Failure transition of shear-to-dilation band of rock salt under triaxial stresses

Great potential of underground gas/energy storage in salt caverns seems to be a promising solution to support renewable energy.In the underground storage method,the operating cycle unfortunately may reach up to daily or even hourly,which generates complicated pressures on the salt cavern.Furthermore,the mechanical behavior of rock salt may change and present distinct failure characteristics under different stress states,which affects the performance of salt cavern during the time period of full service.To reproduce a similar loading condition on the cavern surrounding rock mass,the cyclic triaxial loading/unloading tests are performed on the rock salt to explore the mechanical transition behavior and failure characteristics under different confinement.Experimental results show that the rock salt samples pre-sent a diffused shear failure band with significant bulges at certain locations in low confining pressure conditions(e.g.5 MPa,10 MPa and 15 MPa),which is closely related to crystal misorientation and grain boundary sliding.Under the elevated confinement(e.g.20 MPa,30 MPa and 40 MPa),the dilation band dominates the failure mechanism,where the large-size halite crystals are crushed to be smaller size and new pores are developing.The failure transition mechanism revealed in the paper provides additional insight into the mechanical performance of salt caverns influenced by complicated stress states.

Behavior of exciton in direct−indirect band gap Al_(x)Ga_(1−x)As crystal lattice quantum wells

Excitons have significant impacts on the properties of semiconductors.They exhibit significantly different properties when a direct semiconductor turns in to an indirect one by doping.Huybrecht variational method is also found to influence the study of exciton ground state energy and ground state binding energy in Al_(x)Ga_(1−x)As semiconductor spherical quantum dots.The Al_(x)Ga_(1−x)As is considered to be a direct semiconductor at AI concentration below 0.45,and an indirect one at the concentration above 0.45.With regards to the former,the ground state binding energy increases and decreases with AI concentration and eigenfrequency,respectively;however,while the ground state energy increases with AI concentration,it is marginally influenced by eigenfrequency.On the other hand,considering the latter,while the ground state binding energy increases with AI concentration,it decreases with eigenfrequency;nevertheless,the ground state energy increases both with AI concentration and eigenfrequency.Hence,for the better practical performance of the semiconductors,the properties of the excitons are suggested to vary by adjusting AI concentration and eigenfrequency.

Preliminary geological interpretation of long-wavelength magnetic anomalies over China and surrounding regions

Long-wavelength(>500 km)magnetic anomalies originating in the lithosphere were first found in satellite magnetic surveys.Compared to the striking magnetic anomalies around the world,the long-wavelength magnetic anomalies in China and surrounding regions are relatively weak.Specialized research on each of these anomalies has been quite inadequate;their geological origins remain unclear,in particular their connection to tectonic activity in the Chinese and surrounding regions.We focus on six magnetic high anomalies over the(1)Tarim Basin,(2)Sichuan Basin(3)Great Xing’an Range,(4)Barmer Basin,(5)Central Myanmar Basin,and(6)Sunda and Banda Arcs,and a striking magnetic low anomaly along the southern part of the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau.We have analyzed their geological origins by reviewing related research and by detailed comparison with geological results.The tectonic backgrounds for these anomalies belong to two cases:either ancient basin basement,or subduction-collision zone.However,the geological origins of large-scale regional magnetic anomalies are always subject to dispute,mainly because of limited surface exposure of sources,later tectonic destruction,and superposition of multi-phase events.

Layered kagome compound Na_(2)Ni_(3)S_(4)with topological flat band

We report structural and electronic properties of Na_(2)Ni_(3)S_(4),a quasi-two-dimensional compound composed of alternating layers of[Ni_(3)S_(4)]^(2-)and Na^(+).The compound features a remarkable Ni-based kagome lattice with a square planar configuration of four surrounding S atoms for each Ni atom.Magnetization and electrical measurements reveal a weak paramagnetic insulator with a gap of about 0.5 eV.Our band structure calculation highlights a set of topological flat bands of the kagome lattice derived from the rotated dxz-orbital with C_(3)+T symmetry in the presence of crystal-field splitting.

Band structures of strained kagome lattices

Materials with kagome lattices have attracted significant research attention due to their nontrivial features in energy bands.We theoretically investigate the evolution of electronic band structures of kagome lattices in response to uniaxial strain using both a tight-binding model and an antidot model based on a periodic muffin-tin potential.It is found that the Dirac points move with applied strain.Furthermore,the flat band of unstrained kagome lattices is found to develop into a highly anisotropic shape under a stretching strain along y direction,forming a partially flat band with a region dispersionless along ky direction while dispersive along kx direction.Our results shed light on the possibility of engineering the electronic band structures of kagome materials by mechanical strain.

Observation of flat-band localized state in a one-dimensional diamond momentum lattice of ultracold atoms

We investigated the one-dimensional diamond ladder in the momentum lattice platform. By inducing multiple twoand four-photon Bragg scatterings among specific momentum states, we achieved a flat band system based on the diamond model, precisely controlling the coupling strength and phase between individual lattice sites. Utilizing two lattice sites couplings, we generated a compact localized state associated with the flat band, which remained localized throughout the entire time evolution. We successfully realized the continuous shift of flat bands by adjusting the corresponding nearest neighbor hopping strength, enabling us to observe the complete localization process. This opens avenues for further exploration of more complex properties within flat-band systems, including investigating the robustness of flat-band localized states in disordered flat-band systems and exploring many-body localization in interacting flat-band systems.

Amniotic Band Syndrome at the Van Norman Clinic in Burundi: A Case Series

Amniotic band syndrome is an acquired embryo-fetopathy. It is rare and is characterized by malformations mainly affecting the limbs but also the skull, face and thoraco-abdominal axis. Its etiopathogenesis remains poorly understood. Its diagnosis is essentially clinical and is classically based on the existence of signs such as furrows, amputations and pseudosyndactyly. To show the importance of antenatal diagnosis in resource-limited countries, we report the case of two newborns, one premature at 31 weeks and the other at term, in whom amniotic band syndrome was discovered incidentally at birth. It involved an amputation of the right leg for both cases. The premature baby was born in a context of neonatal sepsis and will succumb to the latter while the 2nd case was released from the hospital alive. Imaging examinations to search for probable congenital malformations could only be carried out for the 2nd case and no accessible congenital malformation had been identified. And as management of the disease, only psychological support to the parents was provided for the 2 cases. The antenatal discovery of a case of amniotic band syndrome in countries with low technical capacity such as Burundi should push clinicians to think in time about treatment options.

Reanalysis of energy band structure in the type-II quantum wells

Band structure analysis holds significant importance for understanding the optoelectronic characteristics of semiconductor structures and exploring their potential applications in practice. For quantum well structures, the energy of carriers in the well splits into discrete energy levels due to the confinement of barriers in the growth direction. However, the discrete energy levels obtained at a fixed wave vector cannot accurately reflect the actual energy band structure. In this work, the band structure of the type-II quantum wells is reanalyzed. When the wave vectors of the entire Brillouin region(corresponding to the growth direction) are taken into account, the quantized energy levels of the carriers in the well are replaced by subbands with certain energy distributions. This new understanding of the energy bands of low-dimensional structures not only helps us to have a deeper cognition of the structure, but also may overturn many viewpoints in traditional band theories and serve as supplementary to the band theory of low-dimensional systems.

The Diagnostic Value of Oligoclonal Band Detection in Viral Encephalitis

Objective: This study aims to explore the differences in cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal band (CSF-OCB) expression among different age groups in viral encephalitis and its reference value for diagnosis. Methods: Forty-two patients with viral encephalitis were divided into two groups: 25 adults and 17 children. The presence of oligoclonal bands in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was detected using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and CSF routine analysis was conducted for comparative analysis. Results: The CSF-OCB positivity rate was higher in the adult group (48%) compared with the pediatric group (11.76%), with a statistically significant difference (P Conclusion: 1) The expression of CSF-OCB positivity in patients with viral encephalitis is age-related, with higher positivity rates observed in adults compared to children. 2) Although CSF oligoclonal band detection is not a specific diagnostic marker for viral encephalitis in adults, it still holds certain reference value.

Shear band evolution and acoustic emission characteristics of sandstone containing non-persistent flaws

Direct shear tests were conducted on sandstone specimens under different constant normal stresses to study the coalescence of cracks between non-persistent flaws and the shear sliding characteristics of the shear-formed fault.Digital image correlation and acoustic emission(AE)techniques were used to monitor the evolution of shear bands at the rock bridge area and microcracking behaviors.The experimental results revealed that the shear stresses corresponding to the peak and sub-peak in the stressdisplacement curve are significantly affected by the normal stress.Strain localization bands emerged at both the tip of joints and the rock bridge,and their extension and interaction near the peak stress caused a surge in the AE hit rate and a significant decrease in the AE b value.Short and curvilinear strain bands were detected at low normal stress,while high normal stress generally led to more microcracking events and longer coplanar cracks at the rock bridge area.Furthermore,an increase in normal stress resulted in a higher AE count rate and more energetic AE events during friction sliding along the shearformed fault.It was observed that the elastic energy released during the crack coalescence at the prepeak stage was much greater than that released during friction sliding at the post-peak stage.More than 75%of AE events were located in the low-frequency band(0e100 kHz),and this proportion continued to rise with increasing normal stress.Moreover,more AE events of low AF value and high RA value were observed in specimens subjected to high normal stress,indicating that greater normal stress led to more microcracks of shear nature.

Endoscopic band ligation or endoscopic tissue adhesive injection in the treatment of gastric varices:Which is better?

The combination of endoscopic ultrasound with endoscopic treatment of type 1 gastric variceal hemorrhage may improve the robustness and generalizability of the findings in future studies.Moreover,the esophageal varices should also be included in the evaluation of treatment efficacy in subsequent studies to reach a more convincing conclusion.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of endoscopic band ligation in the treatment of bleeding from mild to moderate gastric varices type 1

BACKGROUND According to practice guidelines,endoscopic band ligation(EBL)and endoscopic tissue adhesive injection(TAI)are recommended for treating bleeding from esophagogastric varices.However,EBL and TAI are known to cause serious complications,such as hemorrhage from dislodged ligature rings caused by EBL and hemorrhage from operation-related ulcers resulting from TAI.However,the optimal therapy for mild to moderate type 1 gastric variceal hemorrhage(GOV1)has not been determined.Therefore,the aim of this study was to discover an individualized treatment for mild to moderate GOV1.AIM To compare the efficacy,safety and costs of EBL and TAI for the treatment of mild and moderate GOV1.METHODS A clinical analysis of the data retrieved from patients with mild or moderate GOV1 gastric varices who were treated under endoscopy was also conducted.Patients were allocated to an EBL group or an endoscopic TAI group.The differences in the incidence of varicose relief,operative time,operation success rate,mortality rate within 6 wk,rebleeding rate,6-wk operation-related ulcer healing rate,complication rate and average operation cost were compared between the two groups of patients.RESULTS The total effective rate of the two treatments was similar,but the efficacy of EBL(66.7%)was markedly better than that of TAI(39.2%)(P<0.05).The operation success rate in both groups was 100%,and the 6-wk mortality rate in both groups was 0%.The average operative time(26 min)in the EBL group was significantly shorter than that in the TAI group(46 min)(P<0.01).The rate of delayed postoperative rebleeding in the EBL group was significantly lower than that in the TAI group(11.8%vs 45.1%)(P<0.01).At 6 wk after the operation,the healing rate of operation-related ulcers in the EBL group was 80.4%,which was significantly greater than that in the TAI group(35.3%)(P<0.01).The incidence of postoperative complications in the two groups was similar.The average cost and other related economic factors were greater for the EBL than for the TAI(P<0.01).CONCLUSION For mild to moderate GOV1,patients with EBL had a greater one-time varix eradication rate,a greater 6-wk operation-related ulcer healing rate,a lower delayed rebleeding rate and a lower cost than patients with TAI.

Effect of casting process on the inner-wall band segregation of high-strength antisulfur pipes

Controlling inner-wall band segregation is one of the difficulties in the production of high-strength antisulfur pipes.Comparative tests were carried out on different casting processes(superheat,mold electromagnetic stirring,end electromagnetic stirring,casting speed and soft reduction)for the smelting of high-strength antisulfur pipes.The microstructures of continuous-casting billets and hot-rolled or tempered pipes were analyzed using a metallographic microscope and scanning electron microscope.The mechanism and evolution law regarding the inner-wall band segregation of high-strength antisulfur pipes were studied,and the influence of different casting processes was explored.

A Comprehensive Study on the digestive Endoscopic Technique and Narrow-Band Imaging for Early Gastric Cancer Screening

Objective:To explore the implementation of gastrointestinal endoscopy technology and endoscopic narrow-band imaging(NBI)in the early screening of gastric cancer and to observe and study their application effects.Methods:During the period from March 2023 to August 2023,312 patients who received gastroscopy in the Kunming Guandu District People’s Hospital were selected,and they underwent both conventional gastroscopy and endoscopic NBI,with clinicopathological tissue biopsy serving as the gold standard.The application value for early screening of gastric cancer was observed and analyzed.Results:The scoring data showed that the clarity of gastric mucosal glandular tube structure,microvascular structure clarity,and lesion contour scoring data of conventional gastroscopy were lower than those of the NBI technology(P<0.05).The screening rate of pathological biopsy in 312 patients was 18.59%(58 cases).Conventional gastroscopy showed a screening rate of 11.53%(36 cases),while NBI technology examined a screening rate of 17.63%(55 cases),and the two-by-two comparison of the screening rate data of the three groups was not statistically significant(P>0.05).The sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value of conventional gastroscopy appeared to be lower than those of NBI technology(P<0.05).Conclusion:In the early screening of gastric cancer,endoscopic NBI technology can be applied to patients.Compared with conventional gastroscopy,it provides a clearer visualization of the structure of the gastric mucosal glandular structure and microvascular structure,with a certain screening rate.Additionally,its sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value are higher,demonstrating outstanding effectiveness.

Thera-Band弹力带改善脑卒中偏瘫病人下肢运动功能的效果

目的 探讨Thera-Band弹力带抗阻力训练对脑卒中偏瘫病人下肢运动功能的影响。方法 选取2022年1月至2023年4月我院收治的脑卒中偏瘫住院病人60例为研究对象,按随机数表法分为观察组和对照组,每组各30例。对照组采取常规康复治疗,观察组在对照组基础上进行Thera-Band弹力带抗阻力训练。采用简化Fugl-Meyer下肢运动功能评定(FMA)、Berg平衡功能量表(BBS)、计时起立行走测试(TUGT)、改良Barthel指数(MBI)对2组病人的康复治疗效果进行评价。结果 治疗后,2组病人FMA、BBS、TUGT、MBI评分较治疗前均有明显改善(P<0.05或P<0.01),与对照组比较,观察组FMA、BBS、TUGT、MBI评分改善更为显著(P<0.05或P<0.01)。结论 脑卒中偏瘫病人采用Thera-Band弹力带治疗,能够提高病人下肢运动功能,改善病人的步行和平衡功能,提高病人生活自理能力,值得临床进一步推广。

基于Super C Band的可调增益掺铒光纤放大器设计

随着网络业务流量的增长,通信业务对密集波分复用(DWDM)的性能要求越来越高。为了提高传输效率,传输频谱逐渐向C+L Band传输扩展,Super C Band传输应运而生,但目前与之对应的掺铒光纤放大器(EDFA)相关研究较少。针对这一问题,文章提出了一种针对Super C Band传输的EDFA结构,基于Giles模型,分析了EDFA在Super C Band的特性,利用多级泵浦机制,设计了一种可以在Super C Band范围内进行放大的EDFA。结果表明,在-9.3 dBm入光时,该EDFA可以实现26 dB的平坦增益,16.7 dBm的输出功率,此时噪声指数小于5 dB,Ripple小于0.1 dB。并且根据需要,在入光处于-15.0~-3.5 dBm范围内时,通过调节泵浦功率与可调衰减器,均能够实现7~26 dB的可调增益。该EDFA可应用于5G传输和数据中心之间光纤通信等场合。

Optimizing band structure of CoP nanoparticles via rich-defect carbon shell toward bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting

Transition-metal phosphides(TMPs)with high catalytic activity are widely used in the design of electrodes for water splitting.However,a major challenge is how to achieve the trade-off between activity and stability of TMPs.Herein,a novel method for synthesizing CoP nanoparticles encapsu-lated in a rich-defect carbon shell(CoP/DCS)is developed through the self-assembly of modified polycyclic aromatic molecules.The graft and removal of high-activity C-N bonds of aromatic molecules render the controllable design of crystallite defects of carbon shell.The density functional theory calculation indicates that the carbon defects with unpaired electrons could effectively tailor the band structure of CoP.Benefiting from the improved activity and corrosion resistance,the CoP/DCS delivers outstanding difunctional hydrogen evolution reaction(88 mV)and oxygen evolution reaction(251 mV)performances at 10 mA cm^(−2)current density.Furthermore,the coupled water electrolyzer with CoP/DCS as both the cathode and anode presents ultralow cell voltages of 1.49 V to achieve 10 mA cm^(−2)with long-time stability.This strategy to improve TMPs electrocatalyst with rich-DCS and heterogeneous structure will inspire the design of other transition metal compound electrocatalysts for water splitting.

Machine learning of theΓ-point gap and flat bands of twisted bilayer graphene at arbitrary angles

The novel electronic properties of bilayer graphene can be fine-tuned via twisting,which may induce flat bands around the Fermi level with nontrivial topology.In general,the band structure of such twisted bilayer graphene(TBG)can be theoretically obtained by using first-principles calculations,tight-binding method,or continuum model,which are either computationally demanding or parameters dependent.In this work,by using the sure independence screening sparsifying operator method,we propose a physically interpretable three-dimensional(3D)descriptor which can be utilized to readily obtain theΓ-point gap of TBG at arbitrary twist angles and different interlayer spacings.The strong predictive power of the descriptor is demonstrated by a high Pearson coefficient of 99%for both the training and testing data.To go further,we adopt the neural network algorithm to accurately probe the flat bands of TBG at various twist angles,which can accelerate the study of strong correlation physics associated with such a fundamental characteristic,especially for those systems with a larger number of atoms in the unit cell.

MoiréMetasurface with Triple-Band Near-Perfect Chirality

Chiral metasurfaces have been proven to possess great potential in chiroptical applications.However,the multiband chiral metasurface with near-perfect circular dichroism has not been well studied.Also,the widely used bilayer metasurface usually suffers from the interlayer alignment and weak resonance.Here,we propose a twisted Moirémetasurface which can support three chiral bands with near-unity circular dichroism.The Moirémetasurface can remove the restriction of interlayer alignment,while maintaining a strong monolayer resonance.The two chiral bands in the forward direction can be described by two coupled-oscillator models.The third chiral band is achieved by tuning the interlayer chiral mode on resonance with the intralayer mode,to eliminate the parallel and converted components simultaneously.Finally,we study the robustness and tunability of the triple-layer Moirémetasurface in momentum space.This work provides a universal method to achieve three near-unity circular dichroism bands in one metasurface,which can promote applications of chiral metasurfaces in multiband optical communication,chiral drug separation,sensing,optical encryption,chiral laser,nonlinear and quantum optics,etc.

Realization of^(87)Rb Bose–Einstein Condensates in Higher Bands of a Hexagonal Boron-Nitride Optical Lattice

Ultracold neutral atoms in higher bands of an optical lattice provide a natural avenue to emulate orbital physics in solid state materials.Here,we report the realization of^(87)Rb Bose-Einstein condensates in the fourth and seventh Bloch bands of a hexagonal boron-nitride optical lattice,exhibiting remarkably long coherence time through active cooling.Using band mapping spectroscopy,we observe that atoms condensed at the energy minimum of L point(K_(1)and K_(2)points)in the fourth(seventh)band as sharp Bragg peaks.The lifetime for the condensate in the fourth(seventh)band is about 57.6(4.8)ms,and the phase coherence of atoms in the fourth band persists for a long time larger than 110 ms.Our work thus offers great promise for studying unconventional bosonic superfluidity of neutral atoms in higher bands of optical lattices.