UK-NEES - Distributed hybrid testing between Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford Universities: Connecting structural dynamics labs to a geotechnical centrifuge

Distributed hybrid testing is a natural extension to and builds upon the local hybrid testing technique. Taking advantage of the hybrid nature of the test, it allows a sharing of resources and expertise between researchers from different disciplines by connecting multiple geographically distributed sites for joint testing. As part of the UK-NEES project, a successful series of three-site distributed hybrid tests have been carried out between Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford Universities. The first known multi-site distributed hybrid tests in the UK, they connected via a dedicated fibre network, using custom software, the geotechnical centrifuge at Cambridge to structural components at Bristol and Oxford. These experiments were to prove the connection and useful insights were gained into the issues involved with this distributed environment. A wider aim is towards providing a flexible testing framework to facilitate multi-disciplinary experiments such as the accurate investigation of the influence of foundations on structural systems under seismic and other loading. Time scaling incompatibilities mean true seismic soil structure interaction using a centrifuge at g is not possible, though it is clear that distributed centrifuge testing can be valuable in other problems. Development is continuing to overcome the issues encountered, in order to improve future distributed tests in the UK and beyond.

超图多级划分算法框架及对划分结果的多阶段优化

超图划分应用于大规模矩阵计算、大规模集成电路等领域.详细地阐述了超图多级划分的算法框架,并提出对划分结果进行优化的一种手段,通过进行多阶段的V循环优化,在可以接受的运行时间内得到对超图的一个较优的划分.

超图多级划分算法框架及对划分结果的多阶段优化

超图划分应用于大规模矩阵计算、大规模集成电路等领域.详细地阐述了超图多级划分的算法框架,并提出对划分结果进行优化的一种手段,通过进行多阶段的循环优化,在可以接受的运行时间内得到对超图的一个较优的划分.

Boundary Characterization Experiment Series Overview

Ocean acoustic propagation and reverberation in continental shelf regions is often controlled by the seabed and sea surface boundaries. A series of three multi-national and multi-disciplinary experiments was conducted between 2000-2002 to identify and measure key ocean boundary characteristics. The frequency range of interest was nominally 500-5000 Hz with the main focus on the seabed, which is generally considered as the boundary of greatest importance and least understood. Two of the experiments were conducted in the Mediterranean in the Strait of Sicily and one experiment in the North Atlantic with sites on the outer New Jersey Shelf (STRATAFORM area) and on the Scotian Shelf. Measurements included seabed reflection, seabed, surface, and biologic scattering, propagation, reverberation, and ambient noise along with supporting oceanographic, geologic, and geophysical data. This paper is primarily intended to provide an overview of the experiments and the strategies that linked the various measurements together, with detailed experiment results contained in various papers in this volume and other sources

Computer Simulation Tb(lll) Speciation in Human Blood Plasma

A multi phase model of human blood plasma was developed and the Tb(Ⅲ) speciation in this system was studied. The results show that the speciation of Tb(Ⅲ) depends on the concentration of Tb(Ⅲ). When the concentration of Tb(Ⅲ) is below 4.000×10 -8 mol/L, most of Tb(Ⅲ) exists as soluble species while the concentration of Tb(Ⅲ) is in between 4.000 ×10 -8 mol/L and 1.667×10 -2 mol/L, precipitates(TbPO 4 and Tb 2 (CO 3 ) 3 ) are the dominant species of Tb(Ⅲ). Among soluble Tb(Ⅲ) ...

Computer simulation of insoluble Pr(III) speciation in human interstitial fluid

A multi-phase model of Pr(III) speciation in human interstitial fluid was constructed and insoluble Pr(III) speciation was studied. When the total concentration of Pr(III) is below 8.401E-10 mol/L, soluble Pr(III) species are main species. With rising the total concentration of Pr(III), Pr(III) is firstly bound to phosphate to form precipitate of PrPO4, then bound to carbonate and another precipitate of Pr-2(CO3)(3) was obtained. When the total concentration is between 1.583E-9 mol/L and 4.000E-3 mol/L, the insoluble species are predominant Pr(III) species.

Tb(III) speciation in human blood plasma by computer simulation

A multi-phase model was developed and Tb(III) speciation in human blood plasma was studied. At a concentration below 3.744x 10(-4) mol/L (or at the concentration), Tb(III) is mostly bound to phosphate to form precipitate of TbPO4. As the concentration of Tb(III) increases, phosphate is exceeded and another kind of precipitate of Tb-2(CO3)(3) appears. Among soluble Tb(III) species, Tb(III) mainly distribute in [Tb (Tf)] at low concentration and in [Tb (HSAA, [Tb-2 (Tf)], [Th (IgG)], [Tb (Lactate)](2+), [Tb (CitArgH)] and free Tb(III) at high concentration.

复杂介质边界元法数值模拟研究

A major impetus to study the rough surface and complex structure in near surface model is because accuracy of seismic observation and geophysical prospecting can be improved. Wave theory study about fluid-satuated porous media has important significance for some scientific problems, such as explore underground resources, study of earth's internal structure, and structure response of multi-phase porous soil under dynamic and seismic effect. Seismic wave numerical modeling is one of the effective methods which understand seismic propagation rules in complex media. As a numerical simulation method, boundary element methods had been widely used in seismic wave field study. This paper mainly studies randomly rough surface scattering which used some approximation solutions based on boundary element method. In addition, I developed a boundary element solution for fluid saturated porous media. In this paper, we used boundary element methods which based on integral expression of wave equation to study the free rough surface scattering effects of Kirchhoff approximation method, Perturbation approximation method, Rytov approximation method and Born series approximation method. Gaussian spectrum model of randomly rough surfaces was chosen as the benchmark model. The approximation methods result were compared with exact results which obtained by boundary element methods, we study that the above approximation methods were applicable how rough surfaces and it is founded that this depends on and ( here is the wavenumber of the incident field, is the RMS height and is the surface correlation length ). In general, Kirchhoff approximation which ignores multiple scatterings between any two surface points has been considered valid for the large-scale roughness components. Perturbation theory based on Taylor series expansion is valid for the small-scale roughness components, as and are .Tests with the Gaussian topographies show that the Rytov approximation methods improves the Kirchhoff approximation in both amplitude and phase but at the cost of an extra treatment of transformation for the wave fields. The realistic methods for the multiscale surfaces come with the Born series approximation and the second-order Born series approximation might be sufficient to guarantee the accuracy of randomly rough surfaces. It could be an appropriate choice that a complex rough surface can be divided into large-, medium-, and small-scale roughness components with their scattering features be studied by the Kirchhoff or Rytov phase approximations, the Born series approximation, and the perturbation theory, respectively. For this purpose, it is important to select appropriate parameters that separate these different scale roughness components to guarantee the divided surfaces satisfy the physical assumptions of the used approximations, respectively. In addition, in this paper, the boundary element methods are used for solving the porous elastic wave propagation and carry out the numerical simulation. Based on the fluid-saturated porous model, this paper analyses and presents the dynamic equation of elastic wave propagation and boundary integral equation formulation of fluid saturated porous media in frequency domain. The fundamental solutions of the elastic wave equations are obtained according to the similarity between thermoelasticity and poroelasticity. At last, the numerical simulation of the elastic wave propagation in the two-phase isotropic media is carried out by using the boundary element method. The results show that a slow quasi P-wave can be seen in both solid and fluid wave-field synthetic seismograms. The boundary element method is effective and feasible.

南海北部大陆边缘盆地热演化史及其与油气关系

This thesis focuses on the present-day thermal field features, evolution and their connections to hydrocarbon generation of the three continental margin basins-the Yinggehai (Yingge Sea), Qiongdongnan(southeast Qiong), and Pear River Mouth basins-in northern South China Sea, based on available data from drillings, loggings, seismic cross-sections, BHTs, thermal indicators (Ro%, inclusion, etc) and geopressure measurements. After studying of present-day distribution of geothermal field and thermal disturbance of fluid in the sedimentary strata, the author discovered that the distribution of gas fields in Yinggehai Basin are closely related to the distribution of anomalously high thermal gradient area, whereas it is not the case for the Pear River Mouse Basin. And detailed processing of the fluid inclusion data indicates that geothermal fluids activated frequently in this area, and they may mainly be derived upward from the overpressure and hydrocarbon-generating beds, 3000-4500 m in depth. Therefore, the abnormal gradients in sedimentary beds were mainly caused by the active geothermal fluids related to hydrocarbon migrating and accumulating in this area. Because of the effect of overpressure retarding on vitrinite reflectance, the thermal indicators for thermal history reconstruction should be assessed before put into use. Although some factors, such as different types of kerogen, heating ratio, activities of thermal fluids and overpressure, may have effects on the vitrinite reflectance, under the circumstance that thermal fluids and overpressure co-exist, overpressure retarding is dominant. And the depth and correction method of overpressure retarding were also determined in this paper. On the basis of reviewing the methods of thermal history studies as well as existing problems, the author believes that the combination of thermal-indicator-inversion and tectono-thermal modeling is an effective method of the thermal history reconstruction for sedimentary basins. Also, a software BaTherMod for modeling thermal history of basins was successfully developed in this work. The Yinggehai Basin has been active since Tertiary, and this was obviously due to its tectonic position-the plate transition zone. Under the background of high thermal flow, long-term quick subsidence and fluid activities were the main reasons that lead to high temperature and overpressure in this basin. The Zhujiangkou Basin, a Tertiary fault-basin within the circum-Pacific tectonic realm, was tectonically controlled by the motion of the Pacific Plate and resembles the other petroliferous basins in eastern China. This basin developed early, and characterized intensive extension in the early stage and weak activity in the later stage of its development. Whereas the Qiongdongnan Basin was in a weak extension early and intensity of extension increased gradually. The relative geographical locations and the extensional histories of three basins ilustrate that the northern continental margin of South China Sea spread from south to north. On the other hand, the Qiongdongnan and Yinggehai Basins may have been controlled by the same tectonic regime since later Tertiary, whereas the Zhujiangkou Basin was not meaningfully influenced. So, the tectono-thermal evolution character of the Qiongdonnan basin should be closely to the other two. It may be concluded that the three basins have been developed within the active continental margin since Tertiary, and the local lithosphere might undergo intensive extension-perhaps two or three times of episodic extension occurred. Extension lead to large tectonoc subsidence and extreme thick Tertiary sediments for hydrocarbon generation in the basins. In response to the periodic extension of the basins, the palaeothermal flow were also periodical. The three basins all have the characteristics of multi-phase thermal evolutions that is good for oil-gas generation. And the overpressure expands the depth range of oil-gas habitat, which is meaningful to petroleum exploration in this region.

东营凹陷岩性油气藏成藏动力学机制和预测

This paper is belonging to Chinese Petrochemical Industry Corporation's key project. Although it is very difficult, it has important theoretical and practical value. Its targets is to make lithological petroleum pool exploration great breakthrough in Dongying sag, by applying advanced theories, the last-minute methods and technology in highly explored zones. By using synthetically multi- discipline theories, methods and technology such as petroleum geology, sedimentology, structure geology, rock mechanics, dynamics of petroleum pool formation, geochemistry, geophysics and so on, and by making full use of computer , the process of petroleum pool forming and distribution rules of lithological petroleum pools have been thoroughly investigated and analyzed in sharp-slope, gentle-slope as well as low-lying region of Dongying sag including dynamic and static. With the study of tectonic stress field, fluid potential field and pressure field, we revealed dynamics condition, distribution rule, control factors and petroleum forming mechanism of lithological pool, and established the forming mode of lithological pool of Dongying sag. The main conclusion as follow: Strata framework, structure framework and sedimentary system of Dongying sag have been established which were the basis of petroleum prediction. There are three kinds of oil source which were from Es4,Es3 and mixed type, also three petroleum forming phases which were the telophase of Dongying stage, Guantao stage and Minghuazhen group, which occur in different geological environment. By using of most advanced numerical modeling software, the space distribution and time evolve of stress field and fluid potential field have been revealed from Esl up to the present. The region with low earth stress and low fluid potential were enrichment region of lithological petroleum pool and fault-block pool. The dynamics mechanism of Lithological petroleum pool in Dongying sag was collocating seal box, abnormity pressure, index number of petroleum forming and static factors on time and space, which was the most important factor of controlling petroleum pool forming, distribution and enrichment. The multi phase active and evolve of seal and unseal about different order fault were main factors of controlling petroleum pool forming of Dongying sag, which have important value for predicting lithological petroleum pool. It is revealed the lithological petroleum pool forming mode that included respective character, forming mechanism and distribution rule in four structural belt, which was a base for lithological petroleum pool prediction. The theories, technology and methods of studying, description, characterize and prediction lithological petroleum pool were established, which have important popularization value. Several lithological pool have been predicted in stress transform, zone, abrupt slope zone, fractured surface changed zone, tosional stress growth zone and abnormity pressure zone with noticeable economic benefit after exploration.

How Good are Genetic Algorithms at Finding Large Cliques: An Experimental Study

This paper investigates the power of genetic algorithms at solving the MAX-CLIQUE problem. We measure the performance of a standard genetic algorithm on an elementary set of problem instances consisting of embedded cliques in random graphs. We indicate the need for improvement, and introduce a new genetic algorithm, the multi-phase annealed GA, which exhibits superior performance on the same problem set. As we scale up the problem size and test on \hard" benchmark instances, we notice a degraded performance in the algorithm caused by premature convergence to local minima. To alleviate this problem, a sequence of modi cations are implemented ranging from changes in input representation to systematic local search. The most recent version, called union GA, incorporates the features of union cross-over, greedy replacement, and diversity enhancement. It shows a marked speed-up in the number of iterations required to find a given solution, as well as some improvement in the clique size found. We discuss issues related to the SIMD implementation of the genetic algorithms on a Thinking Machines CM-5, which was necessitated by the intrinsically high time complexity (O(n3)) of the serial algorithm for computing one iteration. Our preliminary conclusions are: (1) a genetic algorithm needs to be heavily customized to work "well" for the clique problem; (2) a GA is computationally very expensive, and its use is only recommended if it is known to find larger cliques than other algorithms; (3) although our customization e ort is bringing forth continued improvements, there is no clear evidence, at this time, that a GA will have better success in circumventing local minima.

The human papillomavirus and cancer: a multiphase study investigating preventative behaviours in young males

Background: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the world’s most common sexually transmitted infections, and a causative factor of oropharyngeal, anal and penile cancers in males. Worldwide, an estimated 39,000 HPV-associated cancers occur each year in men. The highest rates of HPV infection are found in adults aged 18 to 28 years. Clinical evidence indicates that use of a condom in addition to obtaining the HPV vaccine provides the greatest protection from HPV infections. Aim: To explore young men’s attitudes, beliefs, and behavioural intention in relation to receiving the HPV vaccine and using a condom correctly and consistently. Collectively, both behaviours are linked to the prevention of HPV transmission and associated infections with HPV. Method: A multi- phase study, underpinned by the Theory of Planned Behaviour, involving a qualitative belief elicitation, pilot, and quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted. A belief elicitation (n=12) phase was used to generate items to include in a newly developed research instrument. Post pilot the research instrument was utilised in a cross sectional online survey to explore the attitudes, beliefs, and behavioural intention of young men (n= 359) with regard to receiving the HPV vaccine, and using a condom correctly and consistently. Data Collection: Data collection took place over a three month time frame. Male participants were recruited from a university in Southern Ireland via a student email system, as well as posting advertisements on numerous health, social and sports websites. Sample: Three hundred and fifty nine male participants aged 18- 28 years completed the online questionnaire. Data Analysis: Data were analysed using SPSS. Descriptive, correlational, multiple and hierarchical regression analysis were performed on the indirect and direct variables of the Theory of Planned Behaviour i.e. attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and intention. Status variables were also included in descriptive analysis and hierarchical regressions. Findings are presented through text and graphical representation. Results: Alarming sexual health statistics identified that only 44.3% of participants always used a condom, and 78.6% never used a condom for oral sex. Furthermore, findings reveal that the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behaviour adequately measure male’s attitudes, beliefs and behavioural intention with regard to both behaviours. The Theory of Planned Behaviour has assisted in identifying how social pressures play an influential role in relation to males receiving the HPV vaccine. Attitudes presented as the most significant predictor of male’s intentions to use a condom correctly and consistently. Intention to perform both behaviours was identified as moderate to high. Conclusion: This study has contributed to the field of HPV research, as it is the first piece of research to explore preventative HPV behaviours i.e. receiving the HPV vaccine, and condom use, amongst young males, utilising the Theory of Planned Behaviour. A deeper understanding of young male’s attitudes, beliefs, and behavioural intention on this topic has been achieved. Additionally, a new robust research instrument has been constructed. Findings from this study will undoubtedly help in the implementation of the HPV vaccine in Ireland, as well as influence health promotion campaigns aimed at young males, addressing the topic of condom use.

Evaluating Alternative Nutrient Sources in Subsistence-Level Aquaponic Systems

Many food production methods are both economically and environmentally unsustainable. Our project investigated aquaponics, an alternative method of agriculture that could address these issues. Aquaponics combines fish and plant crop production in a symbiotic, closed-loop system. We aimed to reduce the initial and operating costs of current aquaponic systems by utilizing alternative feeds. These improvements may allow for sustainable implementation of the system in rural or developing regions. We conducted a multi-phase process to determine the most affordable and effective feed alternatives for use in an aquaponic system. At the end of two preliminary phases, soybean meal was identified as the most effective potential feed supplement. In our final phase, we constructed and tested six full-scale aquaponic systems of our own design. Data showed that soybean meal can be used to reduce operating costs and reliance on fishmeal. However, a more targeted investigation is needed to identify the optimal formulation of alternative feed blends.

Dynamic load-balancing of finite element applications with the DRAMA library

The DRAMA library, developed within the European Commission funded (ESPRIT) project DRAMA, supports dynamic load-balancing for parallel (message-passing) mesh-based applications. The target applications are those with dynamic and solution-adaptive features. The focus within the DRAMA project was on finite element simulation codes for structural mechanics. An introduction to the DRAMA library will illustrate that the very general cost model and the interface designed specifically for application requirements provide simplified and effective access to a range of parallel partitioners. The main body of the paper will demonstrate the ability to provide dynamic load-balancing for parallel FEM problems that include: adaptive meshing, re-meshing, the need for multi-phase partitioning.