A New Partial Task Offloading Method in a Cooperation Mode under Multi-Constraints for Multi-UE

In Multi-access Edge Computing(MEC),to deal with multiple user equipment(UE)’s task offloading problem of parallel relationships under the multi-constraints,this paper proposes a cooperation partial task offloading method(named CPMM),aiming to reduce UE’s energy and computation consumption,while meeting the task completion delay as much as possible.CPMM first studies the task offloading of single-UE and then considers the task offloading ofmulti-UE based on single-UE task offloading.CPMMuses the critical path algorithmto divide the modules into key and non-key modules.According to some constraints of UE-self when offloading tasks,it gives priority to non-key modules for offloading and uses the evaluation decision method to select some appropriate key modules for offloading.Based on fully considering the competition between multiple UEs for communication resources and MEC service resources,CPMM uses the weighted queuing method to alleviate the competition for communication resources and uses the branch decision algorithm to determine the location of module offloading by BS according to the MEC servers’resources.It achieves its goal by selecting reasonable modules to offload and using the cooperation ofUE,MEC,andCloudCenter to determine the execution location of themodules.Extensive experiments demonstrate that CPMM obtains superior performances in task computation consumption reducing around 6%on average,task completion delay reducing around 5%on average,and better task execution success rate than other similar methods.

Insights into carbon dioxide sequestration into coal seams through coupled gas flow-adsorption-deformation modelling

Injecting carbon dioxide(CO_(2))into coal seams may unlock substantial carbon sequestration potential.Since the coal acts like a carbon filter,it can preferentially absorb significant amounts of CO_(2).To explore this further,desorption of the adsorbed gas due to pressure drop is investigated in this paper,to achieve an improved understanding of the long-term fate of injected CO_(2) during post-injection period.This paper presents a dual porosity model coupling gas flow,adsorption and geomechanics for studying coupled processes and effectiveness of CO_(2) sequestration in coals.A new adsorption?desorption model derived based on thermodynamics is incorporated,particularly,the desorption hysteresis is considered.The reliability of the proposed adsorption-desorption isotherm is examined via validation tests.It is indicated that occurrence of desorption hysteresis is attributed to the adsorption-induced pore deformation.After injection ceases,the injected gas continues to propagate further from the injection well,while the pressure in the vicinity of the injection well experiences a significant drop.Although the adsorbed gas near the well also decreases,this decrease is less compared to that in pressure because of desorption hysteresis.The unceasing spread of CO_(2) and drops of pressure and adsorbed gas depend on the degree of desorption hysteresis and heterogeneity of coals,which should be considered when designing CO_(2) sequestration into coal seams.

Fabrication of Periodic Nanostructures Using AFM Tip-Based Nanomachining:Combining Groove and Material Pile-Up Topographies

This paper presents an atomic force microscopy(AFM)tip-based nanomachining method to fabricate periodic nanostructures.This method relies on combining the topography generated by machined grooves with the topography resulting from accumulated pile-up material on the side of these grooves.It is shown that controlling the distance between adjacent and parallel grooves is the key factor in ensuring the quality of the resulting nanostructures.The presented experimental data show that periodic patterns with good quality can be achieved when the feed value between adjacent scratching paths is equal to the width between the two peaks of material pile-up on the sides of a single groove.The quality of the periodicity of the obtained nanostructures is evaluated by applying one-and two-dimensional fast Fourier transform(FFT)algorithms.The ratio of the area of the peak part to the total area in the normalized amplitude–frequency characteristic diagram of the cross-section of the measured AFM image is employed to quantitatively analyze the periodic nanostructures.Finally,the optical effect induced by the use of machined periodic nanostructures for surface colorization is investigated for potential applications in the fields of anti-counterfeiting and metal sensing.

Ankle Fractures: A Literature Review of Current Treatment Methods

Ankle fracture is one of the most common lower limb fractures for they account for 9% of all fractures representing a significant portion of the trauma workload. Ankle fractures usually affect young men and older women, however, below the age of 50;ankle fractures are the commonest in men. Two commonly used classification systems for ankle fractures include the danis weber AO classification and the Lauge-Hansen classification. There is biomechanical evidence that posterior non-locking plates are superior in stability than laterally placed plates;however there is little clinical evidence. There are several different methods of ankle fracture fixation, however the goal of treatment remains a stable anatomic reduction of talus in the ankle mortise and correction of the fibula length as a 1 mm lateral shift of the talus in the ankle mortise reduces the contact area by 42%, and displacement (or shortening) of the fibula more than 2 mm will lead to significant increases in joint contact pressures. Further research both biomechanically and clinically needs to be undertaken in order to clarify a preferable choice of fixation.

An efficient SPH methodology for modelling mechanical characteristics of particulate composites

Particulate composites are one of the widely used materials in producing numerous state-of-the-art components in biomedical,automobile,aerospace including defence technology.Variety of modelling techniques have been adopted in the past to model mechanical behaviour of particulate composites.Due to their favourable properties,particle-based methods provide a convenient platform to model failure or fracture of these composites.Smooth particle hydrodynamics(SPH)is one of such methods which demonstrate excellent potential for modelling failure or fracture of particulate composites in a Lagrangian setting.One of the major challenges in using SPH method for modelling composite materials depends on accurate and efficient way to treat interface and boundary conditions.In this paper,a masterslave method based multi-freedom constraints is proposed to impose essential boundary conditions and interfacial displacement constraints in modelling mechanical behaviour of composite materials using SPH method.The proposed methodology enforces the above constraints more accurately and requires only smaller condition number for system stiffness matrix than the procedures based on typical penalty function approach.A minimum cut-off value-based error criteria is employed to improve the computational efficiency of the proposed methodology.In addition,the proposed method is further enhanced by adopting a modified numerical interpolation scheme along the boundary to increase the accuracy and computational efficiency.The numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed master-slave approach yields better accuracy in enforcing displacement constraints and requires approximately the same computational time as that of penalty method.

Laboratory Validation of an Integrated Surface Water— Groundwater Model

The hydrodynamic surface water model DIVAST has been extended to include horizontally adjacent groundwater flows. This extended model is known as DIVAST-SG (Depth Integrated Velocities and Solute Transport with Surface Water and Groundwater). After development and analytical verification the model was tested against a novel laboratory set-up using open cell foam (60 pores per inch—ppi) as an idealised porous media representing a riverbank. The Hyder Hydraulics Laboratory at Cardiff University has a large tidal basin that was adapted to simulate a surface water—groundwater scenario using this foam, and used to validate the DIVAST-SG model. The properties of the laboratory set-up were measured and values were determined for hydraulic conductivity (permeability) and porosity, evaluated as 0.002 m/s and 75% respectively. Lessons learnt in this initial experimentation were used to modify the flume construction and improve the experimental procedure, with further experimentation being undertaken of both water level variations and tracer movement. Valuable data have been obtained from the laboratory experiments, allowing the validity of the numerical model to be assessed. Modifications to the input file to include representations of the joints between the foam blocks allowed a good fit between the observed and modelled water levels. Encouraging correlation was observed in tracer experiments using Rhodamine-WT dye between the observed exit points of the tracer from the foam, and the modelled exit points with time.

FINITE-ELEMENT MODELLING OF SOIL-GEOGRID INTERACTION DEALING WITH THE PULLOUT BEHAVIOUR OF GEOGRIDS

To predict the behavior of geogrids embedded in sand under pullout loading conditions, the two dimensional plane-stress finite element model was presented. The interactions between soil and geogrid were simulated as non-linear springs, and the stiffness of the springs was determined from simple tests in the specially designed pullout box. The predicted behavior of the geogrid under pullout load agrees well with the observed data including the load-displacement properties, the displacement distribution along the longitudinal direction and the mobilization of the frictional and bearing resistance. (Edited author abstract) 8 Refs.

Robust H_∞ control for aseismic structures with uncertainties in model parameters

This paper presents a robust H∞ output feedback control approach for structural systems with uncertainties in model parameters by using available acceleration measurements and proposes conditions for the existence of such a robust output feedback controller. The uncertainties of structural stiffness, damping and mass parameters are assumed to be norm-bounded. The proposed control approach is formulated within the framework of linear matrix inequalities, for which existing convex optimization techniques, such as the LM1 toolbox in MATLAB, can be used effectively and conveniently. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed robust H∞ strategy, a six-story building was subjected both to the 1940 E1 Centro earthquake record and to a suddenly applied Kanai-Tajimi filtered white noise random excitation. The results show that the proposed robust H∞ controller provides satisfactory results with or without variation of the structural stiffness, damping and mass parameters.

Numerical aerodynamic analysis of bluff bodies at a high Reynolds number with three-dimensional CFD modeling

This paper focuses on numerical simulations of bluff body aerodynamics with three-dimensional CFD(computational fluid dynamics) modeling,where a computational scheme for fluid-structure interactions is implemented.The choice of an appropriate turbulence model for the computational modeling of bluff body aerodynamics using both two-dimensional and three-dimensional CFD numerical simulations is also considered.An efficient mesh control method which employs the mesh deformation technique is proposed to achieve better simulation results.Several long-span deck sections are chosen as examples which were stationary and pitching at a high Reynolds number.With the proposed CFD method and turbulence models,the force coefficients and flutter derivatives thus obtained are compared with the experimental measurement results and computed values completely from commercial software.Finally,a discussion on the effects of oscillation amplitude on the flutter instability of a bluff body is carried out with extended numerical simulations.These numerical analysis results demonstrate that the proposed three-dimensional CFD method,with proper turbulence modeling,has good accuracy and significant benefits for aerodynamic analysis and computational FSI studies of bluff bodies.

Theoretical investigation on the energy absorption of ellipse-shaped self-locked tubes

Self-locked energy-absorbing systems have been proposed in previous studies to overcome the limitations associated with the round-tube systems because they can prevent the lateral splash of tubes from impact loadings without any constraints.In case of self-locked systems,the ellipse-shaped self-locked tube is considered to be an optimal design when compared with the ordinary circle-shaped self-locked tubes and other shaped self-locked tubes.In this study,we aim to theoretically analyze the ellipseshaped self-locked tubes.Further,a plastic hinge model is developed to predict the force-displacement relation of the tube,which is compared with the deformation process observed in the experiment and finite element method(FEM)simulation.Using this model,the effects of tuning the geometric parameters of the tube on the energy absorption performance,including the deformation efficiency,energy absorption capacity,and effective stroke ratio,are simulated and analyzed.Finally,a guideline is provided with respect to the design of the ellipse-shaped self-locked tube in engineering applications.

Performance assessment and microbial diversity of two pilot scale multi-stage sub-surface flow constructed wetland systems

This study assessed the performance and diversity of microbial communities in multi-stage sub-surface flow constructed wetland systems（CWs）. Our aim was to assess the impact of configuration on treatment performance and microbial diversity in the systems. Results indicate that at loading rates up to 100 g BOD5/（m2·day）, similar treatment performances can be achieved using either a 3 or 4 stage configuration. In the case of phosphorus（P）, the impact of configuration was less obvious and a minimum of 80% P removal can be expected for loadings up to 10 g P/（m2·day） based on the performance results obtained within the first16 months of operation. Microbial analysis showed an increased bacterial diversity in stage four compared to the first stage. These results indicate that the design and configuration of multi-stage constructed wetland systems may have an impact on the treatment performance and the composition of the microbial community in the systems, and such knowledge can be used to improve their design and performance.

Laser Powder Bed Fusion-built Ti6Al4V Bone Scaffolds Composed of Sheet and Strut-based Porous Structures: Morphology, Mechanical Properties, and Biocompatibility

Laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF)-built triply periodic minimal surface(TPMS)structures are designed by implicit functions and are endowed with superior characteristics,such as adjustable mechanical properties and light-weight features for bone repairing;thus,they are considered as potential candidates for bone scaffolds.Unfortunately,previous studies have mainly focused on different TPMS structures.The fundamental understanding of the differences between strut and sheet-based structures remains exclusive,where both were designed by one formula.This consequently hinders their practical applications.Herein,we compared the morphology,mechanical properties,and biocompatibility of sheet and strut-based structures.In particular,the different properties and in vivo bone repair effects of the two structures are uncovered.First,the morphology characteristics demonstrate that the manufacturing errors of sheet-based structures with diverse porosities are comparable,and semi-melting powders as well as the ball phenomenon are observed;in comparison,strut-based samples exhibit cracks and thickness shrinking.Second,the mechanical properties indicate that the sheet-based structures have a greater elastic modulus,energy absorption,and better repeatability compared to strut-based structures.Furthermore,layer-by-layer fracturing and diagonal shear failure modes are observed in strut-based and sheet-based structures,respectively.The in vivo experiment demonstrates enhanced bone tissues in the strut-based scaffold.This study significantly enriches our understanding of TPMS structures and provides significant insights in the design of bone scaffolds under various bone damaging conditions.

Modeling effects of a tidal barrage on water quality indicator distribution in the Severn Estuary

In this study, emphasis has focused on assessing the potential hydro-environmental impacts of a barrage across the Severn Estuary, with a numerical model being developed and applied to the estuary to assess the impacts of proposed Severn Barrage on the hydrodynamic, sediment transport and faecal indicator organism distribu- tion within the estuary. The results show that the Severn Barrage has the potential to reduce the tidal currents in a highly dynamic estuary. This leads to the reduction of suspended sediment concentrations, which in turn affects the bacterial transport processes which is highly related to the sediment transport processes.

On-going nitrification in chloraminated drinking water distribution system(DWDS) is conditioned by hydraulics and disinfection strategies

Within the drinking water distribution system(DWDS)using chloramine as disinfectant,nitrification caused by nitrifying bacteria is increasingly becoming a concern as it poses a great challenge for maintaining water quality.To investigate efficient control strategies,operational conditions including hydraulic regimes and disinfectant scenarios were controlled within a flow cell experimental facility.Two test phases were conducted to investigate the effects on the extent of nitrification of three flow rates(Q=2,6,and 10 L/min)and four disinfection scenarios(total Cl2=1 mg/L,Cl2/NH3-N=3:1;total Cl2=1 mg/L,Cl2/NH3-N=5:1;total Cl2=5 mg/L,Cl2/NH3-N=3:1;and total Cl2=5 mg/L,Cl2/NH3-N=5:1).Physico-chemical parameters and nitrification indicators were monitored during the tests.The characteristics of biofilm extracellular polymetric substance(EPS)were evaluated after the experiment.The main results from the study indicate that nitrification is affected by hydraulic conditions and the process tends to be severe when the fluid flow transforms from laminar to turbulent(2300<Re<4000).Increasing disinfectant concentration and optimizing Cl2/NH3-N mass ratio were found to inhibit nitrification to some extend when the system was running at turbulent condition(Q=10 L/min,Re=5535).EPS extracted from biofilm that was established at the flow rate of 6 L/min had greater carbohydrate/protein ratio.Furthermore,several nitrification indicators were evaluated for their prediction efficiency and the results suggest that the change of nitrite,together with total organic carbon(TOC)and turbidity can indicate nitrification potential efficiently.