Finite element limit analysis of load-bearing performance of reinforced slopes using a non-associated flow rule

This paper presents a numerical study on the load-bearing performance of reinforced slopes under footing load using a finite element limit analysis (FELA) method where a non-associated flow rule is assumed in the analysis. The method was validated against results from full-scale model tests and a limit equilibrium (LE) analytical method. A series of parametric analyses was subsequently carried out to examine the influences that the soil dilation angle, footing location, and reinforcement design (i.e. length, tensile strength, and vertical spacing) could have on the load-bearing performance of reinforced slopes. Results indicate that dilation angle has a significant influence on the predicted magnitudes of bearing capacity, slope deformation, and mobilized reinforcement load. The predicted values of bearing capacity using the FELA are smaller than those from the Meyerhof's analytical method for unreinforced semi-infinite foundation, especially for larger friction angle values. Additionally, the ultimate bearing capacity of the slope and its corresponding horizontal deformation increase with the reinforcement tensile strength. Finally, the slip planes under the applied footing load are found to be y-shaped and primarily occur in the upper half of the slope.     

CFETR水冷陶瓷增殖剂包层模块产氚率实验验证

水冷陶瓷增殖剂（WCCB）包层作为中国聚变工程试验堆（CFETR）候选包层之一，承担着氚增殖、核热提取、屏蔽等重要涉核功能，其中子学设计的可靠性直接影响CFETR氚自持目标的实现。为验证中子学设计工具，即MCNP和FNEDL3.0数据库，在WCCB包层中子学设计中的可靠性，基于研制出的WCCB包层模块，在DT中子环境下开展中子学实验，对以产氚率（TPR）为代表的中子学参数进行了模拟值（C）和实验值（E）对比分析。结果表明，模块中轴线位置处TPR的C/E为0.97?1.08，而模块边缘位置处TPR的C/E为0.65?0.82；模块钛酸锂层边缘区197Au（n，γ）198Au反应率的C/E为0.72?0.90，表明模块边缘区存在非期望的散射中子，导致该区TPR模拟值和实验值偏离较大。     

农药沉积利用率喷雾指示剂诱惑红的酶标仪测定方法

诱惑红是一种水溶性染料,近年来被用作农药沉积利用率测定的指示剂。诱惑红的检测方法为高效液相色谱法和分光光度法。高效液相色谱法需要专门的分析仪器,且价格昂贵,可见分光光度计法操作繁琐,试剂用量大,耗时长,均不适宜田间快速高效测定。笔者发展了诱惑红的酶标仪测定方法,简单高效,可批量检测多个样品,且准确度和精密度高,线性关系良好,514 nm检测波长下不受其他农药影响,并应用于玉米无人飞机喷雾场景下农药雾滴在玉米冠层的沉积利用率测定。     

Coupling Interrupted Fischer and Multicomponent Joullié-Ugi to Chase Chemical Diversity: from Batch to Sustainable Flow Synthesis of Peptidomimetics

The generation of peptidomimetic substructures for medicinal chemistry purposes requires effective and divergent synthetic methods. We present in this work an efficient flow process that allows quick modulation of reagents for Joullié-Ugi multicomponent reaction, using spiroindolenines as core motifs. This sterically hindered imine equivalent could successfully be diversified using various isocyanides and amino acids in generally good space-time yields. A telescoped flow process combining interrupted Fischer reaction for spiroindolenine synthesis and subsequent Joullié-Ugi-type modification resulted in product formation in very good overall yield in less than 2 hours compared to 48 hours required in batch mode. The developed protocol can be seen as a general tool for rapid and facile generation of peptidomimetic compounds. We also showcase preliminary biological assessments for the prepared compounds.     

Prediction models for multiphase-flow-induced corrosion of API X80 steel in CO2/H2S environment

In the offshore oil and gas industry, mainly focusing on the use of rigid or flexible pipes of subsea infrastructure applied to risers or flowlines, one of the greatest difficulties is the interpretation of the combined effects of the various correlated phenomena (hydrodynamic effects of intermittent flow, the effects of corrosivity of the environment in addition to variations in pressure, temperature, and dynamic loading). On the basis of this scenario, defining the degree of severity of each of the correlated system variables becomes of fundamental importance for establishing reliable criteria for selecting materials for subsea application. The established flow pattern directly affects the corrosion rate (or the pipe material mass loss), but the balance of other variables including possible changes in the physical and transported fluid chemical properties may increase the damage up to an order of magnitude, which is a piece of information normally not foreseen in design criteria. Therefore, to improve the understanding of the corrosion study influenced by multiphase flow, a testing loop was designed and assembled at the Corrosion and Protection Laboratory of the Institute for Technological Research, in which API X80 steel coupons were positioned in locations with a 0° and 45° inclinations. Tests were conducted by varying the partial pressure of the gaseous phase containing blends of CO₂ and H₂S with N₂ balance, mixed with the liquid phase containing light oil and heavy oil in water with salinity (NaCl)-simulating oil well conditions with 80% water cut. The main objective of this study is to establish models that can predict the corrosion intensity in conditions close to those obtained experimentally. To achieve results, the multiple regression and Box–Cox transformation methods were applied. These models will make possible damage prediction and optimization of matrix parameters for the multiphase-loop test.     

Contribution of Drugs Interfering with Protein and Cell Wall Synthesis to the Persistence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms: An In Vitro Model

The occurrence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) persisters, including viable but non-culturable (VBNC) forms, subpopulations of tolerant cells that can survive high antibiotic doses, is the main reason for PA lung infections failed eradication and recurrence in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients, subjected to life-long, cyclic antibiotic treatments. In this paper, we investigated the role of subinhibitory concentrations of different anti-pseudomonas antibiotics in the maintenance of persistent (including VBNC) PA cells in in vitro biofilms. Persisters were firstly selected by exposure to high doses of antibiotics and their abundance over time evaluated, using a combination of cultural, qPCR and flow cytometry assays. Two engineered GFP-producing PA strains were used. The obtained results demonstrated a major involvement of tobramycin and bacterial cell wall-targeting antibiotics in the resilience to starvation of VBNC forms, while the presence of ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime/avibactam lead to their complete loss. Moreover, a positive correlation between tobramycin exposure, biofilm production and c-di-GMP levels was observed. The presented data could allow a deeper understanding of bacterial population dynamics during the treatment of recurrent PA infections and provide a reliable evaluation of the real efficacy of the antibiotic treatments against the bacterial population within the CF lung.     

Sizing of multi-stage Op Amps by combining design equations with the gm/ID method

Analog integrated circuit design has as integral parts both analytical reasoning and numerical validation in the process from topology construction to sizing. Given a circuit topology, different circuit sizing results can be obtained from different processes of sizing inference. Sizing methods by simulation-based numerical searching have been a continuously studied subject. However, almost all approaches in this category require an overwhelming number of circuit simulations to arrive at an optimized sizing result. On the other hand, many published manual sizing methods by using the conventional device equations also require repeated SPICE simulations to correct the equation-based sizing results. This paper proposes a systematic gm/ID-based initial sizing method specifically customized for designing multiple-stage operational amplifiers (Op Amps). A main feature of the proposal is to use circuit-level design equations as constraints on the gm/ID table lookup method to substantially reduce the uncertainty in the sizing calculations. As a result, a significant amount of SPICE based correction work can be reduced to complete an initial sizing. The proposed sizing procedure includes a few regular sizing rules customized to the configuration of multi-stage Op Amps. We validate the proposed sizing method by application to several multi-stage Op Amp examples with a capacitive load or Miller compensation. Simulations have justified that the produced initial sizing results can achieve most of the prespecified design targets.     

Investigation on thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of Si3N4 ceramics via one-step sintering

High thermal conductivity Si₃N₄ ceramics were fabricated using a one-step method consisting of reaction-bonded Si₃N₄ (RBSN) and post-sintering. The influence of Si content on nitridation rate, β/(α+β) phase rate, thermal conductivity and mechanical properties was investigated in this work. It is of special interest to note that the thermal conductivity showed a tendency to increase first and then decrease with increasing Si content. This experimental result shows that the optimal thermal conductivity and fracture toughness were obtained to be 66 W (m K)^-1 and 12.0 MPa m^1/2, respectively. As a comparison, the nitridation rate and β/(α+β) phase rate in a static pressure nitriding system, i.e., 97% (MS10), 97% (MS15), 97% (MS20) and 8.3% (MS10), 8.3% (MS15), 8.9% (MS20), respectively, have obvious advantages over those in a flowing nitriding system, i.e., 91% (MS10), 91% (MS15), 93% (MS20) and 3.1% (MS10), 3.3% (MS15), 3.3% (MS20), respectively. Moreover, high lattice integrity of the β-Si₃N₄ phase was observed, which can effectively confine O atoms into the β-Si₃N₄ lattice using MgO as a sintering additive. This result indicates that one-step sintering can provide a new route to prepare Si₃N₄ ceramics with a good combination of thermal conductivity and mechanical properties.     

Experimental study on prediction model of wet gas pressure drop across single-orifice plate in horizontal pipes in the low gas phase Froude number region

The pressure drop prediction of wet gas across single-orifice plate in horizontal pipes had been solved satisfactorily under an annular-mist flow in the upstream of orifice plates. However, this pressure drop prediction is still not clearly determined when the upstream is in an intermittent flow or stratified flow, which is corresponding to a region of low Fr_G (gas phase Froude number) in the flow pattern map of wet gases. In this study, the wet gas pressure drop across a single-orifice plate was experimentally investigated in the low Fr_G region. By the experiment, the flow pattern transition in the downstream of single-orifice plates, as well as the effects of Fr_G and Fr_L (liquid phase Froude number) on Φ_G (gas phase multiplier), were determined and compared when the upstream is in the flow pattern transition and the stratified flow region, respectively. Prediction performances were examined on the available pressure drop models. It was found that no model could be capable of jointly predicting the wet gas pressure drop in the low Fr_G region with an acceptable accuracy. With a new method of correlating Fr_G and Fr_L simultaneously, new correlations were proposed for the low Fr_G region. Among which the modified Chisholm model shows the best prediction accuracies, with the prediction deviations of Φ_G being within 7% and 3% when the upstream is in flow pattern transition and stratified flow region, respectively.