Investigation of Excavator Performance Factors in an Open-Pit Mine Using Loading Cycle Time

This study presents the effect of excavator model, loading operation location, shift availability and truck-shovel combination on loading cycle time and productivity of an open-pit mine. The loading cycle time was used to assess the material loading system performance which is one of the key components of the total cycle time for material transportation in an open-pit mine. Loading is among the components of cycle time during which material is being handled. The data analyzed?was?collected from a computerized dispatch system at GGM from which 62,000 loading dispatches per month involving several shifts, 14 excavators and 49 trucks were loaded. About 4465 dispatches per excavator and 1276 dispatches per truck were assessed using loading cycle time data for each dispatch for a period of four months (between August and December). Under fixed tonnage loaded and waste type (33 t of non-acid forming waste rock),?it was observed that loading cycle time depends on excavator model, location and truck being loaded. Average cycle times, PDFS?and CDFS of loading cycle time series were used to identify differences in performance under different situations. It was concluded that shift availability for excavators, loading location, excavator model and truck-shovel combinations strongly affect the productivity during loading process in an open-pit mine.

EXACT SOLUTION FOR RECTANGULAR SLAB WITH THREE EDGES SIMPLY-SUPPORTED AND OTHER FREE

In this paper,we give all-sided pastic analysis of the rectangular slab with three edges simply-supported and other free.Here we discuss the following four cases:(1)The uniformly distributedload over the area a slab.(2).A concentrated load act at midpoint of free edges slab.(3)A concen-trated load act at the center a slab.(4)The line load act along free edge of slab.

Kautz Function Based Continuous-Time Model Predictive Controller for Load Frequency Control in a Multi-Area Power System

A continuous-time Model Predictive Controller was proposed using Kautz function in order to improve the performance of Load Frequency Control(LFC).A dynamic model of an interconnected power system was used for Model Predictive Controller(MPC)design.MPC predicts the future trajectory of the dynamic model by calculating the optimal closed loop feedback gain matrix.In this paper,the optimal closed loop feedback gain matrix was calculated using Kautz function.Being an Orthonormal Basis Function(OBF),Kautz function has an advantage of solving complex pole-based nonlinear system.Genetic Algorithm(GA)was applied to optimally tune the Kautz function-based MPC.A constraint based on phase plane analysis was implemented with the cost function in order to improve the robustness of the Kautz function-based MPC.The proposed method was simulated with three area interconnected power system and the efficiency of the proposed method was measured and exhibited by comparing with conventional Proportional and Integral(PI)controller and Linear Quadratic Regulation(LQR).

Stem cell technology for antitumor drug loading and delivery in oncology

The main aim of antineoplastic treatment is to maximize patient benefit by augmenting the drug accumulation within affected organs and tissues,thus incrementing drug effects and,at the same time,reducing the damage of non-involved tissues to cytotoxic agents.Mesenchymal stromal cells(MSC)represent a group of undifferentiated multipotent cells presenting wide self-renewal features and the capacity to differentiate into an assortment of mesenchymal family cells.During the last year,they have been proposed as natural carriers for the selective release of antitumor drugs to malignant cll,s thus optimizing cytotoxic action on cancer cll,while significantly reducing adverse side efect on healthy cells.MSC chemotherapeutic drug loading and delivery is an encouraging new area of cell therapy for several tumors,especially for those with unsatisfactory prognosis and limited treatment options available.Although some experim ental models have been sucesfuly developed,phase I dinical studies are needed to confirm this potential application of cell therapy,in particular in the case of primary and secondary lung cancers.

Differences in Morphological, Physiological and Growth Traits between Two Endemic Subspecies of <i>Brassica rupestris</i>Raf.: Implications for Their Conservation

The goal of this work was to analyze the phenological and physiological responses of Brassica rupestris Raf. subsp. hispida Raimondo & Mazzola and Brassica rupestris Raf. subsp. rupestris to environmental factors also in consideration of global change. We used seedlings of the two subspecies originated from wild plants from the natural habitats in Sicily and cultivated in the Botanical Garden of Rome. Leaf morphological and physiological traits and growth dynamic were analyzed as well as the response to an imposed water stress experiment. The results underlined a higher relative growth rate in plant height (RGRH, cm·cm-1·d-1) in B. rupestris subsp. rupestris also attested by the highest plant height (H, cm), leaf area (LA, cm2), specific leaf area (SLA, cm·g-1), total leaf area per plant (TLA, cm2) and total plant dry mass (PDM, g plant-1). Moreover, the significantly highest net photosynthetic rates (A, μmol CO2 m-2·s-1) during the study period of this subspecies was related to the high Chlorophyll content (Chl, SPAD units). B. rupestris subsp. rupestris was also the most tolerant subspecies to imposed water stress showing the highest relative water content (RWC, %), A and water use efficiency (WUE, μmol·mmol-1).

Earth Pressure Distribution and Sand Deformation Around Modified Suction Caissons(MSCs) Under Monotonic Lateral Loading

The modified suction caisson(MSC) is a novel type of foundation for ocean engineering, consisting of a short external closed-top cylinder-shaped structure surrounding the upper part of the regular suction caisson(RSC). The MSC can provide larger lateral bearing capacity and limit the deflection compared with the RSC. Therefore, the MSC can be much more appropriate to use as an offshore wind turbine foundation. Model tests on the MSC in saturated sand subjected to monotonic lateral loading were carried out to investigate the effects of external structure sizes on the sand surface deformation and the earth pressure distribution along the embedded depth. Test results show that the deformation range of the sand surface increases with the increasing width and length of the external structure. The magnitude of sand upheaval around the MSC is smaller than that of the RSC and the sand upheaval value around the MSC in the loading direction decreases with the increasing external structure dimensions. The net earth pressure in the loading direction acting on the internal compartment of the MSC is smaller than that of the RSC at the same embedded depth. The maximum net earth pressure acting on the external structure outer wall in the loading direction is larger than that of the internal compartment, indicating that a considerable amount of the lateral load and moment is resisted by the external skirt structure.

Damage response of conventionally reinforced two-way spanning concrete slab under eccentric impacting drop weight loading

Reinforced concrete(RC)structures are generally designed to carry quasi-static gravity loads through almost indispensable components namely slab,however,it may be subjected to high intense loads induced from the impact of projectiles generated by the tornado,falling construction equipment,and also from accidental explosions during their construction and service lifespan.Impacts due to rock/boulder falls do occur on the structures located especially in hilly areas.Such loadings are not predictable but may cause severe damage to the slab/structure.It stimulates structural engineers and researchers to investigate and understand the dynamic response of RC structures under such impulsive loading.This research work first investigates the performance of 1000×1000×75 mm^(3)conventionally reinforced two-way spanning normal strength concrete slab with only tension reinforcement(0.88%)under the concentric impact load(1035 N)using the finite element method based computer code,ABAQUS/Explicit-v.6.15.The impact load is delivered to the centroid of the slab using a solid-steel cylindroconical impactor(drop weight)with a flat nose of diameter 40 mm,having a total mass of 105 kg released from a fixed height of 2500 mm.Two popular concrete constitutive models in ABAQUS namely;Holmquist-Johnson-Cook(HJC)and Concrete Damage Plasticity(CDP),with strain rate effects as per fib MODEL CODE 2010,are used to model the concrete material behavior to impact loading and to simulate the damage to the slab.The slab response using these two models is analyzed and compared with the impact test results.The strain rate effect on the reinforcing steel bars has been incorporated in the analysis using the Malvar and Crawford(1998)approach.A classical elastoplastic kinematic idealization is considered to model the steel impactor and support system.Results reveal that the HJC model gives a little overestimation of peak displacement,maximum acceleration,and damage of the slab while the predictions given by the CDP model are in reasonable agreement with the experimental test results/observations available in the open literature.Following the validation of the numerical model,analyses have been extended to further investigate the damage response of the slab under eccentric impact loadings.In addition to the concentric location(P1)of the impacting device,five locations on a quarter of the slab i.e.,two along the diagonal(P2&P3),the other two along the mid-span(P4&P5),and the last one(P6)between P3 and P5,covering the entire slab,are considered.Computational results have been discussed and compared,and the evaluation of the most damaging location(s)of the impact is investigated.It has been found that the most critical location of the impact is not the centroid of the slab but the eccentric one with the eccentricity of 1/6th of the span from the centroid along the mid-span section.

Harmonic excitation of linear respiratory mechanics for physiological dual controlled ventilation

The theoretical approach along with the rationale of harmonic excitation modality (HEM) applied as optimal dual controlled ventilation (DCV) to anaesthetized or severe brain injured patients, whose respiretory mechanics can be properly assumed steady and linear, are presented and discussed. The design criteria of an improved version of the Advanced Lung Ventilation System (ALVS), including HEM in its functional features, are described in details. In particular, the elimination of any undesiderable artificial distortion affecting the respiratory and ventilation pattern waveforms is achieved by maintaining continuous forever the airflow inside the ventilation circuit, ensuring also the highest level of safety for patient in any condition. In such a way, the full-time compatibility of controlled breathings with spontaneous breathing activity of patient during continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) or bilevel positive airways pressure (BiPAP) ventilation modalities and during assisted/controlled ventilation(A/CV), includeing also synchronized or triggered ventilation modalities, is an intrinsic innovative feature of the system available for clinical application. As expected and according to the clinical requirements, HEM provides for physiological respiratory and ventilation pattern waveforms together with optimal “breath to breath” feedback control of lung volume driven by an improved diagnostic measurement procedure, whose outputs are also vital for adapting all the preset ventilation parameters to the current value of the respiratory parameters of patient. The results produced by software simulations concerning both adult and neonatal patients in different clinical conditions are completely consistent with those obtained by the theoretical treatment, showing that HEM reaches the best performances from both clinical and engineering points of view.

Performance of composite foundations with different load transfer platforms and substratum stiffness over silty clay

The semi-rigid pile-supported composite foundation is widely used in highway projects due to its effectiveness in increasing the bearing capacity and stability of foundations.It is crucial to understand the stress distribution across the embankment width and the behaviour of unreinforced foundations.Thus,five centrifuge tests were conducted to examine the bearing and deformation behaviours of NPRS(Non-Connected Piled Raft Systems)and GRPS(GeosyntheticReinforced Pile-Supported systems)with varying substratum stiffness,then a comparative analysis was conducted on embankment settlement,pressures underneath the embankments,and axial forces along the piles.The results indicated that greater substratum stiffness correlates with reduced settlement and deformation at various depths.Deformation occurring 5 meters from the embankment toe includes settlement in NPRS and upward movement in GRPS.The potential sliding surface is primarily located within the embankment in NPRS,whereas it may extend through both the embankment and foundation in GRPS.The pile-soil stress ratio and efficiency in NPRS are higher than in GRPS across the embankment.The axial force borne by end-bearing piles is significantly greater than that by floating piles.As the buried depth increases,the axial force in GRPS initially rises then declines,whereas in NPRS,it remains relatively constant within a certain range before decreasing.This study aids in assessing the applicability of composite foundations in complex railway environments and provides a reference for procedural measures under similar conditions.

Effect of NaCl Concentration on the Cumulative Strain and Pore Distribution of Clay under Cyclic Loading

Clay,as the most common soil used for foundationfill,is widely used in various infrastructure projects.The phy-sical and mechanical properties of clay are influenced by the pore solution environment.This study uses a GDS static/dynamic triaxial apparatus and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments to investigate the effects of cyclic loading on clay foundations.Moreover,the development of cumulative strain in clay is analyzed,and afitting model for cumulative plastic strain is introduced by considering factors such as NaCl solution concentration,con-solidation stress ratio,and cycle number.In particular,the effects of the NaCl solution concentration and con-solidation stress ratio on the pore distribution of the test samples before and after cyclic loading are examined,and the relationship between microscopic pore size and macroscopic cumulative strain is obtained accordingly.Our results show that as the consolidation stress ratio grows,an increasing number of large pores in the soil samples are transformed into small pores.As the NaCl solution concentration becomes higher,the number of small pores gradually decreases,while the number of large pores remains unchanged.Cyclic loading causes the disappearance of the large pores in the samples,and the average pore size before cyclic loading is posi-tively correlated with the axial cumulative strain after cyclic loading.The cumulative strain produced by the soil under cyclic loading is inversely proportional to the NaCl solution concentration and consolidation stress ratio.

叶面喷施稀土对千年桐幼苗生长和生理的影响

The seedlings of Vernicia montana derived from seeds soaking with water (the first group)or 300 mg5L -1 mixed nitric_acid rare earth solution (the second group) were treated with various concentrations of mixed nitric_acid rare earth solution by foliage spraying. The results showed that the seedling heights sprayed with 100 和 1 000 mg·L -1 of the first group and with 50 和 100 mg·L -1 of the second group were significantly higher than the controls, and the diameter at ground level sprayed with 300 mg·L -1 of the second group was significantly greater than the control, being 26.92% more than the latter; except for spraying with 0 mg5L -1 and 700～1 500 mg5L -1 of the second group, the seedling dry weight above ground of others was 29.13%～73.91% greater than the control, whereas the seedling dry weight under ground of others was 20.78%～116.88% greater than the control; the contents of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b for all spraying seedling were 91.67%～191.67% and 87.5%～306.25% greater than the control, respectively, and soluble proteins and soluble sugars were 16.00%～179.78% and 10.73%～105.65% greater than the control, respectively. Compared with the control, the activity of SOD tended to increase, whereas the contents of MDA decreased. These indicated that spraying leaves with optimum concentration of mixed nitric_acid rare earth solution could markedly promote the growth of seedlings and improve resistance ability of V. montana seedlings to bad environment. On the whole, the effects of spraying the leaves of seedling with 50～500 mg5L -1 mixed nitric_acid rare earth solution, which were derived from seeds soaking with 300 mg·L -1 mixed nitric_acid rare earth solution, were good.

Global Sensitivity Analysis in Physiological Systems

Pharmacokinetic models are mathematical models which provide insights into the interaction of chemicals with biological processes. During recent decades, these models have become central of attention in industry that caused to do a lot of efforts to make them more accurate. Current work studies the process of drug and nanoparticle (NPs) distribution throughout the body which consists of a system of ordinary differential equations. We use a tri-compartmental model to study the perfusion of NPs in tissues and a six-compartmental model to study drug distribution in different body organs. We have performed global sensitivity analysis by LHS Monte Carlo method using PRCC. We identify the key parameters that contribute most significantly to the absorption and distribution of drugs and NPs in different organs in body.

Loading Localization by Small-Diameter Optical Fiber Sensors

Structural health monitoring(SHM)in service has attracted increasing attention for years.Load localization on a structure is studied hereby.Two algorithms,i.e.,support vector machine(SVM)method and back propagation neural network(BPNN)algorithm,are proposed to identify the loading positions individually.The feasibility of the suggested methods is evaluated through an experimental program on a carbon fiber reinforced plastic laminate.The experimental tests involve in application of four optical fiber-based sensors for strain measurement at discrete points.The sensors are specially designed fiber Bragg grating(FBG)in small diameter.The small-diameter FBG sensors are arrayed in 2-D on the laminate surface.The testing results indicate that the loading position could be detected by the proposed method.Using SVM method,the 2-D FBG sensors can approximate the loading location with maximum error less than 14 mm.However,the maximum localization error could be limited to about 1 mm by applying the BPNN algorithm.It is mainly because the convergence conditions(mean square error)can be set in advance,while SVM cannot.

Session RPE and Speed High Intensity Distance in Meters(D_SHI mt):A Valid Method to Analyze Training Load in Soccer Players

The purpose of this study is to verify the physiological effect and describe the intensity of training in response to internal and external loads,through Session Rate of Perceived Exertion and Speed High Intensity Distance in Meters reports,on professional soccer players engaged in weekly training(199 Sessions,43 weeks)and league games(32 official matches).Twenty-two male professional soccer players(n=22)of the Italian national championship under-19 are involved in this study during the season 2014-2015.Daily,Weekly and Monthly RPE(perceived exertion)Session(Borg CR-10 Scale)is a good indicator of the amount of work done:training time multiplied by perceived effort(TL=Training Time×RPE).With Arbitrary units(a.u.)produced by the individual and used for team-based data analysis,we analyze the intensity produced by workout depending on the working time.Furthermore,by means of global positioning system technology(K-Sport,Montelabbate PU,Italy 10 Hz),we statistically established the existing relationship with high intensity speed distance(>16 km/h)and session rate of perceived exertion to describe how the internal(represented by the sum of the stresses that the body undergoes an external load;is strictly subjective)and external loads(the objective quantification of the means used in training km routes,running speed,slope,type of recovery),are correlated(r=0.87,p<0.01,95%CI).The statistical analysis highlights how these methods are suitable to quantifying the high-intensity work done by the soccer player during the workout and the game.

Optimal Placement of Multi DG Units Including Different Load Models Using PSO

This paper proposes a multi-objective index-based approach to optimally determine the size and location of multi-distributed generators (DG) units in distribution system with different load models. It is shown that load models can significantly affect the optimal location and sizing of DG resources in distribution systems. The proposed multi-objective function to be optimized includes a short circuit level parameter to represent the protective device requirements. The proposed function also considers a wide range of technical issues such as active and reactive power losses of the system, the voltage profile, the line loading and the MVA intake by the grid. The optimization technique based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) is introduced. The analysis of continuation power flow to determine the effect of DG units on the most sensitive buses to voltage collapse is carried out. The proposed algorithm is tested using the 38-bus radial system and the IEEE 30-bus meshed system. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Lateral earth pressure of granular backfills on retaining walls with expanded polystyrene geofoam inclusions under limited surcharge loading

Existing studies have focused on the behavior of the retaining wall equipped with expanded polystyrene(EPS)geofoam inclusions under semi-infinite surcharge loading rather than limited surcharge loading.In this paper,the failure mode and the earth pressure acting on the rigid retaining wall with EPS geofoam inclusions and granular backfills(henceforth referred to as EPS-wall),under limited surcharge loading are investigated through two-and three-dimensional model tests.The testing results show that different from the sliding of almost all the backfill in the EPS-wall under semi-infinite surcharge loading,only an approximately triangular backfill slides in the wall under limited surcharge loading.The distribution of the lateral earth pressure on the EPS-wall under limited surcharge loading is non-linear,and the distribution changes from the increase of the wall depth to the decrease with the increase of the limited surcharge loading.An approach based on the force equilibrium of a differential element is developed to predict the lateral earth pressure behind the EPS-wall subjected to limited surcharge loading,and its performance was fully validated by the three-dimensional model tests.

Fundus manifestations and HIV viral loads of AIDS patients before and after HAART

AIM: To investigate the fundus manifestations and human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) viral loads of acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS) patients before and after highly active antiretroviral therapy(HAART).METHODS: This retrospective study included 21 AIDS patients(42 eyes) who presented to the Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, from 2007 to 2011. Among the patients, 16 showed a good response to HAART, 3 presented drug resistance and 2 were pre-HAART. All patients underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examinations. The HIV viral loads and the CD4+ T-cell counts were also determined.RESULTS: The best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA) of 38 eyes(19 patients) was improved, and cytomegalovirus retinitis(CMVR) in 5 eyes(3 patients) regressed after HAART. Furthermore, 16 patients treated with effective HAART had decreased plasma HIV viral loads(<78 copies/mL)and increased CD4+ T-cell counts(343±161 cells/μL, P<0.005), but the HIV viral load in tears was still detected at 2404 copies/mL. The CD4+ T-cell count was lower in the CMVR group than in the non-CMVR group(P=0.022), but the HIV viral load in the tears was not significantly different between the two groups(P=0.439).CONCLUSION: Most patients with AIDS show a good viral response with a decreased HIV viral load and an increased CD4+ T-cell count in plasma after HAART. However, the HIV viral load remain quite high in the tear samples. Based on our results, we suggest that AIDS patients undergo long-term HAART that should not be interrupted.

重载列车运输安全问题分析

重载运输自问世以来,因其具有显著的经济效益而在世界许多国家得到重视并迅速发展,重载运输已被国际公认为铁路货运发展的方向。伴随着列车牵引重量的不断增加,列车开行方式也随之变化,由最初的5 0 0 0吨级提高到1万吨、2万吨级列车。由于列车编组增加,轴重和牵引重量提高,重载列车运输安全问题也逐渐突显出来,车辆断钩、制动失灵、线路桥梁轨道结构破坏失效等问题不断发生,成为制约重载列车运输发展的关键。笔者认为,解决重载运输中存在的安全问题,要重点做到以下几点:解决多台联挂机车同步制动操纵问题,避免发生断钩和列车放;加强轨道结构养护维修,提高轨道框架强度和刚度;加强安全检测监控体系建设。

Separator coatings as efficient physical and chemical hosts of polysulfides for high-sulfur-loaded rechargeable lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries(LSBs)are promising alternative energy storage devices to the commercial lithium-ion batteries.However,the LSBs have several limitations including the low electronic conductivity of sulfur(5×10^-30S cm^-1),associated lithium polysulfides(PSs),and their migration from the cathode to the anode.In this study,a separator coated with a Ketjen black(KB)/Nafion composite was used in an LSB with a sulfur loading up to 7.88 mg cm^-2to mitigate the PS migration.A minimum specific capacity(Cs)loss of 0.06%was obtained at 0.2 C-rate at a high sulfur loading of 4.39 mg cm^-2.Furthermore,an initial areal capacity up to 6.70 mAh cm^-2 was obtained at a sulfur loading of 7.88 mg cm^-2.The low Cs loss and high areal capacity associated with the high sulfur loading are attributed to the large surface area of the KB and sulfonate group(SO3^-)of Nafion,respectively,which could physically and chemically trap the PSs.

CLUSTER OF WORKSTATIONS BASED ON DYNAMIC LOAD BALANCING FOR PARALLEL TREE COMPUTATION DEPTH-FIRST-SEARCH

The real problem in cluster of workstations is the changes in workstation power or number of workstations or dynmaic changes in the run time behavior of the application hamper the efficient use of resources. Dynamic load balancing is a technique for the parallel implementation of problems, which generate unpredictable workloads by migration work units from heavily loaded processor to lightly loaded processors at run time. This paper proposed an efficient load balancing method in which parallel tree computations depth first search (DFS) generates unpredictable, highly imbalance workloads and moves through different phases detectable at run time, where dynamic load balancing strategy is applicable in each phase running under the MPI(message passing interface) and Unix operating system on cluster of workstations parallel platform computing.