Search

The River God cult held a significant place in state rituals in imperial China. While scholars have primarily focused on the evolution of the River God sacrificial system, with its interplay of the official granting of noble titles and popular beliefs, this paper offers a further examination of the River God cult. By reading the "Stele of the (Shrine) Temple for the River God honored as the Duke of Numinous Source" (hedushen lingyuangong cimiao bei 河瀆神靈源公祠廟碑), created in the Tang Dynasty, this study explores the interactive relationship between the River God cult and state power in the Hezhong 河中area during that time period. We contend that the traditional River God cult and the participation of both officials and civilians in common rituals throughout past dynasties not only created a concentration of historical memories and reverent emotions but also established a strong social foundation for belief in the River God within the Hezhong region. This cult attracted both state endorsement and popular support. Thus, Guo Ziyi 郭子儀 (697–781), a famous military general in the Tang Dynasty, sought to renovate a temple and erect a monument for the River God. This monument was to serve as a cultural symbol that would strengthen the connection between the state and the local community, and hence ease the social tensions in the Hezhong area after the An Lushan Rebellion. In sum, such a construction would enhance the psychological and cultural identity of the people with both the mandate of heaven and the Tang imperial authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expanded anchor cables have been widely used in the rapid development of underground engineering. However, there are still some deficiencies in the computation of the ultimate bearing capacity of expanded anchor cables. Based on the upper-bound theorem of limit analysis, the upper-bound solution of the ultimate bearing capacity of an expanded anchor cable was derived. For this calculation, the instability mechanism of the soil at the front surface of the anchorage segment of the expanded anchor cable was assumed to satisfy the logarithmic spiral failure model, its 3D velocity discontinuity surface was generated using the spatial discretization technique, and the optimal solution was determined through the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The breakage mechanism of the anchorage side surface was assumed to appear at the interface between the anchorage body and the soil, and its velocity field satisfied the requirements of the associated flow rule. The accuracy of the proposed analytical solution was well-verified through a comparison with three-dimensional numerical simulations, and its superiority was also well-demonstrated in comparison to the existing theoretical calculation method. Subsequently, the influence of the key parameters of the anchor cable on the ultimate lateral resistance, end resistance, and total pullout capacity was discussed. The results showed that: the anchorage segment diameter, anchorage segment length, and buried depth of the expanded anchor cable had a great influence on the ultimate lateral resistance, ultimate end resistance, and total ultimate pullout capacity; however, the anchorage segment length had little influence on the ultimate end resistance, and the inclination angle of the anchor cable had relatively little influence on the resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheel-rail interaction in the curved track is a complex dynamic problem. It is important to make a model to research the dynamic characteristics of a curved railway track subjected to harmonic moving loads. The discretely supported curved Euler beam is used to simulate dynamic response of the curved track which is part of the circular structure whose cyclic length is the spacing of fasteners. Based on the dynamic characteristics of the periodic structure subjected to harmonic moving loads, the dynamic responses of a curved track can be solved within one basic element of the track. The analytical solutions of out-of-plane vibrations of a curved beam can be obtained by solving a system of linear equations with eight unknowns in the frequency domain. Several conclusions are obtained as follows. The significant frequency band of the dynamic responses of a curved beam is located around the load excitation frequency. With the increasing velocity of loads, the responses within a narrow band around the excitation frequency will be reduced, but responses of other frequencies will increase significantly. On both sides of the load excitation frequency, there are parametric excitations with a certain frequency spacing. With the increase of the load velocity, the maximum peak value of the track responses in time history caused by harmonic moving loads varies little, but the responses time will be shorter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The quaternary lidocaine derivative (QX-314) in combination with bupivacaine can produce long-lasting nerve blocks in vivo, indicating potential clinical application. The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy, safety, and the optimal formulation of this combination. Methods: QX-314 and bupivacaine at different concentration ratios were injected in the vicinity of the sciatic nerve in rats; bupivacaine and saline served as controls (n = 6~10). Rats were inspected for durations of effective sensory and motor nerve blocks, systemic adverse effects, and histological changes of local tissues. Mathematical models were established to reveal drug-interaction, concentration-effect relationships, and the optimal ratio of QX-314 to bupivacaine. Results: 0.2~1.5% QX-314 with 0.03~0.5% bupivacaine produced 5.8~23.8 h of effective nerve block; while 0.5% bupivacaine alone was effective for 4 h. No systemic side effects were observed; local tissue reactions were similar to those caused by 0.5% bupivacaine if QX-314 were used < 1.2%. The weighted modification model was successfully established, which revealed that QX-314 was the main active ingredient while bupivacaine was the synergist. The formulation, 0.9% QX-314 plus 0.5% bupivacaine, resulted in 10.1 ± 0.8 h of effective sensory and motor nerve blocks. Conclusion: The combination of QX-314 and bupivacaine facilitated prolonged sciatic nerve block in rats with a satisfactory safety profile, maximizing the duration of nerve block without clinically important systemic and local tissue toxicity. It may emerge as an alternative approach to post-operative pain treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]