Obvious Stress Research Articles

Study on thermal deformation of hybrid printed circuit heat exchanger for advanced nuclear reactor

The intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) is one of the key components in advanced nuclear reactor power generation system. Printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) with mini-channels is a good candidate for the IHX. But the whole PCHE with tens of thousands of mini-channels is hard to be modeled and calculated at high temperature. Thus, the homogenization method, which can calculate the thermal deformation of the whole hybrid mini-channel PCHE, is conducted in this study and both the elastic and elastic-plastic finite element analysis methods are used. Here, the performance of the PCHE is assumed to be isotropic in the simulation. The results show that the macroscopic thermal deformation of the whole PCHE follows a gradually downward trend from hot side to cold side, while obvious thermal stress concentration is observed around the junctions between the PCHE core and cover plate. The stress and strain calculated by elastic and elastic-plastic methods under different constraints show quite different patterns. For the thermal deformation analysis of PCHE under weak constraint or small temperature difference conditions, the stress and strain results by elastic analysis and elastic-plastic analysis are similar so that the elastic analysis can be used. Under the strong condition, the stress of PCHE calculated by elastic analysis is much higher than that of elastic-plastic analysis, while the strain is lower than that of elastic-plastic analysis. The relative deviations of stress are 100.883% and 120.786% along path 1 and path 2 respectively. And the relative deviations of strain are 6.987% and 10.139% along path 1 and path 2 respectively. The elastic-plastic analysis should be used instead of the elastic analysis.

Research on dynamic characteristics of novel filled damping block mesh-type rail pads for heavy haul railways

Currently, the commonly used rail pads for heavy haul railways are grooved rubber rail pads (GRRP) and prismatic thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE) rail pads (PTRP). However, the rail pad of the traditional structure has an obvious stress concentration when compressed and limited damping performance, which severely limits the service life of the rail pad. This study proposes a novel filled damping block mesh-type rail pad (NFDBMTRP) suitable for heavy haul railways. The rail pad has better damping performance than that of the traditional rail pad under the same stiffness condition. When the rail pad is under pressure, its hexagonal mesh structure can ensure that the stress distribution of the rail pad is uniform. Meanwhile, the damping block filled in the hexagonal mesh cavity can absorb part of the energy so that the overall stress level of the NFDBMTRP is small, which is beneficial for prolonging the service life of the rail pad. On the basis of the vehicle–track coupled dynamics theory, the C80 truck–track coupled dynamics calculation model was established, and a field test of the heavy haul railway was conducted. The time and frequency domain signals of the rail and sleeper acceleration obtained from the test were compared with those from the simulation to verify the accuracy of the dynamics model calculations. Under the same stiffness (70 kN/mm), the dynamic response differences in the four rail pads were compared and studied. The dynamic calculation results showed that the NFDBMTRP not only has smaller acceleration than that of the other three rail pads on the rail, sleeper, and car body but also has the smallest wheel–rail vertical force and derailment coefficient. This implies that improving the damping of the rail pad is beneficial for improving the safety and stability of train operation and has a certain protective effect on the under–track structure. To sum up, the NFDBMTRP has better structural properties and vibration damping performance compared with the traditional rail pad, and has broad application prospects in the heavy haul railway fastening system.

In situ stress inversion and fracture characteristics around local fault in deep heterogeneous strata

The southeast Sichuan in China is a key area for deep shale gas exploration. However, shale gas exploration in deep heterogeneous strata is greatly affected by in situ stress. Faults caused by tectonic movement strongly change the distribution of in situ stress. Inversion and prediction of in situ stress have become an important research hotspot in the field of resource exploitation. Based on the geological structure evolution and experimental data, the boundary stress iterative inversion method is used to inverse the in situ stress field of deep heterogeneous strata containing shale gas reservoirs, and the fracture characteristics around local fault are analyzed by fracture mechanics theory. The research shows that the stress field has the characteristics of non-uniform distribution under the influence of fault, and there is obvious stress concentration and deflection of principal stress direction around the fault. And magnitude and direction of stress are affected by the internal friction angle of the fault zone and the formation depth in different tectonic periods. Through the analysis and calculation of the plastic strain and stress intensity factors, it can be inferred that the cracks will propagate at the terminal portion of the fault. The research is important to guide engineering for the adjustment of resource exploitation scheme.

Dynamic Mechanical Behaviors and Failure Mechanism of Lignite under SHPB Compression Test

There is an obvious impact effect of on-site blasting on the slope coal mass of open-pit mines, so it is of great significance to study the dynamic mechanical response characteristics of coal rock for slope stability control. In this paper, first, the mineral composition and microstructure of lignite from open-pit mine are analyzed, and it is found that the content of non-organic minerals in lignite such as clay accounts for more than 24.40%; meanwhile, the rock sample has obvious horizontal bedding characteristics and mainly micro pores and transition pores inside; further, there are obvious banded areas with high water content in the rock, which has the same extending direction as the beddings. Based on the SHPB test system, the dynamic compression tests of lignite with different impact velocities are carried out. The results show that there is a significant hardening effect caused by the increase of strain rate on the dynamic mechanical parameters of rock samples, and the stress–strain curve has obvious “double peak” characteristics; meanwhile, the macroscopic crack of the rock appears at the first stress peak and disappears after further compression until the interlayer fracture occurs; further, the fracture fractal dimension of lignite increases linearly with the impact velocity, revealing that the fragmentation of rock samples increases gradually. In addition, with the increase of impact velocity, the input energy and dissipated energy of rock samples increase linearly, while the elastic property increases slowly and at a low level. The bedding characteristics of lignite and the wave impedance difference between the layers cause the high-reflection phenomenon in the process of stress-wave propagation, and then produce the obvious tensile stress wave in the rock sample, which finally results in the interlayer fracture failure of the rock.

Insufficient S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase compromises the beneficial effect of diabetic BMSCs on diabetic cardiomyopathy

BackgroundAutologous stem cell therapy is a promising strategy for cardiovascular diseases including diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), but conclusions from clinical trials were compromised. We assumed that diabetes might induce the dysfunction of stem cells and thus limit its therapeutic effect. This study aimed to compare the effect of diabetes and nondiabetes-derived bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation on DCM and explored the potential mechanism.MethodsRats with diabetes were induced using high-fat diets and streptozotocin (STZ) injection. BMSCs harvested from diabetic and nondiabetic rats were infused into DCM rats, and the effects on the heart were identified by echocardiography and histopathology. The inhibition or overexpression of SAHH in nondiabetic and diabetic BMSCs was used to confirm its key role in stem cell activity and cardiac therapy.ResultsCompared with normal BMSCs, the therapeutic effects of diabetic rat-derived stem cells on improving cardiac function and adverse remodeling were significantly attenuated. In vitro, diabetic BMSCs had lower cell viability and paracrine function than nondiabetic BMSCs. It was further found that diabetic BMSCs had obvious mitochondrial oxidative stress damage and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) accumulation due to S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) deficiency. SAHH inhibition by adenosine dialdehyde (ADA) or shSAHH plasmid in normal BMSCs significantly reduced the favorable effects on endothelial cell proliferation and tube-forming capacity. In contrast, SAHH overexpression in diabetic BMSCs significantly improved cellular activity and paracrine function. Transplantation of BMSCs with SAHH overexpression improved cardiac adverse remodeling and angiogenesis. Activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway may be one of the key mechanisms of SAHH-mediated improvement of stem cell viability and cardiac repair.ConclusionsDiabetes leads to compromised bioactivity and repair capacity of BMSCs. Our study suggests that SAHH activation may improve the cardioprotective effect of autologous transplantation of diabetes-derived BMSCs on patients with DCM.Graphical abstractDiabetes induced the inhibition of S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) expression and aging phenotype in BMSCs and thus decreased the cell viability and paracrine function. Compared with normal BMSCs, the therapeutic effects of diabetic rat-derived BMSCs on improving cardiac function and adverse remodeling were significantly attenuated. SAHH overexpression in diabetic BMSCs significantly rescued cellular function partly via activating Nrf2/HO-1 signal. Transplantation of diabetic BMSCs with SAHH overexpression improved angiogenesis and cardiac adverse remodeling in rats.

Failure mechanism and treatment measures of supporting structures at the portal for a shallow buried and asymmetrically loaded tunnel with small clear-distance

The construction of a tunnel portal faces the challenges of complex geological conditions, such as shallow burial and asymmetrical loading. In addition, the adverse effects of factors such as the layout form of the tunnel must also be considered. Thus, the construction of portals has always been the focus of tunnel engineering. Under the coupling of multiple adverse factors, such as complex geological conditions and special layout form, the tunnel portal is prone to excessive deformation, supporting structural cracking, and even collapse during excavation. In this study, a shallow buried and asymmetrically loaded tunnel with a small clear-distance in northwest China was considered as an engineering case. To address the distresses of slope instability, peeling off and block falling of primary support concrete, and cracking of secondary lining concrete in the tunnel portal construction, combined with field investigations, statistical analysis, numerical simulation, and deformation monitoring, the failure mechanism of supporting structures was deeply studied and corresponding treatment measures were proposed. The research results indicated that loose and broken gravel soil in the shallow buried section, asymmetrical loading, surface water infiltration, and short construction spacing between the two tunnels were the main triggers of supporting structures failure. Affected by topographic bias, the loose load generated by the surrounding rock on the deeply buried side squeezed the entire tunnel to the shallow buried side after portal excavation. This deformation trend became more significant after the gravel soil deteriorated by water immersion. The retaining wall produced a clockwise rotation deformation around the wall corner in the process of limiting the tunnel deviation, and the local wall body cracked owing to excessive tensile stress. The primary support concrete and secondary lining concrete produced excessive asymmetrical deformation because of significant asymmetrical loading. Concrete with excessive deformation was cracked by obvious tensile or shear stresses. The subsequent tunnel excavation had a significant negative impact on the stability of the prior tunnel. Combining the failure mechanism of the supporting structures and the characteristics of the continuous development of cracks, the treatment measures of ‘stabilize the stratum first and then treat the cracks’ were proposed, including the backfilling and tamping the shallow buried side at tunnel portal, reinforcing the interlaid rock by ground surface grouting, setting intercepting ditch at the slope top, and staggering a certain safe excavation distance between the following tunnel and the prior tunnel. Field monitoring and patrol inspection results indicated that the proposed treatment measures achieved the expected results. The research results can provide corresponding construction experience and suggestions for similar projects in future.

Fretting wear evolution model of the metal filaments inside metal rubber

Metal rubber (MR) is a porous material which possesses macroscopic damping properties through the dry friction between the internal helical metal wires. Due to its complex topological structure, the research on the fretting wear of MR is rarely reported in the literature. In the present work, a double-body wear model of metal filaments is constructed by the master-slave composite method. The friction and wear conditions of the dynamic and static metal wires inside the MR are analyzed under different contact angles, loads, and vibration amplitudes. The results indicate that the wear area and volume of the dynamic wire under each working condition are significantly larger than those of the static wire, while the case for the wear depth is the opposite. After wear, the wires exhibit an obvious stress concentration phenomenon, which is distributed along the wire wear contour area, and the wear profile has a high sensitivity to the contact angle. In order to further investigate the difference in the wear degree of the static and dynamic wires inside the MR, the fretting amplitude is introduced to describe the wear scar area of the dynamic wire, the special wear scar area is reorganized regularly, and the wear volume of the wire is approximated by the regional combination, deriving and constructing a fretting wear evolution model suitable for MR wires. This evolution model can simultaneously predict the wear degree of dynamic and static wires, and its prediction accuracy is high. The prediction accuracy under each working condition is basically less than 10%; thus, the proposed model can be effectively applied to the fretting wear prediction of MR ultra-fine wire contact pairs. This work provides theoretical guidance for the life prediction and other aspects of MR materials.

Effect of Plasticization on Stretching Stability of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Films: A Case Study Using Glycerol and Water.

Adding small molecular plasticizers is the most common route to tailor the stretchability of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). However, how the plasticization along with the nature of the plasticizer governs the structural homogeneity during stretching remains an open question to answer. Herein, two representative plasticizers, glycerol (GLY) and water, are chosen to endow the PVA films with ductility. It is found that large strain cavitations cause obvious stress whitening in the PVA/H2 O films; on the contrary, most of the PVA/GLY films maintain transparent undergoing tensile deformation. Through a combination of experimental inspections and molecular dynamic simulation, it is revealed that partial water molecules that behave as free water will aggregate into microdomains, which serve as mechanical defects responsible for yielding voids. Whereas, the GLY plasticizer homogeneously disperses at a molecular level and interacts with PVA chains through strong hydrogen bonds. More interestingly, it is illustrated that the dispersion and bound states of plasticizers are closely related to the mechanical character of the plasticized PVA films. These findings offer new insight into the working mechanism of plasticization on the structural stability during stretching, and guide the design of PVA/plasticizer system to obtain excellent comprehensive mechanics.

Effect of Environmental Temperatures on Proteome Composition of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (STM) is a major cause of gastroenteritis and transmitted by consumption of contaminated food. STM is associated to food originating from animals (pork, chicken, eggs) or plants (vegetables, fruits, nuts, and herbs). Infection of warm-blooded mammalian hosts by STM and the underlying complex regulatory network of virulence gene expression depend on various environmental conditions encountered in hosts. However, less is known about the proteome and possible regulatory networks for gene expression of STM outside the preferred host. Nutritional limitations and changes in temperature are the most obvious stresses outside the native host. Thus, we analyzed the proteome profile of STM grown in rich medium (LB medium) or minimal medium (PCN medium) at temperatures ranging from 8 °C to 37 °C. LB medium mimics the nutritional rich environment inside the host, whereas minimal PCN medium represents nutritional limitations outside the host, found during growth of fresh produce (field conditions). Further, the range of temperatures analyzed reflects conditions within natural hosts (37 °C), room temperature (20 °C), during growth under agricultural conditions (16 °C and 12 °C), and during food storage (8 °C). Implications of altered nutrient availability and growth temperature on STM proteomes were analyzed by HPLC/MS-MS and label-free quantification. Our study provides first insights into the complex adaptation of STM to various environmental temperatures, which allows STM not only to infect mammalian hosts but also to enter new infection routes that have been poorly studied so far. With the present dataset, global virulence factors, their impact on infection routes, and potential anti-infective strategies can now be investigated in detail. Especially, we were able to demonstrate functional flagella at 12 °C growth temperature for STM with an altered motility behavior.

Mapping of three-dimensional residual stresses by neutron diffraction in nickel-based superalloy discs prepared under different quenching conditions

Large interior residual stresses, generated during various thermomechanical treatments, could greatly affect not only the machining dimension precision during subsequent machining processes but also the structural stability under service in superalloy components. In this paper, neutron diffraction measurements have been carried out to characterize the three-dimensional residual stress distributions in IN718 superalloy discs quenched with different media, including water, oil, air and insulation. Three-dimensional residual stress maps have been derived in these specimens. It was found that, in the water-quenched, oil-quenched and air-cooled specimens, the residual stresses are compressive near the surface balanced by tension within the interior, with the peak magnitude stresses of 560 MPa, 480 MPa and 120 MPa, respectively. It was evidenced that there is no obvious residual stress in the insulation-cooled specimen. The corresponding Vickers hardness maps show a larger hardness at the core and smaller hardness near the surface in the water-quenched, oil-quenched and air-cooled specimens, whereas there is a larger hardness near the cylindrical surface and smaller hardness at the central axis in the insulation-cooled specimen, achieved by the differential cooling rate control. Our investigations show that the coordinated regulation of residual stress and microstructure and properties can be realized by reasonably selecting cooling media.

Finite element analysis of static performance of new fabricated double-layer upper flange composite beam

A new type of fabricated double-layer upper flange composite beam section is proposed to meet the requirements of greater structural headroom. The influence of the strength of cast-in-place concrete on the static performance of composite beams was studied by using finite element analysis method. The static performance of the new fabricated double-layer upper flange composite beam with the strength of cast-in-place concrete is obtained. Numerical simulation results show that with the increase of concrete strength, the bearing capacity of composite beams will increase to a certain extent. At the same time, there will be obvious stress concentration at the openings of the T-shaped steel web on the upper part of the section. In the actual design process, the distribution and shape of the openings still need to be optimized. In addition, the influence of span-to-height ratio and aspect ratio on the bearing capacity of new cross-section composite beams is also studied. The results show that the best span-to-height ratio and aspect ratio of the new section beam proposed in this paper are 15 and 4/9, respectively.

Physical Model Test on the Influence of Karst Cave under and in front of Pile on the Stability of Embedded End of Antislide Pile

With the extensive use of antislide piles in engineering, the stability of the embedded end of antislide piles in karst areas has become increasingly prominent. When there is a cave in front of the antislide pile, the cave may be deformed under horizontal load, causing the stability of the embedded end of the antislide pile to lose its stability. Based on the similarity model theory, this study establishes two different shapes of caves (horizontal in the longitudinal direction and vertical in the longitudinal direction) beneath and in front of the rock-socketed section of the antislide pile. Using horizontal loading tests, the influence of the karst cave beneath and in front of the elliptical pile on the stability of the antisliding pile embedded end was studied, and the following relevant conclusions were obtained. (1) Compared with the model without cavities, the presence of cavities in front of and under the pile significantly reduces the horizontal bearing capacity of the antislip pile. The fracture trace initially develops from the bottom of the pile against the side of the active zone, roughly at 90° to the horizontal direction through the top plate of the cave and continues to develop under the cave until the boundary. (2) The horizontal bearing capacity of horizontal bearing pile is greatly reduced by karst cave. The karst cave under the pile has a greater influence on this property than that in front of pile and the influence of the two karst caves has a common effect. (3) Both sides of the bottom for pile and the roof of karst cave are prone to damage. Besides, the roof of the karst cave under the pile is more prone to damage for more obvious stress concentration. (4) The loading failure processes of all model can be roughly divided into three stages: gentle deformation, stable expansion of deformation, and accelerated expansion of deformation. (5) Compared with the case where there is no karst cave in front of pile, the karst cave in front of pile will increase the deformation of pile under horizontal load and the same level of load. (6) Based on the limit equilibrium method, a check calculation method for the bearing capacity of the anchored end when a cave existing in front of the pile is proposed. The verification method was verified.

Cavitation erosion behaviors and damage mechanism of Ti-Ni alloy impacted by water jet with different standoff distances

The cavitation erosion of Ti-Ni alloy is explored on a cavitating liquid jet with different standoff distances. The cavitation erosion characteristics of Ti-Ni alloy specimens are analyzed, and the influences that different standoff distances of the water jet have on cavitation erosion are explored. The results of cavitation erosion outcomes under different standoff distances of 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm, 14 mm and 16 mm show slight deformation, grain boundary cracking and formation of initial micro-pits, pits of maximum depth around 50 μm, more pits of maximum depth around 80 μm with micro-cracks, obvious plastic deformation traces with some pits, bulges and slip bands, respectively. When the Ti-Ni alloy is impacted by water jet with a standoff distance of 12 mm for 4 hrs, the surface microstructure undergoes substructural evolution and new fine grains form, with obvious stress concentration and dislocation accumulation appearing on the subsurface.

Experimental Study on Uniaxial Compression Fracture Process of Marble Specimens with Circular Holes with Different Diameters

After a long period of geological tectonic action, the rock mass develops defects such as pores and fissures of different sizes and scales. The mechanical properties of the rock are largely affected by these discontinuous structures, and there will be obvious stress concentration at the edge of the hole inside the rock. Under the action of concentrated stress, cracks initiate, expand, and penetrate from the edge of the hole to form the final fracture surface and cause instability and failure of the rock mass. In practical engineering, due to the limitation of various factors, it is impossible to conduct uniaxial compressive strength test for each geotechnical engineering. Therefore, the rock in the weak part of the project can be selected as the test specimen before the indoor physical tests. In this paper, the static uniaxial compression test of specimens with circular holes with different diameters is carried out. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) monitoring system is used to observe the test process in real time; then, the data from uniaxial compression test and DIC monitoring test are obtained. At the same time, the macroscopic failure characteristics and crack propagation law of rock specimens are obtained, and the evolution law of strain field during the failure process of rock specimens is also obtained. Meanwhile, Realistic Failure Process Analysis (RFPA) is carried out to verify the accuracy of static uniaxial compression physical tests numerically. Physical tests show that the uniaxial compressive strength of marble specimens with circular holes and the dispersion of measured peak stress data decrease with the increase of hole diameter. The main failure type of marble specimens with circular holes is tension shear failure; the macroscopic failure zone of the sample, the strain field localization zone, and the maximum shear stress field of the numerical test are distributed in a semi-“X” shape with the hole as the center. The localization zone of the strain field on the specimen is usually the region of crack initiation, propagation, and penetration on the surface of the marble specimens. It also shows that specimen breaks in the radial direction along the y -axis of the circular hole, and cracks connecting both ends of the circular hole and the specimen are generated on the specimen. It is of great theoretical value and practical significance to the influence of the cavities in the rock specimens on the stress and strain characteristics and the initiation, propagation, and penetration modes.

Numerical Study on the Effect of Large Deep Foundation Excavation on Underlying Complex Intersecting Tunnels

The effect of large deep foundation excavations on the surrounding existing tunnels is a problem that cannot be avoided in the current construction background. This effect is difficult to assess precisely, especially when the geometry of the tunnels and pits is complex. In this paper, a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model has been developed based on a case containing four complex intersecting tunnels and a large deep foundation pit. The model used the hardening soil model with small-strain stiffness (HSS) and the Hoek–Brown (HB) model to describe the mechanical properties of the soil and rock, and various methods including the standard penetration test (SPT) and heavy dynamic penetration test (HDPT) were used to determine the model parameters. The results of the analysis are as follows: the excavation of the foundation pit caused the tunnels to heave and the heave deformation conforms to the normal distribution; the maximum heave of numerical simulation is 3.1 mm which is consistent with the field data; the horizontal displacement, horizontal convergence, and vertical convergence of the tunnels caused by the excavation of the pits are small, and all kinds of deformations meet the control requirements; the intersection of multiple tunnels shows obvious stress concentration when the tunnels were constructed, and the lining stress slightly decreases as excavation progresses.

Responses of butter leaf lettuce to mixed red and blue light with extended light/dark cycle period

To investigate the effects of extended light/dark (L/D) cycle period (relative to the diurnal L/D cycle) on lettuce and explore potential advantages of abnormal L/D cycles, butter leaf lettuce were grown in a plant factory with artificial light (PFAL) and exposed to mixed red (R) and blue (B) LED light with different L/D cycles that were respectively 16 h light/8 h dark (L16/D8, as control), L24/D12, L48/D24, L96/D48 and L120/D60. The results showed that, all the abnormal L/D cycles increased shoot dry weight (DW) of lettuce (by 34–83%) compared with the control, and lettuce DW increased with the L/D cycle period prolonged. The contents of soluble sugar and crude fiber in lettuce showed an overall upward trend with the length of L/D cycle extended, and the highest vitamin C content as well as low nitrate content were both detected in lettuce treated with L120/D60. The light use efficiency (LUE) and electric use efficiency (EUE) of lettuce reached the maximum (respectively 5.37% and 1.76%) under L120/D60 treatment and so were DW, Assimilation rate (A), RC/CS, ABS/CS, TRo/CS and DIo/CS, indicating that longer L/D cycle period was beneficial for the assimilation efficiency and dry matter accumulation in lettuce leaves. The highest shoot fresh weight (FW) and nitrate content detected in lettuce subjected to L24/D12 may be related to the vigorous growth of root, specific L/D cycle seemed to strengthen root growth and water absorption of lettuce. The openness level of RC in PSII (Ψo), ETo/CS, and PIabs were all the highest in lettuce treated with L24/D12, implying that slightly extending the L/D cycle period might promote the energy flowing to the final electron transfer chain. In general, irradiation modes with extended L/D cycle period had the potential to improve energy use efficiency and biomass of lettuce in PFAL. No obvious stress or injury was detected in lettuce subjected to prolonged L/D cycles in terms of plant growth and production. From the perspective of shoot FW, the optimal treatment in this study was L24/D12, while L120/D60 was the recommended treatment as regards of the energy use efficiency and nutritional quality.

Unified modeling behavior of rockfill materials along different loading stress paths

Rockfill materials used for dam construction show obvious stress path dependency during construction process. The constitutive model for rockfill materials are mainly established based on conventional triaxial test. This brings some deviation to the numerical calculation for earth rockfill dam engineering, and it is necessary to develop a constitutive model considering stress paths effect. In the framework of generalized plasticity, plastic modulus can be expressed as the function of dilatancy equation and tangent modulus, hence the influence of stress paths on model can be transfer to the dilatancy equation and tangent modulus. This leads to a new method to describe stress-strain response of rockfill under various loading stress paths. Based on the analysis of large-scale triaxial experiments of rockfill materials with various stress paths, we proposed new dilatancy equation and tangent modulus to better describe stress paths effect and corresponding modified generalized plasticity model is established. Through the prediction and comparison of three groups of rockfill materials triaxial tests, the model established in this paper can simulate behaviors of rockfill materials under various stress paths, using only a set of parameters.

Deltamethrin induces apoptosis in cerebrum neurons of quail via promoting endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial dysfunction

Deltamethrin (DLM) is a widely used and highly effective insecticide. DLM exposure is harmful to animal and human. Quail, as a bird model, has been widely used in the field of toxicology. However, there is little information available in the literature about quail cerebrum damage caused by DLM. Here, we investigated the effect of DLM on quail cerebrum neurons. Four groups of healthy quails were assigned (10 quails in each group), respectively given 0, 15, 30, and 45 mg/kg DLM by gavage for 12 weeks. Through the measurements of quail cerebrum, it was found that DLM exposure induced obvious histological changes, oxidative stress, and neurons apoptosis. To further explore the possible molecular mechanisms, we performed real-time quantitative PCR to detect the expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related mRNA such as glucose regulated protein 78 kD, activating transcription factor 6, inositol requiring enzyme, and protein kinase RNA (PKR)-like ER kinase. In addition, we detected ATP content in quail cerebrum to evaluate the functional status of mitochondria. The study showed that DLM exposure significantly increased the expression of ER stress-related mRNA and decreased ATP content in quail cerebrum tissues. These results suggest that chronic exposure to DLM induces apoptosis of quail cerebrum neurons via promoting ER stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, our results provide a novel explanation for DLM-induced apoptosis of avian cerebrum neurons.

In Situ Stress Distribution and Variation Monitored by Microseismic Tracking on a Fractured Horizontal Well: A Case Study from the Qinshui Basin.

In situ stress is an important parameter regulating the production of coalbed methane (CBM), and the monitoring of rock deformation can provide a description of the state of stress. Microseismic monitoring in a multistage fractured horizontal CBM well was conducted as a case study with a completion depth of 1445.36 m. The results show that there is a good correlation among the seismicity parameters, b-value, stress drop, fracture length, fracture density, and orientation. In the stress concentration region, the fracture is longer with a smaller density, where the b-value is lower. On the contrary, in the stress relaxation zone, the fracture is shorter with a complex shape, where the b-value is higher. Stress drop is relatively higher where fractures are concentrated, which indicate the areas with successful reservoir stimulation. The reliability of the above results was verified by the normal fault occurring between stages 7 and 8. In the area affected by the hanging wall of the normal fault (stage 6 and 7), the b-value is 0.38–0.39, while in the area affected by the footwall (stage 8 and 9), the b-value is 0.64–0.66. This phenomenon reflects an obvious stress concentration in the hanging wall of normal fault, which is consistent with the conventional understanding. The microseismic source parameters have great potential in evaluating reservoir stress. With further exploration of source parameters, microseismic will provide more support for CBM development.

Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. and its active components mitigate Semen Strychni-induced neurotoxicity through regulating high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) translocation

Semen Strychni has long been used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, facioplegia and myasthenia gravis due to its anti-inflammation and anti-nociceptive properties in China. However, the fatal neurotoxicity of Semen Strychni has limited its wider clinical application. To investigate the acute toxicity induced by Semen Strychni and the detoxification of liquorice, we evaluated inflammation, oxidative stress and the translocation of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in rats. As a result, there were obvious oxidative stress and inflammation in hippocampus after the Semen Strychni extracts (STR) treatment in rats. Liquorice extracts (LE) and its three active monomers – glycyrrhizic acid (GA), liquiritigenin (LIQ), isoliquiritigenin (ISL) showed the potential for mitigating STR-induced neurotoxicity. HMGB1 levels in cytoplasm and serum and the levels of two downstream receptors RAGE and TLR4 were significantly increased after STR treatment. Through using LE and the monomers, the nucleocytoplasmic transport and release of HMGB1 were inhibited. In addition, the binding between HMGB1 and TLR4 was weakened in detoxification groups comparing with the STR group. Taken together, these findings indicated that liquorice and its active components alleviated acute neurotoxicity induced by Semen Strychni partly via HMGB1-related pathway.