The grain density,Nv,in the solid state after solidification of AZ91/SiC composite is a function of maximum undercooling,ΔT,of a liquid alloy.This type of function depends on the characteristics of heterogeneous nucl...The grain density,Nv,in the solid state after solidification of AZ91/SiC composite is a function of maximum undercooling,ΔT,of a liquid alloy.This type of function depends on the characteristics of heterogeneous nucleation sites and number of SiC present in the alloy.The aim of this paper was selection of parameters for the model describing the relationship between the grain density of primary phase and undercooling.This model in connection with model of crystallisation,which is based on chemical elements diffusion and grain interface kinetics,can be used to predict casting quality and its microstructure.Nucleation models have parameters,which exact values are usually not known and sometimes even their physical meaning is under discussion.Those parameters can be obtained after mathematical analysis of the experimental data.The composites with 0,1,2,3 and 4wt.% of SiC particles were prepared.The AZ91 alloy was a matrix of the composite reinforcement SiC particles.This composite was cast to prepare four different thickness plates.They were taken from the region near to the thermocouple,to analyze the undercooling for different composites and thickness plates and its influence on the grain size.The microstructure and thermal analysis gave set of values that connect mass fraction of SiC particles,and undercooling with grain size.These values were used to approximate nucleation model adjustment parameters.Obtained model can be very useful in modelling composites microstructure.展开更多
Maritime radar and automatic identification systems (AIS), which are essential auxiliary equipment for navigation safety in the shipping industry, have played significant roles in maritime safety supervision. However,...Maritime radar and automatic identification systems (AIS), which are essential auxiliary equipment for navigation safety in the shipping industry, have played significant roles in maritime safety supervision. However, in practical applications, the information obtained by a single device is limited, and it is necessary to integrate the information of maritime radar and AIS messages to achieve better recognition effects. In this study, the D-S evidence theory is used to fusion the two kinds of heterogeneous information: maritime radar images and AIS messages. Firstly, the radar image and AIS message are processed to get the targets of interest in the same coordinate system. Then, the coordinate position and heading of targets are chosen as the indicators for judging target similarity. Finally, a piece of D-S evidence theory based on the information fusion method is proposed to match the radar target and the AIS target of the same ship. Particularly, the effectiveness of the proposed method has been validated and evaluated through several experiments, which proves that such a method is practical in maritime safety supervision.展开更多
This study is an attempt to establish a suitable speed–density functional relationship for heterogeneous traffic on urban arterials. The model must reproduce the traffic behaviour on traffic stream and satisfy all st...This study is an attempt to establish a suitable speed–density functional relationship for heterogeneous traffic on urban arterials. The model must reproduce the traffic behaviour on traffic stream and satisfy all static and dynamic properties of speed–flow–density relationships. As a first attempt for Indian traffic condition, two behavioural parameters, namely the kinematic wave speed at jam(Cj) and a proposed saturation flow(k), are estimated using empirical observations. The parameter Cjis estimated by developing a relationship between driver reaction time and vehicle position in the queue at the signalised intersection. Functional parameters are estimated using Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm implemented in the R statistical software.Numerical measures such as root mean squared error, average relative error and cumulative residual plots are used for assessing models fitness. We set out several static and dynamic properties of the flow–speed–density relationships to evaluate the models, and these properties equally hold good for both homogenous and heterogeneous traffic states.From the numerical analysis, it is found that very few models replicate empirical speed–density data traffic behaviour.However, none of the existing functional forms satisfy all the properties. To overcome the shortcomings, we proposed two new speed–density functional forms. The uniqueness of these models is that they satisfy both numerical accuracy and the properties of fundamental diagram. These new forms would certainly improve the modelling accuracy, especially in dynamic traffic studies when coupling with dynamic speed equations.展开更多
The homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions in the boundary-layer of a flat surface are considered. The autocatalysts are assumed to be of regular sizes, while the solution is a dilute nanofluid. The heat release due ...The homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions in the boundary-layer of a flat surface are considered. The autocatalysts are assumed to be of regular sizes, while the solution is a dilute nanofluid. The heat release due to the chemical reactions is taken into account. The Buongiorno’s model is used to describe the behaviors of this reaction system. This configuration makes the current model be different from all previous publications. Multiple solutions are given numerically to the rescaled nonlinear system, whose stability is verified. The results show that the strength coefficients of the homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions are key factors to cause the appearance of the multiple solutions in the distribution of the chemical reactions. Nanofluids enhance the diffusion of heat and help maintain the stability of chemical reactions.展开更多
AIM:To evaluate the alterations of the retinal microvasculature and foveal avascular zone in patients with Parkinson’s disease(PD)using optical coherence tomography angiography(OCT-A).METHODS:A retrospective study of...AIM:To evaluate the alterations of the retinal microvasculature and foveal avascular zone in patients with Parkinson’s disease(PD)using optical coherence tomography angiography(OCT-A).METHODS:A retrospective study of PD patients examined in the Ophthalmology Department of the General Hospital of Athens,“Georgios Gennimatas”from March 2021 to March 2022 was conducted.Totally 44 patients with PD were included and 18 healthy controls were examined,hence a total of 124 eyes were enrolled in the study.The foveal and parafoveal superficial and deep capillary plexus vascular density(fSCP-VD,fDCP-VD,pSCP-VD,pDCP-CD)and foveal avascular zone(FAZ)were quantified with OCTA.Optical coherence tomography(OCT)was used to measure macular thickness.Our statistical analysis was conducted by using a mixed effect linear regression model.RESULTS:After adjustment for age and gender,the mean parafoveal superficial capillary plexus vascular density(pSCP-VD)and mean parafoveal deep capillary plexus vascular density(pDCP-VD)were significantly decreased in individuals with PD(P<0.001 in both)by-2.35(95%CI-3.3,-1.45)and-7.5(95%CI-10.4,-4.6)respectively.fSCP-VD and fDCP-VD didn’t approach statistical significance.The FAZ area and perimeter were significantly decreased(P<0.001 in both)by-0.1 mm^(2)(95%CI-0.13,-0.07)and-0.49 mm^(2)(95%CI-0.66,-0.32)respectively.Circularity didn’t approach statistical significance.Central retinal thickness(CRT)was significantly decreased in individuals with PD(P<0.001)by-23.1μm(95%CI-30.2,-16)and temporal retinal thickness(TRT)was decreased(P=0.025)by-11μm(95%CI-22,-1.5)while nasal retinal thickness(NRT)only approached statistical significance(P=0.066).CONCLUSION:The mean pSCP-VD,pDCP-VD,CRT and TRT are significantly decreased and FAZ is altered in individuals with PD.These findings can be potentially used as biomarkers for the diagnosis and evaluation of early PD.展开更多
Various scaling relations have long been established in the field of heterogeneous catalysis,but the resultant volcano curves inherently limit the catalytic performance of catalyst candidates.On the other hand,it is s...Various scaling relations have long been established in the field of heterogeneous catalysis,but the resultant volcano curves inherently limit the catalytic performance of catalyst candidates.On the other hand,it is still very challenging to develop universal descriptors that can be used in various types of catalysts and reaction systems.For these reasons,several strategies have recently been proposed to break and rebuild scaling relations to go beyond the top of volcanoes.In this review,some previously proposed descriptors have been briefly introduced.Then,the strategies for breaking known and establishing new and more generalized scaling relations in complex catalytic systems have been summarized.Finally,the application of machine-learning techniques in identifying universal descriptors for future computational design and high-throughput screening of heterogeneous catalysts has been discussed.展开更多
The paper studies the propagation of Love waves in a non-homogeneous substratum over an initially stressed heterogeneous half-space. The dispersion equation of phase velocity is derived. The velocities of Love waves a...The paper studies the propagation of Love waves in a non-homogeneous substratum over an initially stressed heterogeneous half-space. The dispersion equation of phase velocity is derived. The velocities of Love waves are calculated numerically as a function of kH and presented in a number of graphs, where k is the wave number, and H is the thickness of the layer. The case of Gibson＇s half-space is also considered. It is observed that the speed of Love waves is finite in the vicinity of the surface of the half-space and vanishes as the depth increases for a particular wave number. It is also observed that an increase in compressive initial stresses causes decreases of Love waves velocity for the same frequency, and the tensile initial stress of small magnitude in the half-space causes increase of the velocity.展开更多
Heterogeneous wireless sensor networks(HWSNs)are vulnerable to malware propagation,because of their low configuration and weak defense mechanism.Therefore,an optimality system for HWSNs is developed to suppress malwar...Heterogeneous wireless sensor networks(HWSNs)are vulnerable to malware propagation,because of their low configuration and weak defense mechanism.Therefore,an optimality system for HWSNs is developed to suppress malware propagation in this paper.Firstly,a heterogeneous-susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered-susceptible(HSEIRS)model is proposed to describe the state dynamics of heterogeneous sensor nodes(HSNs)in HWSNs.Secondly,the existence of an optimal control problem with installing antivirus on HSNs to minimize the sum of the cumulative infection probabilities of HWSNs at a low cost based on the HSEIRS model is proved,and then an optimal control strategy for the problem is derived by the optimal control theory.Thirdly,the optimal control strategy based on the HSEIRS model is transformed into corresponding Hamiltonian by the Pontryagin’s minimum principle,and the corresponding optimality system is derived.Finally,the effectiveness of the optimality system is validated by the experimental simulations,and the results show that the infectious HSNs will fall to an extremely low level at a low cost.展开更多
The mid-subtropical forest is one of the biggest sections of subtropical forest in China and plays a vital role in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon.Studies have examined carbon storage density(CSD) dis...The mid-subtropical forest is one of the biggest sections of subtropical forest in China and plays a vital role in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon.Studies have examined carbon storage density(CSD) distribution in temperate forests. However, our knowledge of CSD in subtropical forests is limited. In this study, Jiangle County was selected as a study case to explore geographic variation in CSD. A spatial heterogeneity analysis by semivariogram revealed that CSD varied at less than the mesoscale(approximately 2000–3000 m). CSD distribution mapped using Kriging regression revealed an increasing trend in CSD from west to east of the study area.Global spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated that CSD was clustered at the village level(at 5% significance).Some areas with local spatial autocorrelation were detected by Anselin Local Moran's I and Getis-Ord G*. A geographically weighted regression model showed different impacts on the different areas for each determinant. Generally, diameter at breast height, tree height, and stand density had positive correlation with CSD in Jiangle County, but varied substantially in magnitude by location.In contrast, coefficients of elevation and slope ranged from negative to positive. Based on these results, we propose certain measures to increase forest carbon storage,including increasing forested area, improving the quality of the current forests, and promoting reasonable forest management decisions and harvesting strategies. The established CSD model emphasizes the important role of midsubtropical forest in carbon sequestration and provides useful information for quantifying mid-subtropical forest carbon storage.展开更多
Many studies revealed that the Earth medium＇s lateral heterogeneity can cause considerable effects on the co- and post-seismic deformation field. In this study, the threedimensional finite element numerical method ar...Many studies revealed that the Earth medium＇s lateral heterogeneity can cause considerable effects on the co- and post-seismic deformation field. In this study, the threedimensional finite element numerical method are adopted to quantify the effects of lateral heterogeneity caused by material parameters and fault dip angle on the co- and postseismic deformation in the near- and far-field. Our results show that： 1） the medium＇s lateral heterogeneity does affect the co-seismic deformation, with the effects increasing with the medium＇s lateral heterogeneity caused by material parameters; 2） the Lame parameters play a more dominant role than density in the effects caused by lateral heterogeneity; 3） when a fault＇s dip angle is smaller than 90, the effects of the medium＇s lateral heterogeneity on the hanging wall are greater than on the footwall; 4） the impact of lateral heterogeneity caused by the viscosity coefficient on the post-seismic deformation can affect a large area, including the near- and far-field.展开更多
BACKGROUND Little is known about inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)burden and its impact on bone mineral density(BMD)among adult patients in Saudi Arabia.To the best of our knowledge,our study is the only study to give a...BACKGROUND Little is known about inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)burden and its impact on bone mineral density(BMD)among adult patients in Saudi Arabia.To the best of our knowledge,our study is the only study to give an update about this health problem in adult Saudi patients with IBD.IBD is a great risk factor for reduced BMD due to its associated chronic inflammation,malabsorption,weight loss and medication side effects.Consequently,screening for reduced BMD among patients with IBD is of utmost importance to curb and control anticipated morbidity and mortality among those patients.AIM To assess the relationship between IBD and BMD in a sample of adult Saudi patients with IBD.METHODS Ninety adult patients with IBD-62 Crohn’s disease(CD)and 28 ulcerative colitis(UC)-were recruited from King Fahad Specialist Hospital gastroenterology clinics in Buraidah,Al-Qassim.All enrolled patients were interviewed for their demographic information and for IBD-and BMD-related clinical data.All patients had the necessary laboratory markers and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans to evaluate their BMD status.Patients were divided into two groups(CD and UC)to explore their clinical characteristics and possible risk factors for reduced BMD.RESULTS The CD group was significantly more prone to osteopenia and osteoporosis compared to the UC group;44%of the CD patients had normal BMD,19%had osteopenia,and 37%had osteoporosis,while 78%of the UC patients had normal BMD,7%had osteopenia,and 25%had osteoporosis(P value<0.05).In the CD group,the lowest t-score showed a statistically significant correlation with body mass index(BMI)(r=0.45,P<0.001),lumbar z-score(r=0.77,P<0.05)and femur z-score(r=0.85,P<0.05).In the UC group,the lowest t-score showed only statistically significant correlation with the lumbar z-score(r=0.82,P<0.05)and femur z-score(r=0.80,P<0.05).The ROC-curve showed that low BMI could predict the lowest t-score in the CD group with the best cut-off value at≤23.43(m/kg2);area under the curve was 0.73(95%CI:0.59–0.84),with a sensitivity of 77%,and a specificity of 63%.CONCLUSION Saudi patients with IBD still have an increased risk of reduced BMD,more in CD patients.Low BMI is a significant risk factor for reduced BMD in CD patients.展开更多
基金supported financially by the European Community under Marie Curie Transfer of Knowledge grant No. MTKD-CT-2006-042468 (AGH No.27.27.170.304)Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education for financial support under grant No. N507-44-66-34 (AGH No.18.18.170.325)
文摘The grain density,Nv,in the solid state after solidification of AZ91/SiC composite is a function of maximum undercooling,ΔT,of a liquid alloy.This type of function depends on the characteristics of heterogeneous nucleation sites and number of SiC present in the alloy.The aim of this paper was selection of parameters for the model describing the relationship between the grain density of primary phase and undercooling.This model in connection with model of crystallisation,which is based on chemical elements diffusion and grain interface kinetics,can be used to predict casting quality and its microstructure.Nucleation models have parameters,which exact values are usually not known and sometimes even their physical meaning is under discussion.Those parameters can be obtained after mathematical analysis of the experimental data.The composites with 0,1,2,3 and 4wt.% of SiC particles were prepared.The AZ91 alloy was a matrix of the composite reinforcement SiC particles.This composite was cast to prepare four different thickness plates.They were taken from the region near to the thermocouple,to analyze the undercooling for different composites and thickness plates and its influence on the grain size.The microstructure and thermal analysis gave set of values that connect mass fraction of SiC particles,and undercooling with grain size.These values were used to approximate nucleation model adjustment parameters.Obtained model can be very useful in modelling composites microstructure.
文摘Maritime radar and automatic identification systems (AIS), which are essential auxiliary equipment for navigation safety in the shipping industry, have played significant roles in maritime safety supervision. However, in practical applications, the information obtained by a single device is limited, and it is necessary to integrate the information of maritime radar and AIS messages to achieve better recognition effects. In this study, the D-S evidence theory is used to fusion the two kinds of heterogeneous information: maritime radar images and AIS messages. Firstly, the radar image and AIS message are processed to get the targets of interest in the same coordinate system. Then, the coordinate position and heading of targets are chosen as the indicators for judging target similarity. Finally, a piece of D-S evidence theory based on the information fusion method is proposed to match the radar target and the AIS target of the same ship. Particularly, the effectiveness of the proposed method has been validated and evaluated through several experiments, which proves that such a method is practical in maritime safety supervision.
文摘This study is an attempt to establish a suitable speed–density functional relationship for heterogeneous traffic on urban arterials. The model must reproduce the traffic behaviour on traffic stream and satisfy all static and dynamic properties of speed–flow–density relationships. As a first attempt for Indian traffic condition, two behavioural parameters, namely the kinematic wave speed at jam(Cj) and a proposed saturation flow(k), are estimated using empirical observations. The parameter Cjis estimated by developing a relationship between driver reaction time and vehicle position in the queue at the signalised intersection. Functional parameters are estimated using Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm implemented in the R statistical software.Numerical measures such as root mean squared error, average relative error and cumulative residual plots are used for assessing models fitness. We set out several static and dynamic properties of the flow–speed–density relationships to evaluate the models, and these properties equally hold good for both homogenous and heterogeneous traffic states.From the numerical analysis, it is found that very few models replicate empirical speed–density data traffic behaviour.However, none of the existing functional forms satisfy all the properties. To overcome the shortcomings, we proposed two new speed–density functional forms. The uniqueness of these models is that they satisfy both numerical accuracy and the properties of fundamental diagram. These new forms would certainly improve the modelling accuracy, especially in dynamic traffic studies when coupling with dynamic speed equations.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11872241 and11432009)。
文摘The homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions in the boundary-layer of a flat surface are considered. The autocatalysts are assumed to be of regular sizes, while the solution is a dilute nanofluid. The heat release due to the chemical reactions is taken into account. The Buongiorno’s model is used to describe the behaviors of this reaction system. This configuration makes the current model be different from all previous publications. Multiple solutions are given numerically to the rescaled nonlinear system, whose stability is verified. The results show that the strength coefficients of the homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions are key factors to cause the appearance of the multiple solutions in the distribution of the chemical reactions. Nanofluids enhance the diffusion of heat and help maintain the stability of chemical reactions.
文摘AIM:To evaluate the alterations of the retinal microvasculature and foveal avascular zone in patients with Parkinson’s disease(PD)using optical coherence tomography angiography(OCT-A).METHODS:A retrospective study of PD patients examined in the Ophthalmology Department of the General Hospital of Athens,“Georgios Gennimatas”from March 2021 to March 2022 was conducted.Totally 44 patients with PD were included and 18 healthy controls were examined,hence a total of 124 eyes were enrolled in the study.The foveal and parafoveal superficial and deep capillary plexus vascular density(fSCP-VD,fDCP-VD,pSCP-VD,pDCP-CD)and foveal avascular zone(FAZ)were quantified with OCTA.Optical coherence tomography(OCT)was used to measure macular thickness.Our statistical analysis was conducted by using a mixed effect linear regression model.RESULTS:After adjustment for age and gender,the mean parafoveal superficial capillary plexus vascular density(pSCP-VD)and mean parafoveal deep capillary plexus vascular density(pDCP-VD)were significantly decreased in individuals with PD(P<0.001 in both)by-2.35(95%CI-3.3,-1.45)and-7.5(95%CI-10.4,-4.6)respectively.fSCP-VD and fDCP-VD didn’t approach statistical significance.The FAZ area and perimeter were significantly decreased(P<0.001 in both)by-0.1 mm^(2)(95%CI-0.13,-0.07)and-0.49 mm^(2)(95%CI-0.66,-0.32)respectively.Circularity didn’t approach statistical significance.Central retinal thickness(CRT)was significantly decreased in individuals with PD(P<0.001)by-23.1μm(95%CI-30.2,-16)and temporal retinal thickness(TRT)was decreased(P=0.025)by-11μm(95%CI-22,-1.5)while nasal retinal thickness(NRT)only approached statistical significance(P=0.066).CONCLUSION:The mean pSCP-VD,pDCP-VD,CRT and TRT are significantly decreased and FAZ is altered in individuals with PD.These findings can be potentially used as biomarkers for the diagnosis and evaluation of early PD.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Founda-tion of China(21473053,91645122,and 22073027)the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai(20ZR1415800)the Funda-mental Research Funds for the Central Universities(222201718003).
文摘Various scaling relations have long been established in the field of heterogeneous catalysis,but the resultant volcano curves inherently limit the catalytic performance of catalyst candidates.On the other hand,it is still very challenging to develop universal descriptors that can be used in various types of catalysts and reaction systems.For these reasons,several strategies have recently been proposed to break and rebuild scaling relations to go beyond the top of volcanoes.In this review,some previously proposed descriptors have been briefly introduced.Then,the strategies for breaking known and establishing new and more generalized scaling relations in complex catalytic systems have been summarized.Finally,the application of machine-learning techniques in identifying universal descriptors for future computational design and high-throughput screening of heterogeneous catalysts has been discussed.
文摘The paper studies the propagation of Love waves in a non-homogeneous substratum over an initially stressed heterogeneous half-space. The dispersion equation of phase velocity is derived. The velocities of Love waves are calculated numerically as a function of kH and presented in a number of graphs, where k is the wave number, and H is the thickness of the layer. The case of Gibson＇s half-space is also considered. It is observed that the speed of Love waves is finite in the vicinity of the surface of the half-space and vanishes as the depth increases for a particular wave number. It is also observed that an increase in compressive initial stresses causes decreases of Love waves velocity for the same frequency, and the tensile initial stress of small magnitude in the half-space causes increase of the velocity.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61772018)Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(No.LZ22F020002)。
文摘Heterogeneous wireless sensor networks(HWSNs)are vulnerable to malware propagation,because of their low configuration and weak defense mechanism.Therefore,an optimality system for HWSNs is developed to suppress malware propagation in this paper.Firstly,a heterogeneous-susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered-susceptible(HSEIRS)model is proposed to describe the state dynamics of heterogeneous sensor nodes(HSNs)in HWSNs.Secondly,the existence of an optimal control problem with installing antivirus on HSNs to minimize the sum of the cumulative infection probabilities of HWSNs at a low cost based on the HSEIRS model is proved,and then an optimal control strategy for the problem is derived by the optimal control theory.Thirdly,the optimal control strategy based on the HSEIRS model is transformed into corresponding Hamiltonian by the Pontryagin’s minimum principle,and the corresponding optimality system is derived.Finally,the effectiveness of the optimality system is validated by the experimental simulations,and the results show that the infectious HSNs will fall to an extremely low level at a low cost.
基金supported by Science and Technology Major Project of the Hall of Science and Technology of Fujian (No. 2012NZ0001)the Project of National Natural Science Fund of China (No.30671664)
文摘The mid-subtropical forest is one of the biggest sections of subtropical forest in China and plays a vital role in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon.Studies have examined carbon storage density(CSD) distribution in temperate forests. However, our knowledge of CSD in subtropical forests is limited. In this study, Jiangle County was selected as a study case to explore geographic variation in CSD. A spatial heterogeneity analysis by semivariogram revealed that CSD varied at less than the mesoscale(approximately 2000–3000 m). CSD distribution mapped using Kriging regression revealed an increasing trend in CSD from west to east of the study area.Global spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated that CSD was clustered at the village level(at 5% significance).Some areas with local spatial autocorrelation were detected by Anselin Local Moran's I and Getis-Ord G*. A geographically weighted regression model showed different impacts on the different areas for each determinant. Generally, diameter at breast height, tree height, and stand density had positive correlation with CSD in Jiangle County, but varied substantially in magnitude by location.In contrast, coefficients of elevation and slope ranged from negative to positive. Based on these results, we propose certain measures to increase forest carbon storage,including increasing forested area, improving the quality of the current forests, and promoting reasonable forest management decisions and harvesting strategies. The established CSD model emphasizes the important role of midsubtropical forest in carbon sequestration and provides useful information for quantifying mid-subtropical forest carbon storage.
基金co-supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41431069)the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (2013CB733304, 2013CB733303)+1 种基金the Doctoral Fund of Ministry of Education of China (20110141130010)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation funded project (2013M542062)
文摘Many studies revealed that the Earth medium＇s lateral heterogeneity can cause considerable effects on the co- and post-seismic deformation field. In this study, the threedimensional finite element numerical method are adopted to quantify the effects of lateral heterogeneity caused by material parameters and fault dip angle on the co- and postseismic deformation in the near- and far-field. Our results show that： 1） the medium＇s lateral heterogeneity does affect the co-seismic deformation, with the effects increasing with the medium＇s lateral heterogeneity caused by material parameters; 2） the Lame parameters play a more dominant role than density in the effects caused by lateral heterogeneity; 3） when a fault＇s dip angle is smaller than 90, the effects of the medium＇s lateral heterogeneity on the hanging wall are greater than on the footwall; 4） the impact of lateral heterogeneity caused by the viscosity coefficient on the post-seismic deformation can affect a large area, including the near- and far-field.
基金Sulaiman Al Rajhi University,Saudi Arabia,from the Annual Budget of their Research Unit.
文摘BACKGROUND Little is known about inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)burden and its impact on bone mineral density(BMD)among adult patients in Saudi Arabia.To the best of our knowledge,our study is the only study to give an update about this health problem in adult Saudi patients with IBD.IBD is a great risk factor for reduced BMD due to its associated chronic inflammation,malabsorption,weight loss and medication side effects.Consequently,screening for reduced BMD among patients with IBD is of utmost importance to curb and control anticipated morbidity and mortality among those patients.AIM To assess the relationship between IBD and BMD in a sample of adult Saudi patients with IBD.METHODS Ninety adult patients with IBD-62 Crohn’s disease(CD)and 28 ulcerative colitis(UC)-were recruited from King Fahad Specialist Hospital gastroenterology clinics in Buraidah,Al-Qassim.All enrolled patients were interviewed for their demographic information and for IBD-and BMD-related clinical data.All patients had the necessary laboratory markers and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans to evaluate their BMD status.Patients were divided into two groups(CD and UC)to explore their clinical characteristics and possible risk factors for reduced BMD.RESULTS The CD group was significantly more prone to osteopenia and osteoporosis compared to the UC group;44%of the CD patients had normal BMD,19%had osteopenia,and 37%had osteoporosis,while 78%of the UC patients had normal BMD,7%had osteopenia,and 25%had osteoporosis(P value<0.05).In the CD group,the lowest t-score showed a statistically significant correlation with body mass index(BMI)(r=0.45,P<0.001),lumbar z-score(r=0.77,P<0.05)and femur z-score(r=0.85,P<0.05).In the UC group,the lowest t-score showed only statistically significant correlation with the lumbar z-score(r=0.82,P<0.05)and femur z-score(r=0.80,P<0.05).The ROC-curve showed that low BMI could predict the lowest t-score in the CD group with the best cut-off value at≤23.43(m/kg2);area under the curve was 0.73(95%CI:0.59–0.84),with a sensitivity of 77%,and a specificity of 63%.CONCLUSION Saudi patients with IBD still have an increased risk of reduced BMD,more in CD patients.Low BMI is a significant risk factor for reduced BMD in CD patients.
