Issue Information

An integrated finite element method (FEM) is proposed to simulate incompressible two‐phase flows with surface tension effects, and three different surface tension models are applied to the FEM to investigate spurious currents and temporal stability. A Q2Q1 element is adopted to solve the continuity and Navier–Stokes equations and a Q2‐iso‐Q1 to solve the level set equation. The integrated FEM solves pressure and velocity simultaneously in a strongly coupled manner; the level set function is reinitialized by adopting a direct approach using interfacial geometry information instead of solving a conventional hyperbolic‐type equation. In addition, a consistent continuum surface force (consistent CSF) model is utilized by employing the same basis function for both surface tension and pressure variables to damp out spurious currents and to estimate the accurate pressure distribution. The model is further represented as a semi‐implicit manner to improve temporal stability with an increased time step. In order to verify the accuracy and robustness of the code, the present method is applied to a few benchmark problems of the static bubble and rising bubble with large density and viscosity ratios. The Q2Q1‐integrated FEM coupled with the semi‐implicit consistent CSF demonstrates the significantly reduced spurious currents and improved temporal stability. The numerical results are in good qualitative and quantitative agreements with those of the existing studies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evolution of downsized crescent-shaped dune in wind tunnel experiment

The migration of a downsized crescent-shaped dune was investigated in a wind tunnel experiment.Quantified upwind influx and vertical oscillation of the sand bed were introduced to modulate the saturation level of the sand flux above the dune surface to affect dune evolution.The evolution was recorded by top-view photography and then abstracted as the evolution of self-defined characteristic quantities using a digital image processing algorithm.The results showed that,in contrast to the case for spanwise quantities,the evolution of streamwise quantities corresponds to a linear increase in the modulation magnitude more positively and in a monotonic and convergent manner.In contrast with quantities on the windward face,the changes in quantities with respect to the horns were nonmonotonic with time and almost uncorrelated with the variation in modulation strength,which reveals the distinctiveness of leeside evolution.     

大同市居民对室内空气质量认知程度的调查

为了解大同市居民对室内空气质量的认知情况，并分析认知程度与教育的关系，于2016年3月至5月，在大同市城区的9个社区随机对居民进行问卷调查。问卷内容包括居民对室内空气质量安全知识的了解，检测室内空气质量的意愿和治理意愿3个方面。将居民所处地域、居民的年龄与学历对室内空气质量安全认知程度的影响分别进行统计学分析。结果表明，大同市居民室内空气质量安全认知程度总体得分15.8，得分率为52.7%；新城区的居民对室内空气质量安全认知水平高于老城区居民（p<0.05）；学历越高且越年轻的居民对室内空气质量安全的认知水平越高，寻求有关机构进行室内空气检测和治理的意愿更强烈，且对检测和治理的费用承受度较高。大同市居民对室内空气质量安全认知程度总体不高，还应加强对市民的室内空气质量安全方面的教育。     

一种基于GPU的大规模地形绘制算法

利用Geometry Clipmap算法的基本思想,对原算法进行简化与改进。在预处理阶段,对地形数据的存储方式进行简化,并采用Clipmap结构进行组织和管理;在绘制阶段,重点针对不同分辨率层次之间的裂缝问题进行分析和处理,提出了一种引入过渡带的方法有效消除了裂缝。实验表明,该方法有效提高渲染速率,并充分发挥GPU的优势,实现了大规模地形数据的实时可视化。     

Maximum likelihood estimation for second level fMRI data analysis with expectation trust region algorithm

The trust region method which originated from the Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) algorithm for mixed effect model estimation are considered in the context of second level functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data analysis. We first present the mathematical and optimization details of the method for the mixed effect model analysis, then we compare the proposed methods with the conventional expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm based on a series of datasets (synthetic and real human fMRI datasets). From simulation studies, we found a higher damping factor for the LM algorithm is better than lower damping factor for the fMRI data analysis. More importantly, in most cases, the expectation trust region algorithm is superior to the EM algorithm in terms of accuracy if the random effect variance is large. We also compare these algorithms on real human datasets which comprise repeated measures of fMRI in phased-encoded and random block experiment designs. We observed that the proposed method is faster in computation and robust to Gaussian noise for the fMRI analysis. The advantages and limitations of the suggested methods are discussed.     

Reliability assessment of principal point estimates for forensic applications

Although quite recent as a forensic research domain, computer vision analysis of scenes is likely to become more and more important in the near future, thanks to its robustness to image alterations at the signal level, such as image compression and filtering. However, the experimental assessment of vision-based forensic algorithms is a particularly critical task, since they cannot be tested on massive amounts of data, and their performance can heavily depend on user skill. In this paper we investigate on the accuracy and reliability of a vision-based, user-supervised method for the estimation of the camera principal point, to be used in cropping and splicing detection. Results of an extensive experimental evaluation show how the estimation accuracy depends on perspective conditions as well as on the selected image features. Such evidence led us to define a novel visual feature, referred to as Minimum Vanishing Angle, which can be used to assess the reliability of the method.     

A new level‐dependent coarse grid correction scheme for indefinite Helmholtz problems

In this paper, we construct and analyze a level‐dependent coarse grid correction scheme for indefinite Helmholtz problems. This adapted multigrid (MG) method is capable of solving the Helmholtz equation on the finest grid using a series of MG cycles with a grid‐dependent complex shift, leading to a stable correction scheme on all levels. It is rigorously shown that the adaptation of the complex shift throughout the MG cycle maintains the functionality of the two‐grid correction scheme, as no smooth modes are amplified in or added to the error. In addition, a sufficiently smoothing relaxation scheme should be applied to ensure damping of the oscillatory error components. Numerical experiments on various benchmark problems show the method to be competitive with or even outperform the current state‐of‐the‐art MG‐preconditioned Krylov methods, for example, complex shifted Laplacian preconditioned flexible GMRES. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A preliminary approach of dynamic identification of slender buildings by neuronal networks

The study of the dynamic behavior of slender masonry structures is usually related to the preservation of the historic heritage. This study, for bell towers and industrial masonry chimneys, is particularly relevant in areas with an important seismic hazard. The analysis of the dynamic behavior of masonry structures is particularly complex due to the multiple effects that can affect the variation of its main frequencies along the seasons of the year: temperature and humidity. Moreover, these dynamic properties also vary considerably in structures built in areas where land subsidence due to the variation of the phreatic level along the year is particularly evident: the stiffness of the soil–structure interaction also varies. This paper presents a study to evaluate the possibility of detecting the variation of groundwater level based on the readings obtained using accelerometers in different positions on the structure. To do this a general case study was considered: a 3D numerical model of a bellower. The variation of the phreatic level was evaluated between 0 and −20 m, and 81 cases studies were developed modifying the rigidity of the soil–structure interaction associated to a position of the phreatic level. To simulate the dispositions of accelerometers on a real construction, 16 points of the numerical model were selected along the structure to obtain modal displacements in two orthogonal directions. Through an adjustment by using neural networks, a good correlation has been observed between the predicted position of the water table and acceleration readings obtained from the numerical model. It is possible to conclude that with a discrete register of accelerations on the tower it is possible to predict the water table depth.     

Controlling the interface energetics of PCPDTBT by p-doping

The doping of organic semiconductors is a promising way for both improving the charge carrier transport and tuning the energy level alignment at interfaces. We study the influence of p-doping of the low band gap polymer PCPDTBT with F4-TCNQ on the energy level alignment in a prototype organic solar cell structure with ITO as an electrode material and the fullerene C₆₀ as electron acceptor material using Ultraviolet and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. As a consequence of the doping, a Quasi-Ohmic contact at the interface to ITO is formed, whereas the energy level alignment to C₆₀ is almost not affected. In contrast to a related system, we observe a depletion of the dopant at the polymer surface. The change of the energy level alignment only at the electrode interface might be advantageous for the application in organic solar cell devices.     

Die Füllstandsmeßeinrichtung 24016

Seit nahezu 10 Jahren warden vom VEB Robotron Meβelektronik “Otto Schön” Dresden kontinuierliche Füllstandsmeβeinrichtungen hergestellt. Sie arbeiten nach dem Prinzip der Strahlenstreuung im Füllgut. Quelle und Strahlungsdetektor befinden sich — durch einen Absorber getrennt — in einer gemeinsamen Sonde. Die Sonde wird durch einen Motorantrieb dem jeweiligen Füllstand nachgeführt. Diese Messung wird bei Behälterhöhen bis maximal 40 m eingesetzt. In den Behälter ist der Einbau eines Schutzrohres für die Sonde erforderlich. Da strahlungsquelle und Detektor in einer gemeinsamen Sonde untergebracht sind, wird keine groβe Quellenaktivität benötigt. Die beschriebene neue Entwicklung ersetzt ab 2. Halbjahr 1982 den mit einigen Nachteilen behafteten Vorläufer dieser Füllstandsmeβanlage. Durch die vorgenommenen Verbesserungen warden der Inbetriebnahme- und der Wartungsaufwand verringert und die Zuverlässigkeit erhöbt.