DAUNet: Detail-Aware U-Shaped Network for 2D Human Pose Estimation

Human pose estimation is a critical research area in the field of computer vision,playing a significant role in applications such as human-computer interaction,behavior analysis,and action recognition.In this paper,we propose a U-shaped keypoint detection network(DAUNet)based on an improved ResNet subsampling structure and spatial grouping mechanism.This network addresses key challenges in traditional methods,such as information loss,large network redundancy,and insufficient sensitivity to low-resolution features.DAUNet is composed of three main components.First,we introduce an improved BottleNeck block that employs partial convolution and strip pooling to reduce computational load and mitigate feature loss.Second,after upsampling,the network eliminates redundant features,improving the overall efficiency.Finally,a lightweight spatial grouping attention mechanism is applied to enhance low-resolution semantic features within the feature map,allowing for better restoration of the original image size and higher accuracy.Experimental results demonstrate that DAUNet achieves superior accuracy compared to most existing keypoint detection models,with a mean PCKh@0.5 score of 91.6%on the MPII dataset and an AP of 76.1%on the COCO dataset.Moreover,real-world experiments further validate the robustness and generalizability of DAUNet for detecting human bodies in unknown environments,highlighting its potential for broader applications.

A U-Shaped Network-Based Grid Tagging Model for Chinese Named Entity Recognition

Chinese named entity recognition(CNER)has received widespread attention as an important task of Chinese information extraction.Most previous research has focused on individually studying flat CNER,overlapped CNER,or discontinuous CNER.However,a unified CNER is often needed in real-world scenarios.Recent studies have shown that grid tagging-based methods based on character-pair relationship classification hold great potential for achieving unified NER.Nevertheless,how to enrich Chinese character-pair grid representations and capture deeper dependencies between character pairs to improve entity recognition performance remains an unresolved challenge.In this study,we enhance the character-pair grid representation by incorporating both local and global information.Significantly,we introduce a new approach by considering the character-pair grid representation matrix as a specialized image,converting the classification of character-pair relationships into a pixel-level semantic segmentation task.We devise a U-shaped network to extract multi-scale and deeper semantic information from the grid image,allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of associative features between character pairs.This approach leads to improved accuracy in predicting their relationships,ultimately enhancing entity recognition performance.We conducted experiments on two public CNER datasets in the biomedical domain,namely CMeEE-V2 and Diakg.The results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach,which achieves F1-score improvements of 7.29 percentage points and 1.64 percentage points compared to the current state-of-the-art(SOTA)models,respectively.

Experimental investigation and flow analysis of clear-water scour around pier and abutment in proximity

Local scour around bridge piers and abutments is one of the most significant causes of bridge failure.Despite a plethora of studies on scour around individual bridge piers or abutments,few studies have focused on the joint impact of a pier and an abutment in proximity to one another on scour.This study conducted laboratory experiments and flow analyses to examine the interaction of piers and abutments and their effect on clear-water scour.The experiments were conducted in a rectangular laboratory flume.They included 18 main tests(with a combination of different types of piers and abutments)and five control tests(with individual piers or abutments).Three pier types(a rectangular pier with a rounded edge,a group of three cylindrical piers,and a single cylindrical pier)and two abutment types(a wingewall abutment and a semicircular abutment)were used.An acoustic Doppler velocimeter was used to measure the three-dimensional flow velocity for analyses of streamline,velocity magnitude,vertical velocity,and bed shear stress.The results showed that the velocity near the pier and abutment increased by up to 80%.The maximum scour depth around the abutment increased by up to 19%.In contrast,the maximum scour depth around the pier increased significantly by up to l71%.The presence of the pier in the vicinity of the abutment led to an increase in the scour hole volume by up to 87%relative to the case with a solitary abutment.Empirical equations were also derived to accurately estimate the maximum scour depth at the pier adjacent to the abutment.

Lateral abutment pressure distribution and evolution in wide pillars under the first mining effect

The wide pillars are generally popular due to the high productivity and efficiency in Northwest China.The distribution of lateral abutment pressure in coal pillars is important for mining safety.To reveal the effect of the first mining on the lateral abutment pressure distribution and evolution in wide pillars,an in-situ experiment,theoretical analysis and numerical simulation were performed.First,the field monitoring of lateral abutment pressure was conducted from the perspective of time and space in the Chahasu Coal Mine,Huangling No.2 Coal Mine and Lingdong Coal Mine during the first mining.Based on the field monitoring stress,a theoretical model was proposed to reveal the lateral abutment pressure distribution.The methodology was demonstrated through a case study.Aiming at the distribution mechanism,a numerical experiment was conducted through the finite-discrete element method(FDEM).Last,field observations of borehole fractures were performed to further study the damage distribution.In addition,two types of lateral abutment pressure evolution with mining advance were discussed.Suggestions on the stress monitoring layout were proposed as well.The results could provide foundations for strata control and disaster prevention in wide pillars in underground coal mines.

Predicting and validating the load-settlement behavior of large-scale geosynthetic-reinforced soil abutments using hybrid intelligent modeling

Settlement prediction of geosynthetic-reinforced soil(GRS)abutments under service loading conditions is an arduous and challenging task for practicing geotechnical/civil engineers.Hence,in this paper,a novel hybrid artificial intelligence(AI)-based model was developed by the combination of artificial neural network(ANN)and Harris hawks’optimisation(HHO),that is,ANN-HHO,to predict the settlement of the GRS abutments.Five other robust intelligent models such as support vector regression(SVR),Gaussian process regression(GPR),relevance vector machine(RVM),sequential minimal optimisation regression(SMOR),and least-median square regression(LMSR)were constructed and compared to the ANN-HHO model.The predictive strength,relalibility and robustness of the model were evaluated based on rigorous statistical testing,ranking criteria,multi-criteria approach,uncertainity analysis and sensitivity analysis(SA).Moreover,the predictive veracity of the model was also substantiated against several large-scale independent experimental studies on GRS abutments reported in the scientific literature.The acquired findings demonstrated that the ANN-HHO model predicted the settlement of GRS abutments with reasonable accuracy and yielded superior performance in comparison to counterpart models.Therefore,it becomes one of predictive tools employed by geotechnical/civil engineers in preliminary decision-making when investigating the in-service performance of GRS abutments.Finally,the model has been converted into a simple mathematical formulation for easy hand calculations,and it is proved cost-effective and less time-consuming in comparison to experimental tests and numerical simulations.

Effect of mold and core preheating temperature on corrosion resistance of casting Al-12Si alloy U-shaped cooling channel

Temperature has an important impact on the corrosion resistance of mold with cooling channels prepared by casting method.The effect of preheating temperature of the mold and the carbon fiber core on the roughness and corrosion resistance of U-shaped cooling channels made of Al-12Si alloy was examined in depth.The experimental results suggest that as the preheating temperature increased from 273 K to 573 K,the roughness of the inner wall of the cooling channel reduced from 96.6μm to 77.0μm.When the preheating temperature continued to increase to 723 K,the roughness increased to 85.3μm.The wetting between the Al melt and the carbon fiber will reduce micro bubbles and waves on the channel wall as the preheating temperature rises,thereby reducing the roughness.However,with the further increase of preheating temperature,it will increase the solidification time of the Al melt.At this time,the carbon fiber and Al melt will take more time to react,which increases the roughness of the channel wall to a certain extent.The results of exfoliation corrosion show that the larger roughness will aggravate exfoliation corrosion.The prolongation of high temperature reaction time between the carbon fiber and the Al melt will lead to the segregation of Si,which is easy to cause intergranular corrosion.Therefore,reasonable preheating temperature has an important impact on the roughness and corrosion resistance of U-shaped cooling channels.

UHPFRC Cast-in-Situ Over-Lay of Bridge Abutments

Use of UHPFRC(ultra high performance fiber reinforced concrete)cast-in-situ over-lays for repairs and strengthening of bridge decks is already quite a widely used technology,while use of this method for strengthening of bridge supports is still much less often.This paper describes the first use of this technology for bridge abutments in the Czech Republic,and if we know well,also the first use of such a ribbed over-lay internationally.

Influence of cement-fly ash-gravel pile-supported approach embankment on abutment piles in soft ground

Abutment piles in soft ground may be subjected to both vertical and horizontal soil movements resulting from approach embankment loads. To constrain the soil movements, the soft soil ground beneath the approach embankment is often improved using composite pile foundations, which aim at mitigating the bump induced by high-speed trains passing through the bridge. So far, there is limited literature on exploring the influence of the degree of ground improvement on abutment piles installed in soft soil grounds. In this paper, a series of three-dimensional （3D） centrifuge model tests was performed on an approach embankment over a silty clay deposit improved by cement-fly ash-gravel （CFG） piles combined with geogrid. Emphasis is placed on the effects of ground replacement ratio （m） on the responses of the abutment piles induced by embankment loads. Meanwhile, a numerical study was conducted with varying ground replacement ratio of the pile-reinforced grounds. Results show that the performance of the abutment piles is significantly improved when reinforcing the ground with CFG piles beneath the approach embankment. Interestingly, there is a threshold value of the replacement ratio of around 4.9% above which the effect of CFG pile foundations is limited. This implies that it is essential to optimize the ground improvement for having a cost-effective design while minimizing the risk of the bump at the end of bridge.

Abutment pressure distribution for longwall face mining through abandoned roadways

Abutment pressure distribution is different when a longwall panel is passing through the abandoned gate roads in a damaged coal seam. According to the geological condition of panel E13103 in Cuijiazhai Coal Mine in China, theoretical analysis and finite element numerical simulation were used to determine the front pressure distribution characteristics when the longwall face is 70, 50, 30, 20, 10, and 5 m from the abandoned roadways. The research results show that the influence range of abutment pressure is 40 to 45 m outby the face, and the peak value of front abutment pressure is related to the distance between the face and abandoned roadways. When the distance between the longwall face and abandoned roadways is reduced from 50 to 10 m, the front abutment pressure peak value kept increasing. When the distance is 10 m, it has reached the maximum. The peak value is located in 5 to 6 m outby the faceline. When the distance between the longwall face and abandoned roadways is reduced from 10 to 5 m, the front abutment pressure sharply decreases, the intact coal yields and is even in plastic state. The peak value transfers to the other side of the abandoned roadways. The research results provide a theoretical basis for determining the advance support distance of two roadways in the panel and the reinforcement for face stability when the longwall face is passing through the abandoned roadways.

Effect of trapezoidal collars as a scour countermeasure around wing-wall abutments

Local scour around bridge abutments is a widespread problem that can result in structural failure. Collars can be used as a countermeasure to reduce the scour depth. In this study, the temporal scour development around a wing-wall abutment was investigated with and without collars. The tests were carried out under clear-water conditions for different abutment lengths, with collars of different sizes placed at the bed level. When no collar was used in the experiments, 70% of the maximum scour depth occurred in less than 2 h. However, when a collar with a width greater than the length of the abutment was used, no scour was observed for up to 200 min from the beginning of the experiments. The results show that an increase in the collar width not only led to a lag time for the onset of scouring but also reduced the maximum scour depth. Moreover, an increased collar width led to a better performance in mitigating scouring around smaller abutments. Generally, the scour depth decreased by 9%-37% with different collar widths.

Influence of Abutment Material on the Stress of Implant-supported All-ceramic Single Crown

In order to investigate the influence of abutment material on the stress of implant-supported all-ceramic single crown, a 3D finite element model of implant-supported mandibular first premolar was computed by COSMOS/M 2.85 software. Alumina, zirconia, and titanium were used as abutment materials respectively. Vertical 600 N and horizontal 225 N load was applied on the occlusal surface. The results show that the stress distribution of implant-supported single crown was similar for different abutment materials. Maximum stresses within the crown were higher when titanium abutment was used. Maximum stress of titanium abutment was lower than that of ceramic abutment. Within the screw and fixture, maximum stresses had no difference under vertical loading but higher as titanium abutment was used under horizontal loading. There was no difference of maximum stress within the bone when different abutment materials were used. The present findings indicate that the abutment material had no influence on the stress distribution of implant-supported all- ceramic single crown but maximum stress when the titanium abutment was lower than that of ceramic abutment.

Lumbopelvic Fixation and Sacral Decompression for U-shaped Sacral Fractures： Surgical Management and Early Outcome

U-shaped sacral fractures are rare and often difficult to diagnose primarily due to the difficulty in obtaining adequate imaging and the severe associated injuries. These fractures are highly unstable and frequently cause neurological deficits. The majority of surgeons have limited experience in management of U-shaped sacral fractures. No standard treatment protocol for U-shaped sacral fractures has been available till now. This study aimed to examine the management of U-shaped sacral fractures and the early outcomes. Clinical data of 15 consecutive patients with U-shaped sacral fracture who were admitted to our trauma center between 2009 and 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographics, fracture classification, mechanism of injury and operative treatment and deformity angle were assessed. All the patients were treated with lumbopelvic fixation or （and） sacral decompression. EQ-5d score was applied to evaluate the patients＇ quality of life. Of the 15 consecutive patients with U-shaped sacral fracture, the mean age was 28.8 years （range： 15-55 years） at the time of injury. There were 6 females and 9 males. The mean follow- up time was 22.7 months （range： 9-47 months） and mean full weight-bearing time was 9.9 weeks （range： 8-14 weeks）. Ten patients received lumbopelvic fixation and sacral decompression, one lombosacral fixation, and 4 merely sacral decompression due to delayed diagnosis or surgery. The post-operation deformity angle （mean 27.87°, and range： 8°-90°） of the sacrum was smaller than that pre-operation （mean 35.67; range： 15-90） with no significance difference noted. At the latest follow-up, all patients obtained neurological recovery with different extents. Visual analogue score （VAS） was reduced from preoperative 7.07 （range： 5-9） to postoperetive 1.93 （range： 1-3）. All patients could walk without any aid after treatment. Eight patients were able to care for themselves and undertook some daily activities. Five patients had returned to work full time. In conclusion, lumbopelvic fixation is an effective method for stabilization of U-shaped sacral fractures with fewer complications developed. Effective reduction and firm fixation are the prerequisite of early mobilization and neurological recovery. Sacral decompression effectively promotes neurological recovery even in patients with old U-shaped sacral fractures.

Formation and evolution of gas flow channels in the abutment pressure area

The permeability of coal ahead of the working face obviously changes dues to changes in abutment pressure.The formation and evolution of gas flow channels within the abutment pressure area was studied by analyzing the fracture extension mechanism and fracture development in different zones of the abutment pressure area.Fracture and damage mechanics theory is used to understand the observations.The following two techniques were used to understand the evolution of gas flow channels:field observation of the characteristic fractures at different positions relative to the working face and fluorescence micrographs of prepared coal samples.Bending tensile fractures develop along an approximately vertical direction that forms a microscopic network of channels in areas of stress concentration.The abutment pressure affects the local stress and,hence,the local gas conduction.The fractures induced by large deformation and plastic flow form macroscopically networked channels in the reduced stress area.Closer to the working face the gas flow channels evolve from microscopic to macroscopic and from isolated to network.Gas permeability continuously increases during this time.This is corroborated by field observations of the displacement of top coal and the gas flow from gas extraction drillings.

Mechanical model for controlling floor heave in deep roadways with U-shaped steel closed support

Open U-shaped steel arch supports are commonly used in large-section static-pressure roadways in coal mines that are more than 900 m deep;however,it is very difficult to control floor heave of roadways.In this paper,a U-shaped steel closed support with an inverted U-shaped steel arch in the floor is proposed as a method for improving the support effect of the surrounding rock during the process of floor heaving.This research established a mechanical model for the U-shaped steel closed support,and determined the reaction forces at the connection of a camber angle.Using the limit load method calculated the critical buckling load of the inverted U-shaped steel arch,and use of a strength check method tested the strength of the U-shaped steel material.A numerical simulation was conducted using the finite difference software FLAC3 D.The simulation results show that the U-shaped steel closed support is able to control the floor heave of roadways,which is successfully used in the West 11-2 development roadway of the Zhuji Mine in the Huainan mining area in China.The cumulative floor heave over two years was less than50 mm.

Side abutment pressure distribution by field measurement

Given the 7123 working face in the Qidong Coal Mine of the Wanbei Mining Group, nine dynamic roof monitors were installed in the crossheading to measure the amount and velocity of roof convergence in different positions and at different times and three steel bored stress sensors were installed in the return airway to measure rock stress at depth. On the basis of this arrange- ment, the rule of change of the distribution of the side abutment pressure with the advance of the working face and movement of overlying strata was studied. The rule of change and the stability of rock stress at depth were measured. Secondly, the affected area and stability time of the side abutment pressure were also studied. The results show that: 1) During working, the face advanced distance was from 157 m to 99 m, the process was not effected by mining induced pressure. When the distance was 82 m, the posi- tion of peak stress was 5 m away from the coal wall. When the distance was 37 m, the position of peak stress away from the coal wall was about 15 m to 20 m and finally reached a steady state; 2) the time and the range of the peak of side rock pressure obtained from stress sensors were consistent with the results from the dynamic roof monitors; 3) the position of the peak pressure was 25 m away from the coal wall.

Effects of longwall-induced stress and deformation on the stability and mechanical integrity of shale gas wells drilled through a longwall abutment pillar

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive study conducted by CONSOL Energy, Marcellus Shale Coalition, and Pennsylvania Coal Association to evaluate the effects of longwall-induced subsurface deformations on the mechanical integrity of shale gas wells drilled over a longwall abutment pillar.The primary objective is to demonstrate that a properly constructed gas well in a standard longwall abutment pillar can maintain mechanical integrity during and after mining operations. A study site was selected over a southwestern Pennsylvania coal mine, which extracts 457-m-wide longwall faces under about 183 m of cover. Four test wells and four monitoring wells were drilled and installed over a 38-m by84-m centers abutment pillar. In addition to the test wells and monitoring wells, surface subsidence measurements and underground coal pillar pressure measurements were conducted as the 457-m-wide longwall panels on the south and north sides of the abutment pillar were mined by. To evaluate the resulting coal protection casing profile and lateral displacement, three separate 60-arm caliper surveys were conducted. This research represents a very important step and initiative to utilize the knowledge and science obtained from mining research to improve miner and public safety as well as the safety and health of the oil and gas industries.

Mechanical property of U-Shaped 65Mn steel bumpers for seismic base isolation

This study proposes a novel U-shaped 65Mn steel bumper as the displacement restraining device for base-isolated structures with laminated elastomeric rubber bearings.A series of bumpers with different geometric parameters were designed and tested under monotonic and cyclic quasi-static loading protocols.The experimental results from a total of 232 specimens were analyzed to develop an analytical model to calculate the backbone curve and the maximum elastic restoring force for U-shaped 65Mn bumpers.Thus,the analytical equations to calculate the elastic,hardening,and unloading stiffness of U-shaped 65Mn bumpers,as well as their maximum elastic restoring force,are validated by using an additional ten groups of bumpers with varying radiuses.These analytical equations can accurately predict the mechanical parameters of U-shaped 65Mn steel bumpers for a design purpose.

GENERAL SOLUTION FOR U-SHAPED BELLOWS OVERALL-BENDING PROBLEMS

The formulae for stresses and angular displacements of U-shaped bellows overall bending in a meridian plane under pure bending moments are presented based on the general solution for slender ring shells proposed by Zhu Weiping, et al. and the solution for ring plates. The results evaluated in this paper are compared with those on EJMA (standards of the expansion joint manufacturers association) and of the experiment given by Li Tingxilz, et al.

Numerical calculation on solar temperature field of a cable-stayed bridge with U-shaped section on high-speed railway

Based on transient temperature field theory of heat conduction, the solar temperature field calculation model of U-shape sectioned high-speed railway cable-stayed bridge under actions of concrete beams and ballast was established. Using parametric programming language, finite element calculation modules considering climate conditions, bridge site, structure dimension and material thermophysical properties were compiled. Six standard day cycles with the strongest yearly radiation among the bridge sites were selected for sectional solar temperature field calculation and temperature distributions under different temperature-sensitive parameters were compared. The results show that under the influence of sunshine, U-shape section of the beam shows obvious nonlinear distribution characteristics and the maximum cross-section temperature difference is more than 21℃; the ballast significantly reduces sunshine temperature difference of the beam and temperature peak of the bottom margin lags with the increase of ballast thickness; the maximum cross-section vertical temperature gradient appears in summer while large transverse temperature difference appears in winter.

Electrokinetic flow in the U-shaped micro-nanochannels

U-shaped micro-nanochannels can generate significant flow disturbance as well as locally amplified electric field, which gives itself potential to be microfluidic mixers, electrokinetic pumps,and even cell lysis process. Numerical simulation is utilized in this work to study the hidden characteristics of the U-shaped micro-nanochannel system, and the effects of key controlling parameters(the external voltage and pressure) on the device output metrics(current, maximum values of electric field, shear stress and flow velocity) were evaluated. A large portion of current flowing through the whole system goes through the nanochannels, rather than the middle part of the microchannel, with its value increasing linearly with the increase of voltage. Due to the local ion depletion near micro-nanofluidic junction, significantly enhanced electric field(as much as 15 fold at V=1 V and P_0=0) as well as strong shear stress(leading to electrokinetic flow) is generated.With increasing external pressure, both electric field and shear stress can be increased initially(due to shortening of depletion region length), but are suppressed eventually at higher pressure due to the destruction of ion depletion layer. Insights gained from this study could be useful for designing nonlinear electrokinetic pumps and other systems.