Rockbursts, which mainly affect mining roadways, are dynamic disasters arising from the surrounding rock under high stress. Understanding the interaction between supports and the surrounding rock is necessary for effe...Rockbursts, which mainly affect mining roadways, are dynamic disasters arising from the surrounding rock under high stress. Understanding the interaction between supports and the surrounding rock is necessary for effective rockburst control. In this study, the squeezing behavior of the surrounding rock is analyzed in rockburst roadways, and a mechanical model of rockbursts is established considering the dynamic support stress, thus deriving formulas and providing characteristic curves for describing the interaction between the support and surrounding rock. Design principles and parameters of supports for rockburst control are proposed. The results show that only when the geostress magnitude exceeds a critical value can it drive the formation of rockburst conditions. The main factors influencing the convergence response and rockburst occurrence around roadways are geostress, rock brittleness, uniaxial compressive strength, and roadway excavation size. Roadway support devices can play a role in controlling rockburst by suppressing the squeezing evolution of the surrounding rock towards instability points of rockburst. Further, the higher the strength and the longer the impact stroke of support devices with constant resistance, the more easily multiple balance points can be formed with the surrounding rock to control rockburst occurrence. Supports with long impact stroke allow adaptation to varying geostress levels around the roadway, aiding in rockburst control. The results offer a quantitative method for designing support systems for rockburst-prone roadways. The design criterion of supports is determined by the intersection between the convergence curve of the surrounding rock and the squeezing deformation curve of the support devices.展开更多
Backfill is often employed in mining operations for ground support,with its positive impact on ground stability acknowledged in many underground mines.However,existing studies have predominantly focused only on the st...Backfill is often employed in mining operations for ground support,with its positive impact on ground stability acknowledged in many underground mines.However,existing studies have predominantly focused only on the stress development within the backfill material,leaving the influence of stope backfilling on stress distribution in surrounding rock mass and ground stability largely unexplored.Therefore,this paper presents numerical models in FLAC3D to investigate,for the first time,the time-dependent stress redistribution around a vertical backfilled stope and its implications on ground stability,considering the creep of surrounding rock mass.Using the Soft Soil constitutive model,the compressibility of backfill under large pressure was captured.It is found that the creep deformation of rock mass exercises compression on backfill and results in a less void ratio and increased modulus for fill material.The compacted backfill conversely influenced the stress distribution and ground stability of rock mass which was a combined effect of wall creep and compressibility of backfill.With the increase of time or/and creep deformation,the minimum principal stress in the rocks surrounding the backfilled stope increased towards the pre-mining stress state,while the deviatoric stress reduces leading to an increased factor of safety and improved ground stability.This improvement effect of backfill on ground stability increased with the increase of mine depth and stope height,while it is also more pronounced for the narrow stope,the backfill with a smaller compression index,and the soft rocks with a smaller viscosity coefficient.Furthermore,the results emphasize the importance of minimizing empty time and backfilling extracted stope as soon as possible for ground control.Reduction of filling gap height enhances the local stability around the roof of stope.展开更多
The CUG_CLMFM3D series comprises high-resolution three-dimensional lithospheric magnetic field models for China and its surroundings.The first version,CUG_CLMFM3Dv1,is a spherical cap harmonic model integrating the WD...The CUG_CLMFM3D series comprises high-resolution three-dimensional lithospheric magnetic field models for China and its surroundings.The first version,CUG_CLMFM3Dv1,is a spherical cap harmonic model integrating the WDMAMv2(World Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map version 2)global magnetic anomaly grid and nearly a decade of CHAMP(Challenging Minisatellite Payload for Geophysical Research and Application)satellite vector data.It achieves a~5.7 km resolution but has limitations:the WDMAMv2 grid lacks high-resolution data in the southern Xinjiang and Tibet regions,which leads to missing small-to medium-scale anomalies,and unfiltered CHAMP data introduce low-frequency conflicts with global spherical harmonic models.Above the altitude of 150 km,correlations with global models drop below 0.9.The second version,CUG_CLMFM3Dv2,addresses these issues by incorporating 5-km-resolution aeromagnetic data and rigorously processed satellite data from CHAMP,Swarm,CSES-1(China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite 1),and MSS-1(Macao Science Satellite 1).The comparison analysis shows that the CUG_CLMFM3Dv2 captures finer high-frequency details and more stable long-wavelength signals,offering improved magnetic anomaly maps for further geological and geophysical studies.展开更多
The stress gradient of surrounding rock and reasonable prestress of support are the keys to ensuring the stability of roadways.The elastic-plastic analytical solution for surrounding rock was derived based on unified ...The stress gradient of surrounding rock and reasonable prestress of support are the keys to ensuring the stability of roadways.The elastic-plastic analytical solution for surrounding rock was derived based on unified strength theory.A model for solving the stress gradient of the surrounding rock with the intermediate principal stress parameter b was established.The correctness and applicability of the solution for the stress gradient in the roadway surrounding rock was verified via multiple methods.Furthermore,the laws of stress,displacement,and the plastic zone of the surrounding rock with different b values and prestresses were revealed.As b increases,the stress gradient in the plastic zone increases,and the displacement and plastic zone radius decrease.As the prestress increases,the peak stress shifts toward the sidewalls,and the stress and stress gradient increments decrease.In addition,the displacement increment and plastic zone increment were proposed to characterize the support effect.The balance point of the plastic zone area appears before that of the displacement zone.The relationship between the stress gradient compensation coefficient and the prestress is obtained.This study provides a research method and idea for determining the reasonable prestress of support in roadways.展开更多
The shear characteristics of the interface formed between a cemented tailings backfill(CTB)and surrounding rocks play a cru-cial role in the design and stability of underground goafs.To investigate the shear behavior ...The shear characteristics of the interface formed between a cemented tailings backfill(CTB)and surrounding rocks play a cru-cial role in the design and stability of underground goafs.To investigate the shear behavior of CTB-rock interfaces,rock samples repres-enting the topography of surrounding rocks were constructed using 3D morphology scanning and engraving techniques.A series of direct shear tests were conducted on the CTB rock samples to examine the influence of the cement-tailings ratio on the interfacial shear behavi-or.The results showed that the compressive strength of the CTB and shear strength of the CTB-rock interface decreased with decreasing cement proportion.With deceasing cement content,the failure area of the CTB after the test increased,and the roughness of the newly generated interface reduced.A digital image correlation analysis revealed that the compressive stress concentration in the region with an obtuse angle with respect to the shear direction was the primary cause of CTB failure.Moreover,the correlation between the wear area and the silicon-dense area helped confirm that the silicon particles are more prone to failure in these areas than in other regions.Our find-ings provide new insights into the shear sliding mechanism at CTB-rock interfaces and can aid in the selection of the cement-tailings ra-tio at engineering sites.For example,if the horizontal principal stress of the surrounding rock mass in a backfilling area is relatively high,the cement content can be reduced for CTB applications.展开更多
Gas storage in abandoned mines is one way to reuse waste space resources.The surrounding rock of gas storage reservoirs in underground roadways undergoes damage and deformation under the cyclic loading of gas charging...Gas storage in abandoned mines is one way to reuse waste space resources.The surrounding rock of gas storage reservoirs in underground roadways undergoes damage and deformation under the cyclic loading of gas charging and discharging,which can pose a risk to the safety of the reservoirs.This study establishes a true triaxial numerical model of rock mass with the discrete element method(DEM)and explores the crack evolution of surrounding rock of underground gas storage during cyclic loading and unloading.Also,a damage evolution model in numerical analysis considering residual deformation is developed to explain the experimental results.As was revealed,cyclic loading and unloading resulted in fatigue damage in the specimen and caused strength deterioration of the specimen.During the loading process,the uniformly distributed force chains of the rock mass redistributed,evolving gradually to mostly transverse force chains.This contributed to the appearance of blank areas in the force chains when through cracks appear.The ratio of tensile cracks to shear cracks gradually decreases and finally stabilizes at 7:1.The damage evolution model considering residual strain can be mutually verified with the numerical simulation results.Based on the DEM model,it was found that there was a certain threshold of confining pressure.When the confining pressure exceeded 30 MPa,the deformation to ductility of sandstone samples began to accelerate,with a greater residual strength.This study provides a theoretical basis for analyzing the long-term mechanical behavior of surrounding rock of gas storage in abandoned mines.展开更多
The paper aims to study the impacts and countermeasures of climate change on animal husbandry in Qinghai plateau and its surrounding area,and evaluate the effect of countermeasures.Results showed that:First,the annua...The paper aims to study the impacts and countermeasures of climate change on animal husbandry in Qinghai plateau and its surrounding area,and evaluate the effect of countermeasures.Results showed that:First,the annual mean temperature,annual mean maximum temperature and annual mean minimum temperature showed an increasing trend in Qinghai plateau during the time from 1961 to 2008; the annual precipitation had not obvious change,but the obvious feature of seasonal change; wind speed and sunshine hours showed a decreasing trend during the time from 1961 to 2008.Secondly,under the current climate condition,grassland productivity showed a decreasing trend,and the grassland theoretical capacity affected by grassland productivity decreased too; warm winter was in favor of livestock overwintering safely,which resulted in a high level of the survival rate of young stock; temperature increasing and precipitation decreasing were beneficial to the fatness of livestock,but the meat yield of livestock was affected by some negative factors such as grassland degradation; livestock diseases had a close relationship with weather condition,and adverse weather condition may arose many diseases of livestock.Thirdly,in view of the current problems of livestock production,we took a series of countermeasures including grass industry construction,livestock improvement,developing new modes of animal husbandry,control and prevention of stockbreeding diseases and insect pests and recovery of meteorological disasters,which played a important role in promoting grassland productivity,solving the problem of the imbalances between livestock and forage,protecting the ecological environment and improving livestock performance.展开更多
Objective To observe the analgesic effect on herpes zoster treated by the comprehensive therapy of blocking, surrounding needling, pricking and cupping combined with bloodletting at Longyan (龙眼, Extra) acupoint. M...Objective To observe the analgesic effect on herpes zoster treated by the comprehensive therapy of blocking, surrounding needling, pricking and cupping combined with bloodletting at Longyan (龙眼, Extra) acupoint. Methods According to the random mumber table, 104 cases of herpes zoster were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 52 cases in each one. In the observation group, the blocking method was used at the starting site and the ending site of herpetic zone, the surrounding needling method was applied toward the center of the painful zone, with horizontal needling technique; and the local pricking and cupping methods as well as the bloodletting at Longyan (Extra) acupoint were adopted. In the control group, Jiáj (夹脊 EX-B 2) at the corresponding affected nerve segments and the local Ashi points were selected and stimulated with electroacupuncture. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was adopted to determine the analgesic effect 20 min, 1, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after treatment separately in each group. Results The onset time of analgesic effect in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group and the efficacy time of duration was longer than that in the control group (all P0.05). The analgesic effect and the result of comprehensive efficacy assessment were superior to those of the control group (both P0.05). Conclusion The comprehensive therapy of blocking, surrounding needling, pricking and cupping method combined with bloodletting at Longyan (Extra) achieves the significant analgesic effect on herpes zoster.展开更多
基于生物视觉的center-surround机制,提出一种用改进的LoG(Laplacian of Gaussian)算子检测光团目标的方法。首先明确了光团目标的成像模型,分析了LoG算子的性质及其响应,接着提出了归一化的LoG算子。理论上指出该算子可用于检测光团目...基于生物视觉的center-surround机制,提出一种用改进的LoG(Laplacian of Gaussian)算子检测光团目标的方法。首先明确了光团目标的成像模型,分析了LoG算子的性质及其响应,接着提出了归一化的LoG算子。理论上指出该算子可用于检测光团目标。仿真和实验证明:该算子可以用于检测图像中已知大小和未知大小的光团目标,并且实用性优于其他常规方法。结合Kalman滤波和粒子滤波,该算子还可以用于序列图像中单目标和刚体的跟踪。理论推导和实验结果表明,该方法是稳健和高效的。展开更多
In actual production,deep coal mine roadways are often under typical static-dynamic coupling stress(SDCS)conditions with high ground stress and strong dynamic disturbances.With the increasing number of disasters and a...In actual production,deep coal mine roadways are often under typical static-dynamic coupling stress(SDCS)conditions with high ground stress and strong dynamic disturbances.With the increasing number of disasters and accidents induced by SDCS conditions,the safe and efficient production of coal mines is seriously threatened.Therefore,it is of great practical significance to study the deformation and failure characteristics of the roadway surrounding rock under SDCS.In this paper,the effects of different in-situ stress fields and dynamic load conditions on the surrounding rock are studied by numerical simulations,and the deformation and failure characteristics are obtained.According to the simulation results,the horizontal stress,vertical stress and dynamic disturbance have a positive correlation with the plastic failure of the surrounding rock.Among these factors,the influence of the dynamic disturbance is the most substantial.Under the same stress conditions,the extents of deformation and plastic failure of the roof and ribs are always greater than those of the floor.The effect of horizontal stresses on the roadway deformation is more notable than that of vertical stresses.The results indicate that for the roadway under high-stress conditions,the in-situ stress test must be strengthened first.After determining the magnitude of the in-situ stress,the location of the roadway should be reasonably arranged in the design to optimize the mining sequence.For roadways that are strongly disturbed by dynamic loads,rock supports(rebar/cable bolts,steel set etc.)that are capable of maintaining their effectiveness without failure after certain dynamic loads are required.The results of this study contribute to understanding the characteristics of the roadway deformation and failure under SDCS,and can be used to provide a basis for the support design and optimization under similar geological and geotechnical circumstances.展开更多
The research analyzed social and economic development around Chao Lake as well as changes of water quality in Chao Lake and explored the relation- ships of local population and GDP with water chemical oxygen demand (...The research analyzed social and economic development around Chao Lake as well as changes of water quality in Chao Lake and explored the relation- ships of local population and GDP with water chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), chlorophyll and eutrophication index. The re- sults showed that population around Chao Lake and GDP kept growing from 2001 to 2013, and water quality was improving. In addition, correlation analysis indicated that except of water eutrophication, GDP and population showed inverse correlation with other indices, demonstrating that water quality has been effectively controlled in Chao Lake recently.展开更多
Engineering disasters occur frequently and violently with the increase in mining depth, which is mostly due to insufficient study on the failure mechanism of the deep rock mass. In this paper, theoretical and experime...Engineering disasters occur frequently and violently with the increase in mining depth, which is mostly due to insufficient study on the failure mechanism of the deep rock mass. In this paper, theoretical and experimental researches on the failure behaviors and deformation control of deep surrounding rock in recent years were reviewed. Macro/meso failure mechanism of deep rock or coal-rock combined body under different loading conditions have been systematically investigated. Stress gradient failure theory of surrounding rock, uniform strength support in the deep roadway, and the analogous hyperbola movement model of overlying strata were preliminary established and a combined grouting control technology for surface and underground was proposed. Abovementioned achievements are expected to offer theoretical bases and technical supports for the exploitation of China's deep mineral resources in the future.展开更多
On-site investigations consistently show that the rock burst inherent to coal seams varies greatly with coal seam thickness.In this study,impact factors related to coal seam thickness and surrounding rock strength wer...On-site investigations consistently show that the rock burst inherent to coal seams varies greatly with coal seam thickness.In this study,impact factors related to coal seam thickness and surrounding rock strength were analyzed and a corresponding rock burst risk assessment method was constructed.The model reflects the influence of coal seam thickness on the stress distribution of surrounding rock at the roadway.Based on the roadway excavation range,a stress distribution model of surrounding roadway rock is established and the influence of coal seam thickness on rock burst risk is analyzed accordingly.The proposed rock burst risk assessment method is based on the equivalent surrounding rock strength and coal seam bursting liability.The proposed method was tested in a 3500 mining area to find that it yields rock burst risk assessment results as per coal seam thickness that are in accordance with real-world conditions.The results presented here suggest that coal seam thickness is a crucial factor in effective rock burst risk assessment.展开更多
The occurrence of overlying coal pillar(OCP)exerts a strong effect on the stress and strain distribution of the surrounding rock in the stope.In this paper,the stress distribution characteristics are analyzed via the ...The occurrence of overlying coal pillar(OCP)exerts a strong effect on the stress and strain distribution of the surrounding rock in the stope.In this paper,the stress distribution characteristics are analyzed via the numerical calculation with the account of OCP presence or absence.In addition,this study revealed the joint effect of side pressure relief area of the goaf and stress concentration in OCP on the final stress distribution.Furthermore,the rules of abutment stress distribution affected by three influencing factors,namely horizontal-vertical distances between OCP and working face and buried depth of OCP,are analyzed.The functional model linking the peak stress of surrounding rock with the above influencing factors is developed.The field application of the above results proved that the rib spalling and deformation of a 2.95 m-high and 5.66 m-wide roadway could be efficiently controlled by rationally adjusting working states of the support,and adopting the hydraulic prop coordinated with the p type metal beam and anchor cable to strengthen the surrounding rock of working face and roadway,respectively.The proposed measures are considered appropriate to satisfy the safe operation requirements.展开更多
Gob-side entry driving can increase coal recovery ratio, and it is implied in many coal mines. Based on geological condition of 10416 working face tailentry in Yangliu Coal Mine, the surrounding rock deformation chara...Gob-side entry driving can increase coal recovery ratio, and it is implied in many coal mines. Based on geological condition of 10416 working face tailentry in Yangliu Coal Mine, the surrounding rock deformation characteristics of gob-side entry driving with narrow coal pillar is analysed, reasonable size of coal pillar and reasonable roadway excavation time after mining are achieved. Surrounding rock control technology and effective roadway side sealing technology are proposed and are taken into field practice. The results showed that a safer and more efficient mining of working face can be achieved. In addition, results of this paper also have important theoretical significance and valuable reference for surrounding rock control technology of gob-side entry driving with narrow coal pillar under special geological condition.展开更多
Effective surrounding rock control is a prerequisite for realizing safe mining in underground coal mines.In the past three decades, longwall top-coal caving mining(LTCC) and single pass large height longwall mining(SP...Effective surrounding rock control is a prerequisite for realizing safe mining in underground coal mines.In the past three decades, longwall top-coal caving mining(LTCC) and single pass large height longwall mining(SPLL) found expanded usage in extracting thick coal seams in China. The two mining methods lead to large void space left behind the working face, which increases the difficulty in ground control.Longwall face failure is a common problem in both LTCC and SPLL mining. Such failure is conventionally attributed to low strength and high fracture intensity of the coal seam. However, the stiffness of main components included in the surrounding rock system also greatly influences longwall face stability.Correspondingly, surrounding rock system is developed for LTCC and SPLL faces in this paper. The conditions for simultaneous balance of roof structure and longwall face are put forward by taking the stiffness of coal seam, roof strata and hydraulic support into account. The safety factor of the longwall face is defined as the ratio between the ultimate bearing capacity and actual load imposed on the coal wall.The influences provided by coal strength, coal stiffness, roof stiffness, and hydraulic support stiffness,as well as the movement of roof structure are analyzed. Finally, the key elements dominating longwall face stability are identified for improving surrounding rock control effectiveness in LTCC and SPLL faces.展开更多
To accommodate surrounding rock structure stability control problem in underground mining, we study the coupling effect principle between hydraulic support and surrounding rock, and develop a series of longwall mining...To accommodate surrounding rock structure stability control problem in underground mining, we study the coupling effect principle between hydraulic support and surrounding rock, and develop a series of longwall mining technology and equipment, which solves four common technical problems that significantly undermine coal mining safety, efficiency, and high recovery and extraction rates. Based on the coupling characteristic between mining-induced stress field and supporting stress field of hydraulic support, we identify six controllable factors in the application of hydraulic support to surrounding rock, and further reveal the relationship between hydraulic support and surrounding rock in terms of the strength, the stiffness, and the stability coupling. Our findings provide a plausible solution to the longwall mining technical problem with 6-8 m mining height. By analyzing the dynamic disequilibrium characteristics between hydraulic support and surrounding rock, we propose the intelligent top coal caving control method and the high-coal-recovery-rate tech- nology for fully mechanized caving faces. With the invention of this technology, China is likely to lead the world in terms of the fully mechanized top coal caving mining technology. We are also the first to employ the intelligent coupling technology between hydraulic support and surrounding rock, and automated mining mode, and supporting system coop- erative control with automatic organization. We develop the comprehensive multi-index intelligence adjusting height decision-making mechanism and three-dimensional navigation automatic adjusting straightness technology based on shearer cutting height memory association, cutting power parameters, vibration, and video information, leading to the first set of intelligent longwall mining technology and equipment for thin seam. Our innovation makes a solid contribution to the revolution of intelligence mining technology. With the innovative use of three-dimensional coupling control principle for surrounding rock, we successfully resolve the technological difficulties of longwall mining equipment and surrounding rock control for steep dipping seam, making a breakthrough of longwall mining technology with steep dipping seam.展开更多
To discuss the domino instability effect and large area roof falling and roof accidents of surrounding rockcoal pillars in a room-and-pillar gob,the equilibrium equation for a roof-coal pillar-floor system with the in...To discuss the domino instability effect and large area roof falling and roof accidents of surrounding rockcoal pillars in a room-and-pillar gob,the equilibrium equation for a roof-coal pillar-floor system with the influence of mining floor was developed based on the engineering conditions of the surrounding rock in a room-and-pillar gob in the 3^(-2)coal seam of Tanggonggou mine.The conditions of system instability and the relationship between system stability and system stiffness were analyzed from an energetic point of view.Numerical simulation using the discrete element software UDEC was also carried out to simulate conditions causing the domino effect on surrounding rock-coal pillars in a 3^(-2)room-and-pillar gob.The results show that:if we want the system to destabilize,the collective energy in roof-and-floor must be larger than that in the coal pillar.When the stiffness of the coal pillars and the roof-and-floor are both greater than zero,the system is stable.When the stiffness of the coal pillars is negative but the summed stiffness of the coal pillars and roof-and-floor is larger than or equal to zero,the system is statically destroyed.When the sum of the coal pillars and the roof-floor stiffness is negative,the system suffers from severe damages.For equal advance distances of the coal mining face,the wider coal pillars can reduce the probability of domino type instability.Conversely,the smaller width pillars can increase the instability probability.Domino type instability of surrounding rock-coal pillars is predicted to be unlikely when the width of coal pillars is not less than 8 m.展开更多
AIM: To investigate whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was over-expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or in surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues.METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed to inves...AIM: To investigate whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was over-expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or in surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues.METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed to investigate the expression of VEGF proteins in HCC tissues from 105 consecutive patients undergoing curative resection for HCC. The immunostaining results and related clinicopathologic materials were analyzed with statistical methods. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival curves, and Log-rank test was performed to compare differences in survival rates of the patients with positive HCC staining and negative VEGF.RESULTS: VEGF-positive expression was found in 72 of105 HCC patients (68.6%). Capsular infiltration (P= 0.005),vascular invasion (P = 0.035) and intrahepatic metastasis(P=0.008) were observed more frequently in patients with VEGF-positive expression than in those with VEGFnegative expression. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that VEGF-positive expression was associated with a shorter overall survival (P = 0.014). VEGF-positive expression was found in 47 of tissues 68 HCC (69.1%), and VEGF-positive expression was found in 54 of 68 surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues (79.4%). VEGF-positive expression was significantly higher in surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues than in HCC (P= 0.017).CONCLUSION: VEGF may play an important role in the angiogenesis and prognosis of HCC, as well as in the angiogenesis of liver cirrhosis.展开更多
A similar material model and a numerical simulation were constructed and are described herein. The deformation and failure of surrounding rock of broken and soft roadway are studied by using these models. The deformat...A similar material model and a numerical simulation were constructed and are described herein. The deformation and failure of surrounding rock of broken and soft roadway are studied by using these models. The deformation of the roof and floor, the relative deformation of the two sides and the deformation of the deep surrounding rock are predicted using the model. Measurements in a working mine are compared to the results of the models. The results show that the surrounding rock shows clear theological features under high stress conditions. Deformation is unequally distributed across the whole section. The surrounding rock exhibited three deformation stages: displacement caused by stress concentration, theological displacement after the digging effects had stabilized and displacement caused by supporting pressure of the roadway. Floor heave was serious, accounting for 65% of the total deformation of the roof and floor. Floor heave is the main reason for failure of the surrounding rock. The reasons for deformation of the surrounding rock are discussed based on the similar material and numerical simulations.展开更多
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52304133)the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2022YFC3004605)the Department of Science and Technology of Liaoning Province (No. 2023-BS-083)。
文摘Rockbursts, which mainly affect mining roadways, are dynamic disasters arising from the surrounding rock under high stress. Understanding the interaction between supports and the surrounding rock is necessary for effective rockburst control. In this study, the squeezing behavior of the surrounding rock is analyzed in rockburst roadways, and a mechanical model of rockbursts is established considering the dynamic support stress, thus deriving formulas and providing characteristic curves for describing the interaction between the support and surrounding rock. Design principles and parameters of supports for rockburst control are proposed. The results show that only when the geostress magnitude exceeds a critical value can it drive the formation of rockburst conditions. The main factors influencing the convergence response and rockburst occurrence around roadways are geostress, rock brittleness, uniaxial compressive strength, and roadway excavation size. Roadway support devices can play a role in controlling rockburst by suppressing the squeezing evolution of the surrounding rock towards instability points of rockburst. Further, the higher the strength and the longer the impact stroke of support devices with constant resistance, the more easily multiple balance points can be formed with the surrounding rock to control rockburst occurrence. Supports with long impact stroke allow adaptation to varying geostress levels around the roadway, aiding in rockburst control. The results offer a quantitative method for designing support systems for rockburst-prone roadways. The design criterion of supports is determined by the intersection between the convergence curve of the surrounding rock and the squeezing deformation curve of the support devices.
基金the funding support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52304101 and 52004206)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2023MD734215)。
文摘Backfill is often employed in mining operations for ground support,with its positive impact on ground stability acknowledged in many underground mines.However,existing studies have predominantly focused only on the stress development within the backfill material,leaving the influence of stope backfilling on stress distribution in surrounding rock mass and ground stability largely unexplored.Therefore,this paper presents numerical models in FLAC3D to investigate,for the first time,the time-dependent stress redistribution around a vertical backfilled stope and its implications on ground stability,considering the creep of surrounding rock mass.Using the Soft Soil constitutive model,the compressibility of backfill under large pressure was captured.It is found that the creep deformation of rock mass exercises compression on backfill and results in a less void ratio and increased modulus for fill material.The compacted backfill conversely influenced the stress distribution and ground stability of rock mass which was a combined effect of wall creep and compressibility of backfill.With the increase of time or/and creep deformation,the minimum principal stress in the rocks surrounding the backfilled stope increased towards the pre-mining stress state,while the deviatoric stress reduces leading to an increased factor of safety and improved ground stability.This improvement effect of backfill on ground stability increased with the increase of mine depth and stope height,while it is also more pronounced for the narrow stope,the backfill with a smaller compression index,and the soft rocks with a smaller viscosity coefficient.Furthermore,the results emphasize the importance of minimizing empty time and backfilling extracted stope as soon as possible for ground control.Reduction of filling gap height enhances the local stability around the roof of stope.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42250103,42174090,42250101,42250102,and 41774091)the Macao Foundation+1 种基金the Opening Fund of Key Laboratory of Geological Survey and Evaluation of Ministry of Education(Grant No.GLAB2023ZR02)the MOST Special Fund from the State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources(Grant No.MSFGPMR2022-4)。
文摘The CUG_CLMFM3D series comprises high-resolution three-dimensional lithospheric magnetic field models for China and its surroundings.The first version,CUG_CLMFM3Dv1,is a spherical cap harmonic model integrating the WDMAMv2(World Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map version 2)global magnetic anomaly grid and nearly a decade of CHAMP(Challenging Minisatellite Payload for Geophysical Research and Application)satellite vector data.It achieves a~5.7 km resolution but has limitations:the WDMAMv2 grid lacks high-resolution data in the southern Xinjiang and Tibet regions,which leads to missing small-to medium-scale anomalies,and unfiltered CHAMP data introduce low-frequency conflicts with global spherical harmonic models.Above the altitude of 150 km,correlations with global models drop below 0.9.The second version,CUG_CLMFM3Dv2,addresses these issues by incorporating 5-km-resolution aeromagnetic data and rigorously processed satellite data from CHAMP,Swarm,CSES-1(China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite 1),and MSS-1(Macao Science Satellite 1).The comparison analysis shows that the CUG_CLMFM3Dv2 captures finer high-frequency details and more stable long-wavelength signals,offering improved magnetic anomaly maps for further geological and geophysical studies.
基金Project(52274130)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(ZR2024ZD22)supported by the Major Basic Research Project of the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation,China+2 种基金Project(2023375)supported by the Guizhou University Research and Innovation Team,ChinaProject(Leading Fund(2023)09)supported by the Natural Science Research Fund of Guizhou University,ChinaProject(JYBSYS2021101)supported by the Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Safe and Effective Coal Mining,Ministry of Education,China。
文摘The stress gradient of surrounding rock and reasonable prestress of support are the keys to ensuring the stability of roadways.The elastic-plastic analytical solution for surrounding rock was derived based on unified strength theory.A model for solving the stress gradient of the surrounding rock with the intermediate principal stress parameter b was established.The correctness and applicability of the solution for the stress gradient in the roadway surrounding rock was verified via multiple methods.Furthermore,the laws of stress,displacement,and the plastic zone of the surrounding rock with different b values and prestresses were revealed.As b increases,the stress gradient in the plastic zone increases,and the displacement and plastic zone radius decrease.As the prestress increases,the peak stress shifts toward the sidewalls,and the stress and stress gradient increments decrease.In addition,the displacement increment and plastic zone increment were proposed to characterize the support effect.The balance point of the plastic zone area appears before that of the displacement zone.The relationship between the stress gradient compensation coefficient and the prestress is obtained.This study provides a research method and idea for determining the reasonable prestress of support in roadways.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52374153).
文摘The shear characteristics of the interface formed between a cemented tailings backfill(CTB)and surrounding rocks play a cru-cial role in the design and stability of underground goafs.To investigate the shear behavior of CTB-rock interfaces,rock samples repres-enting the topography of surrounding rocks were constructed using 3D morphology scanning and engraving techniques.A series of direct shear tests were conducted on the CTB rock samples to examine the influence of the cement-tailings ratio on the interfacial shear behavi-or.The results showed that the compressive strength of the CTB and shear strength of the CTB-rock interface decreased with decreasing cement proportion.With deceasing cement content,the failure area of the CTB after the test increased,and the roughness of the newly generated interface reduced.A digital image correlation analysis revealed that the compressive stress concentration in the region with an obtuse angle with respect to the shear direction was the primary cause of CTB failure.Moreover,the correlation between the wear area and the silicon-dense area helped confirm that the silicon particles are more prone to failure in these areas than in other regions.Our find-ings provide new insights into the shear sliding mechanism at CTB-rock interfaces and can aid in the selection of the cement-tailings ra-tio at engineering sites.For example,if the horizontal principal stress of the surrounding rock mass in a backfilling area is relatively high,the cement content can be reduced for CTB applications.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Numbers:U22A20598,52104107National Key Research and Development Program of China,Grant/Award Numbers:2023YFC2907300,2019YFE0118500,2019YFC1904304Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province,Grant/Award Number:BK20200634。
文摘Gas storage in abandoned mines is one way to reuse waste space resources.The surrounding rock of gas storage reservoirs in underground roadways undergoes damage and deformation under the cyclic loading of gas charging and discharging,which can pose a risk to the safety of the reservoirs.This study establishes a true triaxial numerical model of rock mass with the discrete element method(DEM)and explores the crack evolution of surrounding rock of underground gas storage during cyclic loading and unloading.Also,a damage evolution model in numerical analysis considering residual deformation is developed to explain the experimental results.As was revealed,cyclic loading and unloading resulted in fatigue damage in the specimen and caused strength deterioration of the specimen.During the loading process,the uniformly distributed force chains of the rock mass redistributed,evolving gradually to mostly transverse force chains.This contributed to the appearance of blank areas in the force chains when through cracks appear.The ratio of tensile cracks to shear cracks gradually decreases and finally stabilizes at 7:1.The damage evolution model considering residual strain can be mutually verified with the numerical simulation results.Based on the DEM model,it was found that there was a certain threshold of confining pressure.When the confining pressure exceeded 30 MPa,the deformation to ductility of sandstone samples began to accelerate,with a greater residual strength.This study provides a theoretical basis for analyzing the long-term mechanical behavior of surrounding rock of gas storage in abandoned mines.
文摘The paper aims to study the impacts and countermeasures of climate change on animal husbandry in Qinghai plateau and its surrounding area,and evaluate the effect of countermeasures.Results showed that:First,the annual mean temperature,annual mean maximum temperature and annual mean minimum temperature showed an increasing trend in Qinghai plateau during the time from 1961 to 2008; the annual precipitation had not obvious change,but the obvious feature of seasonal change; wind speed and sunshine hours showed a decreasing trend during the time from 1961 to 2008.Secondly,under the current climate condition,grassland productivity showed a decreasing trend,and the grassland theoretical capacity affected by grassland productivity decreased too; warm winter was in favor of livestock overwintering safely,which resulted in a high level of the survival rate of young stock; temperature increasing and precipitation decreasing were beneficial to the fatness of livestock,but the meat yield of livestock was affected by some negative factors such as grassland degradation; livestock diseases had a close relationship with weather condition,and adverse weather condition may arose many diseases of livestock.Thirdly,in view of the current problems of livestock production,we took a series of countermeasures including grass industry construction,livestock improvement,developing new modes of animal husbandry,control and prevention of stockbreeding diseases and insect pests and recovery of meteorological disasters,which played a important role in promoting grassland productivity,solving the problem of the imbalances between livestock and forage,protecting the ecological environment and improving livestock performance.
文摘Objective To observe the analgesic effect on herpes zoster treated by the comprehensive therapy of blocking, surrounding needling, pricking and cupping combined with bloodletting at Longyan (龙眼, Extra) acupoint. Methods According to the random mumber table, 104 cases of herpes zoster were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 52 cases in each one. In the observation group, the blocking method was used at the starting site and the ending site of herpetic zone, the surrounding needling method was applied toward the center of the painful zone, with horizontal needling technique; and the local pricking and cupping methods as well as the bloodletting at Longyan (Extra) acupoint were adopted. In the control group, Jiáj (夹脊 EX-B 2) at the corresponding affected nerve segments and the local Ashi points were selected and stimulated with electroacupuncture. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was adopted to determine the analgesic effect 20 min, 1, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after treatment separately in each group. Results The onset time of analgesic effect in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group and the efficacy time of duration was longer than that in the control group (all P0.05). The analgesic effect and the result of comprehensive efficacy assessment were superior to those of the control group (both P0.05). Conclusion The comprehensive therapy of blocking, surrounding needling, pricking and cupping method combined with bloodletting at Longyan (Extra) achieves the significant analgesic effect on herpes zoster.
文摘基于生物视觉的center-surround机制,提出一种用改进的LoG(Laplacian of Gaussian)算子检测光团目标的方法。首先明确了光团目标的成像模型,分析了LoG算子的性质及其响应,接着提出了归一化的LoG算子。理论上指出该算子可用于检测光团目标。仿真和实验证明:该算子可以用于检测图像中已知大小和未知大小的光团目标,并且实用性优于其他常规方法。结合Kalman滤波和粒子滤波,该算子还可以用于序列图像中单目标和刚体的跟踪。理论推导和实验结果表明,该方法是稳健和高效的。
基金Projects(52074166,51774195,51704185)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(2019M652436)supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation。
文摘In actual production,deep coal mine roadways are often under typical static-dynamic coupling stress(SDCS)conditions with high ground stress and strong dynamic disturbances.With the increasing number of disasters and accidents induced by SDCS conditions,the safe and efficient production of coal mines is seriously threatened.Therefore,it is of great practical significance to study the deformation and failure characteristics of the roadway surrounding rock under SDCS.In this paper,the effects of different in-situ stress fields and dynamic load conditions on the surrounding rock are studied by numerical simulations,and the deformation and failure characteristics are obtained.According to the simulation results,the horizontal stress,vertical stress and dynamic disturbance have a positive correlation with the plastic failure of the surrounding rock.Among these factors,the influence of the dynamic disturbance is the most substantial.Under the same stress conditions,the extents of deformation and plastic failure of the roof and ribs are always greater than those of the floor.The effect of horizontal stresses on the roadway deformation is more notable than that of vertical stresses.The results indicate that for the roadway under high-stress conditions,the in-situ stress test must be strengthened first.After determining the magnitude of the in-situ stress,the location of the roadway should be reasonably arranged in the design to optimize the mining sequence.For roadways that are strongly disturbed by dynamic loads,rock supports(rebar/cable bolts,steel set etc.)that are capable of maintaining their effectiveness without failure after certain dynamic loads are required.The results of this study contribute to understanding the characteristics of the roadway deformation and failure under SDCS,and can be used to provide a basis for the support design and optimization under similar geological and geotechnical circumstances.
基金Supported by Anhui Environmental Protection Scientific Research Program(2014-004)~~
文摘The research analyzed social and economic development around Chao Lake as well as changes of water quality in Chao Lake and explored the relation- ships of local population and GDP with water chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), chlorophyll and eutrophication index. The re- sults showed that population around Chao Lake and GDP kept growing from 2001 to 2013, and water quality was improving. In addition, correlation analysis indicated that except of water eutrophication, GDP and population showed inverse correlation with other indices, demonstrating that water quality has been effectively controlled in Chao Lake recently.
基金This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51622404, 11572343 and 41877257)the Yueqi outstanding scholar of CUMTB, Outstanding Young Talents of “Ten Thousand People Plan (W02070044)”Beijing Excellent Young Scientists.
文摘Engineering disasters occur frequently and violently with the increase in mining depth, which is mostly due to insufficient study on the failure mechanism of the deep rock mass. In this paper, theoretical and experimental researches on the failure behaviors and deformation control of deep surrounding rock in recent years were reviewed. Macro/meso failure mechanism of deep rock or coal-rock combined body under different loading conditions have been systematically investigated. Stress gradient failure theory of surrounding rock, uniform strength support in the deep roadway, and the analogous hyperbola movement model of overlying strata were preliminary established and a combined grouting control technology for surface and underground was proposed. Abovementioned achievements are expected to offer theoretical bases and technical supports for the exploitation of China's deep mineral resources in the future.
基金supported and financed from Special Funds for Basic Research Business Fees of China Academy of Safety Science and Technology(Nos.2016JBKY16,2017JBKY05)National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2017YFC0804603)Subject of Beijing Science and Technology Commission(No.Z171100002317008)
文摘On-site investigations consistently show that the rock burst inherent to coal seams varies greatly with coal seam thickness.In this study,impact factors related to coal seam thickness and surrounding rock strength were analyzed and a corresponding rock burst risk assessment method was constructed.The model reflects the influence of coal seam thickness on the stress distribution of surrounding rock at the roadway.Based on the roadway excavation range,a stress distribution model of surrounding roadway rock is established and the influence of coal seam thickness on rock burst risk is analyzed accordingly.The proposed rock burst risk assessment method is based on the equivalent surrounding rock strength and coal seam bursting liability.The proposed method was tested in a 3500 mining area to find that it yields rock burst risk assessment results as per coal seam thickness that are in accordance with real-world conditions.The results presented here suggest that coal seam thickness is a crucial factor in effective rock burst risk assessment.
基金supported by the Special Funding Projects of Sanjin Scholars” Supporting Plan (No. 2050205)the National Key Research Projects (No. 2016YFC0600701)Ordinary University Graduate Student Scientific Research Innovation Projects of Jiangsu Province of China (No. KYLX16_0564)
文摘The occurrence of overlying coal pillar(OCP)exerts a strong effect on the stress and strain distribution of the surrounding rock in the stope.In this paper,the stress distribution characteristics are analyzed via the numerical calculation with the account of OCP presence or absence.In addition,this study revealed the joint effect of side pressure relief area of the goaf and stress concentration in OCP on the final stress distribution.Furthermore,the rules of abutment stress distribution affected by three influencing factors,namely horizontal-vertical distances between OCP and working face and buried depth of OCP,are analyzed.The functional model linking the peak stress of surrounding rock with the above influencing factors is developed.The field application of the above results proved that the rib spalling and deformation of a 2.95 m-high and 5.66 m-wide roadway could be efficiently controlled by rationally adjusting working states of the support,and adopting the hydraulic prop coordinated with the p type metal beam and anchor cable to strengthen the surrounding rock of working face and roadway,respectively.The proposed measures are considered appropriate to satisfy the safe operation requirements.
基金Financial support for this work was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51474005,51004002)
文摘Gob-side entry driving can increase coal recovery ratio, and it is implied in many coal mines. Based on geological condition of 10416 working face tailentry in Yangliu Coal Mine, the surrounding rock deformation characteristics of gob-side entry driving with narrow coal pillar is analysed, reasonable size of coal pillar and reasonable roadway excavation time after mining are achieved. Surrounding rock control technology and effective roadway side sealing technology are proposed and are taken into field practice. The results showed that a safer and more efficient mining of working face can be achieved. In addition, results of this paper also have important theoretical significance and valuable reference for surrounding rock control technology of gob-side entry driving with narrow coal pillar under special geological condition.
基金sponsored by National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2017YFC0603002)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51974264)State Key Laboratory of Coal Resource and Safety Mining, China University of Mining & Technology (No. SKLCRSM18KF023)
文摘Effective surrounding rock control is a prerequisite for realizing safe mining in underground coal mines.In the past three decades, longwall top-coal caving mining(LTCC) and single pass large height longwall mining(SPLL) found expanded usage in extracting thick coal seams in China. The two mining methods lead to large void space left behind the working face, which increases the difficulty in ground control.Longwall face failure is a common problem in both LTCC and SPLL mining. Such failure is conventionally attributed to low strength and high fracture intensity of the coal seam. However, the stiffness of main components included in the surrounding rock system also greatly influences longwall face stability.Correspondingly, surrounding rock system is developed for LTCC and SPLL faces in this paper. The conditions for simultaneous balance of roof structure and longwall face are put forward by taking the stiffness of coal seam, roof strata and hydraulic support into account. The safety factor of the longwall face is defined as the ratio between the ultimate bearing capacity and actual load imposed on the coal wall.The influences provided by coal strength, coal stiffness, roof stiffness, and hydraulic support stiffness,as well as the movement of roof structure are analyzed. Finally, the key elements dominating longwall face stability are identified for improving surrounding rock control effectiveness in LTCC and SPLL faces.
文摘To accommodate surrounding rock structure stability control problem in underground mining, we study the coupling effect principle between hydraulic support and surrounding rock, and develop a series of longwall mining technology and equipment, which solves four common technical problems that significantly undermine coal mining safety, efficiency, and high recovery and extraction rates. Based on the coupling characteristic between mining-induced stress field and supporting stress field of hydraulic support, we identify six controllable factors in the application of hydraulic support to surrounding rock, and further reveal the relationship between hydraulic support and surrounding rock in terms of the strength, the stiffness, and the stability coupling. Our findings provide a plausible solution to the longwall mining technical problem with 6-8 m mining height. By analyzing the dynamic disequilibrium characteristics between hydraulic support and surrounding rock, we propose the intelligent top coal caving control method and the high-coal-recovery-rate tech- nology for fully mechanized caving faces. With the invention of this technology, China is likely to lead the world in terms of the fully mechanized top coal caving mining technology. We are also the first to employ the intelligent coupling technology between hydraulic support and surrounding rock, and automated mining mode, and supporting system coop- erative control with automatic organization. We develop the comprehensive multi-index intelligence adjusting height decision-making mechanism and three-dimensional navigation automatic adjusting straightness technology based on shearer cutting height memory association, cutting power parameters, vibration, and video information, leading to the first set of intelligent longwall mining technology and equipment for thin seam. Our innovation makes a solid contribution to the revolution of intelligence mining technology. With the innovative use of three-dimensional coupling control principle for surrounding rock, we successfully resolve the technological difficulties of longwall mining equipment and surrounding rock control for steep dipping seam, making a breakthrough of longwall mining technology with steep dipping seam.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation for Youth(No.51304200)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Project(No.2013M540477)+1 种基金the Superior Subject Construction Project of Universities in Jiangsu Province,the Independent Research Project of State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Mine Safety(No.SKLCRSM11X02)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51074163)
文摘To discuss the domino instability effect and large area roof falling and roof accidents of surrounding rockcoal pillars in a room-and-pillar gob,the equilibrium equation for a roof-coal pillar-floor system with the influence of mining floor was developed based on the engineering conditions of the surrounding rock in a room-and-pillar gob in the 3^(-2)coal seam of Tanggonggou mine.The conditions of system instability and the relationship between system stability and system stiffness were analyzed from an energetic point of view.Numerical simulation using the discrete element software UDEC was also carried out to simulate conditions causing the domino effect on surrounding rock-coal pillars in a 3^(-2)room-and-pillar gob.The results show that:if we want the system to destabilize,the collective energy in roof-and-floor must be larger than that in the coal pillar.When the stiffness of the coal pillars and the roof-and-floor are both greater than zero,the system is stable.When the stiffness of the coal pillars is negative but the summed stiffness of the coal pillars and roof-and-floor is larger than or equal to zero,the system is statically destroyed.When the sum of the coal pillars and the roof-floor stiffness is negative,the system suffers from severe damages.For equal advance distances of the coal mining face,the wider coal pillars can reduce the probability of domino type instability.Conversely,the smaller width pillars can increase the instability probability.Domino type instability of surrounding rock-coal pillars is predicted to be unlikely when the width of coal pillars is not less than 8 m.
基金Supported by the China Scholarship Council, No. 98915009
文摘AIM: To investigate whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was over-expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or in surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues.METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed to investigate the expression of VEGF proteins in HCC tissues from 105 consecutive patients undergoing curative resection for HCC. The immunostaining results and related clinicopathologic materials were analyzed with statistical methods. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival curves, and Log-rank test was performed to compare differences in survival rates of the patients with positive HCC staining and negative VEGF.RESULTS: VEGF-positive expression was found in 72 of105 HCC patients (68.6%). Capsular infiltration (P= 0.005),vascular invasion (P = 0.035) and intrahepatic metastasis(P=0.008) were observed more frequently in patients with VEGF-positive expression than in those with VEGFnegative expression. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that VEGF-positive expression was associated with a shorter overall survival (P = 0.014). VEGF-positive expression was found in 47 of tissues 68 HCC (69.1%), and VEGF-positive expression was found in 54 of 68 surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues (79.4%). VEGF-positive expression was significantly higher in surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues than in HCC (P= 0.017).CONCLUSION: VEGF may play an important role in the angiogenesis and prognosis of HCC, as well as in the angiogenesis of liver cirrhosis.
基金Project 40773040 supported by the National Basic Research Program of China
文摘A similar material model and a numerical simulation were constructed and are described herein. The deformation and failure of surrounding rock of broken and soft roadway are studied by using these models. The deformation of the roof and floor, the relative deformation of the two sides and the deformation of the deep surrounding rock are predicted using the model. Measurements in a working mine are compared to the results of the models. The results show that the surrounding rock shows clear theological features under high stress conditions. Deformation is unequally distributed across the whole section. The surrounding rock exhibited three deformation stages: displacement caused by stress concentration, theological displacement after the digging effects had stabilized and displacement caused by supporting pressure of the roadway. Floor heave was serious, accounting for 65% of the total deformation of the roof and floor. Floor heave is the main reason for failure of the surrounding rock. The reasons for deformation of the surrounding rock are discussed based on the similar material and numerical simulations.