Explanation and Application of the Evolving Contact Traction Fields in Shallow Foundation Systems

The present paper provides a qualitative discussion of the evolution of contact traction fields beneath rigid shallow foundations resting on granular materials. A phenomenological similarity is recognized in the measured contact traction fields of rigid footings and at the bases of sandpiles. This observation leads to the hypothesis that the stress distributions are brought about by the same physical phenomena, namely the development of arching effects through force chains and mobilized intergranular friction. A set of semi-empirical equations are suggested for the normal and tangential components of this contact traction based on past experimental measurements and phenomenological assumptions of frictional behaviors at the foundation system scale. These equations are then applied to the prescribed boundary conditions for the analysis of the settlement, resistance, and stress fields in supporting granular materials beneath the footing. A parametric sensitivity study is performed on the proposed modelling method, highlighting solutions to the boundary-value problems in an isotropic, homogeneous elastic half-space.

Research on Tension Control System of Reciprocating Winding

When the enameled wire is winded onto the poles of the motor stator or rotor, the winding quality hugely relies on the control precision of the tension. Therefore, it is necessary to control the tension of the enameled wire in winding process. A tension control system is built with single chip microcomputer, the encoder and the servo motor. The PID feedback controller and feedforward controller are combined to form feedforward feedback controller, which using feedback information of swing angle deviation and feedforward information of wire frame position to adjust the pay off speed dynamically and control tension of enameled wire further. A procedural experimental modelling method is discussed in order to identify the feedforward model. The experiment is performed, it is found that in the typical situation of setting tension 1500 g, the tension fluctuation rate of the PID controller with feedforward model is only 2%, which is far better than that of pure PID controller with a fluctuation rate of 14%. The result shows that the proposed experimental modelling method hosts the characteristics of good accuracy, universality and applicability.

Diurnal microclimate profile in tropical coastal built environment (case: Universitas Islam Sultan Agung campus area, Semarang)

Microclimate is caused by the interaction between atmosphere and earth surfaces in local areas. Built environment has pay attention in microclimate since it considerably affects the thermal earth surfaces. This research is located in tropical coastal area, specifically at Universitas Islam Sultan Agung Semarang campus area as a part of built environment where close to the Java sea. The aim of this paper is to investigate the diurnal pattern of microclimate in research location before modelled to the wider area. A numerical modelling method is applied in this research to simulate the diurnal thermal pattern. The research shows that microclimate is influenced by the earth surface objects and following the sun movement respectively.

Ginsenoside Rg3 Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Proliferation By Down-Regulating TIGAR in MNNG-Induced Gastric Precancerous Lesions in Rats

BACKGROUND Ginsenoside Rg3 (GRg3) is one of the main active ingredients in Chinese ginseng extract and has various biological effects, such as immune-enhancing, antitumour, antiangiogenic, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of GRg3 on gastric precancerous lesion (GPL) induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and the potential mechanism of action. METHODS The MNNG–ammonia composite modelling method was used to establish a rat model of GPL. Histopathological changes in the rat gastric mucosa were observed by pathological analysis using haematoxylin–eosin staining to assess the success rate of the composite modelling method. Alcian blue–periodic acid Schiff staining was used to observe intestinal metaplasia in the rat gastric mucosa. Apoptosis was detected in rat gastric mucosal cells by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling staining. The expression level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was determined by the dihydroethidium fluorescent probe method, and that of TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) protein was determined by immunohistochemical staining and western blotting. The expression levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and that of glutathione (GSH) was determined by microanalysis. RESULTS GRg3 significantly alleviated the structural disorganization and cellular heteromorphism in the form of epithelial glands in the gastric mucosa of rats with GPL and retarded the progression of the disease. Overexpression of TIGAR, NADP, GSH and G6PDH occurred in the gastric mucosal epithelium of rats with GPL, which in turn led to an increase in the ROS concentration. After treatment with GRg3, the expression of TIGAR, NADP, GSH and G6PDH decreased, causing a further increase in the concentration of ROS in the gastric mucosal epithelium, which in turn induced apoptosis and played a role in inhibiting the abnormal proliferation and differentiation of gastric mucosal epithelial cells. CONCLUSION Grg3 can induce apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation in MNNG-induced GPL rats. The mechanism may be related to down regulating the expression levels of TIGAR, GSH, NADP and G6PD, up regulating the concentration of ROS and inducing apoptosis.

Review of the Development of Haemodynamic Modelling Techniques to Capture Flow Behaviour in Arteries Affected by Aneurysm, Atherosclerosis and Stenting

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in the developed world. CVD can include atherosclerosis, aneurysm, dissection or occlusion of the main arteries. Many CVDs are caused by unhealthy haemodynamics. Some CVDs can be treated with the implantation of stents and stent grafts. Many investigations have sought to understand the effects stents and stent grafts have on arteries and the haemodynamic changes post-treatment. Many studies on stent haemodynamics have been carried out using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and have yielded significant insight into the effect of stent mesh design on near wall blood flow and improving haemodynamics. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) has also been used to capture behaviour of fluids that mimic physiological haemodynamics. However, PIV studies have largely been restricted to unstented models or intra-aneurysmal flow rather than peri or distal stent flow behaviours. PIV has been used both as a standalone measurement method and as a comparison to validate the CFD studies. This article reviews the successes and limitations of several experimental methods used to investigate the haemodynamic effects of stents. The review includes an overview of physiology and relevant mechanics of arteries as well as consideration of boundary conditions and the working fluids used to simulate blood for each modelling method along with the benefits and limitations introduced.

Structural and contextual model of a concept

The central notion of the cognitive linguistics “concept” has been defined in a number of ways thus the authors suggest the unique way to treat its structure and content. The article provides the interpretation variability of a concept taking into account two approaches – lingual and cultural and semantic and cognitive one which construct cognitive and discourse vector lying in the dimension of both cognition and communication. Whereas the content of a concept is carried out via multidimensional (thinking and speaking in the first place) activity of a person the work considers its structure (imaginary, notional, axiological and adorative (secret) components being in a harmonious unity with the structure of a communicative personality (pragmatic-motivational, cognitive, verbal-semantic, transcendental levels). Concept is a coherent ethnic and mental unit possessing complex four-level structure. It implies interaction and interrelation between a concept and communicative personality, their two-side hierarchical connection particularly using spiritual halo. The following research methods were used in the work: observation, induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, modelling method, which are necessary for the objective scientific definition of the subject in question; cognitive and discourse analysis. The article provides stratification of a concept in connection with the structure of communicative personality.