Is the Cape Stone Forest in Shantou City formed by wave erosion? A comparison of the pedestal rocks on the coasts and the mountains of Queshi in eastern Guangdong, China

Cape Stone Forest is a group of granite rock pillars(pedestal rocks) towering over Shilin Lake, on the southern shore of Shantou Bay in eastern Guangdong, China. The rock pillars were previously identified as sea stacks because they have marine notch-like concave sidewalls at their base, and more importantly, the lake is immediately adjacent to the bay, which is exposed to the open sea. However, rock pillars similar in shape and size can also be found at the top of Queshi Mountain, which is only about 300 meters northwest of the lake and about 85 meters above sea level. Therefore, the marine origin of Cape Stone Forest is seriously questioned. In this study, 3D imagery and drone technology were used to collect data in the investigations without direct manual measurements in the water or on the mountain. It shows that the concave sidewalls of the rock pillars in the lake and on the mountains occur at different heights and are exposed to different directions, while a natural sea stack on Mayu Island at the mouth of Shantou Bay has a horizontal notch parallel to the sea level, although the granite rock of the sea stack is the same as that of the lake and the mountains. The eastern side of the island, where the sea stack is located, is exposed to the open sea but blocks large waves for the rock pillars in the lake. Therefore, the origin of Cape Stone Forest cannot be explained by wave-based mechanisms. The only satisfactory explanation that takes into account all the field evidence is that the narrow rock pillars of the lake and mountain were formed by chemical weathering that penetrated closely the spaced joints of the granite rock, and the notch-like concave sidewalls were formed by more effective chemical weathering at the base of the pillars.

Insights and implications from the study on meniscus reconstruction using tendon autograft

This letter addresses the recent study by Zhu et al on the predictive factors for coronal and sagittal graft extrusion length following medial meniscus reconstruction using tendon autografts.The study provides valuable insights into the importance of preoperative joint space width and tunnel positioning as predictors of graft extrusion.Specifically,it found strong correlations between preoperative joint space width and medial,posterior,and mean graft extrusion at both 1 week and 8 months post-operation.Additionally,tunnel edge distance at 1 week postoperation correlated with anterior and posterior graft extrusion.These findings offer critical guidance for improving surgical outcomes.However,the letter highlights the need for further research with larger sample sizes and comparative studies involving different graft types to strengthen these findings and broaden their applicability in clinical settings.The study's contributions to understanding meniscus reconstruction using tendon autografts are acknowledged,along with suggestions for future research directions.

Progress of International Meridian Circle Program

In 2024,the Chinese Meridian Project(CMP)completed its construction,deploying 282 instruments across 31 stations.This achievement not only provides a robust foundation but also serves as a reference template for the International Meridian Circle Program(IMCP).The IMCP aims to integrate and establish a comprehensive network of ground-based monitoring stations designed to track the propagation of space weather events from the Sun to Earth.Additionally,it monitors various disturbances generated within the Earth system that impact geospace.Over the past two years,significant progress has been made on the IMCP.In particular,the second phase of construction for the China-Brazil Joint Laboratory for Space Weather has been completed,and the North Pole and Southeast Asia networks are under active construction.The 2024 IMCP joint observation campaign was successfully conducted.To facilitate these developments,the scientific program committee of IMCP was established,following the success of 2023 IMCP workshop and the space weather school,which was co-hosted with the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization(APSCO)and sponsored by Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)and Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics(SCOSTEP).Preparations are now underway for the 2024 workshop in collaboration with the National Institute for Space Research(INPE)in Brazil.

Simultaneous effects of joint spacing and joint orientation on the penetration rate of a single disc cutter

This paper describes the influence of joint spacing and joint orientation on the penetration rate of a Tunnel Boring Machine （TBM） disc cutter as modeled by the Discrete Element Method （DEM）. The input data for the siLmulations were obtained from the sandstone along the AIborz tunnel that is currently being excavated in Iran using a 5.2 m diameter open TBM. Three joint spacings, 150, 200, and 300 mm, were modeled together with seven values of joint orientation; 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°. The results show that the penetration increases when joint orientation increases from 0° to 75°, but it decreases as the joint orientation increases further from 75° to 90°. This is true for each joint spacing. In addition, for a given joint orientation increasing the joint spacing causes the TBM penetration to decrease. The optimum joint orientation, from the viewpoint of TBM penetration, is about 60-75°.

Orthodontic retreatment of an adult woman with mandibular backward positioning and temporomandibular joint disorder:A case report

BACKGROUND The role of occlusal factors on the occurrence of temporomandibular joint disorders(TMDs)is still unclear and it is tricky for orthodontists to treat malocclusions in patients with TMDs.We report the case of the second orthodontic treatment of an adult female with Class II division 2 malocclusion associated with TMD.With the removal of anterior occlusal interference,TMD symptoms were alleviated and cone beam computed tomography(CBCT)images showed the bilateral condyles shifted forward.CASE SUMMARY This case report presented an orthodontic retreatment of an adult female with TMD and mandibular backward positioning based on CBCT examination and Joint Space Index(JSI)analysis.The left and right JSI values of-38.5 and-52.6 indicated that the position of bilateral condyles had posterior displacement.Ten years prior to this evaluation,she underwent orthodontic treatment resulting in the extraction of two upper premolars and one lower central incisor.The joint symptoms,including pain and sounds,were alleviated along with verified mandibular forward repositioning by extraction of another lower central incisor.CONCLUSION Mandibular backward positioning could be associated with TMD.JSI analysis based on CBCT is a convenient way to examine condylar positions quantitatively.

Joint space compliance control for a hydraulic quadruped robot based on force feedback

In the realm of quadruped robot locomotion,compliance control is imperative to handle impacts when negotiating unstructured terrains.At the same time,kinematic tracking accuracy should be guaranteed during locomotion.To meet both demands,ajoint space compliance controller is designed,so that compliance can be achieved in stance phase while position tracking performance can be guaranteed in swing phase.Unlike operational space compliance control,the joint space compliance control method is easy to implement and does not depend on robot dynamics.As for each joint actuator,high performance force control is of great importance for compliance design.Therefore,a nonlinear PI controller based on feedback linearization is proposed for the hydraulic actuator force control.Besides,an outer position loop（compliance loop）is closed for each joint.Experiments are carried out to verify the force controller and compliance of the hydraulic actuator.The robot leg compliance is assessed by a virtual prototyping simulation.

Motion planning for redundant prismatic-jointed manipulators in the free-floating mode

This paper investigates the motion planning of redundant free-floating manipulators with seven prismatic joints. On the earth, prismatic-jointed manipulators could only position their end-effectors in a desired way. However, in space, the end-effectors of free-floating manipulators can achieve both the desired orientation and desired position due to the dynamical coupling between manipulator and satellite movement, which is formally expressed by linear and angular momentum conservation laws. In this study, a tractable algorithm particle swarm optimization combined with differential evolution （PSODE） is provided to deal with the motion planning of redundant free-floating prismatic-jointed manipulators, which could avoid the pseudo inverse of the Jacobian matrix. The polynomial functions, as argument in sine functions are used to specify the joint paths. The co- efficients of the polynomials are optimized to achieve the desired end-effector orientation and position, and simulta- neously minimize the unit-mass-kinetic energy using the redundancy. Relevant simulations prove that this method pro- vides satisfactory smooth paths for redundant free-floating prismatic-jointed manipulators. This study could help to recognize the advantages of redundant prismatic-jointed space manipulators.

Joint Angle Correction in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Its Reliability Analysis Based on Phase Dispersion Quantification

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a form of autoimmune disease characterized by synovitis that can ultimately cause joint deformities and impaired functioning. The cartilage destruction is one of the most important indicators for diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, and it is radiographically manifested as joint space narrowing. Issue: In the literature, the joint space narrowing progression between a baseline and its follow-up finger joint images can be quantified by using image registration algorithm. We found that the inconsistencies of joint angles may lead to characteristic mismatches and thus severely affect the accuracy of joint space narrowing quantifications. Methods: In this work, we introduce a rotation invariant phase only correlation in joint space narrowing quantification for the joint angle correction. Further, we propose a confidence index to quantify the quantification reliability of phase only correlation based on phase dispersion in phase difference spectrum. Conclusion: In our clinical experiments, the proposed quantification method can effectively overcome and manage the mismatch due to the inconsistency of joint angles. Additionally, the confidence index shows a high consistency with the joint space narrowing progression examinations manually done by a trained radiologist and one radiological technologist.

Discontinuities effect on drilling condition and performance of selected rocks in Nigeria

The study examined joint discontinuity spacing effect on drilling condition and performance in selected rocks in llorin and Ibese areas, Nigeria. Five samples for each rock type （gneiss and limestone） were tested in the laboratory for chemical, physical and mechanical properties. Dip direction and joint spacing were measured using compass clinometers. The chemical composition was determined using X-ray Fluores- cence （XRF） spectrometer. The results show that gneiss has SiO2 of 61.88g and limestone has CaO content of 52.3g. The average dry density of gneiss and limestone are 2.6 and 2.39 g/cm^3, respectively. The uniaxial compressive strength of gneiss and limestone are 195 and 93.83 MPa, respectively. These rocks are classified as strong and moderately strong rock. Gneiss and limestone have mean joint discontinuity spacing of 0.79 and 0.25 m, which classified them as moderate and wide joint spacing respectively. Joint spacing was correlated with specific energy, bit wear and uniaxial compressive using Statistical Package for Social Science （SPSS）. The regression model has multiple coefficient of correlation of R^2 = 0.791 and R^2 =0.995 for gneiss and limestone, respectively. The variation in joint spacing could be attributed to spe- cific energy, bit wear and uniaxial compressive strength which affect drilling condition and performance. Ultimately, as joint spacing gets closer, the drilling velocity increases, drill string will be stable.

Key technologies and risk management of deep tunnel construction at Jinping Ⅱ hydropower station

Tunneling in complex rock mass conditions is a challenging task, especially in the Himalayan terrain, where a number of unpredicted conditions are reported. Rock joint parameters such as persistence, spacing and shear strength are the factors which significantly modify the working environments in the vicinity of the openings. Therefore, a detailed tunnel stability assessment is critically important based on the field data collection on the excavated tunnel＇s face. In this context, intact as well as rock mass strength and deformation modulus is obtained from laboratory tests for each rock type encountered in the study area. Finite element method（FEM） is used for stability analysis purpose by parametrically varying rock joint persistence, spacing and shear strength parameters, until the condition of overbreak is reached. Another case of marginally stable condition is also obtained based on the same parameters. The results show that stability of tunnels is highly influenced by these parameters and the size of overbreak is controlled by joint persistence and spacing. Garnetiferous schist and slate characterized using high persistence show the development of large plastic zones but small block size, depending upon joint spacing; whereas low persistence, low spacing and low shear strength in marble and quartzite create rock block fall condition.

LDPC Coding Scheme for Improving the Reliability of Multi-Level-Cell NAND Flash Memory in Radiation Environments

Utilizing commercial off-the-shelf(COTS) components in satellites has received much attention due to the low cost. However, commercial memories suffer severe reliability problems in radiation environments. This paper studies the low-density parity-check(LDPC) coding scheme for improving the reliability of multi-level-cell(MLC) NAND Flash memory in radiation environments. Firstly, based on existing physical experiment works, we introduce a new error model for heavyion irradiations; secondly, we explore the optimization of writing voltage allocation to maximize the capacity of the storage channel; thirdly, we design the degree distribution of LDPC codes that is specially suitable for the proposed model; finally, we propose a joint detection-decoding scheme based on LDPC codes, which estimates the storage channel state and executes an adaptive log-likelihood ratio(LLR) calculation to achieve better performance. Simulation results show that, compared with the conventional LDPC coding scheme, the proposed scheme may almost double the lifetime of the MLC NAND Flash memory in radiation environments.

CT Scan of the Foot in Patients with Chronic Non-Healing Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease where there is an increased blood sugar level in the body which is either caused due to inability of the pancreas to secrete insulin or the body’s inability to utilize it. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is growing rapidly worldwide. Statistics show that in the year 2014, there were a total of 422 million cases of DM. Diabetes mellitus is a major cause of heart attacks, kidney failure, blindness and leg amputations. Diabetic foot ulcers are quite common and are estimated to affect nearly 15% of all diabetic patients during their lifetime. In long standing diabetic patients with chronic non-healing ulcers, bony changes or deformities are not uncommon. These bony changes can be identified using CT scans. Materials and Methods: An observational study was conducted on a total of 40 patients with chronic non-healing ulcer attending the surgery outpatient department of Saveetha Medical College, Chennai, Tamilnadu. The CT-scans of their foot were observed for deformities or bony changes. Results: Out of 40 patients, 67.5% were males and 32.5% were females. A maximum number of subjects fell under the age group of 51 - 60 years. The most common site of the ulcer was found to be in the plantar surface of big toe (53%). Among the 40 patients, 33 of them were found to have bony abnormalities on the CT scan of foot and no apparent changes were seen in the rest. Bone erosions (35%), osteopenic changes (22.5%), Charcot’s joint (2.5%), osteophyte formation (12.5) and reduced joint space (10%) were the predominant changes observed on the CT scans of the study population.

New variables for measuring joint space width to evaluate knee osteoarthritis

Assessing the radiographic features of knee osteoarthritis （OA）, especially joint space narrowing, is important for evaluating disease progression. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively analyze joint space narrowing by measuring 2 new variables： the average joint space width （aJSW） and the articulate angle （AA） on X-ray films, and to evaluate the relationship between the 2 variables, knee function and OA symptoms. Methods Using the web-based radiology viewer （Cedara I-ReachTM 4.1.1）, we measured the 2 variables in 50 knees of 41 patients with knee OA participating in the Shanghai OA Study. We also evaluated the Kellgren-Lawrence （K-L） grade, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index （WOMAC）, and additional questionnaire in OA knees. The study was approved by the ethics committee of Shanghai Ninth People＇s Hospital （No. 2009-28）. Results The aJSW correlated with the K-L grade （r=-0.57, P 〈0.001）, kneeling （r=-0.29, P=0.04）, sitting cross-legged on the floor （r=-0.31, P=0.03）, WOMAC pain （r=-0.31, P=0.03）, WOMAC disability （r=-0.35, P=0.01）, pain while squatting （r=-0.37, P=0.01）, and defecating in a squatting position （r=-0.39, P= 0.01）. The AA correlated with defecating in a squatting position （r=0.29, P=0.05）, WOMAC disability （r=0.30, P=0.04） and K-L grade （r=0.44, P=0.003）. The K-L grade also correlated with pain while squatting （r=-0.40, P=0.005） and defecating in a squatting position （r=-0.34, P=0.02）, WOMAC pain （r=0.30, P=0.04）, and WOMAC disability （r=0.30, P=0.04）. Conclusions The aJSW closely correlated with knee OA symptoms and function scores, and was more sensitive to knee OA related disabilities than K-L grade and the AA. The aJSW could be used as a new variable for knee OA evaluation.

High intensity resistance training as intervention method to knee osteoarthritis

High intensity resistance training(HI-RT)is a treatment option for Knee Osteoarthritis(KOA).Isotonic machines(leg press,leg extension)are utilized for standardization and reproducibility reasons,but the load used during the protocol is often low,considering that elder people usually have low strength levels,training so with high in-tensities calculated on low loads.The physiological response of an elder woman trained with high loads on a free weight exercise,the regular barbell deadlift,with a 1 Repetition Maximum(1RM)of 100 kg,can be appreciated in this report,so that for the first time we can see the effect of a one year of high intensity resistance training program on a powerlifting exercise on a 72 year-old woman with KOA.A Western Ontario and McMaster Uni-versities Arthritis Index(WOMAC)questionnaire was administered before starting the training program(T0)and after 1 year of training,as long as a control RX,to evaluate the effect of HI-RT on joint functionality and quality of life.