INTEGRATED ANALYSIS APPROACHES TO ROCK MECHANICS PROBLEMS

In order to effectively cope with exponent increase of the complexity faced to the rock mechanics analysis problems and the large incompatibility existing between the information level required to model the rock mass and engineering and our obtainable information level at hand,the integrated approaches with intelligent characters are proposed. Many previous standard methods,such as precedent type analysis,rock classification,analytic method stress-based,basic numerical methods (BEM,FEM,DEM,hybrid),and their extended numerical methods (fully coupled) to be developed,can be selected respectively or integrated accordingly. It is alternative to develop basic/fully integrated system,and internet-based approaches. These novel methods can also be selected or integrated each other or with the standard methods to perform rock mechanics analysis. Some key techniques to develop these alternative methods are discussed. It may focus in future on developing fully integrated systems and internet-based approaches. Developing an environmental,virtual facility/space shall be firstly done for this collaborative research on internet.

Addressing the alarming link between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular mortality in men

This editorial discusses the key findings presented in Batta and Hatwal’s recent paper titled“Excess cardiovascular mortality in men with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease:A cause for concern!”,which was published in the World Journal of Cardiology.Their original article highlights a notable correlation between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)and increased cardiovascular mortality risk in men.The present commentary explores the implications of their findings,discussing potential mechanisms,risk factors,and the urgent need for integrated clinical approaches to mitigate the dual burden of these diseases.Emphasis should be placed on the importance of early detection,lifestyle modifications,and interdisciplinary collaboration for improving patient outcomes.This editorial aims to highlight the broad implications of NAFLD for cardiovascular health and to advocate for increased awareness and proactive management strategies within the medical community.

CLINICAL ANALYSIS ON INTEGRATED TREATMENT OF 2240 CASES OF PERIPHERAL FACIAL PARALYSIS BY STAGES IN PLATEAU REGION

Objective. To observe the therapeutic effect of integrated treatment of peripheral facial paralysis by stages in Qinghai plateau area. Methods： A total of 2 240 cases of peripheral facial paralysis treated with integrated approaches by stages were assigned to treatment group, and other 75 cases treated with acupuncture therapy assigned to control group. In treatment group, patients were treated with 1 ） medication （ Prednisone, Dipazol, etc） and TDP （“special electromagnetic spectrum”） plus ultrashort irradiation in the early stage;2） TDP plus ultrasonic wave irradiation and acupuncture of Yangbai （阳白 GB 14） to Yuyac （鱼腰EX-HN 4, penetration needling）, etc in the medium stage; 3） medium-frequency irradiation and electroacupuncture （EA） of muscle motor joints and acupoints （GB-14, etc）. Patients of control group were treated with conventional acupuncture therapy （GB-14, etc）. Results： After treatment, of the 2 240 patients in treatment group, 2 072 （92.5%） were cured, 120 （5.3%） effective, 33 （ 1.5% ） improved, and 15 （0.7%） failed. The total effective rate was 99.3%. Of the 75 cases in control group, 46 （61.3%） were cured, 16 （21.3%） effective, 9 （12.0%） improved, and 4 （5.4%） ineffective. The total effective rate was 94.6%. The cure rate and the total effective rate of treatment group were significantly higher than those of control group respectively （x^2=29.379, P〈0.01; x^2 =5. 716, P〈0. 025）. Conclusion： The therapeutic effect of integrated approaches （medication, acupuncture, electromagnetic ＋ ultrashort wave ＋ ultrasonic wave ＋ medium-frequency wave irradiation） is significantly superior to that of simple acupuncture therapy in treating peripheral facial paralysis.

Holistic Approaches for Renovation of Large Housing Areas in Japan

Social imbalance and obsolescence of the built environment has emerged in large sized housing estates in metropolises. In particular, the requirement of such planned housing areas has not matched public service provided by the infrastructure. On not only physical but also social aspect of local communities of this kind of housing area have a lot of problems while it also has a lot of good characteristics. A representative one is that age of the tenants is rising very swiftly and it makes the local community imbalanced. Nowadays many countries including Japan have tackled problems concerning housing estates constructed during the mass housing era and try to search for ways to reactivate so-called new town areas by utilisation of existing environmental resources such as building stock and ample green open space. In Japan many elemental technologies have been developed in order to utilise existing building stock. However, how to combine these technologies and new holistic methods for reactivation are still underdeveloped. Therefore, it is very important to fred these ways and to make a comprehensive plan for rehabilitation of these areas. The first purpose of our study is to develop and clarify how to organise and integrate many kinds of elemental techniques and the holistic measures for the improvement of both social and physical environment in suburban mass housing estates. Subsequently we try to reorganise proper relations between human settlements and the various service provision for those regions. Our last focus is put on searching for new ways to raise the value of existing housing environment. Our conclusion intends to indicate important of the master plan and its execution, where mass housing estates progress for the physical and social improvement.

Surface integral analogy approaches for predicting noise from 3D high-lift low-noise wings

Three surface integral approaches of the acoustic analogies are studied to predict the noise from three concep- tual configurations of three-dimensional high-lift low-noise wings. The approaches refer to the Kirchhoff method, the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings （FW-H） method of the permeable integral surface and the Curle method that is known as a special case of the FW-H method. The first two approaches are used to compute the noise generated by the core flow region where the energetic structures exist. The last approach is adopted to predict the noise specially from the pressure perturbation on the wall. A new way to con- struct the integral surface that encloses the core region is proposed for the first two methods. Considering the local properties of the flow around the complex object-the actual wing with high-lift devices-the integral surface based on the vorticity is constructed to follow the flow structures. The surface location is discussed for the Kirchhoff method and the FW-H method because a common surface is used for them. The noise from the core flow region is studied on the basis of the dependent integral quantities, which are indicated by the Kirchhoff formulation and by the FW-H formulation. The role of each wall component on noise contribution is analyzed using the Curle formulation. Effects of the volume integral terms of Lighthill＇s stress tensors on the noise pre-diction are then evaluated by comparing the results of the Curle method with the other two methods.

Application of vertically integrated sampling approach to study of new production via ^(234)Th -^(238)U disequilibria

The spatial and temporal distributions of new production vary largely in different sea areas. To understand the level of new production in the sea area studied better, an estimate of new production must be obtained in large spatial and temporal scales. The ~234Th/ ~238U disequilibrium is an effective method for the study of new production. Two sampling strategies, vertically integrated sampling ap proach based on trapezoidal integration principle and discrete layer sampling approach, were compared in the studies of the xiamen Bay and the northern South China Sea. The scavenging fluxes and removal fluxes of ~234Th and the residence times for dissolved and particulate ~234Th were calculated. The coinci dent results from two Sampling approach suggest that vertically integrated sampling approach is not only effective and reliable, but also significantly reduces the number and volume of samples. It allows us to study new production by ba ^(234)Th - ^(238)U disequilibria in large spatial scale.

An Integrated Approach to the Teaching of English Writing

English writing, as a basic language skill for second language learners, is being paid close attention to. How to achieve better results in English teaching and how to develop students＇ writing competence remain an arduous task for English teachers. This paper introduces three writing approaches that are currently popular in English writing teaching field, i.e., the product approach, the process approach and the genre approach, and offers some discussion on the three approaches each approach shows its strengths and weaknesses, but meanwhile they are largely complementary. Then this paper attempts to propose an integrated approach which is not only a synthesis of the above three approaches, but also draws on some experiences of traditional Chinese language teaching methods.

Integrated approach for understanding spatio-temporal changes in forest resource distribution in the central Himalaya

Intense anthropogenic exploitation has altered distribution of forest resources. This change was analyzed using visual interpretation of satellite data of 1979, 1999 and 2009. Field and interactive social surveys were conducted to identify spatial trends in forest degradation and data were mapped on forest cover and land use maps. Perceptions of villagers were compiled in a pictorial representation to understand changes in forest resource distribution in central Himalaya from 1970 to 2010. For- ested areas were subject to degradation and isolation due to loss of con- necting forest stands. Species like Lantana camara and Eupatorium adenophorum invaded forest landscapes. Intensity of human pressure differed by forest type and elevation. An integrated approach is needed to monitor forest resource distribution and disturbance.

An integrated approach to scaling issues in environmental change study

Global change research and sustainable development need to be addressed at larger scales in the light of small scale process studies. Much remains to be done before the small scale, process level understanding of ecosystem responses to global change can be reliably translated to larger scales. The paper reviews the status of scaling issues and tries to find how to extrapolate our observations and our findings at site scale up to regional scale and provide ecological information and interpretations at the regional scale. An integrated approach to scaling-up from site to region is proposed combining hierarchical theory, landscape ecology, remote sensing, geographical information system (GIS) with process/mechanistic modeling. Remote sensing and GIS will play key roles in spatial analysis, integration as well as cross scale modeling.

MicroRNAs identification and bioinformatics analysis in large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea using an integrated comparative and ab initio approach

MicroRNAs(miRNAs) are a group of small, endogenous, single-stranded non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression levels. Previous studies have revealed that miRNAs play key roles in multiple biological processes, such as growth and development in both animals and plants. Computational identification is an efficient method for miRNA prediction in organisms with a reference genome before high-throughput miRNA sequencing experiments. In this study, we employed an integrated strategy combining the homology-based and ab initio approaches to predict miRNAs from the genome and transcriptome of large yellow croaker, one of the most commercially important marine fish in China and East Asia. A total of 418 miRNA molecules, including 287 miRNAs by the homology-based method and 131 miRNAs by the ab initio approach, were identified for large yellow croaker. Additionally, 16 053 target genes were predicted and annotated for Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) databases. Meanwhile, we analysed single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) around large yellow croaker miRNA and found that the miRNA seed regions were significantly less prone to mutations, indicating that the miRNA sequences were under strict natural selection based on their essential regulation functions in living cells. Twenty-two SNPs were identified in large yellow croaker miRNA seed regions, which dramatically influenced the miRNA-gene regulation networks. This is the first reported miRNA detection from both the genome and transcriptome using the integrated strategy for large yellow croaker species, and the miRNA and SNP analyses in this work provide important resources and a reference for subsequent miRNA functional investigations in large yellow croaker.

An Integrated Approach for Decision Support through Multi-objective Optimization with Application to an Ill-posed Design Problem

In the current scenario of global competition and short product life cycles, customer-defined satisfaction has attracted interest in artifact design. Accordingly, intelligent decision-making through multi-objective optimization has been proposed as an efficient method for human-centered manufacturing. However, previous vast researches on optimization have been mainly focused on optimization theory and optimization techniques and paid little interests on the process of problem formulation itself. In this paper, therefore, the authors present a total framework for supporting multi-objective decision making. Then, the authors try to solve the formulated multi-objective optimization problem that involves both qualitative and quantitative performance measures as a general consequence from the above procedure. Taking especially quality as a qualitative measure, the authors gave a new idea to evaluate the quality quantitatively. Additionally, to facilitate the portability of the proposed method in multidisciplinary decision-making environments, the authors implement the proposal algorithm in an Excel spreadsheet and validate the effectiveness of the approach through a case study.

Based on an Integrated Teaching of the ＂Retail Management＂ Analysis of Curriculum Reform

Vocational colleges teaching curriculum reform is an important content. Retail Management course is a relatively new course, more and more attention are paid by the university. But the old education system in the retail management course teaching practice is of flaw. This paper aims to explore retail management curriculum reform. Exploration for integrated teaching methods, combined with ＂Retail Management＂ course teaching reform put forward some theoretical assumptions that based on characteristics of the course, the introduction of integrated retail management courses teaching method is feasible.

Integrated Approach in Sichuan

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National Conference on Integrated Approach

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Refined Jensen-Based Multiple Integral Inequality and Its Application to Stability of Time-Delay Systems

This paper investigates the stability of time-delay systems via a multiple integral approach. Based on the refined Jensen-based inequality, a novel multiple integral inequality is proposed. Applying the multiple integral inequality to estimate the derivative of Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional(LKF) with multiple integral terms, a novel stability condition is formulated for the linear time-delay systems. Two numerical examples are employed to demonstrate the improvements of our results.

A new nonlinear output tracking controller via output-feedback

In this paper, the output tracking control is investigated for a class of nonlinear systems when only output is available for feedback. Based on the multivariable analog of circle criterion, an observer is first introduced. Then, the observer-based output tracking controller is constructively designed by using the integral backstepping approach together with completing square. It is shown that, under relatively mild conditions, all the closed-loop signals are uniformly bounded. Meanwhile the system output asymptotically tracks the desired output. A simulation example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.

A 3-Node Co-Rotational Triangular Finite Element for Non-Smooth,Folded and Multi-Shell Laminated Composite Structures

Based on the first-order shear deformation theory,a 3-node co-rotational triangular finite element formulation is developed for large deformation modeling of non-smooth,folded and multi-shell laminated composite structures.The two smaller components of the mid-surface normal vector of shell at a node are defined as nodal rotational variables in the co-rotational local coordinate system.In the global coordinate system,two smaller components of one vector,together with the smallest or second smallest component of another vector,of an orthogonal triad at a node on a non-smooth intersection of plates and/or shells are defined as rotational variables,whereas the two smaller components of the mid-surface normal vector at a node on the smooth part of the plate or shell(away from non-smooth intersections)are defined as rotational variables.All these vectorial rotational variables can be updated in an additive manner during an incremental solution procedure,and thus improve the computational efficiency in the nonlinear solution of these composite shell structures.Due to the commutativity of all nodal variables in calculating of the second derivatives of the local nodal variables with respect to global nodal variables,and the second derivatives of the strain energy functional with respect to local nodal variables,symmetric tangent stiffness matrices in local and global coordinate systems are obtained.To overcome shear locking,the assumed transverse shear strains obtained from the line-integration approach are employed.The reliability and computational accuracy of the present 3-node triangular shell finite element are verified through modeling two patch tests,several smooth and non-smooth laminated composite shells undergoing large displacements and large rotations.

The U.S. Men＇s Shaving Cream Market： A Competitive Profile

Porter identifies high market share with cost leadership strategy which is based on the idea of competing on a price lower than that of the competition. However, in most consumer markets a business should serve the middle class by competing in the mid-price segment, offering quality better than that of the competition at a somewhat higher price. It is this path that can lead to market share leadership： a strategy that can be both profitable and sustainable. The U.S. men＇s shaving cream market consists of two major product-market segments： gel and foam. We test the hypothesis that the best-selling brand is very likely to be a member of the mid-price segment with a price tag that is higher than that of the nearest competition. This study is based on annual U.S. sales data for 2008 and 2007 from discount retail stores, food stores, and drug stores. We performed two separate analyses for 2008 and 2007, using cluster analysis as the main analytic tool. The results were remarkably consistent between the two years. In the gel segment--by far the most important--the price-quality segmentation analysis supported our hypothesis. An interesting finding is that, for both the gel and foam segments, we found the rank order correlation of brand unit price between 2007 and 2008 as highly significant. This means that in this market management considers the price of a brand as a strategic rather than a tactical variable. Although, technically the results for the foam segment were negative, this does not necessarily contradict our hypothesis. Finally, we discovered six strategic groups in the industry and have tried to articulate what their competitive strategy is.

New matrix method for analyzing vibration and damping effect of sandwich circular cylindrical shell with viscoelastic core

Based on the linear theories of thin cylindrical shells and viscoelastic materials, a governing equation describing vibration of a sandwich circular cylindrical shell with a viscoelastic core under harmonic excitation is derived. The equation can be written as a matrix differential equation of the first order, and is obtained by considering the energy dissipation due to the shear deformation of the viscoelastic core layer and the interaction between all layers. A new matrix method for solving the governing equation is then presented With an extended homogeneous capacity precision integration approach. Having obtained these, vibration characteristics and damping effect of the sandwich cylindrical shell can be studied. The method differs from a recently published work as the state vector in the governing equation is composed of displacements and internal forces of the sandwich shell rather than displacements and their derivatives. So the present method can be applied to solve dynamic problems of the kind of sandwich shells with various boundary conditions and partially constrained layer damping. Numerical examples show that the proposed approach is effective and reliable compared with the existing methods.

Patient-reported Outcomes (PROs): An Approach to Evaluate Treatment Efficacy of Chinese Medicine or Integrative Medicine

Chinese medicine (CM) has been an experience based practice over the past three thousand years. The safety and efficacy of CM has been practised through experience, rather than nowadays’ modern scientific measurements. In this way, the development of CM has not been keeping pace with the advance in science and technology and the progress in orthodox medicine. In order to meet the requirements of modern science and technology, an evidence based approach must be adopted. Reassurance is needed to convince people for safety and efficacy of CM and give confidence to the evidence based demands ——“Tradition is confirmed by Modern Science” (1) .