A modified smoothed particle hydrodynamics method considering residual stress for simulating failure and its application in layered rock mass

Residual strength is an indispensable factor in evaluating rock fracture,yet the current Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics(SPH)framework rarely considers its influence when simulating fracture.An improved cracking strategy considering residual stress in the base bond SPH method was proposed to simulate failures in layered rocks and slopes and verified by experimental results and other simulation methods(i.e.,the discrete element method).Modified Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion was applied to distinguish the mixed failure of tensile and shear.Bond fracture markψwas introduced to improve the kernel function after tensile damage,and the calculation of residual stress after the damage was derived after shear damage.Numerical simulations were carried out to evaluate its performance under different stress and scale conditions and to verify its effectiveness in realistically reproducing crack initiation and propagation and coalescence,even fracture and separation.The results indicate that the improved cracking strategy precisely captures the fracture and failure pattern in layered rocks and rock slopes.The residual stress of brittle tock is correctly captured by the improved SPH method.The improved SPH method that considers residual strength shows an approximately 13%improvement in accuracy for the safety factor of anti-dip layered slopes compared to the method that does not consider residual strength,as validated against analytical solutions.We infer that the improved SPH method is effective and shows promise for applications to continuous and discontinuous rock masses.

An Innovative Coupled Common-Node Discrete Element Method-Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Model Developed with LS-DYNA and Its Applications

In this study,a common-node DEM-SPH coupling model based on the shared node method is proposed,and a fluid–structure coupling method using the common-node discrete element method-smoothed particle hydrodynamics(DS-SPH)method is developed using LS-DYNA software.The DEM and SPH are established on the same node to create common-node DEM-SPH particles,allowing for fluid–structure interactions.Numerical simulations of various scenarios,including water entry of a rigid sphere,dam-break propagation over wet beds,impact on an ice plate floating on water and ice accumulation on offshore structures,are conducted.The interaction between DS particles and SPH fluid and the crack generation mechanism and expansion characteristics of the ice plate under the interaction of structure and fluid are also studied.The results are compared with available data to verify the proposed coupling method.Notably,the simulation results demonstrated that controlling the cutoff pressure of internal SPH particles could effectively control particle splashing during ice crushing failure.

A Dual Domain Robust Reversible Watermarking Algorithm for Frame Grouping Videos Using Scene Smoothness

The proposed robust reversible watermarking algorithm addresses the compatibility challenges between robustness and reversibility in existing video watermarking techniques by leveraging scene smoothness for frame grouping videos.Grounded in the H.264 video coding standard,the algorithm first employs traditional robust watermark stitching technology to embed watermark information in the low-frequency coefficient domain of the U channel.Subsequently,it utilizes histogram migration techniques in the high-frequency coefficient domain of the U channel to embed auxiliary information,enabling successful watermark extraction and lossless recovery of the original video content.Experimental results demonstrate the algorithm’s strong imperceptibility,with each embedded frame in the experimental videos achieving a mean peak signal-to-noise ratio of 49.3830 dB and a mean structural similarity of 0.9996.Compared with the three comparison algorithms,the performance of the two experimental indexes is improved by 7.59%and 0.4%on average.At the same time,the proposed algorithm has strong robustness to both offline and online attacks:In the face of offline attacks,the average normalized correlation coefficient between the extracted watermark and the original watermark is 0.9989,and the average bit error rate is 0.0089.In the face of online attacks,the normalized correlation coefficient between the extracted watermark and the original watermark is 0.8840,and the mean bit error rate is 0.2269.Compared with the three comparison algorithms,the performance of the two experimental indexes is improved by 1.27%and 18.16%on average,highlighting the algorithm’s robustness.Furthermore,the algorithm exhibits low computational complexity,with the mean encoding and the mean decoding time differentials during experimental video processing being 3.934 and 2.273 s,respectively,underscoring its practical utility.

Smoothed-Particle Hydrodynamics Simulation of Ship Motion and Tank Sloshing under the Effect of Regular Waves

Predicting the response of liquefied natural gas(LNG)contained in vessels subjected to external waves is extremely important to ensure the safety of the transportation process.In this study,the coupled behavior due to ship motion and liquid tank sloshing has been simulated by the Smoothed-Particle Hydrodynamics(SPH)method.Firstly,the sloshing flow in a rectangular tank was simulated and the related loads were analyzed to verify and validate the accuracy of the present SPH solver.Then,a three-dimensional simplified LNG carrier model,including two prismatic liquid tanks and a wave tank,was introduced.Different conditions were examined corresponding to different wave lengths,wave heights,wave heading angles,and tank loading rates.Finally,the effects of liquid tank loading rate on LNG ship motions and sloshing loading were analyzed,thereby showing that the SPH method can effectively provide useful indications for the design of liquid cargo ships.

A flexible multiscale algorithm based on an improved smoothed particle hydrodynamics method for complex viscoelastic flows

Viscoelastic flows play an important role in numerous engineering fields,and the multiscale algorithms for simulating viscoelastic flows have received significant attention in order to deepen our understanding of the nonlinear dynamic behaviors of viscoelastic fluids.However,traditional grid-based multiscale methods are confined to simple viscoelastic flows with short relaxation time,and there is a lack of uniform multiscale scheme available for coupling different solvers in the simulations of viscoelastic fluids.In this paper,a universal multiscale method coupling an improved smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)and multiscale universal interface(MUI)library is presented for viscoelastic flows.The proposed multiscale method builds on an improved SPH method and leverages the MUI library to facilitate the exchange of information among different solvers in the overlapping domain.We test the capability and flexibility of the presented multiscale method to deal with complex viscoelastic flows by solving different multiscale problems of viscoelastic flows.In the first example,the simulation of a viscoelastic Poiseuille flow is carried out by two coupled improved SPH methods with different spatial resolutions.The effects of exchanging different physical quantities on the numerical results in both the upper and lower domains are also investigated as well as the absolute errors in the overlapping domain.In the second example,the complex Wannier flow with different Weissenberg numbers is further simulated by two improved SPH methods and coupling the improved SPH method and the dissipative particle dynamics(DPD)method.The numerical results show that the physical quantities for viscoelastic flows obtained by the presented multiscale method are in consistence with those obtained by a single solver in the overlapping domain.Moreover,transferring different physical quantities has an important effect on the numerical results.

Influence of Angiotensin II on α1-Adrenergic Receptors Function in Rat Aorta and Expression in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is the main mediator of the Renin-Angiotensin-System acting on AT1 and other AT receptors. It is regarded as a pleiotropic agent that induces many actions, including functioning as a growth factor, and as a contractile hormone, among others. The aim of this work was to examine the impact of Ang II on the expression and function of α1-adrenergic receptors (α1-ARs) in cultured rat aorta, and aorta-derived smooth muscle cells. Isolated Wistar rat aorta was incubated for 24 h in DMEM at 37˚C, then subjected to isometric tension and to the action of added norepinephrine, in concentration-response curves. Ang II was added (1 × 10−5 M), and in some experiments, 5-Methylurapidil (α1A-AR antagonist), AH11110A (α1B-AR antagonist), or BMY-7378 (α1D-AR antagonist), were used to identify the α1-AR involved in the response. Desensitization of the contractile response to norepinephrine was observed due to incubation time, and by the Ang II action. α1D-AR was protected from desensitization by BMY-7378;while RS-100329 and prazosin partially mitigated desensitization. In another set of experiments, isolated aorta-derived smooth muscle cells were exposed to Ang II and α1-ARs proteins were evaluated. α1D-AR increased at 30 and 60 min post Ang II exposure, the α1A-AR diminished from 1 to 4 h, while α1B-AR remained unchanged over 24 h of Ang II exposure. Ang II induced an increase of α1D-AR at short times, and BMY-7378 protected α1D-AR from desensitization.

A novel coordinated control strategy considering power smoothing for a hybrid photovoltaic/battery energy storage system

This work presents a novel coordinated control strategy of a hybrid photovoltaic/battery energy storage(PV/BES) system. Different controller operation modes are simulated considering normal, high fluctuation and emergency conditions. When the system is grid-connected, BES regulates the fluctuated power output which ensures smooth net injected power from the PV/BES system. In islanded operation, BES system is transferred to single master operation during which the frequency and voltage of the islanded microgrid are regulated at the desired level. PSCAD/EMTDC simulation validates the proposed method and obtained favorable results on power set-point tracking strategies with very small deviations of net output power compared to the power set-point. The state-of-charge regulation scheme also very effective with SOC has been regulated between 32% and 79% range.

Effect of the ginsenoside Rb1 on the spontaneous contraction of intestinal smooth muscle in mice

AIM: To investigate the effect and the possible mechanism of ginsenoside Rb1 on small intestinal smooth muscle motility in mice. METHODS: Intestinal smooth muscle strips were isolated from male ICR mice (5 wk old), and the effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on spontaneous contraction was recorded with an electrophysiolograph. The effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on ion channel currents, including the voltage-gated K + channel current (IK V ), calcium-activated potassium channel currents (IK Ca ), spontaneous transient outward currents and ATP-sensitive potassium channel current (IK ATP ), was recorded on freshly isolated single cells using the whole-cell patch clamp technique. RESULTS: Ginsenoside Rb1 dose-dependently inhibited the spontaneous contraction of intestinal smooth muscle by 21.15% ± 3.31%, 42.03% ± 8.23% and 67.23% ± 5.63% at concentrations of 25 μmol/L, 50 μmol/L and 100 μmol/L, respectively (n=5,P<0.05). The inhibitory effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on spontaneous contraction was significantly but incompletely blocked by 10 mmol/L tetraethylammonium or 0.5 mmol/L 4-aminopyridine, respectively (n=5, P<0.05). However, the inhibitory effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on spontaneous contraction was not affected by 10 μmol/L glibenclamide or 0.4 μmol/L tetrodotoxin. At the cell level, ginsenoside Rb1 increased outward potassium currents, and IK V was enhanced from 1137.71 ± 171.62 pA to 1449.73 ± 162.39 pA by 50 μmol/L Rb1 at +60 mV (n=6, P<0.05). Ginsenoside Rb1 increased IK Ca and enhanced the amplitudes of spontaneous transient outward currents from 582.77 ± 179.09 mV to 788.12 ± 278.34 mV (n=5, P<0.05). However, ginsenoside Rb1 (50 μmol/L) had no significant effect on IK ATP (n=3, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ginsenoside Rb1 has an inhibitory effect on the spontaneous contraction of mouse intestinal smooth muscle mediated by the activation of IK V and IK Ca , but the K ATP channel was not involved in this effect.

MicroRNA-146a Promotes Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation towards Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells through Regulation of Kruppel-like Factor 4

Objective Vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMC)differentiation from stem cells is one source of the increasing number of VSMCs that are involved in vascular remodeling-related diseases such as hypertension,atherosclerosis,and restenosis.MicroRNA-146a(miR-146a)has been proven to be involved in cell proliferation,migration,and tumor metabolism.However,little is known about the functional role of miR-146a in VSMC differentiation from embryonic stem cells(ESCs).This study aimed to determine the role of miR-146a in VSMC differentiation from ESCs.Methods Mouse ESCs were differentiated into VSMCs,and the cell extracts were analyzed by Western blotting and RT-qPCR.In addition,luciferase reporter assays using ESCs transfected with miR-146a/mimic and plasmids were performed.Finally,C57BL/6J female mice were injected with mimic or miR-146a-overexpressing ESCs,and immunohistochemistry,Western blotting,and RT-qPCR assays were carried out on tissue samples from these mice.Results miR-146a was significantly upregulated during VSMC differentiation,accompanied with the VSMC-specific marker genes smooth muscle-alpha-actin(SMαA),smooth muscle 22(SM22),smooth muscle myosin heavy chain(SMMHC),and h1-calponin.Furthermore,overexpression of miR-146a enhanced the differentiation process in vitro and in vivo.Concurrently,the expression of Kruppel-like factor 4(KLF4),predicted as one of the top targets of miR-146a,was sharply decreased in miR-146a-overexpressing ESCs.Importantly,inhibiting KLF4 expression enhanced the VSMC-specific gene expression induced by miR-146a overexpression in differentiating ESCs.In addition,miR-146a upregulated the mRNA expression levels and transcriptional activity of VSMC differentiation-related transcription factors,including serum response factor(SRF)and myocyte enhancer factor 2c(MEF-2c).Conclusion Our data support that miR-146a promotes ESC-VSMC differentiation through regulating KLF4 and modulating the transcription factor activity of VSMCs.

Inhibitory Effect of PPARδAgonist GW501516 on Proliferation of Hypoxia-induced Pulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells by Regulating the mTOR Pathway

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effects of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorδ(PPARδ)agonist GW501516 on the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells(PASMCs)induced by hypoxia,in order to search for new drugs for the treatment and prevention of pulmonary vascular remodeling.Methods PASMCs were incubated with different concentrations of GW501516(10,30,100 nmol/L)under the hypoxic condition.The proliferation was determined by a CCK-8 assay.The cell cycle progression was analyzed by flow cytometry.The expression of PPARδ,S phase kinase-associated protein 2(Skp2),and cell cycle-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 was detected by Western blotting.Then PASMCs were treated with 100 nmol/L GW501516,100 nmol/L mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)inhibitor rapamycin and/or 2µmol/L mTOR activator MHY1485 to explore the molecular mechanisms by which GW501516 reduces the proliferation of PASMCs.Results The presented data demonstrated that hypoxia reduced the expression of PPARδin an oxygen concentration-and time-dependent manner,and GW501516 decreased the proliferation of PASMCs induced by hypoxia by blocking the progression through the G0/G1 to S phase of the cell cycle.In accordance with these findings,GW501516 downregulated Skp2 and upregulated p27 in hypoxia-exposed PASMCs.Further experiments showed that rapamycin had similar effects as GW501516 in inhibiting cell proliferation,arresting the cell cycle,regulating the expression of Skp2 and p27,and inactivating mTOR in hypoxia-exposed PASMCs.Moreover,MHY1485 reversed all the beneficial effects of GW501516 on hypoxia-stimulated PASMCs.Conclusion GW501516 inhibited the proliferation of PASMCs induced by hypoxia through blocking the mTOR/Skp2/p27 signaling pathway.

Neural Network Model for Boiling Heat Transfer of R22 and Its Alternative Refrigerants inside Horizontal Smooth Tubes

Accurate prediction of refrigerant boiling heat transfer coefficients is important for the design of evaporators. The generalized correlations have different forms, and could not provide satisfactory results for R22 and its alternative refrigerants R134a, R407C and R410A. This study proposes to use artificial neural network (ANNs) as a generalized correlation model, selects the input parameters of ANNs on the basis of the dimensionless parameter groups of existing correlations, and correlates the in-tube boiling heat transfer coefficients of the above four refrigerants. The results show that the ANNs model with the input and output based on the Liu-Winterton correlation has the best result. The root-mean-square deviations in training and test are 15.5% and 20.2% respectively, and approximately 85% of the deviations are within ±20%, which is much better than that of the existing generalized correlations.

A Successful Scientific Cooperation——Smooth Completion of a Sino-Japanese Joint Research Project of Well-off Household Residences.

On February 24, 1993, when the appraisal meeting of the Sino-Japanese Joint Research Project of Well-off Household Residences was held in Beijing, Person-in-charge from the China Building Technology Development and Research Centre and the Japan International Cooperation Undertakings Group signed the project appraisal report. It marked the successful completion of this three-year joint research project.

The Method of Spatially Smoothed Seismicity Parameters in Consideration of Seismotectonic Background and Its Application to Seismic Hazard Estimation

In this study, the North China seismic region was selected as the study area, and evaluation of seismic hazard using the spatial smoothing seismicity model was performed. Firstly, the study area is divided into grids, and some parameters （e. g. b-value, Mo, Me, azimuth and M-L relationship ） for each seismotectonic model were assigned. Secondly, using elliptical smoothing based on a seismotectonic background model, the statistical earthquake incidence rate in each grid is successively calculated. Lastly, the relevant ground motion attenuation relationship is chosen to assess seismic hazard of general sites. The maps for the distribution of horizontal peak ground acceleration with 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years were obtained by using the seismic hazard analysis method based on grid source. This seismicity model simplifies the methodology of probabilistic seismic hazard analysis, especially appropriate for those places where seismic tectonics is not yet clearly known. This method can provide valuable references for seismic zonation and seismic safety assessment for significant engineering projects.

An efficient non-iterative smoothed particle hydrodynamics fluid simulation method with variable smoothing length

In classical smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)fluid simulation approaches,the smoothing length of Lagrangian particles is typically constant.One major disadvantage is the lack of adaptiveness,which may compromise accuracy in fluid regions such as splashes and surfaces.Attempts to address this problem used variable smoothing lengths.Yet the existing methods are computationally complex and non-efficient,because the smoothing length is typically calculated using iterative optimization.Here,we propose an efficient non-iterative SPH fluid simulation method with variable smoothing length(VSLSPH).VSLSPH correlates the smoothing length to the density change,and adaptively adjusts the smoothing length of particles with high accuracy and low computational cost,enabling large time steps.Our experimental results demonstrate the advantages of the VSLSPH approach in terms of its simulation accuracy and efficiency.

Application of Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics(SPH)for the Simulation of Flow-Like Landslides on 3D Terrains

Flow-type landslide is one type of landslide that generally exhibits characteristics of high flow velocities,long jump distances,and poor predictability.Simulation of its propagation process can provide solutions for risk assessment and mitigation design.The smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)method has been successfully applied to the simulation of two-dimensional(2D)and three-dimensional(3D)flow-like landslides.However,the influence of boundary resistance on the whole process of landslide failure is rarely discussed.In this study,a boundary condition considering friction is proposed and integrated into the SPH method,and its accuracy is verified.Moreover,the Navier-Stokes equation combined with the non-Newtonian fluid rheologymodel was utilized to solve the dynamic behavior of the flow-like landslide.To verify its performance,the Shuicheng landslide event,which occurred in Guizhou,China,was taken as a case study.In the 2D simulation,a sensitivity analysis was conducted,and the results showed that the shearing strength parameters have more influence on the computation accuracy than the coefficient of viscosity.Afterwards,the dynamic characteristics of the landslide,such as the velocity and the impact area,were analyzed in the 3D simulation.The simulation results are in good agreement with the field investigations.The simulation results demonstrate that the SPH method performs well in reproducing the landslide process,and facilitates the analysis of landslide characteristics as well as the affected areas,which provides a scientific basis for conducting the risk assessment and disaster mitigation design.

THE ANALYTIC SMOOTHING EFFECT OF LINEAR LANDAU EQUATION WITH SOFT POTENTIALS

In this work,we study the linearized Landau equation with soft potentials and show that the smooth solution to the Cauchy problem with initial datum in L^(2)(ℝ^(3))enjoys an analytic regularization effect,and that the evolution of the analytic radius is the same as the heat equations.

A SUPERLINEARLY CONVERGENT SPLITTING FEASIBLE SEQUENTIAL QUADRATIC OPTIMIZATION METHOD FOR TWO-BLOCK LARGE-SCALE SMOOTH OPTIMIZATION

This paper discusses the two-block large-scale nonconvex optimization problem with general linear constraints.Based on the ideas of splitting and sequential quadratic optimization(SQO),a new feasible descent method for the discussed problem is proposed.First,we consider the problem of quadratic optimal(QO)approximation associated with the current feasible iteration point,and we split the QO into two small-scale QOs which can be solved in parallel.Second,a feasible descent direction for the problem is obtained and a new SQO-type method is proposed,namely,splitting feasible SQO(SF-SQO)method.Moreover,under suitable conditions,we analyse the global convergence,strong convergence and rate of superlinear convergence of the SF-SQO method.Finally,preliminary numerical experiments regarding the economic dispatch of a power system are carried out,and these show that the SF-SQO method is promising.

Semaphorin 7A promotes human vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration through theβ-catenin signaling pathway

Background:Vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)undergo a conversion from a contractile phenotype to a proliferative synthetic phenotype,contributing to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases.Semaphorin 7A(SEMA7A)is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane protein that plays an important role in vascular homeostasis by regulating endothelial cell behaviors.However,the expression and role of SEMA7A in VSMCs remain unclear.Methods:In this study,we screened for VSMC-regulating genes in publicly available datasets and analyzed the expression of SEMA7A in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells(hCASMCs)treated with platelet-derived growth factor-BB(PDGF-BB).The effects of SEMA7A overexpression and knockdown on hCASMC proliferation and migration were examined.The signaling pathways involved in the action of SEMA7A in hCASMCs were determined.Results:Bioinformatic analysis showed that SEMA7A was significantly dysregulated in VSMCs treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein or overexpressing progerin,a pro-atherogenic gene.The PDGF-BB stimulation led to a concentration-and time-dependent induction of SEMA7A.Depletion of SEMA7A attenuated PDGF-BB-induced hCASMC proliferation and migration.Conversely,overexpression of SEMA7A enhanced hCASMC proliferation and migration.Mechanistically,SEMA7A stimulated the activation of theβ-catenin pathway and upregulated c-Myc,CCND1,and MMP7.Knockdown ofβ-catenin impaired SEMA7A-induced hCASMC proliferation and migration.Conclusions:SEMA7A triggers phenotype switching in VSMCs through theβ-catenin signaling pathway and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases.

Lateral interaction by Laplacian‐based graph smoothing for deep neural networks

Lateral interaction in the biological brain is a key mechanism that underlies higher cognitive functions.Linear self‐organising map(SOM)introduces lateral interaction in a general form in which signals of any modality can be used.Some approaches directly incorporate SOM learning rules into neural networks,but incur complex operations and poor extendibility.The efficient way to implement lateral interaction in deep neural networks is not well established.The use of Laplacian Matrix‐based Smoothing(LS)regularisation is proposed for implementing lateral interaction in a concise form.The authors’derivation and experiments show that lateral interaction implemented by SOM model is a special case of LS‐regulated k‐means,and they both show the topology‐preserving capability.The authors also verify that LS‐regularisation can be used in conjunction with the end‐to‐end training paradigm in deep auto‐encoders.Additionally,the benefits of LS‐regularisation in relaxing the requirement of parameter initialisation in various models and improving the classification performance of prototype classifiers are evaluated.Furthermore,the topologically ordered structure introduced by LS‐regularisation in feature extractor can improve the generalisation performance on classification tasks.Overall,LS‐regularisation is an effective and efficient way to implement lateral interaction and can be easily extended to different models.

A Smooth Bidirectional Evolutionary Structural Optimization of Vibrational Structures for Natural Frequency and Dynamic Compliance

A smooth bidirectional evolutionary structural optimization(SBESO),as a bidirectional version of SESO is proposed to solve the topological optimization of vibrating continuum structures for natural frequencies and dynamic compliance under the transient load.A weighted function is introduced to regulate the mass and stiffness matrix of an element,which has the inefficient element gradually removed from the design domain as if it were undergoing damage.Aiming at maximizing the natural frequency of a structure,the frequency optimization formulation is proposed using the SBESO technique.The effects of various weight functions including constant,linear and sine functions on structural optimization are compared.With the equivalent static load(ESL)method,the dynamic stiffness optimization of a structure is formulated by the SBESO technique.Numerical examples show that compared with the classic BESO method,the SBESO method can efficiently suppress the excessive element deletion by adjusting the element deletion rate and weight function.It is also found that the proposed SBESO technique can obtain an efficient configuration and smooth boundary and demonstrate the advantages over the classic BESO technique.