Experimental Research on Damage Parameter of Concrete in Non-Uniform Stress Field

The damage variables of describing the material damage state should be chosen first when the research of concrete structures by use of theory of damage theory. The method of calculation of damage parameter by the measure of the change of the elastic modulus of concrete specimens is effectively. In this paper, the wedge splitting tests with double bearing of three groups of different initial crack lengths of concrete specimens were conducted, and the stress and the strain of the points with different distance from the initial crack tip measured and calculated, and the damage value with peak stress of the various points were calculated based on the stress-strain curves. From the results of the test, the damage parameter can be confirmed under the non-uniform stress field, and the initial crack length has some influence on the damage parameter, and the longer the initial crack length and the greater the damage parameter.

Uncertainty Analysis of the Residual Strength of Non-Uniformly Loaded Casingsin Deep Wells

An uncertainty analysis method is proposed for the assessment of the residual strength of a casing subjected to wear and non-uniform load in a deep well.The influence of casing residual stress,out-of-roundness and non-uniform load is considered.The distribution of multi-source parameters related to the residual anti extrusion strength and residual anti internal pressure strength of the casing after wear are determined using the probability theory.Considering the technical casing of X101 well in Xinjiang Oilfield as an example,it is shown that the randomness of casing wear depth,formation elastic modulus and formation Poisson’s ratio are the main factors that affect the uncertainty of residual strength.The wider the confidence interval is,the greater the uncertainty range is.Compared with the calculations resulting from the proposed uncertainty analysis method,the residual strength obtained by means of traditional single value calculation method is either larger or smaller,which leads to the conclusion that the residual strength should be considered in terms of a range of probabilities rather than a single value.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs:What is the actual risk of liver damage?

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) constitute a family of drugs, which taken as a group, represents one of the most frequently prescribed around the world. Thus, not surprisingly NSAIDs, along with antiinfectious agents, list on the top for causes of DrugInduced Liver Injury (DILI). The incidence of liver disease induced by NSAIDs reported in clinical studies is fairly uniform ranging from 0.29/100 000 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.17-051] to 9/100 000 (95% CI: 6-15). However, compared with these results, a higher risk of liver-related hospitalizations was reported (3-23 per 100 000 patients). NSAIDs exhibit a broad spectrum of liver damage ranging from asymptomatic, transient, hyper-transaminasemia to fulminant hepatic failure. However, under-reporting of asymptomatic, mild cases, as well as of those with transient liver-tests alteration, in conjunction with reports non-compliant with pharmacovigilance criteria to ascertain DILI and flawed epidemiological studies, jeopardize the chance to ascertain the actual risk of NSAIDs hepatotoxicity. Several NSAIDs, namely bromfenac, ibufenac and benoxaprofen, have been withdrawn from the market due to hepatotoxicity; others like nimesulide were never marketed in some countries and withdrawn in others. Indeed, the contro-versy concerning the actual risk of severe liver disease persists within NSAIDs research. The present work intends (1) to provide a critical analysis of the dissimilar results currently available in the literature concerning the epidemiology of NSAIDS hepatotoxicity; and (2) to review the risk of hepatotoxicity for each one of the most commonly employed compounds of the NSAIDs family, based on past and recently published data.

Dynamic Response Analysis of Bird Strike on Aircraft Windshield Based on Damage-modified Nonlinear Viscoelastic Constitutive Relation

Damage-modified nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive equation and failure criterion are introduced and the three-dimensional incremental forms are deduced based on the updated Lagrangian approach. A simple tensile test model and a split Hopkinson pressure bar model are built to verify the accuracy of the subroutine implemented within the non-linear finite element program LS-DYNA. A numerical model of bird strike on windshield is established to study the responses of windshield under three different bird velocities at three sites. The bird is represented by a cylinder with a hemisphere at each end and the contact-impact coupling algorithm is used in this study. It is found that the implemented subroutine can properly describe the mechanical behavior of polymethyl methaerylate under low and high strain rates and large deformation, and can be used validly.

A Novel Uniplanar Multi-Electrode Capacitive Sensor for In-Situ Weathering Damage Detection of Nonmetallic Materials

A uniplanar capacitive sensor with 5-electrodes on one plane substrate and a large reflector electrode,was designed to get the corresponding capacitance information for weathering damage detection of non-metallic materials exposed to a service environment.A 2-D finite-element method was employed to simulate the electric potential distribution and capacitance measurements for the sensor.2 marble slabs,one was healthy and the other was notched,were experimentally detected.Both the simulation and the preliminary experimental results show that the measured capacitances decrease after weathering damage occurs in nonmetallic material.The reflector can enlarge the sensitive depth.The weathering assessment of nonmetallic materials can be done by processing the measured capacitances.The proposed approach can effectively detect the weathering damage of nonmetallic material and can be practically used for in-situ weathering damage evaluation.

Image Non-Uniformity Correction in 3T Gd-EOB-DTPA-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Comparison among Different Software Versions

Background: Non-uniformity in signal intensity occurs commonly in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, which may pose substantial problems when using a 3T scanner. Therefore, image non-uniformity correction is usually applied. Purpose: To compare the correction effects of the phased-array uniformity enhancement (PURE), a calibration-based image non-uniformity correction method, among three different software versions in 3T Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging. Material and Methods: Hepatobiliary-phase images of a total of 120 patients who underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging on the same 3T scanner were analyzed retrospectively. Forty patients each were examined using three software versions (DV25, DV25.1, and DV26). The effects of PURE were compared by visual assessment, histogram analysis of liver signal intensity, evaluation of the spatial distribution of correction effects, and evaluation of quantitative indices of liver parenchymal enhancement. Results: The visual assessment indicated the highest uniformity of PURE-corrected images for DV26, followed by DV25 and DV25.1. Histogram analysis of corrected images demonstrated significantly larger variations in liver signal for DV25.1 than for the other two versions. Although PURE caused a relative increase in pixel values for central and lateral regions, such effects were weaker for DV25.1 than for the other two versions. In the evaluation of quantitative indices of liver parenchymal enhancement, the liver-to-muscle ratio (LMR) was significantly higher for the corrected images than for the uncorrected images, but the liver-to-spleen ratio (LSR) showed no significant differences. For corrected images, the LMR was significantly higher for DV25 and DV26 than for DV25.1, but the LSR showed no significant differences among the three versions. Conclusion: There were differences in the effects of PURE among the three software versions in 3T Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging. Even if the non-uniformity correction method has the same brand name, correction effects may differ depending on the software version, and these differences may affect visual and quantitative evaluations.

Hurricane damage assessment for residential construction considering the non-stationarity in hurricane intensity and frequency

Natural hazards such as hurricanes may cause extensive economic losses and social disruption for civil structures and infrastructures in coastal areas, implying the importance of understanding the construction performance subjected to hurricanes and assessing the hurricane damages properly. The intensity and frequency of hurricanes have been reported to change with time due to the potential impact of climate change.In this paper, a probability-based model of hurricane damage assessment for coastal constructions is proposed taking into account the non-stationarity in hurricane intensity and frequency. The nonhomogeneous Poisson process is employed to model the non-stationarity in hurricane occurrence while the non-stationarity in hurricane intensity is reflected by the time-variant statistical parameters(e.g., mean value and/or standard deviation), with which the mean value and variation of the cumulative hurricane damage are evaluated explicitly. The Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA, is chosen to illustrate the hurricane damage assessment method proposed in this paper. The role of non-stationarity in hurricane intensity and occurrence rate due to climate change in hurricane damage is investigated using some representative changing patterns of hurricane parameters.

Non-local damage and fracture model of rock and concrete-like materials

In view of the non-local phenomena appearing in the rock and concrete-like materials, the non-local damage and fracture model of rock and concrete-like materials was established through non-local method of Gaussian weighting function. The result indicates that, the stress of one point in the material is correlated not only to its strain history, but also to the interaction of the points in its certain adjacent region of the material. Based on the established non-local model, the numerical simulation of notch containing three-point bending beam was carried out. The results show that the grid sensitivities have been avoided and the fracture direction of the material has not been influenced by the grid shape, and the model proposed can be used to better simulate the damage developing process of the rock and concrete-like materials.

Buckling of un—stiffened cylindrical shell under non—uniform axial compressive stress

This paper provides a review of recent research advances and trends in the area of stability of unstiffened circular cylindrical shells subjected to general non-uniform axial compressive stresses.Only the more important and interesting aspects of the research,judged from a personal viewpoint,are discussed.They can be crudely classified into four categories:(1) shells subjected to non-uniform loads;(2) shells on discrete supports;(3) shells with intended cutouts/holes;and (4) shells with non-uniform settlements.

Effect of Non-Uniform Basic Concentration Gradient on the Onset of Double-Diffusive Convection in Micropolar Fluid

The effect of non-uniform basic concentration gradient on the onset of double diffusive convection in a micropolar fluid layer heated and saluted from below and cooled from above has been studied. The linear stability analysis is performed. The eigen value of the problem is obtained using Galerkian method. The eigen values are obtained for 1) free-free 2) rigid-free 3) rigid-rigid velocity boundary combination with isothermal temperature condition on spin-vanishing permeable boundaries. The influence of various micropolar parameters on the onset of convection has been analyzed. One linear and five non linear concentration profiles are considered and their comparative influence on onset is discussed and results are depicted graphically. It is observed that fluid layer with suspended particles heated and soluted from below is more stable compare to the classical fluid without suspended particles.

An improved binarization algorithm of wood image defect segmentation based on non-uniform background

In this study,an image binarization optimization algorithm,based on local threshold algorithms,is proposed because global and traditional local threshold segmentation algorithms cannot effectively address the problems of nonuniform backgrounds of wood defect images.The proposed algorithm calculates the threshold by the mean,standard deviation and the extreme value of the window.The results indicate that this modified algorithm enhances the image segmentation for wood defect images on a complex background,which is much superior to the global threshold algorithm and the Bernsen algorithm,and slightly better than the Niblack algorithm and Sauvola algorithm.Compared with similar models,the algorithm proposed in this paper has higher segmentation accuracy,as high as 92.6%for wood defect images with a complex background.

Statistical moment-based structural damage detection method in time domain

A novel structural damage detection method with a new damage index,i.e.,the statistical moment-based damage detection（SMBDD） method in the frequency domain,has been recently proposed.The aim of this study is to extend the SMBDD method in the frequency domain to the time domain for building structures subjected to non-Gaussian and non-stationary excitations.The applicability and effectiveness of the SMBDD method in the time domainis verified both numerically and experimentally.Shear buildings with various damage scenarios are first numerically investigated in the time domain taking into account the effect of measurement noise.The applicability of the proposed method in the time domain to building structures subjected to non-Gaussian and non-stationary excitations is then experimentally investigated through a series of shaking table tests,in which two three-story shear building models with four damage scenarios aretested.The identified damage locations and severities are then compared with the preset values.The comparative results are found to be satisfactory,and the SMBDD method is shown to be feasible and effective for building structures subjected to non-Gaussian and non-stationary excitations.

Experimental Study on Occupant's Thermal Responses under the Non-uniform Conditions in Vehicle Cabin during the Heating Period

The existing investigations on thermal comfort mostly focus on the thermal environment conditions, especially of the air-flow field and the temperature distributions in vehicle cabin. Less attention appears to direct to the thermal comfort or thermal sensation of occupants, even to the relationship between thermal conditions and thermal sensation. In this paper, a series of experiments were designed and conducted for understanding the non-uniform conditions and the occupant＇s thermal responses in vehicle cabin during the heating period. To accurately assess the transient temperature distribution in cabin in common daily condition, the air temperature at a number of positions is measured in a full size vehicle cabin under natural winter environment in South China by using a discrete thermocouples network. The occupant body is divided into nine segments, the skin temperature at each segment and the occupant＇s local thermal sensation at the head, body, upper limb and lower limb are monitored continuously. The skin temperature is observed by using a discrete thermocouples network, and the local thermal sensation is evaluated by using a seven-point thermal comfort survey questionnaire proposed by American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc（ASHRAE） Standard. The relationship between the skin temperature and the thermal sensation is discussed and regressed by statistics method. The results show that the interior air temperature is highly non-uniform over the vehicle cabin. The locations where the occupants sit have a significant effect on the occupant＇s thermal responses, including the skin temperature and the thermal sensation. The skin temperaWa-e and thermal sensation are quite different between body segments due to the effect of non-uniform conditions, clothing resistance, and the human thermal regulating system. A quantitative relationship between the thermal sensation and the skin temperature at each body segment of occupant in real life traffic is presented. The investigation result indicates that the skin temperature is a robust index to evaluate the thermal sensation. Applying the skin temperature to designing and controlling parameters of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning（HVAC） system may benefit the thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption.

Turbulent Variance Characteristics of Temperature and Humidity over a Non-uniform Land Surface for an Agricultural Ecosystem in China

This paper describes the application of the variance method for flux estimation over a mixed agricultural region in China. Eddy covariance and flux variance measurements were conducted in a near-surface layer over a non-uniform land surface in the central plain of China from 7 June to 20 July 2002. During this period, the mean canopy height was about 0.50 m. The study site consisted of grass （10% of area）, beans （15%）, corn （15%） and rice （60%）. Under unstable conditions, the standard deviations of temperature and water vapor density （normalized by appropriate scaling parameters）, observed by a single instrument, followed the Monin-Obukhov similarity theory. The similarity constants for heat （CT） and water vapor （Cq） were 1.09 and 1.49, respectively. In comparison with direct measurements using eddy covariance techniques, the flux variance method, on average, underestimated sensible heat flux by 21% and latent heat flux by 24%, which may be attributed to the fact that the observed slight deviations （20% or 30% at most） of the similarity ＂constants＂ may be within the expected range of variation of a single instrument from the generally-valid relations.

UNIFORM ATTRACTOR FOR NONAUTONOMOUS INCOMPRESSIBLE NON-NEWTONIAN FLUID WITH A NEW CLASS OF EXTERNAL FORCES

This paper is joint with [27]. The authors prove in this article the existence and reveal its structure of uniform attractor for a two-dimensional nonautonomous incompressible non-Newtonian fluid with a new class of external forces.

Free vibration of non-uniform axially functionally graded beams using the asymptotic development method

The asymptotic development method is applied to analyze the free vibration of non-uniform axially functionally graded(AFG) beams, of which the governing equations are differential equations with variable coefficients. By decomposing the variable flexural stiffness and mass per unit length into reference invariant and variant parts, the perturbation theory is introduced to obtain an approximate analytical formula of the natural frequencies of the non-uniform AFG beams with different boundary conditions.Furthermore, assuming polynomial distributions of Young's modulus and the mass density, the numerical results of the AFG beams with various taper ratios are obtained and compared with the published literature results. The discussion results illustrate that the proposed method yields an effective estimate of the first three order natural frequencies for the AFG tapered beams. However, the errors increase with the increase in the mode orders especially for the cases with variable heights. In brief, the asymptotic development method is verified to be simple and efficient to analytically study the free vibration of non-uniform AFG beams, and it could be used to analyze any tapered beams with an arbitrary varying cross width.

YAU'S UNIFORMIZATION CONJECTURE FOR MANIFOLDS WITH NON-MAXIMAL VOLUME GROWTH

The well-known Yau＇s uniformization conjecture states that any complete noncompact Kahler manifold with positive bisectional curvature is bi-holomorphic to the Euclidean space. The conjecture for the case of maximal volume growth has been recently confirmed, by G. Liu in [23]. In the first part, we will give a survey on thc progress. In the second part, we will consider Yau＇s conjecture for manifolds with non-maximal volume growth. We will show that the finiteness of the first Chern number Cn1 is an essential condition to solve Yau＇s conjecture by using algebraic embedding method. Moreover, we prove that, under bounded curvature conditions, Cn1 is automatically finite provided that there exists a positive line bundle with finite Chern number. In particular, we obtain a partial answer to Yau＇s uniformization conjecture on Kahler manifolds with minimal volume growth.

Numerical Simulation of the Impact of Urban Non-uniformity on Precipitation

To evaluate the influence of urban non-uniformity on precipitation, the area of a city was divided into three categories （commercial, high-density residential, and low-density residential） according to the building density data from Landsat satel- lites. Numerical simulations of three corresponding scenarios （urban non-uniformity, urban uniformity, and non-urban） were performed in Nanjing using the WRF model. The results demonstrate that the existence of the city results in more precip- itation, and that urban heterogeneity enhances this phenomenon. For the urban non-uniformity, uniformity, and non-urban experiments, the mean cumulative summer precipitation was 423.09 mm, 407.40 mm, and 389.67 mm, respectively. Urban non-uniformity has a significant effect on the amount of heavy rainfall in summer. The cumulative precipitation from heavy rain in the summer for the three numerical experiments was 278.2 mm, 250.6 mm, and 236.5 mm, respectively. In the non- uniformity experiments, the amount of precipitation between 1500 and 2200 （LST） increased significantly. Furthermore, the adoption of urban non-uniformity into the WRF model could improve the numerical simulation of summer rain and its daily variation.

A simple algorithm to improve the performance of the WENO scheme on non-uniform grids

This paper presents a simple approach for improving the performance of the weighted essentially nonoscillatory(WENO) finite volume scheme on non-uniform grids. This technique relies on the reformulation of the fifthorder WENO-JS(WENO scheme presented by Jiang and Shu in J. Comput. Phys. 126:202–228, 1995) scheme designed on uniform grids in terms of one cell-averaged value and its left and/or right interfacial values of the dependent variable.The effect of grid non-uniformity is taken into consideration by a proper interpolation of the interfacial values. On nonuniform grids, the proposed scheme is much more accurate than the original WENO-JS scheme, which was designed for uniform grids. When the grid is uniform, the resulting scheme reduces to the original WENO-JS scheme. In the meantime,the proposed scheme is computationally much more efficient than the fifth-order WENO scheme designed specifically for the non-uniform grids. A number of numerical test cases are simulated to verify the performance of the present scheme.

Structural strength deterioration of coastal bridge piers considering non-uniform corrosion in marine environments

In the aggressive marine environment over a long-term service period,coastal bridges inevitably sustain corrosion-induced damage due to high sea salt and humidity.This paper investigates the strength reduction of coastal bridges,especially focusing on the effects of non-uniform corrosion along the height of bridge piers.First,the corrosion initiation time and the degradation of reinforcement and concrete are analyzed for bridge piers in marine environments.To investigate the various damage modes of the concrete cover,a discretization method with fiber cells is used for calculating time-dependent interaction diagrams of cross-sections of the bridge piers at the atmospheric zone and the splash and tidal zone under a combination of axial force and bending moment.Second,the shear strength of these aging structures is analyzed.Numerical simulation indicates that the strength of a concrete pier experiences dramatic reduction from corrosion initiation to the spalling of the concrete cover.Strength loss in the splash and tidal zone is more significant than in the atmospheric zone when structures’service time is assumed to be the same.