Effect of external and internal cues on core muscle activation during the Sahrmann five-level core stability test

BACKGROUND Pain in the back or pelvis or fear of back pain may affect the timing or cocontraction of the core muscles.In both static and dynamic movements,the Sahrmann core stability test provides an assessment of core muscle activation and a person's ability to stabilize the lumbopelvic complex.Preparatory cues and images can be used to increase the activation of these muscles.To attain optimal movement patterns,it will be necessary to determine what cueing will give the most effective results for core stability.AIM To investigate the effects of external and internal cues on core muscle activation during the Sahrmann five-level core stability test.METHODS Total 68 participants(21.83±3.47 years)were randomly allocated to an external(n=35)or internal cue group(n=33).Participants performed the Sahrmann fivelevel core stability test without a cue as baseline and the five-level stability exercises with an internal or external cue.External cue group received a pressure biofeedback unit(PBU),and the internal cue group received an audio cue.A Delsys Trigno^(TM)surface electromyography unit was used for muscle activation from the rectus abdominis,external oblique,and transverse abdominis/internal oblique muscles.RESULTS Linear mixed effects model analysis showed that cueing had a significant effect on core muscle activation(P=0.001);however,there was no significant difference between cue types(internal or external)(P=0.130).CONCLUSION Both external and internal cueing have significant effects on core muscle activation during the Sahrmann five-level core stability test and the PBU does not create higher muscle activation than internal cueing.

Recent progress on stability and applications of flexible perovskite photodetectors

Flexible photodetectors have garnered significant attention by virtue of their potential applications in environmental monitoring,wearable healthcare,imaging sensing,and portable optical communications.Perovskites stand out as particularly promising materials for photodetectors,offering exceptional optoelectronic properties,tunable band gaps,low-temperature solution processing,and notable mechanical flexibility.In this review,we explore the latest progress in flexible perovskite photodetectors,emphasizing the strategies developed for photoactive materials and device structures to enhance optoelectronic performance and stability.Additionally,we discuss typical applications of these devices and offer insights into future directions and potential applications.

Enhanced High-Temperature Cycling Stability of Garnet-Based All Solid-State Lithium Battery Using a Multi-Functional Catholyte Buffer Layer

The pursuit of safer and high-performance lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)has triggered extensive research activities on solid-state batteries,while challenges related to the unstable electrode-electrolyte interface hinder their practical implementation.Polymer has been used extensively to improve the cathode-electrolyte interface in garnet-based all-solid-state LIBs(ASSLBs),while it introduces new concerns about thermal stability.In this study,we propose the incorporation of a multi-functional flame-retardant triphenyl phos-phate additive into poly(ethylene oxide),acting as a thin buffer layer between LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)(NCM811)cathode and garnet electro-lyte.Through electrochemical stability tests,cycling performance evaluations,interfacial thermal stability analysis and flammability tests,improved thermal stability(capacity retention of 98.5%after 100 cycles at 60℃,and 89.6%after 50 cycles at 80℃)and safety characteristics(safe and stable cycling up to 100℃)are demonstrated.Based on various materials characterizations,the mechanism for the improved thermal stability of the interface is proposed.The results highlight the potential of multi-functional flame-retardant additives to address the challenges associated with the electrode-electrolyte interface in ASSLBs at high temperature.Efficient thermal modification in ASSLBs operating at elevated temperatures is also essential for enabling large-scale energy storage with safety being the primary concern.

A Facile Li_(2)TiO_(3) Surface Modification to Improve the Structure Stability and Electrochemical Performance of Full Concentration Gradient Li-Rich Oxides

Full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides are catching lots of interest as the next generation cathode for lithium-ion batteries due to their high discharge voltage,reduced voltage decay and enhanced rate performance,whereas the high lithium residues on its surface impairs the structure stability and long-term cycle performance.Herein,a facile multifunctional surface modification method is implemented to eliminate surface lithium residues of full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides by a wet chemistry reaction with tetrabutyl titanate and the post-annealing process.It realizes not only a stable Li_(2)TiO_(3)coating layer with 3D diffusion channels for fast Li^(+)ions transfer,but also dopes partial Ti^(4+)ions into the sub-surface region of full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides to further strengthen its crystal structure.Consequently,the modified full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides exhibit improved structure stability,elevated thermal stability with decomposition temperature from 289.57℃to 321.72℃,and enhanced cycle performance(205.1 mAh g^(-1)after 150 cycles)with slowed voltage drop(1.67 mV per cycle).This work proposes a facile and integrated modification method to enhance the comprehensive performance of full concentration gradient lithium-rich layered oxides,which can facilitate its practical application for developing higher energy density lithium-ion batteries.

Evaluation of slope stability through rock mass classification and kinematic analysis of some major slopes along NH-1A from Ramban to Banihal, North Western Himalayas

The network of Himalayan roadways and highways connects some remote regions of valleys or hill slopes,which is vital for India’s socio-economic growth.Due to natural and artificial factors,frequency of slope instabilities along the networks has been increasing over last few decades.Assessment of stability of natural and artificial slopes due to construction of these connecting road networks is significant in safely executing these roads throughout the year.Several rock mass classification methods are generally used to assess the strength and deformability of rock mass.This study assesses slope stability along the NH-1A of Ramban district of North Western Himalayas.Various structurally and non-structurally controlled rock mass classification systems have been applied to assess the stability conditions of 14 slopes.For evaluating the stability of these slopes,kinematic analysis was performed along with geological strength index(GSI),rock mass rating(RMR),continuous slope mass rating(CoSMR),slope mass rating(SMR),and Q-slope in the present study.The SMR gives three slopes as completely unstable while CoSMR suggests four slopes as completely unstable.The stability of all slopes was also analyzed using a design chart under dynamic and static conditions by slope stability rating(SSR)for the factor of safety(FoS)of 1.2 and 1 respectively.Q-slope with probability of failure(PoF)1%gives two slopes as stable slopes.Stable slope angle has been determined based on the Q-slope safe angle equation and SSR design chart based on the FoS.The value ranges given by different empirical classifications were RMR(37-74),GSI(27.3-58.5),SMR(11-59),and CoSMR(3.39-74.56).Good relationship was found among RMR&SSR and RMR&GSI with correlation coefficient(R 2)value of 0.815 and 0.6866,respectively.Lastly,a comparative stability of all these slopes based on the above classification has been performed to identify the most critical slope along this road.

Gouge stability controlled by temperature elevation and obsidian addition in basaltic faults and implications for moonquakes

Basalt is a major component of the earth and moon crust.Mineral composition and temperature influence frictional instability and thus the potential for seismicity on basaltic faults.We performed velocitystepping shear experiments on basalt gouges at a confining pressure of 100 MPa,temperatures in the range of 100-400℃ and with varied obsidian mass fractions of 0-100%under wet/dry conditions to investigate the frictional strength and stability of basaltic faults.We observe a transition from velocity-neutral to velocity-weakening behaviors with increasing obsidian content.The frictional stability response of the mixed obsidian/basalt gouges is characterized by a transition from velocitystrengthening to velocity-weakening at 200℃ and another transition to velocity-strengthening at temperatures>300℃.Conversely,frictional strengths of the obsidian-bearing gouges are insensitive to temperature and wet/dry conditions.These results suggest that obsidian content dominates the potential seismic response of basaltic faults with the effect of temperature controlling the range of seismogenic depths.Thus,shallow moonquakes tend to occur in the lower lunar crust due to the corresponding anticipated higher glass content and a projected temperature range conducive to velocity-weakening behavior.These observations contribute to a better understanding of the nucleation mechanism of shallow seismicity in basaltic faults.

Mechanical Modeling and Analysis of Stability Deterioration of Production Well During Marine Hydrate Depressurization Production

Different from oil and gas production,hydrate reservoirs are shallow and unconsolidated,whose mechanical properties deteriorate with hydrate decomposition.Therefore,the formations will undergo significant subsidence during depressurization,which will destroy the original force state of the production well.However,existing research on the stability of oil and gas production wells assumes the formation to be stable,and lacks consideration of the force exerted on the hydrate production well by formation subsidence caused by hydrate decomposition during production.To fill this gap,this paper proposes an analytical method for the dynamic evolution of the stability of hydrate production well considering the effects of hydrate decomposition.Based on the mechanical model of the production well,the basis for stability analysis has been proposed.A multi-field coupling model of the force state of the production well considering the effect of hydrate decomposition and formation subsidence is established,and a solver is developed.The analytical approach is verified by its good agreement with the results from the numerical method.A case study found that the decomposition of hydrate will increase the pulling-down force and reduce the supporting force,which is the main reason for the stability deterioration.The higher the initial hydrate saturation,the larger the reservoir thickness,and the lower the production pressure,the worse the stability or even instability.This work can provide a theoretical reference for the stability maintaining of the production well.

Stability of the Stratification of Water Bodies in the North Passage of the Yangtze River Estuary Based on the EFDC Model

To study the stratified stability of a water column in the North Passage of the Yangtze River Estuary,a numerical model of the hydrodynamics of this estuary is established using the EFDC model.On the basis of EFDC results,this paper derives and pro-vides the discriminative index of water body stability caused by salinity and analyzes the along-range variation in water body strati-fication stability in the North Passage of the Yangtze River Estuary and the periodic variation at a key location(bend area)based on the simulation results of the numerical model.This work shows that the water body in the bend area varies between mixed and strati-fied types,and the vertical average flow velocity has a good negative correlation with the differential velocity between the surface and bottom layers of the water body.The model simulation results validate the formulae for the stratified stability discriminant during spring tides.

Influence of variable viscosity and double diffusion on the convective stability of a nanofluid flow in an inclined porous channel

The influence of variable viscosity and double diffusion on the convective stability of a nanofluid flow in an inclined porous channel is investigated.The DarcyBrinkman model is used to characterize the fluid flow dynamics in porous materials.The analytical solutions are obtained for the unidirectional and completely developed flow.Based on a normal mode analysis,the generalized eigenvalue problem under a perturbed state is solved.The eigenvalue problem is then solved by the spectral method.Finally,the critical Rayleigh number with the corresponding wavenumber is evaluated at the assigned values of the other flow-governing parameters.The results show that increasing the Darcy number,the Lewis number,the Dufour parameter,or the Soret parameter increases the stability of the system,whereas increasing the inclination angle of the channel destabilizes the flow.Besides,the flow is the most unstable when the channel is vertically oriented.

Three-dimensional stability calculation method for high and large composite slopes formed by mining stope and inner dump in adjacent open pits

The 2D limit equilibrium method is widely used for slope stability analysis.However,with the advancement of dump engineering,composite slopes often exhibit significant 3D mechanical effects.Consequently,it is of significant importance to develop an effective 3D stability calculation method for composite slopes to enhance the design and stability control of open-pit slope engineering.Using the composite slope formed by the mining stope and inner dump in Baiyinhua No.1 and No.2 open-pit coal mine as a case study,this research investigates the failure mode of composite slopes and establishes spatial shape equations for the sliding mass.By integrating the shear resistance and sliding force of each row of microstrip columns onto the bottom surface of the strip corresponding to the main sliding surface,a novel 2D equivalent physical and mechanical parameters analysis method for the strips on the main sliding surface of 3D sliding masses is proposed.Subsequently,a comprehensive 3D stability calculation method for composite slopes is developed,and the quantitative relationship between the coordinated development distance and its 3D stability coefficients is examined.The analysis reveals that the failure mode of the composite slope is characterized by cutting-bedding sliding,with the arc serving as the side interface and the weak layer as the bottom interface,while the destabilization mechanism primarily involves shear failure.The spatial form equation of the sliding mass comprises an ellipsoid and weak plane equation.The analysis revealed that when the coordinated development distance is 1500 m,the error rate between the 3D stability calculation result and the 2D stability calculation result of the composite slope is less than 8%,thereby verifying the proposed analytical method of equivalent physical and mechanical parameters and the 3D stability calculation method for composite slopes.Furthermore,the3D stability coefficient of the composite slope exhibits an exponential correlation with the coordinated development distance,with the coefficient gradually decreasing as the coordinated development distance increases.These findings provide a theoretical guideline for designing similar slope shape parameters and conducting stability analysis.

Insights into ionic association boosting water oxidation activity and dynamic stability

There have been reports about Fe ions boosting oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activity of Ni-based catalysts in alkaline conditions,while the origin and reason for the enhancement remains elusive.Herein,we attempt to identify the activity improvement and discover that Ni sites act as a host to attract Fe(Ⅲ)to form Fe(Ni)(Ⅲ)binary centres,which serve as the dynamic sites to promote OER activity and stability by cyclical formation of intermediates(Fe(Ⅲ)→Fe(Ni)(Ⅲ)→Fe(Ni)-OH→Fe(Ni)-O→Fe(Ni)OOH→Fe(Ⅲ))at the electrode/electrolyte interface to emit O_(2).Additionally,some ions(Co(Ⅱ),Ni(Ⅱ),and Cr(Ⅲ))can also be the active sites to catalyze the OER process on a variety of electrodes.The Fe(Ⅲ)-catalyzed overall water-splitting electrolyzer comprising bare Ni foam as the anode and Pt/Ni-Mo as the cathode demonstrates robust stability for 1600 h at 1000 mA cm^(-2)@~1.75 V.The results provide insights into the ioncatalyzed effects boosting OER performance.

Synergistic effect of nitrocellulose coating on structural and reactivity stabilization of ammonium nitrate oxidizer

The present work aims to stabilize the room temperature allotropic transition of ammonium nitrate(AN)particles utilizing a microencapsulation technique,which involves solvent/non-solvent in which nitrocellulose(NC)has been employed as a coating agent.The SEM micrographs revealed distinct features of both pure AN and NC,contrasting with the irregular granular surface topography of the coated AN particles,demonstrating the adherence of NC on the AN surface.Structural analysis via infrared spectroscopy(IR)demonstrated a successful association of AN and NC,with slight shifts observed in IR bands indicating interfacial interactions.Powder X-ray Diffraction(PXRD)analysis further elucidated the structural changes induced by the coating process,revealing that the NC coating altered the crystallization pattern of its pure form.Thermal analysis demonstrates distinct profiles for pure and coated AN,for which the coated sample exhibits a temperature increase and an enthalpy decrease of the room temperature allotropic transition by 6℃,and 36%,respectively.Furthermore,the presence of NC coating alters the intermolecular forces within the composite system,leading to a reduction in melting enthalpy of coated AN by~39%compared to pure AN.The thermal decomposition analysis shows a two-step thermolysis process for coated AN,with a significant increase in the released heat by about 78%accompanied by an increase in the activation barrier of NC and AN thermolysis,demonstrating a stabilized reactivity of the AN-NC particles.These findings highlight the synergistic effect of NC coating on AN particles,which contributed to a structural and reactive stabilization of both AN and NC,proving the potential application of NC-coated AN as a strategically advantageous oxidizer in composite solid propellant formulations.

Effects of connected automated vehicle on stability and energy consumption of heterogeneous traffic flow system

With the development of intelligent and interconnected traffic system,a convergence of traffic stream is anticipated in the foreseeable future,where both connected automated vehicle(CAV)and human driven vehicle(HDV)will coexist.In order to examine the effect of CAV on the overall stability and energy consumption of such a heterogeneous traffic system,we first take into account the interrelated perception of distance and speed by CAV to establish a macroscopic dynamic model through utilizing the full velocity difference(FVD)model.Subsequently,adopting the linear stability theory,we propose the linear stability condition for the model through using the small perturbation method,and the validity of the heterogeneous model is verified by comparing with the FVD model.Through nonlinear theoretical analysis,we further derive the KdV-Burgers equation,which captures the propagation characteristics of traffic density waves.Finally,by numerical simulation experiments through utilizing a macroscopic model of heterogeneous traffic flow,the effect of CAV permeability on the stability of density wave in heterogeneous traffic flow and the energy consumption of the traffic system is investigated.Subsequent analysis reveals emergent traffic phenomena.The experimental findings demonstrate that as CAV permeability increases,the ability to dampen the propagation of fluctuations in heterogeneous traffic flow gradually intensifies when giving system perturbation,leading to enhanced stability of the traffic system.Furthermore,higher initial traffic density renders the traffic system more susceptible to congestion,resulting in local clustering effect and stop-and-go traffic phenomenon.Remarkably,the total energy consumption of the heterogeneous traffic system exhibits a gradual decline with CAV permeability increasing.Further evidence has demonstrated the positive influence of CAV on heterogeneous traffic flow.This research contributes to providing theoretical guidance for future CAV applications,aiming to enhance urban road traffic efficiency and alleviate congestion.

Origin of the Disparity between the Stability of Transmutated Mix-Cation and Mix-Anion Compounds

Transmutation is an efficient approach for material design. For example, ternary compound CuGaSe_(2) in chalcopyrite structure is a promising material for novel optoelectronic and thermoelectric device applications. It can be considered as formed from the binary host compound ZnSe in zinc-blende structure by cation transmutation(i.e., replacing two Zn atoms by one Cu and one Ga). While cation-transmutated materials are common, aniontransmutated ternary materials are rare, for example, Zn_(2)As Br(i.e., replacing two Se atoms by one As and one Br)is not reported. The physical origin for this puzzling disparity is unclear. In this work, we employ first-principles calculations to address this issue, and find that the distinct differences in stability between cation-transmutated(mix-cation) and anion-transmutated(mix-anion) compounds originate from their different trends of ionic radii as functions of their ionic state, i.e., for cations, the radius decreases with the increasing ionic state, whereas for anions, the radius increases with the increasing absolute ionic state. Therefore, for mix-cation compounds,the strain energy and Coulomb energy can be simultaneously optimized to make these materials stable. In contrast, for mix-anion systems, minimization of Coulomb energy will increase the strain energy, thus the system becomes unstable or less stable. Thus, the trend of decreasing strain energy and Coulomb energy is consistent in mix-cation compounds, while it is opposite in mix-anion compounds. Furthermore, the study suggests that the stability strategy for mix-anion compounds can be controlled by the ratio of ionic radii r3/r1, with a smaller ratio indicating greater stability. Our work, thus, elucidates the intrinsic stability trend of transmutated materials and provides guidelines for the design of novel ternary materials for various device applications.

Stability analysis of approximately multidimensional additive mappings on fuzzy spaces

The intention of this paper is to study new additive kind multi-dimensional functional equations inspired by several applications of difference equations in biology,control theory,economics,and computer science,as well as notable implementation of fuzzy ideas in certain situations involving ambiguity or vagueness.In the context of different fuzzy spaces,we demonstrate their various fundamental stabilities related to Ulam stability theory.An appropriate example is given to show how stability result fails when the singular case occurs.The findings of this study suggest that stability results are valid in situations with uncertain or imprecise data.The stability results obtained under these fuzzy spaces are compared with previous stability results.

General Lyapunov Stability and Its Application to Time-Varying Convex Optimization

In this article, a general Lyapunov stability theory of nonlinear systems is put forward and it contains asymptotic/finite-time/fast finite-time/fixed-time stability. Especially, a more accurate estimate of the settling-time function is exhibited for fixedtime stability, and it is still extraneous to the initial conditions.This can be applied to obtain less conservative convergence time of the practical systems without the information of the initial conditions. As an application, the given fixed-time stability theorem is used to resolve time-varying(TV) convex optimization problem.By the Newton's method, two classes of new dynamical systems are constructed to guarantee that the solution of the dynamic system can track to the optimal trajectory of the unconstrained and equality constrained TV convex optimization problems in fixed time, respectively. Without the exact knowledge of the time derivative of the cost function gradient, a fixed-time dynamical non-smooth system is established to overcome the issue of robust TV convex optimization. Two examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed TV convex optimization algorithms. Subsequently, the fixed-time stability theory is extended to the theories of predefined-time/practical predefined-time stability whose bound of convergence time can be arbitrarily given in advance, without tuning the system parameters. Under which, TV convex optimization problem is solved. The previous two examples are used to demonstrate the validity of the predefined-time TV convex optimization algorithms.

Rainfall-triggered waste dump instability analysis based on surface 3D deformation in physical model test

Landslide is the second largest natural disaster after earthquake. It is of significance to study the evolution laws and failure mechanism of landslides based on its surface 3D deformation information. Based on the rainfall-triggered waste dump instability model test, we studied the failure mechanisms of the waste dump by integrating surface deformation and internal slope stress and proposed novel parameters for identifying landslide stability. We developed a noncontact measurement device, which can obtain millimeter-level 3D deformation data for surface scene in physical model test;Then we developed the similar materials and established a test model for a waste dump. Based on the failure characteristics of slope surface, internal stress of slope body and displacement contours during the whole process, we divided the slope instability process in model test into four stages: rainfall infiltration and surface erosion, shallow sliding, deep sliding, and overall instability. Based on the obtained surface deformation data, we calculated the volume change during slope instability process and compared it with the point displacement on slope surface. The results showed that the volume change can not only reflect the slow-ultra acceleration process of slope failure, but also fully reflect the above four stages and reduce the fluctuations caused by random factors. Finally, this paper proposed two stability identification parameters: the volume change rate above the slip surface and the relative velocity of volume change rate. According to the calculation of these two parameters in model test, they can be used for study the deformation and failure mechanism of slope stability.

Confinement and synergy effects of supported-confined bimetal catalysts with superior stability and catalytic activity

Bimetallic nanocrystals have attracted considerable attention because of their complicated systems,which are far superior to those of their individual constituents.A TiO_(2)-confined PtMnP bimetallic catalyst(PtMnP@TiO_(2)) was prepared using an ultrasonic-assisted coincident strategy,which demonstrated exceptional catalytic activity in the universal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).Owing to the bimetallic synergistic effect and TiO_(2) confinement,PtMnP@TiO_(x)showed ultrasmall metal nanoparticles (NPs),a higher active Pt^(0) content,adequate activation at the porous surface,and abundant acid sites.Simulations were performed to visualize the strain properties of Mn and Pt during the bending process and demonstrate the high activity of Pt.The Pt-Mn bimetallic catalysts were enriched with Pt NPs,convoyed by electron transfer from Mn to Pt.Briefly,PtMnP@TiO_(2) showed robust evolution reaction activities (an overpotential of 220 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2) and a Tafel slope of 186 mV dec^(-1))and the ability to contrast stated catalysts without ultrasonication-plasma.This protocol revealed that the geometrical and electronic effects of Pt and P surrounding the Mn species in PtMnP@TiO_(2) were crucial for increasing the catalytic activity (99%) and durability (over 20 cycles),which were far superior to those of other reported catalysts.

Functional nanolayers favor the stability of solid-electrolyteinterphase in rechargeable batteries

Rechargeable batteries have brought us lots of convenience and changed the way we live.However,the demand for higher energy density,longer cycle life,and more fast charging ability urges researchers to develop advanced battery material and chemistry[1,2].

Preparation and Thermal Stability of AlMoON Based Solar Selective Absorption Coating

AlMoON based solar selective absorption coatings were deposited on stainless steel substrate by magnetron sputtering.The coatings included infrared reflection layer Mo,absorption layer AlMoN,absorption layer AlMoON and antireflection layer AlMoO from bottom to top.The surface of the deposited coatings is flat without obvious defects.The absorptivity and emissivity are 0.896 and 0.09,respectively,and the quality factor is 9.96.After heat treatment at 500℃-36 h,the surface roughness of the coating increases,a small number of cracks and other defects appear,and the broken part is still attached to the coating surface.A certain degree of element diffusion occurs in the coatings,resulting in the decline of the optical properties of the coatings.The absorptivity and emissivity are 0.883 and 0.131,respectively,the quality factor is 7.06,and the PC value is 0.0335.The coatings do not fail under this condition and have certain thermal stability.