Increase In Depth Research Articles

High-performance grinding of ceramic matrix composites

Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are highly promising materials for the next generation of aero-engines. However, machining of CMCs suffers from low efficiency and poor surface finish, which presents an obstacle to their wider application. To overcome these problems, this study investigates high-efficiency deep grinding of CMCs, focusing on the effects of grinding depth. The results show that both the surface roughness and the depth of subsurface damage (SSD) are insensitive to grinding depth. The material removal rate can be increased sixfold by increasing the grinding depth, while the surface roughness and SSD depth increase by only about 10%. Moreover, it is found that the behavior of material removal is strongly dependent on grinding depth. As the grinding depth is increased, fibers are removed in smaller sizes, with the fiber length in chips being reduced by about 34%. However, too large a grinding depth will result in blockage by chip powder, which leads to a dramatic increase in the ratio of tangential to normal grinding forces. This study demonstrates that increasing the depth of cut is an effective approach to improve the machining efficiency of CMCs, while maintaining a good surface finish. It provides the basis for the further development of high-performance grinding methods for CMCs, which should facilitate their wider application.

The numerical analysis of low diffraction efficiency phenomenon at the blaze wavelength for echelle gratings

In this paper, we explain and unify the low diffraction efficiency behavior of echelle gratings at blaze wavelengths under Littrow mount in terms of the metal refractive index (RI). The similarity in the diffraction efficiency (DE) behavior (e.g., efficiency decline and valley-like diffraction curves for low-efficiency orders) of echelle gratings with different metals at TM polarization points the research line of sight to the RIs. Further, the numerical calculations based on the rigorous vector diffraction theory show that the efficiency behavior of the echelle grating at TM polarization is extremely sensitive to the imaginary part of the RI. This is because there is a series of low light-collecting ability (LCA) regions as the imaginary part of the RI changes in the echelle grating, resulting in several disturbed DE zones. In addition, the increase in groove depth improves the LCA at both polarizations, which moves away from the low LCA region at the TM polarization. This leads to low polarization sensitivity and higher DE for echelle gratings, further revealing the essence of the efficiency improvement by increasing the groove depth. From the RI to the LCA, these results will give new concepts to designing and fabricating broadband high-efficiency echelle gratings.

Unveiling hydrological dynamics in data-scarce regions: experiences from the Ethiopian Rift Valley Lakes Basin

Abstract. The hydrological system of the Rift Valley Lakes in Ethiopia has recently experienced changes over the past 2 decades. Potential causes for these changes include anthropogenic, hydro-climatic, and geological factors. The main objective of this study was to utilize an integrated methodology to gain a comprehensive understanding of the hydrological systems and potential driving factors within a complex and data-scarce region. To this end, we integrated a hydrologic model, change point analysis, indicators of hydrological alteration (IHA), and a bathymetry survey to investigate hydrological dynamics and potential causes. A hydrologic model (the Soil and Water Assessment Tool Plus, SWAT+) was parameterized for the gauged watersheds and extended to the ungauged watersheds using multi-site regionalization techniques. The SWAT+ model performed very well to satisfactorily for daily streamflow in all watersheds with respect to the objective functions of the Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE), the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), and percent bias (PBIAS). The findings reveal notable changes in lake inflows and lake levels over the past 2 decades. Lake Chamo experienced an increase in area of 30.1 km2 (9.5 %), an increase in depth of 4.4 m (30.9 %), and an increase in volume of 7.8×108 m3 (27.2 %). In contrast, Lake Abijata witnessed an extraordinary 68 % decrease in area and a depth decrease of 1.6 m (37.2 %). During the impact period, the mean annual rainfall experienced a decrease of 6.5 % and 2.7 % over Lake Abijata and Lake Chamo, respectively. Actual evapotranspiration decreased by 2.9 % in Lake Abijata but increased by up to 4.5 % in Lake Chamo. Surface inflow to Lake Abijata decreased by 12.5 %, while Lake Chamo experienced an 80.5 % increase in surface inflow. Sediment depth in Lake Chamo also increased by 0.6 m (4.2 %). The results highlight that the changing hydrological regime in Lake Chamo is driven by increased surface runoff and sediment intrusion associated with anthropogenic influences. The hydrological regime of Lake Abijata is affected by water abstraction from feeding rivers and lakes for industrial and irrigation purposes. This integrated methodology provides a holistic understanding of complex data-scarce hydrological systems and potential driving factors in the Rift Valley Lakes in Ethiopia, which could have global applicability.

Correction on stress intensity factor of root within pipeline girth weld considering various geometric parameters

The study focuses on the stress intensity correction factor (Mk) for internal surface cracks located at the girth pipe root toe. To assess the impact of various parameters on Mk, three-dimensional finite element models are developed. These models take different types of misalignment, a range of variable-wall-thickness ratios, and initial crack depths into account. The findings reveal that the stress intensity correction factor Mk tends to increase with the rise in misalignment and variable-wall-thickness ratio. Conversely, an increase in the initial crack depth leads to a decrease in Mk. The study demonstrates that the Mk values, when accounting for different geometric factors, are significantly higher than those calculated using BS 7910. This suggests that the BS 7910 standard may provide overly optimistic predictions. As a result, a revised Mk formula is proposed, which generally maintains an error margin of less than 10 %. This modified formula offers a significant enhancement to prevailing codes and standards, furnishing a more dependable benchmark for the assessment of structural integrity in pipeline laying procedures.

Interaction of an electron and a uniformly charged spherical donor impurity

In this study, we propose an interaction potential between an electron and a uniformly charged spherical donor impurity in a quantum dot and numerically solve the Schrödinger equation using the finite difference method. We investigate the effects of the potential depth, donor radius, temperature, and hydrostatic pressure on the electronic and optical properties of an electron-donor impurity in a quantum dot, including absorption coefficients and the total change in the relative refractive index during the transition of an electron from the ground (1s) to excited (2p) states in the conduction band. Our findings indicate that an increase in donor radius or temperature leads to a red shift in the optical response, holding the parameters constant. Conversely, an increase in potential depth or hydrostatic pressure induces a blue shift in the optical response under the constant parameters.

Assessment of land use management and its effect on soil quality and carbon stock in Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria

Evaluating soil quality (SQ) resulting from land management use impact is important for soil carbon (C) monitoring, land sustainability and suitability. However, the data in less developed regions of Africa like Nigeria is scarce, limiting our understanding at global scale. The study evaluated land management use on soil quality in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, a representative region of Africa. Soil samples were collected in 2021 and resampled in 2022 from regions including five land use managements (FS = forest soil; GLS = grass land soil; ACS = alley cropping Soil; SDS = sewage dump-soils; CCS = continuously cultivated soil). Soil physical and chemical properties were analyzed and discussed. The results shows that soil physical properties (bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, aggregate stability) were significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by land use management. Moderate to high bulk density, very low hydraulic conductivity (HC), and low aggregate stability were observed across land management, suggesting potential inhibition to root penetration, poor aeration, and water infiltration. Improved land management practices such as planting of cover crops either for re-grassing or addition of crop residues could be adopted as conservative options for increasing soil quality and encourage additional soil C. Soil pH decreased with the increase in soil depth in all land uses for both years. A higher soil pH of 6.78 (slightly acidic) was seen in SDS and lower mean 6.0 (moderately acidic) was obtained in CCS at 0–20 cm in 2021. The average mean nitrogen content was rated “very high” (0.81 g kg−1 and 0.69 g kg−1) in 2021 and 2022 respectively, suggesting nitrogen might not be a limiting factor for plant growth in the region. During the 2021 and 2022 study periods, the overall average mean C stock were 12.71 g kg−1 and 15.87 g kg−1 respectively suggesting 3.1 g kg−1 C stock increment in 2022. Soil inorganic C also increased by 9.86 g cm−2 in 2022. The study provided crucial information about how land management use affected soil physico-chemical properties including C stock and suggested that C stock could be improved by adopting appropriate land management use practices. The results fill a data gap in under-studied regions, but also facilitate potential land management practices.

Experimental and numerical study on the blast performance of the corrugated double steel plate concrete composite wallboard under blast loads

The corrugated double steel plate concrete composite wallboard (CDSCW) exhibits superior axial compressive load-bearing capacity, lateral flexural stiffness, impact resistance, and seismic performance compared to the traditional reinforced concrete wallboard and plane double steel plate concrete composite wallboard (PDSCW). Therefore, it has great potential application in offshore engineering and military engineering. This study designs and fabricates two types of CDSCW specimens. Firstly, a comparative analysis is conducted to examine the damage patterns and dynamic responses of the two specimens under near-field explosion experiments. Secondly, the damage mechanisms and explosion response of CDSCW and PDSCW subjected to close-in explosions are numerically investigated by using ANSYS/LS-DYNA, and the results are then compared with experimental findings. Parameter analysis is performed to assess the influence of concrete thickness, steel plate thickness, and explosive charge on the blast resistance of CDSCWs. Furthermore, a nonlinear resistance equation and an equivalent single degree of freedom (ESDOF) theoretical model for simply supported beams is established to predict the dynamic response of CDSCWs under near-blast loads. This theoretical model considers the constitutive model of bilinear materials and the effect of plastic hinges. The reliability of the proposed theoretical model is verified by comparing the residual deflection of CDSCWs obtained from explosion tests with validated numerical simulation results. The results demonstrate that the CDSCWs, with the same concrete and component dimensions (length, width), exhibit greater flexural stiffness and superior energy dissipation capacity subjected to close-in explosion. Moreover, their blast resistance significantly surpasses that of PDSCWs. In particular, an increase in corrugation depth effectively improves the blast resistance of CDSCWs. The dynamic response equations, based on the established elastic-plastic model and primarily considering bending deformation of the components, precisely predict the dynamic response of simply supported CDSCWs under near-blast loads. consequently, these findings can provide a robust foundation for further research and the design of blast-resistant structures.

Numerical investigation on the effect of repeated surface surcharge loading on soil deformation and tunnel displacement in structured soft clay

Shanghai soft clay is a typical marine clay with specific structural characteristics. The tunnel and overlying soft clay may undergo repeated surface surcharge loading, such as the temporary soil stacking. Assessing the extent of structured soft clay deformation and tunnel displacement caused by repeated surface surcharge loading is of great significance for evaluating of the safety of ground structures and underground tunnels. In this study, the effects of repeated surface surcharge loading on the soil and tunnel displacement were numerically investigated. The finite element code DBLEAVES with an elasto-plastic constitutive model (Shanghai model) that describes the mechanical properties and structural characteristics of natural clay was used to simulate the soil response. The parameters of the constitutive model were obtained through geotechnical testing. The effects of the soil structural characteristics, seepage conditions, and loading conditions on the soil response and tunnel displacement were analyzed. The numerical results show that the maximum excess pore pressure of clay decreased as the number of loading cycles increased. The effects of the structural characteristics cause greater displacement, whereas the effects of the degradation parameters of the structure are more significant than the initial degree of the structure. The differences in the vertical displacement of the tunnel and overlying soils owing to the structural characteristics become apparent with an increase in surface surcharge loading. However, the effects of structural characteristics become less significant as the depth increases. The seepage conditions and loading method primarily affect the build-up of excess pore pressure and the development of effective stress paths. For soils inside the surcharge area, a flexible surcharge produces a greater vertical displacement than a rigid surcharge. As the burial depth increased, the effects of the seepage conditions and loading method showed a declining tendency.

Assessment of the definition varying with display depth for three-dimensional light field displays

In the three-dimensional (3D) light field display (LFD), display quality is the most important concern, and from an intuitive perspective, the quality will decline with the increase of display depth. When evaluating display quality, definition is one of the indispensable indicators. However, there is no universally accepted quantitative measure in the 3D display like resolution in the two-dimensional (2D) display. In this work, a voxel analysis model is utilized to investigate the variation of definition with depth and two resolutions, spatial resolution and perceived visual resolution, with corresponding measurement methods are proposed to quantify the definition of 3D LFDs. The experiments are performed on two LFD devices, and the relationship between definition and display depth is obtained and analyzed. The display effect at different depths and the impact of human eye characteristics on the perceived display definition is studied.

Pedotransfer Functions in the Assessment of Fragile Mountainous Areas: Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks in Mountains in Southeastern Brazil

Objective: This study aimed to obtain the Bd of organic constitution horizons through PTFs and evaluate the C and N stocks of different soil classes found in the upper part of the INP. Theoretical framework: The evaluation of bulk density (Bd) depends on the method used to obtain the sample and presents great spatial variability, especially in mountainous regions such as the upper part of Itatiaia National Park (INP), Brazil. Techniques can be used for this purpose, including those of pedotransfer functions (PTFs) allowing the quantification of nutrients such as C and N in soils. Methodology: The research was conducted within the Itatiaia National Park (INP), situated in the Mantiqueira Mountains of southeastern Brazil. Soil samples were collected from the upper portion of the INP, specifically targeting soil profiles containing hystic horizons (O or H). The study employed pedotransfer functions (PTFs) established by Beutler et al. (2017) to estimate the soil bulk density (Bd) of organic horizons. Based on these assessments, stocks of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) were calculated. The standard depth for these calculations was 30 cm. In total, 47 profiles were selected, 26 of which belonged to the order Histosols, 15 to Cambisols, and 6 Leptosols &amp; Regosols. Results and conclusion: In general, a high C content, between 5 and 15 g kg-1, and N contents greater than 1.0 g kg-1 were observed. For Bd an increase in depth occurred, with values close to 0.50 Mg m-3 in the superficial horizons and &gt; 0.75 Mg m-3 in depths greater than 30 cm. The area occupied by soil profiles presenting hystic horizons corresponds to 16403.69 ha (hectares) with 315645.7 Mg of C and 20043.0 Mg of N. Of this total, 10254.44 ha were Cambisols that store approximately 205282.1 Mg of C and 13121.8 Mg of N. Histosols occupied an area of 4148.38 ha and stored 90698.4 Mg of C and 5576.0 Mg of N. The area occupied by Leptosols &amp; Regosols was 1347.74 ha and they stored 19665.1 Mg of C and 1345.1 Mg of N. For the Cambisols, the average values of C and N stocks were lower than those quantified in the Histosols, but considering the area occupied, the total C stock was more than twice the amount quantified in the Histosols. Research implications: Soils with organic horizons complicate Bd determination due to costly and unrepresentative collection methods. Additionally, converting soil masses to volume for nutrient stock measurements (e.g., C and N) is problematic. Due to limited accessibility in certain areas, obtaining undisturbed soil samples for evaluation can be challenging. In such cases, pedotransfer functions (PTFs) play a crucial role in assessing and modeling soil phenomena. Indirect quantification of Bd using PTFs has become essential for addressing these issues. Originality/value: This study utilizes pedotransfer functions (PTFs) to estimate soil bulk density (Bd) and, consequently, nutrient stocks in fragile mountainous soils, enabling monitoring of these environments.

Reply to Comment by Poppema and Wüthrich on “Momentum and Energy Predict the Backwater Rise Generated by a Large Wood Jam”

AbstractFollett et al. (2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gl089346) demonstrated that a large wood jam can be modeled as a porous obstruction with momentum loss proportional to the number, size, and packing density of the logs and jam length. Poppema and Wüthrich (2024, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl106348) incorporated uniform flow Froude number, broadening the scope of our work. Here, we demonstrate that Froude number can be directly introduced to equations in the main body of Follett et al. (2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gl089346), without requiring uniform flow. Based on this, we show that a managed increase in upstream depth is possible for conditions below a critical discharge, in which equilibrium upstream depth over uniformly distributed jams can be adjusted with inter‐jam spacing. This design could retain water in low flow conditions, allowing jams to act independently above critical discharge. Finally, we suggest that log orientation can be included in our model by varying both drag coefficient and frontal area perpendicular to the flow.

Tribo-corrosion-fatigue behaviors of the parallel wires of main cable in the suspension bridge

The suspension bridge in service is subjected to the coupling effects of dead load, vehicle load, wind load and corrosive environment. These factors cause the tribo-corrosion-fatigue behaviors of parallel steel wires of main cable, which seriously affect the load-bearing safety of the main cable. Therefore, it is of great significance to investigate tribo-corrosion-fatigue behaviors of steel wires and the saddle materials. The self-made test rig was developed to carry out tribo-corrosion-fatigue tests between the parallel steel wires, and between the steel wire and saddle groove. Tribo-corrosion-fatigue behaviors (friction coefficient, wear profile, failure area, wear mechanism and wear coefficient) of main cable wires was revealed by high speed digital microscope and scanning electron microscope. The results show that the friction coefficient shows a trend of rapid increase – decrease – increase – stabilization. It decreases with increasing contact load as compared to an increase with increasing fatigue load. The wear width and depth both increase nearly linearly with increasing cycles, while the failure area increases nearly parabolically. As the contact load and fatigue load increase, the wear width and depth increase, and the corrosion of wear area is more obvious. The wear coefficient decreases first and then increases with the increase of cycles. The wear mechanisms are mainly adhesive wear, abrasive wear, fatigue wear and corrosion wear. The increase of contact load and fatigue load promotes the wear deterioration behaviors of cable wires. The results have fundamental significance to ensure the load-bearing safety of the main cable and improve the service safety of the suspension bridge.

Study on the Mechanism of Wellbore Blockage and Scaling Trend Prediction of Keshen Block

Located in the Kuqa foreland basin, Tarim Basin, the Xinkeshen gas field is a rare ultra-deep and ultra-high-pressure fractured tight sandstone gas reservoir. During the development process, the fluid in the well migrates from the bottom hole to the ground. Due to the huge temperature drop and pressure drop in the wellbore, salting-out and scale-out occur in the well to destroy the oil and gas flow channel, resulting in a decrease in gas production in the well and seriously affecting the normal production of the oil field. Aiming at the problem of wellbore scaling and blockage in the Keshen gas field, this paper takes the wellbore of the Keshen block as the research object. After analyzing the composition of produced water and scale in the wellbore, the solution of ‘fixing scale, clarifying mechanism, early prediction, and fine treatment’ is formulated, and the analysis and evaluation technology of the scale formation process and the prediction model of the gas well model are formed. The wellbore blockage in Keshen block is composed of iron oxide, calcium carbonate crystal, calcite crystal, and wellbore steel falling off due to electrochemical corrosion. It is indicated that the scale attached to the steel sheet causes electrochemical corrosion of the steel sheet, resulting in ‘hydrogen embrittlement’, resulting in the bubbling and falling off of the wellbore steel. Through simulation, it is found that the amount of fouling increases with the increase in wellbore depth, and the amount of fouling is 1.97 kg/d at 6800 m, which is in good agreement with the actual situation. Based on the temperature and pressure curves in the wellbore, the simulation results show that the corrosion rate reaches the highest value of 6.37 mm/yr at the depth of 3400 m. Because of the above problems, a polyaspartic acid scale inhibitor with a scale inhibition rate of 98.9% for wells in Keshen block was synthesized. It has important guidance and reference significance for the accurate treatment of scaling problems in the Keshen gas well.

Performance of metal circular tube under different loading amplitudes and dynamic resistance-yielding mechanism

As coal mining depth increases, the characteristics of “high ground stress, high ground temperature, high osmotic pressure, and mining disturbance” become increasingly pronounced, posing new challenges to the stability of the surrounding rock roadway. Amplitude is a key parameter affecting disturbance strength. A cyclic loading and unloading experiment was conducted under different amplitudes to explore the effect of metal circular tubes, used as energy-absorbing components, on the protection performance of anchor bolt tails. This experiment further revealed the competitive protection mechanism of the metal circular tube, termed “resistance - yielding”. The research results indicate that the metal tube incurs damage and accumulates it with the increase of loading amplitude in the pre-peak stage, leading to a decrease in its peak load. The metal tube absorbs external energy robustly through its elastic-plastic deformation. In the platform stage, a high amplitude load causes the peak load displacement to increase and its stable energy-absorbing stroke to decrease. Plastic energy dominates the main position of energy absorption, and the metal circular tube forms a dynamic competitive relationship of “resistance-yielding” with external stresses. Throughout the entire energy absorption process, the total energy absorption decreases with the increase of amplitude. The research results investigate the effect of amplitude on the performance of metal circular tubes and demonstrate the feasibility of applying metal circular tubes as energy-absorbing members at the end of anchor rods, which can provide theoretical guidance for the prevention of disaster accidents in mines caused by disturbances.

Mechanical behaviors of a new elliptical valve stent in bicuspid aortic valve

Background and ObjectiveThe conventional valve stents that are cylindrical in shape will become elliptical when implanted in bicuspid aortic valve, thereby reducing the durability of the artificial valve. In this study, a new design of valve stent is presented where valve stents have elliptical cross-section at the annulus and it is expected to have better expandability and circle shape during the interaction between the stent and bicuspid aortic valve, thereby extending the durability of artificial valve. MethodsFinite element method (FEM) is used to study the mechanical behavior of the novel valve stent in the bicuspid aortic valve. The effects of three matching relationship between the ellipticity of the stents and the ellipticity of the annulus (i.e., the ellipticity of the stent is greater than, equal to and less than the annulus ellipticity, respectively) on the mechanical behavior of stent expansion are studied. In addition, the expansion mechanical behavior of the novel valve stent at different implantation depths is also compared. ResultsResults indicate that novel valve stent implantation with elliptical features is superior to conventional circular valve stent. When the novel valve stent ellipticity is less than the annulus ellipticity, the ellipticity of the novel valve stent after implantation is smaller than that of the conventional circular valve stent. This indicated that the novel valve stent has better expandability and post-expansion shape, making artificial valve to have better durability. The risk of paravalvular leak after implantation is lowest when the novel valve stent ellipticity is less than annulus ellipticity. When the novel valve stent ellipticity coincides with annulus ellipticity, the aortic wall is subjected to greatest stress. With the increase of implantation depth, the stress on the novel valve stent decrease. ConclusionsThis study might provide insights for improving stent design for bicuspid aortic valve.

Nitrate fate in coastal unconfined aquifers influenced by preferential flows

This study examined the influence of preferential flow on pore water flows and marine nitrogen transport reaction in variable saturation and variable density coastal aquifers. The 2-D unconfined aquifer model established was based on the software COMSOL by coupling the dynamic and chemical processes together. The results showed that preferential flow affects groundwater flow and salinity distribution, leading to a more complicated mixing process. The preferential flow resulted in an increase in mixing zone area and the upper saline plume area of 10.33 and 2.62 m2, respectively, a decrease in saltwater wedge area of 7.22 m2, and an increase in nitrate (NO3-) removal efficiency from 7.9% to 8.97%. The NO3- removal efficiency increases progressively with the depth (h) and quantity (n) of preferential flows; however, it decreases after a certain quantity. Further quantitative analysis revealed an increase in the intensity of nitrification and dissolved oxygen inflow flux with preferential flow depth and quantity increase. This phenomenon usually occurs on coasts where biological caves are abundant. The results also offer significant implications for designing engineering measures to mitigate saltwater intrusion and are significant to prevent groundwater quality deterioration in coastal zones.

Sustained Release of Salicylic Acid for Halting Peri-Implantitis Progression in Healthy and Hyperglycemic Systemic Conditions: A Gottingen Minipig Model.

To develop a peri-implantitis model in a Gottingen minipig and evaluate the effect of local application of salicylic acid poly(anhydride-ester) (SAPAE) on peri-implantitis progression in healthy, metabolic syndrome (MS), and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects. Eighteen animals were allocated to three groups: (i) control, (ii) MS (diet for obesity induction), and (iii) T2DM (diet plus streptozotocin for T2DM induction). Maxillary and mandible premolars and first molar were extracted. After 3 months of healing, four implants per side were placed in both jaws of each animal. After 2 months, peri-implantitis was induced by plaque formation using silk ligatures. SAPAE polymer was mixed with mineral oil (3.75 mg/μL) and topically applied biweekly for up to 60 days to halt peri-implantitis progression. Periodontal probing was used to assess pocket depth over time, followed by histomorphologic analysis of harvested samples. The adopted protocol resulted in the onset of peri-implantitis, with healthy minipigs taking twice as long to reach the same level of probing depth relative to MS and T2DM subjects (∼3.0 mm), irrespective of jaw. In a qualitative analysis, SAPAE therapy revealed decreased levels of inflammation in the normoglycemic, MS, and T2DM groups. SAPAE application around implants significantly reduced the progression of peri-implantitis after ∼15 days of therapy, with ∼30% lower probing depth for all systemic conditions and similar rates of probing depth increase per week between the control and SAPAE groups. MS and T2DM conditions presented a faster progression of the peri-implant pocket depth. SAPAE treatment reduced peri-implantitis progression in healthy, MS, and T2DM groups.

Memory-Enhanced Knowledge Reasoning with Reinforcement Learning

In recent years, the emergence of large-scale language models, such as ChatGPT, has presented significant challenges to research on knowledge graphs and knowledge-based reasoning. As a result, the direction of research on knowledge reasoning has shifted. Two critical issues in knowledge reasoning research are the algorithm of the model itself and the selection of paths. Most studies utilize LSTM as the path encoder and memory module. However, when processing long sequence data, LSTM models may encounter the problem of long-term dependencies, where memory units of the model may decay gradually with an increase in time steps, leading to forgetting earlier input information. This can result in a decline in the performance of the LSTM model in long sequence data. Additionally, as the data volume and network depth increase, there is a risk of gradient disappearance. This study improved and optimized the LSTM model to effectively address the problems of gradient explosion and gradient disappearance. An attention layer was employed to alleviate the issue of long-term dependencies, and ConvR embedding was used to guide path selection and action pruning in the reinforcement learning inference model. The overall model achieved excellent reasoning results.

Research on the effect of shallow draft on the performance of azimuth thruster under bollard conditions

For the azimuth thruster installed on shallow draft ships, the shallow water effect leads to a decrease in propulsive performance, especially under the bollard condition. In order to accurately predict the bollard propulsion performance of the azimuth thruster under shallow draft conditions, this paper firstly obtains the bollard thrust performance in several waters through the shallow water test, and then analyzes the effect of hull wake and cavitation on the bollard thrust performance of the azimuth thruster by using the CFD method. The results are consistent with the test results under the open water. When the water depth is less than 1.0D, the thrust coefficient increases with the increase of water depth, when the water depth is greater than 1.0D, the thrust coefficient basically does not change; Considering the influence of hull wake, the axial inlet velocity of the azimuth thruster is 7.27% higher than that of the open water condition; meanwhile considering the influence of the hull wake and cavitation, the leading edge of the bottom of the azimuth thruster conduit and the back of the paddle blade are susceptible to cavitation, which leads to average decrease of the thrust coefficient and torque coefficient by 7.03% and 6.12%, respectively.

The effect of exterior traits on milk production and calving ease in Czech Fleckvieh cows in first parity

Abstract. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of exterior traits on milk production and also on the calving ease in first parity for dual-purpose (milk and meat) cows of Simmental origin. The analysis used 7987 purebred Czech Fleckvieh cows. The impact of the measured features of the frame and the linear type traits of the udder and muscularity were evaluated. The influence of height at the sacrum and body depth on milk yield has been demonstrated. A productivity increase of 27.62 kg of milk can be anticipated for every 1 cm increase in the height at the sacrum, and a productivity increase of 19.78 kg of milk can be expected for every 1 cm increase in body depth. The length of the fore and rear udders, the angle of udder attachment, and the depth of the udders all had a statistically significant impact on milk yield. In the case of calving ease, only the influence of muscularity was proven. The likelihood of difficult calving was 0.18 in cows with weak muscularity. The findings demonstrate that the exterior score is significant not only as a collection of fitness and longevity traits but also as a factor in milk yield.