Life-Cycle Bearing Capacity for Pre-Stressed T-beams Based on Full-Scale Destructive Test

To investigate the evolution of load-bearing characteristics of pre-stressed beams throughout their service life and to provide a basis for accurately assessing the actual working state of damaged pre-stressed concrete T-beams,destructive tests were conducted on full-scale pre-stressed concrete beams.Based on the measurement and ana-lysis of beam deflection,strain,and crack development under various loading levels during the research tests,combined with the verification coefficient indicators specified in the codes,the verification coefficients of bridges at different stages of damage can be examined.The results indicate that the T-beams experience complete,incom-plete linear,and non-linear stages during the destructive test process.In the complete linear elastic stage,both the deflection and bottom strain verification coefficients comply with the specifications,indicating a good structural load-bearing capacity no longer adheres to the code’s requirements.In the non-linear stage,both coefficients exhi-bit a sharp increase,resulting in a further decrease in the structure’s load-bearing capacity.According to the pro-visions of the current code,the beam can be in the incomplete linear stage when both values fall within the code’s specified range.The strain verification coefficient sourced from the compression zone at the bottom of theflange is not recommended for assessing the bridge’s load-bearing capacity.

Analysis of the Application of Static Load Test in Bridge Bearing Capacity Testing

This article uses real engineering projects as examples to analyze how static load test technology is applied in testing the bridge-bearing capacity.The analysis covers aspects such as testing section layout,test load and efficiency coefficient,loading plan,evaluation optimization,test result modification,and result evaluation.The aim is to support the accurate detection and evaluation of bridge-bearing capacity.

Functional Capacity of Patients with Venous Thromboembolic Disease Six to Twelve Months after Treatment

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is among the leading causes of hospital-related disability-adjusted life years lost. We aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of functional capacity impairment six to twelve months after an acute VTE event. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between January and April 2021 in two referral hospitals of Yaoundé, including consenting adult patients admitted to these hospitals six to twelve months ago for VTE. We excluded dead patients and those with any comorbidity or symptoms limiting physical activity. The functional outcome was assessed with the six-minute walk test. Functional capacity impairment was defined as walking distance lower than the expected value. Results: We included 27 cases in this study with a mean age of 53.2 ± 14.4 years. The prevalence of functional capacity impairment was 29.6% (95% CI: 14.8 - 48.1). Factors associated with poor functional outcome were obesity (OR: 59.5;95% CI: 4.6 - 767.2;p - 207.4;p = 0.017), massive PE (OR: 30;95% CI: 2.5 - 354;p = 0.004), and poor adherence to treatment (OR: 30.3;95% CI: 2.5 - 333.3;p = 0.004). Conclusion: Functional capacity impairment is common in the medium-term after VTE and factors associated with this poor outcome are obesity, the severity of the VTE, and poor adherence to treatment.

Fast Remaining Capacity Estimation for Lithium-ion Batteries Based on Short-time Pulse Test and Gaussian Process Regression

It remains challenging to effectively estimate the remaining capacity of the secondary lithium-ion batteries that have been widely adopted for consumer electronics,energy storage,and electric vehicles.Herein,by integrating regular real-time current short pulse tests with data-driven Gaussian process regression algorithm,an efficient battery estimation has been successfully developed and validated for batteries with capacity ranging from 100%of the state of health(SOH)to below 50%,reaching an average accuracy as high as 95%.Interestingly,the proposed pulse test strategy for battery capacity measurement could reduce test time by more than 80%compared with regular long charge/discharge tests.The short-term features of the current pulse test were selected for an optimal training process.Data at different voltage stages and state of charge(SOC)are collected and explored to find the most suitable estimation model.In particular,we explore the validity of five different machine-learning methods for estimating capacity driven by pulse features,whereas Gaussian process regression with Matern kernel performs the best,providing guidance for future exploration.The new strategy of combining short pulse tests with machine-learning algorithms could further open window for efficiently forecasting lithium-ion battery remaining capacity.

PV Capacity Evaluation Using ASTM E2848: Techniques for Accuracy and Reliability in Bifacial Systems

A variety of test methodologies are commonly used to assess if a photovoltaic system can perform in line with expectations generated by a computer simulation. One of the commonly used methodologies across the PV industry is an ASTM E2848. ASTM E2848-13, 2023 test method provides measurement and analysis procedures for determining the capacity of a specific photovoltaic system built in a particular place and in operation under natural sunlight. This test method is mainly used for acceptance testing of newly installed photovoltaic systems, reporting of DC or AC system performance, and monitoring of photovoltaic system performance. The purpose of the PV Capacity Test and modeled energy test is to verify that the integrated system formed from all components of the PV Project has a production capacity that achieves the Guaranteed Capacity and the Guaranteed modeled AEP under measured weather conditions that occur when each PV Capacity Test is conducted. In this paper, we will be discussing ASTM E2848 PV Capacity test plan purpose and scope, methodology, Selection of reporting conditions (RC), data requirements, calculation of results, reporting, challenges, acceptance criteria on pass/fail test results, Cure period, and Sole remedy for EPC contractors for bifacial irradiance.

An Assessment of Cardiovascular Functional Capacity of a Group of Chronic Heart Failure Patients Using the 6-Minute Walk Test in a Cameroonian Urban Setting

Background: Chronic heart failure is a public health problem worldwide. It has a high mortality rate and is accompanied by a decreased functional capacity and alteration of the quality of life. Objective: This study aimed to assess the cardiovascular functional capacity of a group of patients suffering from heart failure using the 6-minute walk test (6 MWT). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out in the cardiology unit of Douala’s general hospital for 4 months. We included all eligible patients aged 18 years or more who had stable chronic heart failure and gave informed consent. Those who had an acute coronary syndrome (≤1 month), tachycardia (HR ≥ 120 bpm), high blood pressure (SBP ≥ 180 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 100 mmHg) and reduced mobility due to orthopaedic reasons were excluded. A 6 MWT was done according to the American Thoracic Society guidelines. The 6 MWT result was considered poor for - 450 m and good for >450 m. Results: We recruited a total of 81 patients (61.7% women) with a mean age of 65.9 ± 10.6 years. The most frequent risk factor for heart failure was high blood pressure (77.8%), alcohol consumption(69.1%) and a sedentary lifestyle (53.1%). The left ventricular ejection fraction was mostly preserved (42.0%) or mildly altered (46.9). The 6 MWT results were poor in 55.6% of cases, average in 19.8% of cases and good in only 24.7% of cases. More than half (59.3%) of the participants perceived the effort as being difficult. The cardiovascular functional capacity was significantly associated with age, heart failure stage and physical activity (p Conclusion: Most patients suffering from chronic stable heart failure in the general hospital of Douala have poor cardiovascular functional capacity.

Deceleration Capacity--A Novel Measure for Autonomic Nervous System in Patients with Vasovagal Syncope on Tilt-table Testing

This study was to investigate the changes of autonomic nerve function and hemodynamics in patients with vasovagal syncope(VVS) during head-up tilt-table testing(HUT). HUT was performed in 68 patients with unexplained syncope and 18 healthy subjects served as control group. According to whether bradycardia, hypotension or both took place during the onset of syncope, the patients were divided during the test into three subgroups: vasodepressor syncope(VD), cardioinhibitory syncope(CI) and mixed syncope(MX) subgroups. Heart rate, blood pressure, heart rate variability(HRV), and deceleration capacity(DC) were continuously analyzed during HUT. For all the subjects with positive responses, the normalized low frequency(LFn) and the LF/HF ratio markedly decreased whereas normalized high frequency(HFn) increased when syncope occurred. Syncopal period also caused more significant increase in the power of the DC in positive groups. These changes were more exaggerated compared to controls. All the patients were indicative of a sympathetic surge in the presence of withdrawal vagal activity before syncope and a sympathetic inhibition with a vagal predominance at the syncopal stage by the frequency-domain analysis of HRV. With the measurements of DC, a decreased vagal tone before syncope stage and a vagal activation at the syncopal stage were observed. The vagal tone was higher in subjects showing cardioinhibitory responses at the syncopal stage. DC may provide an alternative method to understand the autonomic profile of VVS patients.

Six Minute Walk Test to assess functional capacity in chronic liver disease patients

AIM: To examine the utility of Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). METHODS: Two hundred and fifty subjects between the ages of 18 and 80 (mean 47) years performed 6MWT and the Six Minute Walk Distance (6MWD) was measured. RESULTS: The subjects were categorized into four groups. Group A (n = 45) healthy subjects (control); group B (n = 49) chronic hepatitis B patients; group C (n = 54) chronic hepatitis C patients; group D (n = 98) liver cirrhosis patients. The four groups differed in terms of 6MWDs (P < 0.001). The longest distance walked was 421 ± 47 m by group A, then group B (390 ± 53 m), group C (357 ± 72 m) and group D (306 ± 111 m). The 6MWD correlated with age (r = -0.482, P < 0.01), hemoglobin (r = +0.373, P < 0.001) and albumin (r = +0.311, P < 0.001) levels. The Child-Pugh classification was negatively correlated with the 6MWD in cirrhosis (group D) patients (r = -0.328, P < 0.01). At the end of a 12 mo follow-up period, 15 of the 98 cirrhosis patients had died from disease complications. The 6MWD for the surviving cirrhotic patients was longer than for non-survivors (317 ± 101 vs 245 ± 145 m, P = 0.021; 95% CI 11-132). The 6MWD was found to be an independent predictor of survival (P = 0.024). CONCLUSION: 6MWT is a useful tool for assessing physical function in CLD patients. We suggest that 6MWD may serve as a prognostic indicator in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Regressive approach for predicting bearing capacity of bored piles from cone penetration test data

In this study, th e least sq u are su p p o rt v ecto r m achine （LSSVM） alg o rith m w as applied to predicting th ebearing capacity o f b ored piles e m b ed d ed in sand an d m ixed soils. Pile g eo m etry an d cone p e n e tra tio nte s t （CPT） resu lts w ere used as in p u t variables for pred ictio n o f pile bearin g capacity. The d ata u se d w erecollected from th e existing litera tu re an d consisted o f 50 case records. The application o f LSSVM w ascarried o u t by dividing th e d ata into th re e se ts： a train in g se t for learning th e pro b lem an d obtain in g arelationship b e tw e e n in p u t variables an d pile bearin g capacity, and testin g an d validation sets forevaluation o f th e predictive an d g en eralization ability o f th e o b tain ed relationship. The predictions o f pilebearing capacity by LSSVM w ere evaluated by com paring w ith ex p erim en tal d ata an d w ith th o se bytrad itio n al CPT-based m eth o d s and th e gene ex pression pro g ram m in g （GEP） m odel. It w as found th a t th eLSSVM perform s w ell w ith coefficient o f d eterm in atio n , m ean, an d sta n d ard dev iatio n equivalent to 0.99,1.03, an d 0.08, respectively, for th e testin g set, an d 1, 1.04, an d 0.11, respectively, for th e v alidation set. Thelow values o f th e calculated m ean squared e rro r an d m ean ab so lu te e rro r indicated th a t th e LSSVM w asaccurate in p redicting th e pile bearing capacity. The results o f com parison also show ed th a t th e p roposedalg o rith m p red icted th e pile bearin g capacity m ore accurately th a n th e trad itio n al m eth o d s including th eGEP m odel.

Uplift Pile Test in Rocks and Its Bearing Capacity

This paper reports in situ tension test and laboratory model test for large diameter, manually digging anchorage piles in the 2nd Luzhou Changjiang Bridge. Tension behavior, uplift bearing capacity and influence of rock characteristics on bearing capacity are discussed. Proposes are presented with respect to issues related to the construction and design of uplift piles.

Analysis of Capacity Decay, Impedance, and Heat Generation of Lithium-ionBatteries Experiencing Multiple Simultaneous Abuse Conditions

Abuse of Lithium-ion batteries,both physical and electrochemical,can lead to significantly reduced operational capabilities.In some instances,abuse can cause catastrophic failure,including thermal runaway,combustion,and explosion.Many different test standards that include abuse conditions have been developed,but these generally consider only one condition at a time and only provide go/no-go criteria.In this work,different types of cell abuse are implemented concurrently to determine the extent to which simultaneous abuse conditions aggravate cell degradation and failure.Vibrational loading is chosen to be the consistent type of physical abuse,and the first group of cells is cycled at different vibrational frequencies.The next group of cells is cycled at the same frequencies,with multiple charge pulses occurring during each discharge.The final group of cells is cycled at the same frequencies,with a partial nail puncture occurring near the beginning of cycling.The results show that abusing cells with vibrational loading or vibrational loading with current pulses does not cause a significant decrease in operational capabilities while abusing cells with vibrational loading and a nail puncture drastically reduces operational capabilities.The cells with vibration only experience an increase in internal resistance by a factor of 1.09–1.26,the cells with vibration and current pulses experience an increase in internal resistance by a factor of 1.16–1.23,and all cells from each group reach their rated lifetime of 500 cycles without reaching their end-of-life capacity.However,the cells with vibration and nail puncture experience an increase in internal resistance by a factor of 6.83–22.1,and each cell reaches its end-of-life capacity within 50 cycles.Overall,the results show that testing multiple abuse conditions simultaneously provides a better representation of the extreme limitations of cell operation and should be considered for inclusion in reference test standards.

Model tests on uplift capacity of double-belled pile influenced by distance between bells

To optimize the distance between the bells in pile design,this paper reports a series of small scale tests on the uplift capacity of double belled piles embedded in dry dense sand considering different bell space ratios.Finite element modelling is also performed to evaluate the range of soil failure around the piles during pile uplift displacement.Test results show that when bell space ratio is 6 or 8,the uplift capacity reaches the peak value.The upper bell bears more load than the lower one for the piles with bell space ratio less than 6,while the lower bell bears more load than the upper one for the piles with bell space ratio larger than 8.

The Clinical Role of Changes of Maximum Expiratory Flow at 25%and 50%of Vital Capacity before and after Bronchodilator Reversibility Test in Diagnosing Asthma

Summary:Changes of maximum expiratory flow at 25%and 50%of vital capacity(MEF2s and MEFso,respectively),and predominant parameters indicating small airways function in asthmatics before and after bronchodilator(BD)reversibility test have been less interpreted.Our study aimed to investigate the clinical role of changes of MEF2s and MEFso before and after BD reversibility test in diagnosing asthma.Forced expiratory volume in the first second(FEV),MEF2s,and MEFso were measured before and after BD reversibility test in 207 asthmatic patients using standard process.Forty healthy individuals were enrolled as controls.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of reversibility of MEF2s and MEFgo before and after BD reversibility test(OMEF 2s%and AMEF so%,respectively)in diagnosing asthma.Among these functional criteria,AMEF2;%and 0MEFs%≥25%performed the best diagnostic performance.The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of AMEF 25%≥25%as an objcctive diagnostic test for asthma were 63.29%,87.50%,and 67.21%,and of AMEFs0%≥25%were 79.23%,85.00%,and 80.16%,respectively.The area under the ROC curve of the indicators was 0.8203 and 0.9104,respectively.By contrast,an increase in FEV≥12%and 200 mL demonstrated a sensitivity of 62.32%,specificity of 82.50%,and accuracy of 65.59%in diagnosing asthma.The changes of MEF2s and MEFso before and after BD reversibility test may be of additional value in the clinical diagnosis of asthma,with cutoff values of 25%being the most.

Effect of Fine Content on the Bearing Capacity of Replaced Sand Gravely Subgrad-Field Test

The compacted soil replacement procedure has been widely used worldwide for overcoming the unfavorable actions of some problematic soils,such as expansive,collapsing soils and ground fill.Compaction of the replacement soil is necessary for stabilizing such layer for improving its performance.In this study,gravelly-sand soil,which consists of gravel,sand and fines,is widely used as replacement soil in the field.The effect of fines content on possibly achieved density of such soil is experimentally investigated.A series of laboratory compaction and plate loading tests were carried out on the replaced soil at different fine contents of 0,5,8,10,12 and 15%.The results showed that,the supporting capacity of a replacement soil increases with the increase of its dry density.Therefore,the density of the replacement layer is the major factor controlling its behavior under the effect if external stresses.Compacted sand and gravelly sand are preferred materials when used for soil replacement.They tend to have better engineering properties,if they are placed according to the standard specifications.Another experimental stage of the effect of fines on the bearing capacity of circular footings on gravelly-sand with different percentages of fines was performed.It was found that a fine content of 10%gives the highest dry density,if the soil is compacted according to modified proctor specifications and with the addition of fines,the footing settlement increases and the ultimate bearing carrying capacity decreases.

California Bearing Ratio Test on the Bearing Capacity of a Foundation in Unsaturated Soil

The value of the California bearing ratio (CBR) test is an index making it possible to evaluate the load of the foundation soil and the resistance of the pavement materials. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of unsaturated soils is particularly related to their quality. The mechanism affecting the bearing capacity, in the case of California Bearing Ratio (CBR), has been studied as a transformation of red clay for the backfill. In this study, the effect of compaction energy on compaction characteristics and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values was investigated. The relationship between the CBR value (California Ratio Ratio) and the degree of compaction is characterized by a gradual evolution of unsaturated soils with different water contents. The results show that the compaction degree and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) value of the soil in the cold region are insufficient, but the bearing capacity of the compacted soil after immersion under the maximum dry density can still meet the filling requirements. The red clays tested are considered useful as bedding in areas of unsaturated soils.

Discussion on bearing capacity of soft rock ground based on in-situ load test

The suitability of five methods was discussed here,taking the typical results from in-situ load test of Renshou Mansion and Caifu Plaza in Yueyang City for example.It shows that bearing capacity can be obtained by the proportion load and limit load from p-s curve with the first and the second point of contraflexure easily.It is recommended that the accurate value of bearing capacity can be obtained by hyperbola fitting method and minimum curvature radius method theoretically.The rebound method is clear in principle,in which the elastoplasticity characteristic is thought about.Out of consideration for the unsteadiness and unobviousness of bearing capacity from relative settlement method,it can be only adopted as reference.So bearing capacity of soft rock ground should be determined by weathering condition of soft rock and curve type.

A study on service capacity of primary medical and health institutions for cervical cancer screening in urban and rural areas in China

Objective: To provide a decision-making basis for sustainable and effective development of cervical cancer screening.Methods: This cross-sectional study assesses the service capacity to conduct cervical cancer screening with a sample of 310 medical staff, medical institutions and affiliated township health centers from 20 countylevel/district-level areas in 14 Chinese provinces in 2016.Results: The county-level/district-level institutions were the main prescreening institutions for cervical cancer screening. More medical staff have become engaged in screening, with a significantly higher amounts in urban than in rural areas(P<0.05). The number of human papillomavirus(HPV) testers grew the fastest(by 225% in urban and 125% in rural areas) over the course of the project. HPV testing took less time than cytology to complete the same number of screening tasks in both urban and rural areas. The proportion of mid-level professionals was the highest among the medical staff, 40.0% in urban and 44.7% in rural areas(P=0.406), and most medical staff had a Bachelor’s degree, accounting for 76.3% in urban and 52.0% in rural areas(P<0.001). In urban areas, 75.0% were qualified medical staff, compared with 68.0% in rural areas, among which the lowest proportion was observed for rural cytology inspectors(22.7%). The medical equipment for cervical pathology diagnosis in urban areas was better(P<0.001). HPV testing equipment was relatively adequate(typing test equipment was 70% in urban areas, and non-typing testing equipment was 70% in rural areas).Conclusions: The service capacity of cervical cancer screening is insufficient for the health needs of the Chinese population. HPV testing might be an optimal choice to fill the needs of cervical cancer screening given current Chinese medical health service capacity.

H-M Bearing Capacity of A Modified Suction Caisson Determined by Using Load-/Displacement-Controlled Methods

This paper presents a series of monotonically combined lateral loading tests to investigate the bearing capacity of the MSCs （modified suction caissons） in the saturated marine fine sand. The lateral loads were applied under load- and displacement-controlled methods at the loading eccentricity ratios of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5. Results show that, in the displacement-controlled test, the deflection-softening behavior of load-deflection curves for MSCs was observed, and the softening degree of the load-deflection response increased with the increasing external skirt length or the decreasing loading eccentricity. It was also found that the rotation center of the MSC at failure determined by the load-controlled method is slightly lower than that by the displacement-controlled method. The calculated MSC capacity based on the rotation center position in serviceability limit state is relatively conservative, compared with the calculated capacity based on the rotation center position in the ultimate limit state. In the limit state, the passive earth pressures opposite the loading direction under load- and displacement-controlled methods decrease by 46% and 74% corresponding to peak values, respectively; however, the passive earth pressures in the loading direction at failure only decrease by approximately 3% and 7%, compared with their peak values.

Experimental research on ultimate bearing capacity of grouted-round-steel-tube N-joint

As an important structural member in self-supporting concrete floor during construction,encased steel truss-concrete composite beam has brilliant prospect in outer-jacketing structures for adding stories or mega frame structures.Compared with encased angle truss,encased round steel tube truss can facilitate layout of itself in column and facilitate layout and anchorage of prestressed reinforcement placed horizontally.N-joint is wildly used in encased steel truss.For cave-in failure easily occurs in hollow steel-tube joint,the idea that the chord is grouted to increase cave-in bearing capacity of hollow tube is proposed.Test results of 8 grouted-round-steel-tube N-joints from the beginning of loading to failure are reported.Mechanical property and failure mode of this kind of truss joint are analyzed,and the formulas of ultimate bearing capacity of the joint corresponding to different failure modes are established.All these can provide basic data for spreading encased steel truss-concrete composite beam.