Dynamic Characteristics of Functionally Graded Timoshenko Beams by Improved Differential Quadrature Method

This study proposes an effective method to enhance the accuracy of the Differential Quadrature Method(DQM)for calculating the dynamic characteristics of functionally graded beams by improving the form of discrete node distribution.Firstly,based on the first-order shear deformation theory,the governing equation of free vibration of a functionally graded beam is transformed into the eigenvalue problem of ordinary differential equations with respect to beam axial displacement,transverse displacement,and cross-sectional rotation angle by considering the effects of shear deformation and rotational inertia of the beam cross-section.Then,ignoring the shear deformation of the beam section and only considering the effect of the rotational inertia of the section,the governing equation of the beam is transformed into the eigenvalue problem of ordinary differential equations with respect to beam transverse displacement.Based on the differential quadrature method theory,the eigenvalue problem of ordinary differential equations is transformed into the eigenvalue problem of standard generalized algebraic equations.Finally,the first several natural frequencies of the beam can be calculated.The feasibility and accuracy of the improved DQM are verified using the finite element method(FEM)and combined with the results of relevant literature.

A spatiotemporal evolution model of a short-circuit arc to a secondary arc based on the improved charge simulation method

The initial shape of the secondary arc considerably influences its subsequent shape.To establish the model for the arcing time of the secondary arc and modify the single-phase reclosing sequence,theoretical and experimental analysis of the evolution process of the short-circuit arc to the secondary arc is critical.In this study,an improved charge simulation method was used to develop the internal-space electric-field model of the short-circuit arc.The intensity of the electric field was used as an independent variable to describe the initial shape of the secondary arc.A secondary arc evolution model was developed based on this model.Moreover,the accuracy of the model was evaluated by comparison with physical experimental results.When the secondary arc current increased,the arcing time and dispersion increased.There is an overall trend of increasing arc length with increasing arcing time.Nevertheless,there is a reduction in arc length during arc ignition due to short circuits between the arc columns.Furthermore,the arcing time decreased in the range of 0°-90°as the angle between the wind direction and the x-axis increased.This work investigated the method by which short-circuit arcs evolve into secondary arcs.The results can be used to develop the secondary arc evolution model and to provide both a technical and theoretical basis for secondary arc suppression.

Seasonal variability of the mixed layer depth determined using an improved maximum angle method in the Arctic basins

To investigate the spatiotemporal variations in the mixed layer depth(MLD)in the Arctic basins,a new criterion to determine the MLD,called the improved maximum angle method(IMAM),was developed.A total of 45123 potential density profiles collected using Ice-Tethered Profilers(ITPs)in the Arctic basins during 2005-2021 were used to demonstrate the method’s effectiveness.By comparing the results obtained by the fixed threshold method(FTM),percentage threshold method(PTM),and maximum gradient method(MGM)for profiles in the Canada Basin,Makarov Basin,and Eurasian Basin,we determined that the quality index(1.0 for perfect identification of the MLD)of the IMAM regarding the assessment of the MLD determination method reached 0.94,which is much greater than those of other criteria.Moreover,two types of the density profiles were identified based on the mixed layer development stage.The MLDs of the typical profiles determined using the IMAM were found to have better consistency with the original definition.By utilizing the new mixed layer criterion,the seasonal variations and regional differences in the MLD in the Arctic basins were analyzed.Spatially,the summer and winter MLDs in the Canada Basin were the shallowest(13.55 m in summer,26.76 m in winter)than those in the Makarov(29.51 m in summer,49.08 m in winter)and Eurasian(20.36 m in summer,46.81 m in winter)basins due to the stable stratification in the upper ocean and the subsequent small effects of dynamic and thermodynamic processes(wind-driven stirring and brine rejection)in the Canada Basin.Seasonally,in the three Arctic basins,the average MLD was shallowest(22.77 m)in summer;it deepened through autumn and reached a winter maximum(41.12 m).

Comparison on Four Extraction Methods of Genomic DNA from Clematis fasciculiflora Franch

[Objective] This study aimed at comparing the four extraction methods of genomic DNA from Clematis fasciculiflora Franch and determining the optimal extraction method for extracting the genomic DNA from Clematis fasciculiflora Franch.[Method] Leavies of Clematis fasciculiflora Franch were used as materials for comparing the purity and concentration of extracted DNA and extracting time among the four extraction methods of genomic DNA including improved CTAB method Ⅰ,improved CTAB method Ⅱ,improved CTAB method Ⅲ and improved SDS method.[Result] The four extraction methods could all be successfully used for extracting the genomic DNA from Clematis fasciculiflora Franch.The purity of genomic DNA was the highest using improved CTAB method Ⅰ,with the longest extracting time;while the concentration of genomic DNA was the maximum using the improved SDS method,with the shortest extracting time and relatively low purity;the extracting time of improved CTAB method Ⅲ was the shortest.[Conclusion] This study had established the optimal extraction method for extracting the genomic DNA from Clematis fasciculiflora Franch and supported for the further research using molecular biological methods.

Isolation of the Flanking Sequences Adjacent to Transgenic T-DNA in Brassica napus Genome by an Improved Inverse PCR Method

[Objective] The research aimed to isolate flanking sequences adjacent to the transgenic T-DNA in Brassica napus by an improved inverse PCR method.[Method] Using single clone of transgenic FS4 in Brassica napus as the research materials,total DNA was extracted from transgenic Brassica napus by using modified CTAB method.After enzyme digestion and purification,self-joining was made.Two circles of nested PCR and the sequence alignment were carried out.[Result] A fragement with the size of 4.0 kb was amplified ...

An Improved Method for DNA Extraction from the Faeces of Red Deer

[Objective] To introduce an improved method for DNA extraction from the faeces of red deer. [Method] Based on the traditional method of CTAB lysis, we proposed an improved DNA extraction method according to the characteristics of red deer faeces. [Result] This improved method extracted high-quality fecal DNA from Tianshan red deer and amplified the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. With the muscle and fur DNA of red deer as the control, the sequencing results further con- firmed the reliability of the method. [Conclusion] The method requires no proteinase K in the process of extraction, and the extracted DNA can be used for PCR ampli- fication directly without the purification of DNA purification kit, thus, it is cost-saving.

Calculation and Analysis of TVMS Considering Profile Shifts and Surface Wear Evolution Process of Spur Gear

Profile shift is a highly effective technique for optimizing the performance of spur gear transmission systems.However,tooth surface wear is inevitable during gear meshing due to inadequate lubrication and long-term operation.Both profile shift and tooth surface wear(TSW)can impact the meshing characteristics by altering the involute tooth profile.In this study,a tooth stiffness model of spur gears that incorporates profile shift,TSW,tooth deformation,tooth contact deformation,fillet-foundation deformation,and gear body structure coupling is established.This model efficiently and accurately determines the time-varying mesh stiffness(TVMS).Additionally,an improved wear depth prediction method for spur gears is developed,which takes into consideration the mutually prime teeth numbers and more accurately reflects actual gear meshing conditions.Results show that consideration of the mutual prime of teeth numbers will have a certain impact on the TSW process.Furthermore,the finite element method(FEM)is employed to accurately verify the values of TVMS and load sharing ratio(LSR)of profile-shifted gears and worn gears.This study quantitatively analyzes the effect of profile shift on the surface wear process,which suggests that gear profile shift can partially alleviate the negative effects of TSW.The contribution of this study provides valuable insights into the design and maintenance of spur gear systems.

Hybrid Nanofluid Flow over a Stretching Curved Surface with Induced Magnetic Field and Homogeneous-Heterogeneous Reactions

This study explores the 2D stretching flow of a hybrid nanofluid over a curved surface influenced by a magnetic field and reactions. A steady laminar flow model is created with curvilinear coordinates, considering thermal radiation, suction, and magnetic boundary conditions. The nanofluid is made of water with copper and MWCNTs as nanoparticles. The equations are transformed into nonlinear ODEs and solved numerically. The model’s accuracy is confirmed by comparing it with published data. Results show that fluid velocity increases, temperature decreases, and concentration increases with the curvature radius parameter. The hybrid nanofluid is more sensitive to magnetic field changes in velocity, while the nanofluid is more sensitive to magnetic boundary coefficient changes. These insights can optimize heat and mass transfer in industrial processes like chemical reactors and wastewater treatment.

Dynamics and Exact Solutions of (1 + 1)-Dimensional Generalized Boussinesq Equation with Time-Space Dispersion Term

We study exact solutions to (1 + 1)-dimensional generalized Boussinesq equation with time-space dispersion term by making use of improved sub-equation method, and analyse the dynamical behavior and exact solutions of the sub-equation after constructing the nonlinear transformation and constraint conditions. Accordingly, we obtain twenty families of exact solutions such as analytical and singular solitons and singular periodic waves. In addition, we discuss the impact of system parameters on wave propagation.

An improved interpolating element-free Galerkin method with a nonsingular weight function for two-dimensional potential problems

In this paper, an improved interpolating moving least-square （IIMLS） method is presented. The shape function of the IIMLS method satisfies the property of the Kronecker 5 function. The weight function used in the IIMLS method is nonsingular. Then the IIMLS method can overcome the difficulties caused by the singularity of the weight function in the IMLS method. The number of unknown coefficients in the trial function of the IIMLS method is less than that of the moving least-square （MLS） approximation. Then by combining the IIMLS method with the Galerkin weak form of the potential problem, the improved interpolating element-free Galerkin （IIEFG） method for two-dimensional potential problems is presented. Compared with the conventional element-free Galerkin （EFG） method, the IIEFG method can directly use the essential boundary conditions. Then the IIEFG method has higher accuracy. For demonstration, three numerical examples are solved using the IIEFG method.

Improved AHP method and its application in lake environmental comprehensive quality evaluation—a case study of Xuanwu Lake, Nanjing, China

The relative importance of each pollution factor in analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method comes from pooling expert opinions in general. Because expert opinions are based on information and judgment criteria, determining their weight may lead to uncertainty.. Therefore, an improved AHP method had been developed. The process of the improved AHP method involved four key procedures. The weights of pollution factors were completely related to the objective monitoring data through the standardization of these procedures. The environmental comprehensive quality of water and sediment of Xuanwu Lake, Nanjing, China had been evaluated. The environmental quality comprehensive indices (EQCI) of the water in 1991-1995 and 1996-2000 were 3.32 and 1.85, respectively, indicating that the water quality improved. The EQCI of the sediment in 1995 and 2000 indicates that the sediment contamination decreased from 1995 to 2000. Such results agreed with the fact that the lake had been under comprehensive control. However, with the classical AHP method, the EQCI of the sediment in the northwestern part of the lake may have indicated that sediment contamination increased from 1995 to 2000. The discrepancy may have resulted from the judgment difference of the experts. The improved AHP method can avoid arbitrariness of subjective judgment and can reflect the real influential factors of environment pollution in different periods or regions.

A measurement method for distinguishing the real contact area of rough surfaces of transparent solids using improved Otsu technique

An experimental method of measuring the real contact area of transparent blocks based on the principle of total internal reflection is presented, intending to support the investigation of friction characteristics, heat conduction, and energy dissipation at the contact interface. A laser sheet illuminates the contact interface, and the transmitted laser sheet is projected onto a screen. Then the contact information is acquired from the screen by a camera. An improved Otsu method is proposed to process the data of experimental images. It can compute the threshold of the overall image and filter out all the pixels one by one. Through analyzing the experimental results, we describe the relationship between the real contact area and the positive pressure during a continuous loading process, at different loading rates, with the polymethyl methacrylate（PMMA）material. A hysteresis phenomenon in the relationship between the real contact area and the positive pressure is found and explained.

An improved interpolating element-free Galerkin method for elasticity

Based on the improved interpolating moving least-squares （ⅡMLS） method and the Galerkin weak form, an improved interpolating element-free Galerkin （ⅡEFG） method is presented for two-dimensional elasticity problems in this paper. Compared with the interpolating moving least-squares （IMLS） method presented by Lancaster, the ⅡMLS method uses the nonsingular weight function. The number of unknown coefficients in the trial function of the ⅡMLS method is less than that of the MLS approximation and the shape function of the ⅡMLS method satisfies the property of Kronecker δ function. Thus in the ⅡEFG method, the essential boundary conditions can be applied directly and easily, then the numerical solutions can be obtained with higher precision than those obtained by the interpolating element-free Galerkin （IEFG） method. For the purposes of demonstration, four numerical examples are solved using the ⅡEFG method.

An Improved Method for Doppler Wind and Thermo dynamic Retrievals

A variational method is developed to retrieve winds in the first step and then thermodynamic fields in the second step from Doppler radar observations. In the first step, wind fields are retrieved at two time levels: the beginning and ending times of the data assimilation period, simultaneously from two successive volume scans by using the weak form constraints provided by the mass continuity and vorticity equations. As the retrieved wind fields are expressed by Legendre polynomial expansions at the beginning and ending times, the time tendency term in the vorticity equation can be conveniently formulated, and the retrieved winds can be compared with the radar observed radial winds in the cost function at the precise time and position of each radar beam. In the second step, the perturbation pressure and temperature fields at the middle time are then derived from the retrieved wind fields and the velocity time tendency by using the weak form constraints provided by the three momentum equations. The merits of the new method are demonstrated by numerical experiments with simulated radar observations and compared with the traditional least squares methods which consider neither the precise observation times and positions nor the velocity time tendency. The new method is also applied to real radar data for a heavy rainfall event during the 2001 Meiyu season in China.

Motor relearning program and Bobath method improve motor function of the upper extremities in patients with stroke

BACKGROUND: In the natural evolution of cerebrovascular disease, unconscious use of affected extremity during drug treatment and daily life can improve the function of affected upper extremity partially, but it is very slow and also accompanied by the formation of abnormal mode. Therefore, functional training should be emphasized in recovering the motor function of extremity. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of combination of motor relearning program and Bobath method on motor function of upper extremity of patients with stroke. DESIGN: Comparison of therapeutic effects taking stroke patients as observation subjects. SETTING: Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Beijing Jingmei Group. PARTICIPANTS: Totally 120 stroke patients, including 60 males and 60 females, averaged (59±3) years, who hospitalized in the Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Beijing Jingmei Group between January 2005 and June 2006 were recruited. The involved patients met the following criteria: Stroke attack within 2 weeks; diagnosis criteria of cerebral hemorrhage or infarction made in the 4th National Cerebrovascular Disease Conference; confirmed by skull CT or MRI; Informed consents of therapeutic regimen were obtained. The patients were assigned into 2 groups according to their wills: rehabilitation group and control group, with 30 males and 30 females in each group. Patients in rehabilitation group averaged (59±2)years old, and those in the control group averaged (58±2)years old. METHODS: ① Patients in two groups received routine treatment in the Department of Neurology. When the vital signs of patients in the rehabilitation group were stable, individualized treatment was conducted by combined application of motor relearning program and Bobath method. Meanwhile, training of activity of daily living was performed according to the disease condition changes of patients at different phases, including the nursing and instruction of body posture, the maintenance of good extremity position, bed exercise, bedside sit up and sitting position balance, sit up exercise, dynamic and static balance exercise, walking exercise, active training and passive training. The strength, time and speed of training were increased gradually according to their physical abilities. Patients were trained 45 to 60 minutes once, 5 times a week, within 2 weeks. ② Evaluation criteria of therapeutic effect: The motor function of upper extremity was evaluated by Fugl-Meyer method on the day of beginning and end of treatment. Higher points indicated better function of upper extremity. ③ t test and paired t test were used for comparing the difference of intergroup and intragroup measurement data, respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in Fugl-Meyer scoring of two groups before and after treatment. RESULTS: Totally 120 stroke patients participated in the final analysis. Before treatment, Fugl-Meyer scoring was close between rehabilitation group and control group [(14.47±2.38),(14.16±2.39) points, P > 0.05]; Fugl-Meyer scoring of rehabilitation group after treatment was significantly higher than that before treatment and that of control group[(37.93±2.67),(18.36±2.43) points, t =11.053, 5.408, P < 0.01]; There were no significant differences in Fugl-Meyer scoring between before treatment in the control group and control group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Combined application of motor relearning program and Bobath method can significantly improve the motor function of upper extremity of patients with stroke.

An improved boundary element-free method (IBEFM) for two-dimensional potential problems

The interpolating moving least-squares （IMLS） method is discussed first in this paper. And the formulae of the IMLS method obtained by Lancaster are revised. Then on the basis of the boundary element-free method （BEFM）, combining the boundary integral equation （BIE） method with the IMLS method, the improved boundary element-free method （IBEFM） for two-dimensional potential problems is presented, and the corresponding formulae of the IBEFM are obtained. In the BEFM, boundary conditions are applied directly, but the shape function in the MLS does not satisfy the property of the Kronecker ~ function. This is a problem of the BEFM, and must be solved theoretically. In the IMLS method, when the shape function satisfies the property of the Kronecker 5 function, then the boundary conditions, in the meshless method based on the IMLS method, can be applied directly. Then the IBEFM, based on the IMLS method, is a direct meshless boundary integral equation method in which the basic unknown quantity is the real solution of the nodal variables, and the boundary conditions can be applied directly and easily, thus it gives a greater computational precision. Some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the method.

Performance Evaluation of Bottom-Standing Submerged Breakwaters in Regular Waves Using the Meshless Singular Boundary Method

In this paper, the improved version of the meshless singular boundary method (ISBM) is developed for analyzing the hydrodynamic performance of bottom-standing submerged breakwaters in regular normally incident waves. Both the single and dual prismatic breakwaters of rectangular and trapezoidal forms are examined. Only the impermeable breakwaters are considered in this study. The physical problem is cast in terms of the Laplace equation governing an irrotational flow and incompressible fluid motion with the appropriate mixed-type boundary conditions, and it is solved numerically using the ISBM. The numerical results are presented in terms of the hydrodynamic quantities of reflection and transmission coefficients. The values are first validated against the data of previous studies, computed, and discussed for a variety of structural conditions, including the height, width, and spacing of breakwater submergence. An excellent agreement is observed between the ISBM results and those of other methods. The breakwater width is found to feature marginal effects compared with the height. The present method is shown to accurately predict the resonant conditions at which the maximum reflection and transmission occur. The trapezoidal breakwaters are found to generally present a wide spectrum of reflections, suggesting that they would function better than the rectangular breakwaters. The dual breakwater systems are confirmed to perform much better than single structures.

Solving unsteady Schr?dinger equation using the improved element-free Galerkin method

By employing the improved moving least-square （IMLS） approximation, the improved element-free Galerkin （IEFG） method is presented for the unsteady Schrodinger equation. In the IEFG method, the two-dimensional （2D） trial function is approximated by the IMLS approximation, the variation method is used to obtain the discrete equations, and the essential boundary conditions are imposed by the penalty method. Because the number of coefficients in the IMLS approximation is less than in the moving least-square （MLS） approximation, fewer nodes are needed in the entire domain when the IMLS approximation is used than when the MLS approximation is adopted. Then the IEFG method has high computational efficiency and accuracy. Several numerical examples are given to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the IEFG method in this paper.

Homogenous Balance Method and Exact Analytical Solutions for Whitham-Broer-Kaup Equations in Shallow Water

Based on the homogenous balance method and with the help of mathematica, the Backlund transformation and the transfer heat equation are derived. Analyzing the heat-transfer equation, the multiple soliton solutions and other exact analytical solution for Whitham-Broer-Kaup equations(WBK) are derived. These solutions contain Fan's, Xie's and Yan's results and other new types of analytical solutions, such as rational function solutions and periodic solutions. The method can also be applied to solve more nonlinear differential equations.

Risk assessments of debris flow based on improved analytic hierarchy process and efficacy coefficient method

In order to evaluate the danger of debris flow properly, eight factors were selected as the risk assess- ment indexes of the debris flow, namely the vertical slope, valley relative difference, hillside slope, area of ba- sin, loose solid material reserves, the path length of sediment supply probability, silting and scouring derrieking and vegetation coverage. The improved Analytic Hierarchy Process （ AHP ） method was used to obtain the weights of the factors; and the efficacy coefficient method was adopted to evaluate the risks of six typical debris flow gullies. According to the research, the improved AHP method not only avoids the subjectivity in the indi- vidual factor valuation by comparing two factors of each layer, but also makes the subsequent consistency check unnecessary.