Numerical manifold method for thermo-mechanical coupling simulation of fractured rock mass

As a calculation method based on the Galerkin variation,the numerical manifold method(NMM)adopts a double covering system,which can easily deal with discontinuous deformation problems and has a high calculation accuracy.Aiming at the thermo-mechanical(TM)coupling problem of fractured rock masses,this study uses the NMM to simulate the processes of crack initiation and propagation in a rock mass under the influence of temperature field,deduces related system equations,and proposes a penalty function method to deal with boundary conditions.Numerical examples are employed to confirm the effectiveness and high accuracy of this method.By the thermal stress analysis of a thick-walled cylinder(TWC),the simulation of cracking in the TWC under heating and cooling conditions,and the simulation of thermal cracking of the SwedishÄspöPillar Stability Experiment(APSE)rock column,the thermal stress,and TM coupling are obtained.The numerical simulation results are in good agreement with the test data and other numerical results,thus verifying the effectiveness of the NMM in dealing with thermal stress and crack propagation problems of fractured rock masses.

Probabilistic analysis of tunnel face seismic stability in layered rock masses using Polynomial Chaos Kriging metamodel

Face stability is an essential issue in tunnel design and construction.Layered rock masses are typical and ubiquitous;uncertainties in rock properties always exist.In view of this,a comprehensive method,which combines the Upper bound Limit analysis of Tunnel face stability,the Polynomial Chaos Kriging,the Monte-Carlo Simulation and Analysis of Covariance method(ULT-PCK-MA),is proposed to investigate the seismic stability of tunnel faces.A two-dimensional analytical model of ULT is developed to evaluate the virtual support force based on the upper bound limit analysis.An efficient probabilistic analysis method PCK-MA based on the adaptive Polynomial Chaos Kriging metamodel is then implemented to investigate the parameter uncertainty effects.Ten input parameters,including geological strength indices,uniaxial compressive strengths and constants for three rock formations,and the horizontal seismic coefficients,are treated as random variables.The effects of these parameter uncertainties on the failure probability and sensitivity indices are discussed.In addition,the effects of weak layer position,the middle layer thickness and quality,the tunnel diameter,the parameters correlation,and the seismic loadings are investigated,respectively.The results show that the layer distributions significantly influence the tunnel face probabilistic stability,particularly when the weak rock is present in the bottom layer.The efficiency of the proposed ULT-PCK-MA is validated,which is expected to facilitate the engineering design and construction.

Muscle Mass Is Associated with Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults

Background and Aims: The study aims to explore the association between body composition and depression in adolescents and young adults. Methods: A random cluster sampling method was used to select 41 age-matched indi-viduals (aged 11 - 30) as a non-depressive control group. The Department of Psychology at the Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Na-tionalities recruited 27 depressive patients within the same age range. Bioelec-trical impedance analysis measured body composition, while SCL-90, SAS, and SDS were employed for depression diagnosis. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between body composition and de-pression scores. Results: The Depression Group exhibited higher levels of fat mass (p Conclusion: Depression is associated with age, gender, and muscle mass in adolescents and young people. Proper exercise and a healthy diet can increase muscle mass, thereby reducing fat mass and, as a result, reducing the prevalence of depression.

Psychological Consequences of a Mass Attack Following Multiple Gunshots and Explosions among Victims in a State in Southwest Nigeria

Introduction: On the 5th of June 2022, an incident of a mass attack following multiple gunshots and explosions occurred in a community in Ondo State Nigeria. This study aims to assess the mental health status of victims of the mass attack to guide further interventions among them. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among victims of a mass attack in Owo community, Ondo State. A total of 209 affected victims were interviewed on socio-demographic characteristics, symptoms of anxiety (AD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), threat experienced, and mental health support received. A 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and 9-item Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) scale were used to assess the mental health status of the victims. A point was assigned to respondents who reported the symptoms of GAD, with a maximum score of 7 attained. For GAD, scores were categorized as follows: 1 - 2 as mild, 2 - 3 as minimal, 4 - 5 as moderate and 6 - 7 as severe. The PTSD symptoms were rated using a 5-point Likert scale response, and assigned the following points;4 = extremely, 3 = quite a bit, 2 = moderate, 1 = a little bit and 0 = not at all. From a maximum score of 36, participants with scores 18 and above were categorized as those with provisional PTSD. The independent samples t-test and correlational analysis were used to determine the association between PTSD score and other independent variables, with an alpha level of significance set at 0.05. Results: Generally, 38 (18.2%) of the respondents had severe AD. About half (89;42.6%) were categorized as those with provisional PTSD. The mean level of both AD (3.40 ± 2.26) and PTSD (16.51 ± 7.63) score is higher among those who were married compared to those not married (anxiety disorder;2.52 ± 2.20, P = 0.005 and PTSD;13.20 ± 8.86, P = 0.004). Respondents who have been counseled by a healthcare worker had a higher mean level (15.89 ± 7.58) of provisional PTSD compared to those not counseled by a healthcare worker (13.56 ± 9.22, P = 0.046). The level of PTSD score increased with a higher age group (r = 0.21, P = 0.003). Conclusions: The results show that the mass attack had psychological consequences among a high proportion of the victims, particularly, those married and in the older age groups. This suggests the need for continuous supportive counseling targeting these affected groups, and considering other factors moderating the effectiveness of counseling among them in future interventions.

Analytical Solution and Simplified Formula for Added Mass of Horizontal and Vertical Motions of Truncated Cylinders Under Earthquake Action

This paper investigates the hydrodynamic characteristics of floating truncated cylinders undergoing horizontal and vertical motions due to earthquake excitations in the finite water depth.The governing equation of the hydrodynamic pressure acting on the cylinder is derived based on the radiation theory with the inviscid and incompressible assumptions.The governing equation is solved by using the method of separating variables and analytical solutions are obtained by assigning reasonable boundary conditions.The analytical result is validated by a numerical model using the exact artificial boundary simulation of the infinite water.The main variation and distribution characteristics of the hydrodynamic pressure acting on the side and bottom of the cylinder are analyzed for different combinations of wide-height and immersion ratios.The added mass coefficient of the cylinder is calculated by integrating the hydrodynamic pressure and simplified formulas are proposed for engineering applications.The calculation results show that the simplified formulas are in good agreement with the analytical solutions.

Effect of surfactant frequently used in soil flushing on oxygen mass transfer in micro-nano-bubble aeration system

In-site soil flushing and aeration are the typical synergetic remediation technology for contaminated sites.The surfactant present in flushing solutions is bound to affect the aeration efficiency.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of surfactant frequently used in soil flushing on the oxygen mass transfer in micro-nano-bubble(MNB)aeration system.Firstly,bio-surfactants and chemical surfactants were used to investigate their effects on Sauter mean diameter of bubble(dBS),gas holdup(ε),volumetric mass-transfer coefficient(kLa)and liquid-side mass-transfer coefficient(kL)in the MNB aeration system.Then,based upon the experimental results,the Sardeing's and Frossling's models were modified to describe the effect of surfactant on kL in the MNB aeration.The results showed that,for the twenty aqueous surfactant solutions,with the increase in surfactant concentration,the value of dBS,kLa and kL decreased,while the value ofεand gas-liquid interfacial area(a)increased.These phenomena were mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of immobile bubble surface and the suppression of coalescence in the surfactant solutions.In addition,with the presence of electric charge,MNBs in anionic surfactant solutions were smaller and higher in number than in non-ionic surfactant solutions.Furthermore,the accumulation of surfactant on the gas-liquid interface was more conspicuous for small MNB,so the reduction of kL in anionic surfactant solutions was larger than that in non-ionic surfactant solutions.Besides,the modified Frossling's model predicted the effect of surfactant on kL in MNB aeration system with reasonable accuracy.

Direct Derivation of the Neutrino Mass

In this paper, the submicroscopic deterministic concept developed by the author is applied to the problem of the neutrino mass. A particle appears from space considered as a mathematical lattice of primary topological balls, and induces a deformation coat in its surrounding. The principles of the interaction of particles with space and through space between themselves are considered in detail. The approach states that real quarks possess only an integer charge (±e) and when moving they periodically change to the monopole state (⇄g) and hence, canonical particles are dynamic dyons. A neutrino emerges as a squeezed quark when it is in a monopole state, or in other words, the quark monopole state (a bubble in the tessellattice) is transferred to the appropriate lepton monopole state (a speck in the tessellattice). The self-mass (a “rest” mass) for each neutrino flavour is calculated. The calculated value of the self-mass for the electron anti-neutrino is 1.22873978 × 10-36 kg = 0.68927247 eV/c2. The concept of neutrino oscillations is revised, and another postulation is proposed, namely, that the transition from lighter to heavier flavors is due to the inelastic scattering of neutrinos on oncoming scatterers. As a result, the neutrino captures the mass defect, becomes heavier, and therefore the transitions Ve⟶Vμ and Vμ⟶Vτ occur;thus, the number of light neutrinos decreases in the neutrino flux studied.

Electronic structure and effective mass of pristine and Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3)

Organic–inorganic lead halide perovskites(LHPs) have attracted great interest owing to their outstanding optoelectronic properties.Typically,the underlying electronic structure would determinate the physical properties of materials.But as for now,limited studies have been done to reveal the underlying electronic structure of this material system,comparing to the huge amount of investigations on the material synthesis.The effective mass of the valance band is one of the most important physical parameters which plays a dominant role in charge transport and photovoltaic phenomena.In pristine CsPbBr_(3),the Fr?hlich polarons associated with the Pb–Br stretching modes are proposed to be responsible for the effective mass renormalization.In this regard,it would be very interesting to explore the electronic structure in doped LHPs.Here,we report high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy(ARPES) studies on both pristine and Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3).The experimental band dispersions are extracted from ARPES spectra along both ■ and ■ high symmetry directions.DFT calculations are performed and directly compared with the ARPES data.Our results have revealed the band structure of Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3) for the first time,which have also unveiled the effective mass renormalization in the Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3) compound.Doping dependent measurements indicate that the chlorine doping could moderately tune the renormalization strength.These results will help understand the physical properties of LHPs as a function of doping.

Controlled thermally-driven mass transport in carbon nanotubes using carbon hoops

Controlling mass transportation using intrinsic mechanisms is a challenging topic in nanotechnology.Herein,we employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the mass transport inside carbon nanotubes(CNT)with temperature gradients,specifically the effects of adding a static carbon hoop to the outside of a CNT on the transport of a nanomotor inside the CNT.We reveal that the underlying mechanism is the uneven potential energy created by the hoops,i.e.,the hoop outside the CNT forms potential energy barriers or wells that affect mass transport inside the CNT.This fundamental control of directional mass transportation may lead to promising routes for nanoscale actuation and energy conversion.

Representation of three-dimensional mass distribution of the Earth's interior by biorthogonal series and its use for studying internal structure of the planet

This paper utilizes the mathematical concept of approximation within an ellipsoid from a single viewpoint to present the spatial mass distribution function of the Earth's interior and its internal potential.The primary focus lies in constructing the volume distribution of masses in the planet's interior, with the expansion coefficients being linear combinations of the Stokes constants. Several possible approaches are suggested for determining accurately these coefficients employing three-dimensional(biorthogonal)polynomials. By expressing the mass distribution function of the Earth's interior and its internal potential as a series, an algorithm is introduced for the calculation of gravitational energy. It allows us to estimate fluctuations in gravitational energy. The implementation of this algorithm offers the means of establishing the extent to which the Earth deviates from a state of hydrostatic equilibrium as a celestial body.Due to the aforementioned method, calculations have been conducted to validate its effectiveness and reliability. This example is given as an illustration of a given method for studying the internal structure of planets.

Improving innovation and entrepreneurship education in higher institutions: the impact of "Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation" education on undergraduates' entrepreneurial intentions

The exploration of the way"mass entrepreneurship and innovation"(MEI)education influences students'aspirations to become entrepreneurs has grown into an important area of analysis in studies related to higher education.This research intends to examine the consequences of MEI education on students'tendency towards entrepreneurship,and to put forward methods for augmenting the teaching of innovation and entrepreneurship in private higher educational establishments.To achieve this objective,questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were employed in the study,which involved a total of 197 students and five education experts.The statistical analysis of the questionnaire data revealed that MEI education was positively related to students'entrepreneurial intentions,and that both entrepreneurial experience and family entrepreneurial background played moderating roles in this relationship.The interview findings indicated that private universities could enhance educational reforms by designing talent training programs,developing diversified curricula,and developing more professional entrepreneurial platforms to encourage students'entrepreneurial intentions.This study offers fresh insights for improving and perfecting the mechanism of innovation and entrepreneurship education in private universities.

Improved nuclear mass formula with an additional term from the Fermi gas model

Nuclear mass is a fundamental property of nuclear physics and a necessary input in nuclear astrophysics.Owing to the complexity of atomic nuclei and nonperturbative strong interactions,conventional physical models cannot completely describe nuclear binding energies.In this study,the mass formula was improved by considering an additional term from the Fermi gas model.All nuclear masses in the Atomic Mass Evaluation Database were reproduced with a root-mean-square deviation(RMSD)of -1.86 MeV(1.92 MeV).The new mass formula exhibits good performance in the neutron-rich nuclear region.The RMSD decreases to 0.393 MeV when the ratio of the neutron number to the proton number is≥1.6.

A LOW-REGULARITY FOURIER INTEGRATOR FOR THE DAVEY-STEWARTSON II SYSTEM WITH ALMOST MASS CONSERVATION

In this work,we propose a low-regularity Fourier integrator with almost mass conservation to solve the Davey-StewartsonⅡsystem(hyperbolic-elliptic case).Arbitrary order mass convergence could be achieved by the suitable addition of correction terms,while keeping the first order accuracy in H~γ×H^(γ+1)for initial data in H^(γ+1)×H^(γ+1)withγ>1.The main theorem is that,up to some fixed time T,there exist constantsτ_(0)and C depending only on T and‖u‖_(L^(∞)((0,T);H^(γ+1)))such that,for any 0<τ≤τ_(0),we have that‖u(t_(n),·)-u^(n)‖H_γ≤C_(τ),‖v(t_(n),·)-v^(n)‖_(Hγ+1)≤C_(τ),where u^(n)and v^(n)denote the numerical solutions at t_(n)=nτ.Moreover,the mass of the numerical solution M(u^(n))satisfies that|M(u^(n))-M(u_0)|≤Cτ~5.

Calculation of Mass Concrete Temperature Containing Cooling Water Pipe Based on Substructure and Iteration Algorithm

Mathematical physics equations are often utilized to describe physical phenomena in various fields of science and engineering.One such equation is the Fourier equation,which is a commonly used and effective method for evaluating the effectiveness of temperature control measures for mass concrete.One important measure for temperature control in mass concrete is the use of cooling water pipes.However,the mismatch of grids between large-scale concrete models and small-scale cooling pipe models can result in a significant waste of calculation time when using the finite element method.Moreover,the temperature of the water in the cooling pipe needs to be iteratively calculated during the thermal transfer process.The substructure method can effectively solve this problem,and it has been validated by scholars.The Abaqus/Python secondary development technology provides engineers with enough flexibility to combine the substructure method with an iteration algorithm,which enables the creation of a parametric modeling calculation for cooling water pipes.This paper proposes such a method,which involves iterating the water pipe boundary and establishing the water pipe unit substructure to numerically simulate the concrete temperature field that contains a cooling water pipe.To verify the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed method,two classic numerical examples were analyzed.The results showed that this method has good applicability in cooling pipe calculations.When the value of the iteration parameterαis 0.4,the boundary temperature of the cooling water pipes can meet the accuracy requirements after 4∼5 iterations,effectively improving the computational efficiency.Overall,this approach provides a useful tool for engineers to analyze the temperature control measures accurately and efficiently for mass concrete,such as cooling water pipes,using Abaqus/Python secondary development.

Inverting the rock mass P-wave velocity field ahead of deep buried tunnel face while borehole drilling

Imaging the wave velocity field surrounding a borehole while drilling is a promising and urgently needed approach for extending the exploration range of the borehole point.This paper develops a drilling process detection(DPD)system consisting of a multifunctional sensor and a pilot geophone installed at the top of the drilling rod,geophones at the tunnel face,a laser rangefinder,and an onsite computer.A weighted adjoint-state first arrival travel time tomography method is used to invert the P-wave velocity field of rock mass while borehole drilling.A field experiment in the ongoing construction of a deep buried tunnel in southwestern China demonstrated the DPD system and the tomography method.Time-frequency analysis of typical borehole drilling detection data shows that the impact drilling source is a pulse-like seismic exploration wavelet.A velocity field of the rock mass in a triangular area defined by the borehole trajectory and geophone receiving line can be obtained.Both the borehole core and optical image validate the inverted P-wave velocity field.A numerical simulation of a checkerboard benchmark model is used to test the tomography method.The rapid convergence of the misfits and consistent agreement between the inverted and observed travel times validate the P-wave velocity imaging.

Diagnostic Dilemma of Intracardiac Mass: Tumor versus Thrombus-Case Series and Systematic Review

Background: The differential diagnosis for intracavitary cardiac masses is limited, typically including vegetations, tumors, or thrombi. Cardiac thrombi can often mimic cardiac tumors on imaging, creating a diagnostic challenge. Primary cardiac tumors are rare and usually benign, whereas most cardiac tumors result from metastases, commonly originating from malignancies in the breast, lung, or melanoma. Aim: This report highlights the importance of distinguishing various cardiac masses based on clinical presentations, clinical courses, and radiological features. Case Presentation: We describe two cases of cardiac masses with unique and diverse clinical features. Each case posed significant diagnostic challenges due to their distinct presentations and clinical progressions. Conclusion: These cases underscore the importance of considering both benign and metastatic origins in the differential diagnosis of intracavitary cardiac masses. Accurate differentiation between thrombi and tumors is crucial for appropriate management and treatment.

Seismic control of multi-degrees-of-freedom structures by vertical mass isolation method using MR dampers

Vertical mass isolation(VMI)is one of the novel methods for the seismic control of structures.In this method,the entire structure is assumed to consist of two mass and stiffness subsystems,and an isolated layer is located among them.In this study,the magnetorheological damper in three modes:passive-off,passive-on,and semi-active mode with variable voltage between zero and 9 volts was used as an isolated layer between two subsystems.Multi-degrees-of-freedom structures with 5,10,and 15 floors in two dimensions were examined under 11 pairs of near field earthquakes.On each level,the displacement of MR dampers was taken into account.The responses of maximum displacement,maximum inter-story drift,and maximum base shear in controlled and uncontrolled buildings were compared to assess the suggested approach for seismic control of the structures.According to the results,the semi-active control method can reduce the response by more than 12%compared to the uncontrolled mode in terms of maximum displacement of the mass subsystem of the structures.This method can reduce more than 16%and 20%of the responses compared to the uncontrolled mode in terms of maximum inter-story drift and base shear of the structure,respectively.

Carpel Tunnel Syndrome: A Link with Vitamin D, Body Mass Index and Hyperlipidemia

Introduction: Carbai tunnel syndrome [CTS] is compression of the median nerve at the wrist , this causes tingling in the hands, pain, numbness, tingling in the fingers particularly the thumb, index and middle fingers, loss of sensation in the hands and fingers, also weakness in the hands. The aim of the present study was to study a possible association which could be found between electrophysiological data in CTS, BMI, hyperlipidemia, and vitamin D [Vit D] levels. Methods: We used a sample of 40 females of the same age group, who were divided into Group 1 as a control consists of 18 healthy females and Group II consisted of 22 age matched females with clinical and electrophysiological evidence of CTS. We measured atherogenic index [AI] as a marker of hyperlipidemia, body mass index [BMI], Vit D status and electrophysiological tests of CTS. Results: Subjects with CTS had deficient Vit D status, they had significantly high atherogenic index (AI), and significant high BMI all compared to control Group I. Median sensory conduction velocity was significantly correlated negatively with BMI and atherogenic index, and positively correlated significantly with Vit D status. But median sensory and motor action potential latency were significantly correlated positively with BMI and atherogenic index, and negatively correlated significantly with Vit D status The analysis revealed BMI, atherogenic index and Vit D status as predictors of median nerve sensory and motor action potential latency and sensory nerve conduction velocity in CTS. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that obesity and hyperlipidemia are potent CTS risk factors and declared the direct association between Vit D status and CTS occurrence. Our study supports the notion of the compensatory neuroprotective role of Vit D which could have a direct impact on the nerves integrity as it has an anti-inflammatory property which acts in relieving nervous insults and stress. .

Effect of bipolar-plates design on corrosion,mass and heat transfer in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells and water electrolyzers:A review

Attaining a decarbonized and sustainable energy system,which is the core solution to global energy issues,is accessible through the development of hydrogen energy.Proton-exchange membrane water electrolyzers(PEMWEs)are promising devices for hydrogen production,given their high efficiency,rapid responsiveness,and compactness.Bipolar plates account for a relatively high percentage of the total cost and weight compared with other components of PEMWEs.Thus,optimization of their design may accelerate the promotion of PEMWEs.This paper reviews the advances in materials and flow-field design for bipolar plates.First,the working conditions of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)and PEMWEs are compared,including reaction direction,operating temperature,pressure,input/output,and potential.Then,the current research status of bipolar-plate substrates and surface coatings is summarized,and some typical channel-rib flow fields and porous flow fields are presented.Furthermore,the effects of materials on mass and heat transfer and the possibility of reducing corrosion by improving the flow field structure are explored.Finally,this review discusses the potential directions of the development of bipolar-plate design,including material fabrication,flow-field geometry optimization using threedimensional printing,and surface-coating composition optimization based on computational materials science.

Research on shell-side heat and mass transfer with multi-component in LNG spiral-wound heat exchanger under sloshing conditions

The spiral-wound heat exchanger(SWHE) is the primary low-temperature heat exchanger for large-scale LNG plants due to its high-pressure resistance, compact structure, and high heat exchange efficiency. This paper studied the shell-side heat and mass transfer characteristics of vapor-liquid two-phase mixed refrigerants in an SWHE by combining a multi-component model in FLUENT software with a customized multicomponent mass transfer model. Besides, the mathematical model under the sloshing condition was obtained through mathematical derivation, and the corresponding UDF code was loaded into FLUENT as the momentum source term. The results under the sloshing conditions were compared with the relevant parameters under the steady-state condition. The shell-side heat and mass transfer characteristics of the SWHE were investigated by adjusting the component ratio and other working conditions. It was found that the sloshing conditions enhance the heat transfer performance and sometimes have insignificant effects. The sloshing condition is beneficial to reduce the flow resistance. The comprehensive performance of multi-component refrigerants has been improved and the improvement is more significant under sloshing conditions, considering both the heat transfer and pressure drop.These results will provide theoretical support for the research and design of multi-component heat and mass transfer enhancement of LNG SWHE under ocean sloshing conditions.