Failure Patterns Research Articles

Torsional Performance of Vat-Photopolymerized Tough Resin: Influence of Gauge Length and UV Post-Curing

Abstract Background A myriad of materials, ranging from soft sensors to bone substitutes, undergo torsional loading throughout their operational lifespan. Many of these materials are produced using additive manufacturing (AM) technology due to its broad applicability. Understanding the torsional behavior of these AM components is crucial prior to their utilization. However, research on the torsional behavior of solid additively-manufactured resin polymers remains very limited. Objective To address the gap in understanding the torsional behavior of additively-manufactured resin polymers, this study aimed to investigate the effect of varying gage lengths and UV post-curing durations on the torsional capacity, shear modulus, and energy absorption characteristics of these materials. Methods Torsion specimens were fabricated using vat photopolymerization (VPP) with AnyCubic UV Tough Resin. The specimens were prepared with different gage lengths (20, 40, 60, and 80 mm) and were subjected to five UV post-curing durations (0, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min). Monotonic torsion was applied to the specimens until failure at a rate of 0.1 revolutions per minute. Results The tests revealed ductile failure patterns across all specimens. Longer post-curing times were found to correlate with increased torsional capacities and shear moduli. However, conclusions regarding energy absorption per unit volume remained inconclusive. The results showed that UV exposure had a significantly greater impact on the mechanical properties of the specimens compared to the gage length. Additionally, a normalized trilinear model was proposed to characterize the behavior of additively-manufactured resin polymers under monotonic torsion, which facilitates numerical simulation of material responses in finite element software.

Post-Marketing Pharmacovigilance of Canakinumab from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS)

Background: Canakinumab, a humanized anti-IL-1β monoclonal antibody, is known for its ability to suppress IL-1β-mediated inflammation. However, continuous monitoring of its safety remains essential. Thus, we comprehensively evaluated the safety signals of canakinumab by data mining from FAERS. Methods: We used a disproportionate analysis to quantify canakinumab-related adverse events (AEs) using four algorithms. Clinical prioritization of the detected signals was assessed with a semiquantitative score method. Serious and non-serious outcomes were compared by statistical methods. Additionally, a stratification analysis of serious infections was conducted at the system organ class (SOC) level. Results: A total of 28,496 canakinumab-related AEs were collected, and 71 suspicious signals detected. Among these, 19 preferred terms (PTs) were identified as unexpected signals, including deafness, appendicitis, brain oedema, cushingoid, cellulitis, and papilledema. Of the AEs, 16 were more likely reported as serious outcomes, such as pneumonia, abdominal pain, deafness, and infection. Based on clinical priority score, 44 PTs were classified as weak, 27 as moderate, and none as strong. Furthermore, 30 PTs demonstrated a high level of evidence, primarily derived from FDA prescribing information, randomized controlled trials, and systematic reviews. Stratification analysis of infections and infestations (serious outcomes) revealed a stronger association of severe infections with canakinumab in older or heavier individuals. All positive signals followed an early failure pattern, with the incidence of canakinumab-associated AEs decreasing over time. Conclusions: We found that most of the suspicious signals were associated with infections. More attention should be paid to serious infections, particularly in males, individuals aged ≥60 years, or those weighing >100 kg, who demonstrated the highest risk of serious infections.

Shape-Dependent Behavior of Intact Rock Under Creep Loading

Abstract Many underground mining operations require the design of pillars that their long-term structural integrity under creep loading is essential for sustainable operation of mines and safety of personnel. Characterizing the mechanical behavior of rocks at different shapes over the long-term can assist in efficient design of underground pillars. Over the past 4 decades, a large number of studies have examined the shape effect and long-term behavior of rocks separately, while consideration of these two together is essential. Accordingly, a comprehensive investigation is needed to assess the influence of shape on the mechanical behavior of intact rocks under long term or creep loading. Thus, in this work, an extensive laboratory experiments were conducted on a shaly sandstone, known as “Gosford” sandstone, with various length-to-diameter or “slenderness” ratios under both quasi-static and creep compressive loadings. The uniaxial compressive tests were performed on a number of cylindrical samples with constant diameter of 54 mm and varying slenderness ratios of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4. Also, a set of single and multi-step creep experiments were carried out on the samples with different slenderness ratios. Eighteen cylindrical samples were subjected to single-step creep loading at the slenderness ratios of 1, 2, and 4 and their corresponding instantaneous strains, apparent secondary creep strain rates, axial creep strains at the failure and times to failure were analyzed. The results showed that a decrease in the slenderness ratio led to an increase in the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of tested samples under quasi-static loading. Also, under single-step creep loading, the samples with the slenderness ratios of 2 and 4 exhibited classical creep behavior including distinct primary, secondary, and tertiary phases, whereas samples with the 1:1 ratio demonstrated localized failure. The multi-step creep tests endorsed these findings in which, the samples with smaller slenderness ratios resulted in larger cumulative strains and higher apparent secondary creep strain rate at the various creep stress ratios (the ratio of applied stress over the mean UCS). Finally, it was concluded that the resulting failure patterns from the tested samples are highly shape dependent under both quasi-static and creep loading conditions.

Hiatus and pelvic floor failure patterns in pelvic organ prolapse: A 3D MRI study of structural interactions using a Level III conceptual model.

A large urogenital hiatus in Level III results in a higher risk of developing pelvic organ prolapse after birth and failure after prolapse surgery. Deepening of the pelvic floor and downward rotation of the levator plate have also been linked to prolapse. Currently we lack data that evaluates how these measures relate to one another and to prolapse occurrence and size. This study uses measurements from a published conceptual model to compare women with and without prolapse to determine the magnitude of difference between cases and controls and to quantify the interrelationships among different aspects of pelvic floor shape and structure. Ninety-one women with anterior predominant prolapse and uterus in situ who had 3D MRI and 30 similar women with normal support were studied. Resting scans were used to avoid the influence of the prolapse dilating the hiatus. Measurements assessed three domains: hiatus size (urogenital and levator hiatus); length of the surrounding pelvic floor muscles (pubovisceral, puborectal, iliococcygeal muscles); the shelf-like posterior pelvic floor (levator plate shape, levator bowl volume), and bony pelvic dimensions. Effect sizes were calculated and principal component shape analysis performed to evaluate levator plate shape. A-scores were calculated and a value greater than 1.68 (95th percentile) was considered the "failure" criterion. Frequency and severity of structural support site failure were analyzed by prolapse size. Resting urogenital and levator hiatal areas were 68% and 59% larger in the prolapse group compared to controls. These area enlargements were 2-4 times larger than the anterior-posterior dimension enlargements (urogenital hiatus 36%; levator hiatus 13%). The greatest muscle length differences between groups occurred in the pubovisceral (34%) and puborectal (25%) muscles compared to the iliococcygeal muscle (8%)-roughly half the area differences. Levator bowl volume was 63% deeper with prolapse. Urogenital hiatus and levator hiatus areas were strongly correlated with pubovisceral and puborectal muscle length (.7 to .8), while iliococcygeal muscle length had lower correlations (.4 to .5). Levator bowl volume correlated strongly with hiatal enlargement (.7 to .8) and muscle length (pubovisceral and puborectal muscles), moderately so with levator plate and iliococcygeal muscle, and weakly with bony dimension. Failure frequency increased with prolapse size for urogenital hiatus anterior-posterior (p=.001) and area (p=.019). By contrast, levator hiatus area was similar for all prolapse sizes (p=.288), while levator hiatus anterior-posterior failure was more common in larger prolapses (p=.018) but with smaller percentages of failure than levator hiatus area (p<.01). Both levator bowl volume (p=.015) and levator plate (p=.045) trended toward increasing failure with larger prolapse sizes. Among women with enlarged urogenital hiatus at straining, 43% and 28% had normal urogenital hiatus anterior-posterior and area at rest, respectively. Changes in the shape and dimensions of the pelvic floor are complex and are not captured by a single measure (such as the urogenital hiatus anterior-posterior dimension, which does not capture its lateral expansion). The failure patterns were different between small and large prolapses. Understanding why could lead to improved prevention and treatments for Level III failures.

Structure failure and strength evaluation of honeycomb-based sandwich composites under variable hydro-thermal-mechanical load

The high-strength and lightweight sandwich structures have broad application prospect in aerospace, wind turbine generator, traffic and civil engineering. The sandwich structures usually service with severe environment and complicated mechanical load, structure failure and strength prediction are crucial issues. Under time-varying and optional position hydro-thermal–mechanical loading, this paper systematically analyzes strength failure, buckling and delamination of a sandwich beam with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer face sheet and aluminum honeycomb core. Effects of elastic boundary conditions, hydrothermal stress, configuration of honeycomb cell and thickness of face sheet on failure pattern and critical failure loading are evaluated. The theoretical deformation model is verified by performing a bending experiment of cantilever beam. For the honeycomb core with small re-entrant angle and shot horizontal cell wall, the sandwich cantilever beam occurs strength failure of face sheet and delamination is happened in simply supported beam. With increase of re-entrant angle and cell wall length, buckling of horizontal cell wall becomes the primary failure pattern of sandwich beam. With thickness increase of face sheet, the failure pattern switches from face sheet’s strength failure to delamination. The critical load for delamination decreases to a volley value and then increases with thickness of face sheet.

Compressive failure patterns and acoustic emission characteristics of reservoir rocks subjected to chemical corrosion for underground energy storage

Compressive failure patterns and acoustic emission characteristics of reservoir rocks subjected to chemical corrosion for underground energy storage

Numerical Analysis of Levee Failure Characteristics for Flood Hydrograph Patterns

Recent climate change has significantly affected the magnitude and frequency of rainfall, which critically affects the safety of levees and leads to severe flooding damage when levees fail. This study aimed to analyze the impact of the shape of flood hydrographs on levee failure characteristics using numerical analysis. Three types of flood hydrographs derived from lognormal, beta, and Weibull probability density functions (PDFs) were utilized, with each showing differences in the timing and magnitude of the peak flows. Levee overtopping and failure phenomena were simulated using a three-dimensional numerical analysis model, namely, FLOW-3D. The simulation results indicate that the failure patterns of levees vary, depending on the PDF used, with the lognormal PDF showing significant levee failure, owing to relatively high initial flows. These results suggest that a rapid increase in the flow at the onset is a direct factor that causes levee failure. These numerical analysis results highlight the importance of understanding the characteristics of each probability density function to accurately predict and effectively respond to levee failure risk. Future research should focus on a more precise analysis of levee failure mechanisms as well as the propagation and impacts of flood waves resulting from such failures.

Mesoscale Modeling for Predicting Effective Properties and Damage Behavior of Geopolymer Concrete.

Geopolymer concrete is a sustainable construction material and is considered as a promising alternative to traditional Portland cement concrete. However, there is still not much research on the effective properties and damage behavior of geopolymer concrete with consideration of its heterogeneous characteristics by means of mesoscale models combined with the regularized microplane damage model. Here, in this research, an easy and simpler approach for generating concrete mesoscale models and characterizing the angular characteristics of aggregate particles is presented. After the proposed mesoscale modeling was validated by numerical, experimental and theoretical models, it was employed further to predict the effective properties and damage behavior of geopolymer concrete. The obtained results show that the effective elastic modulus and compressive strength of geopolymer concrete were greatly affected by the volume fractions of aggregate, while no significant influence on Poisson's ratio was found. The evolution of damage and coalescence of cracks were affected by the volume fractions and spatial distribution of aggregate particles, which resulted in the different failure patterns in the mesoscale model of geopolymer concrete manufactured by different volume ratios of aggregate.

Pelvis Or Involved Node Treatment: Eradicating Recurrence in Prostate Cancer (POINTER-PC) – study protocol paper for a phase III multicentre, open-label randomised controlled trial

IntroductionProstate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in men. Recurrence may occur in up to half of patients initially treated with curative intent for high-risk localised/locally advanced PCa. Pelvic...

CLINICAL AND PROGNOSTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGAN FAILURE PATTERNS IN ACUTE PANCREATITIS

Intoroduction. Acute pancreatitis remains one of the most challenging diseases in abdominal surgery, particularly due to the high incidence of organ failure, occurring in 15-20% of patients and associated with mortality rates up to 42% during the first week of hospitalization. Early identification of patients at high risk for organ failure development is of particular importance. It, in turn, is a key factor determining the severity of the course and prognosis of the disease, developing in 15-20% of patients with acute pancreatitis. At the same time, persistent organ failure is associated with mortality of up to 42% during the first week of hospitalization. There are several scales for assessing the severity of acute pancreatitis, including: Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation II, Bedside Index of Severity in Acute Pancreatitis and the modified Marshall scale, but none of them demonstrates accuracy in predicting the development of organ failure, and the maximum sensitivity reaches only 75%. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize the main patterns of organ failure in acute pancreatitis based on comprehensive analysis of clinical indicators, laboratory parameters, and temporal disease characteristics. Subjects and methods. This retrospective study included 82 patients (2014-2019), stratified into groups with organ failure (n=41) and without it (n=41). The assessment protocol included clinical parameters, laboratory findings, and disease progression dynamics. Cluster analysis was used to determine organ failure patterns. Results. Three main patterns were identified: “early respiratory” (37.5% of cases), “late progressive” (57.5%), and “multisystem” (5.0%), each differing in onset timing, organ system involvement, and clinical outcomes. The "multisystem" pattern exhibited the most unfavorable profile, with the longest hospitalization duration (median 68.0 days) and highest mortality. The study identified key prognostic markers and developed a risk stratification system, enabling optimized monitoring and treatment strategies based on the organ failure pattern.

Evaluation of the shear bond strength of surface-treated cobalt-chromium metal crowns on Corticobasal® implant abutments cemented using different luting agents.

This in-vitro study aimed to compare the shear bond strength (SBS) of cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) crowns on Corticobasal® implant abutments, evaluating the effects of two surface treatments and two luting agents. Thirty Co-Cr crowns were fabricated using CAD-CAM technology with a direct metal laser sintering process and divided into three groups based on surface treatment: Group I (untreated), Group II (sandblasted with 50 μm Al₂O₃), and Group III (Er: YAG laser etching). Each group was further subdivided based on luting cement: Sub group A (GC Fuji Plus) and Sub group B (Rely X U200). This resulted in a total of six groups. The implants were stabilized in auto-polymerizing acrylic resin, and cementation followed standardized protocols. Thermocycling with 1000 cycles (5 °C-55 °C) simulated oral conditions. SBS was tested using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. Failure patterns were analyzed using stereomicroscopy to classify adhesive, cohesive, and mixed failures. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests (p < 0.05). Group IIIA (laser-treated, GC Fuji Plus) showed the highest SBS (243.15 MPa), followed by Group IIA (sandblasted + GC Fuji Plus), at 231.81 MPa. The lowest SBS was observed in Group IB (untreated, Rely X U200) at 124.24 MPa. Both sandblasting and laser treatment significantly enhanced SBS, with GC Fuji Plus consistently outperforming Rely X U200. A significant difference of 48.17 MPa was observed between laser-treated Groups IIIA and IIIB (p < 0.01). Laser etching and GC Fuji Plus cementation provided the highest SBS for Co-Cr crowns on Corticobasal® implants. Sandblasting was a secondary effective treatment, while untreated crowns exhibited the weakest bond strength.

Recurrent Sinonasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Current Insights and Treatment Advances.

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common malignancy affecting the sinonasal tract. Local recurrence is the main pattern of treatment failure, affecting nearly half of patients treated for primary sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC). Due to disease rarity and heterogeneity of practices, there are limited guidelines for how to diagnose and care for these patients. This paper reviews current evidence regarding etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, prognostic factors, and treatment modalities of recurrent SNSCC (rSNSCC). Currently, salvage surgery offers the only durable approach for eligible patients. These resections often require robust reconstructive options due to prior surgery or radiation. Chemoradiation is offered as an adjuvant or palliative approach when surgery is not a feasible option. Emerging options such as immunotherapy and particle therapy remain an area of ongoing investigation.

Study on Damage Characteristics and Failure Patterns of Sandstone Under Temperature–Water Interactions

In modern tunnel construction, complex environments with high geothermal gradients and abundant groundwater are frequently encountered. To investigate the damage and failure mechanisms of sandstone under the combined effects of temperature and water, uniaxial compression tests were conducted on sandstone at different temperatures (25 °C, 55 °C, 85 °C, and 95 °C) and soaking durations (0.5 h, 1 h, and 3 h). The acoustic emission (AE) signals and energy evolution during the damage and failure processes were analyzed, revealing the damage characteristics and failure mechanisms of sandstone. The results indicate the following: (1) As the temperature increases, under the 3 h condition, the water content of sandstone is highest at 55 °C, reaching 3.01%, and the thermal expansion effect of sandstone is not obvious. Under the conditions of 85 °C and 95 °C, the thermal expansion effect leads to a decrease in the water content, enhances the water absorption softening effect, increases the plastic deformation capacity of sandstone, and weakens its brittle failure capacity. (2) When soaked for 0.5 h and 1 h, the maximum acoustic emission ring count and maximum acoustic emission energy of sandstone increase initially, then decrease, and subsequently increase again as the temperature rises, while the cumulative acoustic emission ring count gradually increases with temperature. Under the 3 h soaking condition, the maximum ring count, maximum energy, and cumulative ring count of sandstone at all temperatures show a consistent increasing trend with temperature. (3) The increase in soaking time reduced the damage variable of sandstone, with the largest reduction of 54.17% under the 3 h condition. At different temperatures, the damage variable of sandstone was smallest at 55 °C, only 0.33. (4) Sandstone primarily experiences tensile failure under different temperatures and soaking times. The extension of soaking time promotes the development of shear cracks, while the increase in temperature can effectively promote the expansion of tensile cracks. The research results provide certain theoretical references for the damage and failure of surrounding rock in modern tunnel construction.

Discussion on the Gradation and Interface Effects on the Dynamic Mechanical Behaviors of Hydraulic Concrete Based on Meso-Mechanical Simulation

Hydraulic concrete is quite different from normal concrete in the terms of aggregate gradation and construction-induced interfaces. To explore their influences on the dynamic mechanical behaviors of hydraulic concrete, several mesoscale numerical models with different aggregate gradations and interfaces were established and subjected to dynamic compressive or tensile loadings. The results show that aggregate gradation significantly affected hydraulic concrete failure patterns under dynamic loads, but interface effects were less obvious, and stressing uniformity improved with an increasing loading rate. The dynamic compressive and tensile strengths of hydraulic concrete showed a strain rate effect independent of gradation, but decreased with larger coarse aggregates, especially at higher rates. Weak-bonding interfaces significantly reduced strength at low loading rates, with a more pronounced effect on tensile strength than compressive strength. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the application of hydraulic concrete containing large-size aggregates in practical engineering.

The Effect of Thermocycling on the Shear Bond Strength of Flash-free Brackets and Healing Dynamics of Enamel Microcracks: An In vitro Study.

This study evaluates long-term shear bond strength (SBS) and enamel micro cracks (MCs) healing after using adhesive pre-coated brackets (APC). A total of eighty extracted human premolar teeth were randomly divided into four experimental groups (n = 20 per group): Control group: Teeth underwent indentation but no bracket bonding; group II : Teeth were subjected to indentation without exposure to thermocycling; group III: Teeth experienced both indentation and thermocycling; group IV: No indentation was applied to the teeth; groups III and IV were further divided into two subgroups to simulate different clinical timelines: Subgroup A (n = 10): Teeth underwent 5,000 thermocycles, equivalent to six months of clinical use. Subgroup B (n = 10): Teeth were subjected to 10,000 thermocycles, representing 12 months of use. All precoated brackets underwent debonding with a universal testing machine to assess the SBS, and the adhesive remnant index (ARI) was scored to evaluate the amount of adhesive left on the tooth surface. The study also examined horizontal and vertical enamel cracks, both pre- and post-intervention, across all groups. Crack healing was quantitatively assessed using computer-assisted digital image analysis to ensure precision. For statistical evaluation, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis H-test, and Tukey's post-hoc tests were applied to assess differences among the groups. The Kruskal-Wallis H-test demonstrated no significant ARI difference between the groups (p = 0.790). A one-way ANOVA showed a significant difference among all groups (p < 0.001), with lower values observed in the group with indentation without thermocycling compared to all other groups and the groups with 5,000 thermocycles compared to the groups with, 10,000 thermocycles. Crack healing was observed in the control and second groups, and cracks were directly proportional to the number of thermocycles and SBS values. The study showed that APC FF's SBS increased, and thermal aging did not change the failure pattern. Thermocyclers and SBS affected enamel cracks. The bond strength of pre-coated brackets and microcrack healing gradually increased with time, while the pattern of bond failure did not change. How to cite this article: Shamsan H, Albelasy NF, Farahat DS, et al. The Effect of Thermocycling on the Shear Bond Strength of Flash-free Brackets and Healing Dynamics of Enamel Microcracks: An In vitro Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(9):836-845.

The role of radiotherapy in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: insights from treatment failure patterns in the era of immunotherapy

BackgroundThe therapeutic advantage of radiotherapy (RT) as an adjunct to first-line immunotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the value of RT based on the first failure pattern of ES-SCLC.MethodsIn this study, we retrospectively analyzed ES-SCLC patients treated with first-line chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) at Shanghai Chest Hospital from August 2018 to October 2023. Our study recorded the first failure pattern in ES-SCLC, analyzed the main sites of disease progression, explored factors that may affect prognosis and estimated the value of RT in extending patient survival in the immunotherapy era. Key endpoints included the first failure pattern, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).ResultsAmong 344 patients, 70 (20%) had local failure, 105 (31%) had distant failure, 69 (20%) experienced both types of failure, and 100 (29%) showed no disease progression. Disease progression occurred in 244 patients (71%). They were divided into two groups: 183 without pre-progression RT and 61 with pre-progression RT. In the non-pre-progression RT group, 55 patients (30%) had local failure, 72 patients (39%) had distant failure, and 56 patients (31%) had both. In the pre-progression RT group, 15 patients (25%) had local failure, 33 patients (54%) had distant failure, and 13 patients (21%) had both. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified RT as an independent prognostic factor for improved OS (P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis further confirmed these findings. Pre-progression RT was associated with superior PFS (P < 0.05). The median overall survival (mOS) was 20.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.5–24.7 months) in the pre-progression RT group, compared to 13.4 months (95% CI: 13.4–19.2 months) in the non-pre-progression RT group.ConclusionRT improved OS in these patients, and pre-progression RT improved PFS further. Pre-progression RT shows a trend toward OS benefit.

Efficacy and Failure Patterns Following Target Volume and Dose Reduction After Neoadjuvant Therapy in Locoregionally Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

In this study, we aimed to analyze the efficacy and failure patterns of contouring target volume based on the residual tumor and decreasing the dose to the area of tumor regression after neoadjuvant therapy in locoregionally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We retrospectively analyzed the patients with locoregionally advanced HNSCC treated by our group from May 2011 to June 2023. All patients received neoadjuvant therapy followed by intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Gross tumor volumes for the primary tumor and metastatic lymph nodes were delineated according to postneoadjuvant extension. The tumor shrinkage after neoadjuvant therapy was included in the high-risk clinical target volume (CTV1) and prescribed a dose of 60 Gy. Kaplan-Meier analysis was employed to calculate local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), regional recurrence-free survival (RRFS), overall survival (OS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Failure patterns were analyzed by mapping the location and extent of locoregional recurrence onto pretreatment planning CT. This study included a total of 114 patients, with a median follow-up of 34 months. The 5-year LRFS, RRFS, OS, and DMFS rates were 70.2%, 70.7%, 74.8%, and 73.8%, respectively. Among the 14 patients with recurrences, there were 5 local failures, 6 regional recurrences, and 3 both local and regional recurrences. All local recurrences occurred within the 95% isodose line, classified as in-field failures. Only one regional recurrence was marginal failure. No out-of-field failure was observed. Reduction of target volume after neoadjuvant therapy and distribution of 60 Gy of dose to the tumor regression area may be feasible.

Research on the Mechanical Properties of EPS Lightweight Soil Mixed with Fly Ash.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) bead-lightweight soil composites are a new type of artificial geotechnical material with low density and high strength. We applied EPS bead-lightweight soil in this project, replacing partial cement with fly ash to reduce construction costs. EPS beads were used as a lightweight material and cement and fly ash as curing agents in the raw soil were used to make EPS lightweight soil mixed with fly ash. The EPS bead proportions were 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%; the total curing agent contents were 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%; and the proportions of fly ash replacing cement were 0%, 15%, 30%, 45%, and 60%, respectively. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were conducted. The results showed that the EPS content, total curing agent content, and proportion of fly ash replacing cement had a significant impact on the UCS of the lightweight soil. This decreased with an increase in EPS content and decrease in total curing agent content and decreased with increased proportions of fly ash replacing cement. When the proportion of fly ash replacing cement was not too high, the strength of the lightweight soil decreased less, and its performance still met engineering needs. At the same time, the soil can also consume fly ash and reduce environmental pollution. EPS lightweight soil mixed with fly ash still has advantages, and it is recommended to keep the proportion of fly ash replacing cement less than 30%. The failure patterns for lightweight soil mainly include splitting failure, oblique shear failure, and bulging failure, which are related to the material mix ratio.

Collaboration failure analysis in cyber-physical system-of-systems using context fuzzy clustering

A cyber-physical system-of-systems (CPSoS) facilitates the achievement of high-level goals, such as efficient traffic management on roads, by designing and developing the collaboration of constituent CPSs. A platooning that groups autonomous vehicles in proximity is an example of collaboration. The intricate collaboration innately causes serious collaboration failures such as collisions. However, limited knowledge and complex dynamics of CPSoS cause several challenges in effectively analyzing the collaboration failures. Existing studies have applied pattern mining techniques to investigate various failures but have limitations when applied to collaboration failures: (1) absence of data model for continuous and discrete logs in CPSoS; (2) information loss problem by not considering the integrated relationship of the data; (3) dependence only on failed logs; (4) limited capability of fixed-size time windows. We propose a fuzzy clustering-based pattern mining approach that consists of a novel data model for CPSoS logs and comprehensive metrics for classifying and mining optimal collaboration failure patterns. In experiments on vehicle platooning, our approach exhibited the highest accuracy on pattern mining and clustering results. Further, we identified five collaboration failure scenarios in the empirical analysis of drone swarming results. The findings of this study can facilitate the effective analysis of CPSoS collaboration failures.

Pattern of Failure in Patients with Biochemical Recurrence After PSMA-Radioguided Surgery.

Pattern of Failure in Patients with Biochemical Recurrence After PSMA-Radioguided Surgery.