Towards multiple hazard resilient bridges:a methodology for modeling frequent and infrequent time-varying loads Part I,Comprehensive reliability and partial failure probabilities

The current AASHTO load and resistance factor design （LRFD） guidelines are formulated based on bridge reliability, which interprets traditional design safety factors into more rigorously deduced factors based on the theory of probability. This is a major advancement in bridge design specifications. However, LRFD is only calibrated for dead and live loads. In cases when extreme loads are significant, they need to be individually assessed. Combining regular loads with extreme loads has been a major challenge, mainly because the extreme loads are time variables and cannot be directly combined with time invariant loads to formulate the probability of structural failure. To overcome these difficulties, this paper suggests a methodology of comprehensive reliability, by introducing the concept of partial failure probability to separate the loads so that each individual load combination under a certain condition can be approximated as time invariant. Based on these conditions, the extreme loads （also referred to as multiple hazard or MH loads） can be broken down into single effects. In Part II of this paper, a further breakdown of these conditional occurrence probabilities into pure conditions is discussed by using a live truck and earthquake loads on a bridge as an example. There are three major steps in establishing load factors from MH load distributions： （1） formulate the failure probabilities; （2） normalize various load distributions; and （3） establish design limit state equations. This paper describes the formulation of the failure probabilities of single and combined loads.

Adaptive fault-tolerant control of high-speed maglev train suspension system with partial actuator failure: design and experiments

High-speed maglev trains will play an important role in the high-speed transportation system in the near future.However,under the conditions of strong magnetic fields and continuous operation,the actuators of the high-speed maglev train suspension system are prone to lose partial effectiveness,which makes the suspension control problem challenging.In addition,most existing fault-tolerant control(FTC)methods for suspension systems require linearization around the equilibrium points during the controller design or stability analysis.Therefore,from a practical perspective,this study presents a novel nonlinear FTC strategy with adaptive compensation for high-speed maglev train suspension systems.First,a nonlinear dynamic model of the suspension system based on join-structure is established and the actuator failures are described.Then,a nonlinear fault-tolerant suspension control law with an adaptive update law is designed to achieve stable suspension against partial actuator failure.The Lyapunov theory and extended Barbalat lemma are utilized to rigorously prove the closed-loop asymptotic stability even if there is partial actuator failure,without any approximation to the original nonlinear dynamics.Finally,hardware experimental results are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Unusual case of a free anterolateral thigh flap partial necrosis in a COVID-19 positive young male following extremity reconstruction

Free flap procedure provides an overall success rate of 97%, which decreases to 85% in hypercoagulable states. COVID-19, as a pro-thrombotic disorder, therefore seems detrimental to free flap survival. We encountered a case of unique pattern of free flap partial failure in a young male who underwent extremity reconstruction. The patient was diagnosed as COVID-19 positive on the 3rd day post-reconstruction. The flap survived well for the first 7 days post-operatively, but gradually the skin got necrosed and the subcutaneous fat layer was preserved when debriding. To our knowledge, this is the only case in which the skin of the free flap of a COVID-19 positive patient was necrosed almost entirely subsequently, while the subcutaneous fat was relatively preserved.