Response of piles subjected to progressive soil movement

Model tests were conducted to investigate the behavior of vertically loaded, free head piles undergoing lateral soil movement using an experimental apparatus developed in house. This paper presents ten new tests on an instrumented model pile in dry sand, which provide the profiles of bending moment, shear force and pile deflection along the pile, the development of maximum bending moment Mmax, maximum shear force Tmax, and pile deflection y0 at the ground surface with soil movement. The tests reveal the effects of axial load P (at pile head), the distance between the tested pile and source of free soil movement Sb, sliding depths, and angle of soil movement (via loading angle) on the pile response. For instance, the axial loading P leads to extra bending moment and deflection in the passive pile; the Mmax reduces with increase in Sb; and the Mmax is proportional to the angle of soil movement. The elastic solution by Guo and Qin [Guo, W. D., Qin, H. Y., 2010, Thrust and Bending Moment of Rigid Piles Subjected to Moving Soil, Can. Geotech. J., Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 180-196] was used to predict the development of Mmax and Tmax observed in the current tests, a boundary element analysis, and an in situ pile test, respectively. It provides satisfactory predictions for all cases against the measured data

Over-expression of an S-domain receptor-like kinase extracellular domain improves panicle architecture and grain yield in rice.

The S-domain receptor kinase (SRK) comprises a highly polymorphic subfamily of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) originally found to be involved in the self-incompatibility response in Brassica. Although several members have been identified to play roles in developmental control and disease responses, the correlation between SRKs and yield components in rice is still unclear. The utility of transgenic expression of a dominant negative form of SRK, OsLSK1 (Large spike S-domain receptor like Kinase 1), is reported here for the improvement of grain yield components in rice. OsLSK1 was highly expressed in nodes of rice and is a plasma membrane protein. The expression of OsLSK1 responded to the exogenous application of growth hormones, to abiotic stresses, and its extracellular domain could form homodimers or heterodimers with other related SRKs. Over-expression of a truncated version of OsLSK1 (including the extracellular and transmembrane domain of OsLSK1 without the intracellular kinase domain) increased plant height and improve yield components, including primary branches per panicle and grains per primary branch, resulting in about a 55.8% increase of the total grain yield per plot (10 plants). Transcriptional analysis indicated that several key genes involved in the GA biosynthetic and signalling pathway were up-regulated in transgenic plants. However, full-length cDNA over-expression and RNAi of OsLSK1 transgenic plants did not exhibit a detectable visual phenotype and possible reasons for this were discussed. These results indicate that OsLSK1 may act redundantly with its homologues to affect yield traits in rice and manipulation of OsLSK1 by the dominant negative method is a practicable strategy to improve grain yield in rice and other crops

Pressure-induced one-dimensional oxygen ion diffusion channel in lead-apatite

Recently, Lee et al. claimed that the experimental observation of room-temperature ambient-pressure superconductivity in a Cu-doped lead-apatite (Pb10-xCux(PO4)6O). The study revealed the Cu doping induces a chemical pressure, resulting in a structural contraction of one-dimensional Cu-O-Cu atomic column. This unique structure promotes a one-dimensional electronic conduction channel along the c-axis mediated by the O atoms, which may be related to superconductivity. These O atoms occupy 1/4 of the equivalent positions along the c-axis and exhibit a low diffusion activation energy of 0.8 eV, indicating the possibility of diffusion between these equivalent positions. Here, using machine-learning based deep potential, we predict the pressure-induced fast diffusion of 1/4-occupied O atoms along the one-dimensional channel in Pb10(PO4)6O at 500 K, while the frameworks of Pb triangles and PO4 tetrahedrons remain stable. The calculation results also indicate Cu doping can provide appropriate effective chemical pressure, indicating the one-dimensional ion diffusion channel may appear in Pb9Cu(PO4)6O, even at ambient pressure. Our finding shows that the one-dimensional ions diffusion channel may be an important factor to affects the fabrication and electrical measurement of doped lead-apatite.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure

Analysis of a high-pier railway bridge under spatial stochastic stationary and non-stationary earthquake excitations

Ciljevi ovoga rada su provesti komparativnu analizu velikog sustava željezničkog mosta na visokim stupovima izloženog stacionarnim i ne-stacionarnim prostorno promjenjivim uzbudama potresa primjenom metode pseudo-uzbude (pseudo-excitation method - PEM), te procijeniti može li se ili ne može ne-stacionarna stohastička analiza željezničkih mostova na visokim stupovima izloženih trosmjernim prostornim podzemnim gibanjima zamijeniti jednostavnijom stacionarnom slučajnom analizom kako bi se izbjegla prekomjerna računanja. Zasnovane na ANSYS softveru konačnih elemenata, analize stacionarnih i ne-stacionarnih stohastičkih uzbuda mosta na visokim stupovima pretvorile su se u harmonične analize i determinističke prijelazne analize u našem istraživanju, primjenom PEM-a. Učinak prolaza vala i učinak nekoherentnosti modelirani su kao ključni čimbenici, a ukupno je razmotreno dvanaest slučajeva u svrhu ispitivanja učinka prolaza vala i učinka nekoherentnosti na seizmičku reakciju željezničkog mosta na visokim stupovima izloženog stacionarnim i ne-stacionarnim uzbudana potresa. Rezultati pokazuju da je reakcija konstrukcije pod stacionarnom uzbudom veća nego kod ne-stacionarne uzimajući u obzir bilo učinak prolaza vala ili učinak nekoherencije. Kad se uspoređuju reakcije konstrukcije pod stacionarnom pobudom s onima kod ne-stacionarne, sve stope rasta su manje od 25 %, što je u tehnici prihvatljivo, a to znači da se ne-stacionarna stohastička analiza željezničkih mostova na visokim stupovima pri trosmjernim prostornim gibanjima u zemlji može pojednostavniti u stacionarnu analizu kako bi se izbjeglo prekomjerno računanje.The objectives of this paper are to perform a comparative analysis of the large-scale system of a high-pier railway bridge subjected to stationary and non-stationary spatially varying earthquake excitations using the pseudo-excitation method (PEM), and to estimate whether or not the non-stationary stochastic analysis of the high-pier railway bridges under tri-directional spatial ground motions can be simplified into a stationary random analysis to avoid excessive computation. Based on the finite element software ANSYS, the stationary and non-stationary stochastic excitations analyses of a high-pier bridge were transformed into harmonic analyses and deterministic transient analyses in the study, respectively, by using PEM. The wave-passage effect and the incoherence effect were modelled as the key factors, a total of twelve cases were considered to investigate the wave-passage effect and incoherence effect on the seismic response of a high-pier railway bridge under stationary and non-stationary earthquake excitations. Results show that structural responses under stationary excitation are larger than those under non-stationary by considering either the wave-passage effect or the incoherence effect. Through comparing structural responses under stationary excitation with those under non-stationary one, all the growth rates are less than 25 %, which is acceptable in engineering, meaning that a non-stationary stochastic analysis of high-pier railway bridges under tri-directional spatial ground motions can be simplified into a stationary analysis to avoid excessive computation

Hypoglycemic Properties of Oxovanadium (IV) Coordination Compounds with Carboxymethyl-Carrageenan and Carboxymethyl-Chitosan in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Mice

In order to avoid low absorption, incorporation, and undesirable side effects of inorganic oxovanadium compounds, the antidiabetic activities of organic oxovanadium (IV) compounds in alloxan-induced diabetic mice were investigated. Vanadyl carboxymethyl carrageenan (VOCCA) and vanadyl carboxymethyl chitosan (VOCCH) were synthesized and administrated through intragastric administration in different doses for 20 days in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Glibenclamide was administrated as the positive control. Our results showed that low-dose group, middle-dose group, and high-dose group of VOCCA and VOCCH could significantly reduce the levels of blood glucose (P < 0.05) compared with untreated group, but not in normal mice. Besides, high-dose groups of VOCCA and VOCCH exhibited more significant hypoglycemic activities (P < 0.01). After treated with VOCCH, the oral glucose tolerance of high-dose group of VOCCH was improved compared with model control group (P < 0.05)

Zero-Point Quantum Diffusion of Proton in Hydrogen-rich Superconductor LaH10LaH_{10}

$LaH_{10}$, as a member of hydrogen-rich superconductors, has a superconducting critical temperature of 250 K at high pressures, which exhibits the possibility of solving the long-term goal of room temperature superconductivity. Considering the extreme pressure and low mass of hydrogen, the nuclear quantum effects in $LaH_{10}$ should be significant and have an impact on its various physical properties. Here, we adopt the method combines deep-potential (DP) and quantum thermal bath (QTB), which was verified to be able to account for quantum effects in high-accuracy large-scale molecular dynamics simulations. Our method can actually reproduce pressure-temperature phase diagrams of $LaH_{10}$ consistent with experimental and theoretical results. After incorporating quantum effects, the quantum fluctuation driven diffusion of proton is found even in the absence of thermal fluctuation near 0 K. The high mobility of proton is found to be compared to liquid, yet the structure of $LaH_{10}$ is still rigid. These results would greatly enrich our vision to study quantum behavior of hydrogen-rich superconductors.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

A Novel Joint Gene Set Analysis Framework Improves Identification of Enriched Pathways in Cross Disease Transcriptomic Analysis

Motivation: Gene set enrichment analysis is a widely accepted expression analysis tool which aims at detecting coordinated expression change within a pre-defined gene sets rather than individual genes. The benefit of gene set analysis over individual differentially expressed (DE) gene analysis includes more reproducible and interpretable results and detecting small but consistent change among gene set which could not be detected by DE gene analysis. There have been many successful gene set analysis applications in human diseases. However, when the sample size of a disease study is small and no other public data sets of the same disease are available, it will lead to lack of power to detect pathways of importance to the disease.Results: We have developed a novel joint gene set analysis statistical framework which aims at improving the power of identifying enriched gene sets through integrating multiple similar disease data sets. Through comprehensive simulation studies, we demonstrated that our proposed frameworks obtained much better AUC scores than single data set analysis and another meta-analysis method in identification of enriched pathways. When applied to two real data sets, the proposed framework could retain the enriched gene sets identified by single data set analysis and exclusively obtained up to 200% more disease-related gene sets demonstrating the improved identification power through information shared between similar diseases. We expect that the proposed framework would enable researchers to better explore public data sets when the sample size of their study is limited

A neomorphic ossification connecting the braincase, squamosal, and quadrate in choristoderan reptiles: insights from µCT data

Choristoderes are extinct semi-aquatic to aquatic diapsid reptiles, occupying a similar niche as modern crocodilians from the Jurassic to the Miocene. Distinct from other diapsids, choristoderes have a neomorphic ossification between the braincase, squamosal, and quadrate. This neomorphic bone is described as thin and plate-like in long-snouted choristoderes (Neochoristodera), yet little is known about its presence and morphology in short-snouted non-neochoristoderes that are sister groups to Neochoristodera. Using X-ray micro-CT scanning, this study describes in detail the neomorph of two non-neochoristoderes, Coeruleodraco jurassicus and Philydrosaurus proseilus. The neomorph of both species is found between the parietal, quadrate, and squamosal. The shape of the neomorph resembles a pyramid in three-dimensions, with a triangular dorsal surface and a prominent ventral process. This confirms the neomorph is shared among early and late branching choristoderes; therefore, presence of the neomorph is a potential synapomorphy of Choristodera. In addition, the pterygoquadrate foramen is identified in non-neochoristoderes for the first time, located between the neomorph and quadrate in C. jurassicus. In the holotype of P. proseilus, the neomorph and quadrate were dislocated, but a possible pterygoquadrate foramen is identified between the two bones. Although the neomorph and pterygoquadrate foramen have been suggested to be homologous with the stapes and stapedial foramen in Champsosaurus, more evidences are required to confirm this homology in non-neochoristoderes, because 1) the neomorph is long and plate-like in neochoristoderes, but pyramid-shaped in non-neochoristoderes; 2) in Champsosaurus, the neomorph is situated lateral to the prootic and opisthotic; in C. jurassicus and P. proseilus, articulation between the neomorph and prootic (or opisthotic) cannot be confirmed due to damage to the braincase during preservation. To understand the origin of the neomorph, more intact specimens are needed to assess contact relationships between the neomorph and otic region in non-neochoristoderes

Drug–disease association prediction with literature based multi-feature fusion

Introduction: Exploring the potential efficacy of a drug is a valid approach for drug development with shorter development times and lower costs. Recently, several computational drug repositioning methods have been introduced to learn multi-features for potential association prediction. However, fully leveraging the vast amount of information in the scientific literature to enhance drug-disease association prediction is a great challenge.Methods: We constructed a drug-disease association prediction method called Literature Based Multi-Feature Fusion (LBMFF), which effectively integrated known drugs, diseases, side effects and target associations from public databases as well as literature semantic features. Specifically, a pre-training and fine-tuning BERT model was introduced to extract literature semantic information for similarity assessment. Then, we revealed drug and disease embeddings from the constructed fusion similarity matrix by a graph convolutional network with an attention mechanism.Results: LBMFF achieved superior performance in drug-disease association prediction with an AUC value of 0.8818 and an AUPR value of 0.5916.Discussion: LBMFF achieved relative improvements of 31.67% and 16.09%, respectively, over the second-best results, compared to single feature methods and seven existing state-of-the-art prediction methods on the same test datasets. Meanwhile, case studies have verified that LBMFF can discover new associations to accelerate drug development. The proposed benchmark dataset and source code are available at: https://github.com/kang-hongyu/LBMFF