Critical Force Research Articles

Gene horizontal transfers and functional diversity negatively correlated with bacterial taxonomic diversity along a nitrogen gradient.

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) mediated diversification is a critical force driving evolutionary and ecological processes. However, how HGT might relate to anthropogenic activity such as nitrogen addition, and its subsequent effect on functional diversity and cooccurrence networks remain unknown. Here we approach this knowledge gap by blending bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon and shotgun metagenomes from a platform of cessation of nitrogen additions and continuous nitrogen additions. We found that bacterial HGT events, functional genes, and virus diversities increased whereas bacterial taxonomic diversity decreased by nitrogen additions, resulting in a counterintuitive strong negative association between bacterial taxonomic and functional diversities. Nitrogen additions, especially the ceased one, complexified the cooccurrence network by increasing the contribution of vitamin B12 auxotrophic Acidobacteria, indicating cross-feeding. These findings advance our perceptions of the causes and consequences of the diversification process in community ecology.

Comparison of indentation test results and well-logging data for estimation of uniaxial compressive strength and Young’s modulus

Indentation test results and well-logging data are indirect methods of estimating Young’s modulus (E) and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS). The current study compared the results of indirect methods for a well in an oil field in southern Iran. The indentation tests were conducted by an indenter with a diameter of 260 µn on over 500 drill cuttings. The axial load versus displacement curve was used to determine the indentation modulus (IM) and critical transfer force (CTF) for each drill cutting. Indentation tests were performed perpendicularly and parallel to the weakness surface and were determined CTFV, IMV, CTFP, and IMV. The shear and compressive wave velocity (VS and VP ) for the well-logging data were determined and the UCS and static Young’s modulus (Esta.) were determined. Empirical equations for UCS-CTFV, UCS-CTFP, UCS-IMV, UCS-IMP, Esta-CTFV, Esta-CTFP, Esta-IMV, and Esta–IMP were proposed. It was determined that the relationships between UCS-CTFV and Esta-CTFV were more valid and meaningful than the other relationships. Therefore, it is suggested that the indentation test be performed perpendicular to drill cuttings with a weakness surface. The results showed that the values obtained for CTFV and IMV were 20% higher than for CTFP and IMP.

Active fractal networks with stochastic force monopoles and force dipoles: Application to subdiffusion of chromosomal loci.

Motivated by the well-known fractal packing of chromatin, we study the Rouse-type dynamics of elastic fractal networks with embedded, stochastically driven, active force monopoles and force dipoles that are temporally correlated. We compute, analytically-using a general theoretical framework-and via Langevin dynamics simulations, the mean square displacement (MSD) of a network bead. Following a short-time superdiffusive behavior, force monopoles yield anomalous subdiffusion with an exponent identical to that of the thermal system. In contrast, force dipoles do not induce subdiffusion, and the early superdiffusive MSD crosses over to a relatively small, system-size-independent saturation value. In addition, we find that force dipoles may lead to "crawling" rotational motion of the whole network, reminiscent of that found for triangular micro-swimmers and consistent with general theories of the rotation of deformable bodies. Moreover, force dipoles lead to network collapse beyond a critical force strength, which persists with increasing system size, signifying a true first-order dynamical phase transition. We apply our results to the motion of chromosomal loci in bacteria and yeast cells' chromatin, where anomalous sub-diffusion, MSD∼tν with ν≃0.4, was found in both normal and cells depleted of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), albeit with different apparent diffusion coefficients. We show that the combination of thermal, monopolar, and dipolar forces in chromatin is typically dominated by the active monopolar and thermal forces, explaining the observed normal cells vs the ATP-depleted cells behavior.

Numerical study of delamination process of the CFRP composite

A quasi-static approach for an interface damage model, incorporating Rayleigh damping for viscoelastic carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites, is introduced. The interface traction-relative displacement behavior is modeled using a thin adhesive layer, similar to cohesive zone models. The problem is solved numerically with a semi-implicit time-stepping method. The cohesive interface model, integrated into the Finite Element Method, was applied to determine the critical force away from the crack tip. Results showed that the numerical delamination under mode I conditions aligned well with experimental data for the cohesive zone formulations studied. The numerical example demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed model.

Application of the Southwell Method to Determine the Critical Load of Compression Rods Made of Nonlinear Materials

Experimental determination of the critical force of a compression bar made of linear material does not pose major problems. The widely used Southwell method is also applicable to bars with cross-sections varying in length. The purpose of the research undertaken was to demonstrate that this method can also be successfully applied to bars made of elastic materials exhibiting nonlinear σ(ε) characteristics. Using analytical relationships for a rod satisfying the assumptions of Euler-Bernoulli theory, F(δ) relationships were derived for a rod with an initial arc imperfection, and Southwell diagrams were constructed on this basis. Nonlinear equilibrium paths F(δ) were also determined numerically using the COSMOS/M program for this purpose. For the pre-assumed different nonlinear characteristics, full confirmation of the validity of the application of the Southwell method for determining the critical force was obtained.

Retention and interfacial failure mechanism of single diamond grains in resin-bonded grinding tools

Abrasive grains and the associated bonding agent are the two significant components in the manufacturing of fixed abrasive machining tools. The material properties and interfacial bonding behavior between the grains and the bonding matrix determine machining performance. In precision machining processes with diamond abrasives, the primary failure modes of fixed abrasive tools are grain dislodgement and premature loss, leading to abrupt change in machining load and ultimately causing inaccurate and inefficient machining performance. This study develops a comprehensive model for understanding abrasive grain retention and interfacial failure mechanisms in resin-bonded diamond tools. Finite element analysis of a single diamond grain embedded in a resin matrix was conducted to examine the influence of the grain shape, protruding height, and orientation angle on critical interfacial failure force. A series of single diamond scratching experiments validated the model, revealing that the maximum retention force reached 43.56 N for grains with a 0.9 mm protruding height and a 60° orientation angle. The results also show that, within a specific grain size range, grain shape—quantified by the sphere deviation coefficient proposed in this paper, has the greatest impact on retention and failure behavior. Protruding height plays a secondary role, while the contribution of orientation angle is minimal. These findings provide valuable insights for the design, manufacture, and optimization of precision abrasive machining tools, particularly for applications requiring high precision and reliability.

Shear-driven stability of a rigid particle in yield stress fluids

The stability of a rigid particle in yield stress fluids, comprised of soft particle glasses (SPGs), is investigated in shear flow under an applied external force, such as weight, using particle dynamics simulations. Results provide the critical force threshold, in terms of the dynamic yield stress and the flow strength, required to initiate sedimentation of the rigid particle over a wide range of shear rates and volume fractions. The streamlines of the SPGs show local disturbances when the rigid particle settles. The form of these disturbances is consistent with the microdynamics and microstructure response of the neighboring soft particles of the sedimenting rigid particle. Sedimenting particle induces non-affine displacement to the suspensions at low shear rates and high applied forces, while these dynamical events are localized and suppressed at high shear rates. Stability diagrams, which provide the conditions of the sedimentation of the rigid particle, are presented in terms of the applied force and the shear rate. These individual stability diagrams at each volume fraction map onto a universal stability diagram when the external force is scaled by the dynamic yield stress and shear rate with a ratio of the solvent viscosity to the low-frequency modulus of the SPGs.

СТІЙКІСТЬ ЗАЛІЗОБЕТОННИХ СТІЙОК ПРИ КОРОТКОЧАСНІЙ ТА ТРИВАЛІЙ ДІЇ НАВАНТАЖЕННЯ

The behavior of hinged support at the ends of the rack with initial bending under the action of load is considered. Spring rods are arranged symmetrically. The rack has an initial bend, compressed by forces constant in time. All real elements have one or another imperfections in the form of technological bends, therefore, they begin to bend from the very beginning of the load. The load, when it is exceeded even by an infinitesimally small amount, there is a loss of stability of this type of deformation, is called critical. In the calculation of stability under the long-term action of external forces, it is necessary to determine the load, at which the rate of movement in time monotonically decays. Solving the problem in such a setting is acceptable for systems, the development of movements of which in time leads to a change in the stress state. This condition for a compressed rack is fulfilled only in the presence of initial imperfections (initial bending, off-center application of compressive force, etc.). When solving the problems of the theory of stability, taking into account the creep of the material plays an important role. Creep can be limited in time or unlimited. When solving the problem of the stability of racks with initial imperfections, made of a material that has creep and reinforced with elastic rods, the following assumptions are made: 1) the hypothesis of flat sections is considered valid; 2) the deformations of the creeping material and the elastic rods at the points of contact are the same; 3) the modulus of deformations during stretching and compression are equal; 4) the creep material works in the stretched zone without the appearance of cracks. The relationship between deformations and elasticities in the material of the rack is established by a formula based on the linear relationship between deformations and elasticities. The creep rate of concrete is based on the hereditary theory of aging. In the work, an integro-differential equation was obtained - the equation of slow motion of the rod, expressions were obtained for the study of bends in any at what point in time, the formula for determining the critical force with long-term load action is derived.

Effect of loose sand layers within dense sand on the lateral capacity of extra-extra-large monopiles

A series of 3D finite element analyses were performed to examine the influence of loose sand layers on the monotonic lateral capacity of an extra-extra-large semirigid monopile in dense sand. The SANISAND-04 advanced constitutive model, which was meticulously calibrated, validated and verified using triaxial compression tests, centrifuge tests and a numerical study based on field tests, was adopted for this study. The impact of loose sand layers on monopile response is discussed in terms of its mode of deformation, critical lateral capacity, bending moment, shear force and soil resistance. Results show that the magnitude of the reduction in the monopile lateral capacity is dependent on the thickness and depth of the loose sand layer. Presence of loose sand at the tip of the monopile is also shown to have a significant effect on its lateral capacity.

The effects of low vs. high rating of perceived exertion clamp exercise on performance, neuromuscular, and muscle oxygen saturation responses in females.

This study examined the time course of changes in force, relative to critical force (CF), electromyographic amplitude (EMG AMP), neuromuscular efficiency (NE), and muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2), as well as time to task failure (TTF) and performance fatigability (PF) during isometric handgrip holds to failure (HTF) anchored to the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) at 3 and 7. Ten females completed pre-test maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs), submaximal HTF at four percentages of MVIC, an HTF at RPE = 3 and 7, and post-test MVICs. Analyses included paired samples t-tests, repeated measures ANOVAs and planned comparisons. TTF was not different between RPE 3 (540.4 ± 262.1s) and 7 (592.2 ± 299.6s), but PF for RPE 7 (42.1 ± 19.1%) was greater than RPE 3 (33.5 ± 15.4%) (p < 0.05). There were RPE-dependent decreases in force, EMG AMP, and NE across three discernable phases during the HTF (p < 0.01), but there were no significant changes in SmO2 across time. Although there were overall similar patterns across time for force, neuromuscular, and muscle metabolic responses between the RPE holds, the greater PF at RPE 7 than RPE 3 may be explained by the longer sustained time above CF at RPE 7, resulting in greater accumulation of intramuscular metabolites and afferent feedback. Throughout each trial, it is possible that force was adjusted to avoid the sensory tolerance limit, and the task was ended when force could no longer be reduced to maintain the assigned RPE, resulting in a similar TTF for RPE 7 and RPE 3.

Unveiling the Nanoscale Dielectric Gap and Its Influence on Ferroelectric Polarization Switching in Scanning Probe Microscopy

AbstractThe dielectric gap between the scanning probe microscopy (SPM) tip and the surface of a ferroelectric using conductive atomic force microscopy and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) is investigated. While the gap functions as a dielectric layer, it also allows tunneling current to inject charges into the ferroelectric when a critical loading force between 10–20 µN is applied to a tip with a radius of 25 nm under a bias voltage of 0.5 V. It is observed that the permittivity of the dielectric gap determines the coercive voltage measured by the piezoresponse hysteresis loop. While such studies done in air often produce coercive voltages much larger than those studied for the same materials in capacitor‐based studies, the use of high permittivity media such as water (ɛr = 79) or silicone oil (ɛr = 2.1‐2.8) produces coercive fields that more closely match those measured in conventional capacitor‐based polarization hysteresis loop measurements. Furthermore, using water as a dielectric medium in PFM imaging enhances the accuracy in extracting the amplitude and phase data from periodically poled lithium niobate crystals. These findings provide insight into the nanoscale phenomena of polarization switching instigated by the SPM tip and provide a pathway to improved quantitative studies.

Variable stiffness performance analysis of layer jamming actuator based on bionic adhesive flaps

Soft actuators made of soft materials cannot generate precisely efficient output forces compared to rigid actuators. It is a promising strategy to equip soft actuators with variable stiffness modules of layer jamming mechanism, which could increase their stiffness as needed. Inspired by the gecko's the array of setae, bionic adhesive flaps with inclined micropillars are applied in layer jamming mechanism. In this paper, after the manufacturing process of the layer jamming actuator based on the bionic adhesive flaps is described, the equivalent stiffness models of the whole actuator are established in the unjammed and jammed states. And the shear adhesive force of a single micropillar is calculated based on the Kendall viscoelastic band model. The finite element simulation results of two bionic adhesive flaps show that the interlaminar shear stress and stiffness increase with the increase of pressure. The measurement of shear adhesive force show that the critical shear adhesive force of the bionic adhesive material is 3.2 times that of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material, and exhibit the ability of anisotropic adhesion behavior. The variable stiffness performance of the layer jamming actuator based on bionic adhesive flaps is evaluated by three test methods, and the max stiffness reaches 8.027 N mm-1, which is 1.5 times higher than the stiffness of the layer jamming actuator based on the PET flaps. All results of simulation and experiment effectively verify the validity and superiority of applying the bionic adhesive flaps to the layer jamming mechanism to enhance the stiffness.

Potential-dependent superlubricity of stainless steel and Au(1 1 1) using a water-in-surface-active ionic liquid mixture

HypothesisThe friction and interfacial nanostructure of a water-in-surface-active ionic liquid mixture, 1.6 M 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium 1,4-bis-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate ([BMIm][AOT]), can be tuned by applying potential on Au(111) and stainless steel. ExperimentalAtomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to examine the friction and interfacial nanostructure of 1.6 M [BMIm][AOT] on Au(111) and stainless steel at different potentials. FindingsSuperlubricity (vanishing friction) is observed for both surfaces at OCP+1.0 V up to a surface-dependent critical normal force due to [AOT]− bilayers adsorbing strongly to the positively charged surface thus allowing AFM tip to slide over solution-facing hydrated anion charged groups. High-resolution AFM imaging reveals ripple-like features within near-surface layers, with the smallest amplitudes at OCP+1 V, indicating the highest structural stability and resistance to thermal fluctuations due to highly ordered boundary [AOT]− bilayers templating robust near-surface layers. Exceeding the critical normal force at OCP+1.0 V causes the AFM tip to penetrate the hydrated [AOT]− layer and slide over alkyl chains, increasing friction. At OCP and OCP-1.0 V, higher friction correlates with more pronounced ripples, attributed to the rougher templating [BMIm]+ boundary layer. Kinetic experiments show that switching from OCP-1.0 V to OCP+1.0 V achieves superlubricity within 15 s, enabling real-time friction control.

Analysis of exit delamination mechanism and critical axial force in ball helical milling of CFRP

Analysis of exit delamination mechanism and critical axial force in ball helical milling of CFRP

Investigation of the Overall Damage Assessment Method Used for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Subjected to Blast Waves

With the aim of investigating the assessment methodology for the overall damage effects on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) subjected to a blast wave, the failure criteria for the typical UAV was formulated through an analysis of the structural strength design standards. Specifically, the shear force associated with wing failure can serve as a critical parameter for assessing the overall damage inflicted on the UAV by blast waves. According to the design load criterion of the aircraft, the shear force value corresponding to the overall failure of the typical UAV was calculated. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the mechanical response of UAV structures under blast wave loading generated by a 500 g explosive. Combining the critical shear force values obtained from theoretical calculations with the numerical simulation results, two distances between the explosives and the UAV that could produce different damage effects were estimated, namely 1 m and 2.5 m. Subsequently, static explosion experiments with equivalent explosive charges were performed, revealing different damage effects on a typical UAV at two specific distances. The numerical simulation results were highly consistent with the experimental observations, further validating the scientific and rational basis for using shear force as a primary parameter in assessing overall structural damage to fixed-wing UAVs.

Exploiting interfacial instability during peeling a flexible plate from elastic films

Adhesive interactions between soft materials are prevalent in both biological systems and various engineering applications, including soft robots, flexible electronics, and antifouling coatings. Many studies have demonstrated that cavitation and fingering instabilities emerge at the adhesive interface between rigid objects and soft films, owing to the geometric attributes of the contact region. However, in the context of peeling configurations, defining the geometric features is challenging, resulting in relatively scant exploration of interfacial instabilities. Hence, the modulation of instability patterns during the peeling process of a flexible plate from a thin elastic film, alongside the consequential effects on mechanical responses, remains poorly understood. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying interfacial instability during peeling process and its impacts on peel-off force, we use finite element methods to simulate the evolution of interface separation. Consistent with previous experimental observations, we find that the interfacial instability will occur when the bending stiffness of the flexible plate is bigger than a critical value. We show that the interfacial instability is mainly induced by the competition between the adhesion energy and the strain energy of the film, and the incompressibility of the thin film is critical for the appearance of the interfacial instability. Combining theory and finite element simulation, we propose the scaling laws for the critical peel-off force for stable and unstable peelings, respectively, and show that the critical peel-off force will decrease when the interfacial instability occurs. Finally, we demonstrate that weakening the tangential adhesion strength and loosening the constraints between the film and the rigid substrate effectively suppress fingering instability. Collectively, our findings elucidate the pivotal factors influencing interfacial instability, offering invaluable insights for the design of structures or systems involving soft materials.

Об устойчивости круговых подкрепленных арок в случае пространственной деформации

The work considers a circular arch loaded with uniformly distributed normal pressure directed towards the centre. The ends of the arch are attached with cables, one end of which is attached to the arc of the arch at an appropriate angle, and the distance between the points of attachment of the cables cannot be increased. We estimated pressure values, at which curved equilibrium forms of the arch are possible, and the smallest of these values is found, which is the critical force.

Work distribution for unzipping processes.

A simple zipper model is introduced, representing in a simplified way, e.g., the folded DNA double helix or hairpin structures in RNA. The double stranded hairpin is connected to a heat bath at temperature T and subject to an external force f, which couples to the free length L of the unzipped sequence. The leftmost zipped position can be seen as the position of a random walker in a special external field. Increasing the force leads to a zipping-unzipping first-order phase transition at a critical force f_{c}(T) in the thermodynamic limit of a very large chain. We compute analytically, as a function of temperature T and force f, the full distribution P(L) of free lengths in the thermodynamic limit and show that it is qualitatively very different for f<f_{c},f=f_{c}, and f>f_{c}. Next we consider quasistatic work processes where the force is incremented according to a linear protocol. Having obtained P(L) already allows us to derive an analytical expression for the work distribution P(W) in the zipped phase f<f_{c} for a long chain. We compute the large-deviation tails of the work distribution explicitly. This distribution can be interpreted as work distribution for an oscillatorylike model. Our analytical result for the work distribution is compared over a large range of the support down to probabilities as small as 10^{-200} with numerical simulations performed by applying sophisticated large-deviation algorithms.

Mathematical modelling of stability problems for thin transversally graded cylindrical shells

The objects of consideration are thin linearly elastic Kirchhoff–Love-type open circular cylindrical shells having a functionally graded macrostructure and a tolerance-periodic microstructure in circumferential direction. The first aim of this contribution is to formulate and discuss a new mathematical averaged non-asymptotic model for the analysis of selected stability problems for such shells. As a tool of modelling we shall apply the tolerance averaging technique. The second aim is to derive and discuss a new mathematical averaged asymptotic model. This model will be formulated using the consistent asymptotic modelling procedure. The starting equations are the well-known governing equations of linear Kirchhoff–Love second-order theory of thin elastic cylindrical shells. For the functionally graded shells under consideration, the starting equations have highly oscillating, non-continuous and tolerance-periodic coefficients in circumferential direction, whereas equations of the proposed models have continuous and slowly-varying coefficients. Moreover, some of coefficients of the tolerance model equations depend on a microstructure size. It will be shown that in the framework of the tolerance model not only the fundamental cell-independent, but also the new additional cell-dependent critical forces can be derived and analysed.

Comparison of Force, Neuromuscular, and Metabolic Responses During Sustained, Isometric Handgrip Holds to Failure Anchored to Low and High Perceptual Intensities in Men: An Exploratory Study.

Kwak, M, Succi, PJ, Benitez, B, Mitchinson, C, Samaan, MA, Abel, MG, and Bergstrom, HC. Comparison of force, neuromuscular, and metabolic responses during sustained, isometric handgrip holds to failure anchored to low and high perceptual intensities in men: An exploratory study. J Strength Cond Res 38(8): e405-e416, 2024-This study examined the responses of force alterations, relative to critical force (CF), neuromuscular parameters, and muscle oxygenation (SmO2) for isometric handgrip holds to failure (HTF) anchored to ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) of 3 and 7. Twelve men completed pre-maximal voluntary isometric contractions (pre-MVIC), submaximal HTF at 4 percentages of pre-MVIC, HTF at RPE = 3 and 7, and post-MVIC. Mechanomyograpic (MMG) signals and SmO2 were recorded during the RPE HTF. Analyses included paired-samples t-tests and repeated-measures ANOVAs at an alpha level of p ≤ 0.05. Time to task failure was not different between RPE 3 (478.7 ± 196.6 s) and RPE 7 (495.8 ± 173.8 s). Performance fatigability (PF) and MMG amplitude (AMP) were greater for RPE 7 (PF: 37.9 ± 12.9%; MMG AMP: 15.7 ± 7.4% MVIC) than RPE 3 (PF: 30.0 ± 14.5%; MMG AMP: 10.2 ± 6.5% MVIC), but MMG mean power frequency (MPF) was greater for RPE 3 (146.2 ± 31.1% MVIC) than RPE 7 (128.8 ± 23.0% MVIC). There were RPE-dependent decreases in force (p ≤ 0.01) across 3 discernable phases during the HTF. There were decreases in MMG AMP across time for both RPEs, but there were no significant changes in MMG MPF or SmO2. There were overall similar motor unit control strategies and local metabolic demand between RPEs. The majority of the HTF performed below CF at RPE 3 and 7 indicated CF did not reflect the highest sustainable force. When prescribing isometric exercise anchored to RPE, practitioners should be aware of the magnitude of force loss and relative intensity of the task to be sure desired training loads are met.