Seismicity relocation and fault structure near the Leech River Fault Zone, southern Vancouver Island

Relatively low rates of seismicity and fault loading have made it challenging to correlate microseismicity to mapped surface faults on the forearc of southern Vancouver Island. Here we use precise relocations of microsciesmicity integrated with existing geologic data, to present the first identification of subsurface seismogenic structures associated with the Leech River fault zone (LRFZ) on southern Vancouver Island. We used HypoDD double difference relocation method to relocate 1253 earthquakes reported by the Canadian National Seismograph Network (CNSN) catalog from 1985 to 2015. Our results reveal an ~8-10 km wide, NNE-dipping zone of seismicity representing a subsurface structure along the eastern 30 km of the terrestrial LRFZ and extending 20 km farther eastward offshore, where the fault bifurcates beneath the Juan de Fuca Strait. Using a clustering analysis we identify secondary structures within the NNE-dipping fault zone, many of which are sub-vertical and exhibit right-lateral strike-slip focal mechanisms. We suggest that the arrangement of these near-vertical dextral secondary structures within a more general NE-dipping fault zone, located well beneath (10-15 km) the Leech River fault (LRF) as imaged by LITHOPROBE, may be a consequence of the reactivation of this fault system as a right-lateral structure in the crust with pre-existing NNE-dipping foliations. Our results provide the first confirmation of active terrestrial crustal faults on Vancouver Island using a relocation method. We suggest that slowly slipping active crustal faults, especially in regions with pre-existing foliations, may result in microseismicity along fracture arrays rather than along single planar structures

Extended Formulation of Stress Concentration Factors for CFST T-Joints

In previous research, the authors numerically investigated 212 finite-element (FE) models of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) T-joints under axial force in the brace to derive formulae for stress concentration factors (SCFs). The formulations involve four nondimensional parameters: diameter ratio β, diameter-to-thickness ratio of chord 2γ, thickness ratio τ, and relative chord length α. In the current study, the earlier formulation was extended to include four additional loading conditions: in-plane bending (IPB) in the brace, out-of-plane bending (OPB) in the brace, axial compression in the chord, and IPB in the chord. The validity of the new SCF formulae was demonstrated by comparing the SCFs obtained using the formulae with the results of numerical analysis

A comprehensive classification of deep learning libraries

Deep Learning (DL) networks are composed of multiple processing layers that learn data representations with multiple levels of abstraction. In recent years, DL networks have significantly improved the state-of-the-art across different domains, including speech processing, text mining, pattern recognition, object detection, robotics and big data analytics. Generally, a researcher or practitioner who is planning to use DL networks for the first time faces difficulties in selecting suitable software tools. The present article provides a comprehensive list and taxonomy of current programming languages and software tools that can be utilized for implementation of DL networks. The motivation of this article is hence to create awareness among researchers, especially beginners, regarding the various languages and interfaces that are available to implement deep learning, and to provide a simplified ontological basis for selecting between them

MicroRNA100 Inhibits Self-Renewal of Breast Cancer Stem–like Cells and Breast Tumor Development

miRNAs are essential for self-renewal and differentiation of normal and malignant stem cells by regulating the expression of key stem cell regulatory genes. Here, we report evidence implicating the miR100 in self-renewal of cancer stem-like cells (CSC). We found that miR100 expression levels relate to the cellular differentiation state, with lowest expression in cells displaying stem cell markers. Utilizing a tetracycline-inducible lentivirus to elevate expression of miR100 in human cells, we found that increasing miR100 levels decreased the production of breast CSCs. This effect was correlated with an inhibition of cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in mouse tumor xenografts due to attenuated expression of the CSC regulatory genes SMARCA5, SMARCD1, and BMPR2. Furthermore, miR100 induction in breast CSCs immediately upon their orthotopic implantation or intracardiac injection completely blocked tumor growth and metastasis formation. Clinically, we observed a significant association between miR100 expression in breast cancer specimens and patient survival. Our results suggest that miR100 is required to direct CSC self-renewal and differentiation

Clinical significance of the detection of serum IgG4 and IgG4/IgG ratio in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy

To evaluate the clinical significance of detecting serum IgG4 and the IgG4/IgG ratio in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and to explore whether high serum IgG4 levels and the IgG4/IgG ratio are associated with the severity and activity of TAO, we retrospectively assessed the records of 78 TAO patients and 32 controls collected in our hospital from July 2020 to July 2022. The TAO patients were divided into TAO inactive and TAO active phase groups according to the clinical activity score (CAS), and we evaluated the association between the serum IgG4 levels, the IgG4/IgG ratio, and the clinical data of the participants. The levels of IgG4 significantly increased in the TAO active group compared to those in the inactive and control groups (P < 0.05). Additionally, the number of patients with increased IgG4 levels (≥135 mg/dL) in the TAO active group was markedly higher than that in the inactive and control groups (P < 0.05). The IgG4/IgG ratio was also significantly enhanced in the TAO active group compared to the inactive and control groups (P < 0.05). CAS was identified as an independent factor influencing IgG4 levels in patients with TAO. The levels of serum IgG4, as well as the IgG4/IgG ratio, were significantly increased in some patients with active TAO, and they were related to the CAS, suggesting that the pathogenesis of TAO may be heterogeneous

Formulation of stress concentration factors for concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) T-joints under axial force in the brace

CFST T-joints consisting of a concrete-filled circular chord and a circular hollow section brace have been used in CFST trussed arch bridges. The stress concentration factors (SCFs) of CFST T-joints have been found to be much lower than those of circular hollow section (CHS) T-joints in the existing researches. At present, no parametric formulae have been proposed for SCFs determination for fatigue design of CFST T-joints. In this study, three-dimensional finite element (FE) models of the existing experiments for CFST T-joints were developed to determine the SCFs distribution at the chord-brace intersection under axial force in the brace. After confirming the validity of the FE models by the comparison of calculated SCFs with existing experimental results, they were provided for the parametric analysis to reveal the influence of four non-dimensional parameters, i.e. diameter ratio (β), diameter to thickness ratio of chord (2γ), thickness ratio (τ) and relative chord length (α), on SCFs of CFST T-joints. In total, 212 FE models with different parameters were analyzed under tensile and compressive axial forces. Based on the results of parametric analysis, a series of parametric formulae to calculate the SCFs was proposed for CFST T-joints referring to those for CHS T-joints. The SCFs determined by the formulae showed good agreements with FE analysis results

Multiobjective-Based Decision-Making for the Optimization of an Urban Passenger Traffic System Structure

Urbanization has aggravated the conflict between continuously increasing urban travel demands and limited supply. Moreover, the inability to expand urban roads due to previous land planning and utilization has resulted in significant traffic congestion, traffic safety issues, and environmental problems. To address these problems, this work attempted to develop a multiobjective model to optimize the passenger traffic system while considering carbon emissions, transport costs, and resource utilization. In addition, the ideal point method and entropy weight method were combined to obtain the optimal solution. Based on the operational data on traffic modes and travel data on passengers in Harbin, the northern capital of China, the proposed method was used to solve the case in Harbin. The results show that the proportion of buses increased by 1.05%, that of subways increased by 36.60%, that of taxis decreased by 11.86%, and that of private cars decreased by 25.78% after optimization. Furthermore, the analyses of the results show that the optimized passenger traffic system structure can promote the sustainable development of urban transport and demonstrate the practicality of the proposed method for solving multiobjective optimization problems. Relative to the ideal point method and genetic algorithm, the proposed method is more applicable for optimizing the passenger traffic structure in Harbin. In addition, this study explored the sensitivity of the optimization goals to the four motorized modes. The results show that subways and private cars are the key areas to prioritize in adjusting the urban passenger traffic system structure. Based on the analysis results, recommendations for the development of transportation in Harbin are given. This study provides a reference for decision-makers to formulate policies for the urban sustainable development of Harbin as well as for transportation development in other cities

Extended Formulation of Stress Concentration Factors for CFST T-Joints

In previous research, the authors numerically investigated 212 finite-element (FE) models of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) T-joints under axial force in the brace to derive formulae for stress concentration factors (SCFs). The formulations involve four nondimensional parameters: diameter ratio β, diameter-to-thickness ratio of chord 2γ, thickness ratio τ, and relative chord length α. In the current study, the earlier formulation was extended to include four additional loading conditions: in-plane bending (IPB) in the brace, out-of-plane bending (OPB) in the brace, axial compression in the chord, and IPB in the chord. The validity of the new SCF formulae was demonstrated by comparing the SCFs obtained using the formulae with the results of numerical analysis