Prognostic factors and failure patterns in non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma after intensity-modulated radiotherapy

Background: The prognostic values of staging parameters require continual re?assessment amid changes in diag?nostic and therapeutic methods. This study aimed to identify the prognostic factors and failure patterns of non?meta?static nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) in the intensity?modulated radiotherapy(IMRT) era.Methods: We reviewed the data from 749 patients with newly diagnosed, biopsy?proven, non?metastatic NPC in our cancer center(South China, an NPC endemic area) between January 2003 and December 2007. All patients under?went magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) before receiving IMRT. The actuarial survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and survival curves were compared using the log?rank test. Multivariate analyses with the Cox proportional hazards model were used to test for the independent prognostic factors by backward eliminating insigniicant explanatory variables.Results: The 5?year occurrence rates of local failure, regional failure, locoregional failure, and distant failure were 5.4, 3.0, 7.4, and 17.4%, respectively. The 5?year survival rates were as follows: local relapse?free survival, 94.6%; nodal relapse?free survival, 97.0%; distant metastasis?free survival, 82.6%; disease?free survival, 75.1%; and overall survival, 82.0%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that orbit involvement was the only signiicant prognostic fac?tor for local failure(P = 0.011). Parapharyngeal tumor extension, retropharyngeal lymph node involvement, and the laterality, longest diameter, and Ho's location of the cervical lymph nodes were signiicant prognostic factors for both distant failure and disease failure(all P < 0.05). Intracranial extension had signiicant prognostic value for distant failure(P = 0.040).Conclusions: The key failure pattern for NPC was distant metastasis in the IMRT era. With changes in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as treatment modalities, the signiicant prognostic parameters for local control have also been altered substantially.

Failure Patterns and Energy Analysis of Shaft Lining Concrete in Simulated Deep Underground Environments

The failure patterns and energy evolution of three types of shaft lining concrete subjected to static and dynamic loading were reported.The energy and damage characteristics of concrete were determined by means of a uniaxial hydraulic servo machine,acoustic emission (AE) equipment,a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) and an ultrasonic wave analyser.The experimental results indicate that the confluence of multiple cracks forms a penetrating cross section in normal high-strength concrete (NHSC) under the condition of static loading,while the elastic energy that surges out at failure can cause tremendous damage when subjected to dynamic loading.A single crack was split into multiple propagation directions due to the presence of fibres in steel fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC);adding fibre to concrete should be an effective way to dissipate energy.The non-steam-cured reactive powder concrete (NSC-RPC) designed in this paper can store and dissipate more energy than normal concrete,as NSC-RPC exhibits a strong ability to resist impact.Applying NSC-RPC to the long-service material of a shaft lining structure in deep underground engineering is quite effective.

Investigation on the Deformation and Failure Patterns of Loess Cut Slope Based on the Unsaturated Triaxial Test in Yan'an,China

The large-scale implementation of the Gully Stabilization and Land Reclamation(GSLR)project induces various failures of loess slopes due to excavation in Yan'an,China.However,the deformation and failure behavior of these excavated loess slopes have not been fully understood.In this study,field investigation was undertaken for analyzing the distributions and failure features of excavation-induced loess slope failures.It is found that plastic failure mainly occurs in Q_(3) loess layers and brittle failure in Q_(2).To understand the underlying failure mechanism,a series of triaxial shear tests were conducted on intact Q_(3) and Q_(2) loess samples that with different water contents,namely natural water content(natural),dry side of the natural value(drying 5%),and wet side(wetting 5%).The characteristics of stress-strain curves and failure modes of the samples were analyzed.Results show that the stress-strain curves of Q_(2) samples are dominated by strain-softening characteristics,while Q_(3) samples mainly exhibit strain-harden features except in the drying state.Correspondingly,shear failures of Q_(3) specimens are mainly caused by shear crack planes(single,X or V-shaped).For Q_(2) loess,the dominance of tensile cracks is observed on the surface of damaged specimens.These disclose the different failure modes of excavated slopes located in different strata,that is,the arc sliding failure of Q_(3) loess slopes and the stepped tensile failure of Q_(2) loess slopes,and are helpful in the design and management of the ongoing GSLR projects in the Loess Plateau.

Failure Characteristics of Rock-like Mortar Specimens with Arc-shaped Flaws under Freezing-thaw Cycles and Uniaxial Compression

To investigate the freeze-thaw(F-T)damages and failure characteristics of rock mass with arc-shaped joints in cold regions,three types of cement mortar specimens with different central angles and prefabricated arc-shaped flaws are subjected to uniaxial compressive tests under different F-T cycles.Experimental observations show that the uniaxial compressive strength of specimens are significantly influenced by F-T cycles and their failure modes are mainly affected by the central angleαof the prefabricated flaws.Unlike the specimens with a central angle of 60°,the specimens with a central angle of 120°and 180°have greater curvature of flaws,so tensile cracks occur in the arc-top area of their prefabricated flaws.According to experimental images observed by environmental scanning electron microscope(ESEM),as the number of F-T cycles increases,the deterioration effect of the specimen becomes more obvious,which is specifically reflected in the increase of the mass loss,peak stress loss,and damage variables as a power function,and the peak strain decreases as a quadratic polynomial.According to numerical results using two-dimensional particle flow code(PFC2D),it is found that F-T cycles cause more damage to the specimen in the early stages than in the later ones.The area of the concentrated compressive stress zone in the middle is decreased due to the increased number of F-T cycles,while the area of the surrounding tensile-shear stress zone is increased.The models appear different failure modes due to the release of concentrated stress in different tensile-shear zones.

Concurrent chemotherapy and reduced - dose cranial spinal irradiation followed by conformal posterior fossa tumor bed boost for average - risk medulloblastoma: efficacy and patterns of failure

PURPOSE:To review the efficacy and patterns of failure in average-risk medulloblastoma patients treated withconcurrent chemotherapy and reduced-dose cranial spinal irradiation and a conformal tumor bed boost.METH-ODS AND MATERIALS:Thirty-three patients with average risk(defined as<==1.5 cm(2)of residual tumorafter resection,age>3 years,and no involvement of the cerebrospinal fluid or spine)medulloblastoma werediagnosed at our institution between January 1994 and December 2001.They were enrolled in an institutional

Static and dynamic tensile failure characteristics of rock based on splitting test of circular ring

Static and dynamic splitting tests were conducted on ring marble specimens with different internal diameters to study the tensile strength and failure modes with the change of the ratio of internal radius to external radius （ρ） under different loading rates. The results show that the dynamic tensile strength of disc rock specimen is approximately five times its static tensile strength. The failure modes of ring specimens are related to the dimension of the internal hole and loading rate. Under static loading tests, when the ratio of internal radius to external radius of the rock ring is small enough （ρ〈0.3）, specimens mostly split along the diametral loading line. With the increase of the ratio, the secondary cracks are formed in the direction perpendicular to the loading line. Under dynamic loading tests, specimens usually break up into four pieces. When the ratio ρreaches 0.5, the secondary cracks are formed near the input bar. The tensile strength calculated by Hobbs’ formula is greater than the Brazilian splitting strength. The peak load and the radius ratio show a negative exponential relationship under static test. Using ring specimen to determine tensile strength of rock material is more like a test indicator rather than the material properties.

Dynamic compressive strength and failure mechanisms of microwave damaged sandstone subjected to intermediate loading rate

To investigate the influence of microwave heating on the dynamic behavior and failure mechanisms of rock,dynamic compression tests were conducted on microwave-irradiated sandstone specimens using a modified split Hopkinson pressure bar(SHPB)system.Experimental results show that microwave radiation can effectively weaken the compressive strength of sandstone.Rock specimens show three different failure modes under impact load:tensile failure,tensile−shear composite failure and compressive−shear failure.The dynamic Poisson’s ratio,calculated using the measured P-and S-wave velocities,is introduced to describe the deformation characteristics of sandstone.With the increase in microwave power and heating time,the Poisson’s ratio declines first and then increases slightly,and the turning point occurs at 244.6℃.Moreover,the microstructural characteristics reveal that microwave radiation produces dehydration,pore expansion,and cracking of the rock.The damage mechanisms caused by microwave radiation are discussed based on thermal stress and steam pressure inside the rock,which provides a reasonable explanation for the experimental results.

Failure mechanisms and risk mitigation of check dams on the Chinese Loess Plateau: A case study at the Gutun Gully

Loess is long-term aeolian dust deposition, characterized by loose structure, concentrated participle distribution and unstable mineral composition, and thus easy to cause extensive collapsibility and have general water sensitivity. To reveal the difference in water sensitivity between naturally intact(NI) loess and mechanically compacted(MC) loess used for the check dam, the transient water release and imbibition method(TRIM) was used to acquire the suction stress–expanded hydraulic characteristic curves for the NI and MC loess and explore possible approaches for formulating the potential of loess water sensitivity. Based on the Local Field of Safety(LFS) associated with slope stability, we constructed a finite element model of a check dam to depict its failure processes under different rainfall scenarios. The results revealed the strong water sensitivity in NI loess, while the MC loess retained a certain water-sensitive potential. This capacity depends on the ‘water sensitivity coefficient’ obtained from the suction-stress characteristic curve,which better presented the deformation potential of the two loess samples at different water content levels. In the context of LFS, we identified two failure patterns in the dam body that were involved in loess water sensitivity under hydromechanical conditions: rainfall erosion-induced shallow mudflow failure, and preferential-infiltration progressive failure. These patterns may provide new insights into dam-breakage mechanisms and potential chain effects of check dams on the Chinese Loess Plateau from the perspective of soil–water interactions, which is vital for predicting the position and timing of check dam failure, and mitigating risks.

Stress evolution and failure process of Brazilian disc under impact

To reveal stress distribution and crack propagation of Brazilian discs under impact loads, dynamic tests were conducted with SHPB （split Hopkinson pressure bar） device. Stress states of specimens were monitored with strain gauges on specimen surface and SHPB bars. The failure process of specimen was recorded by ultra speed camera FASTCAM SAI.1 （675 000 fps）. Stress histories from strain gauges offer comprehensive information to evaluate the stress equilibrium of specimen in time and space. When a slowly rising load （with loading rates less than 1 200 N/s for d 50 mm bar） is applied, there is usually good stress equilibrium in specimen. The stress distribution after equilibrium is similar to its static counterpart. And the first crack initiates at the disc center and propagates along the load direction. But with the front of incident wave becoming steep, it is hard for specimens to get to stress equilibrium. The first crack may appear anywhere on the specimen together with multiple randomly distributed secondary cracks. For a valid dynamic Brazil test with stress equilibrium, the specimen will break into two halves neatly. While for tests with stress disequilibrium, missing strap may be found when broken halves of specimens are put together. For those specimens broken up neatly at center but having missing wedges at the loading areas, it is usually subjected to local buckling from SHPB bars.

Patterns of cancer recurrence in localized resected hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND： Tumor resection in non-metastatic hepato- cellular carcinoma （HCC） patients with adequate liver reserve offers a potential cure, but has a high 5-year recurrence rate. We analyzed the patterns of cancer relapse after partial hepa- tectomy to guide post-operative management.

A parameter estimation based adaptive actuator failure compensation control scheme

An adaptive actuator failure compensation control scheme is developed using an indirect adaptive control method,by calculating the controller parameters from adaptive estimates of system parameters and actuator failure parameters.A key technical issue is how to deal with the actuator failure uncertainties such as failure pattern,time and values.A complete parametrization covering all possible failures is used to solve this issue for adaptive parameter estimation.A simultaneous mapping from the estimated system/failure parameters to the controller parameters is employed to make the control system capable of ensuring the desired system performance under failures,which is verified by simulation results.

Pattern of Failure and Treatment Results in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) tends to present aggressively with rapid progression and poor survival. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients’ files to define TNBC patients’ characteristics, predictive and prognostic factors, pattern of recurrence and survival. Results: 965 cases were identified. 147 patients (15.2%) were TNBC. 71.1% patients were premenopausal. T2, T3, T4 tumors represented 46.1%, 32% and 14.1%, respectively. N0, N1, N2, N3 disease represented 18.5%, 50.9%, 27.8% and 2.8%, respectively. Stages II, III & IV constituted 34.1%, 44.2% and 15.5%, respectively. 31.5% patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 17.7% complete pathological response. 19.5%, 35.9%, 44.6% patients had unknown, ≤20 and >20 Ki67, respectively. Among non-metastatic patients (n = 108), 21.3% patients developed relapse with median time to relapse of 11 months. 78.3% of them had visceral (88.3% lung) metastasis, 13% bone metastasis, 21.7% brain metastasis and 13% LRR. There is significantly high risk of relapse in patients with large tumor size [T4: 66.75%, T3: 22.9%, T2: 16.7%, T1: 0% (p = 0.002)], positive LNs [N3: 100%, N2: 37.9%, N1: 15.1%, N0: 4.3% (p 0.001)] and Ki67 [>20: 31.6% versus 10.8% for Ki67 ≤ 20 (P = 0.007)]. Multivariate analysis revealed only T4 and N2-3 were significantly associated with high probability for relapse (P = 0.022 & 0.038). The 3-year DFS and OS were 73.2% and 75% respectively. For metastatic patients (n = 20), the m PFS was 7 months and m OS 1.5 years. Conclusion: Our data confirms the aggressive nature of TNBC with significant risk of relapse for patients with large tumor and positive lymph nodes. Maintenance metronomic capecitabine, neoadjuvant/adjuvant immunotherapy could be beneficial for non-metastatic patients. Lungs and brain were the most common sites of distant failure with poor survival that necessitates administration of molecular biomarkers (BRCA mutations, PD-L1 expression and microsatellite instability) for patients’ selection for novel targeted therapy.

Effects of weathering depth and thickness on rock failure:Experimental approach and particle flow code simulation

This study investigated the effects of weathering depth and thickness on the failure mechanisms of rock samples through experimental and numerical methods.The first configuration involved conducting artificial weathering on limestone using the freezing and thawing(F-T)for 40 cycles.The mechanical parameters of the samples were measured at the end of the 40th cycle.In the second configuration,a series of specimens underwent salt crystallization(S-C)tests for 20 cycles.Experimental results were validated using discrete element method(DEM).Next,the weathered limestone model with dimensions of 108 mm
54 mm were prepared.The weathering layers were tested at four different thicknesses(i.e.2.5 mm,5 mm,7.5 mm,and 10 mm)and three different positions(at the surface,5 mm under the rock surface,and 10 mm under the rock surface).According to the results,weathering depth and thickness have a considerable effect on the failure process.The results also showed a correlation between the values of compressive strength and failure mechanisms associated with the weathering layer.The numerical results revealed that the tension crack was the dominant factor.Additionally,with increasing weathering thickness,Young's modulus,crack initiation stress,and final strength decreased in constant weathering depth.The results also demonstrated that the failure progress of the numerical models was similar to that observed in the laboratory.

INVESTIGATION ON HARDENED STEEL MILLING WITH MICRO-END MILL

Tool wear and breakage of the micro-milling tool is an important problem for high speed machining of hardened steel die and mould. Dry milling of S136 hardened steel is carried out using TiAlN coated carbide micro-end mill (2 mm).The effect of cutting speed, feed per tooth and radial depth of cut on cutting force is analyzed. Cutting parameters adapting to dry machining and strategy optimized for higher rate of material removal with lower cutting force are attained. Results of SEM observation show that the main failure patterns of micro-end mill are breakage of tool tip, wear and drop-off of surface coating, micro-chipping, and breakage of flank.

Mechanical performance of the mixed post-installed connection in low-strength concrete

Due to inadequate bearing capacity of the chemically-planted steel bar in low-strength concrete, a new mixed post-installed connection is proposed using small diameter anchoring steel bars and grouting materials together to anchor the main steel bar. To investigate the feasibility of the proposed post-installed connections, a series of pull-out tests with different anchors were conducted for comparison,including fully adhesive anchors, partially adhesive anchors,grouting material anchoring connection and the new mixed post-installed connection. The experimental results of the single steel bar pull-out test show that the mixed post-installed connection can effectively enhance the bearing capacity of post-installed steel bars in low-strength concrete. The bearing capacity is increased by nearly two times with no cone-type concrete failure compared with the fully adhesive anchor. The results show that adopting the new mixed post-installed connection can ensure that joint performance meets the requirements if the space dimension is available.

DIFFERENT ROOF BEHAVIOUR UNDER DIFFERENT UPPER MINING BOUNDARY CONDITION IN DATONG

Understanding roof behaviour and immediate roof failure patterns of longwall face is a prerequisite for establishing correct roof control theory and appplying effective roof control measures. Roof behaviour and immediate roof failure pattern have a close relationship with upper mining boundary conditions of longwall face. According to actual situation of Datong Mining Area,upper mining boundary conditions of longwall face have been classified into 5 types in this paper.Roof behaviour and immediate roof failure pattern under each upper mining boundary condition are discussed in details.

Face stability of shield tunnels considering a kinematically admissible velocity field of soil arching

Existing mechanism of simulating soil movement at tunnel face is generally based on the translational or rotational velocity field,which is,to some extent,different from the real soil movement in the arching zone.Numerical simulations are carried out first to investigate the characteristics of the velocity distribution at tunnel face and above tunnel vault.Then a new kinematically admissible velocity field is proposed to improve the description of the soil movement according to the results of the numerical simulation.Based on the proposed velocity field,an improved failure mechanism is constructed adopting the spatial discretization technique,which takes into account soil arching effect and plastic deformation within soil mass.Finally,the critical face pressure and the proposed mechanism are compared with the results of the numerical simulation,existing analytical studies and experimental tests to verify the accuracy and improvement of the presented method.The proposed mechanism can serve as an alternative approach for the face stability analysis.

Dynamic strength of rock with single planar joint under various loading rates at various angles of loads applied

Intact rock-like specimens and specimens that include a single, smooth planar joint at various angles are prepared for split Hopkinson pressure bar（SHPB） testing. A buffer pad between the striker bar and the incident bar of an SHPB apparatus is used to absorb some of the shock energy. This can generate loading rates of 20.2-4627.3 GPa/s, enabling dynamic peak stresses/strengths and associated failure patterns of the specimens to be investigated. The effects of the loading rate and angle of load applied on the dynamic peak stresses/strengths of the specimens are examined. Relevant experimental results demonstrate that the failure pattern of each specimen can be classified as four types： Type A, integrated with or without tiny flake-off; Type B, slide failure; Type C, fracture failure; and Type D, crushing failure. The dynamic peak stresses/strengths of the specimens that have similar failure patterns increase linearly with the loading rate, yielding high correlations that are evident on semi-logarithmic plots. The slope of the failure envelope is the smallest for slide failure, followed by crushing failure, and that of fracture failure is the largest. The magnitude of the plot slope of the dynamic peak stress against the loading rate for the specimens that are still integrated after testing is between that of slide failure and crushing failure. The angle of application has a limited effect on the dynamic peak stresses/strengths of the specimens regardless of the failure pattern, but it affects the bounds of the loading rates that yield each failure pattern, and thus influences the dynamic responses of the single jointed specimen. Slide failure occurs at the lowest loading rate of any failure, but can only occur in single jointed specimen that allows sliding.Crushing failure is typically associated with the largest loading rate, and fracture failure may occur when the loading rate is between the boundaries for slide failure and crushing failure.

A state-of-the-art review of mechanical characteristics and cracking processes of pre-cracked rocks under quasi-static compression

The mechanical characteristics and failure behavior of rocks containing flaws or discontinuities have received wide attention in the field of rock mechanics.When external loads are applied to rock materials,stress-induced cracks would initiate and propagate from the flaws,ultimately leading to the irreversible failure of rocks.To investigate the cracking behavior and the effect of flaw geometries on the mechanical properties of rock materials,a series of samples containing one,two and multiple flaws have been widely investigated in the laboratory.In this paper,the experimental results for pre-cracked rocks under quasistatic compression were systematically reviewed.The progressive failure process of intact rocks is briefly described to reveal the background for experiments on samples with flaws.Then,the nondestructive measurement techniques utilized in experiments,such as acoustic emission(AE),X-ray computed tomography(CT),and digital image correlation(DIC),are summarized.The mechanical characteristics of rocks with different flaw geometries and under different loading conditions,including the geometry of pre-existing flaws,flaw filling condition and confining pressure,are discussed.Furthermore,the cracking process is evaluated from the perspective of crack initiation,coalescence,and failure patterns.

Effect of the in situ leaching solution of ion-absorbed rare earth on the mechanical behavior of basement rock

A clear understanding of the evolution characteristics of leaching solution’s damage to the basement rock of ion-adsorbed rare earth deposits is essential in the in situ leaching mining.In this study,some laboratory tests were carried out to investigate the deterioration behavior and failure mechanism of rock under the erosion of leaching solution.For this purpose,granite specimens were soaked in the leaching solution for different periods and then some physical and mechanical parameters were measured.The experimental results show that the strength of the rock without any soaking is the maximum.After 60 d,the rock strength,mass(dry)and P-wave velocity(dry)decrease to the minimum,while the porosity of the specimens reaches the maximum.Moreover,the failure pattern of the specimens in the uniaxial compression tests is affected as the soaking time increases.The scanning electron microscopy(SEM)image results indicate that the erosion of quartz crystals inside the rock specimens gets more intense with the increase of soaking time.Also,the internal crystal failure mode gradually changes from the trans-granular to the inter-granular.The insights gained from this study are helpful for better understanding the evolution characteristics of leaching solution’s damage to the basement rock of ionadsorbed rare earth deposits.