Go-Ahead Element of Domestic Architecture:Socio-Economic and Cultural Characteristics of the Residents in Benin

The domestic architecture of a traditional settlement is greatly influenced by the socio-economic and socio-cultural characteristics of its residents.Benin City which is the focus of the paper is a case of a traditional settlement undergoing domestic architectural evolution with the changing times influenced by factors of growth and development.The paper has examined the effect of socio-economic and socio-cultural characteristics as factors that partly determine the design,style,pattern,space use,organization,location and meaning as well as land use of the domestic architecture of Benin.The study employed the use of questionnaire administered to residents across the cross-section of the city.In the end,descriptive frequency tables were used to analyse the data collected from the residential zones in Benin.The research has been able to corroborate the theory that socio-economic and socio-cultural factors are some of the determinants/elements of domestic architecture of a people.

Analysis of mesoscopic mechanical dynamic characteristics of ballast bed with under sleeper pads

The meso-dynamical behaviour of a high-speed rail ballast bed with under sleeper pads(USPs)was studied.The geometrically irregular refined discrete element model of the ballast particles was constructed using 3D scanning techniques,and the 3D dynamic model of the rail-sleeper-ballast bed was constructed using the coupled discrete element method-multiflexible-body dynamics(DEM-MFBD)approach.We analyse the meso-mechanical dynamics of the ballast bed with USPs under dynamic load on a train and verify the correctness of the model in laboratory tests.It is shown that the deformation of the USPs increases the contact area between the sleeper and the ballast particles,and subsequently the number of contacts between them.As the depth of the granular ballast bed increases,the contact area becomes larger,and the contact force between the ballast particles gradually decreases.Under the action of the elastic USPs,the contact forces between ballast particles are reduced and the overall vibration level of the ballast bed can be reduced.The settlement of the granular ballast bed occurs mainly at the shallow position of the sleeper bottom,and the installation of the elastic USPs can be effective in reducing the stress on the ballast particles and the settlement of the ballast bed.

Computer vision-aided DEM study on the compaction characteristics of graded subgrade filler considering realistic coarse particle shapes

The compaction quality of subgrade filler strongly affects subgrade settlement.The main objective of this research is to analyze the macro-and micro-mechanical compaction characteristics of subgrade filler based on the real shape of coarse particles.First,an improved Viola-Jones algorithm is employed to establish a digitalized 2D particle database for coarse particle shape evaluation and discrete modeling purposes of subgrade filler.Shape indexes of 2D subgrade filler are then computed and statistically analyzed.Finally,numerical simulations are performed to quantitatively investigate the effects of the aspect ratio(AR)and interparticle friction coefficient(μ)on the macro-and micro-mechanical compaction characteristics of subgrade filler based on the discrete element method(DEM).The results show that with the increasing AR,the coarse particles are narrower,leading to the increasing movement of fine particles during compaction,which indicates that it is difficult for slender coarse particles to inhibit the migration of fine particles.Moreover,the average displacement of particles is strongly influenced by the AR,indicating that their occlusion under power relies on particle shapes.The dis-placement and velocity of fine particles are much greater than those of the coarse particles,which shows that compaction is primarily a migration of fine particles.Under the cyclic load,the interparticle friction coefficientμhas little effect on the internal structure of the sample;under the quasi-static loads,however,the increase inμwill lead to a significant increase in the porosity of the sample.This study could not only provide a novel approach to investigate the compaction mechanism but also establish a new theoretical basis for the evaluation of intelligent subgrade compaction.

Compressive property and energy absorption characteristic of interconnected porous Mg-Zn-Y alloys with adjusting Y addition

In this study,interconnected porous Mg-2Zn-xY alloys with different phase compositions were prepared by various Y additions(x=0.4,3,and 6 wt.%)to adjust the compressive properties and energy absorption characteristics.Several characterization methods were then applied to identify the microstructure of the porous Mg-Zn-Y and describe the details of the second phase.Compressive tests were performed at room temperature(RT),200℃,and 300℃to study the impact of the Y addition and testing temperature on the compressive properties of the porous Mg-Zn-Y.The experimental results showed that a high Y content promotes a microstructure refinement and increases the volume fraction of the second phase.When the Y content increases,different Mg-Zn-Y ternary phases appear:I-phase(Mg_(3)Zn_(6)Y),W-phase(Mg_(3)Zn_(3)Y_(2)),and LPSO phase(Mg_(12)ZnY).When the Y content ranges between 0.4%and 6%,the compressive strength increases from 6.30MPa to 9.23 MPa,and the energy absorption capacity increases from 7.33 MJ/m^(3)to 10.97 MJ/m^(3)at RT,which is mainly attributed to the phase composition and volume fraction of the second phase.However,the average energy absorption efficiency is independent of the Y content.In addition,the compressive deformation behaviors of the porous Mg-Zn-Y are altered by the testing temperature.The compressive strength and energy absorption capacity of the porous Mg-Zn-Y decrease due to the softening effect of the high temperature on the struts.The deformation behaviors at different temperatures are finally observed to reflect the failure mechanisms of the struts.

Failure characteristics and fracture mechanism of overburden rock induced by mining:A case study in China

This study employs similar simulation testing and discrete element simulation coupling to analyze the failure and deformation processes of a model coal seam's roof.The caving area of the overburden rock is divided into three zones:the delamination fracture zone,broken fracture zone,and compaction zone.The caving and fracture zones'heights are approximately 110 m above the coal seam,with a maximum subsidence of 11 m.The delamination fracture zone's porosity range is between 0.2 and 0.3,while the remainder of the roof predominantly exhibits a porosity of less than 0.1.In addition,the numerical model's stress analysis revealed that the overburden rock's displacement zone forms an'arch-beam'structure starting from 160 m,with the maximum and minimum stress values decreasing as the distance of advancement increases.In the stress beam interval of the overburden rock,the maximum value changes periodically as the advancement distance increases.Based on a comparative analysis between observable data from on-site work and numerical simulation results,the stress data from the numerical simulation are essentially consistent with the actual results detected on-site,indicating the validity of the numerical simulation results.

Polarization characteristics and controllability mechanism of passive scattering elements

Polarization feature is one of the important features of radar targets,which has been used in many fields.In this paper,the grid models of some typical foreign moving targets are constructed on the simulation platform,such as glider,cruiser,fixed wing aircraft,and rotorcraft.The electromagnetic scattering characteristics of the moving platforms under the incidence of circular polarization waves are calculated.The typical polarization characteristics which the orthogonal and in-phase components have in the echoes are analyzed and proved.Based on the polarization scattering matrix(PSM)theory,from the point of view of the physical reproduction,the technical status quo that the existing technical approaches are difficult to realize the passive simulation of polarization characteristic of the target is summarized.To solve this problem,combined with the vector synthesis law,the realization mechanism of controllable polarization characteristic of target echoes is proposed,the analytical expressions of polarization control matrix and polarization ratio are deduced,and the controllability of polarization ratio feature in the case of circular polarization is verified by simulation calculation.

Preliminary Study on the Accumulation Characteristics of Mineral Elements in Potted Poa crymophila under Drought and Water Stress

[Objective] This study was conducted to explain the mechanism of the accumulation characteristics of mineral elements in alpine grassland plants. [Method] Cultivated alpine grassland plant, Poa crymophila, was treated with drought and wa- ter stress, and then the samples were collected and analyzed. [Result] Compared with the control group, under drought and water stress, multiple mineral elements tended to accumulate and increase, and there were significant differences in the contents of Cu, Mn, Ni and P （P〈0.05）. [Conclusion] Under drought and water stress, mineral elements in potted Poa crymophila tended to accumulate and in- crease, which is the adaption and response of Poa crymophila to drought and water stress, as well as the re-verification of the starvation effect hypothesis of mineral effects. The starvation effect of mineral elements is one of the endogenic forces for the accumulation and differentiation of mineral elements in grassland plants.

Elemental Composition and Geochemical Characteristics of Iron-Manganese Nodules in Main Soils of China

Elemental composition and geochemical characteristics of iron-manganese nodules from nine main soils in China were studied by chemical and multivariate statistical analyses to better understand the reactions and functions of iron-manganese nodules in soils and sediment. Compared to the corresponding soils, Mn, Ba, Cd, Co and Pb had strong accumulation, Ni had moderate accumulation, while Ca, Cu, Fe, Na, P, Sr and Zn accumulated to a minor degree in the iron-manganese nodules. In contrast, Si, Al, K, Mg and Ti were reduced in the iron-manganese nodules. The contents of Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were positively and significantly correlated with that of MnO2 in the iron-manganese nodules, while the contents of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were positively and significantly correlated with that of Fe2O3 in soils. Based on a principle component analysis, the elements of iron-manganese nodules were divided into four groups: 1) Mn, Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Li, Ni, Pb and Zn that were associated with Mn oxides, 2) Fe, Cr and P that were associated with Fe oxides, 3) Si, K, and Mg that were included in the elemental composition of phyllosilicate, and 4) Ca, Na, Al and Ti that existed in todorokite, birnessite, lithiophorite and phyllosilicate. It was suggested that accumulation, mineralization and specific adsorption were involved in the formation processes of soil iron-manganese nodules.

Rare Earths, Trace Element Characteristics of High-Mg Volcanic Rocks of Yixian Formation in Sihetun West Liaoning Province and Its Apocalypse

The high-Mg volcanic rocks of the Yixian Formation in the Sihetun area have the obvious characteristics of mantie-derived lava in rare earth, trace element characteristics with high Mg # （62 - 70） and high content of compatible elements. In the meantime, the volcanic rocks also have the obvious characteristics of Crust-source material in rare earth, trace element characteristics with high ∑ REE （ 158.78 × 10^-6 - 359.66 × 10^-6 ）, high （La/Yb） N （ 14.61 - 29.60）, high La/Nb（2.37 - 7.52） and high Ba/Nb （67.58- 205.96）, obvious positive anomaly of Pb and negative anomaly of Nb, Ta in trace element spider-gram. In Sr-Nd-Pb isotope the （^87Sr/^86Sr）i ratio is higher than 0.706 and the εNd（ t ） ratio is from - 3.4 to - 13, both reflect enriched Mantle characteristics. The characteristics above of the volcanic rocks combined with the content of Sr, Ba, Y, Yb and the ratio of Sr/Y show that the volcanic rocks have the property of the Sanukite rocks in Setouchi Japan beside subduction zone, and illuminate that the Sanukite rocks can be formed not only in island-arc near subduction zone but also in intro-plate. The analysis indicates that the high-Mg volcanic rocks in the Sihetun area result from the collective function of mantle-derived lava and crust-source materials. The result illuminates that the West Liaoning region is very special in tectonic geochemical background in Cretaceous in East China, and is an ideal region for us to further study the characteristics of magmatic activity as well as the process of Crust-Mantle interaction in Eastern China.

Numerical investigations on mechanical characteristics and failure mechanism of outwash deposits based on random meso-structures using discrete element method

Outwash deposit is a unique type of geological materials, and its features such as heterogeneity, discontinuity and nonlinearity determine the complexity of mechanical characteristics and failure mechanism. In this work, random meso-structure of outwash deposits was constructed by the technique of computer random simulation based on characteristics of its meso-structure in the statistical sense and some simplifications, and a series of large direct shear tests on numerical samples of outwash deposits with stone contents of 15%, 30%, 45% and 60% were conducted using the discrete element method to further investigate its mechanical characteristics and failure mechanism under external load. The results show that the deformation characteristics and shear strength of outwash deposits are to some extent improved with the increase of stone content, and the shear stress–shear displacement curves of outwash deposits show great differences at the post-peak stage due to the random spatial distribution and content of stones. From the mesoscopic view, normal directions of contacts between "soil" and "stone" particles undergo apparent deflection as the shear displacement continues during the shearing process, accompanying redistribution of the magnitude of contact forces during the shearing process. For outwash deposits, the shear zone formed after shear failure is an irregular stripe due to the movements of stones near the shear zone, and it expands gradually with the increase of stone content. In addition, there is an approximately linear relation between the mean increment of internal friction angle and the stone content lying between 30% and 60%, and a concave nonlinear relation between the mean increment of cohesion and stone content, which are in good agreement with the existing research results.

Geochemical characteristics of rare earth elements in Wuhan section of the Yangtze River

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Analysis of Weather Element Characteristics and Air Pollution Status during Continuous Fog Days in Liaoning

[Objective] The aim was to discuss the formation, duration and disappearance of fog. [Method] Based on the weather data and physics of Liaoning Province, and considering the continuous 4 foggy days in 11 places in Liaoning from November 29 to December 2, 2009, detailed analysis of this consecutive foggy days was given proceeding from the weather situation, element characteristics, especially the occurrence, duration and disappearance of dense fog. [Result] This dense fog was because that Liaoning was in the saddle pressure field. The weak cold air divergence set the ground in many weak mild scale convergence areas. The high temperature in the early time resulted in melting snow and long duration of dense fog days, along with radiation low temperature and southwest convergence transmission. In the meantime, because of the existence of small wind speed and existence of upper inversion temperature layer, it was inconvenient for the divergence of wet air; in addition, there was dense fog in north China. The upper southwest airstream transmitted wet air in the north China to the air of Liaoning, increasing the intensity of dense fog in Liaoning. [Conclusion] The study offered reference for the further forecast of air pollution.

Rolling element bearing instantaneous rotational frequency estimation based on EMD soft-thresholding denoising and instantaneous fault characteristic frequency

The accurate estimation of the rolling element bearing instantaneous rotational frequency(IRF) is the key capability of the order tracking method based on time-frequency analysis. The rolling element bearing IRF can be accurately estimated according to the instantaneous fault characteristic frequency(IFCF). However, in an environment with a low signal-to-noise ratio(SNR), e.g., an incipient fault or function at a low speed, the signal contains strong background noise that seriously affects the effectiveness of the aforementioned method. An algorithm of signal preprocessing based on empirical mode decomposition(EMD) and wavelet shrinkage was proposed in this work. Compared with EMD denoising by the cross-correlation coefficient and kurtosis(CCK) criterion, the method of EMD soft-thresholding(ST) denoising can ensure the integrity of the signal, improve the SNR, and highlight fault features. The effectiveness of the algorithm for rolling element bearing IRF estimation by EMD ST denoising and the IFCF was validated by both simulated and experimental bearing vibration signals at a low SNR.

Regional Geochemical Characteristics and Influence Factors of Soil Elements in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, China

Soil heavy metal pollution is one of the main environmental problems in Pearl River Delta Economic?Zone of China. Based on multi-purpose regional geochemical survey, regional eco-geochemical assessment, local eco-geochemical assessment and comprehensive appraisal, the eco-geochemical survey and assessment in Pearl River Delta Economic Zone of 41,698 km2?were completed. Samples from soils were collected in accordance with the two-layer grid method. Totally 54 elements and indicators for soils were determined. Compared to deep soils, the sampled surface soils are enriched in OrgC, N, P, Cd, S,Hg, Ag, B, Au, S and poor with As, Ni, I, Co, Cr, V, MgO, Sc, Al2O3, Fe2O3?etc. The characteristics of geochemical reference value of element in soil that inherited soil parent material and regional elements combined features reflected that the elements enriched in the soil was interrelated with acid rock, sandstone and shale. The spatial distribution characteristics of element regional geochemistry were conditional by regional environmental geological conditions,and effected by human activities. The Pearl River Delta plain is a typical geochemical landscape area with regional anomaly of multiple-elements. The north, western and eastern parts of the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone are quite different in geochemical features due to regional geological background, soil parent materials, geomorphic characteristics and human activities. Environment quality evaluation results show that the grade I and grade II soil accounted for 19.9% and 57.3% of the total area. Many samples that widely distributed in the economic developed of Pearl River Delta Plain area reached the third-grade of national soil environment standard. The soil enriched in Cd, Hg, As, and the area ratio accounting for 22.8% of the total area. It is mainly controlled by the geochemical background, the Pearl River Delta formation evolution process, especially the marine transgression process lead to Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb enrichment in Pearl River Delta plain. At the same time, under the influence of higher pressure of human activities, all kinds of exogenous input material carrying heavy metal pollutants on soil environmental quality also could not to ignore.

Calculation and Analysis of Acoustic Characteristics of Straight-Through Perforated Pipe Muffler Based on Multilayer Sound Absorbing Material

Using the multi-physical field simulation software COMSOL,the acoustic characteristics of the multilayer sound absorbing material straight-through perforated pipe muffler are studied by the finite element method.The results show that the finite element calculation of the multilayer sound absorbing material straight-through the perforated pipe muffler agrees well with the experimental measurement results.The reliability of the finite element method for studying the acoustic performance of the straight-through perforated pipe muffler with multilayer sound absorbing materials is shown.Furthermore,the influence of some structural parameters of porous sound absorbing material and micro-perforated plate on the acoustic performance of the multilayer sound absorbing material straight-through perforated pipe muffler is analyzed.The muffler based on multilayer sound absorbing material is different from the traditional muffler.After applying the multilayer sound absorbing material to the straight-through perforated pipe muffler,the transmission loss value greatly increases,which provides new ideas and directions for future research on the muffler.

An explicit finite volume element method for solving characteristic level set equation on triangular grids

Level set methods are widely used for predicting evolutions of complex free surface topologies,such as the crystal and crack growth,bubbles and droplets deformation,spilling and breaking waves,and two-phase flow phenomena.This paper presents a characteristic level set equation which is derived from the two-dimensional level set equation by using the characteristic-based scheme.An explicit finite volume element method is developed to discretize the equation on triangular grids.Several examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method for calculating interface evolutions in time.The proposed level set method is also coupled with the Navier-Stokes equations for two-phase immiscible incompressible flow analysis with surface tension.The Rayleigh-Taylor instability problem is used to test and evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

Impact of Winter Transit Air Masses on the Sources and Composition Characteristics of Atmospheric Pollution in Hengyang

Through the integration and analysis platform of particulate matter components,a preliminary comparison was conducted on the pollution contribution of the three winter transit air masses in December to environmental quality,and the changes and related relationships of water-soluble ions and particulate matter elements were analyzed.The results showed that winter transit air masses had a significant impact on the air quality in Hengyang.In the quantitative comparison of the primary pollutant contribution during the transit period of air masses,local sources and transit sources each accounted for half,and the impact of transit source on ambient air quality was much greater than that of seasonal base increase.Fine particulate matter was closely related to secondary ions,and particulate matter was closely related to primary ions.The transit of air masses promoted the improvement of secondary ion conversion rate,and the unit increment of fine particulate matter was greater than that of particulate matter.During the transit period,the mass concentrations of most water-soluble ions and most particulate matter elements maintained synchronous growth,with a superimposed effect.The composition ratio of organic carbon and nitrate ions increased,while the composition ratio of ammonia and sulfate ions decreased.Both disposable ions and secondary conversions in the composition of PM_(2.5)had increases and decreases.The high conversion rate of nitrate and the high composition ratio of ammonia radical in Hengyang indicated that transportation source factors had a significant impact on the local environmental quality of Hengyang.

Dynamic Characteristics of Inflated Torus Using Finite Element Analysis

In recent years, inflatable structures have been a subject of interest for space applications such as communication antenna, solar thermal propulsion and entry/landing systems. The inflatable structures characterized by high strength-to-mass ratios, minimal stowage volume, which makes them suitable for cost-effective large space structures. A typical example for the inflatable structure is the inflated torus which often used in order to provide structure support. In this study, our main focus is to understand the dynamic characteristics of an inflated torus in order to formulate an accurate mathematical model suitable for active vibration control applications. A commercial finite element package, ANSYS, is used to model the inflated torus. To verify the model the obtained frequencies and mode shapes are compared with the published results, which are derived using analytical approach, the verification shows a good agreement between the FEM and the analytical results. Based on the verified model, parametric study was investigated; the material thickness increase causes the natural frequencies decrease, while the increase of the inflation pressure simply results in stiffening the ring, which means that the natural frequency increased. The FEM analysis gives an easy and fast way for the vibration analysis of the structures compared with the complicated analytical solutions.

Characteristics of Coal Ashes in Yanzhou Mining District and Distribution of Trace Elements in Them

In the process of combustion of coal organic and inorganic materials in it will undergo a complex variation. Part of them will become volatiles and, together with coal smoke, enter into atmosphere, some will remain in micro-particulates such as ash and dust and find their way into atmosphere in the form of solid particles, and the rest will be retained in ash and slag. Coal ashes are the residues of organic and inorganic substances in coal left after coal combustion and the composition of coal ashes is dependent on that of minerals and organic matter in coal. This paper deals with the chemical composition of coal ashes, the distribution of trace elements in them and their petrological characteristics, and also studies the relationship between the yield of coal ashes and the distribution of trace elements. In addition, a preliminary study is also undertaken on the factors that affect the chemical composition of coal ashes. As viewed from the analyses of coal ash samples collected from the Yanzhou mining district, it can be seen clearly that coal ashes from the region studied are composed chiefly of crystalline materials, glassy materials and uncombusted organic matter and the major chemical compositions are SiO 2, Al 2O 3, Fe 2O 3, and CaO, as well as minor amounts of SO 3, P 2O 5, Na 2O, K 2O and TiO 2. During the combustion of coal, its trace elements will be redistributed and most of them are enriched in coal ashes. At the same time, the concentrations of the trace elements in flying ash are much higher than those of bottom ash, i.e., with decreasing particle-size of coal ashes their concentrations will become higher and higher. So the contents of trace elements are negatively proportional to the particle-size of coal ashes. There has been found a positive correlation between the trace elements Th, V, Zn, Cu and Pb and the yield of coal ashes while a negative correlation between Cl and the yield of coal ashes.

The abundance,distribution,and enrichment mechanism of harmful trace elements in coals from Guizhou,Southwestern China

Coal seams can enrich a variety of harmful trace elements under specific geological conditions.The spatial distribution of harmful trace elements in coal is extremely uneven,and the distribution characteristics of each element content are different.The harmful elements released in the process of coal mining and utilization will cause serious harm to the environment and the human body.It is of great resource significance to study the geochemistry of coal that affects the enrichment and distribution characteristics of harmful trace elements.Based on the domestic and foreign literature on coal geochemistry in Guizhou published by previous investigators,this study counted 1097 sample data from 23 major coal-producing counties in Guizhou Province,systematically summarized the relevant research results of harmful trace elements in the coal of Guizhou,and revealed the overall distribution and enrichment characteristics of harmful trace elements in the coal of Guizhou.The results show that the average contents of Cd,Pb,Se,Cu,Mo,U,V,As,Hg,and Cr in coal of Guizhou are higher than those in Chinese coal and world coal.A variety of harmful trace elements in the coal of Guizhou have high background values,especially in Liupanshui,Xingyi and Qianbei coalfield.The enrichment of various harmful trace elements in the Late Permian coal in Guizhou is mainly related to the combined action of various geological and geochemical factors.The supply of terrigenous debris and sedimentary environment may be the basic background of the enrichment of harmful elements in western Guizhou,while low-temperature hydrothermal activity and volcanic ash deposition may be the main reasons for the enrichment of harmful elements in southwestern Guizhou.