Discrete element modelling of large soil deformations under heavy vehicles

This paper addresses the challenges of creating realistic models of soil for simulations of heavy vehicles on weak terrain. We modelled dense soils using the discrete element method with variable parameters for surface friction, normal cohesion, and rolling resistance. To find out what type of soils can be represented, we measured the internal friction and bulk cohesion of over 100 different virtual samples. To test the model, we simulated rut formation from a heavy vehicle with different loads and soil strengths. We conclude that the relevant space of dense frictional and frictional-cohesive soils can be represented and that the model is applicable for simulation of large deformations induced by heavy vehicles on weak terrain.     

Pattern transition and regulation in a subthalamopallidal network under electromagnetic effect

Although the significant roles of magnetic induction and electromagnetic radiation in the neural system have been widely studied, their influence on Parkinson's disease (PD) has yet to be well explored. By virtue of the magnetic flux variable, this paper studies the transition of firing patterns induced by magnetic induction and the regulation effect of external magnetic radiation on the firing activities of the subthalamopallidal network in basal ganglia. We find: (i) The network reproduces five typical waveforms corresponding to the severity of symptoms: weak cluster, episodic, continuous cluster, episodic, and continuous wave. (ii) Magnetic induction is a double-edged sword for the treatment of PD. Although the increase of magnetic coefficient may lead the physiological firing activity to transfer to pathological firing activity, it also can regulate the pathological intensity firing activity with excessive β-band power transferring to the physiological firing pattern with weak β-band power. (iii) External magnetic radiation could inhibit continuous tremulous firing and β-band power of subthalamic nucleus (STN), which means the severity of symptoms weakened. Especially, the bi-parameter plane of the regulation region shows that a short pulse period of magnetic radiation and a medium level of pulse percentage can well regulate pathological oscillation. This work helps to understand the firing activity of the subthalamopallidal network under electromagnetic effect. It may also provide insights into the mechanisms behind the electromagnetic therapy of PD-related firing activity.     

Multifunctional material Bi4Ge3O12: thermodynamic properties

Thermodynamic characteristics of a single crystal of bismuth orthogermanate (Bi₄Ge₃O₁₂), which are necessary to improve device portfolio, have been studied. It has been shown that bismuth orthogermanate is thermodynamically stable against decomposition into binary oxides at 50 °C, which gives us grounds to consider this compound promising for various applications.     

基于视觉辐条图案识别方法的蓝宝石引晶机制研究

工业生产蓝宝石晶体过程中,引晶步骤有着至关重要的地位。引晶必须在温度梯度较小,温度分布趋于稳定的条件下进行。目前,工业生产蓝宝石主要依靠人工经验操控籽晶杆实现引晶操作,但是人工引晶操作的准确性不高会导致成品品质不佳、资源浪费。为此,本文提出一种基于蓝宝石视觉辐条图案识别方法来检测蓝宝石熔体状态自由液面状态,从而实现一种高效率引晶的机制。此方法利用经典骨架化算法细化辐条图案,Harris算子实现特征信息的提取,提取的特征信息放入运动轨迹模型中判断熔体稳定性,分析液面温度分布稳定性从而实现引晶。结果表明,此算法具有有效性,蓝宝石晶体引晶效率大大提高,生产出的成品良率也有提升,可有效指导蓝宝石的工业生产。     

Influence of oxygen on soot formation during acetylene pyrolysis

Kinetic modeling of pyrolysis of acetylene diluted with argon showed a strong influence of small additives of oxygen on the routes of formation of soot nuclei. The influence of oxygen on various channels of formation and consumption of propargyl radicals C₃H₃, which are important precursors of soot formation, as well as the fundamental possibility of controlling the process of soot formation and its properties are considered.     

基于PI法的门源MS6.4地震前震中附近地震热点图像异常变化研究

基于1980年以来青海省和甘肃省区域地震台网的定位地震目录，分析了研究区最小完备震级，选取空间网格尺度为0.2°×0.2°、地震活动异常学习时间段和预测时间段均为3 a，应用图像信息（PI）法，分析了门源M_S6.4地震发生前震中附近地震热点图像的异常变化过程。结果表明，在2013年1月1日至2016年1月1日的预测时间窗内，冷龙岭断裂和祁连山北缘断裂附近存在明显的地震热点，且地震热点图像颜色偏深，发震概率较高，向前滑动至2014年1月1日至2017年1月1日，2015年1月1日至2018年1月1日和2016年1月1日至2019年1月1日3个预测时间窗，此两断裂附近仍存在地震热点，地震热点图像颜色逐渐由深变浅，而门源M_S6.4地震就落在PI法得到的地震热点内。门源M_S6.4地震前存在明显的地震热点，且地震热点相对集中，地震热点图像颜色由深变浅，震后消失；在祁连山北缘断裂附近，地震热点持续存在，分布较集中，地震热点图像颜色也呈由深变浅的过程。未来需关注祁连山北缘断裂，附近有发生强震的可能。     

Time-averaged flow characteristics and mixing properties of double-concentric jets

We examined the flow behaviors and mixing characteristics of double-concentric jets using laser-assisted smoke flow visualization method to analyze typical flow patterns and binary boundary detection technique to investigate jet spread width. Time-averaged velocity vectors, streamline patterns, velocity distributions, turbulence properties, and vorticity contours were analyzed using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Topological flow patterns were analyzed to interpret the vortical flow structures. Mixing properties were investigated using a tracer-gas concentration detection method. Four characteristic modes were observed: annular flow dominated mode, transition mode, central jet dominated mode-low shear, and central jet dominated mode-high shear. The jets’ mixing properties were enhanced by two major phenomena: the merging of annular flow and central jet at the centerline and the large turbulence fluctuations produced in the flow field. The merging of the jets induced stagnation points on the central axis in the annular flow dominated mode, which caused reverse flow on the central axis and drastic turbulence fluctuations of the near field region. When the central jet penetrated the recirculation region in the other three modes, the stagnation points on the central axis and the reverse flow vanished. Therefore, the mixing behaviors were prominently enhanced in the annular flow dominated mode.     

正电子冲击下氦电离三重微分截面的理论计算

我们发展了一种正电子碰撞原子电离的畸变波Born近似方法， 在这个方法中，正负电子偶素通道通过一个ab initio的光学势附加到入射粒子和靶的相互作用势上，且通道对电离作用被第一次被考虑在正电子碰撞原子电离的过程中. 应用这个方法计算了在50 eV入射能量范围氦的电离的三重微分截面，计算结果和实验数据很好的符合.     

Mechanism of [3+2] Cycloaddition of Alkynes to the [Mo3S4(acac)3(py)3][PF6] Cluster

A study, involving kinetic measurements on the stopped‐flow and conventional UV/Vis timescales, ESI‐MS, NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations, has been carried out to understand the mechanism of the reaction of [Mo₃S₄(acac)₃(py)₃][PF₆] ([ 1 ]PF₆; acac=acetylacetonate, py=pyridine) with two RC?CR alkynes (R=CH₂OH (btd), COOH (adc)) in CH₃CN. Both reactions show polyphasic kinetics, but experimental and computational data indicate that alkyne activation occurs in a single kinetic step through a concerted mechanism similar to that of organic [3+2] cycloaddition reactions, in this case through the interaction with one Mo(μ‐S)₂ moiety of [ 1 ]⁺. The rate of this step is three orders of magnitude faster for adc than that for btd, and the products initially formed evolve in subsequent steps into compounds that result from substitution of py ligands or from reorganization to give species with different structures. Activation strain analysis of the [3+2] cycloaddition step reveals that the deformation of the two reactants has a small contribution to the difference in the computed activation barriers, which is mainly associated with the change in the extent of their interaction at the transition‐state structures. Subsequent frontier molecular orbital analysis shows that the carboxylic acid substituents on adc stabilize its HOMO and LUMO orbitals with respect to those on btd due to better electron‐withdrawing properties. As a result, the frontier molecular orbitals of the cluster and alkyne become closer in energy; this allows a stronger interaction.     

Theory of chemical bonds in metalloenzymes XXII: a concerted bond-switching mechanism for the oxygen–oxygen bond formation coupled with one electron transfer for water oxidation in the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II

ABSTRACT

QM(UB3LYP)/MM(AMBER) calculations were performed for the locations of the transition structure (TS) of the oxygen–oxygen (O–O) bond formation in the S₄ state of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII). The natural orbital (NO) analysis of the broken-symmetry (BS) solutions was also performed to elucidate the nature of the chemical bonds at TS on the basis of several chemical indices defined by the occupation numbers of NO. The computational results revealed a concerted bond switching (CBS) mechanism for the oxygen–oxygen bond formation coupled with the one-electron transfer (OET) for water oxidation in OEC of PSII. The orbital interaction between the σ-HOMO of the Mn(IV)₄–O₍₅₎ bond and the π*-LUMO of the Mn(V)₁=O₍₆₎ bond plays an important role for the concerted O–O bond formation for water oxidation in the CaMn₄O₆ cluster of OEC of PSII. One electron transfer (OET) from the π-HOMO of the Mn(V)₁=O₍₆₎ bond to the σ*-LUMO of the Mn(IV)₄–O₍₅₎ bond occurs for the formation of electron transfer diradical, where the generated anion radical [Mn(IV)₄–O₍₅₎]^-? part is relaxed to the ?Mn(III)₄?…?O₍₅₎^- structure and the cation radical [O₍₆₎=Mn(V)₁]⁺ ? part is relaxed to the ⁺O₍₆₎–Mn(IV)₁? structure because of the charge-spin separation for the electron-and hole-doped Mn–oxo bonds. Therefore, the local spins are responsible for the one-electron reductions of Mn(IV)₄->Mn(III)₄ and Mn(V)₁->Mn(IV)₁. On the other hand, the O₍₅₎^- and O₍₆₎⁺ sites generated undergo the O–O bond formation in the CaMn₄O₆ cluster. The Ca(II) ion in the cubane- skeleton of the CaMn₄O₆ cluster assists the above orbital interactions by the lowering of the orbital energy levels of π*-LUMO of Mn(V)₁=O₍₆₎ and σ*-LUMO of Mn(IV)₄–O₍₅₎, indicating an important role of its Lewis acidity. Present CBS mechanism for the O–O bond formation coupled with one electron reductions of the high-valent Mn ions is different from the conventional radical coupling (RC) and acid-base (AB) mechanisms for water oxidation in artificial and native photosynthesis systems. The proton-coupled electron transfer (PC-OET) mechanism for the O–O bond formation is also touched in relation to the CBS-OET mechanism.