Amplitudes have been found to be a function of incident angle and offset. Hence data required to test for amplitude variation with angle or offset needs to have its amplitudes for all offsets preserved and not stacked...Amplitudes have been found to be a function of incident angle and offset. Hence data required to test for amplitude variation with angle or offset needs to have its amplitudes for all offsets preserved and not stacked. Amplitude Variation with Offset (AVO)/Amplitude Variation with Angle (AVA) is necessary to account for information in the offset/angle parameter (mode converted S-wave and P-wave velocities). Since amplitudes are a function of the converted S- and P-waves, it is important to investigate the dependence of amplitudes on the elastic (P- and S-waves) parameters from the seismic data. By modelling these effects for different reservoir fluids via fluid substitution, various AVO geobody classes present along the well and in the entire seismic cube can be observed. AVO analysis was performed on one test well (Well_1) and 3D pre-stack angle gathers from the Tano Basin. The analysis involves creating a synthetic model to infer the effect of offset scaling techniques on amplitude responses in the Tano basin as compared to the effect of unscaled seismic data. The spectral balance process was performed to match the amplitude spectra of all angle stacks to that of the mid (26°) stack on the test lines. The process had an effect primarily on the far (34° - 40°) stacks. The frequency content of these stacks slightly increased to match that of the near and mid stacks. In offset scaling process, the root mean square (RMS) amplitude comparison between the synthetic and seismic suggests that the amplitude of the far traces should be reduced relative to the nears by up to 16%. However, the exact scaler values depend on the time window considered. This suggests that the amplitude scaling with offset delivered from seismic processing is only approximately correct and needs to be checked with well synthetics and adjusted accordingly prior to use for AVO studies. The AVO attribute volumes generated were better at resolving anomalies on spectrally balanced and offset scaled data than data delivered from conventional processing. A typical class II AVO anomaly is seen along the test well from the cross-plot analysis and AVO attribute cube which indicates an oil filled reservoir.展开更多
The challenge of transitioning from temporary humanitarian settlements to more sustainable human settlements is due to a significant increase in the number of forcibly displaced people over recent decades, difficultie...The challenge of transitioning from temporary humanitarian settlements to more sustainable human settlements is due to a significant increase in the number of forcibly displaced people over recent decades, difficulties in providing social services that meet the required standards, and the prolongation of emergencies. Despite this challenging context, short-term considerations continue to guide their planning and management rather than more integrated, longer-term perspectives, thus preventing viable, sustainable development. Over the years, the design of humanitarian settlements has not been adapted to local contexts and perspectives, nor to the dynamics of urbanization and population growth and data. In addition, the current approach to temporary settlement harms the environment and can strain limited resources. Inefficient land use and ad hoc development models have compounded difficulties and generated new challenges. As a result, living conditions in settlements have deteriorated over the last few decades and continue to pose new challenges. The stakes are such that major shortcomings have emerged along the way, leading to disruption, budget overruns in a context marked by a steady decline in funding. However, some attempts have been made to shift towards more sustainable approaches, but these have mainly focused on vague, sector-oriented themes, failing to consider systematic and integration views. This study is a contribution in addressing these shortcomings by designing a model-driving solution, emphasizing an integrated system conceptualized as a system of systems. This paper proposes a new methodology for designing an integrated and sustainable human settlement model, based on Model-Based Systems Engineering and a Systems Modeling Language to provide valuable insights toward sustainable solutions for displaced populations aligning with the United Nations 2030 agenda for sustainable development.展开更多
This paper presents a Model-Based Design(MBD)approach for the design and control of a customized manipulator intended for drilling and position-ing of dental implants accurately with minimal human intervention.While p...This paper presents a Model-Based Design(MBD)approach for the design and control of a customized manipulator intended for drilling and position-ing of dental implants accurately with minimal human intervention.While performing an intra-oral surgery for a prolonged duration within a limited oral cavity,the tremor of dentist's hand is inevitable.As a result,wielding the drilling tool and inserting the dental implants safely in accurate position and orientation is highly challenging even for experienced dentists.Therefore,we introduce a customized manipulator that is designed ergonomically by taking in to account the dental chair specifications and anthropomorphic data such that it can be readily mounted onto the existing dental chair.The manipulator can be used to drill holes for dental inserts and position them with improved accuracy and safety.Further-more,a thorough multi-body motion analysis of the manipulator was carried out by creating a virtual prototype of the manipulator and simulating its controlled movements in various scenarios.The overall design was prepared and validated in simulation using Solid works,MATLAB and Simulink through Model Based Design(MBD)approach.The motion simulation results indicate that the manipulator could be built as a prototype readily.展开更多
Spatial optimization as part of spatial modeling has been facilitated significantly by integration with GIS techniques. However, for certain research topics, applying standard GIS techniques may create problems which ...Spatial optimization as part of spatial modeling has been facilitated significantly by integration with GIS techniques. However, for certain research topics, applying standard GIS techniques may create problems which require attention. This paper serves as a cautionary note to demonstrate two problems associated with applying GIS in spatial optimization, using a capacitated p-median facility location optimization problem as an example. The first problem involves errors in interpolating spatial variations of travel costs from using kriging, a common set of techniques for raster files. The second problem is inaccuracy in routing performed on a graph directly created from polyline shapefiles, a common vector file type. While revealing these problems, the paper also suggests remedies. Specifically, interpolation errors can be eliminated by using agent-based spatial modeling while the inaccuracy in routing can be improved through altering the graph topology by splitting the long edges of the shapefile. These issues suggest the need for caution in applying GIS in spatial optimization study.展开更多
Given the challenges facing most humanitarian operations worldwide, a change of approach is needed to ensure greater sustainability of humanitarian settlements right from the planning stage. Some studies attribute uns...Given the challenges facing most humanitarian operations worldwide, a change of approach is needed to ensure greater sustainability of humanitarian settlements right from the planning stage. Some studies attribute unsustainability to inadequate provision of basic resources and highlight the apparent bottlenecks that prevent access to the meaningful data needed to plan and remedy problems. Most operations have relied on an “ad hoc ism” approach, employing parallel and disconnected data processing methods, resulting in a wide range of data being collected without subsequent prioritization to optimize interconnections that could enhance performance. There have been little efforts to study the trade-offs potentially at stake. This work proposes a new framework enabling all subsystems to operate in a single system and focusing on data processing perspective. To achieve this, this paper proposes a Triple Nexus Framework as an attempt to integrate water, energy, and housing sector data derived from a specific sub-system within the overall system in the application of Model-Based Systems Engineering. Understanding the synergies between water, energy, and housing, Systems Engineering characterizes the triple nexus framework and identifies opportunities for improved decision-making in processing operational data from these sectors. Two scenarios illustrate how an integrated platform could be a gateway to access meaningful operational data in the system and a starting point for modeling integrated human settlement systems. Upon execution, the model is tested for nexus megadata processing, and the optimization simulation yielded 67% satisfactory results, demonstrating that an integrated system could improve sustainability, and that capacity building in service delivery is more than beneficial.展开更多
With the aid of multi-agent based modeling approach to complex systems, the hierarchy simulation models of carrier-based aircraft catapult launch are developed. Ocean, carrier, aircraft, and atmosphere are treated as ...With the aid of multi-agent based modeling approach to complex systems, the hierarchy simulation models of carrier-based aircraft catapult launch are developed. Ocean, carrier, aircraft, and atmosphere are treated as aggregation agents, the detailed components like catapult, landing gears, and disturbances are considered as meta-agents, which belong to their aggregation agent. Thus, the model with two layers is formed i.e. the aggregation agent layer and the meta-agent layer. The information communication among all agents is described. The meta-agents within one aggregation agent communicate with each other directly by information sharing, but the meta-agents, which belong to different aggregation agents exchange their information through the aggregation layer first, and then perceive it from the sharing environment, that is the aggregation agent. Thus, not only the hierarchy model is built, but also the environment perceived by each agent is specified. Meanwhile, the problem of balancing the independency of agent and the resource consumption brought by real-time communication within multi-agent system (MAS) is resolved. Each agent involved in carrier-based aircraft catapult launch is depicted, with considering the interaction within disturbed atmospheric environment and multiple motion bodies including carrier, aircraft, and landing gears. The models of reactive agents among them are derived based on tensors, and the perceived messages and inner frameworks of each agent are characterized. Finally, some results of a simulation instance are given. The simulation and modeling of dynamic system based on multi-agent system is of benefit to express physical concepts and logical hierarchy clearly and precisely. The system model can easily draw in kinds of other agents to achieve a precise simulation of more complex system. This modeling technique makes the complex integral dynamic equations of multibodies decompose into parallel operations of single agent, and it is convenient to expand, maintain, and reuse the program codes.展开更多
Government credibility is an important asset of contemporary national governance, an important criterion for evaluating government legitimacy, and a key factor in measuring the effectiveness of government governance. ...Government credibility is an important asset of contemporary national governance, an important criterion for evaluating government legitimacy, and a key factor in measuring the effectiveness of government governance. In recent years, researchers’ research on government credibility has mostly focused on exploring theories and mechanisms, with little empirical research on this topic. This article intends to apply variable selection models in the field of social statistics to the issue of government credibility, in order to achieve empirical research on government credibility and explore its core influencing factors from a statistical perspective. Specifically, this article intends to use four regression-analysis-based methods and three random-forest-based methods to study the influencing factors of government credibility in various provinces in China, and compare the performance of these seven variable selection methods in different dimensions. The research results show that there are certain differences in simplicity, accuracy, and variable importance ranking among different variable selection methods, which present different importance in the study of government credibility issues. This study provides a methodological reference for variable selection models in the field of social science research, and also offers a multidimensional comparative perspective for analyzing the influencing factors of government credibility.展开更多
A more general narrowband regular-shaped geometry-based statistical model(RS-GBSM) combined with the line of sight(LoS) and single bounce(SB) rays for unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) multiple-input multiple-output(MIMO) ...A more general narrowband regular-shaped geometry-based statistical model(RS-GBSM) combined with the line of sight(LoS) and single bounce(SB) rays for unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) multiple-input multiple-output(MIMO) channel is proposed in this paper. The channel characteristics, including space-time correlation function(STCF), Doppler power spectral density(DPSD), level crossing rate(LCR) and average fade duration(AFD), are derived based on the single sphere reference model for a non-isotropic environment. The corresponding sum-of-sinusoids(SoS) simulation models including both the deterministic model and statistical model with finite scatterers are also proposed for practicable implementation. The simulation results illustrate that the simulation models well reproduce the channel characteristics of the single sphere reference model with sufficient simulation scatterers. And the statistical model has a better approximation of the reference model in comparison with the deterministic one when the simulation trials of the stochastic model are sufficient. The effects of the parameters such as flight height, moving direction and Rice factor on the characteristics are also studied.展开更多
The key to studying urban sustainable development depends on quantifying stores, efficiencies of urban metabolisms and capturing urban metabolisms′ mechanisms. This paper builds up the metabolic emergy account and qu...The key to studying urban sustainable development depends on quantifying stores, efficiencies of urban metabolisms and capturing urban metabolisms′ mechanisms. This paper builds up the metabolic emergy account and quantifies some important concepts of emergy stores. Emphasis is placed on the urban metabolic model based on the slack based model(SBM) method to measure urban metabolic efficiencies. Urban metabolic mechanisms are discussed by using the regression method. By integrating these models, this paper analyzes the urban metabolic development in Beijing from 2001 to 2010. We conclude that the metabolic emergy stores of Beijing increased significantly from 2001 to 2010, with the emergy imported accounting for most of the increase. The metabolic efficiencies in Beijing have improved since the 2008 Olympic Games. The population, economic growth, industrial structures, and environmental governance positively affect the overall urban metabolism, while the land expansion, urbanization and environmentally technical levels hinder the improving of urban metabolic efficiencies. The SBM metabolic method and the regression model based on the emergy analysis provide insights into the urban metabolic efficiencies and the mechanism. They can promote to integrate such concepts into their sustainability analyses and policy decisions.展开更多
The design work of motional cable in products is vital due to the difficulty in estimating the potential issues in current researches.In this paper,a physics-based modeling and simulation method for the motional cable...The design work of motional cable in products is vital due to the difficulty in estimating the potential issues in current researches.In this paper,a physics-based modeling and simulation method for the motional cable harness design is presented.The model,based on continuum mechanics,is established by analyzing the force of microelement in equilibrium.During the analysis procedure,three coordinate systems:inertial,Frenet and main-axis coordinate systems are used.By variable substitution and dimensionless processing,the equation set is discretized by differential quadrature method and subsequently becomes an overdetermined nonlinear equation set with boundary conditions solved by Levenberg-Marquardt method.With the profile of motional cable harness obtained from the integral of arithmetic solution,a motion simulation system based on"path"and"profile"as well as the experimental equipments is built.Using the same parameters as input for the simulation and the real cable harness correspondingly,the issue in designing,such as collision,can be easily found by the simulation system.This research obtains a better result which has no potential collisions by redesign,and the proposed method can be used as an accurate and efficient way in motional cable harness design work.展开更多
This paper proposes an approach of developing the feature based parametric product modeling system which is suitable for integrated engineering design in CIMS environment.The architecture of ZD--MCADII and the charact...This paper proposes an approach of developing the feature based parametric product modeling system which is suitable for integrated engineering design in CIMS environment.The architecture of ZD--MCADII and the characteristics of its each module are introduced in detail. ZD--MCADII’s product data is managed by an object--oriented database management system OSCAR, and the product model is built according to the standard STEP. The product design is established on a unified product model, and all the product data are globally associated in ZD--MCADII. ZD--MCADII provides various design features to facilitate the product design, and supports the integrity of CAD, CAPP and CAM.展开更多
Successful modeling and/or design of engineering systems often requires one to address the impact of multiple "design variables" on the prescribed outcome.There are often multiple,competing objectives based on which...Successful modeling and/or design of engineering systems often requires one to address the impact of multiple "design variables" on the prescribed outcome.There are often multiple,competing objectives based on which we assess the outcome of optimization.Since accurate,high fidelity models are typically time consuming and computationally expensive,comprehensive evaluations can be conducted only if an efficient framework is available.Furthermore,informed decisions of the model/hardware's overall performance rely on an adequate understanding of the global,not local,sensitivity of the individual design variables on the objectives.The surrogate-based approach,which involves approximating the objectives as continuous functions of design variables from limited data,offers a rational framework to reduce the number of important input variables,i.e.,the dimension of a design or modeling space.In this paper,we review the fundamental issues that arise in surrogate-based analysis and optimization,highlighting concepts,methods,techniques,as well as modeling implications for mechanics problems.To aid the discussions of the issues involved,we summarize recent efforts in investigating cryogenic cavitating flows,active flow control based on dielectric barrier discharge concepts,and lithium(Li)-ion batteries.It is also stressed that many multi-scale mechanics problems can naturally benefit from the surrogate approach for "scale bridging."展开更多
This paper focuses on the use of models for increasing the precision of estimators in large-area forest surveys. It is motivated by the increasing availability of remotely sensed data, which facilitates the developmen...This paper focuses on the use of models for increasing the precision of estimators in large-area forest surveys. It is motivated by the increasing availability of remotely sensed data, which facilitates the development of models predicting the variables of interest in forest surveys. We present, review and compare three different estimation frameworks where models play a core role: model-assisted, model-based, and hybrid estimation. The first two are well known, whereas the third has only recently been introduced in forest surveys. Hybrid inference mixes design- based and model-based inference, since it relies on a probability sample of auxiliary data and a model predicting the target variable from the auxiliary data.We review studies on large-area forest surveys based on model-assisted, model- based, and hybrid estimation, and discuss advantages and disadvantages of the approaches. We conclude that no general recommendations can be made about whether model-assisted, model-based, or hybrid estimation should be preferred. The choice depends on the objective of the survey and the possibilities to acquire appropriate field and remotely sensed data. We also conclude that modelling approaches can only be successfully applied for estimating target variables such as growing stock volume or biomass, which are adequately related to commonly available remotely sensed data, and thus purely field based surveys remain important for several important forest parameters.展开更多
For the coach industry, rapid modeling and efficient optimization methods are desirable for structure modeling and optimization based on simplified structures, especially for use early in the concept phase and with ca...For the coach industry, rapid modeling and efficient optimization methods are desirable for structure modeling and optimization based on simplified structures, especially for use early in the concept phase and with capabilities of accurately expressing the mechanical properties of structure and with flexible section forms. However, the present dimension-based methods cannot easily meet these requirements. To achieve these goals, the property-based modeling (PBM) beam modeling method is studied based on the PBM theory and in conjunction with the characteristics of coach structure of taking beam as the main component. For a beam component of concrete length, its mechanical characteristics are primarily affected by the section properties. Four section parameters are adopted to describe the mechanical properties of a beam, including the section area, the principal moments of inertia about the two principal axles, and the torsion constant of the section. Based on the equivalent stiffness strategy, expressions for the above section parameters are derived, and the PBM beam element is implemented in HyperMesh software. A case is realized using this method, in which the structure of a passenger coach is simplified. The model precision is validated by comparing the basic performance of the total structure with that of the original structure, including the bending and torsion stiffness and the first-order bending and torsional modal frequencies. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to choose design variables. The optimal Latin hypercube experiment design is adopted to sample the test points, and polynomial response surfaces are used to fit these points. To improve the bending and torsion stiffness and the first-order torsional frequency and taking the allowable maximum stresses of the braking and left turning conditions as constraints, the multi-objective optimization of the structure is conducted using the NSGA-II genetic algorithm on the ISIGHT platform. The result of the Pareto solution set is acquired, and the selection strategy of the final solution is discussed. The case study demonstrates that the mechanical performances of the structure can be well-modeled and simulated by PBM beam. Because of the merits of fewer parameters and convenience of use, this method is suitable to be applied in the concept stage. Another merit is that the optimization results are the requirements for the mechanical performance of the beam section instead of those of the shape and dimensions, bringing flexibility to the succeeding design.展开更多
This study explored a novel systemic community-based model for detecting and manag-ing people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in this study. A quantitative qu...This study explored a novel systemic community-based model for detecting and manag-ing people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in this study. A quantitative questionnaire investigation was conducted in a sample of 1192 subjects which were randomly selected from two areas with high HIV prevalence, Xiangfan City and Shiyan City of Hubei Province, China. Twenty-two medical and health service staffs were inter-viewed by semi-structured questionnaire focusing on awareness, status, problems, and suggestions about community-based Voluntary Counseling and Testing and Provider Initiated Testing and Coun-seling (VCT/PITC). And they were organized to discuss about the aforementioned issues in Xiangfan City and Shiyan City, respectively. Our results showed that the accessibility and availability of the general VCT/PITC were bad. About 28.3% had known and only 4.9% had made use of VCT/PITC. Developing community-based VCT/PITC had some special advantages that can overcome some ex-isting problems to remedy the aforementioned defects. We are led to conclude that, to maximize the availability and uptake rate of the VCT/PITC, we plan to detect PLWHA by developing the commu-nity-based VCT/PITC through 4 paths. Then we establish the community HIV health care center con-stituted of 8 sectors to provide an overall management. Thus, we can effectively detect and manage the PLWHA with a new systemic community-based model.展开更多
A grain-based distinct element model featuring three-dimensional (3D) Voronoi tessellations (randompoly-crystals) is proposed for simulation of crack damage development in brittle rocks. The grainboundaries in pol...A grain-based distinct element model featuring three-dimensional (3D) Voronoi tessellations (randompoly-crystals) is proposed for simulation of crack damage development in brittle rocks. The grainboundaries in poly-crystal structure produced by Voronoi tessellations can represent flaws in intact rockand allow for numerical replication of crack damage progression through initiation and propagation ofmicro-fractures along grain boundaries. The Voronoi modelling scheme has been used widely in the pastfor brittle fracture simulation of rock materials. However the difficulty of generating 3D Voronoi modelshas limited its application to two-dimensional (2D) codes. The proposed approach is implemented inNeper, an open-source engine for generation of 3D Voronoi grains, to generate block geometry files thatcan be read directly into 3DEC. A series of Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) tests are simulated in3DEC to verify the proposed methodology for 3D simulation of brittle fractures and to investigate therelationship between each micro-parameter and the model's macro-response. The possibility of numericalreplication of the classical U-shape strength curve for anisotropic rocks is also investigated innumerical UCS tests by using complex-shaped (elongated) grains that are cemented to one another alongtheir adjoining sides. A micro-parameter calibration procedure is established for 3D Voronoi models foraccurate replication of the mechanical behaviour of isotropic and anisotropic (containing a fabric) rocks. 2014 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting byElsevier B.V. All rights reserved.展开更多
The aim of the present study was to investigate virtual population pharmacokinetic using physiologically based pharmacokinetic(PBPK) model for evaluating bioequivalence of oral lacidipine formulations in dogs. The dis...The aim of the present study was to investigate virtual population pharmacokinetic using physiologically based pharmacokinetic(PBPK) model for evaluating bioequivalence of oral lacidipine formulations in dogs. The dissolution behaviors of three lacidipine formulations including one commercial product and two self-made amorphous solid dispersions(ASDs)capsules were determined in 0.07% Tween 80 media. A randomized 3-period crossover design in 6 healthy beagle dogs after oral administration of the three formulations at a single dose of 4 mg was conducted. The PBPK modeling was utilized for the virtual bioequivalence study.In vitro dissolution experiment showed that the dissolution behaviors of lacidipine amorphous solid dispersions(ASDs) capsules, which was respectively prepared by HPMC-E5 or Soluplus, as polymer displayed similar curves compared with the reference formulation in 0.07% Tween 80 media. In vivo pharmacokinetics experiments showed that three formulations had comparable maximum plasma drug concentration(Cmax), and the time(Tmax) to reach Cmax of lacidipine tablet, which was prepared by Soluplus, as polymer was slower than other two formulations in consistency with the in vitro dissolution rate. The 90% confidence interval(CI) for the Cmax, AUC0–24 h and AUC0–∞ of the ratio of the test drug to the reference drug exceeded the acceptable bioequivalence(BE) limits(0.80–1.25). However, the 90% CI of the AUC0–24 h, AUC0–∞ and Cmax of the ratio of test to reference drug were within the BE limit,calculated using PBPK modeling when the virtual subjects reached 24 dogs. The results all demonstrated that virtual bioequivalence study can overcome the inequivalence caused by inter-subject variability of the 6 beagle dogs involved in in vivo experiments.展开更多
文摘Amplitudes have been found to be a function of incident angle and offset. Hence data required to test for amplitude variation with angle or offset needs to have its amplitudes for all offsets preserved and not stacked. Amplitude Variation with Offset (AVO)/Amplitude Variation with Angle (AVA) is necessary to account for information in the offset/angle parameter (mode converted S-wave and P-wave velocities). Since amplitudes are a function of the converted S- and P-waves, it is important to investigate the dependence of amplitudes on the elastic (P- and S-waves) parameters from the seismic data. By modelling these effects for different reservoir fluids via fluid substitution, various AVO geobody classes present along the well and in the entire seismic cube can be observed. AVO analysis was performed on one test well (Well_1) and 3D pre-stack angle gathers from the Tano Basin. The analysis involves creating a synthetic model to infer the effect of offset scaling techniques on amplitude responses in the Tano basin as compared to the effect of unscaled seismic data. The spectral balance process was performed to match the amplitude spectra of all angle stacks to that of the mid (26°) stack on the test lines. The process had an effect primarily on the far (34° - 40°) stacks. The frequency content of these stacks slightly increased to match that of the near and mid stacks. In offset scaling process, the root mean square (RMS) amplitude comparison between the synthetic and seismic suggests that the amplitude of the far traces should be reduced relative to the nears by up to 16%. However, the exact scaler values depend on the time window considered. This suggests that the amplitude scaling with offset delivered from seismic processing is only approximately correct and needs to be checked with well synthetics and adjusted accordingly prior to use for AVO studies. The AVO attribute volumes generated were better at resolving anomalies on spectrally balanced and offset scaled data than data delivered from conventional processing. A typical class II AVO anomaly is seen along the test well from the cross-plot analysis and AVO attribute cube which indicates an oil filled reservoir.
文摘The challenge of transitioning from temporary humanitarian settlements to more sustainable human settlements is due to a significant increase in the number of forcibly displaced people over recent decades, difficulties in providing social services that meet the required standards, and the prolongation of emergencies. Despite this challenging context, short-term considerations continue to guide their planning and management rather than more integrated, longer-term perspectives, thus preventing viable, sustainable development. Over the years, the design of humanitarian settlements has not been adapted to local contexts and perspectives, nor to the dynamics of urbanization and population growth and data. In addition, the current approach to temporary settlement harms the environment and can strain limited resources. Inefficient land use and ad hoc development models have compounded difficulties and generated new challenges. As a result, living conditions in settlements have deteriorated over the last few decades and continue to pose new challenges. The stakes are such that major shortcomings have emerged along the way, leading to disruption, budget overruns in a context marked by a steady decline in funding. However, some attempts have been made to shift towards more sustainable approaches, but these have mainly focused on vague, sector-oriented themes, failing to consider systematic and integration views. This study is a contribution in addressing these shortcomings by designing a model-driving solution, emphasizing an integrated system conceptualized as a system of systems. This paper proposes a new methodology for designing an integrated and sustainable human settlement model, based on Model-Based Systems Engineering and a Systems Modeling Language to provide valuable insights toward sustainable solutions for displaced populations aligning with the United Nations 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
文摘This paper presents a Model-Based Design(MBD)approach for the design and control of a customized manipulator intended for drilling and position-ing of dental implants accurately with minimal human intervention.While performing an intra-oral surgery for a prolonged duration within a limited oral cavity,the tremor of dentist's hand is inevitable.As a result,wielding the drilling tool and inserting the dental implants safely in accurate position and orientation is highly challenging even for experienced dentists.Therefore,we introduce a customized manipulator that is designed ergonomically by taking in to account the dental chair specifications and anthropomorphic data such that it can be readily mounted onto the existing dental chair.The manipulator can be used to drill holes for dental inserts and position them with improved accuracy and safety.Further-more,a thorough multi-body motion analysis of the manipulator was carried out by creating a virtual prototype of the manipulator and simulating its controlled movements in various scenarios.The overall design was prepared and validated in simulation using Solid works,MATLAB and Simulink through Model Based Design(MBD)approach.The motion simulation results indicate that the manipulator could be built as a prototype readily.
文摘Spatial optimization as part of spatial modeling has been facilitated significantly by integration with GIS techniques. However, for certain research topics, applying standard GIS techniques may create problems which require attention. This paper serves as a cautionary note to demonstrate two problems associated with applying GIS in spatial optimization, using a capacitated p-median facility location optimization problem as an example. The first problem involves errors in interpolating spatial variations of travel costs from using kriging, a common set of techniques for raster files. The second problem is inaccuracy in routing performed on a graph directly created from polyline shapefiles, a common vector file type. While revealing these problems, the paper also suggests remedies. Specifically, interpolation errors can be eliminated by using agent-based spatial modeling while the inaccuracy in routing can be improved through altering the graph topology by splitting the long edges of the shapefile. These issues suggest the need for caution in applying GIS in spatial optimization study.
文摘Given the challenges facing most humanitarian operations worldwide, a change of approach is needed to ensure greater sustainability of humanitarian settlements right from the planning stage. Some studies attribute unsustainability to inadequate provision of basic resources and highlight the apparent bottlenecks that prevent access to the meaningful data needed to plan and remedy problems. Most operations have relied on an “ad hoc ism” approach, employing parallel and disconnected data processing methods, resulting in a wide range of data being collected without subsequent prioritization to optimize interconnections that could enhance performance. There have been little efforts to study the trade-offs potentially at stake. This work proposes a new framework enabling all subsystems to operate in a single system and focusing on data processing perspective. To achieve this, this paper proposes a Triple Nexus Framework as an attempt to integrate water, energy, and housing sector data derived from a specific sub-system within the overall system in the application of Model-Based Systems Engineering. Understanding the synergies between water, energy, and housing, Systems Engineering characterizes the triple nexus framework and identifies opportunities for improved decision-making in processing operational data from these sectors. Two scenarios illustrate how an integrated platform could be a gateway to access meaningful operational data in the system and a starting point for modeling integrated human settlement systems. Upon execution, the model is tested for nexus megadata processing, and the optimization simulation yielded 67% satisfactory results, demonstrating that an integrated system could improve sustainability, and that capacity building in service delivery is more than beneficial.
基金Aeronautical Science Foundation of China (2006ZA51004)
文摘With the aid of multi-agent based modeling approach to complex systems, the hierarchy simulation models of carrier-based aircraft catapult launch are developed. Ocean, carrier, aircraft, and atmosphere are treated as aggregation agents, the detailed components like catapult, landing gears, and disturbances are considered as meta-agents, which belong to their aggregation agent. Thus, the model with two layers is formed i.e. the aggregation agent layer and the meta-agent layer. The information communication among all agents is described. The meta-agents within one aggregation agent communicate with each other directly by information sharing, but the meta-agents, which belong to different aggregation agents exchange their information through the aggregation layer first, and then perceive it from the sharing environment, that is the aggregation agent. Thus, not only the hierarchy model is built, but also the environment perceived by each agent is specified. Meanwhile, the problem of balancing the independency of agent and the resource consumption brought by real-time communication within multi-agent system (MAS) is resolved. Each agent involved in carrier-based aircraft catapult launch is depicted, with considering the interaction within disturbed atmospheric environment and multiple motion bodies including carrier, aircraft, and landing gears. The models of reactive agents among them are derived based on tensors, and the perceived messages and inner frameworks of each agent are characterized. Finally, some results of a simulation instance are given. The simulation and modeling of dynamic system based on multi-agent system is of benefit to express physical concepts and logical hierarchy clearly and precisely. The system model can easily draw in kinds of other agents to achieve a precise simulation of more complex system. This modeling technique makes the complex integral dynamic equations of multibodies decompose into parallel operations of single agent, and it is convenient to expand, maintain, and reuse the program codes.
文摘Government credibility is an important asset of contemporary national governance, an important criterion for evaluating government legitimacy, and a key factor in measuring the effectiveness of government governance. In recent years, researchers’ research on government credibility has mostly focused on exploring theories and mechanisms, with little empirical research on this topic. This article intends to apply variable selection models in the field of social statistics to the issue of government credibility, in order to achieve empirical research on government credibility and explore its core influencing factors from a statistical perspective. Specifically, this article intends to use four regression-analysis-based methods and three random-forest-based methods to study the influencing factors of government credibility in various provinces in China, and compare the performance of these seven variable selection methods in different dimensions. The research results show that there are certain differences in simplicity, accuracy, and variable importance ranking among different variable selection methods, which present different importance in the study of government credibility issues. This study provides a methodological reference for variable selection models in the field of social science research, and also offers a multidimensional comparative perspective for analyzing the influencing factors of government credibility.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 61622101 and Grant 61571020National Science and Technology Major Project under Grant 2018ZX03001031
文摘A more general narrowband regular-shaped geometry-based statistical model(RS-GBSM) combined with the line of sight(LoS) and single bounce(SB) rays for unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) multiple-input multiple-output(MIMO) channel is proposed in this paper. The channel characteristics, including space-time correlation function(STCF), Doppler power spectral density(DPSD), level crossing rate(LCR) and average fade duration(AFD), are derived based on the single sphere reference model for a non-isotropic environment. The corresponding sum-of-sinusoids(SoS) simulation models including both the deterministic model and statistical model with finite scatterers are also proposed for practicable implementation. The simulation results illustrate that the simulation models well reproduce the channel characteristics of the single sphere reference model with sufficient simulation scatterers. And the statistical model has a better approximation of the reference model in comparison with the deterministic one when the simulation trials of the stochastic model are sufficient. The effects of the parameters such as flight height, moving direction and Rice factor on the characteristics are also studied.
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41371008,41101119)New Start Academic Research Projects of Beijing Union University(No.ZK201201)
文摘The key to studying urban sustainable development depends on quantifying stores, efficiencies of urban metabolisms and capturing urban metabolisms′ mechanisms. This paper builds up the metabolic emergy account and quantifies some important concepts of emergy stores. Emphasis is placed on the urban metabolic model based on the slack based model(SBM) method to measure urban metabolic efficiencies. Urban metabolic mechanisms are discussed by using the regression method. By integrating these models, this paper analyzes the urban metabolic development in Beijing from 2001 to 2010. We conclude that the metabolic emergy stores of Beijing increased significantly from 2001 to 2010, with the emergy imported accounting for most of the increase. The metabolic efficiencies in Beijing have improved since the 2008 Olympic Games. The population, economic growth, industrial structures, and environmental governance positively affect the overall urban metabolism, while the land expansion, urbanization and environmentally technical levels hinder the improving of urban metabolic efficiencies. The SBM metabolic method and the regression model based on the emergy analysis provide insights into the urban metabolic efficiencies and the mechanism. They can promote to integrate such concepts into their sustainability analyses and policy decisions.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51275047)
文摘The design work of motional cable in products is vital due to the difficulty in estimating the potential issues in current researches.In this paper,a physics-based modeling and simulation method for the motional cable harness design is presented.The model,based on continuum mechanics,is established by analyzing the force of microelement in equilibrium.During the analysis procedure,three coordinate systems:inertial,Frenet and main-axis coordinate systems are used.By variable substitution and dimensionless processing,the equation set is discretized by differential quadrature method and subsequently becomes an overdetermined nonlinear equation set with boundary conditions solved by Levenberg-Marquardt method.With the profile of motional cable harness obtained from the integral of arithmetic solution,a motion simulation system based on"path"and"profile"as well as the experimental equipments is built.Using the same parameters as input for the simulation and the real cable harness correspondingly,the issue in designing,such as collision,can be easily found by the simulation system.This research obtains a better result which has no potential collisions by redesign,and the proposed method can be used as an accurate and efficient way in motional cable harness design work.
文摘This paper proposes an approach of developing the feature based parametric product modeling system which is suitable for integrated engineering design in CIMS environment.The architecture of ZD--MCADII and the characteristics of its each module are introduced in detail. ZD--MCADII’s product data is managed by an object--oriented database management system OSCAR, and the product model is built according to the standard STEP. The product design is established on a unified product model, and all the product data are globally associated in ZD--MCADII. ZD--MCADII provides various design features to facilitate the product design, and supports the integrity of CAD, CAPP and CAM.
文摘Successful modeling and/or design of engineering systems often requires one to address the impact of multiple "design variables" on the prescribed outcome.There are often multiple,competing objectives based on which we assess the outcome of optimization.Since accurate,high fidelity models are typically time consuming and computationally expensive,comprehensive evaluations can be conducted only if an efficient framework is available.Furthermore,informed decisions of the model/hardware's overall performance rely on an adequate understanding of the global,not local,sensitivity of the individual design variables on the objectives.The surrogate-based approach,which involves approximating the objectives as continuous functions of design variables from limited data,offers a rational framework to reduce the number of important input variables,i.e.,the dimension of a design or modeling space.In this paper,we review the fundamental issues that arise in surrogate-based analysis and optimization,highlighting concepts,methods,techniques,as well as modeling implications for mechanics problems.To aid the discussions of the issues involved,we summarize recent efforts in investigating cryogenic cavitating flows,active flow control based on dielectric barrier discharge concepts,and lithium(Li)-ion batteries.It is also stressed that many multi-scale mechanics problems can naturally benefit from the surrogate approach for "scale bridging."
文摘This paper focuses on the use of models for increasing the precision of estimators in large-area forest surveys. It is motivated by the increasing availability of remotely sensed data, which facilitates the development of models predicting the variables of interest in forest surveys. We present, review and compare three different estimation frameworks where models play a core role: model-assisted, model-based, and hybrid estimation. The first two are well known, whereas the third has only recently been introduced in forest surveys. Hybrid inference mixes design- based and model-based inference, since it relies on a probability sample of auxiliary data and a model predicting the target variable from the auxiliary data.We review studies on large-area forest surveys based on model-assisted, model- based, and hybrid estimation, and discuss advantages and disadvantages of the approaches. We conclude that no general recommendations can be made about whether model-assisted, model-based, or hybrid estimation should be preferred. The choice depends on the objective of the survey and the possibilities to acquire appropriate field and remotely sensed data. We also conclude that modelling approaches can only be successfully applied for estimating target variables such as growing stock volume or biomass, which are adequately related to commonly available remotely sensed data, and thus purely field based surveys remain important for several important forest parameters.
文摘For the coach industry, rapid modeling and efficient optimization methods are desirable for structure modeling and optimization based on simplified structures, especially for use early in the concept phase and with capabilities of accurately expressing the mechanical properties of structure and with flexible section forms. However, the present dimension-based methods cannot easily meet these requirements. To achieve these goals, the property-based modeling (PBM) beam modeling method is studied based on the PBM theory and in conjunction with the characteristics of coach structure of taking beam as the main component. For a beam component of concrete length, its mechanical characteristics are primarily affected by the section properties. Four section parameters are adopted to describe the mechanical properties of a beam, including the section area, the principal moments of inertia about the two principal axles, and the torsion constant of the section. Based on the equivalent stiffness strategy, expressions for the above section parameters are derived, and the PBM beam element is implemented in HyperMesh software. A case is realized using this method, in which the structure of a passenger coach is simplified. The model precision is validated by comparing the basic performance of the total structure with that of the original structure, including the bending and torsion stiffness and the first-order bending and torsional modal frequencies. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to choose design variables. The optimal Latin hypercube experiment design is adopted to sample the test points, and polynomial response surfaces are used to fit these points. To improve the bending and torsion stiffness and the first-order torsional frequency and taking the allowable maximum stresses of the braking and left turning conditions as constraints, the multi-objective optimization of the structure is conducted using the NSGA-II genetic algorithm on the ISIGHT platform. The result of the Pareto solution set is acquired, and the selection strategy of the final solution is discussed. The case study demonstrates that the mechanical performances of the structure can be well-modeled and simulated by PBM beam. Because of the merits of fewer parameters and convenience of use, this method is suitable to be applied in the concept stage. Another merit is that the optimization results are the requirements for the mechanical performance of the beam section instead of those of the shape and dimensions, bringing flexibility to the succeeding design.
基金supported by a grant from the Global Fund(No. 2008-NGS-26)
文摘This study explored a novel systemic community-based model for detecting and manag-ing people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in this study. A quantitative questionnaire investigation was conducted in a sample of 1192 subjects which were randomly selected from two areas with high HIV prevalence, Xiangfan City and Shiyan City of Hubei Province, China. Twenty-two medical and health service staffs were inter-viewed by semi-structured questionnaire focusing on awareness, status, problems, and suggestions about community-based Voluntary Counseling and Testing and Provider Initiated Testing and Coun-seling (VCT/PITC). And they were organized to discuss about the aforementioned issues in Xiangfan City and Shiyan City, respectively. Our results showed that the accessibility and availability of the general VCT/PITC were bad. About 28.3% had known and only 4.9% had made use of VCT/PITC. Developing community-based VCT/PITC had some special advantages that can overcome some ex-isting problems to remedy the aforementioned defects. We are led to conclude that, to maximize the availability and uptake rate of the VCT/PITC, we plan to detect PLWHA by developing the commu-nity-based VCT/PITC through 4 paths. Then we establish the community HIV health care center con-stituted of 8 sectors to provide an overall management. Thus, we can effectively detect and manage the PLWHA with a new systemic community-based model.
文摘A grain-based distinct element model featuring three-dimensional (3D) Voronoi tessellations (randompoly-crystals) is proposed for simulation of crack damage development in brittle rocks. The grainboundaries in poly-crystal structure produced by Voronoi tessellations can represent flaws in intact rockand allow for numerical replication of crack damage progression through initiation and propagation ofmicro-fractures along grain boundaries. The Voronoi modelling scheme has been used widely in the pastfor brittle fracture simulation of rock materials. However the difficulty of generating 3D Voronoi modelshas limited its application to two-dimensional (2D) codes. The proposed approach is implemented inNeper, an open-source engine for generation of 3D Voronoi grains, to generate block geometry files thatcan be read directly into 3DEC. A series of Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) tests are simulated in3DEC to verify the proposed methodology for 3D simulation of brittle fractures and to investigate therelationship between each micro-parameter and the model's macro-response. The possibility of numericalreplication of the classical U-shape strength curve for anisotropic rocks is also investigated innumerical UCS tests by using complex-shaped (elongated) grains that are cemented to one another alongtheir adjoining sides. A micro-parameter calibration procedure is established for 3D Voronoi models foraccurate replication of the mechanical behaviour of isotropic and anisotropic (containing a fabric) rocks. 2014 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting byElsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81173009)the Technology Bureau in Shenyang (No. ZCJJ2013402)the Project for New Century Excellent Talents of Ministry of Education (No. NCET-12-1015)
文摘The aim of the present study was to investigate virtual population pharmacokinetic using physiologically based pharmacokinetic(PBPK) model for evaluating bioequivalence of oral lacidipine formulations in dogs. The dissolution behaviors of three lacidipine formulations including one commercial product and two self-made amorphous solid dispersions(ASDs)capsules were determined in 0.07% Tween 80 media. A randomized 3-period crossover design in 6 healthy beagle dogs after oral administration of the three formulations at a single dose of 4 mg was conducted. The PBPK modeling was utilized for the virtual bioequivalence study.In vitro dissolution experiment showed that the dissolution behaviors of lacidipine amorphous solid dispersions(ASDs) capsules, which was respectively prepared by HPMC-E5 or Soluplus, as polymer displayed similar curves compared with the reference formulation in 0.07% Tween 80 media. In vivo pharmacokinetics experiments showed that three formulations had comparable maximum plasma drug concentration(Cmax), and the time(Tmax) to reach Cmax of lacidipine tablet, which was prepared by Soluplus, as polymer was slower than other two formulations in consistency with the in vitro dissolution rate. The 90% confidence interval(CI) for the Cmax, AUC0–24 h and AUC0–∞ of the ratio of the test drug to the reference drug exceeded the acceptable bioequivalence(BE) limits(0.80–1.25). However, the 90% CI of the AUC0–24 h, AUC0–∞ and Cmax of the ratio of test to reference drug were within the BE limit,calculated using PBPK modeling when the virtual subjects reached 24 dogs. The results all demonstrated that virtual bioequivalence study can overcome the inequivalence caused by inter-subject variability of the 6 beagle dogs involved in in vivo experiments.