Stable Zone Research Articles

Dynamics of a non-ideally driven oscillating system under frictional slip

The Sommerfeld Effect pertains to the non-linear jump phenomenon near the resonance frequency of an excited structure powered by a non-ideal drive that is incapable to supply the required power to the oscillating sub-system. Often this situation is dealt with by increasing the viscous damping present in the system at the expense of considerable power loss. However, the use of non-viscous damping for the attenuation of the Sommerfeld Effect is considered in very few articles. In this paper, the dynamics of a non-ideal DC motor-driven vibrating system with frictional slip as the dissipation element is presented. Use of the method of multiple time scales is employed to find the response of the system semi-analytically. The non-linear dynamical characteristics of the response as the motor speed crosses the resonance condition is analyzed using the linear stability analysis and subsequently, the obtained response is verified using numerical results. The transition of the operating condition between stable and unstable zones and the post-resonance dynamic behavior of such systems indicated that under proper parametric condition, it is possible to achieve a smooth variation of operating speed via a combination of stick and slip motion. Furthermore, the rate of voltage increment is also found to play a pivotal role in surpassing the critical speed of the system.

Impact of pilot flame and hydrogen enrichment on turbulent methane/hydrogen/air swirling premixed flames in a model gas turbine combustor

This work investigates the impact of pilot flame and fuel composition on the structures and stabilization of swirling turbulent premixed methane/hydrogen/air flames in a lab-scale gas turbine model combustor. Simultaneous measurements of the velocity field and OH radicals distribution in the combustor were conducted using particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) methods, respectively. Flames under stable and close to lean blow-off (LBO) conditions were studied for two fuel mixtures, with a hydrogen mole ratio of 0 and 50 % in the hydrogen/methane mixture, respectively. The studied flames were at a constant Reynolds number of 20,000 with different equivalence ratios. Two pilot-to-global fuel ratios were investigated (2 % and 6 %) while keeping the pilot-to-global air ratio constant at 2 %. Data for non-piloted flames were also acquired for comparison. The pilot flames were shown to extend the operability range. The LBO equivalence ratio of the main flame decreased with increasing fuel mass flow rate in the pilot flames due to the increased amount of hot gases with high concentrations of OH radicals in the outer recirculation zone (ORZ), which significantly enhanced the stabilization of the main flame. The stable flame reaction zone was in the high-speed shear layer between the ORZ and the inner recirculation zone (IRZ). When approaching LBO, the reaction zone was pushed downstream to the IRZ and subsequently decreased the size of IRZ, indicating a strong flow/flame interaction. Hydrogen enrichment was shown to reduce the LBO equivalence ratio. When close to LBO, the OH radicals in the hydrogen-enriched flames were observed in isolated pockets due to differential diffusion, which enhanced resilience to LBO. The flame front curvature, mean progress variable, and flame surface density were calculated from the acquired OH-PLIF data to quantify the impact of fuel composition and pilot flames on the flame structures.

Strain-controlled creep-fatigue interaction property of Nb521 refractory alloy: Hold time effect and life prediction

Strain-controlled creep-fatigue interaction (CFI) tests were conducted for NbW alloy, i.e., Nb521 alloy, at 900 °C with a strain amplitude of ±0.3% under atmospheric conditions to study the effect of hold time on the CFI failure behaviour, with the results indicating that the creep-fatigue life of the Nb521 alloy decreased with an increase in the hold time. The decline rate gradually flattened, with no saturation effect observed. Furthermore, with an increase in the hold time, the hardening rate of the Nb521 alloy gradually decreased, but the softening rate remained high. Fatigue fractures can be divided into stable propagation, rapid propagation, and final fracture zones according to their morphological characteristics. Compared with the stable propagation zone of the pure fatigue fracture surface, the creep damage caused by the hold time resulted in numerous intergranular fracture features in the stable propagation zone of the CFI fracture surface, indicating that the crack propagation mode changed from a transgranular fracture to a mixed transgranular–intergranular fracture. The strain energy density exhaustion model under nonlinear damage summation better reflects the CFI damage behaviour, with the creep-fatigue life prediction result considered acceptable.

High Repetition Frequency Solid-State Green Laser with Large Stable Area for Water Jet Guided.

This paper presents the design and experimental results of a long cavity length Nd:YAG laser with a large stable zone for water jet-guided laser (WJGL) applications. The design is based on the light transmission matrix and resonator stability conditions, aiming to achieve a large stable zone and a short cut-off thermal focal length (CTFL). A folded concave resonator is researched to enhance the cavity length, and the influence of the tunable cavity arm length on the oscillating beam in the resonator and in the YAG crystal is theoretically studied. Moreover, the effects of the output mirror curvature and the cavity arm length on the range of the stable area and the cut-off thermal focal length are also investigated. Experimental results show that a stable green laser output is obtained after second harmonic generation (SHG) with a pulse width ranging from 43 to 143 ns within the laser operating frequency range of 5-20 kHz. At an operation frequency of 10 kHz, the output power is 21.33 W, and the instability of the output power within 400 min is 0.88%. The laser source achieves a maximum power of 25.7 W at 20 kHz, and the maximum single pulse energy reaches 2.7 mJ at 6 kHz. Finally, this is used as the laser source to couple with a water jet with a diameter of 100 microns, achieving a lossless water conductivity transmission over 60 mm length. These results demonstrate the suitability of the designed laser source for WJGL technology research. In precision machining applications, this technology exhibits processing advantages of low thermal damage (~2 μm) and large depth (>10 mm), for 7075 aluminum alloy.

Within-season vegetation indices and yield stability as a predictor of spatial patterns of Maize (Zea mays L) yields

Accurate evaluation of crop performance and yield prediction at a sub-field scale is essential for achieving high yields while minimizing environmental impacts. Two important approaches for improving agronomic management and predicting future crop yields are the spatial stability of historic crop yields and in-season remote sensing imagery. However, the relative accuracies of these approaches have not been well characterized. In this study, we aim to first, assess the accuracies of yield stability and in-season remote sensing for predicting yield patterns at a sub-field resolution across multiple fields, second, investigate the optimal satellite image date for yield prediction, and third, relate bi-weekly changes in GCVI through the season to yield levels. We hypothesize that historical yield stability zones provide high accuracies in identifying yield patterns compared to within-season remote sensing images.To conduct this evaluation, we utilized biweekly Planet images with visible and near-infrared bands from June through September (2018–2020), along with observed historical yield maps from 115 maize fields located in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota, USA. We compared the yield stability zones (YSZ) with the in-season remote sensing data, specifically focusing on the green chlorophyll vegetative index (GCVI). Our analysis revealed that yield stability maps provided more accurate estimates of yield within both high stable (HS) and low stable (LS) yield zones within fields compared to any single-image in-season remote sensing model.For the in-season remote sensing predictions, we used linear models for a single image date, as well as multi-linear and random forest models incorporating multiple image dates. Results indicated that the optimal image date for yield prediction varied between and within fields, highlighting the instability of this approach. However, the multi-image models, incorporating multiple image dates, showed improved prediction accuracy, achieving R2 values of 0.66 and 0.86 by September 1st for the multi-linear and random forest models, respectively. Our analysis revealed that most low or high GCVI values of a pixel were consistent across the season (77%), with the greatest instability observed at the beginning and end of the growing season. Interestingly, the historical yield stability zones provided better predictions of yield compared to the bi-weekly dynamics of GCVI. The historically high-yielding areas started with low GCVI early in the season but caught up, while the low-yielding areas with high initial GCVI faltered.In conclusion, the historical yield stability zones in the US Midwest demonstrated robust predictive capacity for in-field heterogeneity in stable zones. Multi-image models showed promise for assessing unstable zones during the season, but it is crucial to link these two approaches to fully capture both stable and unstable zones of crop yield. This study provides opportunities to achieve better precision management and yield prediction by integrating historical crop yields and remote sensing techniques.

Investigation of the failure mechanism and theoretical model of bolt-reinforced shallow tunnel faces with different bolt lengths

Using fiberglass bolts to reinforce a tunnel face is a practical auxiliary technology for ensuring tunnel face stability in soft ground. The reinforcing effect and the economics of this technology are significantly affected by bolt length. However, to date, the failure mechanism of bolt-reinforced tunnel faces with different bolt lengths has rarely been investigated. To reveal the failure mechanism of bolt-reinforced shallow tunnel faces, in this study, the stability of bolt-reinforced tunnel faces with different bolt lengths was investigated by using laboratory tests and numerical simulations, and a simplified theoretical model for practical engineering was proposed. The face support pressure and failure pattern for different bolt lengths during the face collapse process were obtained, and the influence of bolt length on face stability was clearly revealed. More specifically, the results show that face stability increases with increasing bolt length, and the reinforcing effect of face bolts is governed by the shear failure at the soil-grout interface first in the stable zone of the tunnel face and then in the failure zone. Once the bolt length in the stable zone is larger than that in the failure zone, face stability will not be improved with increasing bolt length; thus, this bolt length is referred to as the optimal bolt length Lopt. The Lopt value is slightly larger than the initial failure range (in the unreinforced condition) and can be approximately calculated by Lopt = (1 − 0.0133φ)D (φ is the friction angle of the soil, and D is the tunnel diameter) in practical engineering. Finally, a simplified theoretical model was established to analyse the stability of reinforced tunnel faces, and the results are in good agreement with both laboratory tests and numerical simulations. The proposed model can be used as an efficient tool for the design of face bolts.

Confessional Fracture in Ukraine as a Projection of the Global Geopolitical Process

The article analyzes the confessional rift in Ukraine as a projection of the global geopolitical process. The nature of the repressive policy of official Kyiv in relation to canonical Orthodoxy is considered in detail. The unprecedented pressure that the state institutions of Ukraine and the neo-nazi formations supported by them are currently exerting on Ukraine’s largest traditional confession, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, is a consequence of the gradual introduction of long-term geopolitical stratagems of the opponents of the Russian World. The author believes that the open support from the collective West of the arbitrariness of the Kyiv regime in the confessional space of Ukraine should be considered in the light of the fundamental geopolitical tasks of the Euro-Atlantic structures. The author comes to the conclusion that their goal is the final disorientation of the Ukrainian society, ensuring the unhindered colonization of a number of Ukrainian territories, turning them into a stable zone of Western interests, openly hostile to Russia. It is natural that representatives of other traditional confessions are also victims of the ethno-confessional policy of official Kyiv. Today, in the world community, all people of common sense should unite in defense of the fundamental principle of freedom of conscience, which fully meets the criteria of basic human rights, enshrined in the fundamental acts of international law.

The Impact of Restricting Air Intake in Self-Aspirated Flotation Cells at Los Pelambres Concentrator

This article describes the impact of restricting the air intake in industrial 250 m3 WEMCO flotation cells at Los Pelambres concentrator. The influence of air restriction on the hydrodynamic and metallurgical performance of this type of machine was evaluated. The experiments were conducted in single flotation cells and entire rougher banks. In all cases, the gas holdup was measured to estimate the effectiveness of the obstruction system to decrease the air concentration. In single cells, axial profiles for solid percentage and particle size were evaluated. In addition, mass balances were conducted to assess the copper recoveries and concentrate features. In individual cells, air restriction led to a decrease in the gas holdup. However, this slight change was enough to obtain a more stable froth zone and a better solid suspension. The latter was observed as: (i) a higher P80 below the pulp–froth interface, (ii) a less diluted pulp at this level, (iii) a slightly higher Cu recovery, and (iv) a coarser concentrate product. A mineralogical analysis of the concentrate sample also showed the presence of coarser liberated Cu-sulfide particles. The results in single cells suggested an improvement in the recovery of coarse particles via more intense solid suspension. The air intake was also restricted in three rougher banks to assess the impact of air obstruction on the overall performance of the respective circuit. Eleven out of fourteen cells were operated with air restriction, which led to a significant improvement in recovery of 0.9%–1.6% (absolute), at a 95% confidence level. Size-by-size mass balances were also conducted for the rougher circuits, which proved that the recovery improvements were justified by the simultaneous increase in the recovery of coarse and fine particles. Thus, a restriction in the air intake showed that a decrease in the gas holdup (and in the bubble surface area flux) was compensated by better solid suspension and a higher collision efficiency in the draft tube. The former promoted the recovery of coarse particles in the quiescent zone, whereas the latter improved the interaction between bubbles and fine particles. Further developments are being made to implement a regulatory control strategy for the air intake in self-aspirated flotation cells and to use this approach for optimizing industrial flotation banks.

Experimental investigation on stress distribution and migration of the overburden during the mining process in deep coal seam mining

Coal mining has a significant impact on the movement of the overburden, leading to potential safety hazards in the working face. In this paper, a similarity simulation experiment was conducted to investigate the migration of overburden during the mining process of a specific working face in the Liuzhuang Coal Mine located in southern China. Sand and gravel were used to simulate the geological environment of each rock stratum. The deformation of the stratum was monitored using strain gauges, the fracture and displacement changes of the overburden stratum were recorded using cameras, and the characteristics of roof collapse was monitored using infrared thermal imager. The experimental model fully simulated the situation of the working face, and the actual working face size was obtained by enlarging the model by 100 times. The experiment found that during the initial stage of mining, there was no significant subsidence of the roof. In the course of the advancement of the working face, the primary roof intermittently fractured behind the working face, with subsequent propagation of upper cracks in an upward direction. The overburden rock layer above the goaf experienced continuous compaction, leading to the gradual closure of the separation layer. Simultaneously, new cracks constantly emerged in front of the working face, resulting in the progressive stabilization of the height of the crack zone. The stress measurements at each point exhibit a pattern of initial increased, followed by decrease, and ultimately stabilization. By considering the stress variation law of the overburden rock, the stress changes in key layers of the bedrock during mining could be categorized into four zones: the stress stable zone, stress increasing zone, stress reducing zone, and compaction stable zone. During the initial phase of coal seam mining, the presence of rock layers provided support, resulting in minimal subsidence of the overburden rock. However, as the mining operation progressed, the disturbance force and collapse of the overburden rock leaded to further downward subsidence. When the working face reached the stop line, the collapsed overburden rock gradually consolidates, resulting in a deceleration of energy release and the formation of a pressure relief zone. Consequently, the overburden rock above the working face underwent a slight additional subsidence, reaching its maximum level. A short cantilever rock beam structure was formed in the experiment. This study will provide valuable reference for future coal mining and serve as a vital theoretical basis for roof control in deep coal seam mining.

Constitutive description, processing maps, and un-explored deformation mechanisms of pure Mg and Mg-6Al(wt%) alloy under hot compression

This study investigates the hot deformation behavior and final microstructure features with and without aluminum (Al) incorporation in magnesium (Mg). To this end, pure Mg and Mg-6Al(wt%) alloy were subjected to high-temperature compression and systematically analyzed the flow stress, activation energies, Zener Hollomon parameters, processing maps, and microstructure evolution, including geometrically necessary dislocations under different g vectors. These all were in an excellent relationship with each other. The microstructure analysis greatly validated the processing map parameters. Amazingly, we have attained an unexplored grain boundary sliding phenomenon under high-strain rate compression in pure Mg. This phenomenon is only reported in high-temperature tensile specimens, especially for those who attained superplasticity. Unfortunately, the mechanism attained at a strain rate (10 s−1) and temperature (573 K), which is referred to as an unstable region. Above the temperatures of 573 K, the Mg lost thermal stability, and an abrupt increase in grain size happened (3–40 µm). The addition of Al restricted the abnormal grain growth at elevated temperatures and retained grain size within < 10 µm. The higher geometrically necessary dislocation density and increase in grain boundary energy are the potential reasons for the thermal stability of Mg-Al alloy. Therefore, incorporating the Al not only enhances the formability of Mg but also provides many different stable zones, thermal stability and increases the power dissipation efficiency.

On the Effects of Flow Swirl on Static Stability Limits and Flow/Flame Characteristics of Premixed Oxy-Methane Flames: An Experimental Study

ABSTRACT An experimental study was performed to investigate the effects of flow swirl on flow/flame characteristics and stability of atmospheric premixed oxy-methane (CH4/O2/CO2) flames. The flames generated by two swirlers of 55° and 45° swirl angles were tested on a test stand for a dry low emission (DLE) model gas turbine combustor at constant inlet flow velocity of 5.2 m/s and over ranges of operating oxygen fraction (OF: 21% to 70% - by volume in the O2/CO2 mixture) and equivalence ratio (: 0.2 to 1.0). Combustor static stability limits (flashback and blow-out) were determined experimentally in the -OF domain to identify the operational ranges of the combustor while varying inlet flow swirl. To understand the mechanisms for flashback and blow-out, the lines representing the stability limits were displayed in the -OF domain against the contours of combustor power density (PD: MW/m3/atm), adiabatic flame temperature (AFT), and inlet flow Reynolds (Re). Comparison of flame macrostructure and measurements of local flame temperatures were performed for the two swirlers over ranges of , OF, and AFT to determine the effects of such operational parameters on flow/flame interactions and flame stability and to serve as a database for validating numerical models for such flames. The results show that, for both swirlers, the flames blow-out at a very similar AFT of ~1600 K indicating the dominant role of AFT in controlling premixed oxy-flame stability near the blow-out limit. Compared to the same combustor with a 55° swirler, the 45° swirler has a wider stable combustion zone. Comparing the flames of the same AFT, at fixed inlet flow velocity, shows almost identical flame macrostructure whatever the operating inlet flow swirl, OF and φ.

Influence of Hydrogen on the Performance and Emissions Characteristics of a Spark Ignition Ammonia Direct Injection Engine

Because ammonia is easier to store and transport over long distances than hydrogen, it is a promising research direction as a potential carrier for hydrogen. However, its low ignition and combustion rates pose challenges for running conventional ignition engines solely on ammonia fuel over the entire operational range. In this study, we attempted to identify a stable engine combustion zone using a high-pressure direct injection of ammonia fuel into a 2.5 L spark ignition engine and examined the potential for extending the operational range by adding hydrogen. As it is difficult to secure combustion stability in a low-temperature atmosphere, the experiment was conducted in a sufficiently-warmed atmosphere (90 ± 2.5 °C), and the combustion, emission, and efficiency results under each operating condition were experimentally compared. At 1500 rpm, the addition of 10% hydrogen resulted in a notable 20.26% surge in the maximum torque, reaching 263.5 Nm, in contrast with the case where only ammonia fuel was used. Furthermore, combustion stability was ensured at a torque of 140 Nm by reducing the fuel and air flow rates.

Thermal convection and dynamo action with stable stratification at the top of the Earth's outer core

The outer core of the Earth, filled with electrically conducting fluid, undergoes thermochemical convection due to super-adiabatic temperature gradients. Near the core-mantle boundary, fluid flow may be restricted due to sub-adiabatic temperature gradients or accumulated light elements forming a layer of stable stratification. The present study investigates the behavior of thermal convection with various buoyancy profiles, using non-uniform radial distribution of heat sources, mimicking the combined presence of convective and stable zones. Role of such modified convection in the evolution and resulting morphology of saturated magnetic fields is the main focus of this study. Apart from the reduction in the threshold for onset, the length scale of the convective instabilities is enhanced with stable stratification, while the frequency is reduced. Despite the confinement of convection to unstable regions, rapid rotation favors penetrative radial convective flows. In presence of a stably stratified layer, the dynamo action is suppressed due to the radial confinement of buoyancy, Coriolis, and Lorentz forces. The suppression of vortex stretching, indicated by the relative asymmetry in axial helicity provides further understanding of the mechanism behind the magnetic field structure. As the stratification becomes stronger, the dynamo action leads to magnetic fields with enhanced axial dipole field strength, although the strength of the dynamo is reduced. The confinement of the toroidal component of the magnetic field to localized concentrated patches in regions of stable stratification near the equatorial plane also inhibits the growth of magnetic fields. Nevertheless, enhanced buoyancy forcing may overcome the suppression of dynamo action and lead to strongly convecting dipolar dominated Earth-like dynamos even with moderate stratification.

Migration and sedimentation of proppant and its influencing factors in a visual plate fracture model

Hydraulic fracturing technology is the main method used to form high-conductivity fracture networks in unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, and the effective filling of quartz sand proppant in the fracture network is key to its successful implementation. Conventional experiments on the evaluation of sand carrying migration are mainly based on the migration and sedimentation law of a single-mesh proppant in the main fracture; the results obtained are inconsistent with the field observations. To improve our understanding of the migration and sedimentation law of the proppant in the main and branch fractures, in this study, the influences of injection time, injection rate, fracturing fluid viscosity, and proppant combination type on the migration and sedimentation law of a proppant in single and branch fractures were analyzed based on the injection parameters of the sand-carrying fracturing fluid obtained using a similarity criterion through a visual large-scale parallel-plate fracture model system built indoors. The results showed that the rapid accumulation stage of the proppant in the fracture is during the injection time of 5–10 min; the injection rate affected the accumulation area and height of the proppant to a certain extent but had little effect on the final sand dike morphology. A low viscosity of the fracturing fluid was not conducive to the sedimentation of the proppant in the branch fractures; an excessively high fracturing fluid viscosity was not conducive to the sedimentation of the proppant in both the main and branch fractures. When the fracture morphology is single, the viscosity of the fracturing fluid is recommended to be between 30 and 60 mPa·s. When the fracture morphology is complex, the recommended value is between 40 and 50 mPa s. Taking the migration and sedimentation laws of the proppant in the main fracture as an example, the flow of fracturing fluid in the fracture after the formation of a stable sand dike could be divided into five regions: ① inlet scour zone; ② buffer zone; ③ sand dike stable transition zone; ④ sand dike stability zone; and ⑤ outlet scour zone. The higher the large mesh proppant ratio used in the fracturing fluid, the lower the total area ratio of the corresponding sand dike; however, the proppant sedimentation ratio in the branch fracture increases. This study enriches and improves the relevant theoretical research on the migration and sedimentation of proppants and has a certain effect on improving the success rate of the hydraulic fracturing technology applied to unconventional oil and gas reservoirs.

Numerical simulation and experimental verification of fatigue crack propagation in high-strength bolts based on fracture mechanics.

To investigate the fatigue crack propagation behavior of high-strength bolts for high-speed train brake discs, the fatigue crack propagation of high-strength bolts with initial defects under various load ratios was numerically simulated and experimentally verified based on fracture mechanics in this paper. Firstly, the fracture mechanics model of a three-dimensional hexahedral mesh with initial root defects was established using ABAQUS-FRANC3D interactive technology. Then the stress intensity factor (SIF) of the crack front was calculated by the stress superposition of the crack surface to simulate the coupling effect of preload and axial cyclic load. Based on it, fatigue crack propagation was simulated. Finally, the corresponding fatigue experiments on prefabricated crack bolts were carried out. The results show that mode I cracks dominate in the process of crack propagation. The stable crack propagation zones of the fractured high-strength bolts all show a semi-elliptical cross-section. The SIF of the crack front decreases with the increase of the load ratio, thus making the crack propagation life increase with the increase of the load ratio. The experimental outcomes are in great agreement with the simulation results, which verify that the numerical simulation method can effectively and accurately evaluate the fatigue life of high-strength bolts with initial defects and provides an effective means for predicting the fatigue crack propagation life of the same type high-strength bolts in engineering applications.

Water flow in a polymeric nanoslit channel with graphene and hexagonal boron nitride wall coatings: An atomistic study

Low flow resistance is essential for the design of nanofluidic platforms. Here, we present a comparative atomic-level study analyzing the fundamentals of water flow enhancement in a polymeric nanochannel due to the implementation of monatomic thick coatings—specifically, graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Our results obtained employing large scale non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and continuum models, revealing significant values of slip lengths of ∼29 and ∼6 nm for graphene- and hBN-coated nanochannels, respectively. Equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, using the Green–Kubo relation, show the significant effect that the partial charges of hBN coating layer have on the water–wall friction. In addition, consistent values of the slip length are obtained from independent sets of equilibrium and non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, confirming that the computed interfacial friction coefficients hold across flow regimes where water molecules no longer occupy the most energetically stable zones at the interface. Hence, the lower interfacial friction observed in the graphene-coated channel leads to a higher water flow enhancement than the one computed in the hBN-coated channel. We also show that the natural undulations of two-dimensional honeycomb-like materials, implemented as wall coatings, remain largely unhindered due to strong interfacial coupling facilitated by π−π stacking between the underlying aromatic polymer substrate and coating monolayers. This is particularly relevant for graphene coatings, which display significant out-of-plane thermal rippling that further enhances water flow. This observation is supported by a stronger atomic-scale vibrational coupling at the water–graphene interface compared to that computed at the water–hBN interface.

Эвристический потенциал психолингвистических словарей разного типа

The article considers the heuristic possibilities of using psycholinguistic dictionaries (associative and associative-semantic) for modeling fragments of the linguistic consciousness of certain groups (sociocultural communities) of native speakers, and builds a “three-dimensional” model of the subjective semantics of individual stimuli in a comparative slice and trend modes. The authors characterize the main associative dictionaries created on the basis of the results of all-Russian and regional experiments, show the possibilities of “large” and “small” psycholinguistic dictionaries in the aspect of modern scientific research. The implementation of the heuristic potential of regional dictionaries is shown on the example of comparative slice and trend descriptions of the semantics of the stimulus “life”. Associative fields from the “Associative Dictionary of a Teenager” (composed in 2002), the new associative base of this dictionary made up in 2021, associative and semantic experiments conducted by the authors in Omsk in 2010 – 2012 and in 2022 are used as material for such descriptions. To analyze the composition of the fields, it was important to analyze the stable and mobile zones of the subjective semantics of the stimulus, the verbal expression of the semantic areas associated with the stimulus, the behavior of frequency reactions of the respondents of different age and social groups, the prevalence of nonstandard (slang, colloquial) and foreign language reactions.

Phylogeography, hybrid zones and contemporary species boundaries in the south-eastern Australian smooth frogs (Anura: Myobatrachidae: Geocrinia)

Paleo-climatic fluctuations have driven episodic changes in species distributions, providing opportunities for populations to diverge in isolation and hybridise following secondary contact. Studies of phylogeographic diversity and patterns of gene flow across hybrid zones can provide insight into contemporary species boundaries and help to inform taxonomic and conservation inferences. Here we explore geographic diversity within the acoustically divergent yet morphologically conserved south-eastern Australian smooth frog complex and assess gene flow across a narrow hybrid zone using mitochondrial nucleotide sequences and nuclear genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms. Our analyses reveal the presence of an evolutionarily distinct taxon restricted to the Otway Plains and Ranges, Victoria, which forms a narrow (9–30 km wide), spatiotemporally stable (>50 years) hybrid zone with Geocrinia laevis, which we describe herein as a new species.

The hot deformation behavior in austenite-ferrite heterostructured low density Fe-Mn-Al-C steel

The hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of Fe-Mn-Al-C steel, which has lamellar ferrite and equal axial shape austenite heterostructures, were studied using the thermal compression test. This test was conducted at temperatures ranging from 800° to 1000°C and a strain rate ranging from 0.01 to 101 s−1. The thermal deformation constitutive relationship of the steel was established, and the rheological behavior of the steel is quantitatively discussed. In contrast, the thermal processing diagram has been established, and the thermal processing parameters have been optimized. In addition, the flow behavior, mechanical properties, and microstructural evolutions of steel at different temperatures and a high strain rate 101 s−1 comparable to that during hot processing (rolling and forging) were mainly focused. The steel exhibits superior peak strengths at different temperatures compared to other traditional steels, the maximum compression strength of 533 MPa was achieved at 800 ℃− 10 s−1. In the unstable zone of the processing map, the ferrite and the austenite exhibit distinct hot deformation behavior, leading to inhomogeneous deformation. With increasing temperature, the instable, critical, and stable zones appear successively. Austenite deformation is increasingly influenced by dynamic recrystallization (DRX), while a gradual transition from dynamic recovery to DRX occurred to undertake the deformation of ferrite. The optimized processing condition for austenite-ferrite heterostructured steel is mainly at a temperature of 900–1000 ℃ with a strain rate of 0.01–0.1 s−1.

Stability of delaminated composite beams subjected to retarded periodic follower force

This work deals with the stability problem of elastic composite cantilever beams subjected to a delayed, periodically changing follower force. The equation of motion of the periodic system with time delay is deduced based on some previous works. Composite beams with and without delamination are considered, and the finite element method is applied to carry out the spatial discretization of the structures. Besides, for the delaminated case further two cases are involved. The first case is when the delamination is in the midplane of the beam, while the second case involves an asymmetrically placed delamination, respectively. The Floquet theory is applied to derive the transition matrix of the periodic system. An important aspect is that the time delay and the principal period of the dynamic force are equal to each other. The discretization over the time domain is performed by using the Chebyshev polynomials of the first kind. Basically, there are five parameters governing the dynamic problem including among others the time delay and the static and dynamic forces. The stability behavior is shown for the intact and delaminated beams on the parameter planes for large number of cases by using the unit circle criteria. The presence and absence of structural damping is also analyzed in each case. The results indicate that some planes are sensitive to the mesh resolution, others are not. Moreover, on some planes significant differences may take place between the intact and delaminated beams from the standpoint of stable zones.