Pipeline thickness estimation using the dispersion of higher-order SH guided waves

Thickness measurement plays an important role in the monitoring of pipeline corrosion damage. However, the requirement for prior knowledge of the shear wave velocity in the pipeline material for popular ultrasonic thickness measurement limits its widespread application. This paper proposes a method that utilizes cylindrical shear horizontal(SH) guided waves to estimate pipeline thickness without prior knowledge of shear wave velocity. The inversion formulas are derived from the dispersion of higher-order modes with the high-frequency approximation. The waveform of the example problems is simulated using the real-axis integral method. The data points on the dispersion curves are processed in the frequency domain using the wave-number method. These extracted data are then substituted into the derived formulas. The results verify that employing higher-order SH guided waves for the evaluation of thickness and shear wave velocity yields less than1% error. This method can be applied to both metallic and non-metallic pipelines, thus opening new possibilities for health monitoring of pipeline structures.

Photoinduced Floquet higher-order Weyl semimetal in C_(6) symmetric Dirac semimetals

Topological Dirac semimetals are a parent state from which other exotic topological phases of matter, such as Weyl semimetals and topological insulators, can emerge. In this study, we investigate a Dirac semimetal possessing sixfold rotational symmetry and hosting higher-order topological hinge Fermi arc states, which is irradiated by circularly polarized light. Our findings reveal that circularly polarized light splits each Dirac node into a pair of Weyl nodes due to the breaking of time-reversal symmetry, resulting in the realization of the Weyl semimetal phase. This Weyl semimetal phase exhibits rich boundary states, including two-dimensional surface Fermi arc states and hinge Fermi arc states confined to six hinges.Furthermore, by adjusting the incident direction of the circularly polarized light, we can control the degree of tilt of the resulting Weyl cones, enabling the realization of different types of Weyl semimetals.

Higher-order expansions of powered extremes of logarithmic general error distribution

In this paper,Let M_(n)denote the maximum of logarithmic general error distribution with parameter v≥1.Higher-order expansions for distributions of powered extremes M_(n)^(p)are derived under an optimal choice of normalizing constants.It is shown that M_(n)^(p),when v=1,converges to the Frechet extreme value distribution at the rate of 1/n,and if v>1 then M_(n)^(p)converges to the Gumbel extreme value distribution at the rate of(loglogn)^(2)=(log n)^(1-1/v).

Opinion consensus incorporating higher-order interactions in individual-collective networks

In the current information society, the dissemination mechanisms and evolution laws of individual or collective opinions and their behaviors are the research hot topics in the field of opinion dynamics. First, in this paper, a two-layer network consisting of an individual-opinion layer and a collective-opinion layer is constructed, and a dissemination model of opinions incorporating higher-order interactions(i.e. OIHOI dissemination model) is proposed. Furthermore, the dynamic equations of opinion dissemination for both individuals and groups are presented. Using Lyapunov's first method,two equilibrium points, including the negative consensus point and positive consensus point, and the dynamic equations obtained for opinion dissemination, are analyzed theoretically. In addition, for individual opinions and collective opinions,some conditions for reaching negative consensus and positive consensus as well as the theoretical expression for the dissemination threshold are put forward. Numerical simulations are carried to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed theoretical results, as well as the influence of the intra-structure, inter-connections, and higher-order interactions on the dissemination and evolution of individual opinions. The main results are as follows.(i) When the intra-structure of the collective-opinion layer meets certain characteristics, then a negative or positive consensus is easier to reach for individuals.(ii) Both negative consensus and positive consensus perform best in mixed type of inter-connections in the two-layer network.(iii) Higher-order interactions can quickly eliminate differences in individual opinions, thereby enabling individuals to reach consensus faster.

Time-Domain Higher-Order Boundary Element Method for Simulating High Forward-Speed Ship Motions in Waves

The hydrodynamic performance of a high forward-speed ship in obliquely propagating waves is numerically examined to assess both free motions and wave field in comparison with a low forward-speed ship.This numerical model is based on the time-domain potential flow theory and higher-order boundary element method,where an analytical expression is completely expanded to determine the base-unsteady coupling flow imposed on the moving condition of the ship.The ship in the numerical model may possess different advancing speeds,i.e.stationary,low speed,and high speed.The role of the water depth,wave height,wave period,and incident wave angle is analyzed by means of the accurate numerical model.It is found that the resonant motions of the high forward-speed ship are triggered by comparison with the stationary one.More specifically,a higher forward speed generates a V-shaped wave region with a larger elevation,which induces stronger resonant motions corresponding to larger wave periods.The shoaling effect is adverse to the motion of the low-speed ship,but is beneficial to the resonant motion of the high-speed ship.When waves obliquely propagate toward the ship,the V-shaped wave region would be broken due to the coupling effect between roll and pitch motions.It is also demonstrated that the maximum heave motion occurs in beam seas for stationary cases but occurs in head waves for high speeds.However,the variation of the pitch motion with period is hardly affected by wave incident angles.

Ethics of Human Resources Management in the Cameroonian Health System, Medical Nomadism and the Ineffectiveness of the Fight against High Blood Pressure

Context/objectives: The fight against Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is a long-term undertaking, which requires available, motivated and well-managed human resources (HR). The administrative management of skills on both qualitative and quantitative levels is one of the essential functions of a health system. To better implement policies of fight against High Blood Pressure (HBP) and other chronic diseases, it is important to establish strategies to retain health personnel. This loyalty requires favorable working conditions and consideration of the contribution-reward couple. Good working conditions are likely to reduce the phenomenon of medical nomadism;conversely, poor HR management can contribute to their exodus towards exotic “green pastures”, thus leading to an additional crisis in the Cameroonian health system. The fight against HBP is a complex, multifaceted and multifactorial reality that requires appropriate management model for all types of resources mainly HR. The main objective of this research is to show the impact of poor management of human resources in Cameroon health system on medical nomadism and the ineffectiveness of the fight against High Blood Pressure. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive survey among five hundred (500) health facilities in the center region of Cameroon has been conducted. A stratified probabilistic technique has been used, and the number of health facilities to be surveyed has been determined using the “sample size estimation table” of Depelteau. The physical questionnaires have been printed and then distributed to data collectors. After data collection, the latter were grouped during processing in Excel sheets. The Chi-square test was used for data with a qualitative value and that of Kolmogorov-Sminorf for data with a quantitative value to assess the normality and reliability of data. The Crochach’s Alpha reliability test allowed us to have a summary of the means and variances and then to search for intragroup correlations between variables. Descriptive analysis was possible with the XLSTAT 2016 software. Results: 43.60% of Health Facilities (HF) managers were unqualified. 82.20% of HF managers have staff in a situation of professional insecurity. They are mainly contractual (49.00), decision-making agents (24.40%), casual agents (08.80). The proportion of unstable personnel is average of 22.00% and very unstable, 12.00%.

Knowledge mapping of research on sustainable utilization of landscape resources:a case study of Guilin National Innovation Demonstration Zone for sustainable development in China

Worldwide interest has increasingly focused on the sustainable utilization of landscape as a resource in urban areas,emphasizing its ecological,cultural and social significance.This study examines Guilin City,China,as a representative case study due to its rich landscape resources and status as a national innovation demonstration zone for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.This study uses bibliometric visualization tools like CiteSpace and VOSviewer to analyze research trends from 1980 to 2021 in the Chinese Academic Journal Network Publishing Database(CNKI).The results show increasing academic interest over three stages:initiation(1982-1997),exploration(1998-2004),and diversified development(2005-2021).Contributions are predominantly from local academic and tourism sectors,indicating a strong regional influence;however,relatively weak interinstitutional collaboration occurs,suggesting potential for more integrated research efforts.Primary research is also concentrated within economic disciplines,particularly tourism-related ones.The evolution of research frontiers reveals three main paths:urban development strategies,industrial economic theories and empirical validation,and ecosystem analysis and evaluation.A multidisciplinary approach and stronger collaborative efforts are crucial to enhance research on ecological values and empirical models while supporting evidence-based urban development strategies in Guilin City and comparable cities globally.

Joint Allocation of Computing and Connectivity Resources in Survivable Inter-Datacenter Elastic Optical Networks

Inter-datacenter elastic optical networks(EON)need to provide the service for the requests of cloud computing that require not only connectivity and computing resources but also network survivability.In this paper,to realize joint allocation of computing and connectivity resources in survivable inter-datacenter EONs,a survivable routing,modulation level,spectrum,and computing resource allocation algorithm(SRMLSCRA)algorithm and three datacenter selection strategies,i.e.Computing Resource First(CRF),Shortest Path First(SPF)and Random Destination(RD),are proposed for different scenarios.Unicast and manycast are applied to the communication of computing requests,and the routing strategies are calculated respectively.Simulation results show that SRMLCRA-CRF can serve the largest amount of protected computing tasks,and the requested calculation blocking probability is reduced by 29.2%,28.3%and 30.5%compared with SRMLSCRA-SPF,SRMLSCRA-RD and the benchmark EPS-RMSA algorithms respectively.Therefore,it is more applicable to the networks with huge calculations.Besides,SRMLSCRA-SPF consumes the least spectrum,thereby exhibiting its suitability for scenarios where the amount of calculation is small and communication resources are scarce.The results demonstrate that the proposed methods realize the joint allocation of computing and connectivity resources,and could provide efficient protection for services under single-link failure and occupy less spectrum.

Analysis of the Variability of the Characteristics of Water Resources in the Diani Watershed: Case of the Silissou District

This study aims to analyze the spatio-temporal variability of the characteristics of water resources in the Diani watershed,located in the southeast of the Republic of Guinea.The objective is to assess the availability and quantity of water for sustainable management of this essential resource.The results obtained show a slight variability of hydro-climatic parameters.The most remarkable wet periods by their intensity of(1982-1998)and(2005-2012)are moderate and that of 1986-1990 is extremely severe during which they are felt on all the stations of the South of Guinea.In addition,the dry years,the end of 1970 and 1980 to 1987 recognized by the WMO(World Meteorological Organization)as drought years were highlighted in the Diani watershed in the South of the Republic of Guinea.

Spatial and Temporal Distribution Characteristics of Solar Energy Resources in Tibet

The Tibet Plateau is one of the regions with the richest solar energy resources in the world.In the process of achieving carbon neutrality in China,the development and utilization of solar energy resources in the region will play an important role.In this study,the gridded solar resource data with 1km resolution in Tibet were obtained by spatial correction and downscaling of SMARTS model.On this basis,the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of solar energy resources in the region in the past 30 years(1991–2020)are finely evaluated,and the annual global horizontal radiation resource is calculated.The results show that:1)The average annual global horizontal radiation amount in Tibet is 1816 kWh/m^(2).More than 60%of the area belongs to the“Most abundant”(GHI≥1750 kWh/m^(2))area of China’s solar energy resources category A,and nearly 40%belongs to the“Quite abundant”(1400≤GHI<1750)area of China’s solar energy resource category B.2)In space,the solar energy resources in Tibet increased gradually from north to south and from east to west.Lhasa,Central and Eastern Shigatse,Shannan,and Southwestern Ali are the most abundant cities,with a maximum annual radiation level of 2189 kWh/m2.3)In terms of time,the total horizontal radiation in Tibet was the highest in May and the lowest in December.74%of the total area belongs to the“Very stable”(R_(w)≥0.47)area of solar resource stability category A,and 26%belongs to the“stable”(0.36≤R_(w)<0.47)area of solar resource stability category B.Solar energy resources in the region show the characteristics of both strong and stable.Average solar energy resources in the region have shown a fluctuating downward trend over the past 30 years,with an average decline of about 12.86(kWh/m2)per decade.4)In terms of solar radiation resources reaching the earth’s surface,the theoretical total amount of annual horizontal radiation in Tibet is about 240.07 billion tons of standard coal or 222.91 billion kilowatts on average.

Conditions for the enrichment of karst hydrothermal resources in Bohai Bay Basin

Drilling for karst hydrothermal resources in eastern China has posed challenges,including disparities between the temperature and yield of geothermal water.It is evident that relying solely on geothermal anomalies or indications of karst reservoirs is inadequate for the exploration of karst hydrothermal resources.This study seeks to elucidate the cause of geothermal sweet spots by analyzing the interplay between geothermal anomalies and karst reservoirs and the underlying geological conditions for karst hydrothermal enrichment.Key findings include:(1)the Bohai Bay Basin has been geologically favorable for the development of karst hydrothermal resources since the Mesozoic era;(2)the karst hydrothermal enrichment varies significantly between the basin’s margin and its interior.On the basin margin,the enrichment is largely driven by groundwater activity and faults,particularly where faults facilitate the upwelling of geothermal water.In contrast,within the basin’s interior,karst hydrothermal resources are predominantly influenced by buried hills and are especially enriched in areas facilitating the discharge of deep geothermal waters.

Progress in research on the exploration and evaluation of deep geothermal resources in the Fujian-Guangdong-Hainan region,China

Deep geothermal resources in the Fujian-Guangdong-Hainan region,China,offer significant potential for sustainable energy.The diverse igneous rock formations along the southeast coast present intricate geological challenges that impede exploration and evaluation efforts.In this study,we address critical concerns related to the Fujian-Guangdong-Hainan region's deep geothermal resources,encompassing heat source composition,formation conditions,strategic favorable areas,and exploration directions.Our methods involve the analysis of regional geothermal reservoirs and cap rocks.Major findings include:the primary heat sources in the Fujian-Guangdong-Hainan region consist of the radioactive heat generation from granites in the crust,heat conduction in the mantle,and,in specific areas like Yangjiang and Shantou,melts within the middle and lower crust;the deep,high-temperature geothermal resources in the region predominantly reside in basins'depressed areas.These areas are characterized by the confluence of triple heat sources:heat from the Earth's crust,mantle,and other supplementary sources;our analysis led to the identification of three strategic areas favorable for deep geothermal resources in the Fujian-Guangdong-Hainan region.These are the Beibu Gulf Basin's continental area,the Yuezhong Depression,and the Fuzhou-Zhangzhou area.

Enhancing transboundary natural tourism resources governance:unveiling the spatial pattern and its influencing factors

Tourism resources that span provincial boundaries in China play a pivotal role in regional development,yet effective governance poses persistent challenges.This study addresses this issue by constructing a comprehensive database of transboundary natural tourism resources(TNTR)through amalgamation of diverse data sources.Utilizing the Getis-Ord Gi^(*),kernel density estimation,and geographical detectors,we scrutinize the spatial patterns of TNTR,focusing on both named and unnamed entities,while exploring the influencing factors.Our findings reveal 7883 identified TNTR in China,with mountain tourism resources emerging as the predominant type.Among provinces,Hunan boasts the highest count,while Shanghai exhibits the lowest.Southern China demonstrates a pronounced clustering trend in TNTR distribution,with the spatial arrangement of biological landscapes appearing more random compared to geological and water landscapes.Western China,characterized by intricate terrain,exhibits fewer TNTR,concurrently unveiling a significant presence of unnamed natural tourism resources.Crucially,administrative segmentation influences TNTR development,generating disparities in regional goals,developmental stages and intensities,and management approaches.In response to these variations,we advocate for strengthening the naming of the unnamed transboundary tourism resources,constructing a geographic database of TNTR for government and establishing a collaborative management mechanism based on TNTR database.Our research contributes to elucidating the intricate landscape of TNTR,offering insights for tailored governance strategies in the realm of cross-provincial tourism resource management.

Investigation and analysis of vascular plant resources and diversity in Wuyi Mountain,Fujian Province

Wuyi Mountain,located in the north of Fujian Province,China,is renowned for its abundant medicinal plant resources.In July 2014,the 8th(second team)of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University’s Chinese Medicine Resources Scientific Expedition Team conducted field investigation in the area.Through specimen collection and extensive literature review,the team identified and analyzed 223 vascular plant species from 175 genera and 85 families.The most dominant families were Compositae and Rosaceae,and perennial herbs were the predominant species,accounting for 44.39%of the total species identified.Notably,we documented five precious and rare medicinal plants unique to Wuyi Mountain.This study updates the database of plant resources and diversity in the region,providing a valuable reference for future studies.Finally,we put forward some suggestions to enhance the conservation and sustainable utilization of Wuyi Mountain’s plant resources.

Carrying Capacity and Coupling Coordination of Water and Land Resources Systems in Arid and Semi-arid Areas: A Case Study of Yulin City, China

Quantitatively assessing the carrying capacity of water and land resources systems in arid and semi-arid areas is crucial for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.In this work,taking Yulin City in China as a case study and employing the Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation(CRITIC)method,a modified model of coupling degree was developed to evaluate the car-rying capacity of water and land resources systems endowment and utilization,as well as their coupling coordination degree from 2013 to 2020.Our findings indicate that the water and land resources of Yulin are diminishing due to declines in agriculture,higher industrial water use,and wetland shrinkage.However,reallocating domestic water for ecological sustainability and reducing sloping farmland can mitigate this trend of decline.Temporally,as the coupling coordination between water and land resources system endowment in Yulin continuously improved,the coupling coordination between water and land resources system utilization first decreased and then in-creased with 2016 as the turning point.Spatially,the carrying capacity of water and land resources systems,the coupling coordination degree between water and land resources system endowment,and the coupling coordination degree between water and land resources system utilization in Yulin exhibited the same pattern of being higher in the six northern counties than in the six southern counties.Improving the water resources endowment is vital for the highly efficient use of water and land resources.

A Brief Analysis of Ranunculaceae Family Resources Based on Yu Tuo Ben Cao

[Objectives]To facilitate the rational use and timely protection of the Tibetan medicinal plant resources to count and reorganize Tibetan medicines recorded in Yu Tuo Ben Cao.[Methods]Based on literature research and data analysis,this paper analyzed the plant genera,and their habitat characteristics and the main types of diseases.[Results]Yu Tuo Ben Cao contains 191 kinds of botanicals,of which Ranunculaceae has the largest number of 11 genera and 25 species,with a wide distribution of habitats and 5 categories,and the main therapeutic efficacy covers 16 fields.[Conclusions]As a part of Yu Tuo Ben Cao,Tibetan medicines of Ranunculaceae have great research value because of their variety,large number,wide distribution,and diverse uses.

Securing offshore resources development:A mathematical investigation into gas leakage in long-distance flexible pipes

Gas flexible pipes are critical multi-layered equipment for offshore oil and gas development.Under high pressure conditions,small molecular components of natural gas dissolve into the polymer inner liner of the flexible pipes and further diffuse into the annular space,incurring annular pressure build-up and/or production of acidic environment,which poses serious challenges to the structure and integrity of the flexible pipes.Gas permeation in pipes is a complex phenomenon governed by various factors such as internal pressure and temperature,annular structure,external temperature.In a long-distance gas flexible pipe,moreover,gas permeation exhibits non-uniform features,and the gas permeated into the annular space flows along the metal gap.To assess the complex gas transport behavior in long-distance gas flexible pipes,a mathematical model is established in this paper considering the multiphase flow phenomena inside the flexible pipes,the diffusion of gas in the inner liner,and the gas seepage in the annular space under varying permeable properties of the annulus.In addition,the effect of a variable temperature is accounted.A numerical calculation method is accordingly constructed to solve the coupling mathematical equations.The annular permeability was shown to significantly influence the distribution of annular pressure.As permeability increases,the annular pressure tends to become more uniform,and the annular pressure at the wellhead rises more rapidly.After annular pressure relief followed by shut-in,the pressure increase follows a convex function.By simulating the pressure recovery pattern after pressure relief and comparing it with test results,we deduce that the annular permeability lies between 123 and 512 m D.The results help shed light upon assessing the annular pressure in long distance gas flexible pipes and thus ensure the security of gas transport in the emerging development of offshore resources.

Analysis of vascular plant resources and diversity in Liupan Mountains of Ningxia Province,China

Liupan Mountains are situated in the south of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and east of Gansu Province.This area is rich in forests and vegetation.After field investigation,literature review and specimen identification,the plant resources and diversity of Liupan Mountains were studied by the 4th Shenyang Pharmaceutical University Chinese Medicine Resources Scientific Expedition Team.There were 161 species of vascular plants belonging to 60 families and 119 genera collected from July to August 2010 in this area.Among them,the dominant families are Campanulaceae,Ranunculaceae,Orobanchaceae,Asparagaceae,Fabaceae,Rosaceae and Asteraceae,with 6,7,8,8,10,10,and 22 species,respectively.Although representing only 11.7%of the total number of families,these families had a species occupancy rate of over 44.1%.At the genus level,Pedicularis is the most dominant genus with 6 species,while 92 genera contain only 1 species,accounting for 77.3%of the total number of genera.In a word,our research has updated the plant resources and diversity in Liupan Mountains.Furthermore,by providing practical and meaningful suggestions for strengthening the protection and utilization of plant resources in Liupan Mountains,our research is of great significance for maintaining the diverse ecosystem in this area.

Efficient utilization of ecological and cultural-tourism resources:Taking Guangzhou Cultural Park as an example

Land space is precious resource and carrier of various economic activities.Ecosystem Product Value Realization and Cultural Tourism is new economic growth point for green and low-carbon development.It is necessary to study how to intensively and efficiently utilize ecological and cultural-tourism resources under"Three zones three lines for land use"(3Z3L),which is basic land space planning policy.However,there are few research and cases due to difficulties of interdisciplinary research.This article adopts the methods of policies research,graphic analysis,and visiting,to study efficient utilization of ecological and cultural-tourism resources.This study found that the development of land spaces of ecology,agriculture,and urban areas is 3D trend,multi-purpose resource utilization can be achieved by improving the utilization efficiency of 3D space and differentiating spatial utilization in different periods.Taking Guangzhou Cultural Park as an example,the research object has improved the efficiency of ecological and cultural-tourism resource utilization by its managements and technology,such as“house under the tree,tree inside the house”.However,there are shortcomings just as planning and protection policies with it.We proposed to optimize the spatial planning and regulations,and improve the protection of overlapping areas of 3Z3L by planning and regulations,improve the utilization efficiency of ecological and cultural-tourism space,meet the urban young people's multiple needs such as culture and ecology in 3D space,use new technologies to improve ecological services quality such as biological methods,strengthen the coordination of multiple management departments with the concept of nature based solutions,develop the“Reversed Transmission Effect”,keep the boundary of urban development strictly.

Analysis of plant resources and diversity in Shennongjia Area of Hubei Province,China

Shennongjia Area is located in northwest of Hubei Province with Shennongding,the highest peak(3105.4 m above sea level)in central China.The unique geographical location and complex terrain of this region make it rich in plant resources.After field investigation,th literature review,and specimen identification,the 7 Shenyang Pharmaceutical University Chinese Medicine Resources Scientific Expedition Team studied the plant resources and diversity of Shennongjia Area.454 species of vascular plants belonging to 106 families and 275 genera were collected from July to August in 2013.The dominant families are Lamiaceae,Ranunculaceae,Rosaceae,and Asteraceae,with 20,21,37 and 48 species respectively.At the genus level,Rubus is the dominant one with 11 species.3 species of national first-class protective plants,13 species of“Huan yang yao”and 36 species of“Qi yao”were collected.In all,our research has updated the plant recources and diversity in Shennongjia Area.Furthermore,by putting forward practical and meaningful suggestions on strengthening the protection and utilization of plant resources in Shennongjia Area,our research will help to protect the diverse ecosystem there.