Numerical simulation on the seismic performance of retrofitted masonry walls based on the combined finite-discrete element method

Due to the long construction life,improper design methods,brittle material properties and poor construction techniques,most existing masonry structures do not perform well during earthquakes.The retrofitting method using an external steel-meshed mortar layer is widely used to retrofit existing masonry buildings.Assessing the seismic performance of masonry walls reinforced by an external steel-meshed mortar layer reasonably and effectively is a difficult subject in the research field of masonry structures.Based on the combined finite-discrete elements method,the numerical models of retrofitted brick walls with four different masonry mortar strengths by an external mortar layer are established.The shear strength of mortar and the contact between the retrofitted mortar layer and the brick blocks are discussed in detail.The failure patterns and load-displacement curves of the retrofitted brick walls were obtained by applying low cycle reciprocating loads to the numerical model,and the bearing capacity and the failure mechanism of the retrofitted walls were obtained by comparing the failure patterns,ultimate bearing capacity,deformability and other aspects with the tests.This study provides a basis for improving the seismic strengthening design method of masonry structures and helps to better assess the seismic performance of masonry structures after retrofitting.

A combined denoising method of empirical mode decomposition and singular spectrum analysis applied to Jason altimeter waveforms: A case of the Caspian Sea

During the satellite pulse propagation and reception, the altimeter waveform is inevitably affected by noise. To reduce the noise level in Jason altimeter waveforms, we used singular spectrum analysis(SSA),empirical mode decomposition(EMD), and the combination of SSA and EMD to obtain the denoised waveforms. The advantages of the combined method were verified and the accuracy of the mean sea surface height(MSSH) model was improved. Comparing the denoising effect of the three methods, the results show that the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR), correlation coefficient and root-mean-square error are effectively improved by the combination of SSA and EMD. The sea surface heights(SSHs) were remeasured with a 50% threshold retracker of denoised waveforms, and the MSSH model of the Caspian Sea with a grid of 1’× 1’was established from the retracked SSHs of Jason-1/2/3. Taking the mean value of the four models as a control, it is found that the model calculated by the combined denoising method has the highest accuracy. This indicates that using the combined denoising method to reduce the noise level is beneficial to improve the accuracy of the MSSH model.

Selection of surgical methods for thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum combined with cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Objective To investigate the difference between different surgical methods for thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum(OLF) combined with cervical spondylotic myelopathy(CSM) . Methods From January 1991 to January 2003,56 cases

Comprehensive evaluation of the transformer oil-paper insulation state based on RF-combination weighting and an improved TOPSIS method

The accurate identification of the oil-paper insulation state of a transformer is crucial for most maintenance strategies.This paper presents a multi-feature comprehensive evaluation model based on combination weighting and an improved technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS)method to perform an objective and scientific evaluation of the transformer oil-paper insulation state.Firstly,multiple aging features are extracted from the recovery voltage polarization spectrum and the extended Debye equivalent circuit owing to the limitations of using a single feature for evaluation.A standard evaluation index system is then established by using the collected time-domain dielectric spectrum data.Secondly,this study implements the per-unit value concept to integrate the dimension of the index matrix and calculates the objective weight by using the random forest algorithm.Furthermore,it combines the weighting model to overcome the drawbacks of the single weighting method by using the indicators and considering the subjective experience of experts and the random forest algorithm.Lastly,the enhanced TOPSIS approach is used to determine the insulation quality of an oil-paper transformer.A verification example demonstrates that the evaluation model developed in this study can efficiently and accurately diagnose the insulation status of transformers.Essentially,this study presents a novel approach for the assessment of transformer oil-paper insulation.

Synthesis methods of functionalized nanoparticles:a review

With the recent advancement in nanotechnology,nanoparticles(NPs)offer an ample variety of smart functions than conventional materials in various aspects.As compared to larger particles,NPs possess unique characteristics and excellent abilities,such as low toxicity,chemical stability,surface functionality,and biocompatibility.These advantageous properties allow them to be widely utilized in many applications,including biomedical applications,energy applications,IT applications,and industrial applications.In order to fulfill the increasing demands of NP applications,existing NP synthesis methods need to be improved based on the requirements of different applications to further their usage.A comprehensive understanding of the relationships between synthesis parameters and properties of NPs can help us better fine-tune them with designed properties and minimal toxicity.This review paper will discuss the commonly used synthesis methods of functionalized NPs,as well as future directions and challenges to develop various synthesis methods further.

Engineering Geological Zoning of Soft-Soil Foundation Based on Combination Weighting and Extension Methods

Different criteria and factors are used in different methods of soft soil foundation settlement calculation and engineering geological zoning.The methods used are not universally suitable for complex geological environments.The post-construction settlement of soft soil foundations are especially large and difficult to calculate.In addition,there are many deficiencies in the current methods used for engineering geological zoning.Focusing on the need of establishing engineering geological zoning for areas with soft soil foundations in the Tianjin Marine Economic Area,combination weighting and extension methods were introduced.An evaluation model for the settlement of soft soil foundations was established using multiple factors and large amounts of data.This evaluation model is accurate and objective for delineating engineering geological zoning.These methods eliminate deficiencies by considering both objective and subjective factors,and help obtain an objective and accurate result.

A combined experimental and analytical method to determine the EHL friction force distribution between rollers and outer raceway in a cylindrical roller bearing

Friction force is a crucial factor causing power loss and fatigue spalling of rolling element bearings.A combined experimental and analytical method is proposed to quantitatively determine the elastohydrodynamic lubrication(EHL)friction force distribution between rollers and outer raceway in a cylindrical roller bearing(CRB).An experimental system with the instrumented bearing and housing was developed for measuring radial load distribution and friction torque of bearings.A simplified model of friction force expressed by dimensionless speed,load,and material parameters was given.An inequality constrained optimization problem was established and solved by using an experimental data-driven learning algorithm for determining the uncertain parameters in the model.The effect of speed,load,and lubricant property on friction force and friction coefficient was discussed.

Characterization of Complex Fracture System in Volume Fracturing of Shale Gas Reservoir

After volume fracturing of horizontal wells in shale gas reservoir, an extremely complex fracture system is formed. The space area of the fracture system is the reservoir reconstruction volume of shale gas reservoir. The geometric parameters such as crack length, crack width, crack height, and characteristic parameters such as crack permeability and fracture conductivity proposed for a single crack in conventional fracturing are insufficient to describe and characterize the complex network fracture system after volume fracturing. In this paper, the discrete fracture modeling method is used to establish the volume fracturing network fracture model of horizontal wells in shale gas reservoir by using the random modeling method within the determined reservoir space. The model is random and selective, and can fully provide different forms of volume fracturing fracture expansion, such as conventional fracture morphology, line network model and arbitrarily distributed network fractures. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the development plan and stimulation plan of shale gas reservoir, and have important reference value and significance for other unconventional gas reservoir fracturing.

Comparison of the Skin Lipid Layer in Acne Vulgaris Patients after Treatment with 50% Lactobionic Acid, Corundum Microdermabrasion and a Combination of Both Means

Background: The uses of lactobionic acid, corundum microdermabrasion, and a combined technique, are treatments supporting therapies for acne vulgaris and seborrhoea. Objectives: The work was conducted to determine the effects of the peeling with lactobionic acid, corundum microdermabrasion, and a combined technique of both means on sebum secretion in acne vulgaris patients. Methods: The peeling with 50% lactobionic acid, the corundum microdermabrasion, and the combined technique were applied to 45 female patients divided into three groups of fifteen people each. Every one treatment was given five times in two week intervals. The measurements of sebum secretion were done within the T- and U-zones using Sebumeter SM15 (Courage & Khazaka, Germany). The last (sixth) measurement was performed two weeks after the last treatment. Results: Decrease in the level of sebum secretion was found during second or third measurement. Two weeks after the last treatment, the biggest decrease in the level of sebum secretion was observed in the patients treated with lactobionic acid, followed by those treated with the combined method. Conclusions: Treatments consisting of the peeling with lactobionic acid, corundum microdermabrasion, or the combined technique, brought significant decrease in the level of sebum secretion. The biggest decrease was observed in the patients treated with lactobionic acid, which being structurally similar to α-hydroxyacids exerts exfoliating properties. The combined method was also effective, because of increased skin penetration of the active ingredients, resulting from the abrasion of stratum corneum during the corundum microdermabrasion. The corundum microdermabrasion alone was the least effective approach.

IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF BIOGAS FEEDBACK SUPPLY CHAIN IN RURAL CHINA

Feedback supply chain is a key structure in the supply chain system, and the development of feedback supply chain for biogas biomass energy is one of the important ways of the rural ecological civilization construction. Presently, the efficiency problem of biogas supply chain in rural China has been restricting the development of biogas biomass energy business. This article, on the basis of combination of regulation parameters, describes the dynamic changes in the system, using differential equations integrated with simulation to reveal the rules of regulation parameters to investigate the efficiency problem in the biogas supply chain. First of all, on the basis of the actual situation, the flow level and flow rate system structure model and simulation equation set are established for the biogas energy feedback supply chain from a scale livestock farm to peasant households; On the basis of the differentiability of the simulation equation a third order inhomogeneous differential equation with constant coefficients containing regulative parameters is established for the quantity of biogas stored in the feedback supply chain. A theorem and its corollaries are established for the operating efficiency of supply chain to reveal the change law of the quantity of biogas,the quantity of biogas consumed daily by peasant households and its standard-reaching rate as well as other variables.

Reaction characteristics investigation of CeO_(2)-enhanced CaSO_(4) oxygen carrier with lignite

Calcium sulfate(CaSO_(4))has been verified as a promising oxygen carrier(OC)in the chemical looping combustion(CLC)for its high oxygen capacity,abundant reserve and low cost,but its low reactivity and deleterious sulfur species emission from the side reactions of CaSO_(4) should be well considered for its wide application in CLC.In order to promote the reactivity of CaSO_(4) and increase its potential to inhibit the gaseous sulfur emission,a CeO_(2)-enhanced CaSO_(4) OC mixed OC of core–shell structure was prepared using the combined template synthesis method.Reaction characteristics of the prepared CaSO_(4)-CeO_(2) mixed OC with a typical lignite was first conducted and systematically investigated,and an improved reactivity of the prepared CaSO_(4)-CeO_(2) mixed OC was demonstrated than its single component CaSO_(4) or CeO_(2) due to the fast transfer and exchange of oxygen from the CaSO_(4) substrate to coal via the doped CeO_(2).Furthermore,the solid products formed from the mixed CaSO_(4)-CeO_(2) OC with the selected coal were collected and analyzed.Especially,evolution and redistribution of the sulfur species of different forms were focused.At the latter reaction stage of YN reaction with the CaSO_(4)-CeO_(2) mixed OC,the SO_(2) emitted from the side reactions of CaSO_(4) was greatly diminished and the doped CeO_(2) was proven effective to directionally fix the SO_(2) released to turn into different solid sulfur compounds,which were determined as Ce_(2)O_(2)S,Ce_(2)S_(3) and Ce_(2)(SO_(4))_(3)·5H_(2)O and formed through the different pathways.In addition,good regeneration of the reduced CaSO_(4)-CeO_(2) mixed OC could be reached in spite of the unavoidable interaction between the included minerals in coal and the reduced mixed OC.Overall,the combined template method-made CaSO_(4)-CeO_(2) mixed OC reported herein was not only endowed with enhanced reactivity for coal conversion,but also owned the potential to directionally fix the gaseous sulfur emission,which is quite applicable as OC for simultaneous decarbonatization and desulfurization in the real CLC process.

DFT-spread combined with clipping method to reduce the PAPR in VLC-OFDM system

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing(OFDM) is an attractive technique to realize high data rate in light emitting diodes(LEDs)-based visible light communication(VLC). However, high peak-to-average power ratio(PAPR) of OFDM makes VLC-OFDM very sensitive to the nonlinearity of LEDs. In this paper, the discrete Fourier transform-spread(DFT-spread) combined with clipping method is proposed to reduce the PAPR of OFDM signal in VLC system. Combining simulation with experiment, a performance comparison is made among conventional OFDM, DFT-spread-OFDM, and clipped DFT-spread-OFDM with different clipping ratios(CRs) in a single LED-based VLC system. The experimental results show that the proposed clipped DFT-spread-OFDM method can effectively improve the system performance compared with the other two methods. At the optimum signal peak-to-peak(PTP) value, by using the clipped DFT-spread-OFDM scheme with CR at 8 dB, the bit error rate(BER) of the system can be reduced from 0.003 7 to 0.000 287.

An adaptive image sparse reconstruction method combined with nonlocal similarity and cosparsity for mixed Gaussian-Poisson noise removal

Compressed sensing(CS) has achieved great success in single noise removal. However, it cannot restore the images contaminated with mixed noise efficiently. This paper introduces nonlocal similarity and cosparsity inspired by compressed sensing to overcome the difficulties in mixed noise removal, in which nonlocal similarity explores the signal sparsity from similar patches, and cosparsity assumes that the signal is sparse after a possibly redundant transform. Meanwhile, an adaptive scheme is designed to keep the balance between mixed noise removal and detail preservation based on local variance. Finally, IRLSM and RACoSaMP are adopted to solve the objective function. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is superior to conventional CS methods, like K-SVD and state-of-art method nonlocally centralized sparse representation(NCSR), in terms of both visual results and quantitative measures.

An error analysis and optimization method for combined measurement with binocular vision

The accurate measurement of surfaces of large aviation components is vital for the assessment of manufacturing and assembly quality of such components.To satisfy the measurement requirement of large-size components,most current researches pay more attention to combined measurement methods utilizing different measuring instruments,but the related researches on error analysis and optimization methods are not taken enough attention.This paper proposes a combined laser-assisted measurement method with feature enhancement techniques,and it also develops an error propagation model of the main factors affecting the overall measurement error in detail.Firstly,the surface of a large-size component is measured by the measurement system at multiple stations.Secondly,a control point coordinate system is established as a bridge to unify all local measurement data into the global coordinate system.To improve the overall measurement accuracy,the pixel extraction error as a key factor causing the overall measurement error is analyzed in detail.Next,the error propagation model is established,and some optimization strategies of layout for minimizing measurement error and transformation error are researched.Finally,experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.The results show that the measurement error of the proposed method reaches 0.073%and 0.14%with a 1 D standard ruler and a flat plate,respectively.

Winter wheat yield estimation based on assimilated Sentinel-2 images with the CERES-Wheat model

Assimilating Sentinel-2 images with the CERES-Wheat model can improve the precision of winter wheat yield estimates at a regional scale. To verify this method, we applied the ensemble Kalman filter(EnKF) to assimilate the leaf area index(LAI) derived from Sentinel-2 data and simulated by the CERES-Wheat model. From this, we obtained the assimilated daily LAI during the growth stage of winter wheat across three counties located in the southeast of the Loess Plateau in China: Xiangfen, Xinjiang, and Wenxi. We assigned LAI weights at different growth stages by comparing the improved analytic hierarchy method, the entropy method, and the normalized combination weighting method, and constructed a yield estimation model with the measurements to accurately estimate the yield of winter wheat. We found that the changes of assimilated LAI during the growth stage of winter wheat strongly agreed with the simulated LAI. With the correction of the derived LAI from the Sentinel-2 images, the LAI from the green-up stage to the heading–filling stage was enhanced, while the LAI decrease from the milking stage was slowed down, which was more in line with the actual changes of LAI for winter wheat. We also compared the simulated and derived LAI and found the assimilated LAI had reduced the root mean square error(RMSE) by 0.43 and 0.29 m^(2) m^(–2), respectively, based on the measured LAI. The assimilation improved the estimation accuracy of the LAI time series. The highest determination coefficient(R2) was 0.8627 and the lowest RMSE was 472.92 kg ha^(–1) in the regression of the yields estimated by the normalized weighted assimilated LAI method and measurements. The relative error of the estimated yield of winter wheat in the study counties was less than 1%, suggesting that Sentinel-2 data with high spatial-temporal resolution can be assimilated with the CERES-Wheat model to obtain more accurate regional yield estimates.

Research and Implementation of Client-server Based E-mail Translator

The design and implementation of EATS, a machine translation system for e-mail, are presented. It first puts forward the notion of “instant machine translation service" and illustrates how it is provided through client-server mode in EATS. Then this paper gives a panoramic view of the realization of Chinese-English bi-directional translation module through multi-engine strategy. The prototype of the system has been successfully demonstrated in campus net in PPP mode, with 70%～80% translation accuracy.

Perspective for aggregation-induced delayed fluorescence mechanism:A QM/MM study

To enhance the potential application of thermally activated delayed fluorescence(TADF)molecular materials,new functions are gradually cooperated to the TADF molecules.Aggregation induced emission can effectively solve the fluorescence quenching problem for TADF molecules in solid phase,thus aggregation-induced delayed fluorescence(AIDF)molecules were recently focused.Nevertheless,their luminescent mechanisms are not clear enough.In this work,excited state properties of an AIDF molecule DMF-BP-DMAC[reported in Chemistry-An Asian Journal 14828(2019)]are theoretically studied in tetrahydrofuran(THF)and solid phase.For consideration of surrounding environment,the polarizable continuum method(PCM)and the combined quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics(QM/MM)method were applied for solvent and solid phase,respectively.Due to the increase of the transition dipole moment and decrease of the energy difference between the first single excited state(S1)and the ground state(S0),the radiative rate is increased by about 2 orders of magnitude in solid phase.The energy dissipation of the non-radiative process from S1 to S0 is mainly contributed by low-frequency vibrational modes in solvent,and they can be effectively suppressed in aggregation,which may lead to a slow non-radiation process in solid phase.Both factors would induce enhanced luminescence efficiency of DMF-BP-DMAC in solid phase.Meanwhile,the small energy gap between S1 and triplet excited states results in high reverse intersystem crossing(RISC)rates in both solvent and solid phase.Therefore,TADF is confirmed in both phases.Aggregation significantly influences both the ISC and RISC processes and more RISC channels are involved in solid state.The enhanced delayed fluorescence should be induced by both the enhanced fluorescent efficiency and ISC efficiency.Our calculation provides a reasonable explanation for experimental measurements and helps one to better understand the luminescence mechanism of AIDF molecules.

Assimilation of Radar and Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Data Using WRF-3DVar Combined with the Physical Initialization Method——A Case Study of a Mesoscale Convective System

Radar data, which have incomparably high temporal and spatial resolution, and lightning data, which are great indicators of severe convection, have been used to improve the initial field and increase the accuracies of nowcasting and short-term forecasting. Physical initialization combined with the three-dimensional variational data assimilation method(PI3 DVarrh) is used in this study to assimilate two kinds of observation data simultaneously, in which radar data are dominant and lightning data are introduced as constraint conditions. In this way, the advantages of dual observations are adopted. To verify the effect of assimilating radar and lightning data using the PI3 DVarrh method, a severe convective activity that occurred on 5 June 2009 is utilized, and five assimilation experiments are designed based on the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) model. The assimilation of radar and lightning data results in moister conditions below cloud top, where severe convection occurs;thus, wet forecasts are generated in this study.The results show that the control experiment has poor prediction accuracy. Radar data assimilation using the PI3 DVarrh method improves the location prediction of reflectivity and precipitation, especially in the last 3-h prediction, although the reflectivity and precipitation are notably overestimated. The introduction of lightning data effectively thins the radar data, reduces the overestimates in radar data assimilation, and results in better spatial pattern and intensity predictions. The predicted graupel mixing ratio is closer to the distribution of the observed lightning,which can provide more accurate lightning warning information.

Development cost prediction of general aviation aircraft using combined estimation technique

Obtaining accurate development cost estimation results of general aviation aircraft is crucial for companies to adopt the best strategy in the development process.To address this problem,this paper proposes a combination of three commonly used single prediction methods.The optimal weight values of the three single prediction methods are determined by utilizing the shortest ideal point method.Ten cost datasets collected from literature are utilized for fitting and testing the combined prediction method,and the weight coefficients of the three individual prediction methods are calculated as 0.6859,0.0035 and 0.3106,respectively.The results of this study indicate that the developed method has better fitting and estimation accuracy than that of the three individual methods,with average fitting and predicting error values of 2.60%and 6.43%,respectively.Additionally,the cost data of military and civil aircraft development from literature are collected for verification.The results further confirm that the proposed method is not only superior to the single prediction methods in terms of high precision but has wider applications.More importantly,this research can provide important reference for general aviation aircraft companies in term of product cost planning and corporate sales strategies.

Safety Evaluation Method for Long-Term Operation of Metro Based on Combination Weighting Method

Metros are critical infrastructure in big cities and evaluation of their safe operation is of increasing im-portance.To make a reasonable safety evaluation for the metro during operation,this paper establishes a rational safety evaluation model based on long-term monitoring data of Shanghai Metro Line 2.Four evaluation indicators,ie.,absolute settlement,relative curvature,deformation rate and curvature radius,are adopted.Analytic hierar-chy process(AHP)and entropy method are combined to determine the weights of the indicators.The risk level values at different mileage are calculated and five danger levels are defined accordingly to determine the safety state of Shanghai Metro Line 2,ie.,safe,relatively safe,critical,relatively dangerous,and dangerous.Safety evaluation of Shanghai Metro Line 2 shows that:83.81%areas of Shanghai Metro Line 2 are in safe,relatively safe and critical states,while 15.63%and 0.57%areas are in relatively dangerous and dangerous states,respectively;the parts of Shanghai Metro Line 2 where the risk level values exceed the critical value are mainly distributed around the mileage at 6.0-7.5km and 8.5-11.0 km,and the risk level value peaks around the mileage at 7.3km,to which much attention should be attached and relevant protective measures be taken;the sections with the high risk level values coincide with the distinctly deforming arcas of the metro,indicating that this evaluation method is valid.