Impact resistance performance and optimization of the sand-EPE composite cushion in rock sheds

Rock sheds are widely used to prevent rockfall disasters along roads in mountainous areas.To improve the capacity of rock sheds for resisting rockfall impact,a sand and expandable polyethylene(EPE)composite cushion was proposed.A series of model experiments of rockfall impact on rock sheds were conducted,and the buried depth of the EPE foam board in the sand layer was considered.The impact load and dynamic response of the rock shed were investigated.The results show that the maximum impact load and dynamic response of the rock shed roof are all significantly less than those of the sand cushion.Moreover,as the distance between the EPE foam board and rock shed roof decreases,the maximum rockfall impact force and impact pressure gradually decrease,and the maximum displacement,acceleration and strain of the rock shed first decrease and then change little.In addition,the vibration acceleration and vertical displacement of the rock shed roof decrease from the centre to the edge and decrease faster along the longitudinal direction than that along the transverse direction.In conclusion,the buffering effect of the sand-EPE composite cushion is better than that of the pure sand cushion,and the EPE foam board at a depth of 1/3 the thickness of the sand layer is appropriate.

Regulation of “Checkpoint Molecule” Sheds New Light on Anti-Cancer Drug Development

The rivalry between T cells and tumor cells somewhat mimics the scene of 'Tom and Jerry,' an animated series in which Tom (a house cat) rarely succeeds in catching Jerry (a mouse), mainly because of Jerry’s cleverness and cunning abilities. In a way, tumor cells are like Jerry, in terms of their crafty and sneaky features.

Relief Program Sheds Light on the Needy

EDITOR＇S NOTE： As the widening gap between the rich and poor has become a major byproduct of China＇s nonstop economic growth over the past decades, the improvement of the disadvantaged group＇s livelihood has become a top government concern. While numerous cities are working out their plans for ＂livelihood improvement projects,＂ local governments are making efforts to establish a sustainable mechanism that provides prompt, adequate relief to the needy. Licheng District in Jinan, capital of Shandong province, sets an example.

PbrARF4 contributes to calyx shedding of fruitlets in ‘Dangshan Suli’ pear by partly regulating the expression of abscission genes

Fruitlet calyx shedding in pear plants is apparently regulated via numerous pathways that involve both environmental triggers and phytohormones cues such as auxin. In this study, we found at 10 days after full bloom (DAFB) higher levels of indoleacetic acid (IAA) and tryptophan (Trp) in calyx persistence fruitlet (CPF) than calyx shedding fruitlet (CSF) ofDanshan Suli’ pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rhed.). Consisting with this, the activity of indolealdehyde oxidase (IAAIdO), which promotes IAA synthesis, was remarkably increased, and that of peroxidase(POD), which degrades IAA, dropped markedly in CPF but not in CSF. Further, qRT-PCR results revealed that most of 31 PbrARFs (encoding auxin response factors) in Pyrus bretschneideri were highly expressed in CPF, whereas PbrARF4, PbrARF24 and PbrARF26 were significantly downregulated in CPF vis-a-vis CSF. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 6 PbrARFs clustered in the group III, where PbrARF4 showed the closest affinity with AtARF1 that promotes organ abscission, indicating a putative role of PbrARF4 in mediating the process of calyx shedding in pear. In fact, the ectopic overexpression of PbrARF4 in Solanum lycopersicum resulted in an earlier-formed and deeper abscission layer (AL) in the transgenic plants, whose calyxes were more prone to wilt at the mature red stage (MR) compared with the control plants (wild-type). More importantly, expression levels of the abscission genes SILS and Sl Cel2 in transgenic plants overexpressing PbrARF4 were significantly upregulated in comparation with the WT, whereas those of Sl BI and Sl TAPG2 were considerably inhibited. Further, PbrJOINTLESS and PbrIDA,the two genes related to calyx shedding in pear, were up-regulated more in CSF than CPF. The findings contribute to a better understanding of PbrARFs involved in fruitlet calyx shedding of pear, which could prove beneficial to improving the quality of pear fruit.

Therapeutic targeting of cellular prion protein: toward the development of dual mechanism anti-prion compounds

PrPSc,a misfolded,aggregation-prone isoform of the cellular prion protein(PrPC),is the infectious prion agent responsible for fatal neurodegenerative diseases of humans and other mammals.PrPSccan adopt different pathogenic conformations(prion strains),which can be resistant to potential drugs,or acquire drug resistance,posing challenges for the development of effective therapies.Since PrPCis the obligate precursor of any prion strain and serves as the mediator of prion neurotoxicity,it represents an attractive therapeutic target fo r prion diseases.In this minireview,we briefly outline the approaches to target PrPCand discuss our recent identification of Zn(Ⅱ)-Bn PyP,a PrPC-targeting porphyrin with an unprecedented bimodal mechanism of action.We argue that in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism by which Zn(Ⅱ)-Bn PyP targets PrPCmay lead toward the development of a new class of dual mechanism anti-prion compounds.

Numerical Simulations of the Flow Field around a Cylindrical Lightning Rod

As an important lightning protection device in substations,lightning rods are susceptible to vibration and potential structural damage under wind loads.In order to understand their vibration mechanism,it is necessary to conduct flow analysis.In this study,numerical simulations of the flow field around a 330 kV cylindrical lightning rod with different diameters were performed using the SST k-ωmodel.The flow patterns in different segments of the lightning rod at the same reference wind speed(wind speed at a height of 10 m)and the flow patterns in the same segment at different reference wind speeds were investigated.The variations of lift coefficient,drag coefficient,and vorticity distribution were obtained.The results showed that vortex shedding phenomena occurred in all segments of the lightning rod,and the strength of vortex shedding increased with decreasing diameter.The vorticity magnitude and the root mean square magnitudes of the lift coefficient and drag coefficient also increased accordingly.The time history curves of the lift coefficient and drag coefficient on the surface of the lightning rod exhibited sinusoidal patterns with a single dominant frequency.For the same segment,as the wind speed increased in a certain range,the root mean square values of the lift coefficient and drag coefficient decreased,while their dominant frequencies increased.Moreover,there was a proportional relationship between the dominant frequencies of the lift coefficient and drag coefficient.The findings of this study can provide valuable insights for the refined design of lightning rods with similar structures.

New Device Sheds Light on Mechanism,Efficacy of Arthritis Treatment

The debate over how one of the most popular osteoarthritis treatments should be federally regulated could change,thanks to a Cornell University study and a new device that provides a better understanding of the science behind hyaluronic acid(HA)injections.

FEAR OF TRYING A NEW LAW SHEDS LIGHT ON CHINA'S UNUSUALLY HIGH CONVICTION RATE

On August 9,Shandong became the first province in China to abolish performance evaluations based on the number of prosecutions and'cases solved'by police departments.Although the move is ostensibly intended to'redirect energy to public security,crime-prevention,and public assistance,'some lawyers hope it could also improve the'objectivity'of law enforcement in a country where police and prosecutors almost never fail to win in court.

Modeling ash deposition and shedding during oxy-combustion of coal/rice husk blends at 70%inlet O_(2)

Co-firing rice husk(RH)and coal with carbon capture using oxy-combustion presents a net carbon negative energy produc-tion opportunity.In addition,the high fusion temperature of the non-sticky,silica rich,RH can mitigate ash deposition as well as promote shedding of deposits.To identify the optimum operating conditions,fuel particle sizes,and blend ratios that minimize ash deposition,a Computational Fluid Dynamic methodology with add-on ash deposition and shedding models were employed to predict outer ash deposition and shedding rates during co-combustion of coal/RH in AIR and O2/CO_(2)(70/30 vol%,OXY70)oxidizer compositions.After ensuring that the fly-ash particle size distributions and particle Stokes numbers near the deposition surface were accurately represented(to model impaction),appropriate models for coal ash and RH ash viscosities that were accurate in the temperature region(1200-1300 K)of interest in this study were identified.A particle viscosity and kinetic energy(PKE)based capture criterion was enforced to model the ash capture.An erosion/shed-ding criterion that takes the deposit melt fraction and the energy consumed during particle impact into account was also implemented.Deposition rate predictions as well as the deposition rate enhancement(OXY70/AIR)were in good agreement with measured values.While the OXY70 scenario was associated with a significant reduction(60%-70%)in flue gas velocities,it also resulted in larger fly-ash particles.As a result,the PKE distributions of the erosive RH ash were similar in both scenarios and resulted in similar shedding rates.

从亚临界到临界雷诺数圆柱绕流和分离泡的大涡模拟

A large eddy simulation of wall-adapting local eddy-viscosity model(LES-WALE)is used to simulate the threedimensional flow around a circular cylinder with a diameter of 0.25 m from sub-critical to super-critical Reynolds numbers at 1×10^(5),2.5×10^(5),and 7.2×10^(5),respectively.The present results such as drag crisis,surface pressure distribution,and Strouhal number are in good agreement with the classical experimental data.When entering the critical region,a small plateau was found on the pressure distribution curves,corresponding to the appearance of laminar separation bubbles,and the separation point is delayed and the recirculation bubbles become narrowed and shortened.The tangential velocity of the cylinder surface changes from positive to negative at the separation point.The instantaneous vorticity and timeaveraging separation bubbles embody an unstable feature.Within the separation bubble,the pressure varies dramatically with time,but not with position.The surface pressure fluctuates greatly after the laminar separation bubble appears,and it is gradually stabilized until the basic pressure is reached.The process of laminar separation,transition from laminar flow to turbulent flow and turbulent reattachment is also shown.The three-dimensional Q criterion of vortex structure and the two-dimensional spanwise vorticity reveal the phenomenon that the wake structure narrows with the increase of the Reynolds number.

Discussion on the Main Reasons for a Large Number of Père David s Deer ( Elaphurus davidianus ) with Abnormal Antler Shedding

[Objectives]This study was conducted to find out the causes of abnormal antler shedding in Père David s deer(Elaphurus davidianus).[Methods]Abnormally-shed antlers were compared with normally-shed antlers in terms of light condition,antler development and bone nutritional status during the abnormal shedding season in the growth area of Père David s deer.[Results]Abnormally-shed antlers had no significant differences in the development of shed antlers,or even in the overall composition of antlers,from those of normal Père David s deer.[Conclusions]Insufficient light was the main cause of abnormal antler shedding in Père David s deer.

Optimal integration of solar home systems and appliance scheduling for residential homes under severe national load shedding

In developing countries like South Africa,users experienced more than 1030 hours of load shedding outages in just the first half of 2023 due to inadequate power supply from the national grid.Residential homes that cannot afford to take actions to mitigate the challenges of load shedding are severely inconvenienced as they have to reschedule their demand involuntarily.This study presents optimal strategies to guide households in determining suitable scheduling and sizing solutions for solar home systems to mitigate the inconvenience experienced by residents due to load shedding.To start with,we predict the load shedding stages that are used as input for the optimal strategies by using the K-Nearest Neighbour(KNN)algorithm.Based on an accurate forecast of the future load shedding patterns,we formulate the residents’inconvenience and the loss of power supply probability during load shedding as the objective function.When solving the multi-objective optimisation problem,four different strategies to fight against load shedding are identified,namely(1)optimal home appliance scheduling(HAS)under load shedding;(2)optimal HAS supported by solar panels;(3)optimal HAS supported by batteries,and(4)optimal HAS supported by the solar home system with both solar panels and batteries.Among these strategies,appliance scheduling with an optimally sized 9.6 kWh battery and a 2.74 kWp panel array of five 550 Wp panels,eliminates the loss of power supply probability and reduces the inconvenience by 92%when tested under the South African load shedding cases in 2023.

Evolution of Sedimentation in a Headrace Canal for Hydroelectric Production Case of the Shongo Basin of the Inga Complex from February 2020 to May 2021 (Kongo Central Province/DR Congo)

The headrace of the Inga hydropower complex is experiencing siltation problems, reducing the exploitable draft and limiting the production capacity of the two main Inga hydropower plants during the low water period. During the 2019 low water period, several sediment slumps occurred in the Shongo basin, disrupting the production of hydroelectric power generated by the Inga 1 & 2 power plant, resulting in massive load shedding of power supply to downstream customers. The cardinal aim of this study is to determine the quantities of sediments deposited and those eroded, in order to know the evolution of sedimentation in the Shongo basin from February 2020 to May 2021. The results obtained show that the running index of the generating units is determinant and influences the sedimentation process in the Shongo basin. The cleaning of the Shongo basin in terms of the spatial distribution of sedimentation from February 2020 to May 2021 is plausible.

Energy Efficiency in Periods of Load Shedding and Detrimental Effects of Energy Dependence in the City of Maroua, Cameroon

During the years 2021 and 2022, the city of Maroua experienced repeated power blackouts. However, this locality has significant photovoltaic energy potential. Nevertheless, the evaluation of the electrical performance showed the dependence of the population on these fluctuations, which could be bypassed or suppressed. In most cases, the blackout occurs during high energy demand. In this paper, a method for evaluating electrical efficiency is proposed and its credibility has been demonstrated on the one hand, and on the other hand, a renewable energy production system is proposed. The Homer software has made possible the analysis of the proposed system and its impact on the environment has also been carried out. The techno-economic study of the system has proved that a solar photovoltaic farm associated with an energy storage system, with a capacity of 47 MW, can meet the energy demand of the town of Maroua. This alternative is profitable for this locality which lives in a precarious situation and a continuous need.

Pilomatrixoma causing irreversible peripheral eyebrow shedding:A case report

Pilomatrixomas are benign tumors derived from hair stromal cells;however,their exact etiology is unknown.A 31-year-old woman presented with a subcutaneous mass located precisely above the left eyebrow,with shedding of eyebrow hair around the mass,and the shedding area gradually expanded.Surgical removal of the mass failed to prevent eyebrow loss,and the entire left eyebrow shed 6 months postoperatively.Pathology and histology of the biopsy specimen revealed a pilomatrixoma comprising basaloid cells and ghost cells,with basaloid cells expressing high bcl-2 levels.Instead of apoptosis,the emergence and growth of pilomatrixoma-induced microinflammation around the hair follicles of the eyebrow may lead to eyebrow loss.

Probability Distribution of SARS-Cov-2 (COVID) Infectivity Following Onset of Symptoms: Analysis from First Principles

The phasing out of protective measures by governments and public health agencies, despite continued seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic, leaves individuals who are concerned for their health with two basic options over which they have control: 1) minimize risk of infection by being vaccinated and by wearing a face mask when appropriate, and 2) minimize risk of transmission upon infection by self-isolating. For the latter to be effective, it is essential to have an accurate sense of the probability of infectivity as a function of time following the onset of symptoms. Epidemiological considerations suggest that the period of infectivity follows a lognormal distribution. This proposition is tested empirically by construction of the lognormal probability density function and cumulative distribution function based on quantiles of infectivity reported by several independent investigations. A comprehensive examination of a prototypical ideal clinical study, based on general statistical principles (the Principle of Maximum Entropy and the Central Limit Theorem) reveals that the probability of infectivity is a lognormal random variable. Subsequent evolution of new variants may change the parameters of the distribution, which can be updated by the methods in this paper, but the form of the probability function is expected to remain lognormal as this is the most probable distribution consistent with mathematical requirements and available information.

Vortex-Induced Vibrations of Two Cylinders in Tandem Arrangement at Low Reynolds Number

The objective of this study is to apply numerical methods to investigate the effects of the spacing on the vortex shedding of two elastically mounted cylinders in tandem arrangement. 2-D computational simulations are carried out at low Reynolds number of 100. The study utilized a commercial software ANSYS FLUENT to carry out the computational simulations. First, a number of test cases, including flows past one and two cylinders with predetermined motions, are simulated to evaluate the solver’s accuracy. The vortex shedding and hydrodynamic forces from the current findings and those from literature show good agreement, which supports the accuracy of the current solver. Multiple simulations were the performed for flow around two elastically mounted cylinders in tandem arrangement. The subsequent relative flow fields demonstrated that for a certain range of spacing, vortex shedding was completely eliminated while it remained completely unaffected or partially reduced for other ranges of spacing. This suggests that the spacing between the two cylinders can be utilized as a passive method of suppressing vortex shedding.

体外观察三种支架材料对人乳牙牙髓干细胞生物学行为的影响

目的:观察乳牙牙髓干细胞(SHEDs)在3种羟基磷灰石(HA)复合支架材料上黏附、增殖、分化情况。方法:利用正常替换的乳牙分离培养SHEDs,免疫组织化学法鉴定细胞来源,体外诱导实验观察细胞分化能力。将SHEDs分别接种在羟基磷灰石/β-磷酸三钙(HA/TCP),羟基磷灰石/胶原(HA/COL)和羟基磷灰石/聚乙丙交酯(HA/PLGA)支架材料上复合培养,于4、6、8、10 h 4个时间点检测各细胞黏附率,MTT比色法检测SHEDs增殖情况;碱性磷酸酶(ALP)活性检测、能谱分析钙含量;Von Kossa染色和灰度扫描细胞矿化能力。结果:SHEDs在HA/COL上的黏附少于HA/PLGA和HA/TCP(P<0.05);HA/PLGA对SHEDs矿化诱导能力最强,其次是HA/TCP,HA/COL最弱。结论:SHEDs在HA/PLGA上的黏附率、增殖率及矿化能力优于HA/TCP和HA/COL。