International oil and gas projects feature high capital-intensity, high risks and contract diversity. Therefore, in order to help decision makers make more reasonable decisions under uncertainty, it is necessary to me...International oil and gas projects feature high capital-intensity, high risks and contract diversity. Therefore, in order to help decision makers make more reasonable decisions under uncertainty, it is necessary to measure the risks of international oil and gas projects. For this purpose, this paper constructs a probabilistic model that is based on the traditional economic evaluation model, and introduces value at risk(VaR) which is a valuable risk measure tool in finance, and applies Va R to measure the risks of royalty contracts, production share contracts and service contracts of an international oil and gas project. Besides, this paper compares the influences of different risk factors on the net present value(NPV) of the project by using the simulation results. The results indicate:(1) risks have great impacts on the project's NPV, therefore, if risks are overlooked, the decision may be wrong.(2) A simulation method is applied to simulate the stochastic distribution of risk factors in the probabilistic model. Therefore, the probability is related to the project's NPV, overcoming the inherent limitation of the traditional economic evaluation method.(3) VaR is a straightforward risk measure tool, and can be applied to evaluate the risks of international oil and gas projects. It is helpful for decision making.展开更多
The need for Optimum Value benefit realization on Road Projects in developing countries has become topical. While the traditional Cost Control project management process only aligns actual costs with budgeted costs, V...The need for Optimum Value benefit realization on Road Projects in developing countries has become topical. While the traditional Cost Control project management process only aligns actual costs with budgeted costs, Value Engineering (VE) is a sustainable and systematic innovative methodology for establishing the best functional balance among desired features of a project. A Value Engineering (VE) study was conducted with the aim of examining the benefits associated with its use on Road Projects in Ghana. This study employed a two-stage research procedure: desk study and field research. The literature review identified the Optimum Value benefits associated with VE road project management technique as increased Confidence Level in Contract Compliance, reliable Implementation Level of Construction Delivery and enhanced Effectiveness Level of Project Sustainability. A quantitative survey research design based on a purposive sampling technique of selecting respondents was adopted. Employing closed-ended questions, 40 sets of questionnaires were issued to professionals in Road Infrastructure and Support Agencies (RISA) under the Ministry of Roads and Highways (MRH) in the Eastern Region of Ghana. At a response rate of 85%, descriptive statistical analysis (Means, Standard Deviations and Variances) and inferential statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) test were used to process the data and determine whether there was any significant difference between VE benefit parameters and the groups of respondents. The results revealed that road professionals are familiar with the VE process but solely use Cost Control project management technique. Road professionals recognized the high Optimum Value benefits of professionally ethical Contract Compliance, efficient Construction Delivery and functionally viable Project Sustainability on VE road project management process.展开更多
Analysis and comparison of Jiaozhou Bay data collected from May 1991 to February 1994 revealed the spatiotemporal variations of the ambient Si(OH) 4∶NO 3 (Si∶N) concentration ratios and the seasonal variations of (S...Analysis and comparison of Jiaozhou Bay data collected from May 1991 to February 1994 revealed the spatiotemporal variations of the ambient Si(OH) 4∶NO 3 (Si∶N) concentration ratios and the seasonal variations of (Si∶N) ratios in Jiaozhou Bay and showed that the Si∶N ratios were < 1 throughout Jiaozhou Bay in spring, autumn, and winter. These results provide further evidence that silicate limits the growth of phytoplankton (i.e. diatoms) in spring, autumn and winter. Moreover, comparison of the spatiotemporal variations of the Si∶N ratio and primary production in Jiaozhou Bay suggested their close relationship. The spatiotemporal pattern of dissolved silicate matched well that of primary production in Jiaozhou Bay. Along with the environmental change of Jiaozhou Bay in the last thirty years, the N and P concentrations tended to rise, whereas Si concentration showed cyclic seasonal variations. With the variation of nutrient Si limiting the primary production in mind, the authors found that the range of values of primary production is divided into three parts: the basic value of Si limited primary production, the extent of Si limited primary production and the critical value of Si limited primary production, which can be calculated for Jiaozhou Bay by Equations (1), (2) and (3), showing that the time of the critical value of Si limitation of phytoplankton growth in Jiaozhou Bay is around November 3 to November 13 in autumn; and that the time of the critical value of Si satisfaction of phytoplankton growth in Jiaozhou Bay is around May 22 to June 7 in spring. Moreover, the calculated critical value of Si satisfactory for phytoplankton growth is 2.15-0.76 μmol/L and the critical value of Si limitation of phytoplankton growth is 1.42-0.36 μmol/L; so that the time period of Si limitation of phytoplankton growth is around November 13 to May 22 in the next year; the time period of Si satisfactory for phytoplankton growth is around June 7 to November 3. This result also explains why critical values of nutrient silicon affect phytoplankton growth in spring and autumn are different in different waters of Jiaozhou Bay and also indicates how the silicate concentration affects the phytoplankton assemblage structure. The dilution of silicate concentration by seawater exchange affects the growth of phytoplankton so that the primary production of phytoplankton declines outside Jiaozhou Bay earlier than inside Jiaozhou Bay by one and half months. This study showed that Jiaozhou Bay phytoplankton badly need silicon and respond very sensitively and rapidly to the variation of silicon.展开更多
Both in developed and in developing countries, the construction industry is regarded as an economic investment activity without forgetting its significant relationship with national economic development due to its gre...Both in developed and in developing countries, the construction industry is regarded as an economic investment activity without forgetting its significant relationship with national economic development due to its great contributions to the national gross domestic product (GDP) of the country. Concerning construction processes, both risk management (RM) and value engineering (VE) techniques have commonalities from the beginning up to the completion of the project due to enhancing the project value/quality, meeting the project deadline, and reducing overall project cost. VE includes resolving the uncertainty of project objectives and ensuring that the project is delivered in a value for money way. The key point of RM is to solve the uncertainty of the project itself and its results to ensure that the specifications are achieved within the prescribed time, cost, and quality constraints. This review work is comparatively and collectively focus</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">ed</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> on assessing the role of RM and VE tools for project successful delivery. It studies the points of difference and common features of the two aspects in terms of construction project delivery. So, this study concluded that in construction RM tool cannot be the chief aim of the all parties involved in the project execution because sometimes it produces itself negative results and reduces project management success. Therefore, RM needs a strong combination with VE due to the dependence of the target in identifying and assessing risks by considering the highest performance and lowest cost. The integration of RM and VE combination in a single study would avoid duplication of work and deliver better value for money thereby leading to better project outcomes.展开更多
Recently,the critical chain study has become a hot issue in the project management research field.The construction of the critical chain with multi-resource constraints is a new research subject.According to the syste...Recently,the critical chain study has become a hot issue in the project management research field.The construction of the critical chain with multi-resource constraints is a new research subject.According to the system analysis theory and project portfolio theory,this paper discusses the creation of project portfolios based on the similarity principle and gives the definition of priority in multi-resource allocation based on quantitative analysis.A model with multi-resource constraints,which can be applied to the critical chain construction of the A-bid section in the South-to-North Water Diversion Project,was proposed.Contrast analysis with the comprehensive treatment construction method and aggressive treatment construction method was carried out.This paper also makes suggestions for further research directions and subjects,which will be useful in improving the theories in relevant research fields.展开更多
Phosphorus(P) is an important macronutrient for plant but can also cause potential environmental risk. In this paper, we studied the long-term fertilizer experiment(started 1980) to assess the soil P dynamic, balance,...Phosphorus(P) is an important macronutrient for plant but can also cause potential environmental risk. In this paper, we studied the long-term fertilizer experiment(started 1980) to assess the soil P dynamic, balance, critical P value and the crop yield response in Taihu Lake region, China. To avoid the effect of nitrogen(N) and potassium(K), only the following treatments were chosen for subsequent discussion, including: C0(control treatment without any fertilizer or organic manure), CNK treatment(mineral N and K only), CNPK(balanced fertilization with mineral N, P and K), MNK(integrated organic manure and mineral N and K), and MNPK(organic manure plus balanced fertilization). The results revealed that the response of wheat yield was more sensitive than rice, and no significant differences of crop yield had been detected among MNK, CNPK and MNPK until 2013. Dynamic and balance of soil total P(TP) and Olsen-P showed soil TP pool was enlarged significantly over consistent fertilization. However, the diminishing marginal utility of soil Olsen-P was also found, indicating that high-level P application in the present condition could not increase soil Olsen-P contents anymore. Linear-linear and Mitscherlich models were used to estimate the critical value of Olsen-P for crops. The average critical P value for rice and wheat was 3.40 and 4.08 mg kg^(–1), respectively. The smaller critical P value than in uplands indicated a stronger ability of P supply for crops in this paddy soil. We concluded that no more mineral P should be applied in rice-wheat system in Taihu Lake region if soil Olsen-P is higher than the critical P value. The agricultural technique and management referring to activate the plant-available P pool are also considerable, such as integrated use of low-P organic manure with mineral N and K.展开更多
CO has been used widely in the production process of colliery as an index gas to predict spontaneous combustion of coal. But in some collieries there are CO gas in the upper corner of the face all the times, sometime ...CO has been used widely in the production process of colliery as an index gas to predict spontaneous combustion of coal. But in some collieries there are CO gas in the upper corner of the face all the times, sometime CO gas even exceeds the regulated critical index. This phenomenon is much more obvious in the fully-mechanized longwall face and fully-mechanized longwall and top-coal caving face. Although many measures of fire-proof and fire-extinguishing have been adopted, the flowing amount of CO gas can be only decreasd, but can not be eliminated completely. Using the different kinds of coal, the experiment of coal oxidation was made at the low temperature. The experiment indicates that some kinds of coal can produce CO under the condition of normal temperature oxidation, sometime the CO consistency is very high, and the intension of CO can be decreased with oxidation time prolonging. Selecting rational critical value of CO is the kev to predicting spontaneous combustion of coal correctly and reliably. The problem of selecting retional critical value of CO was studied. Finally, the amount of CO gas released by different kinds of coal was obtained under normal temperature condition.展开更多
A series of AZ80 billets were compressed with 60%height reduction on hot process simulator at 250,300,350,400℃ under strain rates of 0.01,0.1,1 and 10 s- 1.In order to predict the occurrence of surface fracture,the v...A series of AZ80 billets were compressed with 60%height reduction on hot process simulator at 250,300,350,400℃ under strain rates of 0.01,0.1,1 and 10 s- 1.In order to predict the occurrence of surface fracture,the values of the Cockcroft-Latham equation were calculated by the corresponding finite element numerical algorithm developed.A concept about damage incremental ratio in plastic deformation was defined as the ratio of damage increment at one step to the accumulated value.A method of finding the intersection of incremental ratio varying curve and simulation step axis was brought forward to make the fracture step certain. Then,the effects of temperature and strain rate on critical damage value were achieved.The results show that the critical damage value is not a constant but changes in a range of 0.021 8-0.378 0.It decreases significantly with the increase of strain rate at a certain temperature.While under a certain strain rate,the critical damage value has little change with the increase of temperature.展开更多
In this paper, we consider the existence of three nontrivial solutions for a discrete non-linear multiparameter periodic problem involving the p-Laplacian. By using the similar method for the Dirichlet boundary value ...In this paper, we consider the existence of three nontrivial solutions for a discrete non-linear multiparameter periodic problem involving the p-Laplacian. By using the similar method for the Dirichlet boundary value problems in [G. Bonanno and P. Candito, Appl.Anal., 88(4)(2009), pp. 605-616], we construct two new strong maximum principles and obtain that the boundary value problem has three positive solutions for λ and μ in some suitable intervals. The approaches we use are the critical point theory.展开更多
Previous research shows that there is a strong correlation between saltwater intrusion in the Yangtze Estuary and discharge at Datong. In the near future, the discharge of the Yangtze River during dry seasons will dec...Previous research shows that there is a strong correlation between saltwater intrusion in the Yangtze Estuary and discharge at Datong. In the near future, the discharge of the Yangtze River during dry seasons will decrease due to the construction and operation of large water diversion projects, including the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, which will further exacerbate saltwater intrusion in the estuary. In this paper, a nested 1D river network model and a 2D saltwater numerical model are used to associate saltwater intrusion in the Yangtze Estuary with different values of discharge at Datong. It is concluded that 13 000 m3/s is the critical discharge at Datong for preventing saltwater intrusion and controlling the volume of water transferred by the South-to-North Water Transfer Project. Furthermore, based on the analysis of river discharge from Datong to Xuliujing and in consideration of the influence of all of the water diversion projects, operation schemes are proposed for the Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project for different hydrological years.展开更多
Identifying state transition and determining the critical value of the Duffing oscillator are crucial to indicating external signal existence and have a great influence on detection accuracy in weak signal detection.A...Identifying state transition and determining the critical value of the Duffing oscillator are crucial to indicating external signal existence and have a great influence on detection accuracy in weak signal detection.A circular zone counting(CZC) method is proposed in this paper,by combining the Duffing oscillator's phase trajectory feature and numerical calculation for quickly and accurately identifying state transition and determining the critical value,to realize a highefficiency weak signal detection.Detailed model analysis and method construction of the CZC method are introduced.Numerical experiments into the reliability of the proposed CZC method compared with the maximum Lyapunov exponent(MLE) method are carried out.The CZC method is demonstrated to have better detecting ability than the MLE method,and furthermore it is simpler and clearer in calculation to extend to engineering application.展开更多
Based on the important role in mine safety played by parameters of the first gas outburst, we propose a method of combining historic data, theoretical analysis and experimental research for the purpose of critical val...Based on the important role in mine safety played by parameters of the first gas outburst, we propose a method of combining historic data, theoretical analysis and experimental research for the purpose of critical values of gas parameters of the first gas outburst in a coal seam of the Xieqiao Mine. According to a characteristic analysis and a summary of the rules of coal and gas outbursts in the No.8 coal seam of a Huainan mine, we have investigated their effect on coal and gas outbursts in terms such as ground stress, gas, and coal structure. We have selected gas parameters and determined the critical values of each of the following indices: gas content as 7.7 m 3 /t, tectonic coal as 0.8 m thick, the absolute gas emission as 2 m 3 /min, the rate of change as 0.7 m 3 /min, the gas desorption index of a drilling chip K 1 as 0.26 mL/(g min 1/2 ) and the values of desorption indexes 4h 2 as 200 Pa. From a verification of the production, the results indicate that application of each index and their critical values significantly improve the level of safety in the production process, relieve the burden upon the mine, save much labor and bring clear economic benefits.展开更多
This paper studies the consensus control of multiagent systems with binary-valued observations.An algorithm alternating estimation and control is proposed.Each agent estimates the states of its neighbors based on a pr...This paper studies the consensus control of multiagent systems with binary-valued observations.An algorithm alternating estimation and control is proposed.Each agent estimates the states of its neighbors based on a projected empirical measure method for a holding time.Based on the estimates,each agent designs the consensus control with a constant gain at some skipping time.The states of the system are updated by the designed control,and the estimation and control design will be repeated.For the estimation,the projected empirical measure method is proposed for the binary-valued observations.The algorithm can ensure the uniform boundedness of the estimates and the mean square error of the estimation is proved to be at the order of the reciprocal of the holding time(the same order as that in the case of accurate outputs).For the consensus control,a constant gain is designed instead of the stochastic approximation based gain in the existing literature for binary-valued observations.And,there is no need to make modification for control since the uniform boundedness of the estimates ensures the uniform boundedness of the agents’states.Finally,the systems updated by the designed control are proved to achieve consensus and the consensus speed is faster than that in the existing literature.Simulations are given to demonstrate the theoretical results.展开更多
Accurate project progress measurement is critical for effective project management. Besides guarantying smooth work progress, it affords project managers the chance to identify early warning signs for peremptory remed...Accurate project progress measurement is critical for effective project management. Besides guarantying smooth work progress, it affords project managers the chance to identify early warning signs for peremptory remedial actions to keep the project on schedule and to budget. However, pertinent barriers can suppress the realization of the benefits of an accurate assessment of construction progress. This study aims to identify, examine and prioritize the critical barriers militating against accurate project progress measurement in the Ghanaian construction industry. Sixteen barriers identified from the literature were administered in a questionnaire survey to professionals with tier one construction firms and consultants. Sixty experienced construction professionals practising with tier-one construction firms and consultancy services took part in the survey. The relative importance index technique was used to rank the factors and correlation in responses of the two parties tested by the Mann-Whitney <em>U</em> statistics. The most critical barriers perceived by the professionals were 1) Reliance on Supervisor’s Judgement, 2) Generic and Non-Systematic Approach, 3) Variable Quality of Data and 4) Intricate Measurement Reports. Other highly ranked barriers include 5) Lack of Timely Information, 6) Laborious Data Gathering and 7) Quality Integration Constraint. The findings underpin the need to minimize dependence on subjective opinions and mere experiences of supervisors for assessment of project progress in this age of information technology. Incorporation of a level of automation into traditional progress methods will not only reduce human errors introduced into manually collected data but facilitate visualization of progress reports. Contiguous to a clear specification of the method of progress measurement in the contract document, a system that conveniently integrates cost, time and scope of work into progress measurement must be pursued. Addressing these identified critical barriers will consolidate current construction progress management practices.展开更多
Objective To recognize and assess the impact of the South-to-north Water Transfer Project(SNWTP) on the ecological environment of Xiangfan, Hubei Province, situated in the water-out area,and develop sound scientific c...Objective To recognize and assess the impact of the South-to-north Water Transfer Project(SNWTP) on the ecological environment of Xiangfan, Hubei Province, situated in the water-out area,and develop sound scientific countermeasures. Methods A three-layer BP network was built to simulate topology and process of the eco-economy system of Xiangfan. Historical data of ecological environmental factors and socio-economic factors as inputs, and corresponding historical data of ecosystem service value (ESV) and GDP as target outputs, were presented to train and test the network. When predicted input data after 2001 were presented to trained network as generalization sets, ESVs and GDPs of 2002, 2003, 2004… till 2050 were simulated as output in succession.Results Up to 2050, the area would have suffered an accumulative total ESV loss of RMB104.9 billion, which accounted for 37.36% of the present ESV. The coinstantaneous GDP would changea synchronously with ESV, it would go through an up-to-down process and finally lose RMB89.3 billion, which accounted for 18.71% of 2001. Conclusions The simulation indicates that ESV loss means damage to the capability of socio-economic sustainable development, and suggests that artificial neural networks (ANNs) provide a feasible and effective method and have an important potential in ESV modeling.展开更多
The paper conducts Critical Discourse Analysis on the use of Modality in political interviews. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the use of Motlality is driven by the speakers' ideology, and thus...The paper conducts Critical Discourse Analysis on the use of Modality in political interviews. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the use of Motlality is driven by the speakers' ideology, and thus helps lo build the power relationships between the two participants. Such a linguistic awareness can inform a capacity to resist and change exploitative and dominating linguistic practices, and it' s an issue of importance to everyone with a concem and interest in the problems of our contemporary society. With such awareness, people can get a more incisive recogni-tion and judgment of the political implications, and correctly acquire new trends in politics and developnient of current affairs.展开更多
In this paper,the optional and predictable projections of set-valued measurable processes are studied.The existence and uniqueness of optional and predictable projections of set-valued measurable processes are proved ...In this paper,the optional and predictable projections of set-valued measurable processes are studied.The existence and uniqueness of optional and predictable projections of set-valued measurable processes are proved under proper circumstances.展开更多
At present,with the rapid development of China's economy,the development of the construction industry has made a new breakthrough.Project management requires the construction industry to continuously play its role...At present,with the rapid development of China's economy,the development of the construction industry has made a new breakthrough.Project management requires the construction industry to continuously play its role and value in improving the ability of project management.Earned value method,which is an important way in the field of project management,enables whole project management to rise to a new height.The specific principle of earned value method will be elaborated by fully introducing the specific role of earned value method in engineering projects to provide a reference and basis for practitioners to improve their management ability.展开更多
An embedded cylinder is a large-diameter cylinder embedded in a soil foundation. The state of failure of such an embedded cylindrical structure shows large deflection instead of slide and overturn of the traditional g...An embedded cylinder is a large-diameter cylinder embedded in a soil foundation. The state of failure of such an embedded cylindrical structure shows large deflection instead of slide and overturn of the traditional gravity type of structure placed on a rubble base or foundation base. The critical value of deflection of the embedded cylindrical structure, which is the maximum allowable deflection for stability calculation of the cylinder, is a vital control value. Through investigation on deflection and soil pressures on an embedded cylinder by model experiments, the variations of the angle of rotation θ of a cylinder with effective anti-overturning ratio η and moment MH of thrust are discussed. On the basis of experimental study, the critical value of deflection of the cylindrical structure is proposed in the paper. Meanwhile, the formulas for calculating deflection of cylinders are derived.展开更多
基金supported by the Young Fund of Shanxi University of Finance and Economics(No.QN-2018002)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.71774105)the Fund for Shanxi Key Subjects Construction(FSKSC)and Shanxi Repatriate Study Abroad Foundation(No.2016-3)
文摘International oil and gas projects feature high capital-intensity, high risks and contract diversity. Therefore, in order to help decision makers make more reasonable decisions under uncertainty, it is necessary to measure the risks of international oil and gas projects. For this purpose, this paper constructs a probabilistic model that is based on the traditional economic evaluation model, and introduces value at risk(VaR) which is a valuable risk measure tool in finance, and applies Va R to measure the risks of royalty contracts, production share contracts and service contracts of an international oil and gas project. Besides, this paper compares the influences of different risk factors on the net present value(NPV) of the project by using the simulation results. The results indicate:(1) risks have great impacts on the project's NPV, therefore, if risks are overlooked, the decision may be wrong.(2) A simulation method is applied to simulate the stochastic distribution of risk factors in the probabilistic model. Therefore, the probability is related to the project's NPV, overcoming the inherent limitation of the traditional economic evaluation method.(3) VaR is a straightforward risk measure tool, and can be applied to evaluate the risks of international oil and gas projects. It is helpful for decision making.
文摘The need for Optimum Value benefit realization on Road Projects in developing countries has become topical. While the traditional Cost Control project management process only aligns actual costs with budgeted costs, Value Engineering (VE) is a sustainable and systematic innovative methodology for establishing the best functional balance among desired features of a project. A Value Engineering (VE) study was conducted with the aim of examining the benefits associated with its use on Road Projects in Ghana. This study employed a two-stage research procedure: desk study and field research. The literature review identified the Optimum Value benefits associated with VE road project management technique as increased Confidence Level in Contract Compliance, reliable Implementation Level of Construction Delivery and enhanced Effectiveness Level of Project Sustainability. A quantitative survey research design based on a purposive sampling technique of selecting respondents was adopted. Employing closed-ended questions, 40 sets of questionnaires were issued to professionals in Road Infrastructure and Support Agencies (RISA) under the Ministry of Roads and Highways (MRH) in the Eastern Region of Ghana. At a response rate of 85%, descriptive statistical analysis (Means, Standard Deviations and Variances) and inferential statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) test were used to process the data and determine whether there was any significant difference between VE benefit parameters and the groups of respondents. The results revealed that road professionals are familiar with the VE process but solely use Cost Control project management technique. Road professionals recognized the high Optimum Value benefits of professionally ethical Contract Compliance, efficient Construction Delivery and functionally viable Project Sustainability on VE road project management process.
文摘Analysis and comparison of Jiaozhou Bay data collected from May 1991 to February 1994 revealed the spatiotemporal variations of the ambient Si(OH) 4∶NO 3 (Si∶N) concentration ratios and the seasonal variations of (Si∶N) ratios in Jiaozhou Bay and showed that the Si∶N ratios were < 1 throughout Jiaozhou Bay in spring, autumn, and winter. These results provide further evidence that silicate limits the growth of phytoplankton (i.e. diatoms) in spring, autumn and winter. Moreover, comparison of the spatiotemporal variations of the Si∶N ratio and primary production in Jiaozhou Bay suggested their close relationship. The spatiotemporal pattern of dissolved silicate matched well that of primary production in Jiaozhou Bay. Along with the environmental change of Jiaozhou Bay in the last thirty years, the N and P concentrations tended to rise, whereas Si concentration showed cyclic seasonal variations. With the variation of nutrient Si limiting the primary production in mind, the authors found that the range of values of primary production is divided into three parts: the basic value of Si limited primary production, the extent of Si limited primary production and the critical value of Si limited primary production, which can be calculated for Jiaozhou Bay by Equations (1), (2) and (3), showing that the time of the critical value of Si limitation of phytoplankton growth in Jiaozhou Bay is around November 3 to November 13 in autumn; and that the time of the critical value of Si satisfaction of phytoplankton growth in Jiaozhou Bay is around May 22 to June 7 in spring. Moreover, the calculated critical value of Si satisfactory for phytoplankton growth is 2.15-0.76 μmol/L and the critical value of Si limitation of phytoplankton growth is 1.42-0.36 μmol/L; so that the time period of Si limitation of phytoplankton growth is around November 13 to May 22 in the next year; the time period of Si satisfactory for phytoplankton growth is around June 7 to November 3. This result also explains why critical values of nutrient silicon affect phytoplankton growth in spring and autumn are different in different waters of Jiaozhou Bay and also indicates how the silicate concentration affects the phytoplankton assemblage structure. The dilution of silicate concentration by seawater exchange affects the growth of phytoplankton so that the primary production of phytoplankton declines outside Jiaozhou Bay earlier than inside Jiaozhou Bay by one and half months. This study showed that Jiaozhou Bay phytoplankton badly need silicon and respond very sensitively and rapidly to the variation of silicon.
文摘Both in developed and in developing countries, the construction industry is regarded as an economic investment activity without forgetting its significant relationship with national economic development due to its great contributions to the national gross domestic product (GDP) of the country. Concerning construction processes, both risk management (RM) and value engineering (VE) techniques have commonalities from the beginning up to the completion of the project due to enhancing the project value/quality, meeting the project deadline, and reducing overall project cost. VE includes resolving the uncertainty of project objectives and ensuring that the project is delivered in a value for money way. The key point of RM is to solve the uncertainty of the project itself and its results to ensure that the specifications are achieved within the prescribed time, cost, and quality constraints. This review work is comparatively and collectively focus</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">ed</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> on assessing the role of RM and VE tools for project successful delivery. It studies the points of difference and common features of the two aspects in terms of construction project delivery. So, this study concluded that in construction RM tool cannot be the chief aim of the all parties involved in the project execution because sometimes it produces itself negative results and reduces project management success. Therefore, RM needs a strong combination with VE due to the dependence of the target in identifying and assessing risks by considering the highest performance and lowest cost. The integration of RM and VE combination in a single study would avoid duplication of work and deliver better value for money thereby leading to better project outcomes.
基金supported by the National Science and Technology Plan (Major Project of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan,Grant No. 2006BAB04A13)the Philosophy and Social Science Fund of the Education Department of Jiangsu Province (Grant No.07SJD630006)+2 种基金the Third Key Discipline (Techno-Economics and Management) of the 211 Projectthe Key Discipline of Jiangsu Province (Engineering and Project Management)the Office of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project Construction Committee under the State Council
文摘Recently,the critical chain study has become a hot issue in the project management research field.The construction of the critical chain with multi-resource constraints is a new research subject.According to the system analysis theory and project portfolio theory,this paper discusses the creation of project portfolios based on the similarity principle and gives the definition of priority in multi-resource allocation based on quantitative analysis.A model with multi-resource constraints,which can be applied to the critical chain construction of the A-bid section in the South-to-North Water Diversion Project,was proposed.Contrast analysis with the comprehensive treatment construction method and aggressive treatment construction method was carried out.This paper also makes suggestions for further research directions and subjects,which will be useful in improving the theories in relevant research fields.
基金supported by the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest of China(201203030)the Science and Technology Support Program of Jiangsu,China(BE2013334)the Agricultural Science&Technology Innovation Foundation of Jiangsu Province,China(CX(14)5085)
文摘Phosphorus(P) is an important macronutrient for plant but can also cause potential environmental risk. In this paper, we studied the long-term fertilizer experiment(started 1980) to assess the soil P dynamic, balance, critical P value and the crop yield response in Taihu Lake region, China. To avoid the effect of nitrogen(N) and potassium(K), only the following treatments were chosen for subsequent discussion, including: C0(control treatment without any fertilizer or organic manure), CNK treatment(mineral N and K only), CNPK(balanced fertilization with mineral N, P and K), MNK(integrated organic manure and mineral N and K), and MNPK(organic manure plus balanced fertilization). The results revealed that the response of wheat yield was more sensitive than rice, and no significant differences of crop yield had been detected among MNK, CNPK and MNPK until 2013. Dynamic and balance of soil total P(TP) and Olsen-P showed soil TP pool was enlarged significantly over consistent fertilization. However, the diminishing marginal utility of soil Olsen-P was also found, indicating that high-level P application in the present condition could not increase soil Olsen-P contents anymore. Linear-linear and Mitscherlich models were used to estimate the critical value of Olsen-P for crops. The average critical P value for rice and wheat was 3.40 and 4.08 mg kg^(–1), respectively. The smaller critical P value than in uplands indicated a stronger ability of P supply for crops in this paddy soil. We concluded that no more mineral P should be applied in rice-wheat system in Taihu Lake region if soil Olsen-P is higher than the critical P value. The agricultural technique and management referring to activate the plant-available P pool are also considerable, such as integrated use of low-P organic manure with mineral N and K.
基金Science of Fire Natural Science Foundation of China(2001CB40960102)
文摘CO has been used widely in the production process of colliery as an index gas to predict spontaneous combustion of coal. But in some collieries there are CO gas in the upper corner of the face all the times, sometime CO gas even exceeds the regulated critical index. This phenomenon is much more obvious in the fully-mechanized longwall face and fully-mechanized longwall and top-coal caving face. Although many measures of fire-proof and fire-extinguishing have been adopted, the flowing amount of CO gas can be only decreasd, but can not be eliminated completely. Using the different kinds of coal, the experiment of coal oxidation was made at the low temperature. The experiment indicates that some kinds of coal can produce CO under the condition of normal temperature oxidation, sometime the CO consistency is very high, and the intension of CO can be decreased with oxidation time prolonging. Selecting rational critical value of CO is the kev to predicting spontaneous combustion of coal correctly and reliably. The problem of selecting retional critical value of CO was studied. Finally, the amount of CO gas released by different kinds of coal was obtained under normal temperature condition.
基金Projects(CSTC,cstc2009aa3012-1)supported by Science and Technology Committee of Chongqing,ChinaProject(20100470813)supported by China Postdoctoral Science FoundationProject(2010011511)supported by Sharing Fund of Chongqing University’s Large-scale Equipment
文摘A series of AZ80 billets were compressed with 60%height reduction on hot process simulator at 250,300,350,400℃ under strain rates of 0.01,0.1,1 and 10 s- 1.In order to predict the occurrence of surface fracture,the values of the Cockcroft-Latham equation were calculated by the corresponding finite element numerical algorithm developed.A concept about damage incremental ratio in plastic deformation was defined as the ratio of damage increment at one step to the accumulated value.A method of finding the intersection of incremental ratio varying curve and simulation step axis was brought forward to make the fracture step certain. Then,the effects of temperature and strain rate on critical damage value were achieved.The results show that the critical damage value is not a constant but changes in a range of 0.021 8-0.378 0.It decreases significantly with the increase of strain rate at a certain temperature.While under a certain strain rate,the critical damage value has little change with the increase of temperature.
基金Supported by NSFC(11326127,11101335)NWNULKQN-11-23the Fundamental Research Funds for the Gansu Universities
文摘In this paper, we consider the existence of three nontrivial solutions for a discrete non-linear multiparameter periodic problem involving the p-Laplacian. By using the similar method for the Dirichlet boundary value problems in [G. Bonanno and P. Candito, Appl.Anal., 88(4)(2009), pp. 605-616], we construct two new strong maximum principles and obtain that the boundary value problem has three positive solutions for λ and μ in some suitable intervals. The approaches we use are the critical point theory.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No 50339010)
文摘Previous research shows that there is a strong correlation between saltwater intrusion in the Yangtze Estuary and discharge at Datong. In the near future, the discharge of the Yangtze River during dry seasons will decrease due to the construction and operation of large water diversion projects, including the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, which will further exacerbate saltwater intrusion in the estuary. In this paper, a nested 1D river network model and a 2D saltwater numerical model are used to associate saltwater intrusion in the Yangtze Estuary with different values of discharge at Datong. It is concluded that 13 000 m3/s is the critical discharge at Datong for preventing saltwater intrusion and controlling the volume of water transferred by the South-to-North Water Transfer Project. Furthermore, based on the analysis of river discharge from Datong to Xuliujing and in consideration of the influence of all of the water diversion projects, operation schemes are proposed for the Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project for different hydrological years.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.61172047 and 61071025)
文摘Identifying state transition and determining the critical value of the Duffing oscillator are crucial to indicating external signal existence and have a great influence on detection accuracy in weak signal detection.A circular zone counting(CZC) method is proposed in this paper,by combining the Duffing oscillator's phase trajectory feature and numerical calculation for quickly and accurately identifying state transition and determining the critical value,to realize a highefficiency weak signal detection.Detailed model analysis and method construction of the CZC method are introduced.Numerical experiments into the reliability of the proposed CZC method compared with the maximum Lyapunov exponent(MLE) method are carried out.The CZC method is demonstrated to have better detecting ability than the MLE method,and furthermore it is simpler and clearer in calculation to extend to engineering application.
基金supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (No.2005CB 221501)the Innovation Scientists and Technicians Troop Construction Projects of Henan Province (No.084200510002)the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (No.NCET-07-0257)
文摘Based on the important role in mine safety played by parameters of the first gas outburst, we propose a method of combining historic data, theoretical analysis and experimental research for the purpose of critical values of gas parameters of the first gas outburst in a coal seam of the Xieqiao Mine. According to a characteristic analysis and a summary of the rules of coal and gas outbursts in the No.8 coal seam of a Huainan mine, we have investigated their effect on coal and gas outbursts in terms such as ground stress, gas, and coal structure. We have selected gas parameters and determined the critical values of each of the following indices: gas content as 7.7 m 3 /t, tectonic coal as 0.8 m thick, the absolute gas emission as 2 m 3 /min, the rate of change as 0.7 m 3 /min, the gas desorption index of a drilling chip K 1 as 0.26 mL/(g min 1/2 ) and the values of desorption indexes 4h 2 as 200 Pa. From a verification of the production, the results indicate that application of each index and their critical values significantly improve the level of safety in the production process, relieve the burden upon the mine, save much labor and bring clear economic benefits.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(61803370,61622309)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2018M630216)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016YFB0901902)
文摘This paper studies the consensus control of multiagent systems with binary-valued observations.An algorithm alternating estimation and control is proposed.Each agent estimates the states of its neighbors based on a projected empirical measure method for a holding time.Based on the estimates,each agent designs the consensus control with a constant gain at some skipping time.The states of the system are updated by the designed control,and the estimation and control design will be repeated.For the estimation,the projected empirical measure method is proposed for the binary-valued observations.The algorithm can ensure the uniform boundedness of the estimates and the mean square error of the estimation is proved to be at the order of the reciprocal of the holding time(the same order as that in the case of accurate outputs).For the consensus control,a constant gain is designed instead of the stochastic approximation based gain in the existing literature for binary-valued observations.And,there is no need to make modification for control since the uniform boundedness of the estimates ensures the uniform boundedness of the agents’states.Finally,the systems updated by the designed control are proved to achieve consensus and the consensus speed is faster than that in the existing literature.Simulations are given to demonstrate the theoretical results.
文摘Accurate project progress measurement is critical for effective project management. Besides guarantying smooth work progress, it affords project managers the chance to identify early warning signs for peremptory remedial actions to keep the project on schedule and to budget. However, pertinent barriers can suppress the realization of the benefits of an accurate assessment of construction progress. This study aims to identify, examine and prioritize the critical barriers militating against accurate project progress measurement in the Ghanaian construction industry. Sixteen barriers identified from the literature were administered in a questionnaire survey to professionals with tier one construction firms and consultants. Sixty experienced construction professionals practising with tier-one construction firms and consultancy services took part in the survey. The relative importance index technique was used to rank the factors and correlation in responses of the two parties tested by the Mann-Whitney <em>U</em> statistics. The most critical barriers perceived by the professionals were 1) Reliance on Supervisor’s Judgement, 2) Generic and Non-Systematic Approach, 3) Variable Quality of Data and 4) Intricate Measurement Reports. Other highly ranked barriers include 5) Lack of Timely Information, 6) Laborious Data Gathering and 7) Quality Integration Constraint. The findings underpin the need to minimize dependence on subjective opinions and mere experiences of supervisors for assessment of project progress in this age of information technology. Incorporation of a level of automation into traditional progress methods will not only reduce human errors introduced into manually collected data but facilitate visualization of progress reports. Contiguous to a clear specification of the method of progress measurement in the contract document, a system that conveniently integrates cost, time and scope of work into progress measurement must be pursued. Addressing these identified critical barriers will consolidate current construction progress management practices.
文摘Objective To recognize and assess the impact of the South-to-north Water Transfer Project(SNWTP) on the ecological environment of Xiangfan, Hubei Province, situated in the water-out area,and develop sound scientific countermeasures. Methods A three-layer BP network was built to simulate topology and process of the eco-economy system of Xiangfan. Historical data of ecological environmental factors and socio-economic factors as inputs, and corresponding historical data of ecosystem service value (ESV) and GDP as target outputs, were presented to train and test the network. When predicted input data after 2001 were presented to trained network as generalization sets, ESVs and GDPs of 2002, 2003, 2004… till 2050 were simulated as output in succession.Results Up to 2050, the area would have suffered an accumulative total ESV loss of RMB104.9 billion, which accounted for 37.36% of the present ESV. The coinstantaneous GDP would changea synchronously with ESV, it would go through an up-to-down process and finally lose RMB89.3 billion, which accounted for 18.71% of 2001. Conclusions The simulation indicates that ESV loss means damage to the capability of socio-economic sustainable development, and suggests that artificial neural networks (ANNs) provide a feasible and effective method and have an important potential in ESV modeling.
文摘The paper conducts Critical Discourse Analysis on the use of Modality in political interviews. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the use of Motlality is driven by the speakers' ideology, and thus helps lo build the power relationships between the two participants. Such a linguistic awareness can inform a capacity to resist and change exploitative and dominating linguistic practices, and it' s an issue of importance to everyone with a concem and interest in the problems of our contemporary society. With such awareness, people can get a more incisive recogni-tion and judgment of the political implications, and correctly acquire new trends in politics and developnient of current affairs.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(1 9971 0 72 )
文摘In this paper,the optional and predictable projections of set-valued measurable processes are studied.The existence and uniqueness of optional and predictable projections of set-valued measurable processes are proved under proper circumstances.
文摘At present,with the rapid development of China's economy,the development of the construction industry has made a new breakthrough.Project management requires the construction industry to continuously play its role and value in improving the ability of project management.Earned value method,which is an important way in the field of project management,enables whole project management to rise to a new height.The specific principle of earned value method will be elaborated by fully introducing the specific role of earned value method in engineering projects to provide a reference and basis for practitioners to improve their management ability.
文摘An embedded cylinder is a large-diameter cylinder embedded in a soil foundation. The state of failure of such an embedded cylindrical structure shows large deflection instead of slide and overturn of the traditional gravity type of structure placed on a rubble base or foundation base. The critical value of deflection of the embedded cylindrical structure, which is the maximum allowable deflection for stability calculation of the cylinder, is a vital control value. Through investigation on deflection and soil pressures on an embedded cylinder by model experiments, the variations of the angle of rotation θ of a cylinder with effective anti-overturning ratio η and moment MH of thrust are discussed. On the basis of experimental study, the critical value of deflection of the cylindrical structure is proposed in the paper. Meanwhile, the formulas for calculating deflection of cylinders are derived.
