Are the Methods of the Net Present Value Rate and Net Annual Value Rate the Effective Scheme Comparison Methods

As for the dispute about the best-choosing method of mutually-exclusive scheme and index selection, this text proves that there is an error to make a point that using net present value rate or net annual value rate, the most scientific and effective method is chain-system differential analysis and the most short-cutting method is the method of net annual value, to select the NA V maximum scheme.

Accuracy Assignment Study of Tank Fire Control System Based on Value Analysis Method

A method of accuracy assignment based on value analysis method （VAM） in tank fire control system （TFCS） is proposed. From the analysis of primary error sources and their error transfer relationships, the mathematical model is built on the basis of VAM to solve the accuracy assignment problem. Simulation results show the validation and feasibility of the proposed method. It can help designer of tank fire control system work out an optimal system more efficiently and more economically.

Homotopy Analysis Method for Solving Initial Value Problems of Second Order with Discontinuities

In this paper, the standard homotopy analysis method was applied to initial value problems of the second order with some types of discontinuities, for both linear and nonlinear cases. To show the high accuracy of the solution results compared with the exact solution, a comparison of the numerical results was made applying the standard homotopy analysis method with the iteration of the integral equation and the numerical solution with the Simpson rule. Also, the maximum absolute error, , the maximum relative error, the maximum residual error and the estimated order of convergence were given. The research is meaningful and I recommend it to be published in the journal.

Estimation of Acute Toxicity of Ammonium Sulphate to the Fresh Water Catfish,Heteropneustes fossilis——Ⅰ.Analysis of LC_(50) Values Determined by Various Methods

The acute toxic effects of ammonium sulphate to fresh-water catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis (H.fossilis) have been studied by determining LC50 values with 95% confidence limits, by the graphic method, the logistic method, the Spearman and Karber method and the trimmed Spearman-Karber method. The trimmed Spearman-Karber method was found the most ideal for ammonium salt toxicity test. The flaws in the trimmed Spearman-Karber method are also discussed.

Improving convergence of incremental harmonic balance method using homotopy analysis method

We have deduced incremental harmonic balance an iteration scheme in the （IHB） method using the harmonic balance plus the Newton-Raphson method. Since the convergence of the iteration is dependent upon the initial values in the iteration, the convergent region is greatly restricted for some cases. In this contribution, in order to enlarge the convergent region of the IHB method, we constructed the zeroth-order deformation equation using the homotopy analysis method, in which the IHB method is employed to solve the deformation equation with an embedding parameter as the active increment. Taking the Duffing and the van der Pol equations as examples, we obtained the highly accurate solutions. Importantly, the presented approach renders a convenient way to control and adjust the convergence.

Equivalence of Ratio and Residual Approaches in the Homotopy Analysis Method and Some Applications in Nonlinear Science and Engineering

A ratio approach based on the simple ratio test associated with the terms of homotopy series was proposed by the author in the previous publications.It was shown in the latter through various comparative physical models that the ratio approach of identifying the range of the convergence control parameter and also an optimal value for it in the homotopy analysis method is a promising alternative to the classically used h-level curves or to the minimizing the residual(squared)error.A mathematical analysis is targeted here to prove the equivalence of both the ratio approach and the traditional residual approach,especially regarding the root-finding problems via the homotopy analysis method.Examples are provided to further justify this.Moreover,it is conjectured that every nonlinear differential equation can be considered as a root-finding problem by plugging a parameter in it from a physical viewpoint.Two examples from the boundary and initial and value problems are provided to verify this assertion.Hence,besides the advantages as deciphered in the previous publications,the feasibility of the ratio approach over the traditional residual approach is made clearer in this paper.

PHYSICAL VALUE MAPPING ALGORITHM OF MESH IN FINE CAE ANALYSIS OF AUTOMOBILE BODY STRUCTURE

A physical value mapping （PVM） algorithm based on finite element mesh from the stamped part in stamping process to the product is presented, In order to improve the efficiency of the PVM algorithm, a search way from the mesh of the product to the mesh of the stamped part will be adopted. At the same time, the search process is divided into two steps： entire search （ES） and local search （LS）, which improve the searching efficiency. The searching area is enlarged to avoid missing projection elements in ES process. An arc-length method is introduced in LS process. The validity is confirmed by the results of the complex industry-forming product.

Solution of non-linear boundary value problems in immobilized glucoamylase kinetics

A mathematical model to describe the enzyme reaction, mass transfer and heat effects in the calorimetric system is discussed. The model is based on non-stationary diffusion Equation containing a nonlinear term related to immobilize liver esterase by flow calorimetry. This paper presents the complex numerical methods (Adomian decomposition method, Homotopy analysis and perturbation method) to solve the non-linear differential Equations that depict the diffusion coupled with a non-linear reaction terms. Approximate analytical expressions for substrate concentration have been derived for all values of parameters α, β and γE. These analytical results are compared with the available numerical results and are found to be in good agreement.

A Comparative Study on Numerical Solutions of Initial Value Problems (IVP) for Ordinary Differential Equations (ODE) with Euler and Runge Kutta Methods

This paper mainly presents Euler method and fourth-order Runge Kutta Method (RK4) for solving initial value problems (IVP) for ordinary differential equations (ODE). The two proposed methods are quite efficient and practically well suited for solving these problems. In order to verify the ac-curacy, we compare numerical solutions with the exact solutions. The numerical solutions are in good agreement with the exact solutions. Numerical comparisons between Euler method and Runge Kutta method have been presented. Also we compare the performance and the computational effort of such methods. In order to achieve higher accuracy in the solution, the step size needs to be very small. Finally we investigate and compute the errors of the two proposed methods for different step sizes to examine superiority. Several numerical examples are given to demonstrate the reliability and efficiency.

Application of the Concept of Terminal Value in the Analysis of Projects Based on Renewable Energy

Projects for energy supply based on the exploitation of renewable energy have a very predictable cash flow. The initial costs are usually high, with the acquisition of technologically evolving equipment. However, maintenance costs are relatively low and easily predictable. Likewise, operating costs are often very low as there is no need to buy inputs. Power storage devices are often short-lived and contribute to a relative cost increase. At the same time, these projects are often not approved because they are directly compared to projects based on non-renewable resources, with cash flows that may not be so easily predictable and with much lower start-up costs. Fossil fuels have hardly predictable costs, established by non-technical criteria and related to geopolitical issues. In addition, their operating costs are usually very high, precisely because of the need to purchase fossil fuels. This paper proposes the calculation of terminal value in cash flows of power generation projects and its application for feasibility analysis of projects based on renewable resources. The proposed method suggests the calculation of terminal value as the moving average calculated for five-year intervals with constant growth rate of 5%. This method also encourages the inclusion in the cash flow of annual values that add up to the end of the analysis period the sufficient value to renew the system components at the end of the usual analysis period of 20 - 25 years. The application of the proposed method to a diesel wind system simulated with the well-known Homer software indicates the modification of the results of the Homer with the preference for systems with greater wind penetration instead of the systems with greater consumption of fossil fuels.

Theoretical Debates and Analysis of Legal Research Methods

Legal research methods refer to a general term for disciplined and systematic procedures, approaches, means, techniques, and models used by researchers to acquire novel and reliable legal knowledge. Several theoretical debates on the originality of legal research methods go on as follows: Is one legal research method superior to another? Do legal research methods aim for methodological independence? Are legal research methods objective or subjective? Influenced by scientism, positivism is usually considered to be the only reasonable research method, but since law is different from science, only using positivist research approaches is insufficient for solving legal problems. Strictly speaking, a method that is appropriate for the research subject is a reasonable method. As one of the humanities and social sciences, law has similarities with other disciplines in terms of the scope of research;therefore, its research methods could be borrowed from other disciplines. However, law cannot ignore the development of its own unique research methods while retaining its advantages. Legal research methods are supposed to be objective because they should follow scientific standards and have objective arguments, but inevitably, legal research would be subjective and full of value judgments since it means subjective and creative activities of researchers. Of course, the choice of values should preferably be made in the context of value-freeness to ensure the organic combination of value-freeness and value judgment.

The height-width ratio limited value for rubber bearing isolated structure computed by uniform design method

Rubber isolation is the most mature control technology in practical application, and is widely used by short rigid buildings. However, many high isolation buildings have been built around the world in recent years, which do not follow the existing criterions and codes. Many researchers began to research the special problems caused by larger height-width ratio isolation structures. The overturning effect of high height-width ratio structures with rubber bearing is firstly studied. Considering the main factors, such as the height-width ratio of structures, type of site, the designed basic acceleration of ground motion and the decouple factor in horizon, computing experiment is defined with the Uniform Design Method, which is also known as designing isolation structure. The forces of the bearing under edge of structures based on the position of the rubber bearing are calculated. The result indicates that the rubber bearings will lose its functionality under very high tension and compressing force of earthquake motion in horizon and vertical, when the height-width ratio is over a certain value. Thus, based on the calculation result of isolation structures defined in the uniform design method, regression analysis is conducted, and also the rubber edge force regression formula are gotten, which has higher correlation and smaller standard deviation. This formula can be used to roughly calculate whether the pull force occurs at the edge of the building. By the edge bearings of isolation structure minimum force formula, the height-width ratio limited value of the isolation structure is deducted when rubber bearing has minimum force of zero.

Development of a Laboratory Cement Quality Analysis Apparatus Based on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Determination of the chemical composition of cement and ratio values of clinker plays an important role in cement plants as part of the optimal process control and product quality evaluation. In the present paper, a laboratory laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy （LIBS） apparatus mainly comprising a sealed optical module and an analysis chamber has been designed for possible application in cement plants for on-site quality analysis of cement. Emphasis is placed on the structure and operation of the LIBS apparatus, the sealed optical path, the temperature controlled spectrometer, the sample holder, the proper calibration model established for minimizing the matrix effects, and a correction method proposed for overcoming the ＇drift＇ obstacle. Good agreement has been found between the laboratory measurement results from the LIBS method and those from the traditional method. The absolute measurement errors presented here for oxides analysis are within 0.5%, while those of ratio values are in the range of 0.02 to 0.05. According to the obtained results, this laboratory LIBS apparatus is capable of performing reliable and accurate, composition and proximate analysis of cement and is suitable for application in cement plants.

How do Beijing Residents Value Environmental Improvements in Remote Parts of China

The benefits of climate adaptation policy are sometimes underestimated because its nonuse values perceived by people indirectly afected are usually ignored.Using data from a representative sample of Beijing’s urban population,it is shown that people living at a distance perceive nonuse values of climate change adaptation measures aimed at improving the environmental conditions in the Tarim River Basin in Northwest China.Using the contingent valuation method the monetized benefit of a particular set of climate adaptation measures experienced by a Beijing household is approximated.It is concluded that not only the preferences of local people,but also of people living in other parts of China should be considered when deciding if a climate adaptation policy is worthwhile implementing from a social welfare point of view.

Economic Viability of Smallholder Agroforestry and Beekeeping Projects in Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania: A Cost Benefit Analysis

Agroforestry and beekeeping are widely promoted as prospective Nature- Based Income Generating Activities (NIGAs) to improve livelihoods while at the same time enhancing biodiversity conservation in degrading agro-ecologies. These activities can diversify and increase famers’ incomes and support instinctive biota and fauna resilience. However, evidence to showcase and compare their long-term benefits is scant. We use the case of Uluguru Mountains in Tanzania to evaluate and compare viability of agroforestry and beekeeping projects using the Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) approach. The results of analysis yielded positive NPVs for both agroforestry and beekeeping projects at discount rates not higher than 8.2% and 8.5% respectively. Overall, the comparison of economic viability between agroforestry and beekeeping projects revealed that the former was relatively more profitable than the later in terms of both the NPV and Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) criteria. However, the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for beekeeping was slightly higher than that of agroforestry. Yet, we underscore the fact that these two projects can jointly be implemented to enhance livelihoods of farmers and support biodiversity conservation in the study area and other parts with similar agro-ecologies in developing countries. However, farmers in these agro-ecologies need to be supported by governments and non-government development partners in terms of training and inspiration to shift from orthodox farming to sustainable NIGAs.

THE BACKGROUND VALUES OF RARE EARTH AND RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS IN WATER SYSTEM OF SOURCE AREA OF THE CHANG JIANG RIVER

Using neutron activation analysis method we determined contents of rare-earth and radioactive elements (La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Lu, Cs, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sr, Ba, U, Th) in source water system of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River, which is mainly composed of the Tuotuo River, the Chumaer River, and the Buqu River. The contents of these elements in the unflltered water have a great variation and a close correlation with the water turbidity. The contents of these elements in filtered water only have a little variation and are lower than those in the unflltered water. The variations in contents of these elements in sediments are also very little. These elements in the unifiltered water are in geometric distribution, except Sc. Most of the elements in sediments are in arithmetic distribution, but Cs, Sb, Th, are in deviation distribution. The contents of most of these elements in the river source area correspond to the contents of fresh water of the earth. Most of these elements have a little variation in their

Dynamic Analysis of Submarine Pipelines on an Elastic / Viscoelastic Foundation

This paper presents a new finite element method for solving static and dynamic problems in laying operation of pipelines. The effect of the viscoelastic soil behavior is considered by using the Pasternak foundation model. Some examples are also presented.

Prediction of Long-Term Extreme Response of Fish Cage Using Environmental Contour Method

The fish cage design requires accurate predictions of long-term extreme loads and responses.Compared with the time-consuming full long-term analysis method integrating all the probability distribution of the short-term extremes,the environmental contour method gains much attention in predicting the long-term extreme values due to the less computational effort.This paper investigates the long-term extreme response of a fish cage using the environmental contour method.The fish cage is numerically simulated based on the lumped-mass method and the curved beam theory.Based on the one-dimensional(1D)and two-dimensional(2D)environmental contour,the extreme responses,including the surge and heave motions,mooring force,and vertical bending of the floater,are predicted for different return periods and compared with the full long-term analysis results.Results indicate that the 1D method greatly underestimates the extreme values.The 2D environmental contour method with a higher percentile level,namely90%,provides reasonable estimations and seems to be suitable for the long-term value analysis.Sensitivity studies show that the mooring arrangement and the bending stiffness have great effects on the bending moment and the mooring force and the mooring line pre-tension has minor effects on the fish cage response.

A Pseudo-Spectral Scheme for Systems of Two-Point Boundary Value Problems with Left and Right Sided Fractional Derivatives and Related Integral Equations

We target here to solve numerically a class of nonlinear fractional two-point boundary value problems involving left-and right-sided fractional derivatives.The main ingredient of the proposed method is to recast the problem into an equivalent system of weakly singular integral equations.Then,a Legendre-based spectral collocation method is developed for solving the transformed system.Therefore,we can make good use of the advantages of the Gauss quadrature rule.We present the construction and analysis of the collocation method.These results can be indirectly applied to solve fractional optimal control problems by considering the corresponding Euler–Lagrange equations.Two numerical examples are given to confirm the convergence analysis and robustness of the scheme.

The Dialectical Basis and Ecological Implication of Marx’s Labor Value Theory

Left-wing ecologists generally think that Marx’s theory of labor value is completely opposite to ecology because it ascribes the substance of value to labor.The contemporary Marxist theorists regard this as the lack of true knowledge of the dialectical basis of labor theory of value.Dialectics is a method of studying things in a holistic and relational way,while the method of value analysis is the result of Marx’s study of capitalist mode of production in a holistic and relational way.According to the method of value analysis,the unity of opposites among value,exchange value,and use value constitutes the fundamental contradiction of capitalist mode of production,which inevitably leads to the adversarial relationship of capitalist value form.Marx constantly ascended from abstract to concrete,from part to whole,and then,the meaning of value analysis expanded to the whole material world,thus,the ecological dimension of labor value theory was completely expanded.