Application of soft computing techniques for shallow foundation reliability in geotechnical engineering

This research focuses on the application of three soft computing techniques including Minimax Probability Machine Regression(MPMR),Particle Swarm Optimization based Artificial Neural Network(ANN-PSO)and Particle Swarm Optimization based Adaptive Network Fuzzy Inference System(ANFIS-PSO)to study the shallow foundation reliability based on settlement criteria.Soil is a heterogeneous medium and the involvement of its attributes for geotechnical behaviour in soil-foundation system makes the prediction of settlement of shallow a complex engineering problem.This study explores the feasibility of soft computing techniques against the deterministic approach.The settlement of shallow foundation depends on the parametersγ(unit weight),e0(void ratio)and CC(compression index).These soil parameters are taken as input variables while the settlement of shallow foundation as output.To assess the performance of models,different performance indices i.e.RMSE,VAF,R^2,Bias Factor,MAPE,LMI,U(95),RSR,NS,RPD,etc.were used.From the analysis of results,it was found that MPMR model outperformed PSO-ANFIS and PSO-ANN.Therefore,MPMR can be used as a reliable soft computing technique for non-linear problems for settlement of shallow foundations on soils.     

Dynamic responses under the excitation of pulse sequences

This paper studies the dynamic responses of SDOF system under pulse-dominant excitations. The purpose of the study is to prepare for scrutiny of some near-field pulse-dominant ground motions and their potential to cause structural damage. Extending the single pulse dynamics, we consider the effect of pulse sequences. This kind of excitation was particularly obvious in some of previous earthquakes such as Northridge (1994) and Chi-Chi (1995). Based on the duration,peak and rise and decay era of the main pulse as well as its relationship with the predecessor and successor pulses, we propose a classification for the pulse sequences. Consequent studies have been carried out for acceleration, velocity and displacement response spectra of the main pulse with either a predecessor or a successor pulse. The analysis also includes general response behaviors in different fundamental period segments and special aspects of response at certain points (e.g., the corresponding peak points).     

西天山东塔尔别克金矿区安山岩LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年代学、元素地球化学与岩石成因

东塔尔别克金矿区位于西天山吐拉苏盆地内阿希金矿区南侧,构造上属于伊犁-中天山微板块与准噶尔板块之间的博罗科努早古生代岛弧带西段。东塔尔别克矿区出露有一些安山岩,这些岩石具有典型高镁安山岩特征,如高硅（SiO₂=58.94%~63.85%),具有较高的MgO含量(3.75%~6.59%)和Mg^#(58~69)、高的Cr（94.2×10^-6~241×10^-6）、和Ni（54.5×10^-6~126 ×10^-6）含量,以及低的FeO^T/MgO比值。除了Sr含量略微偏低（235×10^-6~696×10^-6）之外,这些岩石基本显示了埃达克岩的地球化学特征：高的Al₂O₃（15.39%~16.65%）,低Y（9.86×10^-6~14.9×10^-6）含量,以及高的Sr/Y比值(23.8~48.1),无Eu异常,Nb、Ta、Ti亏损等。LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年结果显示安山岩的年龄为347.2±1.6Ma,为早石炭世。安山岩富集Rb、Th、U 等大离子亲石元素,相对亏损Nb、Ta、Ti等高场强元素,轻重稀土元素分馏明显,具有俯冲带岛弧岩浆的特征。东塔尔别克安山岩可能形成于岛弧环境中,并可能由俯冲的晚古生代北天山洋洋壳以及少量上覆沉积物熔融形成,产生的熔体在上升过程中与地幔橄榄岩发生了相互作用. 熔体-地幔相互作用对区内金矿的形成具有重要意义。     

Comparison of the acid-base responses to CO2 and acidification in Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

To investigate whether the biological toxicity of aquatic hypercapnia is due to the direct effects of CO2 or to the effects of acidification of seawater by CO2, the Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) was subjected to seawater equilibrated with a gas mixture of air containing 5% CO2 (pH 6.18) or seawater acidified to the same pH with 1 N H2SO4. All the fish died within 72 h in the CO2 exposure group, whereas no mortality occurred in the acid group. Acid-base parameters as well as plasma ion concentrations were severely perturbed in the CO2 exposure group, whereas they were minimally affected in the acid group. These results clearly demonstrate that the mortality in the CO2 group is a direct result of the elevated levels of dissolved CO2 and not to the effects of the reduced water pH.     

Sediment disturbance off the Tagus Estuary, Western Portugal: chronic contamination, sewage outfall operation and runoff events

Sediment disturbance patterns in the coastal area off the Tagus Estuary (Portugal) have been assessed using a set of combined techniques. The potential sources of disturbance in the area include chronic contamination of the fine sediments originating from the estuary, a local input from a long-sea sewage outfall and occasional high runoff episodes following torrential rain. The Sediment Quality Triad approach, combining environmental chemistry (namely organic contaminants), macrofaunal benthic communities and laboratory sediment toxicity assays, was performed on sediment samples from 20 sites. The samples were collected before the outfall commenced operation and four years after commissioning, in order to evaluate the relative magnitudes of the three potential sources of disturbance. The sediment contamination created by the estuary was identified as the most important cause of reduced sediment quality, as disturbance in all three components of the Sediment Quality Triad were only found in a site located near the estuary.     

声波和电磁波成像确定目标体位置的最大似然估计法

我们提出了一种利用散射波数据来确定地下目标位置的算法。该算法假定目标体已知，而它的位置要根据任意数量（有少量）的具有噪声的散射实验来估算，这种方法不受物理的测量几何条件的限制，因此特别适用于这样的地球物理问题：每个实验的花费使有效数据量受到限制的情况，即我们所称的数据贫乏的情况。     

Mediterranean fin whales at risk from fatal ship strikes

This paper reviews and analyzes ship collision records for the relatively isolated population of fin whales in the Mediterranean Sea from 1972 to 2001. Out of 287 carcasses, 46 individuals (16.0%) were certainly killed by boats. The minimum mean annual fatal collision rate increased from 1 to 1.7 whales/year from the 1970s to the 1990s. Fatal strike events (82.2%) were reported in or adjacent to the Pelagos Sanctuary, characterized by high levels of traffic and whale concentrations. Among 383 photo-identified whales, 9 (2.4%) had marks that were attributed to a ship impact. The reported rates are unusually high for baleen whales. The high likelihood of unreported fatal strikes combined with other anthropogenic threats suggests an urgent need for a comprehensive, basin-wide conservation strategy, including ship strike mitigation requirements, like real-time monitoring of whale presence and distribution to re-locate ferry routes to areas of lower cetacean density, and reducing ship speed in high cetacean density areas.