Unique stick-slip crack dynamics of double-network hydrogels under pure-shear loading.

In this work, we have found that a prenotched double-network (DN) hydrogel, when subjected to tensile loading in a pure-shear geometry, exhibits intriguing stick-slip crack dynamics. These dynamics synchronize with the oscillation of the damage (yielding) zone at the crack tip. Through manipulation of the loading rate and the predamage level of the brittle network in DN gels, we have clarified that this phenomenon stems from the significant amount of energy dissipation required to form the damage zone at the crack tip, as well as a kinetic contrast between the rapid crack extension through the yielding zone (slip process) and the slow formation of a new yielding zone controlled by the external loading rate (stick process).

Fault roughness controls injection-induced seismicity.

Surface roughness ubiquitously prevails in natural faults across various length scales. Despite extensive studies highlighting the important role of fault geometry in the dynamics of tectonic earthquakes, whether and how fault roughness affects fluid-induced seismicity remains elusive. Here, we investigate the effects of fault geometry and stress heterogeneity on fluid-induced fault slip and associated seismicity characteristics using laboratory experiments and numerical modeling. We perform fluid injection experiments on quartz-rich sandstone samples containing either a smooth or a rough fault. We find that geometrical roughness slows down injection-induced fault slip and reduces macroscopic slip velocities and fault slip-weakening rates. Stress heterogeneity and roughness control hypocenter distribution, frequency-magnitude characteristics, and source mechanisms of injection-induced acoustic emissions (AEs) (analogous to natural seismicity). In contrast to smooth faults where injection-induced AEs are uniformly distributed, slip on rough faults produces spatially localized AEs with pronounced non-double-couple source mechanisms. We demonstrate that these clustered AEs occur around highly stressed asperities where induced local slip rates are higher, accompanied by lower Gutenberg-Richter b-values. Our findings suggest that real-time monitoring of induced microseismicity during fluid injection may allow identifying progressive localization of seismic activity and improve forecasting of runaway events.

Stress-dependent activation entropy in thermally activated cross-slip of dislocations.

Cross-slip of screw dislocations in crystalline solids is a stress-driven thermally activated process essential to many phenomena during plastic deformation, including dislocation pattern formation, strain hardening, and dynamic recovery. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation has played an important role in determining the microscopic mechanisms of cross-slip. However, due to its limited timescale, MD can only predict cross-slip rates in high-stress or high-temperature conditions. The transition state theory can predict the cross-slip rate over a broad range of stress and temperature conditions, but its predictions have been found to be several orders of magnitude too low in comparison to MD results. This discrepancy can be expressed as an anomalously large activation entropy whose physical origin remains unclear. Here, we resolve this discrepancy by showing that the large activation entropy results from anharmonic effects, including thermal softening, thermal expansion, and soft vibrational modes of the dislocation. We expect these anharmonic effects to be significant in a wide range of stress-driven thermally activated processes in solids.

The dynamics of unsteady frictional slip pulses.

Self-healing slip pulses are major spatiotemporal failure modes of frictional systems, featuring a characteristic size [Formula: see text] and a propagation velocity [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] is time). Here, we develop a theory of slip pulses in realistic rate- and state-dependent frictional systems. We show that slip pulses are intrinsically unsteady objects-in agreement with previous findings-yet their dynamical evolution is closely related to their unstable steady-state counterparts. In particular, we show that each point along the time-independent [Formula: see text] line, obtained from a family of steady-state pulse solutions parameterized by the driving shear stress [Formula: see text], is unstable. Nevertheless, and remarkably, the [Formula: see text] line is a dynamic attractor such that the unsteady dynamics of slip pulses (when they exist)-whether growing ([Formula: see text]) or decaying ([Formula: see text])-reside on the steady-state line. The unsteady dynamics along the line are controlled by a single slow unstable mode. The slow dynamics of growing pulses, manifested by [Formula: see text], explain the existence of sustained pulses, i.e., pulses that propagate many times their characteristic size without appreciably changing their properties. Our theoretical picture of unsteady frictional slip pulses is quantitatively supported by large-scale, dynamic boundary-integral method simulations.

High time-resolved studies of stick-slip show similar dilatancy to fast and slow earthquakes.

Fast and slow earthquakes are two modes of energy release by the slip in tectonic fault rupture. Although fast and slow slips were observed in the laboratory stick-slip experiments, due to the sampling rate limitation, the details of the fault thickness variation were poorly understood. Especially, why a single fault would show different modes of slip remains elusive. Herein, we report on ring shear experiments with an ultrahigh sampling rate (10 MHz) that illuminate the different physical processes between fast and slow slip events. We show that the duration of slips ranged from dozens to hundreds of milliseconds. Fast slip events are characterized by continuous large-amplitude AE (acoustic emission) and somewhat intricate variation of the sample thickness: A short compaction pulse during the rapid release of stress is followed by dilation and vibrations of the sample thickness. As the slip ends, the thickness of the sample first recovers by slow compaction and then dilates again before nucleation of the following slip event. In contrast, during slow slip events, the shear stress reduction is accompanied by intermittent bursts of low-amplitude AE and sample dilation. We observed the detailed thickness variation during slips and found that dilation occurs during both fast and slow slips, which is consistent with natural observations of coseismic dilatation. This study may be used to reveal the mechanism of fault slips during fast and slow earthquakes, which explain the potential effect of fast and slow slips on stress redistribution and structural rearrangement in faults.

Ice friction at the nanoscale.

The origin of ice slipperiness has been a matter of great controversy for more than a century, but an atomistic understanding of ice friction is still lacking. Here, we perform computer simulations of an atomically smooth substrate sliding on ice. In a large temperature range between 230 and 266 K, hydrophobic sliders exhibit a premelting layer similar to that found at the ice/air interface. On the contrary, hydrophilic sliders show larger premelting and a strong increase of the first adsorption layer. The nonequilibrium simulations show that premelting films of barely one-nanometer thickness are sufficient to provide a lubricating quasi-liquid layer with rheological properties similar to bulk undercooled water. Upon shearing, the films display a pattern consistent with lubricating Couette flow, but the boundary conditions at the wall vary strongly with the substrate's interactions. Hydrophobic walls exhibit large slip, while hydrophilic walls obey stick boundary conditions with small negative slip. By compressing ice above atmospheric pressure, the lubricating layer grows continuously, and the rheological properties approach bulk-like behavior. Below 260 K, the equilibrium premelting films decrease significantly. However, a very large slip persists on the hydrophobic walls, while the increased friction on hydrophilic walls is sufficient to melt ice and create a lubrication layer in a few nanoseconds. Our results show that the atomic-scale frictional behavior of ice is a combination of spontaneous premelting, pressure melting, and frictional heating.

Updated concepts of seismic gaps and asperities to assess great earthquake hazard along South America.

So far in this century, six very large-magnitude earthquakes (MW ≥ 7.8) have ruptured separate portions of the subduction zone plate boundary of western South America along Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. Each source region had last experienced a very large earthquake from 74 to 261 y earlier. This history led to their designation in advance as seismic gaps with potential to host future large earthquakes. Deployments of geodetic and seismic monitoring instruments in several of the seismic gaps enhanced resolution of the subsequent faulting processes, revealing preevent patterns of geodetic slip deficit accumulation and heterogeneous coseismic slip on the megathrust fault. Localized regions of large slip, or asperities, appear to have influenced variability in how each source region ruptured relative to prior events, as repeated ruptures have had similar, but not identical slip distributions. We consider updated perspectives of seismic gaps, asperities, and geodetic locking to assess current very large earthquake hazard along the South American subduction zone, noting regions of particular concern in northern Ecuador and Colombia (1958/1906 rupture zone), southeastern Peru (southeasternmost 1868 rupture zone), north Chile (1877 rupture zone), and north-central Chile (1922 rupture zone) that have large geodetic slip deficit measurements and long intervals (from 64 to 154 y) since prior large events have struck those regions. Expanded geophysical measurements onshore and offshore in these seismic gaps may provide critical information about the strain cycle and fault stress buildup late in the seismic cycle in advance of the future great earthquakes that will eventually strike each region.

Noninvasive Readout of the Kinetic Inductance of Superconducting Nanostructures.

The energy landscape of multiply connected superconducting structures is ruled by fluxoid quantization due to the implied single-valuedness of the complex wave function. The transitions and interaction between these energy states, each defined by a specific phase winding number, are governed by classical and/or quantum phase slips. Understanding these events requires the ability to probe, noninvasively, the state of the ring. Here, we employ a niobium resonator to examine the superconducting properties of an aluminum loop. By applying a magnetic field, adjusting temperature, and altering the loop's dimensions via focused ion beam milling, we correlate resonance frequency shifts with changes in the loop's kinetic inductance. This parameter is an indicator of the superconducting condensate's state, facilitating the detection of phase slips in nanodevices and providing insights into their dynamics. Our method presents a proof-of-principle spectroscopic technique with promising potential for investigating Cooper pair density in inductively coupled superconducting nanostructures.

Role of arm reaching movement kinematics in friction perception at initial contact with smooth surfaces.

When manipulating objects, humans begin adjusting their grip force to friction within 100 ms of contact. During motor adaptation, subjects become aware of the slipperiness of touched surfaces. Previously, we have demonstrated that humans cannot perceive frictional differences when surfaces are brought in contact with an immobilised finger, but can do so when there is submillimeter lateral displacement or subjects actively make the contact movement. Similarly, in, we investigated how humans perceive friction in the absence of intentional exploratory sliding or rubbing movements, to mimic object manipulation interactions. We used a two-alternative forced-choice paradigm in which subjects had to reach and touch one surface followed by another, and then indicate which felt more slippery. Subjects correctly identified the more slippery surface in 87 ± 8% of cases (mean ± SD; n = 12). Biomechanical analysis of finger pad skin displacement patterns revealed the presence of tiny (<1 mm) localised slips, known to be sufficient to perceive frictional differences. We tested whether these skin movements arise as a result of natural hand reaching kinematics. The task was repeated with the introduction of a hand support, eliminating the hand reaching movement and minimising fingertip movement deviations from a straight path. As a result, our subjects' performance significantly declined (66 ± 12% correct, mean ± SD; n = 12), suggesting that unrestricted reaching movement kinematics and factors such as physiological tremor, play a crucial role in enhancing or enabling friction perception upon initial contact. KEY POINTS: More slippery objects require a stronger grip to prevent them from slipping out of hands. Grip force adjustments to friction driven by tactile sensory signals are largely automatic and do not necessitate cognitive involvement; nevertheless, some associated awareness of grip surface slipperiness under such sensory conditions is present and helps to select a safe and appropriate movement plan. When gripping an object, tactile receptors provide frictional information without intentional rubbing or sliding fingers over the surface. However, we have discovered that submillimeter range lateral displacement might be required to enhance or enable friction sensing. The present study provides evidence that such small lateral movements causing localised partial slips arise and are an inherent part of natural reaching movement kinematics.

Ballet practice improves neuromuscular and biomechanical responses to an unexpected standing-slip in older adults.

Falls and fall-induced injuries are common and consequential in older adults. Ballet emphasizes full-body coordination, leg strength, and postural control. However, it remains unknown whether ballet can indeed reduce falls in older adults. This study examined biomechanical and neuromuscular responses of older recreational ballet dancers to an unexpected standing-slip. Twenty older ballet dancers (17 females, 3 males) and 23 age- and sex-matched nondancers (19 females, 4 males) were exposed to an unexpected slip during treadmill standing. The slip-faller rate was the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes were kinematic measurements, including dynamic gait stability, slip distance, and recovery stepping performance (step latency, duration, length, and speed). The tertiary outcome was the electromyography latency of leg muscles (bilateral tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius, rectus femoris, and biceps femoris). Fewer dancers fell than nondancers after the standing-slip (45% vs. 83%, P = 0.005, d = 0.970). Dancers displayed better stability at recovery foot liftoff (P = 0.006) and touchdown (P = 0.012), a shorter step latency (P = 0.020), shorter step duration (P = 0.011), faster step speed (P = 0.032), and shorter slip distance (P = 0.015) than nondancers. They also exhibited shorter latencies than nondancers for the standing leg rectus femoris (P = 0.028) and tibialis anterior (P = 0.002), and the stepping leg biceps femoris (P = 0.031), tibialis anterior (P = 0.017), and medial gastrocnemius (P = 0.030). The results suggest that older ballet dancers experience a lower fall risk and are more stable than nondancers following an unexpected standing-slip. The greater stability among dancers could be attributed to more biomechanically effective recovery stepping, possibly associated with the ballet-induced neuromuscular benefit-an earlier leg muscle activation.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to examine how older ballet dancers respond to an unexpected external slip perturbation while standing. The results suggest that older ballet dancers experience a reduced fall risk after the slip than their nondancer counterparts. The lower fall risk can be accounted for by dancers' quicker neuromuscular reactions to the slip that result in a more effective recovery step and thus higher stability against backward falls due to the slip.

MR elastography-based slip interface imaging (SII) for functional assessment of myofascial interfaces: A feasibility study.

PURPOSE: Abnormal adherence at functional myofascial interfaces is hypothesized as an important phenomenon in myofascial pain syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of MR elastography (MRE)-based slip interface imaging (SII) to visualize and assess myofascial mobility in healthy volunteers. METHODS: SII was used to assess local shear strain at functional myofascial interfaces in the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) and thighs. In the FDP, MRE was performed at 90 Hz vibration to each index, middle, ring, and little finger. Two thigh MRE scans were performed at 40 Hz with knees flexed and extended. The normalized octahedral shear strain (NOSS) maps were calculated to visualize myofascial slip interfaces. The entropy of the probability distribution of the gradient NOSS was computed for the two knee positions at the intermuscular interface between vastus lateralis and vastus intermedius, around rectus femoris, and between vastus intermedius and vastus medialis. RESULTS: NOSS map depicted distinct functional slip interfaces in the FDP for each finger. Compared to knee flexion, clearer slip interfaces and larger gradient NOSS entropy at the vastus lateralis-vastus intermedius interface were observed during knee extension, where the quadriceps are not passively stretched. This suggests the optimal position for using SII to visualize myofascial slip interface in skeletal muscles is when muscles are not subjected to any additional force. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated that MRE-based SII can visualize and assess myofascial interface mobility in extremities. The results provide a foundation for investigating the hypothesis that myofascial pain syndrome is characterized by changes in the mobility of myofascial interfaces.

Electromagnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) flow of Jeffrey fluid through a rough circular microchannel with surface charge-dependent slip.

This research examines the electromagnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) flow of Jeffrey fluid in a rough circular microchannel while considering the effect of surface charge on slip. The channel wall corrugations are described as periodic sinusoidal waves with small amplitudes. The perturbation method is employed to derive solutions for velocity and volumetric flow rate, and a combination of three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) graphical representations is utilized to effectively illustrate the impacts of relevant parameters on them. The significance of the Reynolds number R e $Re$ in investigations of EMHD flow is particularly emphasized. Furthermore, the effect of wall roughness ε $\varepsilon $ and wave number k $k$ on velocity and the influence of wall roughness ε $\varepsilon $ and surface charge density σ s ${\sigma }_s$ on volumetric flow rate are primarily focused on, respectively, at various Reynolds numbers. The results suggest that increasing the wall roughness leads to a reduction in velocity at low Reynolds numbers ( R e = 1 $Re = 1$ ) and an increment at high Reynolds numbers ( R e = 10 $Re = 10$ ). For any Reynolds number, a roughness with an odd multiple of wave number ( k = 6 , 10 $k = 6,10$ ) will result in a more stable velocity profile compared to one with an even multiple of wave number ( k = 4 , 8 $k = 4,8$ ). Decreasing the relaxation time λ ¯ 1 ${\bar{\lambda }}_1$ while increasing the retardation time λ ¯ 2 ${\bar{\lambda }}_2$ and Hartmann number H a $Ha$ can diminish the impact of wall roughness ε $\varepsilon $ and surface charge density σ s ${\sigma }_s$ on volumetric flow rate, independent of the Reynolds number. Interestingly, in the existence of wall roughness, further consideration of the effect of surface charge on slip leads to a 15% drop in volumetric flow rate at R e = 1 $Re = 1$ and a 32% slippage at R e = 10 $Re = 10$ . However, in the condition where the effect of surface charge on slip is considered, further examination of the presence of wall roughness only results in a 1.4% decline in volumetric flow rate at R e = 1 $Re = 1$ and a 1.6% rise at R e = 10 $Re = 10$ . These findings are crucial for optimizing the EMHD flow models in microchannels.

Evaporation Dynamics on a Lithium Niobate Surface.

Manipulating the water evaporation dynamics is a prerequisite in various modern-day applications like DNA stretching, rapid disease diagnostics, and inkjet printing. One method to affect the evaporation dynamics of droplets is to externally apply electric fields. However, surfaces that bear an intrinsic surface charge have not yet been investigated with respect to their evaporation behavior. In this study, we investigate water droplet evaporation on lithium niobate (LN), a ferroelectric material with a very high spontaneous polarization of 0.7 C / m 2 ${C/{m}^{2}}$ . Our results show that a droplet deposited on an LN surface evaporates in three stages: (i) constant contact radius (ii) mixed phase (iii) stick-slip, which is likely originating from the intrinsic surface charge. The influence of the polarization direction of the LN surface as well as the relative humidity of the environment on various evaporation characteristics were studied. The results suggest that the specific adsorption layers forming on charged surfaces, e. g. from the humidity of the surrounding air, play a key role in the evaporation process. Furthermore, compared to other materials with similar contact angles, LN demonstrated a significantly large evaporation rate. This property might also be attributed to the intrinsic surface charge and could be exploited in heat transfer applications.

An approximate solution of the SLIP model under the regime of linear angular dynamics during stance and the stability of symmetric periodic running gaits.

Terrestrial locomotion is a complex phenomenon that is often linked to the survival of an individual and of an animal species. Mathematical models seek to express in quantitative terms how animals move, but this is challenging because the ways in which the nervous and musculoskeletal systems interact to produce body movement is not completely understood. Models with many variables tend to lack biological interpretability and describe the motion of an animal with too many independent degrees of freedom. Instead, reductionist models aim to describe the essential features of a gait with the smallest number of variables, often concentrating on the center of mass dynamics. In particular, spring-mass models have been successful in extracting and describing important characteristics of running. In this paper, we consider the spring loaded inverted pendulum model under the regime of constant angular velocity, small compression, and small angle swept during stance. We provide conditions for the asymptotic stability of periodic trajectories for the full range of parameters. The hypothesis of linear angular dynamics during stance is successfully tested on publicly available human data of individuals running on a treadmill at different velocities. Our analysis highlights a novel bifurcation phenomenon for varying Froude number: there are periodic trajectories of the spring loaded inverted pendulum model that are stable only in a restricted range of Froude numbers, while they become unstable for smaller or larger Froude numbers.

Effects of reservoir mechanical properties on induced seismicity during subsurface hydrogen storage.

The intermittent storage of hydrogen in subsurface porous media such as depleted gas fields could be pivotal to a successful energy transition. Numerical simulations investigate the intermittent storage of hydrogen in a porous, depleted subsurface reservoir. Various parametric studies are performed to assess the effect of mechanical properties of the reservoir (i.e. Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, Biot coefficient and permeability) on the induced fault slip of a single through-going fault that transverses the entire reservoir. Simulations are run using a three-dimensional, finite element, fully coupled hydromechanical code with explicit representations of layers and faults. The effect of the domain mesh refinement and fault mesh refinement on the fault slip versus operation time solution is investigated. The fault is observed to slip in two distinct events, one during the second injection period and one in the third injection period. The fault is not observed to slip during the storage or withdrawal periods. It is found that in order to minimize seismic risk, a reservoir rock with high Young's modulus (>40 GPa), high Poisson's ratio (>0.30) and high Biot coefficient (>0.65) would be preferable for hydrogen storage. Reservoir rocks of low Young's modulus (10-30 GPa), intermediate Poisson's ratio (0.00-0.30) and low-to-intermediate Biot coefficient (0.25-0.65), at high injection rates, were found to have higher potential of inducing large seismic events.This article is part of the theme issue 'Induced seismicity in coupled subsurface systems'.

Fluid-driven aseismic fault slip with permeability enhancement and dilatancy.

Injection-induced seismicity and aseismic slip often involve the reactivation of long-dormant faults, which may have extremely low permeability prior to slip. In contrast, most previous models of fluid-driven aseismic slip have assumed linear pressure diffusion in a fault zone of constant permeability and porosity. Slip occurs within a frictional shear crack whose edge can either lag or lead pressure diffusion, depending on the dimensionless stress-injection parameter that quantifies the prestress and injection conditions. Here, we extend this foundational work by accounting for permeability enhancement and dilatancy, assumed to occur instantaneously upon the onset of slip. The fault zone ahead of the crack is assumed to be impermeable, so fluid flow and pressure diffusion are confined to the interior, slipped part of the crack. The confinement of flow increases the pressurization rate and reduction of fault strength, facilitating crack growth even for severely understressed faults. Suctions from dilatancy slow crack growth, preventing propagation beyond the hydraulic diffusion length. Our new two-dimensional and three-dimensional solutions can facilitate the interpretation of induced seismicity data sets. They are especially relevant for faults in initially low permeability formations, such as shale layers serving as caprock seals for geologic carbon storage, or for hydraulic stimulation of geothermal reservoirs.This article is part of the theme issue 'Induced seismicity in coupled subsurface systems'.

Translating proof-of-concept for platelet slip into improved antithrombotic therapeutic regimens.

Platelets are central to thrombosis. Research at the intersection of biological and physical sciences provides proof-of-concept for shear rate-dependent platelet slip at vascular stenosis and near device surfaces. Platelet slip extends the observed biological "slip-bonds" to the boundary of functional gliding without contact. As a result, there is diminished engagement of the coagulation cascade by platelets at these surfaces. Comprehending platelet slip would more precisely direct antithrombotic regimens for different shear environments, including for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In this brief report we promote translation of the proof-of-concept for platelet slip into improved antithrombotic regimens by: (1) reviewing new supporting basic biological science and clinical research for platelet slip; (2) hypothesizing the principal variables that affect platelet slip; (3) applying the consequent construct model in support of-and in some cases to challenge-relevant contemporary guidelines and their foundations (including for urgent, higher-risk PCI); and (4) suggesting future research pathways (both basic and clinical). Should future research demonstrate, explain and control platelet slip, then a paradigm shift for choosing and recommending antithrombotic regimens based on predicted shear rate should follow. Improved clinical outcomes with decreased complications accompanying this paradigm shift for higher-risk PCI would also result in substantive cost savings.

Pedestrian wintertime slip and fall injuries-effectiveness of weather warning service in prevention.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: In climates with wintry conditions, slip and fall injuries of pedestrians during wintertime can result in high healthcare and societal costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of early warnings about slipperiness in preventing such injuries in Finland. Since 2004, the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) has been providing a weather service for pedestrians, which has been developed continuously over time. DATA AND METHODS: Time series of pedestrian slip and fall injuries in commuting on foot in the 19 regions of Finland in 2005-2022 was obtained from the Finnish Workers' Compensation Center and analysed for trends. We also analysed daily warnings about slippery sidewalks from the FMI archives for the period 2011-2022. To identify steps in the service chain that require improvement, we conducted a weather service chain analysis (WSCA) based on a slip and fall accident storyline. RESULTS: There was no significant trend in the number of slipping injuries during the study period. The exposure of the Finnish population to slippery conditions varies according to the climate of the region and characteristics of the winters. We found that the responses of the users of the warning information may be inadequate. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in the behaviour of individuals and more efficient winter maintenance of sidewalks are required. Furthermore, it is necessary to promote the role and safety of walking in the planning of traffic systems and urban planning. Further improvements to the pedestrian weather service are needed as well.

Anatomy of strike-slip fault tsunami genesis.

Tsunami generation from earthquake-induced seafloor deformations has long been recognized as a major hazard to coastal areas. Strike-slip faulting has generally been considered insufficient for triggering large tsunamis, except through the generation of submarine landslides. Herein, we demonstrate that ground motions due to strike-slip earthquakes can contribute to the generation of large tsunamis (>1 m), under rather generic conditions. To this end, we developed a computational framework that integrates models for earthquake rupture dynamics with models of tsunami generation and propagation. The three-dimensional time-dependent vertical and horizontal ground motions from spontaneous dynamic rupture models are used to drive boundary motions in the tsunami model. Our results suggest that supershear ruptures propagating along strike-slip faults, traversing narrow and shallow bays, are prime candidates for tsunami generation. We show that dynamic focusing and the large horizontal displacements, characteristic of strike-slip earthquakes on long faults, are critical drivers for the tsunami hazard. These findings point to intrinsic mechanisms for sizable tsunami generation by strike-slip faulting, which do not require complex seismic sources, landslides, or complicated bathymetry. Furthermore, our model identifies three distinct phases in the tsunamic motion, an instantaneous dynamic phase, a lagging coseismic phase, and a postseismic phase, each of which may affect coastal areas differently. We conclude that near-source tsunami hazards and risk from strike-slip faulting need to be re-evaluated.

Comparative strength of ligature points achieved by various surgical knot-tying techniques: an observational study using Maxon™ monofilament sutures.

PURPOSE: Surgical knot-tying requires careful selection of the appropriate technique for optimal outcomes; however, evidence is lacking about the common ligation techniques combining square and slip knots (combination knots). This study investigates the strength of a combination knot, compared with other techniques. METHODS: In this observational cohort study, we assessed the strengths of square, slip-granny, slip-reef, and combination knots using absorbable monofilament sutures, and compared them using ANOVA and a multilevel linear regression analysis. We also assessed the correlation between the number of throws and knot strength using Spearman's correlation analysis. RESULTS: Among 80 ligatures, ANOVA indicated significant differences in knot strength among the techniques (p < 0.01). Multilevel linear regression showed that a combination knot was stronger than a slip knot (p < 0.01) and comparable to a square knot (p = 0.0721). Secondary analysis indicated that for combination knots, five throws could achieve sufficient knot strength. CONCLUSION: Combination knots are as strong as square knots and stronger than slip knots, and thus present a reasonable option for surgical ligation.