This paper focuses on the numerical stability of the block θ methods adapted to differential equations with a delay argument. For the block θ methods, an interpolation procedure is introduced which leads to the nume...This paper focuses on the numerical stability of the block θ methods adapted to differential equations with a delay argument. For the block θ methods, an interpolation procedure is introduced which leads to the numerical processes that satisfy an important asymptotic stability condition related to the class of test problems y′(t)=ay(t)+by(t-τ) with a,b∈C, Re(a)<-|b| and τ>0. We prove that the block θ method is GP stable if and only if the method is A stable for ordinary differential equations. Furthermore, it is proved that the P and GP stability are equivalent for the block θ method.展开更多
BACKGROUND Abdominal aortic aneurysm(AAA)repair often involves significant postoperative pain,traditionally managed with systemic opioids,which can cause undesirable side effects.This case report explores the novel us...BACKGROUND Abdominal aortic aneurysm(AAA)repair often involves significant postoperative pain,traditionally managed with systemic opioids,which can cause undesirable side effects.This case report explores the novel use of a surgically-initiated rectus sheath block with a catheter-over-needle assembly for pain management in AAA repair.CASE SUMMARY A 67-year-old female with hypertension and previous aortic dissection underwent elective open repair of an infrarenal AAA,which had grown from 3.4 cm to 4.3 cm over 14 months.A rectus sheath block was initiated surgically for postoperative pain control.The patient reported low pain scores and did not require systemic intravenous opioids,enabling early ambulation and discharge on postoperative day seven without complications.By preventing complications of systemic opi-oids,the method indicating a promising direction for postoperative pain management in major vascular surgeries.CONCLUSION Surgically-initiated rectus sheath block as a valuable tool for managing postoperative pain in AAA repair.展开更多
The Bijigou intrusion is one of the largest and most well-differentiated Fe–Ti oxide-bearing layered intrusions in the Hannan massif located in the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block,South China.Besides the min...The Bijigou intrusion is one of the largest and most well-differentiated Fe–Ti oxide-bearing layered intrusions in the Hannan massif located in the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block,South China.Besides the mineralization-related mafic-ultramafic rocks,the intermediate-acid intrusive rocks are also exposed in the mining area,which is of great significance for the understanding the Neoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the Yangtze Block,but studies on these intermediate-acid rocks are scarce.The Bijigou mafic-ultramafic layered intrusion is surrounded by granite and cut by syenite veins.Here,we report new zircon U-Pb ages,Lu-Hf isotope composition and bulk rock geochemical data of the Bijigou syenite vein and wall-rock granite in the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block.Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(LAICP-MS)zircon U-Pb dating results show that the Bijigou syenite vein and wall-rock granite formed at 770±3.5 Ma(MSWD=0.17,n=28)and 810±4 Ma(MSWD=0.84,n=26),respectively.The zirconεHf(t)values of the syenite veins range from+1.52 to+5.33(average of+3.05),combined with its high potassium contents,negative Nb–Ta anomalies and positive Pb anomalies,suggesting that they may have originated from mantle-derived basaltic magma,which was modified by materials from subducting oceanic slab.The zirconεHf(t)and T_(DM2)ages of the wall-rock granite range from+0.71 to+5.71(average+3.06)and 1344 to 1659 Ma(average 1519 Ma),respectively,indicating that the granite was produced by partial melting of juvenile crust.The geochemical characteristics of the Bijigou syenite and granite indicate that they were formed in a continental margin arc setting.Thus,combined with previous studies,it suggests that there was a major subduction system along the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block during 824-720 Ma,and the magmatism in the Hannan massif was divided into two episodes:(1)early magmatism(824-790 Ma),such as the Bijigou,Hongmiaozhen and Huangguanzhen granitoids,was derived from partial melting of the juvenile or pre-existing crust in a continental arc setting;(2)later magmatism(789-718 Ma),including Bijigou syenite,Wudumen,Erliba and Zushidian granitoids,formed in a subduction-related back-arc extensional environment.The long-term subduction system along the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block during 824-720 Ma suggests that the Yangtze Block was previously located at the periphery of the Rodinia supercontinent.展开更多
This paper investigates a distributed heterogeneous hybrid blocking flow-shop scheduling problem(DHHBFSP)designed to minimize the total tardiness and total energy consumption simultaneously,and proposes an improved pr...This paper investigates a distributed heterogeneous hybrid blocking flow-shop scheduling problem(DHHBFSP)designed to minimize the total tardiness and total energy consumption simultaneously,and proposes an improved proximal policy optimization(IPPO)method to make real-time decisions for the DHHBFSP.A multi-objective Markov decision process is modeled for the DHHBFSP,where the reward function is represented by a vector with dynamic weights instead of the common objectiverelated scalar value.A factory agent(FA)is formulated for each factory to select unscheduled jobs and is trained by the proposed IPPO to improve the decision quality.Multiple FAs work asynchronously to allocate jobs that arrive randomly at the shop.A two-stage training strategy is introduced in the IPPO,which learns from both single-and dual-policy data for better data utilization.The proposed IPPO is tested on randomly generated instances and compared with variants of the basic proximal policy optimization(PPO),dispatch rules,multi-objective metaheuristics,and multi-agent reinforcement learning methods.Extensive experimental results suggest that the proposed strategies offer significant improvements to the basic PPO,and the proposed IPPO outperforms the state-of-the-art scheduling methods in both convergence and solution quality.展开更多
Primary toppling usually occurs in layered rock slopes with large anti-dip angles.In this paper,the block toppling evolution was explored using a large-scale centrifuge system.Each block column in the layered model sl...Primary toppling usually occurs in layered rock slopes with large anti-dip angles.In this paper,the block toppling evolution was explored using a large-scale centrifuge system.Each block column in the layered model slope was made of cement mortar.Some artificial cracks perpendicular to the block column were prefabricated.Strain gages,displacement gages,and high-speed camera measurements were employed to monitor the deformation and failure processes of the model slope.The centrifuge test results show that the block toppling evolution can be divided into seven stages,i.e.layer compression,formation of major tensile crack,reverse bending of the block column,closure of major tensile crack,strong bending of the block column,formation of failure zone,and complete failure.Block toppling is characterized by sudden large deformation and occurs in stages.The wedge-shaped cracks in the model incline towards the slope.Experimental observations show that block toppling is mainly caused by bending failure rather than by shear failure.The tensile strength also plays a key factor in the evolution of block toppling.The simulation results from discrete element method(DEM)is in line with the testing results.Tensile stress exists at the backside of rock column during toppling deformation.Stress concentration results in the fragmented rock column and its degree is the most significant at the slope toe.展开更多
The instability of slope blocks occurred frequently along traffic corridor in Southeastern Tibet(TCST),which was primarily controlled by the rock mass structures.A rapid method evaluating the control effects of rock m...The instability of slope blocks occurred frequently along traffic corridor in Southeastern Tibet(TCST),which was primarily controlled by the rock mass structures.A rapid method evaluating the control effects of rock mass structures was proposed through field statistics of the slopes and rock mass structures along TCST,which combined the stereographic projection method,modified M-JCS model,and limit equilibrium theory.The instabilities of slope blocks along TCST were then evaluated rapidly,and the different control factors of instability were analyzed.Results showed that the probabilities of toppling(5.31%),planar(16.15%),and wedge(35.37%)failure of slope blocks along TCST increased sequentially.These instability modes were respectively controlled by the anti-dip joint,the joint parallel to slope surface with a dip angle smaller than the slope angle(singlejoint),and two groups of joints inclined out of the slope(double-joints).Regarding the control effects on slope block instability,the stabilization ability of doublejoints(72.7%),anti-dip joint(67.4%),and single-joint(57.6%)decreased sequentially,resulting in different probabilities of slope block instability.Additionally,nearby regional faults significantly influenced the joints,leading to spatial heterogeneity and segmental clustering in the stabilization ability provided by joints to the slope blocks.Consequently,the stability of slope blocks gradually weakened as they approached the fault zones.This paper can provide guidance and assistance for investigating the development characteristics of rock mass structures and the stability of slope blocks.展开更多
The poor corrosion and wear resistances of Mg alloys seriously limit their potential applications in various industries.The conventional epoxy coating easily forms many intrinsic defects during the solidification proc...The poor corrosion and wear resistances of Mg alloys seriously limit their potential applications in various industries.The conventional epoxy coating easily forms many intrinsic defects during the solidification process,which cannot provide sufficient protection.In the current study,we design a double-layer epoxy composite coating on Mg alloy with enhanced anti-corrosion/wear properties,via the spin-assisted assembly technique.The outer layer is functionalized graphene(FG)in waterborne epoxy resin(WEP)and the inner layer is Ce-based conversion(Ce)film.The FG sheets can be homogeneously dispersed within the epoxy matrix to fill the intrinsic defects and improve the barrier capability.The Ce film connects the outer layer with the substrate,showing the transition effect.The corrosion rate of Ce/WEP/FG composite coating is 2131 times lower than that of bare Mg alloy,and the wear rate is decreased by~90%.The improved corrosion resistance is attributed to the labyrinth effect(hindering the penetration of corrosive medium)and the obstruction of galvanic coupling behavior.The synergistic effect derived from the FG sheet and blocking layer exhibits great potential in realizing the improvement of multi-functional integration,which will open up a new avenue for the development of novel composite protection coatings of Mg alloys.展开更多
BACKGROUND Ultrasound guide technology,which can provide real-time visualization of the needle tip and tissues and avoid many adverse events,is widely used in mini-mally invasive therapy.However,the studies on ultraso...BACKGROUND Ultrasound guide technology,which can provide real-time visualization of the needle tip and tissues and avoid many adverse events,is widely used in mini-mally invasive therapy.However,the studies on ultrasound-guided Lateral recess block(LRB)are limited,this is probably because there is no recognized standard method for ultrasound scanning.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ultrasound-guided LRB in patients with lateral recess stenosis(LRS).CASE SUMMARY A 65-year-old patient complained of low back pain accompanied occasionally by pain and numbness in the left lower limb.Physical examination showed ten-derness on the spinous process and paraspinal muscles from L1 to S1,extensor hallucis longus and tibialis anterior weakness(muscle strength:4-),and a positive straight leg raising test in the left lower limb(60°).Magnetic resonance imaging showed L4–L5 disc degeneration with left LRS and nerve root entrapment.Subsequently,the patient was diagnosed with LRS.This patient was treated with a novel ultrasound-guided LRB approach.The patient’s symptoms significantly improved without any complications at 1 wk postoperatively and at the 3-month follow-up.CONCLUSION This is the first report on the LRS treatment with ultrasound-guided LRB from the contralateral spinous process along the inner side of the articular process by out-plane technique.Further studies are expected to investigate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided LRB for patients with LRS.展开更多
The Eurasian continent was subject to multiphase intensive intracontinental deformation in the Cenozoic(Fig.1A).However,its Cenozoic intra-continental deformation process and the driving force has long been disputed,w...The Eurasian continent was subject to multiphase intensive intracontinental deformation in the Cenozoic(Fig.1A).However,its Cenozoic intra-continental deformation process and the driving force has long been disputed,which is only associated with the Indo-Asian collision(Molnar and Tapponnier,1975;Jolivet et al.,1990;Tapponnier et al.,2001;Yin,2010;Xu et al.,2013;Zhao et al.,2016),is caused by the Pacific-Asian collision(Cui,1997;Schellart and Lister,2005;Fan et al.,2019),or is connected with a combined effect of the Indo-Asian collision and the Pacific-Eurasia convergence(Ren et al.,2002;Li et al.,2013;Shi et al.,2015;Liu et al.,2019).展开更多
文摘This paper focuses on the numerical stability of the block θ methods adapted to differential equations with a delay argument. For the block θ methods, an interpolation procedure is introduced which leads to the numerical processes that satisfy an important asymptotic stability condition related to the class of test problems y′(t)=ay(t)+by(t-τ) with a,b∈C, Re(a)<-|b| and τ>0. We prove that the block θ method is GP stable if and only if the method is A stable for ordinary differential equations. Furthermore, it is proved that the P and GP stability are equivalent for the block θ method.
基金Supported by the Taichung Veterans General Hospital,No.TCVGH-1125401B.
文摘BACKGROUND Abdominal aortic aneurysm(AAA)repair often involves significant postoperative pain,traditionally managed with systemic opioids,which can cause undesirable side effects.This case report explores the novel use of a surgically-initiated rectus sheath block with a catheter-over-needle assembly for pain management in AAA repair.CASE SUMMARY A 67-year-old female with hypertension and previous aortic dissection underwent elective open repair of an infrarenal AAA,which had grown from 3.4 cm to 4.3 cm over 14 months.A rectus sheath block was initiated surgically for postoperative pain control.The patient reported low pain scores and did not require systemic intravenous opioids,enabling early ambulation and discharge on postoperative day seven without complications.By preventing complications of systemic opi-oids,the method indicating a promising direction for postoperative pain management in major vascular surgeries.CONCLUSION Surgically-initiated rectus sheath block as a valuable tool for managing postoperative pain in AAA repair.
基金jointly supported financially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41603040)the Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China(No.2023-JC-YB-239)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(S202310710204)。
文摘The Bijigou intrusion is one of the largest and most well-differentiated Fe–Ti oxide-bearing layered intrusions in the Hannan massif located in the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block,South China.Besides the mineralization-related mafic-ultramafic rocks,the intermediate-acid intrusive rocks are also exposed in the mining area,which is of great significance for the understanding the Neoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the Yangtze Block,but studies on these intermediate-acid rocks are scarce.The Bijigou mafic-ultramafic layered intrusion is surrounded by granite and cut by syenite veins.Here,we report new zircon U-Pb ages,Lu-Hf isotope composition and bulk rock geochemical data of the Bijigou syenite vein and wall-rock granite in the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block.Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(LAICP-MS)zircon U-Pb dating results show that the Bijigou syenite vein and wall-rock granite formed at 770±3.5 Ma(MSWD=0.17,n=28)and 810±4 Ma(MSWD=0.84,n=26),respectively.The zirconεHf(t)values of the syenite veins range from+1.52 to+5.33(average of+3.05),combined with its high potassium contents,negative Nb–Ta anomalies and positive Pb anomalies,suggesting that they may have originated from mantle-derived basaltic magma,which was modified by materials from subducting oceanic slab.The zirconεHf(t)and T_(DM2)ages of the wall-rock granite range from+0.71 to+5.71(average+3.06)and 1344 to 1659 Ma(average 1519 Ma),respectively,indicating that the granite was produced by partial melting of juvenile crust.The geochemical characteristics of the Bijigou syenite and granite indicate that they were formed in a continental margin arc setting.Thus,combined with previous studies,it suggests that there was a major subduction system along the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block during 824-720 Ma,and the magmatism in the Hannan massif was divided into two episodes:(1)early magmatism(824-790 Ma),such as the Bijigou,Hongmiaozhen and Huangguanzhen granitoids,was derived from partial melting of the juvenile or pre-existing crust in a continental arc setting;(2)later magmatism(789-718 Ma),including Bijigou syenite,Wudumen,Erliba and Zushidian granitoids,formed in a subduction-related back-arc extensional environment.The long-term subduction system along the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block during 824-720 Ma suggests that the Yangtze Block was previously located at the periphery of the Rodinia supercontinent.
基金partially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(2022YFE0114200)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U20A6004).
文摘This paper investigates a distributed heterogeneous hybrid blocking flow-shop scheduling problem(DHHBFSP)designed to minimize the total tardiness and total energy consumption simultaneously,and proposes an improved proximal policy optimization(IPPO)method to make real-time decisions for the DHHBFSP.A multi-objective Markov decision process is modeled for the DHHBFSP,where the reward function is represented by a vector with dynamic weights instead of the common objectiverelated scalar value.A factory agent(FA)is formulated for each factory to select unscheduled jobs and is trained by the proposed IPPO to improve the decision quality.Multiple FAs work asynchronously to allocate jobs that arrive randomly at the shop.A two-stage training strategy is introduced in the IPPO,which learns from both single-and dual-policy data for better data utilization.The proposed IPPO is tested on randomly generated instances and compared with variants of the basic proximal policy optimization(PPO),dispatch rules,multi-objective metaheuristics,and multi-agent reinforcement learning methods.Extensive experimental results suggest that the proposed strategies offer significant improvements to the basic PPO,and the proposed IPPO outperforms the state-of-the-art scheduling methods in both convergence and solution quality.
基金The authors wish to thank National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2022YFC308100)the National Nature Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42107172 and 42072303)for financial support.
文摘Primary toppling usually occurs in layered rock slopes with large anti-dip angles.In this paper,the block toppling evolution was explored using a large-scale centrifuge system.Each block column in the layered model slope was made of cement mortar.Some artificial cracks perpendicular to the block column were prefabricated.Strain gages,displacement gages,and high-speed camera measurements were employed to monitor the deformation and failure processes of the model slope.The centrifuge test results show that the block toppling evolution can be divided into seven stages,i.e.layer compression,formation of major tensile crack,reverse bending of the block column,closure of major tensile crack,strong bending of the block column,formation of failure zone,and complete failure.Block toppling is characterized by sudden large deformation and occurs in stages.The wedge-shaped cracks in the model incline towards the slope.Experimental observations show that block toppling is mainly caused by bending failure rather than by shear failure.The tensile strength also plays a key factor in the evolution of block toppling.The simulation results from discrete element method(DEM)is in line with the testing results.Tensile stress exists at the backside of rock column during toppling deformation.Stress concentration results in the fragmented rock column and its degree is the most significant at the slope toe.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41941019,42177142)the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research(STEP)program(Grant NO.2019QZKK0904)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,CHD(Grant No.300102212213).
文摘The instability of slope blocks occurred frequently along traffic corridor in Southeastern Tibet(TCST),which was primarily controlled by the rock mass structures.A rapid method evaluating the control effects of rock mass structures was proposed through field statistics of the slopes and rock mass structures along TCST,which combined the stereographic projection method,modified M-JCS model,and limit equilibrium theory.The instabilities of slope blocks along TCST were then evaluated rapidly,and the different control factors of instability were analyzed.Results showed that the probabilities of toppling(5.31%),planar(16.15%),and wedge(35.37%)failure of slope blocks along TCST increased sequentially.These instability modes were respectively controlled by the anti-dip joint,the joint parallel to slope surface with a dip angle smaller than the slope angle(singlejoint),and two groups of joints inclined out of the slope(double-joints).Regarding the control effects on slope block instability,the stabilization ability of doublejoints(72.7%),anti-dip joint(67.4%),and single-joint(57.6%)decreased sequentially,resulting in different probabilities of slope block instability.Additionally,nearby regional faults significantly influenced the joints,leading to spatial heterogeneity and segmental clustering in the stabilization ability provided by joints to the slope blocks.Consequently,the stability of slope blocks gradually weakened as they approached the fault zones.This paper can provide guidance and assistance for investigating the development characteristics of rock mass structures and the stability of slope blocks.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant number 51771178)Shaanxi Outstanding Youth Fund project(Grant number 2021JC-45)+2 种基金Key international cooperation projects in Shaanxi Province(Grant number 2020KWZ-007)the Major Program of Science and Technology in Shaanxi Province(Grant number20191102006)Open Fund of State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing for Vehicle Body(Grant number 32115019)。
文摘The poor corrosion and wear resistances of Mg alloys seriously limit their potential applications in various industries.The conventional epoxy coating easily forms many intrinsic defects during the solidification process,which cannot provide sufficient protection.In the current study,we design a double-layer epoxy composite coating on Mg alloy with enhanced anti-corrosion/wear properties,via the spin-assisted assembly technique.The outer layer is functionalized graphene(FG)in waterborne epoxy resin(WEP)and the inner layer is Ce-based conversion(Ce)film.The FG sheets can be homogeneously dispersed within the epoxy matrix to fill the intrinsic defects and improve the barrier capability.The Ce film connects the outer layer with the substrate,showing the transition effect.The corrosion rate of Ce/WEP/FG composite coating is 2131 times lower than that of bare Mg alloy,and the wear rate is decreased by~90%.The improved corrosion resistance is attributed to the labyrinth effect(hindering the penetration of corrosive medium)and the obstruction of galvanic coupling behavior.The synergistic effect derived from the FG sheet and blocking layer exhibits great potential in realizing the improvement of multi-functional integration,which will open up a new avenue for the development of novel composite protection coatings of Mg alloys.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.82305380The Postdoctoral Research Program,West China Hospital,Sichuan University,No.2020HXBH018.
文摘BACKGROUND Ultrasound guide technology,which can provide real-time visualization of the needle tip and tissues and avoid many adverse events,is widely used in mini-mally invasive therapy.However,the studies on ultrasound-guided Lateral recess block(LRB)are limited,this is probably because there is no recognized standard method for ultrasound scanning.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ultrasound-guided LRB in patients with lateral recess stenosis(LRS).CASE SUMMARY A 65-year-old patient complained of low back pain accompanied occasionally by pain and numbness in the left lower limb.Physical examination showed ten-derness on the spinous process and paraspinal muscles from L1 to S1,extensor hallucis longus and tibialis anterior weakness(muscle strength:4-),and a positive straight leg raising test in the left lower limb(60°).Magnetic resonance imaging showed L4–L5 disc degeneration with left LRS and nerve root entrapment.Subsequently,the patient was diagnosed with LRS.This patient was treated with a novel ultrasound-guided LRB approach.The patient’s symptoms significantly improved without any complications at 1 wk postoperatively and at the 3-month follow-up.CONCLUSION This is the first report on the LRS treatment with ultrasound-guided LRB from the contralateral spinous process along the inner side of the articular process by out-plane technique.Further studies are expected to investigate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided LRB for patients with LRS.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41672203)China Geological Survey(CGS)(Grant Nos.DD20190018,DD20160060,1212011120099,1212011120100,1212011220259).
文摘The Eurasian continent was subject to multiphase intensive intracontinental deformation in the Cenozoic(Fig.1A).However,its Cenozoic intra-continental deformation process and the driving force has long been disputed,which is only associated with the Indo-Asian collision(Molnar and Tapponnier,1975;Jolivet et al.,1990;Tapponnier et al.,2001;Yin,2010;Xu et al.,2013;Zhao et al.,2016),is caused by the Pacific-Asian collision(Cui,1997;Schellart and Lister,2005;Fan et al.,2019),or is connected with a combined effect of the Indo-Asian collision and the Pacific-Eurasia convergence(Ren et al.,2002;Li et al.,2013;Shi et al.,2015;Liu et al.,2019).
