is susceptible to explosive spalling, which can lead to the exposure of reinforcingsteel bars to the fire, substantially jeopardizing the structural safety and stability. The spalling of fire-loaded concreteis closely related to the evolution of pore pressure and temperature. Conventional analytical methods involve theresolution of complex, strongly coupled multifield equations, necessitating significant computational efforts. Torapidly and accurately obtain the distributions of pore-pressure and temperature, the Pix2Pix model is adoptedin this work, which is celebrated for its capabilities in image generation. The open-source dataset used hereinfeatures RGB images we generated using a sophisticated coupled model, while the grayscale images encapsulate the15 principal variables influencing spalling. After conducting a series of tests with different layers configurations,activation functions and loss functions, the Pix2Pix model suitable for assessing the spalling risk of fire-loadedconcrete has been meticulously designed and trained. The applicability and reliability of the Pix2Pix model inconcrete parameter prediction are verified by comparing its outcomes with those derived fromthe strong couplingTHC model. Notably, for the practical engineering applications, our findings indicate that utilizing monochromeimages as the initial target for analysis yields more dependable results. This work not only offers valuable insightsfor civil engineers specializing in concrete structures but also establishes a robust methodological approach forresearchers seeking to create similar predictive models.

Influence of Vertical Load on Lateral-Loaded Monopiles by Numerical Simulation

Monopiles are the most common foundation form of offshore wind turbines,which bear the vertical load,lateral load and bending moment.It remains uncertain whether the applied vertical load increases the lateral deflection of the pile.This paper investigated the influence of vertical load on the behaviour of monopiles installed in the sand under combined load using three-dimensional numerical methods.The commercial software PLAXIS was used for simulations in this paper.Monopiles were modelled as a structure incorporating linear elastic material behaviour and soil was modelled using the Hardening-Soil(HS)constitutive model.The monopiles under vertical load,lateral load and combined vertical and lateral loads were respectively studied taking into account the sequence of load application and pile slenderness ratio(L/D;L and D are the length and diameter of the pile).Results suggest that the sequence of load application plays a major role in how vertical load affects the deflection behaviour of the pile.Specifically,when L/D ratios obtained by lengthening the pile while keeping its diameter constant are 3,5 and 8,the relationships between lateral load and the deflection behaviour of the pile under the effect of vertical load demonstrate a similar trend.Furthermore,the cause of increased lateral capacity of the pile under the action of applied vertical load in the common practical application case and in the VPL case was analyzed by studying the variation law of soil stress along the pile embedment.Results confirm that the confining effect of vertical load increases means effective stress of the soil around the pile,thus increasing soil stiffness and pile capacity.

Mechanical responses of anchoring structure under triaxial cyclic loading

Dynamic load on anchoring structures(AS)within deep roadways can result in cumulative damage and failure.This study develops an experimental device designed to test AS under triaxial loads.The device enables the investigation of the mechanical response,failure mode,instability assessment criteria,and anchorage effect of AS subjected to combined cyclic dynamic-static triaxial stress paths.The results show that the peak bearing strength is positively correlated with the anchoring matrix strength,anchorage length,and edgewise compressive strength.The bearing capacity decreases significantly when the anchorage direction is severely inclined.The free face failure modes are typically transverse cracking,concave fracturing,V-shaped slipping and detachment,and spallation detachment.Besides,when the anchoring matrix strength and the anchorage length decrease while the edgewise compressive strength,loading rate,and anchorage inclination angle increase,the failure intensity rises.Instability is determined by a negative tangent modulus of the displacement-strength curve or the continued deformation increase against the general downward trend.Under cyclic loads,the driving force that breaks the rock mass along the normal vector and the rigidity of the AS are the two factors that determine roadway stability.Finally,a control measure for surrounding rock stability is proposed to reduce the internal driving force via a pressure relief method and improve the rigidity of the AS by full-length anchorage and grouting modification.

State-of-the-art on the anchorage performance of rock bolts subjected to shear load

Rock bolts are extensively utilized in underground engineering as a means of offering support and stability to rock masses in tunnels,mines,and other underground structures.In environments of high ground stress,faults or weak zones can frequently arise in rock formations,presenting a significant challenge for engineering and potentially leading to underground engineering collapse.Rock bolts serve as a crucial structural element for the transmission of tensile stress and are capable of withstanding shear loads to prevent sliding of weak zones within rock mass.Therefore,a complete understanding of the behavior of rock bolts subjected to shear loads is essential.This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of the research progress of rock bolts subjected to shear load in three categories:experiment,numerical simulation,and analytical model.The review focuses on the research studies and developments in this area since the 1970s,providing a comprehensive overview of numerous factors that influence the anchorage performance of rock bolts.These factors include the diameter and angle of the rock bolt installation,rock strength,grouting material,bolt material,borehole diameter,rock bolt preload,normal stress,joint surface roughness and joint expansion angle.The paper reviews the improvement of mechanical parameter setting in numerical simulation of rock bolt shear.Furthermore,it delves into the optimization of the analytical model concerning rock bolt shear theory,approached from the perspectives of both Elastic foundation beam theory coupled with Elastoplasticity theory and Structural mechanic methods.The significance of this review lies in its ability to provide insights into the mechanical behavior of rock bolts.The paper also highlights the limitations of current research and guidelines for further research of rock bolts.

Mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of rock bolts subjected to static-dynamic loads

This study explores the effects of dynamic and static loading on rock bolt performance a key factor in maintaining the structural safety of coal mine roadways susceptible to coal bursts.Employing a housemade load frame to simulate various failure scenarios,pretension-impact-pull tests on rock bolts were conducted to scrutinize their dynamic responses under varied static load conditions and their failure traits under combined loads.The experimental results denote that with increased impact energy,maximum and average impact loads on rock bolts escalate significantly under pretension,initiating plastic deformation beyond a certain threshold.Despite minor reductions in the yield load due to impactinduced damage,pretension aids in constraining post-impact deformation rate and fluctuation degree of rock bolts.Moreover,impact-induced plastic deformation causes internal microstructure dislocation,fortifying the stiffness of the rock bolt support system.The magnitude of this fortification is directly related to the plastic deformation induced by the impact.These findings provide crucial guidance for designing rock bolt support in coal mine roadway excavation,emphasizing the necessity to consider both static and dynamic loads for improved safety and efficiency.

Reinforcing effects of polypropylene on energy absorption and fracturing of cement-based tailings backfill under impact loading

Polypropylene(PP)fiber-reinforced cement-based tailings backfill(FRCTB)is a green compound material with superior crack resistance and has good prospects for application in underground mining.However,FRCTB exhibits susceptibility to dynamic events,such as impact ground pressure and blast vibrations.This paper investigates the energy and crack distribution behavior of FRCTB under dynamic impact,considering the height/diameter(H/D)effect.Split Hopkinson pressure bar,industrial computed tomography scan,and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)experiments were carried out on six types of FRCTB.Laboratory outcomes confirmed fiber aggregation at the bottom of specimens.When H/D was less than 0.8,the proportion of PP fibers distributed along theθangle direction of80°-90°increased.For the total energy,all samples presented similar energy absorption,reflectance,and transmittance.However,a rise in H/D may cause a rise in the energy absorption rate of FRCTB during the peak phase.A positive correlation existed between the average strain rate and absorbed energy per unit volume.The increase in H/D resulted in a decreased crack volume fraction of FRCTB.When the H/D was greater than or equal to 0.7,the maximum crack volume fraction of FRCTB was observed close to the incidence plane.Radial cracks were present only in the FRCTB with an H/D ratio of 0.5.Samples with H/D ratios of 0.5 and 0.6 showed similar distributions of weakly and heavily damaged areas.PP fibers can limit the emergence and expansion of cracks by influencing their path.SEM observations revealed considerable differences in the bonding strengths between fibers and the FRCTB.Fibers that adhered particularly well to the substrate were attracted together with the hydration products adhering to surfaces.These results show that FRCTB is promising as a sustainable and green backfill for determining the design properties of mining with backfill.

Conservation genomic investigation of an endangered conifer,Thuja sutchuenensis,reveals low genetic diversity but also low genetic load

Endangered species generally have small populations with low genetic diversity and a high genetic load.Thuja sutchuenensis is an endangered conifer endemic to southwestern China.It was once considered extinct in the wild,but in 1999 was rediscovered.However,little is known about its genetic load.We collected 67 individuals from five wild,isolated T.sutchuenensis populations,and used 636,151 SNPs to analyze the level of genetic diversity and genetic load in T.sutchuenensis to delineate the conservation units of T.sutchuenensis,based on whole transcriptome sequencing data,as well as target capture sequencing data.We found that populations of T.sutchuenensis could be divided into three groups.These groups had low levels genetic diversity and were moderately genetically differentiated.Our findings also indicate that T.sutchuenensis suffered two severe bottlenecks around the Last Glaciation Period and Last Glacial Maximum.Among Thuja species,T.sutchuenensis presented the lowest genetic load and hence might have purged deleterious mutations efficiently through purifying selection.However,distribution of fitness effects analysis indicated a high extinction risk for T.sutchuenensis.Multiple lines of evidence identified three management units for T.sutchuenensis.Although T.sutchuenensis possesses a low genetic load,low genetic diversity,suboptimal fitness,and anthropogenic pressures all present an extinction risk for this rare conifer.This might also hold true for many endangered plant species in the mountains all over the world.

Transient response of doubly-curved bio-inspired composite shells resting on viscoelastic foundation subject to blast load using improved first-order shear theory and isogeometric approach

Investigating natural-inspired applications is a perennially appealing subject for scientists. The current increase in the speed of natural-origin structure growth may be linked to their superior mechanical properties and environmental resilience. Biological composite structures with helicoidal schemes and designs have remarkable capacities to absorb impact energy and withstand damage. However, there is a dearth of extensive study on the influence of fiber redirection and reorientation inside the matrix of a helicoid structure on its mechanical performance and reactivity. The present study aimed to explore the static and transient responses of a bio-inspired helicoid laminated composite(B-iHLC) shell under the influence of an explosive load using an isomorphic method. The structural integrity of the shell is maintained by a viscoelastic basis known as the Pasternak foundation, which encompasses two coefficients of stiffness and one coefficient of damping. The equilibrium equations governing shell dynamics are obtained by using Hamilton's principle and including the modified first-order shear theory,therefore obviating the need to employ a shear correction factor. The paper's model and approach are validated by doing numerical comparisons with respected publications. The findings of this study may be used in the construction of military and civilian infrastructure in situations when the structure is subjected to severe stresses that might potentially result in catastrophic collapse. The findings of this paper serve as the foundation for several other issues, including geometric optimization and the dynamic response of similar mechanical structures.

Energy mechanism of bolt supporting effect to fissured rock under static and dynamic loads in deep coal mines

The stability control of fissured rock is difficult,especially under static and dynamic loads in deep coal mines.In this paper,the dynamic mechanical properties,strain rate evolution and energy dissipation of fissured and anchored rocks were respectively obtained by SHPB tests.It was found that bolt can provide supporting efficiency-improving effect for fissured rock against dynamic disturbance,and this effect increased quadratically with decrease in anchoring angles.Then,the energy dissipation mechanism of anchored rock was obtained by slipping model.Furthermore,bolt energy-absorbing mechanism by instantaneous tensile-shear deformation was expressed based on material mechanics,which was the larger the anchoring angle,the smaller the energy absorption,and the less the contribution to supporting efficiency improvement.On this basis,the functional relationship between energy dissipation of anchored rock and energy absorption of bolt was established.Taking the coal-gangue separation system of Longgu coal mine as an example,the optimal anchoring angle can be determined as 57.5°–67.5°.Field monitoring showed fissured rock with the optimal anchoring angle,can not only effectively control the deformation,but also fully exert the energy-absorbing and efficiency-improving effect of bolt itself.This study provides guidance to the stability control and supporting design for deep engineering under the same or similar conditions.

Uncertainty Analysis of the Residual Strength of Non-Uniformly Loaded Casingsin Deep Wells

An uncertainty analysis method is proposed for the assessment of the residual strength of a casing subjected to wear and non-uniform load in a deep well.The influence of casing residual stress,out-of-roundness and non-uniform load is considered.The distribution of multi-source parameters related to the residual anti extrusion strength and residual anti internal pressure strength of the casing after wear are determined using the probability theory.Considering the technical casing of X101 well in Xinjiang Oilfield as an example,it is shown that the randomness of casing wear depth,formation elastic modulus and formation Poisson’s ratio are the main factors that affect the uncertainty of residual strength.The wider the confidence interval is,the greater the uncertainty range is.Compared with the calculations resulting from the proposed uncertainty analysis method,the residual strength obtained by means of traditional single value calculation method is either larger or smaller,which leads to the conclusion that the residual strength should be considered in terms of a range of probabilities rather than a single value.

Liquefaction susceptibility and deformation characteristics of saturated coral sandy soils subjected to cyclic loadings-a critical review

Coral sandy soils widely exist in coral island reefs and seashores in tropical and subtropical regions.Due to the unique marine depositional environment of coral sandy soils,the engineering characteristics and responses of these soils subjected to monotonic and cyclic loadings have been a subject of intense interest among the geotechnical and earthquake engineering communities.This paper critically reviews the progress of experimental investigations on the undrained behavior of coral sandy soils under monotonic and cyclic loadings over the last three decades.The focus of coverage includes the contractive-dilative behavior,the pattern of excess pore-water pressure(EPWP)generation and the liquefaction mechanism and liquefaction resistance,the small-strain shear modulus and strain-dependent shear modulus and damping,the cyclic softening feature,and the anisotropic characteristics of undrained responses of saturated coral sandy soils.In particular,the advances made in the past decades are reviewed from the following aspects:(1)the characterization of factors that impact the mechanism and patterns of EPWP build-up;(2)the identification of liquefaction triggering in terms of the apparent viscosity and the average flow coefficient;(3)the establishment of the invariable form of strain-based,stress-based,or energy-based EPWP ratio formulas and the unique relationship between the new proxy of liquefaction resistance and the number of cycles required to reach liquefaction;(4)the establishment of the invariable form of the predictive formulas of small strain modulus and strain-dependent shear modulus;and(5)the investigation on the effects of stress-induced anisotropy on liquefaction susceptibility and dynamic deformation characteristics.Insights gained through the critical review of these advances in the past decades offer a perspective for future research to further resolve the fundamental issues concerning the liquefaction mechanism and responses of coral sandy sites subjected to cyclic loadings associated with seismic events in marine environments.

Damage evolution of rock-encased-backfill structure under stepwise cyclic triaxial loading

Rock-encased-backfill(RB)structures are common in underground mining,for example in the cut-andfill and stoping methods.To understand the effects of cyclic excavation and blasting activities on the damage of these RB structures,a series of triaxial stepwise-increasing-amplitude cyclic loading experiments was conducted with cylindrical RB specimens(rock on outside,backfill on inside)with different volume fractions of rock(VF=0.48,0.61,0.73,and 0.84),confining pressures(0,6,9,and 12 MPa),and cyclic loading rates(200,300,400,and 500 N/s).The damage evolution and meso-crack formation during the cyclic tests were analyzed with results from stress-strain hysteresis loops,acoustic emission events,and post-failure X-ray 3D fracture morphology.The results showed significant differences between cyclic and monotonic loadings of RB specimens,particularly with regard to the generation of shear microcracks,the development of stress memory and strain hardening,and the contact forces and associated friction that develops along the rock-backfill interface.One important finding is that as a function of the number of cycles,the elastic strain increases linearly and the dissipated energy increases exponentially.Also,compared with monotonic loading,the cyclic strain hardening characteristics are more sensitive to rising confining pressures during the initial compaction stage.Another finding is that compared with monotonic loading,more shear microcracks are generated during every reloading stage,but these microcracks tend to be dispersed and lessen the likelihood of large shear fracture formation.The transition from elastic to plastic behavior varies depending on the parameters of each test(confinement,volume fraction,and cyclic rate),and an interesting finding was that the transformation to plastic behavior is significantly lower under the conditions of 0.73 rock volume fraction,400 N/s cyclic loading rate,and 9 MPa confinement.All the findings have important practical implications on the ability of backfill to support underground excavations.

An Efficient Framework for Utilizing Underloaded Servers in Compute Cloud

In cloud data centers,the consolidation of workload is one of the phases during which the available hosts are allocated tasks.This phenomenon ensures that the least possible number of hosts is used without compromise in meeting the Service Level Agreement(SLA).To consolidate the workloads,the hosts are segregated into three categories:normal hosts,under-loaded hosts,and over-loaded hosts based on their utilization.It is to be noted that the identification of an extensively used host or underloaded host is challenging to accomplish.Thresh-old values were proposed in the literature to detect this scenario.The current study aims to improve the existing methods that choose the underloaded hosts,get rid of Virtual Machines(VMs)from them,andfinally place them in some other hosts.The researcher proposes a Host Resource Utilization Aware(HRUAA)Algorithm to detect those underloaded and place its virtual machines on different hosts in a vibrant Cloud environment.The mechanism presented in this study is contrasted with existing mechanisms empirically.The results attained from the study estab-lish that numerous hosts can be shut down,while at the same time,the user's workload requirement can also be met.The proposed method is energy-efficient in workload consolidation,saves cost and time,and leverages active hosts.

Lateral earth pressure of granular backfills on retaining walls with expanded polystyrene geofoam inclusions under limited surcharge loading

Existing studies have focused on the behavior of the retaining wall equipped with expanded polystyrene(EPS)geofoam inclusions under semi-infinite surcharge loading rather than limited surcharge loading.In this paper,the failure mode and the earth pressure acting on the rigid retaining wall with EPS geofoam inclusions and granular backfills(henceforth referred to as EPS-wall),under limited surcharge loading are investigated through two-and three-dimensional model tests.The testing results show that different from the sliding of almost all the backfill in the EPS-wall under semi-infinite surcharge loading,only an approximately triangular backfill slides in the wall under limited surcharge loading.The distribution of the lateral earth pressure on the EPS-wall under limited surcharge loading is non-linear,and the distribution changes from the increase of the wall depth to the decrease with the increase of the limited surcharge loading.An approach based on the force equilibrium of a differential element is developed to predict the lateral earth pressure behind the EPS-wall subjected to limited surcharge loading,and its performance was fully validated by the three-dimensional model tests.

Measurement of the cavity-loaded quality factor in superconducting radio-frequency systems with mismatched source impedance

The accurate measurement of parameters such as the cavity-loaded quality factor(Q_(L))and half bandwidth(f_(0.5))is essential for monitoring the performance of superconducting radio-frequency cavities.However,the conventional"field decay method"employed to calibrate these values requires the cavity to satisfy a"zero-input"condition.This can be challenging when the source impedance is mismatched and produce nonzero forward signals(V_(f))that significantly affect the measurement accuracy.To address this limitation,we developed a modified version of the"field decay method"based on the cavity differential equation.The proposed approach enables the precise calibration of f_(0.5) even under mismatch conditions.We tested the proposed approach on the SRF cavities of the Chinese Accelerator-Driven System Front-End Demo Superconducting Linac and compared the results with those obtained from a network analyzer.The two sets of results were consistent,indicating the usefulness of the proposed approach.

Optimal dispatching strategy for residential demand response considering load participation

To facilitate the coordinated and large-scale participation of residential flexible loads in demand response(DR),a load aggregator(LA)can integrate these loads for scheduling.In this study,a residential DR optimization scheduling strategy was formulated considering the participation of flexible loads in DR.First,based on the operational characteristics of flexible loads such as electric vehicles,air conditioners,and dishwashers,their DR participation,the base to calculate the compensation price to users,was determined by considering these loads as virtual energy storage.It was quantified based on the state of virtual energy storage during each time slot.Second,flexible loads were clustered using the K-means algorithm,considering the typical operational and behavioral characteristics as the cluster centroid.Finally,the LA scheduling strategy was implemented by introducing a DR mechanism based on the directrix load.The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed DR approach can effectively reduce peak loads and fill valleys,thereby improving the load management performance.

Transformer-based correction scheme for short-term bus load prediction in holidays

To tackle the problem of inaccurate short-term bus load prediction,especially during holidays,a Transformer-based scheme with tailored architectural enhancements is proposed.First,the input data are clustered to reduce complexity and capture inherent characteristics more effectively.Gated residual connections are then employed to selectively propagate salient features across layers,while an attention mechanism focuses on identifying prominent patterns in multivariate time-series data.Ultimately,a pre-trained structure is incorporated to reduce computational complexity.Experimental results based on extensive data show that the proposed scheme achieves improved prediction accuracy over comparative algorithms by at least 32.00%consistently across all buses evaluated,and the fitting effect of holiday load curves is outstanding.Meanwhile,the pre-trained structure drastically reduces the training time of the proposed algorithm by more than 65.75%.The proposed scheme can efficiently predict bus load results while enhancing robustness for holiday predictions,making it better adapted to real-world prediction scenarios.