Impact of spatially varying rock disturbance on rock slope stability

Degradation of rock mass produced by rock blasting,stress relief,and other causes is an important factor in the assessment of rock strength.Quantified as a disturbance factor,such degradation varies depending on blasting control,stress state and stress relief,and rock mass quality.This study focuses on the impact of disturbance on the safety of slopes.The disturbance in the rock mass is characterized by the geometry of the disturbed zone,its size,the magnitude,and the decaying rate with the distance away from the slope surface.A method accounting for decay of rock disturbance is presented.A study of the impact of rock disturbance characteristics on the quantitative stability measures of slopes was carried out.These characteristics included disturbed zone geometry,its thickness,the maximum magnitude of the disturbance factor,and the rate of disturbance decaying.The thickness of the disturbed zone and the maximum factor of disturbance were found to have the greatest impact.For example,the factor of safety for a 45slope in low-quality rock mass can decrease from 1.96 to 1.09 as the thickness of the disturbed zone increases from 1/4 of slope height H to the double of H and the maximum disturbance factor increases from 0.5 to 1.Uniform thickness of a disturbed zone was found to yield more conservative outcomes than the triangular zones did.The critical failure surfaces were found to be shallow for high rates of disturbance decay,and they were the deepest for spatially uniform disturbance factors.

The influence of inter-band rock on rib spalling in longwall panel with large mining height

In order to improve rib stability,failure criteria and instability mode of a thick coal seam with inter-band rock layer are analysed in this study.A three-dimensional mechanical model is established for the rib by considering the rock layer.A safety factor is defined foy the rib,and it is observed that the safety factor exhibits a positive correlation with the thickness and strength of the inter-band rock.A calculation method for determining critical parameters of the rock layer is presented to ensure the rib stability.It is revealed that incomplete propagation of the fracture at the hard rock constitutes a fundamental prerequisite for ensuring the rib stability.The influence of the position of the inter-band rock in the coal seam on failure mechanism of the rib was thoroughly investigated by developing a series of physical models for the rib at the face area.The best position for the inter-band rock in the coal seam is at a height of 1.5 m away from the roof line,which tends to provide a good stability state for the rib.For different inter-band rock positions,two ways of controlling rib by increasing supports stiffness and flexible grouting reinforcement are proposed.

Effect of eccentric and inclined loading on the bearing capacity of strip footing placed on rock mass

This paper deals with the bearing capacity determination of strip footing on a rock mass in hilly area by considering the influence of inclined and eccentric loading. Applying the generalized HoekBrown failure criterion, the failure behavior of the rock mass is modeled with the help of the power cone programming in the lower bound finite element limit analysis framework. Using bearing capacity factor(Ns), the change in bearing capacity of the strip footing due to the occurrence of eccentrically inclined loading is presented. The variations of the magnitude of Ns are obtained by examining the effects of the Hoek-Brown rock mass strength parameters(uniaxial compressive strength(sci), disturbance factor(D), rock parameter(mi), and Geological Strength Index(GSI)) in the presence of different magnitudes of eccentricity(e) and inclination angle(λ) with respect to the vertical plane, and presented as design charts. Both the inclined loading modes, i.e., inclination towards the center of strip footing(+λ) and inclination away from the center of strip footing(-λ), are adopted to perform the investigation. In addition, the correlation between the input parameters and the corresponding output is developed by utilizing the artificial neural network(ANN). Additionally, from sensitivity analysis, it is observed that inclination angle(λ) is the most sensitive parameter. For practicing engineers, the obtained design equation and design charts can be beneficial to understand the bearing capacity variation in the existence of eccentrically inclined loading in mountain areas.

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.

Proper interpretation of sectional analysis results

Displacement control algorithms commonly used to evaluate axial force-bending moment(PM)diagrams may lead to incorrect interpretations of the strength envelopes for asymmetric sections.This paper aims to offer valuable insights by comparing existing displacement control algorithms with a newly proposed force control algorithm.The main focus is on the PM diagrams of three example sections that exhibit varying degrees of asymmetry.The comparative study indicates that conventional displacement control algorithms inevitably introduce non-zero out-of-plane bending moments.The reported PM diagram in such cases erroneously neglects the out-of-plane moment and fails to represent the strength envelope accurately.This oversight results in significant and unconservative errors when verifying the strength of asymmetric sections.

Performance Limits and Advancements in Single 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Transistor

Two-dimensional(2D)transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDs)allow for atomic-scale manipulation,challenging the conventional limitations of semiconductor materials.This capability may overcome the short-channel effect,sparking significant advancements in electronic devices that utilize 2D TMDs.Exploring the dimension and performance limits of transistors based on 2D TMDs has gained substantial importance.This review provides a comprehensive investigation into these limits of the single 2D-TMD transistor.It delves into the impacts of miniaturization,including the reduction of channel length,gate length,source/drain contact length,and dielectric thickness on transistor operation and performance.In addition,this review provides a detailed analysis of performance parameters such as source/drain contact resistance,subthreshold swing,hysteresis loop,carrier mobility,on/off ratio,and the development of p-type and single logic transistors.This review details the two logical expressions of the single 2D-TMD logic transistor,including current and voltage.It also emphasizes the role of 2D TMD-based transistors as memory devices,focusing on enhancing memory operation speed,endurance,data retention,and extinction ratio,as well as reducing energy consumption in memory devices functioning as artificial synapses.This review demonstrates the two calculating methods for dynamic energy consumption of 2D synaptic devices.This review not only summarizes the current state of the art in this field but also highlights potential future research directions and applications.It underscores the anticipated challenges,opportunities,and potential solutions in navigating the dimension and performance boundaries of 2D transistors.

A Stroke-Limitation AMD Control System with Variable Gain and Limited Area for High-Rise Buildings

Collisions between a moving mass and an anti-collision device increase structural responses and threaten structural safety.An active mass damper(AMD)with stroke limitations is often used to avoid collisions.However,a strokelimited AMD control system with a fixed limited area shortens the available AMD stroke and leads to significant control power.To solve this problem,the design approach with variable gain and limited area(VGLA)is proposed in this study.First,the boundary of variable-limited areas is calculated based on the real-time status of the moving mass.The variable gain(VG)expression at the variable limited area is deduced by considering the saturation of AMD stroke.Then,numerical simulations of a stroke-limited AMD control system with VGLA are conducted on a high-rise building structure.These numerical simulations show that the proposed approach has superior strokelimitation performance compared with a stroke-limited AMD control system with a fixed limited area.Finally,the proposed approach is validated through experiments on a four-story steel frame.

Seismic-induced surficial failure of cohesive slopes using three-dimensional limit analysis:A case study of the Wangjiayan landslide in Beichuan, China

A seismic-induced landslide is a common geological catastrophe that occurs in nature.The Wangjiayan landslide,which was triggered by the Wenchuan earthquake,is a typical case in point.The Wanjiayan landslide caused many casualties and resulted in enormous property loss.This study constructs a simple surficial failure model based on the upper bound approach of three-dimensional(3D)limit analysis to evaluate the slope stability of the Wangjiayan case,while a traditional two-dimensional(2D)analysis is also conducted as a reference for comparison with the results of the 3D analysis.A quasi-static calculation is used to study the effect of the earthquake in terms of horizontal ground acceleration,while a parametric study is conducted to evaluate the critical cohesion of slopes.Rather than employing a 3D analysis,using the 2D analysis yields an underestimation regarding the safety factor.In the Wangjiayan landslide,the difference in the factors of safety between the 3D and 2D analyses can reach 20%.The sliding surface morphology as determined by the 3D method is similar to actual morphology,and the parameters of both are also compared to analyze the reliability of the proposed 3D method.

Supplementary Information to“Balancing the quantum speed limit and instantaneous energy cost in adiabatic quantum evolution”

I.SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE 1:THEORETICAL MATERIALS.The quantum speed limit(QSL)is essential for quantum computing and quantum communication,referring to the minimum time required for a quantum system to evolve from one state to another.Two well-known forms of the QSL are the Mandelstam-Tamm(MT)relation TqsL≥πh/2△E[S1]and the Margolus-Levitin(ML)relation TqsL≥πh/2(E)[S2]where Tqst is denoted as the QSL time,h is the reduced Planck's constant,△E is the energy uncertainty(standard deviation)of the system,and(E)is the average energy of the system above its ground state.Both of relations provide a lower bound on the evolution time.

Roof collapse mechanism of weak surrounding rock for deep-buried tunnels under high geostress conditions

High geostress,a typical attribute of tunnels located at significant depths,is crucial in causing stress-induced failure and influencing the stability of the tunnel crown.This study developed an analytical method for the failure mechanism that occurs in deep-buried tunnel roofs,taking into account the influence of geostress.The limit analysis theory was utilized for deriving analytical solutions about the geometry of the collapsing surface and the limit supporting pressure.The collapsing surface obtained by the analytical solution was validated by the findings of the physical model test,which shows a high level of agreement with the actual one.An extensive investigation was done to explore the effects of the lateral pressure coefficients,the tunnel buried depth,the geological conditions of the surrounding rock,the long-short axis ratio,and the size of the tunnel profile.The findings indicate that an increase in the lateral pressure coefficient from 0.5 to 1.5 results in a reduction in the height of the collapsing zone by 2.08 m and the width of the collapsing zone by 1.15 m,while simultaneously increases the limit supporting pressure by 18.9%.The proposed upper bound method accurately determines the limit supporting pressure and the geometry of the collapsing surface,which aligns well with the results acquired through numerical modelling and on-site monitoring in actual engineering applications.The proposed analytical method can serve as a reference for similar crown failure issues of deep-buried tunnels.

Cosmology-Independent Photon Mass Limits from Localized Fast Radio Bursts by Using Artificial Neural Networks

A hypothetical photon mass m_(γ) can produce a frequency-dependent vacuum dispersion of light, which leads to an additional time delay between photons with different frequencies when they propagate through a fixed distance. The dispersion measure and redshift measurements of fast radio bursts(FRBs) have been widely used to constrain the rest mass of the photon. However, all current studies analyzed the effect of the frequency-dependent dispersion for massive photons in the standard ΛCDM cosmological context. In order to alleviate the circularity problem induced by the presumption of a specific cosmological model based on the fundamental postulate of the masslessness of photons, here we employ a new model-independent smoothing technique, artificial neural network(ANN), to reconstruct the Hubble parameter H(z) function from 34 cosmic-chronometer measurements.By combining observations of 32 well-localized FRBs and the H(z) function reconstructed by ANN, we obtain an upper limit of m_(γ) ≤ 3.5 × 10^(-51)kg, or equivalently m_(γ) ≤ 2.0 × 10^(-15)eV/c^(2)(m_(γ) ≤ 6.5 × 10^(-51)kg, or equivalently m_(γ) ≤ 3.6 × 10^(-15)eV/c_(2)) at the 1σ(2σ) confidence level. This is the first cosmology-independent photon mass limit derived from extragalactic sources.

THE LIMIT CYCLE BIFURCATIONS OF A WHIRLING PENDULUM WITH PIECEWISE SMOOTH PERTURBATIONS

This paper deals with the problem of limit cycles for the whirling pendulum equation x=y,y=sin x(cosx-r)under piecewise smooth perturbations of polynomials of cos x,sin x and y of degree n with the switching line x=0.The upper bounds of the number of limit cycles in both the oscillatory and the rotary regions are obtained using the Picard-Fuchs equations,which the generating functions of the associated first order Melnikov functions satisfy.Furthermore,the exact bound of a special case is given using the Chebyshev system.At the end,some numerical simulations are given to illustrate the existence of limit cycles.

Proteomic response of Phaeocystis globosa to nitrogen limitation

Phaeocystis globosa is an important unicellular eukaryotic alga that can also form colonies.P.globosa can cause massive harmful algal blooms and plays an important role in the global carbon or sulfur cycling.Thus far,the ecophysiology of P.globosa has been investigated by numerous studies.However,the proteomic response of P.globosa to nitrogen depletion remains largely unknown.We compared four protein preparation methods of P.globosa for two-dimensional electrophoresis(2-DE)(Urea/Triton X-100 with trichloroacetic acid(TCA)/acetone precipitation;TCA/acetone precipitation;Radio Immuno Precipitation Assay(RIPA)with TCA/acetone precipitation;and Tris buffer).Results show that the combination of RIPA with TCA/acetone precipitation had a clear gel background and showed the best protein spot separation effect,based on which the proteomic response to nitrogen depletion was studied using 2-DE.In addition,we identified six differentially expressed proteins whose relative abundance increased or decreased more than 1.5-fold(P<0.05).Most proteins could not be identified,which might be attributed to the lack of genomic sequences of P.globosa.Under nitrogen limitation,replication protein-like,RNA ligase,and sn-glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were reduced,which may decrease the DNA replication level and ATP production in P.globosa cells.The increase of endonucleaseⅢand transcriptional regulator enzyme may affect the metabolic and antioxidant function of P.globosa cells and induce cell apoptosis.These findings provide a basis for further proteomic study of P.globosa and the optimization of protein preparation methods of marine microalgae.

THE EXTREMES OF DEPENDENT CHI-PROCESSES ATTRACTED BY THE BROWN-RESNICK PROCESS

Motivated by some recent works on the topic of the Brown-Resnick process, we study the functional limit theorem for normalized pointwise maxima of dependent chi-processes. It is proven that the properly normalized pointwise maxima of those processes are attracted by the Brown-Resnick process.

Enhanced measurement precision with continuous interrogation during dynamical decoupling

Dynamical decoupling(DD)is normally ineffective when applied to DC measurement.In its straightforward implementation,DD nulls out DC signal as well while suppressing noise.This work proposes a phase relay method that is capable of continuously interrogating the DC signal over many DD cycles.We illustrate its efficacy when applied to the measurement of a weak DC magnetic field with an atomic spinor Bose-Einstein condensate.Sensitivities approaching standard quantum limit or Heisenberg limit are potentially realizable for a coherent spin state or a squeezed spin state of 10000 atoms,respectively,while ambient laboratory level noise is suppressed by DD.Our work offers a practical approach to mitigate the limitations of DD to DC measurement and would find other applications for resorting coherence in quantum sensing and quantum information processing research.

The impact of toroidal mode coupling on high-density discharges in J-TEXT

Density limit has long been a widely studied issue influencing the operating range of tokamaks.The rapid growth of the m/n=2/1(where m and n are poloidal and toroidal mode numbers,respectively)tearing mode is generally regarded as a primary precursor to the density limit disruption.In this experiment,the coupling of the m/n=1/1 mode and the m/n=2/1 mode in highdensity plasma was observed.During a sawtooth cycle,the frequencies of the two modes gradually converge until they become equal.After that,toroidal coupling occurs between the 1/1 and 2/1 modes,resulting in a mutually fixed phase relationship.With the occurrence of toroidal coupling,the 2/1 mode is stabilized.Prior to the disruption,the cessation of the 1/1 and 2/1 mode coupling,along with the rapid growth in the amplitude of the 2/1 mode,can be observed.Additionally,under the same parameters,comparing discharges with or without the 1/1 mode,it is found that the presence of the 1/1 mode leads to higher plasma density and temperature parameters.

Exploring device physics of perovskite solar cell via machine learning with limited samples

Perovskite solar cells(PsCs)have developed tremendously over the past decade.However,the key factors influencing the power conversion efficiency(PCE)of PSCs remain incompletely understood,due to the complexity and coupling of these structural and compositional parameters.In this research,we demon-strate an effective approach to optimize PSCs performance via machine learning(ML).To address chal-lenges posed by limited samples,we propose a feature mask(FM)method,which augments training samples through feature transformation rather than synthetic data.Using this approach,squeeze-and-excitation residual network(SEResNet)model achieves an accuracy with a root-mean-square-error(RMSE)of 0.833%and a Pearson's correlation coefficient(r)of 0.980.Furthermore,we employ the permu-tation importance(PI)algorithm to investigate key features for PCE.Subsequently,we predict PCE through high-throughput screenings,in which we study the relationship between PCE and chemical com-positions.After that,we conduct experiments to validate the consistency between predicted results by ML and experimental results.In this work,ML demonstrates the capability to predict device performance,extract key parameters from complex systems,and accelerate the transition from laboratory findings to commercialapplications.

Ion-acoustic waves with non-planar wavefronts

The ion-acoustic(IA) mode exhibiting various orbital angular momentum(OAM) states is examined in a plasma with drifting electrons.The constituent plasma species are modeled with a non-gyrotropic Maxwellian distribution and discussion of dispersion relation and growth rate of twisted IA waves under various conditions is presented.In the domain of kinetic model,the twisted IA waves are characterized by Laguerre-Gaussian(LG) solutions,where plasma distribution function and electric field are decomposed into axial and azimuthal components.The plasma response function is obtained under paraxial approximations and investigated for threshold condition of instability growth rate with helical electric field structures.The impact of an extra electron specie on the instability is demonstrated through a comparison of twisted waves for single and double electron species.

Effects of nutrient limitations on the sinking velocity of Thalassiosira weissflogii

The sinking of diatoms is critic al to the formation of oceanic biological pumps and coastal hypoxic zones.However,little is known about the effects of different nutrient restrictions on diatom sinking.In this study,we measured the sinking velocity(SV) of Thalassiosira weissflogii using a new phytoplankton video observation instrument and analyzed major biochemical components under varying nutrient conditions.Our results showed that the SV of T.weissflogii under different nutrient limitation conditions varied substantially.The highest SV of(1.77±0.02) m/d was obtained under nitrate limitation,signific antly surpassing that under phosphate limitation at(0.98±0.13) m/d.As the nutrient limitation was released,the SV steadily decreased to(0.32±0.03) m/d and(0.15±0.05) m/d,respectively.Notably;under conditions with limited nitrate and phosphate concentrations,the SV values of T.weissflogii significantly positively correlated with the lipid content(P <0.001),with R^(2) values of 0.86 and 0.69,respectively.The change of the phytoplankton SV was primarily related to the intracellular compo sition,which is controlled by nutrient conditions but did not significantly correlate with transparent extracellular polymer and biosilica contents.The results of this study help to understand the regulation of the vertical sinking process of diatoms by nutrient restriction and provide new insights into phytoplankton dynamics and their relationship with the marine nutrient structure.

Role of intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography in intracoronary imaging for coronary artery disease:a systematic review

Coronary angiography has long been the standard for coronary imaging,but it has limitations in assessing vessel wall anatomy and guiding percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Intracoronary imaging techniques like intravascular ultrasound(IVUS)and optical coherence tomography(OCT)can overcome these limitations.IVUS uses ultrasound and OCT uses near-infrared light to visualize coronary pathology in unique ways due to differences in temporal and spatial resolution.These techniques have evolved to offer clinical utility in plaque characterization and vessel assessment during PCI.Meta-analyses and adjusted observational studies suggest that both IVUS and OCT-guided PCI correlate with reduced cardiovascular risks compared to angiographic guidance alone.While IVUS demonstrates consistent clinical outcome benefits,OCT evidence is less robust.IVUS has progressed from early motion detection to high-resolution systems,with smaller compatible catheters.OCT utilizes near infrared light to achieve unparalleled resolutions,but requires temporary blood clearance for optimal imaging.Enhanced visualization and guidance make IVUS and OCT well-suited for higher risk PCI in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease by allowing detailed visualization of complex lesions and ensuring optimal stent deployment and positioning in PCI for patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease,improving outcomes.IVUS and recent advancements in zero-and low-contrast OCT techniques can reduce nephrotoxic contrast exposure,thus helping to minimize PCI complications in these high-risk patient groups.IVUS and OCT provide valuable insights into coronary pathophysiology and guide interventions precisely compared to angiography alone.Both have comparable clinical outcomes,emphasizing the need for tailored imaging choices based on clinical scenarios.Continued refinement and integration of intravascular imaging will likely play a pivotal role in optimizing coronary interventions and outcomes.This systematic review aims to delve into the nuances of IVUS and OCT,highlighting their strengths and limitations as PCI adjuncts.