Experimental-analytical approach to assessing mechanosensitive cartilage blood marker kinetics in healthy adults: dose-response relationship and interrelationship of nine candidate markers

Purpose: To determine the suitability of selected blood biomarkers of articular cartilage as mechanosensitive markers and to investigate the dose-response relationship between ambulatory load magnitude and marker kinetics in response to load. Methods: Serum samples were collected from 24 healthy volunteers before and at three time points after a 30-minute walking stress test performed on three test days. In each experimental session, one of three ambulatory loads was applied: 100% body weight (BW); 80%BW; 120%BW. Serum concentrations of COMP, MMP-3, MMP-9, ADAMTS-4, PRG-4, CPII, C2C and IL-6 were assessed using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. A two-stage analytical approach was used to determine the suitability of a biomarker by testing the response to the stress test (criterion I) and the dose-response relationship between ambulatory load magnitude and biomarker kinetics (criterion II). Results. COMP, MMP-3 and IL-6 at all three time points after, MMP-9 at 30 and 60 minutes after, and ADAMTS-4 and CPII at immediately after the stress test showed an average response to load or an inter-individual variation in response to load of up to 25% of pre-test levels. The relation to load magnitude on average or an inter-individual variation in this relationship was up to 8% from load level to load level. There was a positive correlation for the slopes of the change-load relationship between COMP and MMP-3, and a negative correlation for the slopes between COMP, MMP-3 and IL-6 with MMP-9, and COMP with IL6. Conclusions: COMP, MMP-3, IL-6, MMP-9, and ADAMTS-4 warrant further investigation in the context of articular cartilage mechanosensitivity and its role in joint degeneration and OA. While COMP seems to be able to reflect a rapid response, MMP-3 seems to reflect a slightly longer lasting, but probably also more distinct response. MMP-3 showed also the strongest association with the magnitude of load.

Evolutionary Maximization of Energy Amount Harvested by Means of Panel of Thermoelectric Modules

This work proposes the use of a specialized algorithm based on evolutionary computation to the global MPPT regulation of panel of thermoelectric modules connected serially in numerous string sections. Each section of the thermovoltaic panel is equipped with local DC/DC converter controlled by the proposed algorithm and finally this allows the optimization of the total efficiency of conversion. Evolutionary computations adjust PWM signals of switching waveforms of DC/DC sectional simple boost converters, which have outputs configured in parallel. It gives the chance to obtain the highest level of electric energy harvested, i.e., thanks to boost converting operational points precise adaptation to the system temperature profile as well as electric load level. The simulation results of the proposed evolutionary technique confirmed the high speed of the MPPT process that is much better than for perturbation and observation, as well as incremental conductance methods, and it assures concurrent optimization of numerous PWM signals. Next, the work shows practical optimization results achieved by the proposed algorithm implemented to microcontroller module controlling the DC/DC converter during thermal to electric conversion experiment. A laboratory thermovoltaic panel was constructed from a string of Peltier modules and radiator that assured passive cooling. The measurements obtained once more proved the MPPT evolutionary regulation properness and its adaptation effectiveness for different resistive test loads.

Creep Behaviour of Reinforced Concrete Beam under Long-Term Bending

Concrete structure after casting will be subjected to external load, peripheral components and other constraints, the overall performance of the structure under a long-term loading state will change continuously. In practical engineering, reinforcement is usually calculated and configured based on external load, but the role of reinforcement in the continuous loading process of concrete structure is not fully considered. Based on the elastic creep theory, this paper deduces the concrete creep calculation formula considering the influence of reinforcement, and analyses the law of the influence of reinforcement ratio and loading age on the strain and stress of concrete. The results show that the reinforcement can effectively restrain the deformation of concrete and reduce the load level of concrete.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Bond-Slip Behavior of High-Strength Reinforced Concrete at Service Load

A bond mechanism at the reinforcement-concrete interface is one of the key sources of the comprehensive functioning of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. In order to apprehend the bond mechanism, the study on bond stress and slip relation (henceforth referred as bond-slip) is necessary. On this subject, experimental and numerical investigations were performed on short RC tensile specimens. A double pull-out test with pre-installed electrical strain gauge sensors inside the modified embedded rebar was performed in the experimental part. Numerically, a three dimensional rib scale model was designed and finite element analysis was performed. The compatibility and reliability of the numerical model was verified by comparing its strain result with an experimentally obtained one. Afterwards, based on stress transfer approach, the bond-slip relations were calculated from the extracted strain results. The maximum disparity between experimental and numerical investigation was found as 19.5% in case of strain data and 7% for the bond-slip relation at the highest load level (110 kN). Moreover, the bond-slip curves at different load levels were compared with the bond-slip model established in CEB-fib Model Code 2010 (MC2010). Overall, in the present study, strain monitoring through the experimental tool and finite element modelling have accomplished a broader picture of the bond mechanism at the reinforcement-concrete interface through their bond-slip relationship.

Safety assessment method of steel protective structure against large-scale debris flow

Recently, steel pipe open type protective structures (steel open dams) have been damaged because of large-scale debris flow resulting from torrential rainfall based on abnormal climate. This article proposes a safety assessment method for the load-carrying capacity of a steel open dam against large-scale debris flow load (level II load) using the energy constant law. First, the safety assessment method of steel open dams is proposed that the ultimate strength must be larger than the required strength against the level II load, which is determined by using the energy constant law. Second, the load-carrying capacities of three types of steel open dams with different structural shapes against the front and eccentric debris flow loadings are investigated by a push-over analysis. Finally, the safety assessments on load-carrying capacities against the front and eccentric debris flow loading are confirmed and the strength reduction by the eccentric loading is examined for three steel open dams.

Decision Tree-based Hybrid Multiprocessor Task Scheduling for the Cyber-Physical System

Scheduling is a critical process in cyber-physical systems to ensure the computation will be over within the physical system's deadline. Under the cyber-physical system, the processor is distributive and hydrogenous. Less latency task scheduling under this distributive cyberphysical system with a hydrogenous processor and resource is challenging. This article presents a decision tree based less complex mechanism of task scheduling in a heterogeneous processor environment this proposed mechanism model the tasks and the processor resource, current load level, their individual computational capability, memory availability, communication delay in the distributive system to move the task from one point to another point is taken into account for the scheduling purpose the numerical results prove that the proposed mechanism able to schedule the task quickly and with more task deadline meet the ratio.

Model of normal cracks level formation and opening in stretched reinforced concrete elements

The article highlights the most important studies results of the mechanism of normalcracks formation and opening in stretched reinforced concrete elements during their deformation. Acritical analysis of the existing methods and ways for calculating normal cracks level formation andopening, in which the reinforcement to concrete adhesion is taken into account directly or indirectly,is carried out. The main advantages and disadvantages of each of these methods are indicated. It hasbeen experimentally confirmed that the crack formation process is generally leveled. The mainfeatures and patterns of cracking in stretched reinforced concrete elements and structures arerevealed. The main characteristics of the prototypes are given, according to the test results of whichit was established that in practical calculations of the reinforced concrete elements crack resistance,it is usually possible to restrict oneself to two levels of normal cracking. For the indicated crackinglevels, the corresponding load level, step and crack opening width are established. The expediencyof using in practical calculations the nonlinear function of the reinforcement with concrete averageadhesion stresses is also substantiated. Based on the studies results carried out, the existing methodsfor calculating the normal cracks formation and opening in reinforced concrete elements andstructures were evaluated from the standpoint of local disadvantage of the reinforcement to concreteadhesion.General and simplified methods for calculating normal cracks level formation and opening inreinforced concrete elements have been developed. In them, the direct integration of the expressionfor the concrete and reinforcement mutual displacements is proposed to be replaced not by thenumerical integration of the indicated expression, but by the successive accumulation of the indicateddisplacements. Corresponding statistical comparisons of the calculations results by these methodswith experimental data are carried out. The effectiveness of the developed methods for calculatingnormal cracks level formation and opening by comparing them with existing methods is estimated.

ECONOMIC DAMAGE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY IN CASE OF TRANSFORMER LOAD RATIO DEVIATION

The aim of the study is to develop a methodology for assessing economic damage when the transformer load factor deviates. In the process of research, a method was used to determine the optimal load of a power transformer. A method for assessing economic damage in case of a deviation of its load factor has been developed. The optimal load factor of a power transformer has been determined according to the criterion of the minimum cost of money for the transformation of electrical energy. The load level of power transformers can be assessed by two criteria: by the maximum integral value of the effi ciency and by the minimum loss of money during the transformation of electricity. According to the proposed methodology, the assessment of damage is carried out when the load factor of the transformer deviates from the optimal values, for which the relative losses of electrical energy are calculated. The results obtained when evaluating energy and fi nancial and economic effi ciency show that when the load factor is overestimated relative to the optimal values, it is much more preferable to overestimate than underestimate. The reliability of the results is confi rmed by the satisfactory agreement of the calculated results with the experimental data obtained at the operating power plant.

Study of the Damage Evolution of Concrete with Different Initial Defect Rates under Uniaxial Compression with Acoustic Emission Technology

It is important to evaluate the internal damage of concrete under load conditions in order to evaluate its stability and usability for building applications. In this study, the uniaxial compression of concrete with initial defect was performed, and the internal damage of concrete was monitored by acoustic emission(AE) technology in real time to study the damage process and mechanism. The mechanical properties of concrete specimens with different initial defect were determined, and the cumulative impact count of AE was recorded. The response characteristics of AE in the process of concrete compression and damage were obtained. According to the analysis of the influence of the initial defect on the Kaiser effect and since the irreversibility of the AE process is related to the degree of damage caused by the material under the pre-load, it was determined that the initial defect will aggravate the damage inside the concrete under the same load level. Based on the statistics and analysis of the Weibull cumulative function, the correlation between AE parameters and damage variables was discussed.

Intelligent Scheduling Method Supporting Stadium Sharing

At present, the fast-paced work and life make people under great pressure, and people’s enthusiasm for fitness is getting higher and higher, which is in contradiction with the shortage of existing stadiums. So it is considerably significant to open shared stadiums near where citizens live for booking. Therefore, how to allow citizens to book a suitable stadium according to their own needs through mobile phones or computers is an urgent problem to be solved. The booking of the shared stadium can be regarded as a mobile edge computing (MEC) scenario, and the problem can be transformed into task scheduling research under MEC through intelligent scheduling method. When using edge computing (EC) technology for service calculation, the mobile terminal needs to offload the service to the edge computing server. After the server completes the calculation, the calculation results will be sent back to the mobile terminal. Therefore, the calculation time and system energy consumption in the calculation process can be further reduced through task scheduling to improve user satisfaction. In this study, joint scheduling of service caching and task algorithm is proposed to reduce the latency of booking shared stadium request and improve user experience. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm with edge cooperation idea can achieve lower average system latency at lower load level and can significantly reduce the cloud offloading ratio under low and middle pressure. In addition, the proposed algorithm uses the secondary transfer of more tasks to reduce the pressure of local task running. Finally, the quality of experience (QoE) satisfaction rate under low pressure is guaranteed.