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This article reports the elastoplastic and viscoelastic response of an industrially cured CAD/CAM resin-based composite (Brilliant Crios, Coltene) at different scales, spatial locations, aging conditions, and shading. Mechanical tests were performed at the macroscopic scale to investigate material strength, elastic modulus, fracture mechanisms and reliability. An instrumented indentation test (IIT) was performed at the microscopic level in a quasi-static mode to assess the elastic and plastic deformation upon indentation, either by mapping transverse areas of the CAD/CAM block or at randomly selected locations. A dynamic-mechanical analysis was then carried out, in which chewing-relevant frequencies were included (0.5 to 5 Hz). Characteristics measured at the nano- and micro-scale were more discriminative in identifying the impact of variables as those measured at macro scale. Anisotropy as a function of the spatial location was identified in all shades, with gradual variation in properties from the center of the block to peripheral locations. Depending on the scale of observation, differences in shade and translucency are very small or not statistically significant. The aging effect is classified as low, but measurable on all scales, with the same pattern of variation occurring in all shades. Aging affects plastic deformation more than elastic deformation and affects elastic deformation more than viscous deformation.

The effects of ultrasound (US) pretreatment on drying kinetics and quality attributes including phenols and ascorbic acid content, color parameters ( L *, a *, b *, ∆ E , BI , and H °), and rehydration kinetics of kiwifruit slices were investigated. Microstructure observations of raw and US pretreated samples were also performed. Results revealed that US pretreatment reduced drying time of kiwifruit slices by 16.67–25.00% compared with the untreated samples. Weibull distribution model could precisely fit the drying behavior of samples under different treatments ( R 2  > 0.99). US pretreatment had a positive effect on phenolic compounds preservation but had a negative influence on ascorbic acid and solid retention. The highest loss of ascorbic acid was 40.69% after US pretreatment and 87.71% after drying compared to the content of fresh ones. Color change of kiwifruit slices was mainly caused by drying. Page model adequately predicted the rehydration characteristics of dried samples under all conditions. Microstructure observations explained why US pretreatment increased the moisture diffusion ratio and reduced the rehydration time. The findings in current work indicate that although US pretreatment can enhance drying process, it is not an ideal method for kiwifruit slices due to high loss of water-soluble nutrients. Effects of ultrasound pretreatment on the drying characteristics, ascorbic acid, phenol compounds and microstructure of kiwifruit slices. Graphical Abstract

1. Dispersal is fundamental to ecological processes at all scales and levels of organization, but progress is limited by a lack of information about the general shape and form of plant dispersal kernels. We addressed this gap by synthesizing empirical data describing seed dispersal and fitting general dispersal kernels representing major plant types and dispersal modes. 2. A comprehensive literature search resulted in 107 papers describing 168 dispersal kernels for 144 vascular plant species. The data covered 63 families, all the continents except Antarctica, and the broad vegetation types of forest, grassland, shrubland and more open habitats (e.g. deserts). We classified kernels in terms of dispersal mode (ant, ballistic, rodent, vertebrates other than rodents, vehicle or wind), plant growth form (climber, graminoid, herb, shrub or tree), seed mass and plant height. 3. We fitted 11 widely used probability density functions to each of the 168 data sets to provide a statistical description of the dispersal kernel. The exponential power (ExP) and log-sech (LogS) functions performed best. Other 2-parameter functions varied in performance. For example, the log-normal and Weibull performed poorly, while the 2Dt and power law performed moderately well. Of the single-parameter functions, the Gaussian performed very poorly, while the exponential performed better. No function was among the best-fitting for all data sets. 4. For 10 plant growth form/dispersal mode combinations for which we had >3 data sets, we fitted ExP and LogS functions across multiple data sets to provide generalized dispersal kernels. We also fitted these functions to subdivisions of these growth form/dispersal mode combinations in terms of seed mass (for animal-dispersed seeds) or plant height (wind-dispersed) classes. These functions provided generally good fits to the grouped data sets, despite variation in empirical methods, local conditions, vegetation type and the exact dispersal process. 5. Synthesis. We synthesize the rich empirical information on seed dispersal distances to provide standardized dispersal kernels for 168 case studies and generalized kernels for plant growth form/dispersal mode combinations. Potential uses include the following: (i) choosing appropriate dispersal functions in mathematical models; (ii) selecting informative dispersal kernels for one's empirical study system; and (iii) using representative dispersal kernels in cross-taxon comparative studies.

s In this study, we proposed integrated tools to evaluate the wind power potential, economic viability, and prioritize 15 proposed sites for the installation of wind farms. Initially, we used modified Weibull distribution model coupled with power law to assess the wind power potential. Secondly, we employed value cost method to estimate per unit cost ($/kWh) of proposed sites. Lastly, we used Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (F-TOPSIS) to rank the best alternatives. The results indicate that Pakistan has enormous wind power potential that cost varies from 0.06 $/kWh to 0.58 $/kWh; thus, sites S12, S13, S14, and S15 are considered as the most economic viable locations for the installation of wind power project, while remaining sites are considered to be less important, due to other complexities. The further analysis using Fuzzy-TOPSIS method reveals that site S13 is the most optimal location followed by S12, S14, and S14 for the development of wind power project. We proposed that government should formulate wind power policy for the implementation of wind power projects in order to meet energy demand of the country.

Zinc oxide is densified to 97% by the cold sintering process using an aqueous zinc acetate solution as the secondary transport phase. The mechanical response of the cold-sintered zinc oxide ceramics is investigated through the ball-on-three-balls biaxial bending technique. The analysis demonstrates that ZnO cold-sintered samples follow a Weibull distribution with a characteristic strength (σ0 ~ 65 MPa) and Weibull modulus (m ~ 8). Phase purity and residual secondary phases were analyzed via X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. This report provides an initial demonstration of the mechanical properties of cold-sintered parts in the as-pressed and unmodified state and serves for comparison with conventionally prepared ceramics.

Modern technologies not only provide a variety of communication modes (e.g., texting, cell phone conversation, and online instant messaging), but also detailed electronic traces of these communications between individuals. These electronic traces indicate that the interactions occur in temporal bursts. Here, we study intercall duration of communications of the 100,000 most active cell phone users of a Chinese mobile phone operator. We confirm that the intercall durations follow a power-law distribution with an exponential cutoff at the population level but find differences when focusing on individual users. We apply statistical tests at the individual level and find that the intercall durations follow a power-law distribution for only 3,460 individuals (3.46%). The intercall durations for the majority (73.34%) follow a Weibull distribution. We quantify individual users using three measures: out-degree, percentage of outgoing calls, and communication diversity. We find that the cell phone users with a power-law duration distribution fall into three anomalous clusters: robot-based callers, telecom fraud, and telephone sales. This information is of interest to both academics and practitioners, mobile telecom operators in particular. In contrast, the individual users with a Weibull duration distribution form the fourth cluster of ordinary cell phone users. We also discover more information about the calling patterns of these four clusters (e.g., the probability that a user will call the c ᵣ-th most contact and the probability distribution of burst sizes). Our findings may enable a more detailed analysis of the huge body of data contained in the logs of massive users.

In this research, the Aristida adscensionis fibers (AAFs) were taken out from the plants and its fundamental properties anlayzed for the first time. The AAFs were characterized and compared with other natural fibers by the use of physico-chemical analysis and various characterization techniques such as FT-IR, XRD, NMR, TGA, SEM and AFM. Chemical analysis showed that A. adscensionis fibers have a high cellulose content of 70.78% whereas the contents of lignin and wax are equal to 8.91% and 2.26%, respectively. The FT-IR, XRD and NMR analysis confirmed that AAFs are rich in cellulose content with CI and CS equal to 58.9% and 11.5 nm, respectively. Pycnometer analysis allowed to estimate a density of 790 kg/m3. The TGA revealed that these fibers are thermally stable up to 250 °C while SEM and AFM analysis evidenced that the fiber surface was rough. The fiber diameter and tensile properties was analysed by Weibull distribution. The characterization results and Weibull distribution analysis for the A. adscensionis fibers are an agreement with other natural fibers reported in literature. So this new lignocellulosic material is suitable as reinforcing phase in composites for potential engineering semi-structural applications like roofing sheets, bricks, door panels, furniture panels, interior paneling, storage tanks, pipelines, etc.

Species abundance distributions (SADs) link species richness with species abundances and are an important tool in the quantitative analysis of ecological communities. Niche-based and sample-based SAD models predict different spatial scaling properties of SAD parameters. However, empirical research on SAD scaling properties is largely missing. Here we extracted percentage cover values of all occurring vascular plants as proxies of their abundance in 1725 10-m² plots from the GrassPlot database, covering 47 regional data sets of19 different grasslands and other open vegetation types of the Palaearctic biogeographic realm. For each plot, we fitted the Weibull distribution, a model that is able to effectively mimic other distributions like the log-series and lognormal, to the species–log abundance rank order distribution. We calculated the skewness and kurtosis of the empirical distributions and linked these moments, along with the shape and scale parameters of the Weibull distribution, to plot climatic and soil characteristics. The Weibull distribution provided excellent fits to grassland plant communities and identified four basic types of communities characterized by different degrees of dominance. Shape and scale parameter values of local communities on poorer soils were largely in accordance with log-series distributions. Proportions of subdominant species tended to be lower than predicted by the standard lognormal SAD. Successive accumulation of plots of the same vegetation type yielded nonlinear spatial scaling of SAD moments and Weibull parameters. This scaling was largely independent of environmental correlates and geographic plot position. Our findings caution against simple generalizations about the mechanisms that generate SADs. We argue that in grasslands, lognormal-type SADs tend to prevail within a wider range of environmental conditions, including more extreme habitats such as arid environments. In contrast, log-series distributions are mainly restricted to comparatively species-rich communities on humid and fertile soils.

The most notable microbial survival models of disinfection kinetics are the original and modified versions of the static Chick-Watson-Hom’s (CWH) initially developed for water chlorination. They can all be viewed as special cases of the Weibull survival model, where the observed static curve is the cumulative form (CDF) of the times at which the individual targeted microbes succumb to the treatment. The CWH model time’s exponent is the distribution’s shape factor, and its concentration-dependent rate parameter represents the distribution’s scale factor’s reciprocal. Theoretically, the concentration- dependence of the Weibull model’s rate parameter need not to be always in a form of a power-law relationship as the CWH model requires, and two possible alternatives are presented. Apart from being chemically reactive, most chemical disinfectants are also volatile, and their effective concentration rarely remains constant. However, the published dynamic versions of the original CWH model are mathematically incongruent with their static versions. The issue is nonexistent in the dynamic version of the Weibull or other distribution-based models, provided that the momentary inactivation rate is expressed as the static rate at the momentary concentration, at the time that corresponds to the momentary survival ratio. The resulting model is an ordinary differential equation (ODE) whose numerical solution can describe survival curves under realistic regular and irregular disinfectant dissipation patterns, as well as during the disinfectant dispersion and/or its replenishment.Key Points• The Chick-Watson-Home models are treated as special cases of the Weibull distribution.• Dynamic microbial survival curve described as ordinary differential equation solution.• Survival rate models of disinfectant dissipation and replenishment patterns presented.

According to the characteristics of the microscopic unit strength of rock with random distribution, the power function distribution, and the Weibull distribution which is widely used in the past as the distribution function of the strength of the rock. Based on the theory of rock damage and statistical strength theory, two damage constitutive models established under three different confining pressures are modified. Then, the damage constitutive modified model of two kinds of distribution is verified and compared with the existing three axis test data. The results show that: (1) In the stage of elastic deformation of rock, the two theoretical damage constitutive model curves are in high agreement with the three axis test curve; (2) The rock at the plastic stage (hardening and softening), damage constitutive model established by Weibull probability distribution and experimental curve fits better than the damage constitutive model established by power function distribution. Especially in high confining pressure, damage constitutive model based on Weibull distribution can well describe the rock deformation from brittle to ductile transition process and power function is not; (3) In the residual strength in rock, damage variable D of damage constitutive model based on power function distribution appeared more than 1, which is deviation from the actual one and damage constitutive model based on Weibull distribution is not deviating. To summarize, using Weibull distribution statistical probability model to describe the microscopic unit strength of rock is more reasonable.