Terms Of Stress Research Articles

Assessment of psychosocial work environment of doctors

Introduction :Psychosocial work environments pertain to interpersonal and social interactions that influence behavior and development in the workplace.Objective :To test a comprehensive and theory-based psychosocial work environment questionnaire and analyze associations with mental health in a sample of doctors in a tertiary care hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. METHODOLOGY :The design of study is cross-sectional study. It took place at Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore, from March 2017 to june 2017.A sample size of 100 working doctors was selected. Technique was non probability. After an informed consent each doctor was given the NRCWE’s Copenhagen short questionnaire consisting of 39 questions. The analysis of data was entered in SPSS 21. . After calculating frequency of data and explaining demographic variables, Independent t test sampling was applied and tables and pie chart was drawn.Results : Results reported worse working conditions in terms of stress, burnout, work family conflict and social support from superiors. High levels of stress and burnout were found. Doctors were almost satisfied with their jobs ( scores near to average but less than average ). Male doctors were found to be more satisfied with their jobs than female doctors.

Associations between medical students' stress, academic burnout and moral courage efficacy.

Medical students, especially during the clinical years, are often exposed to breaches of safety and professionalism. These contradict personal and professional values exposing them to moral distress and to the dilemma of whether and how to act. Acting requires moral courage, i.e., overcoming fear to maintain one's core values and professional obligations. It includes speaking up and "doing the right thing" despite stressors and risks (e.g., humiliation). Acting morally courageously is difficult, and ways to enhance it are needed. Though moral courage efficacy, i.e., individuals' belief in their capability to act morally, might play a significant role, there is little empirical research on the factors contributing to students' moral courage efficacy. Therefore, this study examined the associations between perceived stress, academic burnout, and moral courage efficacy. A cross-sectional study among 239 medical students who completed self-reported questionnaires measuring perceived stress, academic burnout ('exhaustion,' 'cynicism,' 'reduced professional efficacy'), and moral courage efficacy (toward others' actions and toward self-actions). Data analysis via Pearson's correlations, regression-based PROCESS macro, and independent t-tests for group differences. The burnout dimension of 'reduced professional efficacy' mediated the association between perceived stress and moral courage efficacy toward others' actions. The burnout dimensions 'exhaustion' and 'reduced professional efficacy' mediated the association between perceived stress and moral courage efficacy toward self-actions. The results emphasize the importance of promoting medical students' well-being-in terms of stress and burnout-to enhance their moral courage efficacy. Medical education interventions should focus on improving medical students' professional efficacy since it affects both their moral courage efficacy toward others and their self-actions. This can help create a safer and more appropriate medical culture.

Analysis and Design of Configurable Rectifier With Compensated Near-Zero Impedance Angle for Megahertz Wireless Power Transfer

Adapting to wide load range variations is always one of the main goals pursued by megahertz (MHz) wireless power transfer (WPT) systems. For this, the nonlinear phenomenon of the rectifier has become a problem that must be solved. Compared with the method of optimizing the efficiency around the maximum power point in the traditional design, this paper proposes a global load optimization method. Meanwhile, a novel configurable compensated near-zero impedance angle rectifier (NIAR) is proposed to take full advantage of the global optimization method. The NIAR not only realizes the compression of a wide range of impedance angles, but also solves the classic problems of Class E rectifiers such as large stress, voltage asymmetry, and low real part of input impedance. The configurable design allows the system to adjust the rectifier unit according to the output index, thereby fully improving the coil efficiency, and providing a solution for the application of high-voltage and high-power MHz WPT systems in the future. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed NIAR and design method, a 60 W prototype was built, and a traditional full-wave rectifier was used for comparison. The results show that the proposed NIAR system exhibits better characteristics in terms of system efficiency, voltage stress, and symmetry.

İki Farklı Reçine Kullanılarak Oluşturulan Hibrit Kompozit Malzemelerin Araç Tamponlarında Kullanımının Araştırılması

As efforts to reduce vehicle weight in today's vehicles accelerate, efforts to find new types of materials that can replace traditional materials have accelerated. In this study, carbon fiber was used as a reinforcement element together with glass fiber for lightening in vehicle bumpers. While vinyl ester and polyester were chosen as the matrix material for the piece to be produced, production was made by the hand lay-up method. The produced samples were first subjected to tensile test and their mechanical values were determined. The mechanical test results were introduced to the ANSYS program, and separate analyzes were made for the materials produced on the same bumper design and the results were compared. According to the results of the analysis, there was 2.13 times decrease in total deformations in glass fiber/carbon fiber/Vinyl ester hybrid composites compared to glass fiber/vinyl ester homogeneous composites. In terms of equivalent stresses, 8% reduction was achieved in the carbon fiber /glass fiber/Vinyl ester hybrid composite compared to the carbon/Vinyl ester homogeneous composite. It was concluded that the choice of reinforcement and matrix is important for creating bumper material and improving the mechanical values of the bumper

Settlement Analysis of Concrete-Walled Buildings Using Soil–Structure Interactions and Finite Element Modeling

This study examines the performance of mat foundations in 13 blocks of eight-story concrete-walled residential buildings. Topographic monitoring bolts were used to monitor the slab’s construction, which was 0.35 m thick and comprised an area of 225 m2. Using the collected data, a retro-analysis of the modulus of elasticity was conducted to obtain the geotechnical parameters for forecasting the settlement using the elasticity theory. A nonlinear approach for construction modeling and soil–structure interactions showed that the earthworks at the start of construction had a significant role in settling. Blocks in landfills settled faster than those in land-cut zones. The partial execution of building levels was found to be critical in terms of angular distortions and stresses in the concrete slab. The partial lifting of the foundation plate was confirmed in blocks with partial building floor execution, demonstrating the importance of assessing the foundation’s behavior at this stage. The modulus of elasticity dropped as construction progressed, with landfill parts being particularly vulnerable. Creep settlements contributed significantly, accounting for about 20% of the total settlements in some blocks. The numerical staged construction model accurately replicated the behaviors observed in the monitoring data, confirming the hypothesis of the partial raising of the foundation during the building process, which resulted in higher angular distortions. Based on the results obtained, the authors strongly recommend that the simultaneous consideration of soil–structure interactions and construction effects be commonly used in foundation designs.

Seismic performance evaluation of concrete buttress dram (Dynamic linear analysis)

Abstract Due to a variety of reasons, including the water retained inside and the intrinsic weight of the dam itself, dam constructions have the ability to move both horizontally and vertically. If these displacements exceed a crucial limit, a dam’s structural integrity is jeopardized. Concrete buttress dams in particular may be susceptible to high-frequency vibrations because of their slender structure, especially when the flow of water is involved. The Khassa Chi Dam, which is located northeast of Kirkuk City, is the subject of this study’s attempt to offer an alternative since the constructed dam is an embankment dam. In this research, a concrete buttress dam design was studied as an alternative dam to the constructed one. Such designs exemplify one form of gravity dams widely implemented on diverse soil types. Finite element model (FEM) was employed to simulate the behavior of the dam. The simulation utilized DIANA FEA, which relies on governing equations. There are several steps involved in developing an accurate FEM that faithfully simulates the actual behavior of a dam and predicts its future responses. The model is evaluated in later analyses in terms of stress and displacement. In this context, RSA was conducted on the modeled buttress dam. The outcome of the displacement analysis of the buttress dam exhibited its safety across all load combinations after undergoing linear dynamic analysis. This analysis included Eigenvalue Analysis and RSA. The response remained low at seismic frequencies below 3 Hz, and the extent of displacement correlated with the frequency values.

Macro-micro analysis of ground response to circular tunnel excavation in granular media

Ground reaction in terms of stress and displacement analysis is one of the major challenges in tunnel design and is helpful for understanding the stability around the excavation zone. In this paper, the analysis of stress, strain responses and radial displacement around circular tunnel excavated in cohesive-frictional granular materials is discussed via an innovative multi-scale approach (FEM × DEM) that combined finite element (FEM) and discrete element (DEM) methods and compared to other solutions obtained with conventional constitutive laws. Thanks to simulations, (i) the Ground response curve is then established and provides a better understanding of the complex behaviour in the vicinity of the tunnel; (ii) the prediction by FEM × DEM approach differs considerably from conventional constitutive laws; and (iii) in a unique manner, macroscopic and microscopic analyses are simultaneously performed showing that at the macroscopic level (FE mesh), diffuse failure mode are observed, while at the microscopic level (DEM level), microscopic evolutions are observed to be strictly related to the macroscopic behaviour.

Impact of the COVID-19-pandemic and perception of self-efficacy on the mental health of out-of-hospital emergency healthcare professionals by modality of care.

To analyse the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the perception of self-efficacy on the health professionals of the Spanish out-of-hospital emergency services. Observational, cross-sectional and descriptive with a survey methodology of 1710 participants from Spain (1 February-30 April, 2021). The mental health of healthcare workers was assesed in terms of stress, anxiety and depression, as well as their self-efficacy. Linear and logistic regression models were fitted to predict these variables. A moderation analysis was conducted to determine the effect of self-efficacy on mental health. The means of the sample for stress, anxiety, depression and self-efficacy were 20.60, 15.74, 13.07 and 70.87, respectively. In the regression models, being a woman was the most significant factor for severe mental health impairment. Female gender was also a relevant factor for self-efficacy. Self-efficacy had a direct effect on the mental health for working in patient care. Healthcare workers showed moderate stress, severe anxiety, mild depression and good self-efficacy. Direct patient care was associated with more stress and severe anxiety. Age, female gender, job changes and job adjustment were associated with levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Self-efficacy is a determining factor of mental health in the direct care modality. The mental health of healthcare workers has been of great importance in the aftermath of the pandemic, but out-of-hospital emergency workers have been neglected in research. The levels of stress, anxiety and depression during the pandemic justify the creation of prevention and early diagnosis programmes, as they are essential in a health disaster. Surprisingly, their high level of perceived self-efficacy directly impact on the mental health of patient helthcare workers, so improving it will reduce the psychological risk. We have followed the STROBE guidelines. It has been partially funded by the Asistencia Sanitanitaria Interprovincial de Seguros - ASISA Foundation (Spain). PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: 'No patient or public involvement'.

From Brush to Dendritic Structure: Tool for Tunable Interfacial Compatibility between the Iron-Based Particles and Silicone Oil in Magnetorheological Fluids.

Comprehensive magnetic particle stability together with compatibility between them and liquid medium (silicone oil) is still a crucial issue in the case of magnetorheological (MR) suspensions to guarantee their overall stability and MR performance. Therefore, this study is aimed at improving the interfacial stability between the carbonyl iron (CI) particles and silicone oil. In this respect, the particles were modified with polymer brushes and dendritic structures of poly(2-(trimethylsilyloxy)ethyl methacrylate) (PHEMATMS), called CI-brushes or CI-dendrites, respectively, and their stability properties (corrosion, thermo-oxidation, and sedimentation) were compared to neat CI ones. Compatibility of the obtained particles and silicone oil was investigated using contact angle and off-state viscosity investigation. Finally, the magneto-responsive capabilities in terms of yield stress and reproducibility of the MR phenomenon were thoroughly investigated. It was found that MR suspensions based on CI-brushes had significantly improved compatibility properties than those of neat CI ones; however, the CI-dendrites-based suspension possessed the best capabilities, while the MR performance was negligibly suppressed.

Impact of the 2021 Fire in the Municipality of Ancient Olympia in Greece on the Mental Health of Residents

A natural disaster is the probability of a potentially catastrophic event occurring over a period of time in a specific geographical area. The aim of this research was to investigate whether the catastrophic fire of 2021 affected the mental health, in terms of post-traumatic stress and depression, of the social care services beneficiaries in the Municipality of Ancient Olympia in Greece. A questionnaire was used which, apart from demographic questions, contained two main tools: a) the PCL Scale (a tool for assessing post-traumatic stress), b) the Geriatric Depression Scale. The individuals with post-traumatic stress in the sample are in the range of moderate to high PTSD symptomatology. The majority of the participants are in the range of moderate PTSD symptomatology, but there is also a significant percentage who are in the range of high PTSD symptomatology. In terms of geriatric depression, the individuals in the sample are close to the mean. This article was written to serve as reference for the PTSD that can be directly caused by natural disasters.

대학생의 전공만족도ㆍ스트레스ㆍ회복탄력성의 관계

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between college students' major satisfaction, stress, and resilience, and to determine whether college students' major satisfaction and stress affect their resilience. For this purpose, major satisfaction, stress, and resilience tests were conducted on 221 students at K University and the results were analyzed. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and reliability analysis using the SPSS program. As a result of the study, college students' major satisfaction and stress showed a negative correlation, and the negative correlation was especially high with academic stress and future problem stress. In terms of stress and resilience of college students, the correlation between positive resilience and stress was particularly high. College students' major satisfaction and resilience were found to be positively correlated, and resilience's interpersonal skills were found to be highly positively correlated with major satisfaction. Factors that affect the resilience of college students are both major satisfaction and stress. It was found that the higher the major satisfaction and the lower the stress, the higher the resilience. The relative influence of major satisfaction and stress showed that major satisfaction had a greater impact on resilience than stress. In future research, qualitative research such as FGI (Focus Group Interview) will be needed in addition to research to improve college students' stress management ability and resilience and quantitative research on major satisfaction, stress, and resilience targeting more diverse groups.

An analysis of the role of college students' core self-evaluation in the relationship between extracurricular physical exercise and academic stress.

To explore the role of college students' core self-evaluation in the association between extracurricular physical exercise and academic stress, and to provide a reference and basis for effectively alleviating current college students' academic stress. A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to conduct an online survey using the China College Student Mental Health Screening Scale, the Core Self-Esteem Scale, and a self-developed questionnaire for 1,249 college students from 8 junior colleges in Jiangsu Province, China, in January 2023, and analyses were conducted using bivariate correlation and mediation effect tests. More than half of the students were worried about lagging behind other students in their studies and worrying about exams, as well as more than half of the students had <2 h of extracurricular physical exercise per week in terms of academic stress. Significant correlations were found between extracurricular physical exercise time and core self-evaluation (r = 0.225, p < 0.01), academic stress (r = -0.317, p < 0.01), and between core self-evaluation and academic stress (r =-0.371, p < 0.01). Extracurricular physical exercise had a negative predictive effect on academic stress (effect = -0.306, 95%CI: -0.361~-0.251) and partially through the mediating path of core self-evaluation, (effect = -0.067, 95%CI: -0.091~-0.046), with a mediating effect of 21.9%. Among them, the mediating effect of core self-evaluation was highest in "worrying about lagging behind other students in their studies" and "worrying about exams", which accounted for 24.4% and 24.3% respectively. Currently, college students have different degrees of academic stress; extracurricular physical exercise can reduce academic stress through direct effects, and also through the indirect effect of improving the level of core self-evaluation, and active extracurricular physical exercise has become an important way to promote students' physical and mental health.

Temporal effective stress response of soil elements below the base of an excavation in sensitive clay

Investigations into the temporally evolving stress state below the base of excavations and underground structures are very scarce, in contrast to studies of horizontal earth pressures during the construction stage. Therefore in this work, the measured temporal response in terms of vertical and horizontal effective stresses and displacements below a tunnel slab at the base of an excavation located in a deep sensitive clay deposit is reported. In addition to the measured unloading response over time, the completeness of the site description and complementary measurements enables future benchmarking of numerical models at boundary and element level. Instrument clusters of earth pressure cells and piezometers were installed at three locations in one cross-section. The monitoring data allows the interpretation of effective stress paths and stress ratios, &lt;i&gt;K&lt;/i&gt;=σ'&lt;sub&gt;h&lt;/sub&gt;/σ'&lt;sub&gt;v&lt;/sub&gt;, at soil element level covering the construction and the serviceability stages. The in situ stress ratios enable a unique comparison to prior laboratory studies of &lt;i&gt;K&lt;/i&gt; during unloading. The data presented herein on the evolution of &lt;i&gt;K&lt;/i&gt; corroborate, although approximately, previous studies at laboratory scale. Furthermore, at system level, the monitoring data reveal the intricate interplay between deformations resulting from excavation and pile driving.

First assessment of flow phenomena of acute and chronic thrombosis in the jugular veins using new ultrasound vector-flow imaging.

First assessment of flow changes in the jugular veins using high resolution ultrasound vector flow. 15 patients (8 males, 7 females) with an age range of 35 to 82 years (mean age 58.53±12.26 years) were examined by an experienced examiner using high power ultrasound equipment (Resona R9, Mindray) with probe technology (Mindray L9-3U Linear Array transducer, 2.5 to 9.0 MHz). This group was compared with five healthy subjects (mean age 35.4±13.79 years) as a reference. To assess flow changes, the color-coded duplex sonography and the novel vector flow technique were used. The evaluation was performed of vector morphology changes, turbulence, and wall resistance measurements. There were changes after acute and chronic thrombosis in 9 cases, and venous compression in 7 cases. Turbulence was measurable from 0.01 % to 64.44 %, the average turbulence was 19.73±22.06 %. Wall resistance measurement showed values from 0.01 Pa to 3.14 Pa, depending on the age of the thrombosis or compression. The reference veins showed turbulence of 0.94±1.5 % and a mean wall resistance of 0.05±0.05 Pa. There are statistically significant differences between normal and thrombotic or compressed veins in terms of maximum wall stress (p = 0.006) and mean degree of turbulence (p = 0.012), while the difference in mean wall stress is not statistically significant (p = 0.058). Despite still existing technical limitations, the combination of V-flow and wall stress measurements in jugular vein changes suggests a high diagnostic potential.

Evaluation of industrial byproduct iron ore tailings and carbon fiber cement-based materials under sulfate freeze-thaw cycles: Durability, piezoresistivity, and microscopic mechanism

This study investigated the feasibility of utilizing industrial byproduct iron ore tailings and carbon fiber cement-based materials (ICCM) in sulfate freeze-thaw (F-T) environments. The effects of carbon fiber (CF) and iron ore tailing (IOT) on the sulfate F-T resistance, piezoresistivity, and pore distribution were tested. The results revealed that CF (0.6 vol%) and IOT (30%) significantly improved the compressive strength (51.6 MPa) and resistance to sulfate F-T of ICCM. The stress sensitivity was obviously enhanced to 1.389 %·MPa−1. Furthermore, the stress sensitivity is closely related to the sulfate F-T environment. After the sulfate F-T cycles, the fractional change in resistivity (FCR) and compressive stress agreed with a first-order exponential decay relationship. Replacement with IOT compensated for the degradation in piezoresistivity by formation of balanced pore distribution over 200 F-T cycles. The combination of IOT and CF in cement material yields excellent performance in terms of stress sensing, cost, and environmental impact (EI). This approach is expected to be developed for self-sensing in extreme environments with a recycled conductive filler.

Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Propolis from Meiganga (Cameroon) on Type 2 Diabetes in Rats

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. In Cameroon, the traditional treatment of this pathology is based on the use of Propolis. The present study aims to evaluate the antidiabetic and antioxidant properties of the ethanoic extract of Meiganga propolis (Adamawa Region, Cameroon). To confirm the different properties of this extract, the glycaemia, lipid profile and oxidative stress parameters of different groups of animals were assessed in a type 2 diabetes model induced by the Hypercaloric Sucrose Diet combined with dexamethasone. Simultaneous administration of the ethanolic extract of Meiganga propolis (EEMP 300 mg/kg) and the hypercaloric sucrose diet to rats for 30 days prevented a significant increase in fasting blood glucose levels compared with animals in the diabetic control group, whose fasting blood glucose levels were 78.25 ± 2.29 and 156.5 ± 2.75 mg/dL respectively on day 30. In terms of lipid profile, the administration of propolis extract (300 mg/kg) prevented a significant increase in LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared with animals in the diabetic control groups. The values were 27±2.71 mg/dL and 97.8±2.92 mg/dL for LDL-cholesterol. In terms of oxidative stress, simultaneous administration of propolis extract (300 mg/kg) and a high calorie diet to rats for 30 days prevented a significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels compared with animals in the diabetic control group. Values for this superoxide dismutase in the liver were 81.72 U/g of organ for EEMP 300 mg/kg and 58.6 U/g of organ in the liver of diabetic rats. These results justify the use of ethanoic extract of Meiganga propolis in the prevention of type 2 diabetes in Cameroon.

Chronic restraint stress induces abnormal behaviors in pain sensitivity and cognitive function in mice: the role of Keap1/Nrf2 pathway

Stress is a series of physical and psychological responses to external and internal environmental stimuli. Growing studies have demonstrated the detrimental impacts of acute restraint stress (ARS) and chronic restraint stress (CRS) on animal behavior. However, the related pathogenesis and therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear. Hence, the present study aimed to examine whether unfolded protein response (UPR) and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)-nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway are associated with ARS- and CRS- induced abnormal behaviors of pain sensitivity and cognitive function. We here used four behavioral tests to evaluate pain sensitivity and cognitive function in ARS and CRS mice. CRS markedly decreased Paw Withdrawal Mechanical Threshold (PWMT) and Tail-flick Latency (TFL) scores, whereas ARS altered TFL but had no effect on PWMT scores. Additionally, CRS, but not ARS, significantly changed behaviors in nest building behavior and MWMT. Intriguingly, the expression of Keap1 and Nrf2 protein were decreased in the spinal cord and hippocampus in CRS mice, but not in ARS mice. Moreover, neither the ARS nor the CRS groups significantly differed from the control group in terms of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). Taken together, this study demonstrated that CRS could induce abnormal pain sensitivity and cognitive function probably via Keap1/Nrf2 pathway in spinal cord and hippocampus. It is therefore likely that effective intervention of Keap1/Nrf2 pathway may contribute to preventing and treating hyperalgesia and cognitive dysfunction in CRS.

Dynamic vehicle–track interaction and structural loading in a crossing panel – calibration and assessment of a model with a 3D representation of the crossing rail

A three-dimensional (3D) finite element model of a railway crossing panel for use in multibody simulation (MBS) of dynamic vehicle–track interaction is presented. It is a two-layer track model with stock rails and sleepers represented by beam elements and a crossing rail represented by 3D solid elements. The track model uses linear bushings for the rail fastenings and bi-linear bushings for the ballast to allow for potentially voided sleepers. Based on the output from the MBS, the structural loading of the crossing in terms of strains, stresses and sleeper-ballast contact pressures is extracted in a post-processing step. The model is calibrated and validated to measurement data from a comprehensively instrumented switch & crossing (S&C) demonstrator installed in the Austrian railway network as a part of the European research programme Shift2Rail. The applied procedure for the calibration and critical assessment of the crossing model is described in detail. It is based on a model parameterisation with eight parameters relating to the rail fastening and foundation stiffnesses and to a distribution of the ballast voids. The calibration method uses Latin hypercube samples to explore the parameter space in a sensitivity analysis before a parameter optimisation is performed using a gradient-based method on a response surface built from a polyharmonic spline. In a comparative study it is shown that the 3D model and a more conventional beam model of the crossing rail show similar calibration results and good agreement with the measured data. The 3D model allows for the extraction of stress concentrations in the crossing rail but has an increased computational time of about 30% compared to the beam model.

Predictive models for assessment of buried pipeline response under seismic landslides in Iran

In seismic regions both in Iran and around the world, subterranean gas pipelines inevitably extend through high-risk areas prone to seismic landslides. The seismic landslide-pipe failure mechanism constitutes a continuum geomechanical challenge influenced by factors such as sliding mass configuration, pipe positioning relative to potential slope failure surfaces, and seismic input characteristics. In this study, response of steel pipeline buried in sand under seismic landslide action is analyzed by finite difference models using an advanced soil constitutive model. The numerical model is first validated based on the shaking table test results and then several dynamic analyses are performed using the selected records of the Iranian ground motions database. The outcomes of the dynamic analysis demonstrate that Arias Intensity (Ia) can be identified as an optimal intensity measure (IM) for predicting the seismic response of a slope-pipe system in terms of maximum pipe deflection, axial strain, and shear stress. Predictive models are then developed based on the optimal IM for estimating the pipe deflection, axial strain, and shear stress subjected to a seismic landslide. These proposed predictive models offer valuable insights for assessing the response of buried pipelines to seismic landslides in Iran within the framework of performance-based earthquake engineering.

Spatial variability of shear wave velocity: implications for the liquefaction response of a case study from the 2010 Maule Mw 8.8 Earthquake, Chile

Assessing the potential and extent of earthquake-induced liquefaction is paramount for seismic hazard assessment, for the large ground deformations it causes can result in severe damage to infrastructure and pose a threat to human lives, as evidenced by many contemporary and historical case studies in various tectonic settings. In that regard, numerical modeling of case studies, using state-of-the-art soil constitutive models and numerical frameworks, has proven to be a tailored methodology for liquefaction assessment. Indeed, these simulations allow for the dynamic response of liquefiable soils in terms of effective stresses, large strains, and ground displacements to be captured in a consistent manner with experimental and in-situ observations. Additionally, the impact of soil properties spatial variability in liquefaction response can be assessed, because the system response to waves propagating are naturally incorporated within the model. Considering that, we highlight that the effect of shear-wave velocity Vs spatial variability has not been thoroughly assessed. In a case study in Metropolitan Concepción, Chile, our research addresses the influence of Vs spatial variability on the dynamic response to liquefaction. At the study site, the 2010 Maule Mw 8.8 megathrust Earthquake triggered liquefaction-induced damage in the form of ground cracking, soil ejecta, and building settlements. Using simulated 2D Vs profiles generated from real 1D profiles retrieved with ambient noise methods, along with a PressureDependentMultiYield03 sand constitutive model, we studied the effect of Vs spatial variability on pore pressure generation, vertical settlements, and shear and volumetric strains by performing effective stress site response analyses. Our findings indicate that increased Vs variability reduces the median settlements and strains for soil units that exhibit liquefaction-like responses. On the other hand, no significant changes in the dynamic response are observed in soil units that exhibit non-liquefaction behavior, implying that the triggering of liquefaction is not influenced by spatial variability in Vs. We infer that when liquefaction-like behavior is triggered, an increase of the damping at the shallowest part of the soil domain might be the explanation for the decrease in the amplitude of the strains and settlements as the degree of Vs variability increases.