Additively manufactured Ti–Ta–Cu alloys for the next-generation load-bearing implants

Bacterial colonization of orthopedic implants is one of the leading causes of failure and clinical complexities for load-bearing metallic implants. Topical or systemic administration of antibiotics may not offer the most efficient defense against colonization, especially in the case of secondary infection, leading to surgical removal of implants and in some cases even limbs. In this study, laser powder bed fusion was implemented to fabricate Ti3Al2V alloy by a 1:1 weight mixture of CpTi and Ti6Al4V powders. Ti-Tantalum(Ta)–Copper(Cu) alloys were further analyzed by the addition of Ta and Cu into the Ti3Al2V custom alloy. The biological,mechanical, and tribo-biocorrosion properties of Ti3Al2V alloy were evaluated. A 10 wt.% Ta(10Ta) and 3 wt.% Cu(3Cu) were added to the Ti3Al2V alloy to enhance biocompatibility and impart inherent bacterial resistance. Additively manufactured implants were investigated for resistance against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus strains of bacteria for up to 48 h. A 3 wt.% Cu addition to Ti3Al2V displayed improved antibacterial efficacy, i.e.78%–86% with respect to CpTi. Mechanical properties for Ti3Al2V–10Ta–3Cu alloy were evaluated, demonstrating excellent fatigue resistance, exceptional shear strength, and improved tribological and tribo-biocorrosion characteristics when compared to Ti6Al4V. In vivo studies using a rat distal femur model revealed improved early-stage osseointegration for alloys with10 wt.% Ta addition compared to CpTi and Ti6Al4V. The 3 wt.% Cu-added compositions displayed biocompatibility and no adverse infammatory response in vivo. Our results establish the Ti3Al2V–10Ta–3Cu alloy’s synergistic effect on improving both in vivo biocompatibility and microbial resistance for the next generation of load-bearing metallic implants.

ESMO2023:恩扎卢胺联合雄激素剥夺治疗对比安慰剂联合雄激素剥夺治疗在中国转移性激素敏感性前列腺癌患者中的疗效和安全性(中国ARCHES)

2019年发表的全球ARCHES试验(NCT02677896)结果显示,与安慰剂(placebo,PBO)+雄激素剥夺治疗(androgen deprivation therapy,ADT)相比,恩扎卢胺+ADT延长了转移性激素敏感性前列腺癌(metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer,mHSPC)患者的总生存期和放射影像学无进展生存期(radiographic progression-free survival,rPFS)^([1])。然而,该试验无中国患者入组。欧洲肿瘤内科学会(European Society for Medical Oncology,ESMO)2023年会议报道了中国ARCHES研究(NCT04076059)的初步结果,这是一项评估恩扎卢胺+ADTvs.PBO+ADT在中国m HSPC患者中的疗效和安全性的多中心、随机、双盲、PBO对照的Ⅲ期试验^([2])。

Numerical Simulation Analysis of Welded Joints in Arch Ribs of Large Span Steel Pipe Arch Bridges

In order to study the residual stress distribution law of welded joints of arch ribs of large-span steel pipe concrete arch bridges,numerical simulation of temperature,stress and strain fields based on ABAQUS for welded joints of arch-ribbed steel tubes using 7-,8-and 9-layer welds is carried out and its accuracy is demonstrated.The steel pipe welding temperature changes,residual stress distribution,different processes residual stress changes in the law,the prediction of post-weld residual stress distribution and deformation are studied in this paper.The results show that the temperature field values and test results are more consistent with the accuracy of numerical simulation of welding,the welding process is mainly in the form of heat transfer;Residual high stresses are predominantly distributed in the Fusion zone(FZ)and Heat-affected zone(HAZ),with residual stress levels tending to decrease from the center of the weld along the axial path,the maximum stress appears in the FZ and HAZ junction;The number of welding layers has an effect on the residual stress distribution,the number of welding layers increases,the residual stress tends to decrease,while the FZ and HAZ high stress area range shrinks;Increasing the number of plies will increase the amount of residual distortion.

Health diagnosis of ultrahigh arch dam performance using heterogeneous spatial panel vector model

Currently,more than ten ultrahigh arch dams have been constructed or are being constructed in China.Safety control is essential to long-term operation of these dams.This study employed the flexibility coefficient and plastic complementary energy norm to assess the structural safety of arch dams.A comprehensive analysis was conducted,focusing on differences among conventional methods in characterizing the structural behavior of the Xiaowan arch dam in China.Subsequently,the spatiotemporal characteristics of the measured performance of the Xiaowan dam were explored,including periodicity,convergence,and time-effect characteristics.These findings revealed the governing mechanism of main factors.Furthermore,a heterogeneous spatial panel vector model was developed,considering both common factors and specific factors affecting the safety and performance of arch dams.This model aims to comprehensively illustrate spatial heterogeneity between the entire structure and local regions,introducing a specific effect quantity to characterize local deformation differences.Ultimately,the proposed model was applied to the Xiaowan arch dam,accurately quantifying the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of dam performance.Additionally,the spatiotemporal distri-bution characteristics of environmental load effects on different parts of the dam were reasonably interpreted.Validation of the model prediction enhances its credibility,leading to the formulation of health diagnosis criteria for future long-term operation of the Xiaowan dam.The findings not only enhance the predictive ability and timely control of ultrahigh arch dams'performance but also provide a crucial basis for assessing the effectiveness of engineering treatment measures.

Effects of comprehensive nursing with cognitive behavioral therapy in orthodontic osteodilated arch treatment

BACKGROUND This work explored the effects of cognitive behavior therapy(CBT)-based comprehensive nursing intervention(CNI)mode in arch expansion to treat patients with orthodontic osteodilated arch(OOA).AIM To explore the application effect of CBT-based CNI model in orthodontic expansion arch treatment.METHODS Using convenient sampling method,81 patients with OOA were selected and rolled into a control group(Ctrl group,40 cases)and an observation group(Obs group,41 cases).During the treatment,patients in the Ctrl group received routine nursing intervention mode,and the those in the Obs group received CBT mode on the basis of this.Before and after intervention,the incidence of oral mucositis,the mastery rate of correct arch expansion method,self-rating anxiety scale score,soft scale index,and plaque index were compared for patients in different groups.In addition,satisfaction and complications were comparatively analyzed.RESULTS Incidence of oral mucositis in the Obs group was lower(14.6%vs 38.5%),and the mastery rate of correct arch expansion method was obviously higher(90.2%vs 55.0%)was obviously higher(all P<0.05).Meanwhile,the soft scale index and plaque index in the Obs group were much lower(P<0.05).The compliance(90.24%)and satisfaction(95.12%)in the Obs group were greatly higher(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The CBT-based CNI mode greatly improved the mastery rate of correct arch expansion method during arch expansion in treating patients with OOA and enhanced the therapeutic effect of arch expansion and the oral health of patients,improving the patient compliance.

基于SARIMA-ARCH的电量预测模型

电量预测是供电单位购电的重要依据,是电力经济稳定运行的根本基础。提出采用SARIMA-ARCH融合模型对某地区售电量进行预测。首先,采用季节时间序列分析方法(SARIMA)对月度电量时间序列进行建模,通过ACF和PACF图筛选确定出最佳模型阶数,得到季节性时间序列模型(SARIMA)基础预测模型;提取模型残差的波动性,建立自回归条件异方差(ARCH)模型;最后,将SARIMA-ARCH模型与常规SRIAM和ARIMA的预测值进行对比分析。结果表明,SARIMAARCH混合模型的预测精度较高。

ULTIMATE LOAD-BEARING CAPACITY OF CYLINDER DERIVED FROM AUTOFRETTAGE UNDER IDEAL CONDITION

According to the basic theory on autofrettage and according to the 4th strength theory, several parameters and their relations are studied under ideal condition, including σej/σy, the equivalent stress of total stresses at elastoplastic juncture; σei/σy, the equivalent stress of total stresses at inside surface; σej＇/σy, the equivalent stress of residual stresses at elastoplastic juncture; σei＇/σy, the equivalent stress of residual stresses at inside surface; and p/σy, load-bearing capacity of an autofrettaged cylinder. By theoretical study on relations between the parameters, noticeable results and laws are achieved： to satisfy ｜σei＇｜=σy. the relation between kj and k is, k^2lnkj^2-k^2-kj^2＋2=0, when k→∞, kj = √e = 1.648 72, as based on the 3rd strength theory, where k is the outside/inside radius ratio of a cylinder, kj is the ratio of elastoplastic juncture radius to inside radius of a cylinder; If the plastic region covers the whole wall of a cylinder, for compressive yield not to occur after removing autofrettage pressure, the ultimate k is k=-2.218 46 as based on the 3rd strength theory; With k=2.218 46, a cylinder＇s ultimate load-bearing capacity equals its entire yield pressure, or p/σy=21nk/√3; The maximum and optimum load-bearing capacity of an autofrettaged cylinder is just 2 times the loading which an unautofrettaged cylinder can bear elastically, or p/σy=2（k^2-1）/√3 k^2, and the limit of the load-bearing capacity of an autofrettaged cylinder is also just 2 times that of an unautofrettaged cylinder. The conclusions are the same as based on the 3rd strength theory, but some equations are different from each other.

Effect of Optimum Plastic Depth on Stresses and Load-bearing Capacity of Autofrettaged Cylinder

Autofrettage is an effective measure to even distribution of stresses and raise load-bearing capacity for （ultra-）high pressure apparatus. Currently, the research on autofrettage has focused mostly on specific engineering problems, while general theoretical study is rarely done. To discover the general law contained in autofrettage theory, by the aid of the authors’ previous work and according to the third strength theory, theoretical problems about autofrettage are studied including residual stresses and their equivalent stress, total stresses and their equivalent stress, etc. Because of the equation of optimum depth of plastic zone which is presented in the authors’ previous work, the equations for the residual stresses and their equivalent stress as well as the total stress and their equivalent stress are simplified greatly. Thus the law of distribution of the residual stresses and their equivalent stress as well as the total stress and their equivalent stress and the varying tendency of these stresses are discovered. The relation among various parameters are revealed. The safe and optimum load-bearing conditions for cylinders are obtained. According to the results obtained by theoretical analysis, it is shown that if the two parameters, namely ratio of outside to inside radius, k, and depth of plastic zone, kj, meet the equation of optimum depth of plastic zone, when the pressure contained in an autofrettaged cylinder is lower than two times the initial yield pressure of the unautofrettaged cylinder, the equivalent residual stress and the equivalent total stress at the inside surface as well as the elastic-plastic juncture of a cylinder are lower than yield strength. When an autofrettaged cylinder is subjected to just two times the initial yield pressure of the unautofrettaged cylinder, the equivalent total stress within the whole plastic zone is just identically equal to the yield strength, or it is a constant. The proposed research theoretically depicts the stress state of ultra-）high pressure autofrettaged cylinder more accurately and more reasonably and provides the reference for design of （ultra-）high pressure apparatus.

Mechanical properties and influence mechanism of confined concrete arches in high-stress tunnels

Deep underground projects(e.g., coal mines), are often faced with complex conditions such as high stress and extremely soft rock. The strength and rigidity of the traditional support system are often insufficient,which makes it difficult to meet the requirements of ground control under complex conditions. As a new support form with high strength and rigidity, the confined concrete arch plays an important role in controlling the rock deformation under complex conditions. The section shape of the tunnel has an important impact on the mechanical properties and design of the support system. However, studies on the mechanical properties and influence mechanism of the new confined concrete arch are rarely reported. To this end, the mechanical properties of traditional U-shaped steel and new confined concrete arches are compared and comparative tests on arches of circular and straight-leg semicircular shapes in deep tunnels are conducted. A large mechanical testing system for underground engineering support structure is developed. The mechanical properties and influence mechanism of confined concrete arches with different section shapes under different loading modes and cross-section parameters are systematically studied. Test results show that the bearing capacity of the confined concrete arch is 2.10 times that of the U-shaped steel arch, and the bearing capacity of the circular confined concrete arch is 2.27 times that of the straight-leg semicircular arch. Among the various influencing factors and their engineering parameters,the lateral stress coefficient has the greatest impact on the bearing capacity of the confined concrete arch,followed by the steel pipe wall thickness, steel strength, and core concrete strength. Subsequently, the economic index of bearing capacity and cost is established, and the optimization design method for the confined concrete arch is proposed. Finally, this design method is applied to a high-stress tunnel under complex conditions, and the deformation of the surrounding rock is effectively controlled.

Experimental Study on Improving Seismic Behavior of Load-Bearing Masonry Wall Made of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

To investigate the seismic behavior of autoclaved aerated concrete load-bearing masonry wall(AACLMW), a piece of control block wall without constructional measures and five pieces of block walls with different constructional measures were tested under low reversed cyclic loading which imitated low to moderate earthquake force. The seismic behavior of AACLMW with different constructional measures in terms of failure mode, hysteretic curve, deformation capacity and displacement ductility was studied and compared with that without constructional measures. The experimental results indicate that the constructional measures comprising constructional columns and horizontal concrete strips are effective for improving the seismic behavior of AACLMW. The study in this paper can provide a reliable experimental basis for further analysis and engineering application of AACLMW in the future.

Deformation critical threshold estimation of Xiaowan ultrahigh arch dam with time-varying grey model

The structural behavior of the Xiaowan ultrahigh arch dam is primarily influenced by external loads and time-varying characteristics of dam concrete and foundation rock mass during long-term operation. According to overload testing with a geological model and the measured time series of installed perpendicular lines, the space and time evolution characteristics of the arch dam structure were analyzed, and its mechanical performance was evaluated. Subsequently, the deformation centroid of the deflective curve was suggested to indicate the magnitude and unique distribution rules for a typical dam section using the measured deformation values at multi-monitoring points. The ellipse equations of the critical ellipsoid for the centroid were derived from the historical measured time series. Hydrostatic and seasonal components were extracted from the measured deformation values with a traditional statistical model, and residuals were adopted as a grey component. A time-varying grey model was developed to accurately predict the evolution of the deformation behavior of the ultrahigh arch dam during future operation. In the developed model, constant coefficients were modified so as to be time-dependent functions, and the prediction accuracy was significantly improved through introduction of a forgetting factor. Finally, the critical threshold was estimated, and predicted ellipsoids were derived for the Xiaowan arch dam. The findings of this study can provide technical support for safety evaluation of the actual operation of ultrahigh arch dams and help to provide early warning of abnormal changes.

基于ARCH类模型的农产品价格波动特征研究

基于2011年1月至2022年8月的月度价格指数,运用自回归条件异方差ARCH类模型对猪肉、牛肉、棉花、大豆、稻谷、羊肉六种农产品进行价格波动特征分析研究。结果表明:具有较为显著的ARCH效应是牛肉、大豆、猪肉、棉花这四种农产品;其中农产品价格具有波动集聚性特征的是牛肉、大豆、猪肉、棉花;牛肉、大豆、猪肉、棉花价格不具备高风险和高报酬的特征;农产品价格均具有非对称性是棉花、大豆、猪肉。基于研究分析结果,本文提出相关政策建议,为农产品市场价格调控提供参考。

Structural Damage Identification System Suitable for Old Arch Bridge in Rural Regions: Random Forest Approach

A huge number of old arch bridges located in rural regions are at the peak of maintenance.The health monitoring technology of the long-span bridge is hardly applicable to the small-span bridge,owing to the absence of technical resources and sufficient funds in rural regions.There is an urgent need for an economical,fast,and accurate damage identification solution.The authors proposed a damage identification system of an old arch bridge implemented with amachine learning algorithm,which took the vehicle-induced response as the excitation.A damage index was defined based on wavelet packet theory,and a machine learning sample database collecting the denoised response was constructed.Through comparing three machine learning algorithms:Back-Propagation Neural Network(BPNN),Support Vector Machine(SVM),and Random Forest(R.F.),the R.F.damage identification model were found to have a better recognition ability.Finally,the Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO)algorithm was used to optimize the number of subtrees and split features of the R.F.model.The PSO optimized R.F.model was capable of the identification of different damage levels of old arch bridges with sensitive damage index.The proposed framework is practical and promising for the old bridge’s structural damage identification in rural regions.

Improved super-elastic Ti–Ni alloy wire intrusion arch for skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion combined with deep overbite:A case report

BACKGROUND Treatment for deep overbite cases can be difficult. This case report presents some techniques with improved super-elastic Ti–Ni alloy wire(ISW) for deep overbite correction.CASE SUMMARY A 21-year-old woman had a chief complaint of flaring maxillary teeth. Orthodontic evaluation revealed a skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion and a convex profile appearance. A deep overbite with palatal impingement and large overjet were also noted. Bilateral maxillary first premolars were extracted, and spaces were closed using a closed-coil spring and elastic chain. The deep overbite was corrected by applying the ISW curve and ISW intrusion arch. Intermaxillary elastics was used to adjust the intermaxillary relationship. Active treatment took approximately 3 years, and the appearance and dentition alignment noticeably improved.CONCLUSION The use of the ISW technique in a case of skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion with deep overbite achieved a desirable result, and the patient was satisfied with the treatment outcome.

基于ARCH族模型的石油价格波动性分析

随着中国成为世界第二大经济实体,能源在经济发展方面的重要地位也与日俱增,石油价格的波动牵动着全球经济的“神经”,会对经济发展产生极大的影响,因此降低石油价格波动所产生风险非常必要。本文以1987~2021年WTI原油价格为原始数据,利用ARCH族模型对油价波动进行实证分析,研究表明石油价格波动具有肥尾分布和波动率聚类的特征且具有均值回归的倾向,当面对“黑天鹅事件”时能够以较快的速度减小危机带来的冲击,从而得出石油价格波动在突发情形下具有较大弹性的一般结论,并基于此提出完善市场机制作为主要政策实施方向和发展石油期货期权等衍生产品的政策建议,从而减小经济发展的不确定性风险。

Developing of Load-bearing Bones Replacement Based on Cerium Compounds/Nano-hydroxyapatite Composites

The importance of implantable biomaterials is growing up in recent days for modern medicine,especially fixation,replacement,and regeneration of load-bearing bones.Through the past several years,metals,ceramics,polymers,and their composites,have been used for the reconstruction of hard tissues.Special standards such as adequate mechanical and biocompatible properties are required to avoid rejection reactions of the tissues.Recently,a number of novel advanced biomaterials are developed as promising candidates.Amongst those,cerium-based biomaterials acquired attention as a substitution material for hard tissues reconstruction because of cerium antioxidative properties,which enabled it to be used to decrease mediators of inflammation.In addition,the eminent mechanical properties,as well as the perfect chemical and biological compatibilities,make cerium-based biomaterials attractive for biomedical application.

Simulation and Experimental Study on Load-bearing Deformation Characteristics of 11R22.5 Vehicle Retreaded Tire

The finite element bearing deformation simulation was implemented on 11.00R22.5 retreaded tires by ANSYS software in the paper in order to further clarify the bearing deformation characteristics of retreaded tires and improve the performance of retreaded tires effectively.The characteristic laws of bearing radial deformation and bearing lateral deformation of retreaded tire and new tires of the same model under different working conditions were obtained through load deformation tests.The radial deformation calculation results,simulation results and measured results of retreaded tires were comparatively analyzed.The calculation formula of bearing radial deformation of retreaded tires was proposed based on the linear regression principle.The difference of bearing deformation characteristics and ground area characteristics of retreaded tires and new tires were comparatively analyzed.The results showed that the radial and lateral deformation of retreaded tires and new tires is increased with the increase of radial load when the tire pressure was constant,and the increase trend is approximately linear.The radial stiffness of retreaded tires is similar to that of new tires under certain tire pressure and low load.The radial stiffness of retreaded tires is larger than that of new tires,and the stiffness difference is increased with the increasing of load under constant tire pressure and high load.Rubber aging phenomenon in retreaded tire carcass have an impact on the bearing deformation characteristics of retreaded tires,thereby producing great impact on the remaining service life of retreaded tires.

Dynamic soil arching in piled embankment under train load of high-speed railways

Piled embankments have many advantages that have been applied in high-speed railway construction engineering.However,the load transfer mechanism of piled embankments,such as soil arching and tension membranes,is still unclear,especially under dynamic loads.To investigate the soil arching and tension membrane under dynamic train loads on high-speed railways,a large-scale piled embankment model test with X-shaped piles as vertical reinforcement was performed,in which twenty-eight earth pressure cells were installed in the piled embankment and an M-shaped wave was adopted to simulate the high-speed railway train load.The results show that dynamic soil arching only occurs when two bogies of a carriage pass by and disappears at other times.The dynamic soil arching and membrane effect are the most significant under the concrete base.The arching height,stress concentration ratio and pile-soil load sharing ratio have a minimal value at 25 Hz.The dynamic soil arching degrades severely at 25 Hz,whose height at 25 Hz is only 0.35 times that at 5 Hz.The arching height fluctuates over a narrow range with increasing loading amplitude.The stress concentration ratio and the pile-soil load sharing ratio increase monotonically as the loading amplitude increases.

基于马尔科夫转换ARCH模型的房地产市场波动研究——以房地产市场景气指数为例

近年来,我国房价波动较大,房地产投机现象时有发生。因此,研究房地产市场的运行规律,对于预测房价、防范房地产泡沫具有重要意义。本文研究了中国住房市场的波动状态。使用ARCH和GARCH模型来寻找房地产市场景气指数随时间变化的证据。然后利用马尔科夫转移模型(MS模型)连续分析2000年~2021年中国住房市场波动状态的动态。结果表明,中国住房市场存在低波动性、中波动性和高波动性三种状态。实证分析发现,2002年之前,房地产市场一直处于低波动状态,2002年以后,房地产市场在中波动状态和高波动状态来回转换,针对每一个波动拐点,也可以找到当年政府发布的与房地产市场相关的政策,这在一定程度也说明政府行为对房地产市场常起导向作用。本文以房地产市场景气指数为数据,运用EViews和MATLAB进行实践操作,对研究问题进行求解,目的是了解中国房地产市场的波动情况,判断房地产市场的稳定性,为相关房地产企业经营决策和政府部门的规范管理提供参考。

Comparison of seismic fragility analysis methods for arch dams

This study focuses on the seismic fragility analysis of arch dams.The multiple stripe analysis(MSA),cloud analysis(CLA),and incremental dynamic analysis(IDA)methods are compared.A comprehensive dam-reservoir-foundation rock system,which considers the opening of contraction joints,the nonlinearity of dam concrete and foundation rock,the radiation damping effect of semi-unbounded foundation,and the compressibility of reservoir water,is used as a numerical example.225,80,and 15 earthquake records are selected for MSA,CLA,and IDA,respectively.The results show that MSA provides satisfactory fragility analysis,while both CLA and IDA have assumptions that may lead to deviations.Therefore,MSA is the most reliable method among the three methods and is recommended for the fragility analysis of arch dams.It is also shown that the choice of demand level affects the reliability of fragility curves and the effect of the material uncertainty on the fragility of the dam is not significant.