Strengthening reinforced concrete beams using prestressed glass fiber-reinforced polymer-Part I: Experimental study

This work is aimed at studying the strengthening of reinforced concrete (R. C.) beams using prestressed glass fi- ber-reinforced polymer (PGFRP). Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) has recently become popular for use as repair or rehabilitation material for deteriorated R. C. structures, but because CFRP material is very stiff, the difference in CFRP sheet and concrete material properties is not favorable for transferring the prestress from CFRP sheets to R. C. members. Glass fi- ber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) sheets with Modulus of Elasticity quite close to that of concrete was chosen in this study. The load-carrying capacities (ultimate loads) and the deflections of strengthened R. C. beams using GFRP and PGFRP sheets were tested and compared. T- and ⊥-shaped beams were used as the under-strengthened and over-strengthened beams. The GFRP sheets were prestressed to one-half their tensile capacities before being bonded to the T- and ⊥-shaped R. C. beams. The prestressed tension in the PGFRP sheets caused cambers in the R. C. beams without cracks on the tensile faces. The PGFRP sheets also enhanced the load-carrying capacity. The test results indicated that T-shaped beams with GFRP sheets increased in load-carrying capacity by 55% while the same beams with PGFRP sheets could increase load-carrying capacity by 100%. The ⊥-shaped beams with GFRP sheets could increase load-carrying capacity by 97% while the same beams with PGFRP sheets could increase the loading-carrying capacity by 117%. Under the same external loads, beams with GFRP sheets underwent larger deflections than beams with PGFRP sheets. While GFRP sheets strengthen R. C. beams, PGFRP sheets decrease the beams’ ductility, especially for the over-strengthened beams (⊥-shaped beams).

Debris Flow Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of NonStructural Strategies in Taiwan

Taiwan has disadvantageous conditions for sediment-related disasters such as debris flows. The construction of engineering structures is an effective strategy for reducing debris flow disasters. However, it is impossible to construct engineering structures in all debris flow areas in a short period. Therefore, the government aims to gradually develop non-structural preventive strategies, including evacuation planning, debris flow disaster emergency action system, disaster resistant community program, recruitment of debris flow professional volunteers, debris flow warning systems, and land management strategies, to mitigate disasters and secure the safety of residents. This review describes the processes and effects of recent debris flow non-structural preventive strategies in Taiwan. The average number of casualties prior to the year 2000 was far higher than the corresponding number after 2000 because debris flow evacuation drills have been promoted since 2000 and the debris flow disaster emergency action system has been progressively improved since 2002. Furthermore, the changes in risks caused by debris flow disasters before and after the implementation of non-structural preventive strategies were used to explain the effectiveness of these strategies at the community level. The results showed that softwarebased non-structural preventive strategies can effectively reduce the casualties caused by debris flows at both the national and community levels.

Non-Structural Mitigation Programs For Sediment-Related Disasters after the Chichi Earthquake in Taiwan

Following the Chichi Earthquake （ML=7.3） in 1999, sediment-related disasters, such as landslides and debris flows, have become more frequent in Taiwan. Because engineering structures cannot be fully and rapidly emplaeed, the government has initiated non-structural hazard mitigation programs. Initially, community debris flow evacuation drills were promoted in 2000. Typhoon Toraji caused numerous debris flow events in July 2001, and some communities evacuated according to the drills, significantly reducing the numbers of possible casualties. Based on that result, the government expanded the program for evacuation drills. Secondly, the early warning system created after the Chichi Earthquake will prevent many potential future casualties. Rainfall threshold values for debris flow warnings in different areas are determined from information received from local weather stations and modified for local geomorphologic situations. Real- time information is gradually being integrated to create a debris flow disaster warning system, the goal of which is to provide warnings to zones in which debris flows are likely. The warning system was launched in 2005 and has two levels of alarms： yellow and red. The final, red alarm triggers enforced evacuation. Overall, the decrease in casualties from debris flows during the decade after the Chichi Earthquake is not the result of a decrease in number or severity of sediment related disasters, but is more directly related to the gradually improved early warning and evacuation system. However, the compound hazards resulting from Typhoon Morakotin 2009 remind us of the ongoing need for improving the existing mitigation system.

Tumour suppressor HLJ1: A potential diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic target in non-small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality throughout the world. Non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) accounts for 85% of all diagnosed lung cancers. Despite considerable progress in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, the overall 5-year survival rate of NSCLC patients remains lower than 15%. The most common causes of death in lung cancer patients are treatment failure and metastasis. Therefore, developing novel strategies that target both tumour growth and metastasis is an important and urgent mission for the next generation of anticancer therapy research. Heat shock proteins(HSPs), which are involved in the fundamental defence mechanism for maintaining cellular viability, are markedly activated during environmen-tal or pathogenic stress. HSPs facilitate rapid cell division, metastasis, and the evasion of apoptosis in cancer development. These proteins are essential players in the development of cancer and are prime therapeutic targets. In this review, we focus on the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for HLJ1's role in lung cancer carcinogenesis and progression. HLJ1, a member of the human HSP 40 family, has been characterised as a tumour suppressor. Research studies have also reported that HLJ1 shows promising dual anticancer effects, inhibiting both tumour growth and metastasis in NSCLC. The accumulated evidence suggests that HLJ1 is a potential biomarker and treatment target for NSCLC.

Do China's Outward Direct Investors Prefer Countries with High Political Risk? An International and Empirical Comparison

This paper focuses on a conventional debate regarding whether Chinese outward direct investors tend to invest in countries with high political risk. Using 2003 -2011 data from the World Bank, the Heritage Foundation and the KOF Swiss Economic Institute, we investigate China ＇s political risk distribution and political risk index （PRI）. Our results indicate that China ＂s political risk index was ranked 48th among 153 economies in 2011, in the lower risk level of the PRI spectrum. In an international comparison of political risk distribution, the proportion of Chinese outward direct investment （ODI） among countries with high political risk is less than the world average. The Chinese ODI political risk index has significantly improved and remains lower than the world average. To improve Chinese ODI PRI, the Chinese Government should continue to implement differentiation strategies and to offer official development assistance to improve the investment environment in developing countries and reduce political risk.

Lower serum folate is associated with development and invasiveness of gastric cancer

AIM: To evaluate the associations of serum folate levelwith development, invasiveness and patient survival of gastric cancer. METHODS: In this nested case-control study, patients with newly diagnosed gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy were enrolled, and patients receiving chemotherapy prior to surgery, with other concurrent malignancy, or of the aboriginal and alien populations were excluded. In total, 155 gastric cancer patients and 149 healthy controls were enrolled for determination of serum folate levels and their correlation with gastric cancer. Using the median value of serum folate computed among the overall population as the cutoff value, the associations between serum folate and gastric cancer in all cases and different age and gender subgroups were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. In the patient cohort of gastric cancer, receiver-operating characteristic analyses were performed to calculate the best cutoff values of serum folate, and the associations between serum folate levels and clinicopathological features were further analyzed by multivariate regression analysis. Survival analyses were conducted using the Cox proportional hazards model.RESULTS: The mean serum folate level was significantly lower in gastric cancer patients than that in controls(3.71 ± 0.30 ng/mL vs 8.00 ± 0.54 ng/mL, P < 0.01), and folate levels were consistently lower in gastric cancer patients regardless of age and gender(all P < 0.01). Using the median serum folate value as the cutoff value, low serum folate was significantly associated with gastric cancer risk in the whole population(OR = 19.77, 95%CI: 10.54-37.06, P < 0.001) and all strata(age < 60 years OR = 17.39, 95%CI: 7.28-41.54, age ≥ 60 years(OR = 21.67, 95%CI: 8.27-56.80), males(OR = 17.95, 95%CI: 7.93-40.62), and females(OR = 20.95, 95%CI: 7.66-57.31); all P < 0.001. In the patient cohort of gastric cancer, the respective cutoff values showed that low serum folate levels were significantly associated with serosal invasion(OR = 2.54, 95%CI: 1.23-5.23), lymphatic invasion(OR = 2.23, 95%CI: 1.17-4.26), and liver metastasis(OR =6.67, 95%CI: 1.28-34.91) of gastric cancer(all P < 0.05). Serum folate level below 1.90 ng/mL was associated with poor patient survival(HR = 1.84, 95%CI: 1.04-3.27, P < 0.05) in univariate analysis.CONCLUSION: Lower serum folate levels were significantly associated with gastric cancer development and invasive phenotypes. The role of folate depletion in gastric cancer invasion warrants further study.

Risks of rapid decline renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes

Progressive rising population of diabetes and related nephropathy, namely, diabetic kidney disease and associated end stage renal disease has become a major global public health issue. Results of observational studies indicate that most diabetic kidney disease progresses over decades; however, certain diabetes patients display a rapid decline in renal function, which may lead to renal failure within months. Although the definition of rapid renal function decline remained speculative, in general,it is defined by the decrease of estimated glomerular filtration rate(e GFR) in absolute rate of loss or percent change. Based on the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes 2012 clinical practice guidelines, a rapid decline in renal function is defined as a sustained declinein e GFR of 】 5 m L/min per 1.73 m2 per year. It has been reported that potential factors contributing to a rapid decline in renal function include ethnic/genetic and demographic causes, smoking habits, increased glycated hemoglobin levels, obesity, albuminuria, anemia, low serum magnesium levels, high serum phosphate levels, vitamin D deficiency, elevated systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity values, retinopathy, and cardiac autonomic neuropathy. This article reviews current literatures in this area and provides insight on the early detection of diabetic subjects who are at risk of a rapid decline in renal function in order to develop a more aggressive approach to renal and cardiovascular protection.

Strengthening reinforced concrete beams using prestressed glass fiber-reinforced polymer-Part II:Analytical study

Strengthening reinforced concrete (R. C.) beams using prestressed glass fiber-reinforced polymer (PGFRP) was studied experimentally as described in Part I of this paper (Huang et al., 2005). In that paper, R. C. beams, R. C. beams with GFRP (glass fiber-reinforced polymer) sheets, and R. C. beams with PGFRP sheets were tested in both under-strengthened and over-strengthened cases. The test results showed that the load-carrying capacities (ultimate loads) of the beams with GFRP sheets were greater than those of the beams without polymer sheets. The load-carrying capacities of beams with PGFRP sheets were greater than those of beams with GFRP sheets. The objective of this work is to develop an analytical method to compute all of these load-carrying capacities. This analytical method is independent of the experiments and based only on the traditional R. C. and P. C. (prestressed concrete) theory. The analytical results accorded with the test results. It is suggested that this analytical method be used for analyzing and designing R. C. beams strengthened using GFRP or PGFRP sheets.

An Empirical Study of Good-Turing Smoothing for Language Models on Different Size Corpora of Chinese

Data sparseness has been an inherited issue of statistical language models and smoothing method is usually used to resolve the zero count problems. In this paper, we studied empirically and analyzed the well-known smoothing methods of Good-Turing and advanced Good-Turing for language models on large sizes Chinese corpus. In the paper, ten models are generated sequentially on various size of corpus, from 30 M to 300 M Chinese words of CGW corpus. In our experiments, the smoothing methods;Good-Turing and Advanced Good-Turing smoothing are evaluated on inside testing and outside testing. Based on experiments results, we analyzed further the trends of perplexity of smoothing methods, which are useful for employing the effective smoothing methods to alleviate the issue of data sparseness on various sizes of language models. Finally, some helpful observations are described in detail.

Efficient Certificateless Aggregate Signature Scheme

In ubiquitous computing, data should be able to be accessed from any location, and the correctness of data becomes vital during the communication. Suppose that many users sign different messages respectively, before forwarding or sending these messages, then the verifier must spend a lot of computing time to verify their signatures. Consequently, the aggregate signature scheme is an effective method of improving efficiency in this kind of systems, which provides the convenience for the verifier. In this paper, we propose a new certificateless aggregate signature scheme which is efficient in generating a signature and verification. This scheme is provably secure under the extended computational Diffie-Hellman assumption.

Exploring landslide erosion volume-area scaling relationships by slip depth using changes in DTMs for basin sediment volume estimation

Landslides produce large quantities of sediment deposits and reduce reservoir life. This study investigated landslides at the Shihmen Reservoir basin in Taiwan that were induced by Typhoon Sinlaku and Typhoon Jangmi in 2008. We formulate scaling relationships between landslide erosion volume and area and conclude that sediment budget can be estimated based on the easier-todetermine landslide erosion area. The methodologies applied for the investigation were geomorphological analysis through 5 m × 5 m digital terrain models(DTMs) of the basin created before and after the landslide events and spatial analysis through a geographic information system. The erosion area and volume of landslides were measured through the subtraction of DTMs produced before and after the events. Statistical analysis revealed that the landslide erosion frequency–magnitude distribution exhibited power-law behaviors with a scaling exponent of 2.15 for the frequency–area distribution and 1.66 for the frequency–volume distribution. This paper proposes different scaling relationships for different moving depths, and landslide erosion volumes were estimated on the basis of depth; thus, landslides of different scales can be distinguished to avoid errors in volume estimation. Two different scaling exponents are proposed: 1.21 for landslide erosions with depths of less than 2 m and 1.01 for landslide erosions with depths of more than 2 m. The proposed scaling relationships are practical for landslide erosion volume estimation by different depths according to the landslide area, and they can provide preliminary results for sediment budget planning in a reservoir basin.

Location and Characterization of Breeding Sites of Solitary Desert Locust Using Satellite Images Landsat 7 ETM+ and Terra MODIS

In the southern Algerian Sahara, populations of the desert locust have been monitored during the past 43 years. On a limited study area, the use of remote sensing data from Landsat 7 ETM+ and Terra MODIS, coupled with the locust population database, allowed the identification and mapping of solitary desert locust breeding areas during remission periods. These sites are mainly located in wadis and in areas of accumulation/spreading of rainwater. The use of this methodology to all the Algerian Sahara is surely possible in order to improve the preventive management of this pest.

A Hybrid Unit Commitment Approach Incorporating Modified Priority List with Charged System Search Methods

This paper presents a new hybrid approach that combines Modified Priority List (MPL) with Charged System Search (CSS), termed MPL-CSS, to solve one of the most crucial power system’s operational optimization problems, known as unit commitment (UC) scheduling. The UC scheduling problem is a mixed-integer nonlinear problem, highly-dimensional and extremely constrained. Existing meta-heuristic UC solution methods have the problems of stopping at a local optimum and slow convergence when applied to large-scale, heavily-constrained UC applications. In the first step of the proposed method, initial hourly optimum solutions of UC are obtained by Modified Priority List (MPL);however, the obtained UC solution may still be possible to be further improved. Therefore, in the second step, the CSS is utilized to achieve higher quality solutions. The UC is formulated as mixed integer linear programming to ensure the tractability of the results. The proposed method is successfully applied to a popular test system up to 100 units generators for both 24-hr and 168-hr system. Computational results show that both solution cost and execution time are superior to those of published methods.

Decision Support Scheme for Lishan Landslide Prewarning System

This study combines the analytical model to build a landside monitoring decision support system of the Web GIS. The landslide area of Lishan is a case study for the research. The analysis of the risk degree for the landslide area in Lishan is based on the three-layer architecture of Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchical Process （FAHP）. There are four fuzzy model structures used in monitoring devices： rainfall, groundwater level, Time Domain Reflectometry （TDR） monitored the subsurface deformation, and Global Positioning System （GPS） monitored ground displacement. These structures are relative to four membership functions that are used to classify four states, including safety, attention, warning, and danger. The risk degree of the landslide area can be obtained through the fuzzy rules by determining management criteria. Calculating the total scores of historical monitoring record of the rainfall, groundwater level, TDR, and GPS through the fuzzy theory can determine the analytical results of risk degrees in Lishan landslide area. In this whole area, management criterion is in the state of attention when the total score is larger than 72, in the state of warning when total score is larger than 95, and in the state of danger when total score is larger than 113. The system provides real-time monitoring data, and prewarning decision support in order to announce and prevent the disaster at the earliest time.

Study of Bed Friction Factor for the Wu River Estuary

In this research the bed friction effect is estimated of a river estuary by use of hydrodynamic analysis. The on-site sampled data of the Wu River estuary is applied to the analysis. There are many dynamic factors that affect the flow characteristics in the estuary. The effect of tide on the generation of tidal current, bottom friction and geometry effect is the focus of this paper. The Wu River estuary is about 15 hn in length, with a small bottom slope and no physical obstruction; thus the incident wave at the estuary is considered a progressive wave with damping effect. The amplitude reduction and phase shift of the incident wave are analyzed. By the analysis of celerity reduction factor of the estuary, the estimated value of mean resistance coefficient M（μ ,κ）, damping modulus μ, and wave number κ for the sections at observation stations can be determined. Furthermore, data gathered from on-site observations are applied for validation. Finally, Manning＇ s coefficient for each section of the observation stations can be determined. It is found that the value of Manning＇ s coefficient is small downstream and increases towards upstream, and that the bed friction effect of an estuary varies largely. The estimated results of the paper are compared with the empirical formulas and the modified solution for practical application is discussed.

Design and verification of portable direct shear tester with application to remolded colluvium geomaterials

The mechanical properties of colluvium strongly govern the stability of colluvial slopes, and they arc essential for the related analysis and design. Nevertheless, their measurement is not easy on account of heterogeneity in property and difficulty of sampling. This study attempted to evaluate the shear strength of remolded colluvium by means of a simple direct shear test in the field. A portable direct shear tester was designed to overcome the inconvenience and expensiveness of the conventional large-scale in-situ direct shear test. It can be easily assembled and applied for the silnplc field direct shear test. For calibration, the results of the portable direct shear tester were compared with the results of the laboratory direct shear tester for four different types of soil samples, i.e. standard sand, slate debris, arenaceous shale debris and mixture of gravel and sand. Correlation formulas were established based on the calibration, enabling the portable direct shear tester to measure and estimate the shear strength of remoldcd colluvium in field. This study primarily focuses on the colluvium in Central Taiwan, including the lateritic Dadu Terrace and the arcnaceous shale of Taiping-Wufcng mounts. The portable direct shear tester was applied to sites selected in these areas, and the results were furthcr analyzed and discussed.

Drag Force on a String Fastened to a Sphere Moving in a Viscous Fluid

The viscous drag force acting on a thin cotton string fastened to a sphere moving in glycerin has been determined by using a photogate apparatus,showing that the force acting on the string agrees with a simplified 2-dimensional theory for string Reynolds’number N_(s)<0.008.

Automatic Vessel Segmentation on Retinal Images

Several features of retinal vessels can be used to monitor the progression of diseases. Changes in vascular structures, for example, vessel caliber, branching angle, and tortuosity, are portents of many diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and arterial hypertension. This paper proposes an automatic retinal vessel segmentation method based on morphological closing and multi-scale line detection. First, an illumination correction is performed on the green band retinal image. Next, the morphological closing and subtraction processing are applied to obtain the crude retinal vessel image. Then, the multi-scale line detection is used to fine the vessel image. Finally, the binary vasculature is extracted by the Otsu algorithm, in this paper, for improving the drawbacks of multi-scale line detection, only the line detectors at 4 scales are used. The experimental results show that the accuracy is 0.939 for DRIVE （digital retinal images for vessel extraction） retinal database, which is much better than other methods.

Electrochemical Detection of Zeranol and Zearalenone Metabolic Analogs in Meats and Grains by Screen-Plated Carbon-Plated Disposable Electrodes

Zeranol (Z) is an estrogenic growth-promoting agent synthesized from mycotoxin zearalenone (Zen). Inadvertent consumption of Z and its structural analogs from meat or grain products remain a food safety concern. An economic and rapid high performance liquid chromatography method with electrochemical detection using disposable screen-printed carbon electrode is developed for determination of Z, Zen and 3 major metabolic analogs α-zearalenol (α-Ze), β-zearalenol (β-Ze), and β-zearalanol (β-Za). The electrochemical method was validated for application in food matrices including beef, pork, feed and cereal after optimized liquid and/or solid-phase extraction procedures. All 5 Z analogs were separated in 10 minutes with the limits of detection ranging from 15 ng/ml for α-Ze and 25 ng/ml for Z and Zen;the limit of quantitation ranged from 40 50 ng/ml. The recoveries were all above 75% regardless of matrix types and extraction procedures. The intra and inter day variations were both less than 6% at the nominal concentration of 1 μg/ml and less than 13% at 100 ng/ml level. Chromatographically time-matched peaks of Z, α-Ze and β-Za were observed in moldy feed, cereal and rice with high productivity, indicating possible grain-specific Zs exposure for animals and human. Proper exercise of preservative procedures for grain and grain products to prevent it from mold production is imperative. The simplicity and reproducibility of this method affords quick and reliable quantitation of multiple types of Z analogs in food products and can offer semi-confirmative information comparable to UV detection and supplementary to ELISA screening.

A Paraquat Tolerance Mutant in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i>L.) Is Controlled by Maternal Inheritance

Paraquat (1,1’-dimethyl-4,4’-bipyridinium) tolerance is an important trait in the weed control during crop production. The paraquat tolerant (Pq72) and susceptible (Pq1192) mutants are pure lines derived from the mutation pool of rice cultivar TNG67. Two reciprocal crosses, Pq72/Pq1192 and Pq1192/Pq72, were conducted between Pq72 and Pq1192 mutant lines for studying the genetic of paraquat tolerance by investigations of physiological characteristics related to paraquat tolerance including leaf injury index, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) and electrolyte leakage in the F2 populations of two reciprocal crosses after paraquat treatment. The results suggested that a maternal inheritance of paraquat tolerance is existed in these mutants. Further analysis found that the F2 population of Pq72/Pq1192 segregated 3:1 (tolerant to susceptible) in both Fv/Fm and electrolyte leakage, respectively. This result implies that the paraquat tolerance of the Pq72 mutant is controlled by a single dominant gene.