Evolution of Viral Load in Patients Infected with HIV-1 at Point G University Hospital

Introduction: HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, is the etiological agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of the viral load in patients under treatment. Methodology: This was a study carried out from July 2017 to June 2022 at the Point G University Hospital laboratory. The determination of the viral load of patients was carried out by PCR on the ABOTT M2000sp/rt platform. Results: A total of 129 patients infected with HIV-1, aged 19 to 72 years with a mean age of 40.05 years ± 10.71;all on antiretroviral chemotherapy. The female gender predominated among our patients. The most common treatment regimen was 2INTI + 1INNTI with 72.9% followed by 2INTI + 1INI with 13.2%. As for the combinations of molecules, the combination TDF + 3TC + EFV and TDF + 3TC + DTG predominated, respectively 65.1% and 13.2%. 89.9% of our patients had undetectable viremia after 12 months of treatment (p < 0.005) with an average viral load which had evolved from 681315.65 copies/ml ± 1616908.484 to M0 at 5742.36 copies /ml ± 35756.883 at M12 (p Conclusion: Generally speaking, antiretroviral treatment had contributed to controlling viral loads, however the therapeutic combination TDF + 3TC + DTG had made it possible to obtain more patients with undetectable viremia instead.

Strength and failure characteristics of marble spheres subjected to paired point loads

Failure of irregular rock samples may provide implications in the rapid estimation of rock strength,which is imperative in rock engineering practice.In this work,analytical,experimental and numerical investigations were carried out to study the mechanical properties and failure characteristics of rock spheres under paired point loads.Analytical solutions indicted that with the increase in sample size(contact angle)and decrease in Poisson’s ratio,the uneven tensile stress in theta direction decreased.Then laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the load characteristics and failure mode of spherical marble samples with different sizes subjected to a pair of diametral point loads.The discrete element method(DEM)was adopted to study the failure process of rock spheres.The effect of the sphere diameter on the point load contact angle was examined in terms of peak load,crushed zone distribution and energy dissipation.Experimental and numerical results showed that the samples primarily fail in tension,with crushed zones formed at both loading points.With increase in the sample size,the contact angle,crushed area and total work increase.As the specimen diameter increases from 30 mm to 50 mm,the peak load on the specimen increases from 3.6 kN to 8.8 kN,and the percentage of crushed zone(ratio of crushing zone to sample radius,d/r)increased from 0.191 to 0.262.The results of the study have implications for understanding the failure of irregular rock specimens under point loading conditions and their size effects.

Complete solutions for elastic fields induced by point load vector in functionally graded material model with transverse isotropy

The paper develops and examines the complete solutions for the elastic field induced by the point load vector in a general functionally graded material(FGM)model with transverse isotropy.The FGMs are approximated with n-layered materials.Each of the n-layered materials is homogeneous and transversely isotropic.The complete solutions of the displacement and stress fields are explicitly expressed in the forms of fifteen classical Hankel transform integrals with ten kernel functions.The ten kernel functions are explicitly expressed in the forms of backward transfer matrices and have clear mathematical properties.The singular terms of the complete solutions are analytically isolated and expressed in exact closed forms in terms of elementary harmonic functions.Numerical results show that the computation of the complete solutions can be achieved with high accuracy and efficiency.

Simulation on the Time Progress of the Non-Point Source Pollution Load in Initial Stage Runoff for Small Watershed

Taking a reservoir in South China as an example, we use rainfall-runoff unit hydrograph method to analyze the time changing process of surface runoff inflow, which generated by typical design rainfall. On the basis of time series data of flow and water quality in control section of the main rivers in Xili Reservoir, we establish mathematical response relation between non-point source pollutants flux, such as flux of COD, flux of NH3-H, in catchment area of control section and runoff. Then we simulate the time dynamic change progress of non-point source pollution load which generate with the initial stage runoff that generated by design rainfall and flow into reservoir. It can provide technical parameters for the design of non-point source which generate from early runoff treatment project.

Estimating Unconfined Compressive Strength of Sedimentary Rocks in United Arab Emirates from Point Load Strength Index

In this paper, three rock types including Sandstone, Mudstone, and Crystalline Gypsum were part of a laboratory study conducted to develop a dataset for predicting the unconfined compressive strength of UAE intact sedimentary rock specimens. Four hundred nineteen rock samples from various areas along the coastal region of the UAE were collected and tested for the development of this dataset and evaluation of models. From the statistical analysis of the data, regression equations were established among rock parameters and correlations were expressed and compared by the ones proposed in literature.

The use of point load test for Dubai weak calcareous sandstones

Intact rock is typically described according to its uniaxial compressive strength （UCS）. The UCS is needed in the design of geotechnical engineering problems including stability of rock slopes and design of shallow and deep foundations resting on and/or in rocks. Accordingly, a correct measure-ment/evaluation of the UCS is essential to a safe and economic design. Typically, the UCS is measured using the unconfined compression tests performed on cylindrical intact specimens with a minimum length to width ratio of 2. In several cases, especially for weak and very weak rocks, it is not possible to extract intact specimens with the needed minimum dimensions. Thus, alternative tests （e.g. point load test, Schmidt hammer） are used to measure rock strength. The UCS is computed based on the results of these tests through empirical correlations. The literature includes a plethora of these correlations that vary widely in estimating rock strength. Thus, it is paramount to validate these correlations to check their suitability for estimating rock strength for a specific location and geology. A review of the available correlations used to estimate the UCS from the point load test results is performed and summarized herein. Results of UCS, point load strength index and Young＇s modulus are gathered for calcareous sandstone specimens extracted from the Dubai area. A correlation for estimating the UCS from the point load strength index is proposed. Furthermore, the Young＇s modulus is correlated to the UCS.

Variable Parameter Nonlinear Control for Maximum Power Point Tracking Considering Mitigation of Drive-train Load

Since mechanical loads exert a significant influence on the life span of wind turbines, the reduction of transient load on drive-train shaft has received more attention when implementing a maximum power point tracking(MPPT) controller.Moreover, a trade-off between the efficiency of wind energy extraction and the load level of drive-train shaft becomes a key issue. However, for the existing control strategies based on nonlinear model of wind turbines, the MPPT efficiencies are improved at the cost of the intensive fluctuation of generator torque and significant increase of transient load on drive train shaft. Hence, in this paper, a nonlinear controller with variable parameter is proposed for improving MPPT efficiency and mitigating transient load on drive-train simultaneously. Then,simulations on FAST(Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures, and Turbulence) code and experiments on the wind turbine simulator(WTS) based test bench are presented to verify the efficiency improvement of the proposed control strategy with less cost of drive-train load.

Contact Force Distribution and Static Load-carrying Capacity of Large Size Double Row Four-point Contact Ball Bearing

Clearance not only affects the startup torque,rotation precision and stiffness of bearing,but also affects the load distribution,load-carrying capacity and life of bearing.A computational model in which the clearance of bearing is first included is presented for determining the contact force distribution and static load-carrying capacity of a double row four-point contact ball bearing which is subjected to the combined radial,axial and overturning moment loadings.The relation between the negative axial clearance and the contact force distribution is analyzed.The static load-carrying capacity curves are established,and the effects of the changes in negative axial clearance,curvature radius coefficient of raceway groove and initial contact angle on the static load-carrying capacity are analyzed.The results show that,with the increase in the absolute value of negative clearance,the maximum contact load decreases first and then increases.The clearance values in the range of 0.2 mme0 mm have little effect on the static load-carrying capacity of bearing.With the increase in the curvature radius coefficient of raceway groove and the decrease in the initial contact angle,the static load capacity of bearing decreases.

Method for calculating non-point source pollution distribution in plain rivers

The land area in a river network is divided into certain-scale square cells for the sake of precision, and, based on the physical mechanisms of rainfall-runoff processes and runoff pollution, the non-point source pollution from cells is estimated using the export coefficients of different land use types. The non-point source pollution from a land cell should all go into the closest fiver reach, so it is distributed according to the terrain of the plain river network area and the positions of land cells and river network reaches. A relationship between a single land cell and its pollution-receiving reach can be determined using this system. In view of the above, a spatial distribution model of the rainfall runoff and non-point source pollution in reaches of a plain river network area was established. This model can provide technological support for further research on the dynamic effects of non-point source pollution on water quality.

Assessing effects of “source-sink” landscape on non-point source pollution based on cell units of a small agricultural catchment

Ascertaining the relationship between "source-sink" landscape and non-point source(NPS) pollution is crucial for reducing NPS pollution, however, it is not easy to realize this target on cell unit scale. To reveal the relationships between "sourcesink" landscape and NPS pollution based on cell units of a small catchment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region(TGRR), the runoff and nutrient yields were simulated first by rainfall events on a cell unit scale based on the Annualized AGricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Model(AnnAGNPS). Landscape structure and pattern were quantified with "sourcesink" landscape indicators based on cell units including landscape area indices and locationweighted landscape indices. The results showed that:the study case of small Wangjiagou catchment highlighted a good prediction capability of runoff and nutrient export by the AnnAGNPS model. Throughout the catchment, the spatial distribution trends of four location-weighted landscape indices were similar to the trends of simulated total nitrogen(TN) and total phosphorus(TP), which highlighted the importance of spatial arrangement of "source" and "sink" landscape types in a catchment when estimating pollutant loads. Results by Pearson correlation analysis indicated that the location-weighted landscape index provided a more comprehensive account of multiple factors, and can better reflect NPS-related nutrient loss than other landscape indices applied in single-factor analysis. This study provides new findings for applying the "source-sink" landscape indices based on cell units in small catchments to explain the effect of "source-sink" landscape on nutrient export based on cell unit, and helps improve the understanding of the correlation between "source-sink" landscape and NPS pollution.

Effect of loading point position on fracture mode of rock

Anti symmetric four point bending specimen with different loading point positions was used to study effect of loading point position on fracture mode of rock in order to explore a feasible method for achieving Mode Ⅱ fracture and determining Mode Ⅱ fracture toughness of rock, K ⅡC . Numerical and experimental results show that the distance between the inner and outer loading points, L 1+ L 2, has a great influence on stresses at notch tip and fracture mode. When L 1+ L 2>0.5 L or 0.1 L < L 1+ L 2<0.5 L , maximum principal stress σ 1 exceeds the tensile strength σ t. The ratio of τ max / σ 1 is relatively low or high and thus Mode Ⅰ or mixed mode fracture occurs. When L 1+ L 2< 0.1 L , σ 1 is smaller than σ t and the ratio of τ max / σ 1 is much higher, which facilitates the occurrence of Mode Ⅱ fracture.

Modeling footing resting on anisotropic sand using material point method

Sand typically exhibits anisotropic internal structure which may significantly influence its mechanical behavior. The material point method (MPM) can eliminate mesh distortion and thus is suitable for investigating geotechnical problems with large deformation. In this study, an advanced anisotropic critical state theory (ACST)-based soil model is implemented in MPM to study the response of strip footing resting on anisotropic sand. The capability of the model is verified by simulating several element tests and strip footing tests with different soil densities and fabric bedding plane orientations. For the footing problem with a vertical load, as the fabric bedding plane orientation increases, the bearing capacity decreases and its corresponding settlement increases. The failure pattern becomes asymmetrical when the bedding plane orientation or the loading direction is inclined. A comparison between the simulation results predicted by the anisotropic and isotropic models is made, which demonstrates that neglecting the fabric anisotropy may lead to the overestimation of the bearing capacity.

Nanoindentation Models of Monolayer Graphene and Graphyne under Point Load Pattern Studied by Molecular Dynamics

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study the nanoindentation models of monolayer suspended graphene and graphyne. Fullerenes are selected as indenters. Our results show that Young＇s modulus of monolayer-thick graphyne is almost half of that of graphene, which is estimated to be 0.50 TPa. The mechanical properties of graphene and graphyne are different in the presence of strain. A pre-tension has an important effect on the mechanical properties of a membrane. Both the pre-tension and Young＇s modulus plots demonstrate index behavior. The toughness of graphyne is stronger than that of graphene due to Young＇s modulus magnitude. Young＇s moduli of graphene and graphyne are almost independent of the size ratio of indenter to membrane.

Modeling the blast load induced by a close-in explosion considering cylindrical charge parameters

Structural damage is significantly influenced by the various parameters of a close-in explosion.To establish a close-in blast loading model for cylindrical charges according to these parameters,a series of field experiments and a systematic numerical analysis were conducted.A high-fidelity finite element model developed using AUTODYN was first validated using blast data collected from field tests conducted in this and previous studies.A quantitative analysis was then performed to determine the influence of the charge shape,aspect ratio(length to diameter),orientation,and detonation configuration on the characteristics and distributions of the blast loading(incident peak overpressure and impulse)according to scaled distance.The results revealed that the secondary peak overpressure generated by a cylindrical charge was mainly distributed along the axial direction and was smaller than the overpressure generated by an equivalent spherical charge.The effects of charge shape on the blast loading at 45°and 67.5°in the axial plane could be neglected at scaled distances greater than 2 m/kg^(1/3);the effect of aspect ratios greater than 2 on the peak overpressure in the 90°(radial)direction could be neglected at all scaled distances;and double-end detonation increased the radial blast loading by up to 60%compared to singleend detonation.Finally,an empirical cylindrical charge blast loading model was developed considering the influences of charge aspect ratio,orientation,and detonation configuration.The results obtained in this study can serve as a reference for the design of blast tests using cylindrical charges and aid engineers in the design of blast-resistant structures.

Modified Weighting for Calculating the Average Concentration of Non-Point Source Pollutant

The concentration of runoff depends upon that of soil loss and the latter is assumed to be linear to the value of EI that equals the product of total storm energy E times the maximum 30-min intensity I 30 for a given rainstorm. Usually, the maximum accumulative amount of rain for a rainstorm might bring on the maximum amount of runoff, but it does not equal the maximum erosion and not always lead the maximum concentration. Thus, the average concentration weighted by amount of runoff is somewhat unreasonable. An improvement for the calculation method of non-point source pollution load put forward by professor Li Huaien is proposed. In replacement of the weight of runoff, EI value of a single rainstorm is introduced as a new weight. An example of Fujing River watershed shows that its application is effective.

Nitrogen forms and pollution load of Dianchi Lake inflow river runoff in rainy season

With the control of point source pollution in Dianchi Lake basin, and the expansion of Kunming city, non-point source pollution has become the main source pollution of urban water environment and Dianchi Lake. To reveal the nitrogen pollution characteristics in watershed, this research selected key monitoring points and sections at Baoxiang river basin in rainy season which is the peak transported time of non-point source pollution, the nitrogen and hydrological indicators are monitored systematically. The different forms of nitrogen are analyzed, the pollution load of nitrogen are calculated and studied at cardinal sections; combined with the literature data, we compared the water nitrogen characteristics of Dianchi basin and Taihu basin, the main results are as follows:(1) In summer, water nitrogen form of Baoxiang river in the Caohe area is dominated by nitrate nitrogen, while in other areas it is dominated by ammonia nitrogen which is accounted for 31%-50% of total nitrogen;(2) The water pollution loads of Baoxiang river tended to increase from upstream to downstream, from June to August the total nitrogen pollution mainly comes from urban areas and the pollution load is 166.408 t;(3) In Dianchi Lake watershed and Taihu Lake watershed nitrogen concentration of inflow river is higher than that of the lake, nitrate nitrogen concentration between inflow river and lake shows a little difference, while ammonia nitrogen concentration of inflow river is higher than that of the lake. The results can provide the theoretical basis for nonpoint source pollution control and urban water environment planning and improvement in Dianchi Lake Basin.

一种基于曲率和B样条的矿区装载车辆连续路径规划方法

矿区装载车辆的任务是从进入点到装载点进行装载,然后离开矿区。在进入装载点前,车辆要在回转点改变行进方向,以便倒车进入装载点。针对装载车辆的任务特点,本文提出了一种基于曲率和B样条的路径规划方法。首先,基于车辆运动模型设计了A*算法的成本函数,获得了与车辆转弯半径相关的离散路径。为了进一步获得装载车辆的连续路径,又提出了改进的B样条插值法,使得连续路径两端切线符合车辆起始点和终点的位姿。随后,基于模拟退火算法,获得了车辆的回转点,使得车辆可以在进入装载点前改变前进方向。仿真结果表明,所提出的连续路径规划方法能够保证生成曲率连续的装载车辆路径,并保证路径两端符合车辆在起始点和终点的位姿,为矿区装载车辆的自动驾驶技术提供了基础。

融合外部注意力机制的序列到点非侵入式负荷分解

非侵入式负荷分解可以深度挖掘用户电力消耗数据蕴含的信息价值,为电力设备故障监测、需求响应等决策分析提供重要参考.为有效解决非侵入式负荷分解算法训练时间成本与分解精度间的冲突,提出一种融合外部注意力机制的序列到点非侵入式负荷分解算法.首先,将总负荷功率消耗序列进行数据清理、标准化等预处理,以固定窗口长度构建训练输入数据,输入数据通过编码层自动提取设备特征;然后,设计外部注意力机制增强重要特征权值;最终,输入到解码层得到负荷分解结果.利用REDD与UK-DALE两种公开数据集进行模型仿真计算,在信号聚合误差、平均绝对误差、标准化分解误差指标、模型分解曲线、特征图和用户耗能等方面进行对比分析,本文模型克服了卷积层注意力分散的缺点,增强了对有效信息的提取与利用能力,在未增加训练时间成本的前提下具有更高的分解精度.

基于黄金分割搜索的电压暂降域快速识别方法

针对大型复杂电网中敏感负荷的电压暂降域难以准确识别的问题,提出一种基于黄金分割搜索的电压暂降域快速识别方法。首先,求得网络中发生各类短路故障时敏感负荷节点的电压暂降幅值解析式,并引入节点判定向量和线路关联向量,以及相应的判定准则,实现对所有线路临界点的快速分类计算;接着详细阐述了传统插值法存在的问题,并提出一种由黄金分割搜索改进的插值法,以期为正割迭代提供更优的初值点,提高临界点计算的准确度;因考虑到拟合的二次曲线难免存在偏差,故使用故障点法作为补充算法,用以计算有求解困难的线路;最后,以IEEE30节点标准测试系统为例,验证了该方法能在保证计算精度的前提下,简化电压暂降域的求解过程,提高算法的收敛速度,并广泛适用于大型复杂电网。