A branch-and-bound method for the minimum k−enclosing ball problem

The minimum k-enclosing ball problem seeks the ball with smallest radius that contains at least k of m given points. This problem is NP-hard. We present a branch-and-bound algorithm on the tree of the subsets of k points to solve this problem. Our method is able to solve the problem exactly in a short amount of time for small and medium sized datasets.     

输电铁塔四地脚螺栓塔脚板抗拉承载力试验与计算方法研究

针对架空输电线路铁塔中常用的四地脚螺栓塔脚板进行了抗拉承载力试验和理论计算方法研究。首先,选取8个试件进行塔脚板抗拉承载力试验研究,分析塔脚底板板厚及有无加劲板对塔脚板抗拉承载力的影响;其次,通过有限元模拟塔脚板的应力分布情况,并结合“塑性分析,弹性设计”的思想,提出了一种基于屈服线理论的四地脚螺栓塔脚板抗拉承载力计算公式;最后,与试验结果、有限元仿真结果、已有技术规定中的计算结果进行了对比。结果表明:建议公式与试验结果和仿真结果较为吻合,相关技术规定中的计算结果偏于保守,验证了本文建议公式的精确性;底板厚度和加劲板的作用对塔脚板承载力影响较大。研究结果可为输电铁塔四地脚螺栓塔脚板结构设计提供参考。     

变角度纤维复合材料层合斜板的颤振分析

假设纤维方向角沿层合板的长度方向线性变化，研究了变角度纤维复合材料层合斜板的颤振．通过坐标变换将斜板变换为正方形板，采用层合板表面连续变化的速度环量来模拟空气对其的作用，速度环量分布利用Cauchy积分公式计算．建立了系统的Lagrange方程并采用Ritz法得到了层合板的自振频率和颤振/不稳定性分离临界速度．通过数值算例验证了本文模型和方法的正确性和收敛性，分析了各个铺层内纤维方向角的变化对自振频率和颤振/不稳定性分离临界速度的影响．研究结果表明，通过纤维的变角度铺设，可有效地提高层合板的基频和颤振/不稳定性分离临界速度．经合理设计的变角度复合材料层合板具有抑制颤振的作用．     

Broadband mode converter and multiplexer based on dielectric-loaded plasmonic waveguides

We theoretically demonstrate a broadband mode converter and multiplexer based on plasmonic waveguides loaded with structured dielectrics. The proposed device can realize conversions between a fundamental TM₀ mode and a first order TM₁ mode, as well as (de)multiplex them with another TM₀ mode. Our design exhibits as wide as 400 nm bandwidth and as short as 6~7 μm coupling length. This work has potential application in high density photonic integrated devices for both computing and communication applications.     

Rapid analysis of ultraviolet filters using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled to headspace gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

An ionic‐liquid‐based in situ dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method coupled to headspace gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was developed for the rapid analysis of ultraviolet filters. The chemical structures of five ionic liquids were specifically designed to incorporate various functional groups for the favorable extraction of the target analytes. Extraction parameters including ionic liquid mass, molar ratio of ionic liquid to metathesis reagent, vortex time, ionic strength, pH, and total sample volume were studied and optimized. The effect of the headspace temperature and volume during the headspace sampling step was also evaluated to increase the sensitivity of the method. The optimized procedure is fast as it only required ∼7–10 min per extraction and allowed for multiple extractions to be performed simultaneously. In addition, the method exhibited high precision, good linearity, and low limits of detection for six ultraviolet filters in aqueous samples. The developed method was applied to both pool and lake water samples attaining acceptable relative recovery values.     

Potts models with magnetic field: Arithmetic,geometry, and computation

We give a sheaf theoretic interpretation of Potts models with external magnetic field, in terms of constructible sheaves and their Euler characteristics. We show that the polynomial countability question for the hypersurfaces defined by the vanishing of the partition function is affected by changes in the magnetic field: elementary examples suffice to see non-polynomially countable cases that become polynomially countable after a perturbation of the magnetic field. The same recursive formula for the Grothendieck classes, under edge-doubling operations, holds as in the case without magnetic field, but the closed formulae for specific examples like banana graphs differ in the presence of magnetic field. We give examples of computation of the Euler characteristic with compact support, for the set of real zeros, and find a similar exponential growth with the size of the graph. This can be viewed as a measure of topological and algorithmic complexity. We also consider the computational complexity question for evaluations of the polynomial, and show both tractable and NP-hard examples, using dynamic programming.     

Liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry assay for the simultaneous determination of three major flavonoids and their glucuronidated metabolites in rats after oral administration of Artemisia annua L. extract at a therapeutic ultra‐low dose

The traditional antimalarial herb Artemisia annua L., from which artemisinin is isolated, is widely used in endemic regions. It has been suggested that artemisinin activity can be enhanced by flavonoids in A. annua; however, how fast and how long the flavonoids are present in the body remains unknown. In the present study, a rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of three major flavonoids components, i.e. chrysosplenol D, chrysoplenetin, and artemetin and their glucuronidated metabolites in rats after oral administrations of A. annua extracts at a therapeutic ultra‐low dose. The concentration of the intact form was determined directly, and the concentration of the glucuronidated form was assayed in the form of flavonoids aglycones, after treatment with β‐glucuronidase/sulfatase. The method was linear in the range of 0.5–300.0 ng/mL for chrysoplenetin and artemetin, and 2–600 ng/mL for chrysosplenol D. All the validation data conformed to the acceptance requirements. The study revealed a significantly higher exposure of the flavonoid constituents in conjugated forms in rats, with only trace intact from. Multiple oral doses of A. annua extracts led to a decreased plasma concentration levels for three flavonoids.