John Bell Assumes Presidency of IH&RA

The Board of Directors of theInternational Hotel ＆ Restaurant Assn.hasannounced the election of John Bell,former Director General and CEO of theCaribbean Hotel Assn,to the globalassociation’s Presidency.The appointmenttook place at the IH&RA General Assemblyduring the organization’s 40th AnnualCongress,held in Cairo,Egypt.“John Bellis a hospitality industry executive ofinternational renown who put theCaribbean hospitality industy on the mapwhile at the leadership of CHA.”statedIH＆RA Chief Executive Officer.Alain-Philippe Feutre.“His proven expertise willgreatly benefit IH&RA.”

A smoothed assumed enhanced strain method for frictional contact with constant strain elements

This paper presents a finite element framework for imposing frictional contact conditions on embedded fracture faces,implemented by the constant-strain assumed enhanced strain(AES)method,where penalty method is used to impose both non-penetration constraint and Coulomb’s law of friction.The proposed constant-strain AES method for modeling embedded frictional contact can be cast into an integration algorithm similar to those used in the classical plasticity theory,where displacement jump is calculated from the local traction equilibrium at Gauss point,so the method does not introduce any additional global degrees of freedom.Moreover,constant-strain elements are often desirable in practice because they can be easily created automatically for large-scale engineering applications with complicated geometries.As encountered in other enriched finite element methods for frictional contact,the problem of normal contact pressure oscillations is also observed in the constant-strain AES method.Therefore,we developed a strain-smoothing procedure to effectively mitigate the oscillations.We investigated and verified the proposed AES framework through several numerical examples,and illustrated the capability of this method in solving challenging nonlinear frictional contact problems.

Meeting the Climate Commitments

The 2024 UN Climate Change Conference(COP29)will convene from 11 to 22 November in Baku,Azerbaijan.This year’s conference assumes special significance due to conflicts in some regions,geopolitical tensions and heightened uncertainties in the world.World leaders are expected to report on the progress in implementing their climate commitments.

FUZZY ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF FLEXIBLE-LINK ROBOT MANIPULATOR

A fuzzy adaptive control method is proposed for a flexible robot manipulator. Due to the structure characteristics of the flexible manipulator, the vibration modes must be controlled to realize the high-precision tip position. The Lagrangian principle is utilized to model the dynamic function of the single-degree flexible manipulator incorporating the assumed modes method. Simulation results of the fuzzy adaptive control method in the location control and the trajectory tracking with different tip disturbances are presented and compared with the results of the classic PD control. It shows that the controller can obtain the stable and robust performance.

《英语词汇学》辅导(5)

Ⅰ.Each of the statements below is followed by four alternative answers.Choose the one that wouldbest complete the statement.1.Polysemy is a common feature peculiar to ___.A.English only B.Chinese only C.all natural languages D.some natural languages2.From the ____ point of view,polysemy is assumed to be the result of growth and development of thesemantic structure of one and same word.A.linguistic B.diachronic C.synchronic D.

Bifurcation and buckling analysis of a unilaterally confined self-rotating cantilever beam

A nonlinear dynamic model of a simple nonholonomic system comprising a self-rotating cantilever beam subjected to a unilateral locked or unlocked constraint is established by employing the general Hamilton＇s Variational Principle. The critical values, at which the trivial equilibrium loses its stability or the unilateral constraint is activated or a saddle-node bifurcation occurs, and the equilibria are investigated by approximately analytical and numerical methods. The results indicate that both the buckled equilibria and the bifurcation mode of the beam are different depending on whether the distance of the clearance of unilateral constraint equals zero or not and whether the unilateral constraint is locked or not. The unidirectional snap-through phenomenon （i.e. catastrophe phenomenon） is destined to occur in the system no matter whether the constraint is lockable or not. The saddle-node bifurcation can occur only on the condition that the unilateral constraint is lockable and its clearance is nonzero. The results obtained by two methods are consistent.

Exploring high-temperature superconductivity in hard matter close to structural instability

This paper discusses where and how high-temperature superconductors can be found.

Earthquake loss estimation by using Gross Domestic Product and population data

In the traditional method of earthquake loss estimation, all the social wealthes are classified according to their structural type and occupational use. Inventory data is collected and the total loss is estimated from each facility class separately. For many regions of the world, however, the vast amount of data required by this method is difficult or impossible to obtain. The traditional method is also unable to estimate quickly the loss from an unexpected disaster earthquake. It is difficult to give the necessary risk information to help the government to rescue and relief the earthquake disaster. This paper proposes a simple estimation method of earthquake loss based on macroscopic economical index of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and population distribution data. A preliminary nonlinear relation among hazard loss, seismic intensity and social wealth was developed by means of some earthquake disaster records during 1980～1995. This method was applied to analyze several assumed earthquakes. The preliminary analysis results show that the new method is effective and reasonable for quick assessment of earthquake loss.

On the Correct Form of the Saha Equation for Two-Temperature Plasmas

Two quite different Saha equations modified to a two-temperature plasma were proposed and employed in many literatures.In order to clear up this confusion phenomenon lasted for a few decades in the community of thermal plasma science and technology,this paper re-examines the thermodynamic derivation of the two-temperature Saha equations.It is pointed out that the modified Saha equation deduced by using the minimum Gibbs or Helmholtz free energy is incorrect for the two-temperature plasma.Instead,a more rigorous derivation is presented here from the basic thermodynamic principle that the entropy in an isolated system always assumes its maximum value at chemical equilibrium.

Potential of kynurenine metabolites in drug development against neurodegenerative diseases

Reactive oxygen species(ROS)and kynurenines:Kynurenines represent a relatively heterogenous group of tryptophan metabolites(Figure 1 A).The amino acid tryptophan is metabolized in the humans by the kynurenine or serotonin pathway.For a long time,the kynurenine pathway was assumed primarily to constitute the source for nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate,one of the most utilized redox active enzyme cofactors.

Computationally predicted pathogenic USP9X mutation identified in infertile men does not affect spermatogenesis in mice

Infertility is a major health issue,affecting approximately 15%of couples of child-bearing age.Although nearly half of idiopathic infertility cases are assumed to have a genetic basis,the underlying causes remain largely unknown in most infertile men.

Towards Efficient and Secure Access Control System for Mobile Cloud Computing

This paper proposes a new access architecture onmobile cloud,which introduces a middle layer sitting between mobile devices and their cloud infrastructure.This middle layer is composed of cloudlets which are deployed by cloud services providers,such as wireless network access points(APs),to improve the performance of mobile cloud servicesand be different from traditional mobile operator mode.Then based on this new architecture.we improve our previous(Attribute-basedencryption) ABE access control scheme on cloud for mobile cloud,which is proposed to offload the main amount of computations to the cloudlet as the function of cloud.Simulationresults demonstratethe new access control scheme takes into consideration response time constraints and network statusof access task execution,while satisfying certain network security for mobile cloud.

Investigation on the choice of boundary conditions and shape functions for flexible multi-body system

The objective of this investigation is to examine the correctness and efficiency of the choice of boundary conditions when using assumed mode approach to simulate flexible multi-body systems. The displacement field due to deformation is approximated by the Rayleigh-Ritz assumed modes in floating frame of reference （FFR） formulation. The deformations obtained by the absolute nodal coordinate （ANC） formulation which are transformed by two sets of reference coordinates are introduced as a criterion to verify the accuracy of the simulation results by using the FFR formulation. The relationship between the deformations obtained from different boundary conditions is revealed. Nu- merical simulation examples demonstrate that the assumed modes with cantilevered-free, simply-supported and free- free boundary conditions without inclusion of rigid body modes are suitable for simulation of flexible multi-body system with large over all motion, and the same physical deformation can be obtained using those mode functions, differ only by a coordinate transformation. It is also shown that when using mode shapes with statically indeterminate boundary conditions, significant error may occur. Furthermore, the slider crank mechanism with rigid crank is accurate enough for investigating boundary condition problem of flexible multi-body system, which cost significant less simulating time.

A Discussion on the Formula Construction of the BISQ Model

The formula construction of the unified model with the squirt and the Biot mechanism,i.e.the BISQ model[Geophysics 58(1993)524],is discussed.The inconsistent formula construction caused by the self-contradictions of key assumptions is pointed out and demonstrated.Once the deformation of the solid skeleton is assumed to be in the uniaxial mode,the deformation of pore fluid is not able to be non-uniaxial at all,but must be uniaxial.Therefore,the expected results in the BISQ model's paper are doubtful and this model needs to be improved.A combination of the two mechanisms simultaneously in theory is significant and still needs more research.

Axisymmetric Stagnation-Point Flow with a General Slip Boundary Condition over a Lubricated Surface

We investigate the axisymmetric stagnation-point flow of a viscous fluid over a lubricated surface by imposing a generalized slip condition at the fluid-fluid interface.The power law non-Newtonian fluid is considered as a lubricant.The lubrication layer is thin and assumed to have a variable thickness.The transformed nonlinear ordinary differential equation governing the flow is linearized using quasilinearization.The method of superposi-tion is adopted to convert the boundary value problem into an initial value problem and the solution is obtained numerically by using the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method.The results are discussed to see the influence of pertinent parameters.The limiting cases of Navier and no-slip boundary conditions are obtained as the special cases and found to be in excellent agreement with the existing results in the literature.

Analytical Solution of the Blast Wave Problem in a Non-Ideal Gas

An analytical approach is used to construct the exact solution of the blast wave problem with generalized geometries in a non-ideal medium.It is assumed that the density ahead of the shock front varies according to a power of distance from the source of the blast wave.Also,an analytical expression for the total energy in a non-ideal medium is derived.

Numerical simulation of a sheet metal extrusion process by using thermal-mechanical coupling EAS FEM

The thermal-mechanical coupling finite element method(FEM)was usedto simulate a non-isothermal sheet metal extrusion process. On thebasis of the finite plasticity consistent with multiplicativedecomposition of the deformation gradient, the enhanced as- sumedstrain(EAS)FEM was applied to carry out the numerical simulation. Inorder to make the computation reliable ad avoid hour- glass mode inthe EAS element under large compressive strains, an alterative formof the original enhanced deformation gradient was employed. Inaddition, reduced factors were used in the computation of the elementlocal internal parameters and the enhanced part of elementalstiffness.

Orthogonal basic deformation mode method for zero-energy mode suppression of hybrid stress elements

A set of basic deformation modes for hybrid stress finite elements are directly derived from the element displacement field. Subsequently, by employing the so-called united orthogonal conditions, a new orthogonalization method is proposed. The result- ing orthogonal basic deformation modes exhibit simple and clear physical meanings. In addition, they do not involve any material parameters, and thus can be efficiently used to examine the element performance and serve as a unified tool to assess different hybrid elements. Thereafter, a convenient approach for the identification of spurious zero-energy modes is presented using the positive definiteness property of a flexibility matrix. More- over, based on the orthogonality relationship between the given initial stress modes and the orthogonal basic deformation modes, an alternative method of assumed stress modes to formulate a hybrid element free of spurious modes is discussed. It is found that the orthogonality of the basic deformation modes is the sufficient and necessary condition for the suppression of spurious zero-energy modes. Numerical examples of 2D 4-node quadrilateral elements and 3D 8-node hexahedral elements are illustrated in detail to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed orthogonal basic deformation mode method.

i4OilS pill, an Operational Marine Oil Spill Forecasting Model for Bohai Sea

Oil spill models can effectively simulate the trajectories and fate of oil slicks, which is an essential element in contingency planning and effective response strategies prepared for oil spill accidents. However, when applied to offshore areas such as the Bohai Sea, the trajectories and fate of oil slicks would be affected by time-varying factors in a regional scale, which are assumed to be constant in most of the present models. In fact, these factors in offshore regions show much more variation over time than in the deep sea, due to offshore bathymetric and climatic characteristics. In this paper, the challenge of parameterizing these offshore factors is tackled. The remote sensing data of the region are used to analyze the modification of wind-induced drift factors, and a well-suited solution is established in parameter correction mechanism for oil spill models. The novelty of the algorithm is the self-adaptive modification mechanism of the drift factors derived from the remote sensing data for the targeted sea region, in respect to empirical constants in the present models. Considering this situation, a new regional oil spill model(i4Oil Spill) for the Bohai Sea is developed, which can simulate oil transformation and fate processes by Eulerian-Lagrangian methodology. The forecasting accuracy of the proposed model is proven by the validation results in the comparison between model simulation and subsequent satellite observations on the Penglai 19-3 oil spill accident. The performance of the model parameter correction mechanism is evaluated by comparing with the real spilled oil position extracted from ASAR images.

A Method for Non-Lipschitz Programming via an Exact Penalry Function

A descent algorithm for Non-Lipschitz Programming is presented in the paper. The algorithm employs a strict convex programming to obtain a search direction and an exact penalty function to determine step lenth. The convergence is proved and two numerical results are given, in which the objective functions are discontinuous.