Disseminating a warning message to evacuate: A simulation study of the behaviour of neighbours

Large-scale evacuations are a recurring theme on news channels, whether in response to major natural or manmade disasters. The role of warning dissemination is a key part in the success of such large-scale evacuations and its inadequacy in certain cases has been a ‘primary contribution to deaths and injuries’ (Hayden et al., 2007). Along with technology-driven ‘official warning channels’ (e.g. sirens, mass media), the role of unofficial channel (e.g. neighbours, personal contacts, volunteer wardens) has proven to be significant in warning the public of the need to evacuate. Although post-evacuation studies identify the behaviours of evacuees as disseminators of the warning message, there has not been a detailed study that quantifies the effects of such behaviour on the warning message dissemination. This paper develops an Agent-Based Simulation (ABS) model of multiple agents (evacuee households) in a hypothetical community to investigate the impact of behaviour as an unofficial channel on the overall warning dissemination. Parameters studied include the percentage of people who warn their neighbours, the efficiency of different official warning channels, and delay time to warn neighbours. Even with a low proportion of people willing to warn their neighbour, the results showed considerable impact on the overall warning dissemination.     

Alternative routes to equivalent classical models of a quantum system

<正>Coarse-graining of some sort is a fundamental and unavoidable step in any attempt to derive the classical mechanical behavior from the quantum formalism.We utilize the two-mode Bose-Hubbard model to illustrate how different coarse-grained systems can be naturally associated with a fixed quantum system if it is compatible with different dynamical algebras.Alternative coarse-grained systems generate different evolutions of the same physical quantities,and the difference becomes negligible only in the appropriate macro-limit.     

Application of HPLC-Thermospray Flame AAS: Interaction Between Heavy Metals and Duckweed Chlorophyll

Thermospray nebulizer interfaced HPLC-Flame AAS was used to study the effect of heavy metals (Al, Cd, Cu, Hg and Zn) on the chlorophylls of duckweed. Flame AAS was used as a metal specific detector of HPLC. Study indicated that heavy metals promote the degradation of chlorophylls. No evidence of direct replacement of central magnesium with heavy metals was found.     

单重工作休假M/M/c排队驱动的流体模型分析

该文在M/M/c排队驱动系统中加入工作休假策略,研究了单重工作休假多服务台排队驱动的流体模型.利用拟生灭过程和矩阵几何解法得到驱动系统稳态队长分布.构建净输入率结构,导出流体模型的稳态联合分布函数满足的的矩阵微分方程组,进而利用Laplace-Stieltjes变换(LST)方法得到稳态下缓冲器库存量的空库概率及均值表达式.最后,给出模型在多信道无线Mesh网下的应用,通过数值例子展示参数变化对系统性能指标的影响.     

地球化学模拟在高放废物地质处置中的应用与发展

随着核能事业的发展,高放废物的处理和处置问题日益突出.其中,研究高放废物在环境介质中的吸附、扩散和迁移行为是获取放射性核素对周围环境和人群健康影响的基础参数的最重要和最直接的途径.近年来,人们利用已有的实验数据及核素的基础热力学和动力学数据,附以相应的数学模型,建立了一些地球化学模拟软件,用于分析核素在地质介质中可能发生的连续性和长期性变化.目前,国内外常用的地球化学模拟软件有十多种.本文从热力学平衡计算原理、种态分布计算方法和表面配位模型假设等几个方面对地球化学模拟软件进行了简要介绍,对近年来地球化学模拟软件在核素种态分布计算和表面配位模型模拟两方面的应用进行了举例分析,并以Ca-U-CO3配合物为例,说明完备的热力学数据对地球化学模拟软件发展的重要性,以期促进我国地球化学模型的应用和发展.     

Kinematics of layered reinforced-concrete planar beam finite elements with embedded transversal cracking

In this work crack formation and development is addressed and implemented in a planar layered reinforced-concrete beam element. The crack initiation and growth is described using the strength criterion in conjunction with exact kinematics of the interlayer connection. In this way a novel embedded-discontinuity beam finite element is derived in which the tensile stresses in concrete at the crack position reaching the tensile strength will trigger a crack to open. Since the element is multi-layered, in this way the crack is allowed to propagate through the depth of the beam. The cracked layer(s) will involve discontinuity in the cross-sectional rotation equal to the crack-profile angle, as well as a discontinuity in the position vector of the layer’s reference line. A bond–slip relationship is superimposed onto this model in a kinematically consistent manner with reinforcement being treated as an additional layer of zero thickness with its own material parameters and a constitutive law implemented in the multi-layered beam element.     

Application of the transmission line matrix method for outdoor sound propagation modelling – Part 1: Model presentation and evaluation

The present paper deals with an original time-domain approach applied to outdoor sound propagation under meteorological effects. The transmission line matrix method, based on the Huygens’ principle, had already been validated over impedant grounds and complex topography. The presented formulation proposes to take into account meteorological effects (wind speed and temperature) through the relative sound speed. The necessary wavefront direction is determined through the calculation of the averaged intensity vector direction. A good agreement is found between simulations of both the transmission line matrix and parabolic equation methods. A relevant use of the method is shown in the framework of environmental acoustics and initial applications are proposed in Part 2.     

New application of human eye model in the verification of spot diagram with refractive diopter

In response to the rapid advancement of auto-refractor technology, most optometry shops provide refraction services. Despite their speed and convenience, the measurement values provided by auto-refractors include a significant degree of error due to psychological and physical factors. Therefore, there is a need for repetitive testing to obtain a smaller mean error value. However, even repetitive testing itself might not be sufficient to ensure accurate measurements. Therefore, research on a method of measurement that can complement auto-refractor measurements and provide confirmation of refraction results needs to be conducted. The customized optometry model described herein can satisfy the above requirements. From the existing optical technologies, using human eye measurement devices to obtain individual relevant optical feature parameters is no longer difficult. These parameters allow us to construct an optometry model for individual eyeballs. They also allow us to compute spot diagrams produced from the optometry model using the CODE V macro programming language before recognizing the geometrical spot diagram with the back-propagation neural network algorithm to obtain the accurate refractive diopter. Results show that the accuracy achieved was above 98% and that this application could significantly enhance the service quality of refraction.     

Hydrogen Spillover Enhanced Hydroxyl Formation and Catalytic Activity Toward CO Oxidation at the Metal/Oxide Interface

H₂‐promoted catalytic activity of oxide‐supported metal catalysts in low‐temperature CO oxidation is of great interest but its origin remains unknown. Employing an FeO(111)/Pt(111) inverse model catalyst, we herewith report direct experimental evidence for the spillover of H(a) adatoms on the Pt surface formed by H₂ dissociation to the Pt?FeO interface to form hydroxyl groups that facilely oxidize CO(a) on the neighboring Pt surface to produce CO₂. Hydroxyl groups and coadsorbed water play a crucial role in the occurrence of hydrogen spillover. These results unambiguously identify the occurrence of hydrogen spillover from the metal surface to the noble metal/metal oxide interface and the resultant enhanced catalytic activity of the metal/oxide interface in low‐temperature CO oxidation, which provides a molecular‐level understanding of both H₂‐promoted catalytic activity of metal/oxide ensembles in low‐temperature CO oxidation and hydrogen spillover.