Three-dimensional finite element analysis of weakened roots restored with different cements in combination with titanium alloy posts

Background It is very difficult and relatively unpredictable to preserve and restore severely weakened pulpless roots. To provide much needed benefit basis for clinical practice, this study was carried out to analyze the stress distribution in weakened roots restored with different cements in combination with titanium alloy posts. Finite element analysis （FEA） was employed in the study. Methods A pseudo three-dimensional model of a maxillary central incisor with flared root canal, theoretically restored with titanium alloy posts in combination with different cements, was established. The analysis was performed by use of ANSYS software. The tooth was assumed to be isotropic, homogenous and elastic. A load of 100 N at an angle of 45° to the longitudinal axis was applied at the palatal surface of the crown. The distributions of stresses in weakened roots filled with cements of different elastic modulus were analyzed by the three-dimensional FEA model. Results Several stress trends were observed when the stress cloud atlas obtained in the study was analyzed. With the increase of the elastic modulus of cements from 1.8 GPa to 22.4 GPa, the stress values in dentin decreased from 39.58 MPa to 31.43 MPa and from 24.51 MPa to 20.76 MPa （respectively, for maximum principle stress values and Von Mises stress values）. When Panavia F and zinc phosphate cement were used, the stress peak values in dentin were very small with no significant difference observed, and the Von Mises stress values were 20.87 MPa and 20.76 MPa respectively. On the other hand, maximum principle stress value and Von Mises stress value in cement layer increased with the increase of the elastic modulus of cements. Conclusions The result of this study demonstrated that elastic modulus was indeed one of the important parameters to evaluate property of the cements. Our three-dimensional FEA model study also found that the cement with elastic modulus similar to that of dentin could reinforce weakened root and reduce the stress in dentin. Thus, it may be a better choice for the restoration of weakened roots in clinical practice.

Dynamic simulation insights into friction weakening effect on rapid long-runout landslides:A case study of the Yigong landslide in the Tibetan Plateau,China

This study proposed a novel friction law dependent on velocity,displacement and normal stress for kinematic analysis of runout process of rapid landslides.The well-known Yigong landslide occurring in the Tibetan Plateau of China was employed as the case,and the derived dynamic friction formula was included into the numerical simulation based on Particle Flow Code.Results showed that the friction decreased quickly from 0.64(the peak)to 0.1(the stead value)during the 5s-period after the sliding initiation,which explained the behavior of rapid movement of the landslide.The monitored balls set at different sections of the mass showed similar variation characteritics regarding the velocity,namely evident increase at the initial phase of the movement,followed by a fluctuation phase and then a stopping one.The peak velocity was more than 100 m/s and most particles had low velocities at 300s after the landslide initiation.The spreading distance of the landslide was calculated at the two-dimension(profile)and three-dimension scale,respectively.Compared with the simulation result without considering friction weakening effect,our results indicated a max distance of about 10 km from the initial unstable position,which fit better with the actual situation.

Borehole stability in naturally fractured rocks with drilling mud intrusion and associated fracture strength weakening:A coupled DFN-DEM approach

Borehole instability in naturally fractured rocks poses significant challenges to drilling.Drilling mud invades the surrounding formations through natural fractures under the difference between the wellbore pressure(P w)and pore pressure(P p)during drilling,which may cause wellbore instability.However,the weakening of fracture strength due to mud intrusion is not considered in most existing borehole stability analyses,which may yield significant errors and misleading predictions.In addition,only limited factors were analyzed,and the fracture distribution was oversimplified.In this paper,the impacts of mud intrusion and associated fracture strength weakening on borehole stability in fractured rocks under both isotropic and anisotropic stress states are investigated using a coupled DEM(distinct element method)and DFN(discrete fracture network)method.It provides estimates of the effect of fracture strength weakening,wellbore pressure,in situ stresses,and sealing efficiency on borehole stability.The results show that mud intrusion and weakening of fracture strength can damage the borehole.This is demonstrated by the large displacement around the borehole,shear displacement on natural fractures,and the generation of fracture at shear limit.Mud intrusion reduces the shear strength of the fracture surface and leads to shear failure,which explains that the increase in mud weight may worsen borehole stability during overbalanced drilling in fractured formations.A higher in situ stress anisotropy exerts a significant influence on the mechanism of shear failure distribution around the wellbore.Moreover,the effect of sealing natural fractures on maintaining borehole stability is verified in this study,and the increase in sealing efficiency reduces the radial invasion distance of drilling mud.This study provides a directly quantitative prediction method of borehole instability in naturally fractured formations,which can consider the discrete fracture network,mud intrusion,and associated weakening of fracture strength.The information provided by the numerical approach(e.g.displacement around the borehole,shear displacement on fracture,and fracture at shear limit)is helpful for managing wellbore stability and designing wellbore-strengthening operations.

Stability analysis of intermittently jointed rock slopes based on the stepped failure mode

In practical engineering,due to the noncontinuity characteristics of joints in rock slopes,in addition to plane failure,stepped sliding failure may occur for intermittently jointed rock slopes.Especially for intermittently bedding jointed rock slopes,the correlation and difference in strength parameters between joints and rock bridges,along with the various failure modes and intermittency of rock bridges,contribute to the complexity of stepped failure modes and the unpredictability of failure regions.Based on the upper-bound limit analysis method and multi-sliders step-path failure mode,considering the shear and tensile failure of rock bridges and the weakened relationship between the strength parameters of rock bridges and jointed surfaces,by introducing the modified M-C failure criterion and the formula for calculating the energy consumption of tensile failure of rock bridges,two failure mechanisms are constructed to obtain the safety factor(F_(s))of intermittently jointed rock slopes.The sequential quadratic programming method is used to obtain the optimal upper-bound solution for F_(s).The influence of multiple key parameters(slope height H,horizontal distance L,Slope angleβ,shear strength parameters of the rock bridgeφr and cr,Dimensionless parameter u,weakening coefficients of the internal friction angle and cohesion between the rock bridges and joint surfaces Kφand Kc)on the stability analysis of intermittently jointed rock slopes under the shear failure mode of rock bridges as well as under the tensile failure mode is also explored.The reliability of the failure mechanisms is verified by comparative analysis with theoretical results,numerical results,and landslide cases,and the variation rules of F_(s)with each key parameter are obtained.The results show that F_(s) varies linearly withφr and cr of the rock bridge and with K_(φ)and K_(c),whereas F_(s)changes nonlinearly with H and L.In particular,with the increase in Kφand Kc,Fs increases by approximately 52.78%and 171.02%on average,respectively.For rock bridge tensile failure,F_(s) shows a nonlinearly positive correlation withφr,cr,Kφand Kc.In particular,with the increase in Kφand Kc,Fs increases by approximately 13%and 61.69%on average,respectively.Fs decreases rapidly with increasing slope gradientβand decreasing dimensionless parameterμ.When Kφand Kc are both less than 1.0,the stepped sliding surface occurs more easily than the plane failure surface,especially in the case of tensile failure of the rock bridge.In addition,rock slopes with higher strength parameters,taller heights,and greater weakening coefficients are prone to rock bridge tension failure with lower Fs,and more attention should be given to the occurrence of such accidents in actual engineering.

Experimental investigation on the origin of carbonaceous materials in the fault zone of the Wenchuan earthquake

Carbonaceous materials in seismic fault zones may considerably influence seismic fault slip;however,the formation mechanism of carbonaceous materials remains unclear.In this study,we proposed a novel hypothesis for the formation of carbonaceous materials in fault gouge.Thus,we conducted a CO2 hydrogenation experiment in a high-temperature reactor at a co-seismic temperature,with fault gouge formed during the Wenchuan earthquake as the catalyst.Our experimental results demonstrate that carbonaceous materials in fault zones are formed on the fault gouge during the chemical reaction process,suggesting that the carbonaceous materials are possibly generated from the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2,followed by thermal cracking of its products.The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for understanding fault behavior and earthquake physics.

Survey and clinical considerations of gender identity in lower primary school children

BACKGROUND Gender consciousness directly affects the development of gender identity,which is a continuous and lifelong process.Meanwhile,hospitalization is a part of many children's lives and has an impact on their gender development.AIM To investigate the current situation of gender identity in lower primary school children by conducting a survey of 202 hospitalized children in the lower grades and to provide a theoretical basis and foundation for the cultivation of gender identity and medical treatment of children based on the results.This study aims to inspire clinical medical staff to scientifically and reasonably arrange hospital wards for lower primary school children and pay attention to gender protection during the medical treatment process and to help children shape a unified and clear gender identity,which will enable them to better integrate into society and promote their personality development.METHODS The gender consciousness scale for elementary and middle school students was RESULTS Gender identity was already present in lower primary school children.The children's gender roles and gender equality consciousness were strong,exceeding the critical value,but their gender characteristics,gender identity,and gender ideal consciousness were weak.Children aged 6 had the weakest gender identity,and girls had significantly stronger gender identity than boys.CONCLUSION Gender identity is already present in lower primary school children,providing a basis and inspiration for the cultivation of gender identity and medical treatment of lower primary school children.Clinical medical staff should be aware of and understand these results and should scientifically and reasonably arrange hospital wards for lower primary school children.

SEEPAGE CONTROL OF WEAKENED ROCK FOUNDATION OF GEZHOUBA ERJIANG-SLUICE

It is the presence of weakened intercalations that makes the foundation of Gezhouba Erjiang-Sluice complex. Seepage control installation must be able not only to reduce seepapge pressure, but also to protect weakened intercalations from encroachment of seepage. In this paper theoretical analysis has been conducted to prove that well system is highly effective seepage control installation meeting this demand. By means of in-situ monitoring it has been verified that proposed seepage control measure relying mainly on drainage is of success. Seepage stability of weakened intercalations must be considered in employing drains to control seepage, while the seepage deformation of weakened intercalations is different from that of ordinary sand-gravel. Mechanism of seepage deformation of weakened intercalations has been expounded. Seepage wedging is a special type of seepage deformation for weakened intercalations, It is shown clearly that seepage deformation of intercalations does not mean seepage failure of the foundation. In such a foundation as that of Gezhouba sluice, the permeability is distributed randomly. So the seepage field is an unstable, stochastic field.

Etiopathogenic theories about long COVID

The main etiopathogenic theories of long coronavirus disease(COVID)are listed and a conjunction of them is carried out with the objective of deciphering the pathophysiology of the entity,finally the main lines of treatment existing in real life are discussed(Paxlovid,use of antibiotics in dysbiosis,triple anticoagulant therapy,temelimab).

Strength weakening and its micromechanism in water–rock interaction,a short review in laboratory tests

Water–rock interaction(WRI)is a topic of interest in geology and geotechnical engineering.Many geological hazards and engineering safety problems are severe under the WRI.This study focuses on the water weakening of rock strength and its infuencing factors(water content,immersion time,and wetting–drying cycles).The strength of the rock mass decreases to varying degrees with water content,immersion time,and wetting–drying cycles depending on the rock mass type and mineral composition.The corresponding acoustic emission count and intensity and infrared radiation intensity also weaken accordingly.WRI enhances the plasticity of rock mass and reduces its brittleness.Various microscopic methods for studying the pore characterization and weakening mechanism of the WRI were compared and analyzed.Various methods should be adopted to study the pore evolution of WRI comprehensively.Microscopic methods are used to study the weakening mechanism of WRI.In future work,the mechanical parameters of rocks weakened under long-term water immersion(over years)should be considered,and more attention should be paid to how the laboratory scale is applied to the engineering scale.

Super Typhoon Hinnamnor(2022)with a Record-Breaking Lifespan over the Western North Pacific

Super Typhoon Hinnamnor(2022)was a rare and unique western North Pacific typhoon,and throughout its lifespan,it exhibited all of the major features that pose current challenges in typhoon research.Specifically,during different stages of its lifespan,it experienced a sudden change of track,underwent rapid intensification,interacted and merged with another vortex,expanded in size,underwent rapid weakening,produced a strong cold wake,exhibited eyewall replacement,and underwent extratropical transition.Therefore,a timely identification and review of these features of Hinnamnor(2022),as reported in this article,will help update and enrich the case sets for each of these scientific issues and provide a background for more in-depth mechanistic studies of typhoon track,intensity,and structural changes in the future.We also believe that Hinnamnor(2022)can serve as an excellent benchmark to quickly evaluate the overall performance of different numerical models in predicting typhoon’s track,intensity,and structural changes.

Mechanism of plasticity enhancement of AZ31B magnesium alloy sheet by accumulative alternating back extrusion

Accumulative alternating back extrusion was a potential fine-grain modification method.In this paper,it was an innovative attempt to develop high-performance magnesium alloy sheet by this process.Under the condition of 350 K,commercial AZ31 magnesium alloy was made into billet by accumulative alternating back extrusion,and then extruded into fine-grain magnesium alloy sheet.Through a systematic study of its microstructure and mechanical properties,the results showed that the initial state had an important influence on the evolution of the structure during extrusion.After accumulative alternating back extrusion to produce the billet,the grain size of the sheet obtained by extrusion was significantly refined,which was related to the accumulation of deformation and grain refinement during the alternating loading process.Grain refinement caused the proportion of dynamic recrystallization inside the sheet with 2 cycles of accumulative alternating back extrusion to drop to 27%.With the increase of extrusion cycles from 2 to 4,the high density of dislocations led to an increase in the proportion of dynamic recrystallization and finer grains.The texture changed from strong basal texture to weak bimodal texture.The results of uniaxial tensile test show that due to grain refinement and texture change,the yield strength was significantly reduced,and the plasticity was significantly improved.It was verified that accumulative alternating back extrusion was meaningful for subsequent processing,and it also provided scientific guidance for the development of fine-grained magnesium alloy sheet.

A Novel Belief Rule-Based Fault Diagnosis Method with Interpretability

Fault diagnosis plays an irreplaceable role in the normal operation of equipment.A fault diagnosis model is often required to be interpretable for increasing the trust between humans and the model.Due to the understandable knowledge expression and transparent reasoning process,the belief rule base(BRB)has extensive applications as an interpretable expert system in fault diagnosis.Optimization is an effective means to weaken the subjectivity of experts in BRB,where the interpretability of BRB may be weakened.Hence,to obtain a credible result,the weakening factors of interpretability in the BRB-based fault diagnosis model are firstly analyzed,which are manifested in deviation from the initial judgement of experts and over-optimization of parameters.For these two factors,three indexes are proposed,namely the consistency index of rules,consistency index of the rule base and over-optimization index,tomeasure the interpretability of the optimizedmodel.Considering both the accuracy and interpretability of amodel,an improved coordinate ascent(I-CA)algorithmis proposed to fine-tune the parameters of the fault diagnosis model based on BRB.In I-CA,the algorithm combined with the advance and retreat method and the golden section method is employed to be one-dimensional search algorithm.Furthermore,the random optimization sequence and adaptive step size are proposed to improve the accuracy of the model.Finally,a case study of fault diagnosis in aerospace relays based on BRB is carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Marginal weakening promoted rift propagation of the Petermann Ice Shelf in northwestern Greenland from 2016 to 2022

Ice-shelf rifts are precursors of glacier calving, and thus they serve as indicators of ice shelf instability, especially under oceanic and atmospheric warming conditions. Therefore, understanding the dynamic processes underlying rift propagation and the associated damage mechanisms is essential to evaluate ice-shelf instability and to predict glacier calving. In this study, we investigated the effect of marginal weakening on rift propagation on the ice shelf of the Petermann Glacier, among the largest in Greenland, during 2016-2022. First, we analyzed satellite optical images to monitor rift growth(length and width) by tracking the tip trajectory of three large rifts identified on the Petermann Ice Shelf. Then, we estimated rift depth using ArcticDEM and ICESat-2 data. Our results indicated consistent increases of the rift widths and depths over the study period, with mean values of 133 m·a^(-1) and 0.3 m·a^(-1), respectively. We also combined remote-sensing observations with an ice-sheet numerical model to calculate the stress and damage fields on the Petermann Ice Shelf and to assess the ice shelf margin stability and strength. We determined that damage and lateral shear in the fracture zone degraded ice shelf integrity by decreasing the contact length with the fjord wall. In conclusion, marginal weakening effectively promoted rift propagation on the Petermann Ice Shelf, increasing the risk of future glacier calving.

The Non-Singular Fast Terminal Sliding Mode Control of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Based on Deep Flux Weakening Switching Point Tracking

This paper presents a novel non-singular fast terminal sliding mode control(NFTSMC)based on the deep flux weakening switching point tracking method in order to improve the control performance of permanent interior magnet synchronous motor(IPMSM)drive systems.The mathematical model of flux weakening(FW)control is established,and the deep flux weakening switching point is calculated accurately by analyzing the relationship between the torque curve and voltage decline curve.Next,a second-order NFTSMC is designed for the speed loop controller to ensure that the system converges to the equilibrium state in finite time.Then,an extended sliding mode disturbance observer(ESMDO)is designed to estimate the uncertainty of the system.Finally,compared with both the PI control and sliding mode control(SMC)by simulations and experiments with different working conditions,the method proposed has the merits of accelerating convergence,improving steady-state accuracy,and minimizing the current and torque pulsation.

Seismic performance and comparison of three different I beam to box column joints

Despite the inherently advantages of the box column, finding the best option for the I beam to the box column connection is the main challenge in using the box column as a structural member for special moment frames. In this paper, the seismic performance of urtreinforced connection, weakened connection and strengthened connection was evaluated through a comprehensive experimental program. The seismic comparisons were fabricated by assessing the strength, ductility and energy dissipation in each configuration. Three full scale tests with several connections were carried out. All the specimens were subjected to cyclic loading and prior to failure by forming a plastic hinge in the beam, all the connections managed to reach an inelastic rotation of more than 6.0% rad. The experimental and analytical results showed that the seismic performance of the strengthened connection with flange and shear plates turned out to be the most effective in the beam to the box column connection. Moreover, the normalized stress distribution of the continuity plates revealed that the possibility of the weld fracture in unreinforced connection is more than other specimens.

Further Political Stability Ahead

General stability will prevail in the new-born country. Not resigned to theirdefeat, some white ultra-rightists and black traditional conservatives willcontinue to provoke troubles, resort to bloodshed and disturb social security, yetthey have all been greatly weakened and isolated after four years of repeated trial ofstrength in the course of the democratic transition and will be unable to reverse

China-SME Index Distorted by Holiday Effect

*The SME index fell modestly to 55.6 in February from 56.6 in January;expectations index improved*Real activity weakened during the Lunar New Year holiday;job market deteriorated further*Credit availability remains tight for SMEs;financing costs have edged lower*IT sector outperforms;business conditions are healthier in central-western and southem

Exports of Bicycles Is Increasing Rapidly

Under the serious impact of the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),China’s export market has undergone great structural changes.On the one hand,the exports of epidemic prevention materials and related products has increased significantly.On the other,overseas demand for clothing,toys,and electrical appliances has greatly weakened.However,Chinese bicycles are now becoming surprisingly popular around the world.

A Wax-Sedimentation Preventer

A new wax controlling device forreducing oil viscosity and preventingwax sedimentation has recently beendeveloped by Rugao Magnetic EquipmentFactory in Jiangsu Province.When oil passes through the devicethe spin quantum mumber of some waxparticies changes,under the action ofthe magnetic field around it,makingtheir energy level jump from a lower toa higer stage,thus raising the energyof the whole particles.As a result ofthe fact stated above the attractionbetween molecules when crystallizing isweakened,the separating point of wax islowered,and the fluidity of oil

Sensitivity Experiments on Summer Monsoon Circulation Cell in East Asia

The East-Asian summer monsoon meridional circulation (SMMC) cell is simulated together with two vigorous rainbands in terms of a primitive-equation model including in itself a variety of diabatic heating, frictional dissipation and moist processes under the condition of mountains available. Results are comparable to observations. Also, performed are experiments with the reduction of water content, and exclusion of the cumulus convective process and mountain effect. Contrast analyses indicate that the cell is strongly sensitive to the condition of the humidity field in the atmosphere, more intensely at 120°than at 100°E, and the presence (absence) of the cumulus convection has considerable effect on the intensification(weakening) of the cell, with the mountain ranges exhibiting more influence upon the cell at 100° than 120°E. This may suggest that a great difference lies in the cause of the cell for the two meridions.