Could Long-Term Stability Last Forever?

The subject of the present paper is to prove that the recently introduced conjecture of boundedness puts a ban over the view of stability as asymptotic property. This result comes in sharp contrast with the prescription of the traditional thermodynamics and statistical physics which consider the existence of equilibrium as asymptotic property of all systems. The difference commences from the use of infinitesimal calculus as the basic implement for modelling by the latter while the primary premise of the conjecture of boundedness is sustaining the energy/matter/information permanently bounded and finite. The latter property overrules the infinitesimal calculus as the major implement of modelling because, among all, it is proven that the traditional one suffers unsoluble difficulties.

A two-dimensional air streamer discharge modified model based on artificial stability term under non-uniform electric field at low temperature and sub-atmospheric pressure

In this paper, an improved air discharge fluid model under non-uniform electric field is constructed based on the plasma module COMSOL Multiphysics with artificial stability term, and the boundary conditions developed in the previous paper are applied to the calculation of photoionization rate. Based on the modified model, the characteristics of low temperature subatmospheric air discharge under 13 kV direct current voltage are discussed, including needle-plate and needle-needle electrode structures. Firstly, in order to verify the reliability of the model, a numerical example and an experimental verification were carried out for the modified model respectively. Both verification results show that the model can ensure the accuracy and repeatability of the calculation. Secondly, according to the calculation results of the modified model, under the same voltage and spacing, the reduced electric field under low temperature subatmosphere pressure is larger than that under normal temperature and atmospheric pressure. The high electric field leads to the air discharge at low temperature and sub atmospheric pressure entering the streamer initiation stage earlier, and has a faster propagation speed in the streamer development stage, which shortens the overall discharge time. Finally, the discharge characteristics of the two electrode structures are compared, and it is found that the biggest difference between them is that there is a pre-ionization region near the cathode in the needle-needle electrode structure. When the pre-ionization level reaches 1013 cm-3, the propagation speed of the positive streamer remains unchanged throughout the discharge process, and is no longer affected by the negative streamer. The peak value of electric field decreases with the increase of pre-ionization level, and tends to be constant during streamer propagation. Based on the previous paper, this paper constructs the air discharge model under non-uniform electric field, complements with the previous paper, and forms a relatively complete set of air discharge simulation system under low temperature and sub atmospheric pressure, which provides a certain reference for future research.

Analysis of the SBP-SAT Stabilization for Finite Element Methods Part Ⅱ:Entropy Stability

In the hyperbolic research community,there exists the strong belief that a continuous Galerkin scheme is notoriously unstable and additional stabilization terms have to be added to guarantee stability.In the first part of the series[6],the application of simultaneous approximation terms for linear problems is investigated where the boundary conditions are imposed weakly.By applying this technique,the authors demonstrate that a pure continu-ous Galerkin scheme is indeed linearly stable if the boundary conditions are imposed in the correct way.In this work,we extend this investigation to the nonlinear case and focus on entropy conservation.By switching to entropy variables,we provide an estimation of the boundary operators also for nonlinear problems,that guarantee conservation.In numerical simulations,we verify our theoretical analysis.

Wheat Grain Yield and Yield Stability in a Long-Term Fertilization Experiment on the Loess Plateau

To provide a scientific basis for sustainable land management, a 20-year fertility experiment was conducted in Changwu County, Shaanxi Province, China to investigate the effects of long-term application of chemical fertilizers on wheat grain yield and yield stability on the Loess Plateau using regression and stability analysis. The experiment consisted of 17 fertilizer treatments, containing the combinations of different N and P levels, with three replications arranged in a randomized complete block design. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied as urea, and P was applied as calcium superphosphate. Fertilizer rates had a large effect on the response of wheat yield to fertilization. Phosphorus, combined with N, increased yield significantly (P < 0.01). In the unfertilized control and the N or P sole application treatments, wheat yield had a declining trend although it was not statistically significant. Stability analysts combined with the trend analysis indicated that integrated use of fertilizer N and P was better than their sole application in increasing and sustaining the productivity of rainfed winter wheat.

Long-term inorganic plus organic fertilization increases yield and yield stability of winter wheat

An understanding of wheat yield and yield stability response to fertilization is important for sustainable wheat production. A 36-year long-term fertilization experiment was employed to evaluate the yield and yield stability of winter wheat. Five fertilization regimes were compared,including(1) CK, no fertilizer;(2) NPK, inorganic fertilizer only;(3) O, organic fertilizer only;(4)NPKO, 50% of NPK plus 50% of O, and(5) HNPKO, 80% of NPK plus 80% of O. The greatest yield increase was recorded in HNPKO, followed by NPKO, with O producing the lowest mean yield increase. Over the 36 years, the rate of wheat yield increase in fertilized plots ranged from95.31 kg ha-1 year-1 in the HNPKO to 138.65 kg ha-1 year-1 in the O. Yield stability analysis using the additive main effects and multiplicative interactions(AMMI) method assigned 62.3%, 26.3%,and 11.4% of sums of squares to fertilization effect, environmental effect, and fertilization ×environment interaction effect, respectively. The combination of inorganic and organic fertilization(NPKO and HNPKO) appeared to produce more stable yields than O or NPK, with lower coefficients of variation and AMMI stability value. However, wheat grown with O seemed to be the most susceptible to climate change and the least productive among the fertilized plots.Significant correlations of grain yield with soil properties and with mean air temperature were observed. These findings suggest that inorganic + organic fertilizer can increase wheat yield and its stability by improvement in soil fertility and reduction in variability to climate change.

Short Term Stability Using Phase Plane

One of the most important problems in the study of transient stability of power systems is the determination of perturbation’s maximum time of permanence without losing the synchronism of the generators that feed the network. The problem is generally solved by either the application of the equal-area criterion or through numerical integration methods. In the present work, the phase-plane is proposed as an alternative tool to solve the above-mentioned problem with greater efficiency.

Back analysis of long-term stability of a 92 m span ancient quarrying cavern

Long-term stability of large-span caverns is a challenging issue for design and construction of underground rock engineering.The Heidong cavern group consisting of 21 caverns was constructed about 1400 years ago for quarrying in massive Cretaceous tuff.The cavern No.5 of the Heidong cavern group is characterized by an unsupported span up to 92 m,with the overburden thickness of only 3-25 m.To analyze its long-term stability,a detailed investigation was conducted to obtain its geometry and rock mass characteristics,and to monitor surrounding rock displacements.Based on field survey and laboratory tests,numerical simulations were performed using the finite difference code FLAC;.The analysis results revealed that for the long-term stability of the cavern No.5,some major factors should be carefully considered,such as cavern excavation method in hard massive rocks,site investigation using trial pits,tools like short iron chisel and hammer for manual excavation,geometric dome roof,and waste rocks within abutment or on the floor.The highlights of the technologies obtained from this large-scale ancient underground project can provide reference for other similar project excavations in practice.

STABILITY OF PERTURBED NEUTRAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS WITH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE COEFFICIENTS

In this paper the perturbed neutral differential equation with positive and negative coefficientsddt[x(t)-C(t)x(t-r)]+P(t)x(t-τ)-Q(t)x(t-σ)=f(t,x(t)), t≥t 0is considered. Sufficient conditions for the zero solution of this equation to be uniformly stable as well as asymptotically stable are obtained.

Novel Stability Criteria for Sampled-Data Systems With Variable Sampling Periods

This paper is concerned with a novel Lyapunovlike functional approach to the stability of sampled-data systems with variable sampling periods. The Lyapunov-like functional has four striking characters compared to usual ones. First, it is time-dependent. Second, it may be discontinuous. Third, not every term of it is required to be positive definite. Fourth, the Lyapunov functional includes not only the state and the sampled state but also the integral of the state. By using a recently reported inequality to estimate the derivative of this Lyapunov functional, a sampled-interval-dependent stability criterion with reduced conservatism is obtained. The stability criterion is further extended to sampled-data systems with polytopic uncertainties. Finally, three examples are given to illustrate the reduced conservatism of the stability criteria.

Thermal Stability and Thermal Decomposition Kinetics of 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium Dicyanamide

Thermal stability and thermal decomposition kinetics of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([bmin+][N(CN) ]2-) were investigated using both isothermal and non-isothermal thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) under high pure nitrogen as carrier gas. The long-term thermogravimetric studies revealed that the highest temperature used should be 110 °C, at which [bmin+][N(CN)2-] lost less than 10% by mass in 10 hours. The non-isothermal activation energy values determined using Friedman and ASTM methods were (150±13) and (147±2) kJ·mol –1 , respectively. Multivariate non-linear-regression methods showed that expanded Fn and CnB models were the best fit models with highest correlation coefficient of 0.9994, and the apparent activation energies were consistent with iso-conversional methods.

A CONDITIONAL STABILITY FOR AN INVERSE PROBLEM ARISING IN GROUNDWATER POLLUTION

An inverse problem of determining magnitude of groundwater pollution in a hydrologic region is investigated. By applying integral identity methods, a conditional stability for the inverse problem here is constructed with aids of an optimal adjoint problem and a suitable topology.

Climate change and permafrost stability in the eastern Canada Cordillera:The results of 33 years of measurements

Over the last 33 years,a network of climate stations has been set up at high altitude mountain permafrost sites from Plateau Mountain near Claresholm,Alberta,north to Sheldon Lake on the North Canol Road in the Yukon.Taken together with the data from the US National Weather Service and the Canadian Atmospheric Environment Service,the results indicate a cooling of mean annual air temperature south of Calgary,no significant change in Calgary,a slight warming at Jasper,and a major warming at Summit Lake,west of Fort Nelson.In contrast,the south eastern and central Yukon show only a minor warming trend that lies well within the limits of a sixty-year record measured by the Canadian Atmospheric Environment Service.Along the Mackenzie valley and on the North Slope of Alaska,the mean annual air temperature is rising.Permafrost is aggrading on Plateau Mountain,degrading at Summit Lake,and appears to be stable in southern Yukon and southern Alaska.This is in contrast to the warming occurring on the Arctic coastal plain and along the Mackenzie valley.It therefore appears that changes in climate vary considera-bly from place to place,and even where warming may occur,it may not continue indefinitely.There has been a northward shift of the arctic front due to a weakening of air pressure in the Yukon and Alaska relative to the continental tropical(cT) and maritime polar(mT) air masses to the south.Any actual changes that may be occurring appear to undergo amplification along the Mackenzie valley and Arctic coastal plain and reduction by buffering in the interior Yukon and Alaskan mountains,a result of mi-cro-environmental factors.Continued,careful monitoring of the climate is required and needs to be expanded in the National Parks in the mountains in order to provide data on the changes that may be taking place.Such measurements can provide a sound basis for interpreting ecological and other climate-related data.The existing climate models are not working satisfactorily because we do not know enough about the causes and processes involved in climate change.Improved results can indicate where best to site structures such as pipelines so as to minimize maintenance costs.Models may also help explain why certain areas such as Beringia,which saw reduced climate change,acted as important refugia during the glaciations.

Stabilized seventh-order dissipative compact scheme using simultaneous approximation terms

To ensure time stability of a seventh-order dissipative compact finite difference scheme, fourth-order boundary closures are used near domain boundaries previously. However, this would reduce the global convergence rate to fifth-order only. In this paper, we elevate the boundary closures to sixth-order to achieve seventh-order global accuracy. To keep the improved scheme time stable, the simultaneous approximation terms (SATs) are used to impose boundary conditions weakly. Eigenvalue analysis shows that the improved scheme is time stable. Numerical experiments for linear advection equations and one-dimensional Euler equations are implemented to validate the new scheme.

The identification and criteria of short-term seismicity gap before a great earthquake

Based on the background of the medium term seismic gap, and the creep rate slow down after accelerated strain release, by using a method of gradually reducing the step length and the window length of scanning, the characteristics and criteria of a short term seismic gap have been studied from multi dimension space research. A new method for identifying a short term gap from 3 D axial stability collation has been advanced. Through the study of 26 earthquake examples in north and south west region of China, we found that a short term seismicity gap appeared in 9～16 months before a strong earthquake, this type of gap is different from the seismogenic gap, and will lasted 4～7 months, end at the time of 3～8 months before the mainshock . The ending is marked by the appearance of a significant earthquake in or near the gap (Sun and Cao, 1995) and of small earthquake in the gap.

Long-term stabilization of the optical fiber phase control using dual PID

We propose an approach of long-term stabilization of optical fiber phase by controlling a piezo-based phase modulator and a Peltier component attached to the fiber via a phase-locked loop( PLL) circuit w ith dual proportional-integral- derivative( PID) adjustment. With this approach,we can suppress the fast disturbance and slow drifting of optical fiber to satisfy the requirements of optical phase long-term locking. In theory,a mathematical model of an optical fiber phase control system is established. The disturbance term induced by environment influence is considered into the PLL model. The monotonous and continuous changing environment disturbance w ill cause a steady-state error in this theory model. The experimental results accords w ell w ith the theory. The steady-state performance,adjusting time,and overshoot can be improved by using the dual PID control. As a result,the long-term,highly stable and low noise fiber phase locking is realized experimentally.

Analyses of fear memory in Arc/Arg3.1-deficient mice: intact short-term memory and impaired long-term and remote memory

Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1) was originally identified in patients with seizures. It is densely distributed in the hip-pocampus and amygdala in particular. Because the expression of Arc/Arg3.1 is regulated by nerve in-puts, it is thought to be an immediate early gene. As shown both in vitro and in vivo, Arc/Arg3.1 is in-volved in synaptic consolidation and regulates some forms of learning and memory in rats and mice [1,2]. Furthermore, a recent study suggests that Arc/Arg3.1 may play a significant role in signal transmission via AMPA-type glutamate receptors [3-5]. Therefore, we conducted a detailed analysis of fear memory in Arc/Arg3.1-deficient mice. As previously reported, the knockout animals exhib-ited impaired fear memory in both contextual and cued test situations. Although Arc/Arg3.1-deficient mice showed almost the same performance as wild-type littermates 4 hr after a conditioning trial, their performance was impaired in the retention test after 24 hr or longer, either with or without reconsolidation. Immunohistochemical analyses showed an abnormal density of GluR1 in the hip-pocampus of Arc/Arg3.1-deficient mice;however, an application of AMPA potentiator did not improve memory performance in the mutant mice. Memory impairment in Arc/Arg3.1-deficient mice is so ro-bust that the mice provide a useful tool for devel-oping treatments for memory impairment.

Total Hip Replacement: Short- and Medium-Term Morbidity and Mortality in the Department of Orthopedic Traumatology of Donka University Hospital, Guinea-Conakry

Introduction: Total hip prostheses are a reliable means of treating hip disorders. It is indicated when pain and reduced mobility of the hip become incompatible with the patient’s daily activities. In low-income countries, the risk factors for hip disease are numerous, but the means for its management, such as total hip prostheses, are not. The aim of this work was to determine the morbi-mortality of total hip prostheses in the short and medium term in our department and to review the literature. Patients and Method: This was a prospective and descriptive study over a period of 9 years. It involved 50 THPs performed on 45 patients. Patients who had received a THP and were followed up for at least two years were included. We excluded patients who were lost to follow-up. The Moore-type posterolateral minimally invasive approach was used. Complications were investigated from the immediate postoperative period and in the medium term. The final functional results were evaluated according to the Postel Merle d’Aubigné score. Results: We performed 50 THPs out of 750 procedures, i.e. , 6.6%. The indications were: primary coxarthrosis 60%, necrosis of the femoral head 26%, post-infectious balloon hip 4%, and pseudarthrosis of the femoral neck 10%. The average time to the consultation was 2.4 years with extremes of 1 and 5 years. According to the terrain, sickle cell disease represented 18%, tuberculosis 12%. Postoperative complications were lameness 12%, dislocation 6%, suppuration 6%, death 4%, peri-prosthetic fracture 8%, loosening 2%, peri-articular ossification 2%, and paralysis of the external popliteal nerve 2%. Conclusion: Whoever performs a THP is obliged to monitor the patient as long as he/she is alive. Complications are possible at any time and can negatively change the assigned goal and force the surgeon to be expensive and sometimes inconclusive secondary interventions.

Effect of Nb content on microstructure stability and stress rupture properties of single crystal superalloy containing Re and Ru

Three experimental single crystal superalloys with 0%Nb,0.5%Nb,1.0%Nb were cast in the directionally solidified furnace,while other alloying element contents were basically kept unchanged.The effect of Nb on the microstructure,stability at1100°C and stress rupture properties at 1070°C and 160 MPa of the single crystal superalloy were investigated.The experiment results show that the primary dendrite arm spacing decreases and the volume fraction ofγ/γ′eutectic of the alloy increases with the increase of Nb content in the as-cast microstructures.The size ofγ′phase particles becomes small and uniform and the cubic shape does not obviously change with the increase of Nb content.The precipitating rate and volume fraction of TCP phases increase significantly with the increase of Nb content in the process of long term aging at 1100°C.The stress rupture lives increase and elongation decreases with increasing Nb content at 1070°C/160 MPa.At last,the relationship between the microstructures stability,stress rupture properties of the alloy and Nb content is discussed based on JMat Pro software and the lastest relevant database for single crystal superalloy.

Global Lipschitz Stability in an Inverse Problem for the Non-stationary Transport Equation

An inverse problem of determining the source term of the non-stationary transport equation was considered.The extra lateral boundary condition was chosen as the observation data.Based on a Carleman estimate on the non-stationary transport equation,a global Lipschitz stability for the inverse problem was proved.