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This study investigated the role of mobile applications as aids in solving systems of linear equations with two variables through the graphical method. The use of mobile applications was examined in a group of primary and lower school students to evaluate their effectiveness in learning mathematics and improving their skills in solving systems of linear equations. The main goal of this scientific paper is to investigate and evaluate the role of mobile applications as aids in solving systems of linear equations, involving students in the research process. The research method included a mixed-methods design including quantitative analysis of mobile application results and qualitative analysis of students' experiences and opinions. Data collection was conducted through individual interviews and classroom observations. The results show that the use of these technological tools has a positive impact on the involvement of students, increasing the interest and efficiency of learning. The findings also highlight challenges and suggestions for improving the use of mobile applications in the mathematics teaching context. This study contributes to the understanding of the use of mobile technology for the development of mathematical skills at the lower secondary school level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a simple yet rigorous graphical method for eliminating bias in theory-based program evaluation. The method is an application to social and international development program evaluation of the graphical causal models used to test medical treatments. We implement a graphical causal model for the World Bank's well-known Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition Project. We show how to construct the graphical causal model to represent program theory in context in explicitly causal terms. We then show how to visually inspect the graphical causal model to distinguish causal from non-causal associations between variables in evaluation data. Finally, we show how to select a set of adjustment variables to neutralize non-causal associations, eliminating bias in all forms of causal inference—qualitative and quantitative, linear and non-linear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on robustly stabilizing stable and unstable fractional-order plants with one uncertain fractional-order term and interval uncertainties using fractional order $ PI^{\mu }D^{\lambda } $ PIμDλ controllers. Two necessary and sufficient conditions are provided to check the robust stability of the closed-loop control system. Moreover, the D-decomposition technique is utilized to determine the robust stability region of the system. Subsequently, evolutionary algorithms, such as the Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Differential Evolution (DE), can be utilized to discover a fractional-order controller within the region of robust stability. This work introduces three primary contributions, outlined as follows: (1) Utilizing a graphical approach, a set of stabilizing controller is obtained. (2) Rather than employing just a single stabilizing fractional-order controller, a collection of controllers is provided for the control system. (3) Employing evolutionary algorithms to find an optimal fractional-order controller. Finally, four numerical examples are presented to validate the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear programming method is one of the important methods of operations research that has been used to address many practical issues and provided optimal solutions for many institutions and companies, which helped decision makers make ideal decisions through which companies and institutions achieved maximum profit, but these solutions remain ideal and appropriate in If the conditions surrounding the work environment are stable, because any change in the data provided will affect the optimal solution and to avoid losses and achieve maximum profit, we have, in previous research, reformulated the linear models using the concepts of neutrosophic science, the science that takes into account the instability of conditions and fluctuations in the work environment and leaves nothing to chance. While taking data, neutrosophic values carry some indeterminacy, giving a margin of freedom to decision makers. In another research, we reformulated one of the most important methods used to solve linear models, which is the simplex method, using the concepts of this science, and as a continuation of what we did in the previous two researches, we will reformulate in this research. The graphical method for solving linear models using the concepts of neutrosophics. We will also shed light on a case that is rarely mentioned in most operations research references, which is that when the difference between the number of unknowns and the number of constraints is equal to one, two, or three, we can also find the optimal solution graphically for some linear models. This is done by taking advantage of the conditions of non-negativity that linear models have, and we will explain this through an example in which the difference is equal to two. Also, through examples, we will explain the difference between using classical values and neutrosophic values and the extent of this’s impact on the optimal solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sesame is one of the oldest crops and probably the oldest oilseed in the world. In most regions, the landrace and local masses of sesame are used. To increase production and yield, the production of modified cultivars for different agricultural climates is extremely important. Material and Methods: Seven genotypes included Isfahan, Sirjan, Fars, Oltan, Jiroft, Sabzevar, TS-3 and 21 hybrids that were obtained from them were studied in the research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Birjand under the drought stress conditions during 2015-2018. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications as a 7 × 7 one-way diallel. In this study, several traits were measured. These traits were including plant height, height to the first fruiting capsule, number of capsules per plant, number of sub-branches, number of leaves, leaf length, number of seeds per capsule, capsule length, capsule weight, capsule width, days to 50% and 90% flowering, days to physiological maturity, thousand seed weight, oil percentage, protein percentage, amount of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, biological yield, economic yield and harvest index. Results: The investigation of the adequacy of the additive-dominance model showed that the model was sufficient in the traits including plant height, capsule length, capsule weight, number of leaves, number of sub-branches, number of capsules per plant, economic yield, biological yield, days to 50 flowering, days to 90% flowering and days to physiological maturity, and therefore diallel analysis was done on these traits. Hayman's variance analysis showed that were significant component a (additive effects of genes) in all traits and component b (dominant effects of genes) in all traits except plant height. Also, were significant the component b1 (mean dominance effects) in most traits except plant height, number of auxiliary branches, number of capsules and seed yield, the component b2 (other dominance deviation due to the parents) in most traits except plant height, number of auxiliary branches and number of capsules, and the component b3 (residual dominance variation) in all traits except plant height. The investigation of genetic parameters showed significant additive genetic component (D) and dominanant genetic components (H1 and H2) in most traits. Also were significant the component F (average covariance of additive and dominance effects) and the component h2 (the overall dominance effect of heterozygous loci) in half of the traits. The average degree of dominance (√ (H1/D)) in different traits was observed as additive, incomplete, and over dominance. In all characteristics, except capsule weight, the ratio of genes with positive and negative effects (H2/(4H1)) was not equal to 0.25; therefore, in all traits, increasing and decreasing genes did not have symmetrical distribution among parents. The ratio of dominant and recessive genes in parents ((√(4DH1)+F)/(√(4DH1)-F)) was more than unity in most of the traits, so there was an uneven distribution of dominant and recessive genes in most of the traits. The number of dominant gene groups (h2/H2) was obtained from 0 to 2.04; therefore, all traits were controlled by one or two gene blocks. Broad sense (hb 2) and narrow sense (hn 2) heritability were high in all traits. Conclusion: In the traits studied, the type of action of genes controlling the traits, the ratio of dominant and recessive genes, the ratio of genes with increasing and decreasing effects, additive effects and dominance were variable and were different in most of the traits. Generally, most traits were controlled by genes with additive and dominant effects. The high heritability estimate indicates the promising news of the studied genetic materials in future studies. Therefore, among these materials, better genotypes can be selected for the climatic conditions of Birjand, so that it can be further investigated in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic lagoons remove organic matter in the absence of oxygen and must be designed considering facultative or aerated lagoons, to continue with the treatment and at the same time re-oxygenate the wastewater. The purpose of this document is to determine two graphs to calculate the elimination of fecal coliforms in anaerobic lagoons. An application example is included with the traditional method adopted by the Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua y la Comisión Nacional del Agua, later the graphs previously prepared are used. The results show the same values calculated with the traditional criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the graphical method for solving linear programming is extended in fuzzy environment. Here, we dealt with the fully fuzzy linear programming (FFLP) which involves fuzzy constraints and fuzzy objective. Determining and visualizing the fuzzy feasible space in the geometrical space is one of the novel contributions of this study. Defining fuzzy constraints as fuzzy lines and finding the nature of the point of intersection between fuzzy lines are also studied. The fuzzy constraints divide the geometrical into fuzzy half planes. Intersection of such fuzzy half planes yields a fuzzy convex hull. The optimal solution of fuzzy linear programming problem is obtained at an extreme point of this fuzzy convex hull. The results obtained from the proposed method are compared with existing methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incessant overcrowding of the space around the Earth with new operative satellites is a critical issue in the Space Traffic Management (STM) framework, especially in last years with the beginning of the new space economy. The operative life of the active satellites is seriously endangered by the numerous uncontrolled objects, i.e., the space debris, which populate the outer space. The consequence of an impact between these objects may be catastrophic, as proved by the events in the recent past. In this context, the in-orbit explosions both of dismissed satellites and rockets stages are one of the main causes of space debris generation. For this reason, a suitable observation and detection strategy of the fragments generated by these events is necessary, e.g., by means of optical systems. In this work, the Sapienza Space Systems and Space Surveillance Laboratory (S5Lab) shows the results, by means of a graphical method, of the short-term analysis of the in-orbit explosions that involved the third stage of the Russian rocket FREGAT-SB and the fragmentation of the military Chinese satellite YUNHAI 1–02. In order to approach the study of a fragmentation event, an observation strategy and an analysis method have been developed. The research of fragments was focused on the orbital plane leading to estimation of fragments' number and their distribution. The measurements obtained through the images were analyzed in order to understand if the objects present in the images are either included in the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) catalogue or not. The unknowns could be fragments. The next analysis follows the hypothesis of the isotropic explosion confined only on the tangential impulses. In first approximation, only semi-major axis and eccentricity change due to the impulse. Therefore, it is possible to generate a new Two-Line Elements (TLE) for each fragment leading to an association between the impulses and the affected TLEs. A new, simple, and fast analysis method was developed, specifically to improve the impulse association. It consists in a graphical method where it is possible to see the distribution of the fragments with respect to the original body using the angular distance trend between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feud between Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton, over whether Newton should have acknowledged Hooke's influence on his graphical method of constructing planet orbits, the celebrated Proposition 1, Theorem 1 of the Principia , has remained ongoing among their respective supporters, even after 300 years. The drama has escalated in recent decades, with a claim that Hooke may have used the same method and obtained an elliptical orbit for a linear force, a feat that some considered Newton never did for the inverse-square force. Modern understanding of Newton's graphical method as a symplectic integrator can now shed light on whether this claim is creditable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preventing and alleviating heat stress remain an enormous challenge in dairy farming. Although enhanced air distribution techniques have been developed and deployed in many barns, ventilation alone is no longer sufficient even in regions with historically mild climates. There is an increasing need for cooling of the intake fresh air. Evaporative cooling is a cost-effective sustainable technique used in many applications, including livestock farming. This paper presents a graphical method for preliminary evaluation of evaporative cooling as a viable and effective solution. Thermodynamic principles are combined with models for heat transfer in dairy cattle to develop a set of criteria on the psychrometric chart. The proposed method is demonstrated for a naturally ventilated dairy barn located in the continental central European climate and in two locations with hot climates, a semi-arid/Mediterranean and a humid subtropical climate. • Thermoregulation models combined with thermodynamic principles. • Limits for effectiveness of evaporative cooling derived. • Developed criteria mapped onto psychrometric chart. • A graphical method to assess effectiveness of evaporative cooling proposed. • Proposed method demonstrated for sample barn in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reinforced concrete beams lose resistance at high temperatures and so as to guarantee their good performance, it is mandatory to consider this accidental action in design. As an alternative to the methods proposed by the European and Brazilian standards, above all the tabular method that, despite its simple application, limits calculations to a few pre-defined values, a new tool for fire design of these beams is proposed herein. A graphical method was developed with the Temperature Calculation and Design (TCD) software, which performs transient bi-dimensional thermo-structural analysis using the finite element method. The main variable of this method consists of the resistance to the bending moment of a heated cross-section. For its validation, the moment of four rectangular sections was determined according to four simplified methods. These results were compared among themselves and to those obtained by a more advanced method. They were all verified to lead to similar results. With regard to the TCD, whose results were used for the preparation of the graphical method, the maximum difference compared to a more advanced method was approximately 2.5%. After validation, graphs that associate the ratio between the applied moment in fire and the resistance to bending moment at ambient temperature to the fire resistance for different beams were created. These graphs present design solutions for more than 2300 beam models with T-shaped cross-sections in assorted lengths, heights, covers and reinforcement arrangements, both positive and negative. In the application examples, the results from the graphical method were generally more economic when compared to the tabular method of the fire design standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a graphical method for classifying phases in gas chromatography using a selectivity map, which is a two-dimensional diagram on the polarity–hydrophilicity coordinates, based on the theoretical description of the selectivity of liquid phases by three-parameter characteristics. The three-parameter characteristic method uses an expression of the intermolecular interaction energy in terms of the contributions of nonpolar, polar, and hydrogen bonds in an asymptotic approximation obtained using the theory of generalized charges and a new quantum-mechanical concept of the energy and probability of hydrogen bond formation. An advantage of the method is that the parameters used in the mathematical expressions have physical meaning, are portable, and can be found without experimentation. Relationships between the characteristics of stationary phases and their structure are revealed. The selectivity map as a classification method enables gas chromatographic liquid stationary phases to be considered in the range from low polarity/low hydrophilic to high polarity/high hydrophilic phases. On the other hand, applying the principle of the similarity of properties in combination with the selectivity map ensures the selection of the most selective phase for the given analytes. This selection can be made a priori, without experimentation. An example is given of choosing a selective stationary phase for separating substances with similar properties using a selectivity map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To demonstrate a novel method for presenting and exploring data in systematic reviews of the alcohol literature. Methods Harvest plots are a graphical method for displaying data on the overall pattern of evidence from a systematic review. They can display the direction of effects and risk of bias within studies for multiple outcomes in a single graphical chart. Using data from our previous meta-analysis on the association between personality disorder and alcohol treatment outcome, we extended the application of harvest plots by developing an interactive online harvest plot application. Results Studies included in the review were heterogeneous in design. There were many different primary outcomes, and similar outcomes were often defined differently across studies. The interactive harvest plot allows readers to explore trends in the data across multiple outcomes, including the impact of within-study bias and year of publication. In contrast, meta-analysis on the same data was hampered by a lack of consistency in the way outcomes were measured, and incomplete reporting of effect sizes and their variance. This meant many studies included in the systematic review could not be meta-analysed. Conclusions Interactive harvest plots are a novel graphical method to present data from systematic reviews. They can supplement or even replace meta-analysis when the studies included in a systematic review use heterogeneous designs and measures, as is often the case in the alcohol literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A graphical method developed for the construction of structure contours for inclined planar surfaces has been extended to curved or folded surfaces with cylindrical geometries and horizontal axes. These structure contours can be used to constrain the outcrop trace of a folded contact on a geological map. The extended method requires, as a minimum, a field of orientation data and the map position of a single elevation on the contact under investigation. The method utilises orientation data collected on and around a partially mapped trace of a folded contact to constrain the outcrop trace throughout a geological map. The method uses a vertical cross-section that is parallel to the profile plane of any folds present. Crest, trough and hinge points identified in the cross-section can be projected on to the geological map in their correct positions and elevations. Similarly, structure contours on fold axial surfaces can be projected on to the geological map and the contours used to locate the axial traces of cylindrical folds with horizontal axes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial sectors are improving their energy efficiency and increasing their share of renewables for heating and cooling demands by using lower emission technologies. One specific approach to help achieve these targets is the integration of heat pumps (HPs) in industrial processes. However, due to the temporal variation of the heating and cooling requirements in non-continuous processes, the integration of HP is challenging. In this paper, a structured method for the design of HP integration is proposed. The method implements an engineer-centred workflow that extends the concept of the Indirect Source Sink Profile (ISSP) to HP integration. For this purpose, an adapted Grand Composite Curve is derived from the ISSP. This ensures correct HP integration across the pinch while maintaining the temperature lift of the HP small. The proposed workflow is applied to a demonstration case study and a case study from industry. In both cases, the resulting system with integrated HP enables the elimination of hot utility demand and significantly reduces cold utility demands. The static paybacks of the proposed solutions are in the range of 4.5 to 5 year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological niche sensu Hutchinson is defined as the set of environmental conditions allowing a species to grow, maintain, and reproduce. This conception of the niche, which is assimilated to a p‐dimensional hypervolume, with p representing all environmental variables, has been widely applied in ecology. However, displaying the niche hypervolume has proved challenging when more than three environmental dimensions are considered simultaneously. We propose a simple method (implemented in the specieschrom R package) that displays the full multidimensionality of the ecological niche of a species into a two‐dimensional space by means of a graphic we call species chromatogram. This method gives a graphical summary of the niche by representing together abundance gradients with respect to all environmental variables. A chromatogram enables niche optimums and breaths to be rapidly quantified, and when several chromatograms are examined (one per species), rapid comparisons can be made. From our chromatograms, we proposed a procedure that quantifies niche optimum and breadth as well as niche overlapping (index D) and the identification of the most discriminant combination of environmental variables. We apply these analyses on eight planktonic species collected by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey in the North Atlantic Ocean using 10 environmental variables. We display their full multidimensional niches and quantify their niche optimums and breadths along each dimension. We also compare our index D with other indices by means of hypervolume and dynRB R packages. By catching the full complexity of the niche, species chromatograms allow many different niche properties to be rapidly assessed and compared among species from niche optimums and breadths to the identification of the most relevant environmental parameters and the degree of niche overlapping among species. Species chromatograms may be seen as species' fingerprint and may also allow a better identification of the mechanisms involved in species assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on graphical methods of reasoning has made enormous progress since the pioneering work of Wigmore in the early 20th century and its later rediscovery in the 1980s. While the usefulness of graphical methods for student training and research is widely acknowledged, their use by judges remains marginal, if not non-existent, even though this was Wigmore's objective. This article explores the difficulties that graphical methods of reasoning must overcome if they are to be integrated into the practice of the courts, at a time when courts are faced with ever more pressing imperatives of efficiency. The research is based on a partnership with the French School of Magistrates (Ecole Nationale de la Magistrature) and is informed by training courses given to magistrates on the basis of real cases, during which the authors proposed that they implement what we have called the Orderly Method of Evidence Analysis. Although the research confirms the value of graphical methods in promoting rigour in evidential reasoning, it also reaffirms the already clearly identified limits related to their complexity and time-consuming nature. The article also points out the difficulties that still need to be overcome in order to operationalise graphical methods of evidential reasoning, and the difficulties encountered by these methods in avoiding judgment bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Method proposed for diluted (constant velocity) and isothermal cases. • Adsorption breakthrough curves are integrated to capacity curves. • Capacity curves allow to obtain adsorbed quantities in equilibrium with intermediate zones. • Equilibria were obtained from breakthrough curves of alcohols on all-silica beta zeolite. • Two, instead of one, equilibrium points could be obtained from one breakthrough curve. Adsorption mixture equilibrium data remains challenging to obtain. An established technique is the adsorption breakthrough experiment where the final adsorbed capacities are determined. A graphical method to obtain adsorbed amounts from the intermediate plateaus in the breakthrough curves is proposed in this work. The method is proposed for isothermal, diluted breakthrough tests. Via an integrated capacity curve, the intermediate regions can be extrapolated to extract additional equilibrium points beyond the final state without the need for a multicomponent model. If the column is preloaded, the extra equilibrium points can correspond to multicomponent mixtures as multiple species can have non-zero intermediate concentration plateaus. The method is demonstrated on various simulated examples and then applied on breakthrough data from non-preloaded and preloaded columns of all-silica beta zeolite for diluted methanol/ethanol and diluted ethanol/isobutanol mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a simple and fast method to obtain the aeroelastic response of a square cylinder following different modelling approaches underpinned by a novel graphical technique that establishes abstract relationships between different key physical parameters involved in the mathematical models. The method is applied to the analysis of three important aeroelastic problems in the crosswind response of a square cylinder, including the transverse galloping defined with a quasi-steady model, the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) using a nonlinear oscillator model, and the VIV-galloping interaction following a combined effects model. The results demonstrate that the proposed analytical method simplifies the analysis and it is able to capture most of the complex aeroelastic crosswind behaviors of a square bluff body. • A graphical method to obtain the aeroelastic response of a square cylinder following different modelling approaches is proposed. • Compared with conventional analytical methods, the new analytical method has advantages of simplicity and effectiveness. • The graphical analytical method is successfully applied to the study of transverse galloping, VIV and their potential interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The powerful image analysis and statistical capabilities of computers can effectively solve problems such as insufficient precision in clastic rock particle size measurements and the heavy workload during the process. The MATLAB programming language was employed to process the samples of the Zhoutian Formation in the Upper Cretaceous of the Huichang Basin through techniques such as grayscale transformation, binarization, adaptive median filtering, and color annotation, accurately measuring their grain size parameters. The results indicate the following. The average grain size obtained using MATLAB,s direct calculation method and the graphical method are 4. 008φ and 3. 103φ, respectively. The standard deviations are 0. 8φ and 0. 803φ, the skewness values are - 0. 195φ and - 0. 041φ, and the kurtosis values are 0. 911φ and 0. 916φ. The standard deviation and kurtosis errors are small, allowing for mutual substitution between the two calculation methods, while the standard deviation and skewness errors are relatively large, making them unsuitable for mutual substitution. Both MATLAB,s direct calculation method and microscopic rock mineral identification indicate a relatively poor roundness of the Zhoutian Formation as a whole, with angular to sub-angular clastic particles. The sedimentary environment discrimination formula reflects the formation of the Zhoutian Formation in a fluvial depositional environment, consistent with the geological background and microscopic observation results. Through the MATLAB programming language, it is possible to accurately identify particle outlines and calculate various parameters in clastic rocks, providing great convenience for sediment grain size research, eliminating subjective interference, and improving work efficiency [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress and deformation analysis of a cavity in an infinite/finite medium is a fundamental applied mechanics problem of interest in multiple physics and engineering disciplines. This paper develops a complete semianalytical solution for the cylindrical cavity expansion in nonassociated Mohr–Coulomb materials, by using the graphical approach and Lagrangian formulation of the cavity boundary value problem (through tracing the responses of a single material point at the cavity wall). The novelty of the new solution framework lies not only in the relaxation of the stringent intermediacy assumption for the vertical stress as usually adopted in the previous analyses, but also in the comprehensive consideration of nonhydrostatic initial stress conditions via arbitrary values of K0 (the coefficient of earth pressure at rest defined as the ratio between the horizontal and vertical initial stresses). The essence of the so-called graphical method, i.e., the unique geometrical analysis and tracking of the deviatoric stress trajectory, is fulfilled by leveraging the deformation requirement that during cavity expansion the progressive development of the radial and tangential strains must maintain to be compressive and tensile, respectively. With the incorporation of the radial equilibrium condition, the problem is formulated to solve a single first-order differential equation for the internal cavity pressure with respect to a pivotal auxiliary variable, for all the distinct scenarios of K0 being covered. Some selected results are presented for the calculated cavity pressure-expansion curve and limit cavity pressure through an example analysis. The definitive semianalytical solution proposed will be not only substantially advancing the current state of knowledge on the fundamental cavity expansion theory, but also able to serve as a unique benchmark for truly verifying the correctness and capability of the classical cornered Mohr–Coulomb constitutive model built in commercial finite element programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to expand the graphical analysis concept proposed by Chen and Abousleiman (Géotechnique, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.21.00172) to deduce the undrained expansion solution of a cylindrical cavity in shear strain-hardening Drucker–Prager frictional soil. Based on the geometrical representation of the stress state/path and strain increments in the deviatoric planes, it is shown that the deviatoric stress-Lode angle stress path can be desirably determined by solving a first-order differential equation for the stress ratio (deviatoric stress over mean effective stress) in term of the Lode angle. The essential cavity expansion curve may also be readily constructed by calculating the internal cavity pressure and the corresponding expanded cavity radius, respectively, through simple numerical integrations with respect to the same variable of stress ratio. In particular, the ultimate cavity pressure can be easily evaluated by directly integrating the expression for cavity pressure with the stress ratio up to its limiting value. Some numerical results obtained from the proposed graphical method are presented to illustrate the impacts on the cavity responses of the earth pressure coefficient at rest, K 0 , and the key plasticity hardening parameters, which have also been compared with alternative solutions that require dealing with a system of coupled differential equations involving three principal effective stress components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to introduce and demonstrate a novel graphical method to determine effective bremsstrahlung focal spot size and shape of the therapeutic beam from a linear accelerator. The energy distribution within the beam spot allows in determining effective bremsstrahlung size and shape of beam spot. The transverse and radial dose profiles were measured for a range of field sizes in an isocentric setup. The Length of direct focal region (LDFR) on either side of profiles were determined through the de-convolution of dose profile. The graph plotted for LDFR versus field size helps in determining properties of beam spot. The dimensions of FWHM of effective bremsstrahlung focal spot were found elliptical in nature close to the order of 1 mm. This method allows determination of FWHM of the effective bremsstrahlung focal spot that fairly falls within the range of dimension of FWHM of beamspot published in literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the nonlinear algorithmic theory, the R-SVM water source discrimination model and prediction method were established by using the piper qualitatively to compare the differences between the ionic components and R-type factor approximation indicator input dimensions. Taking the mine water samples of Zhaogezhuang Coal Mine as an example, according to the chemical composition analysis of the water samples from different monitoring points, six indexes of Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl–, SO42– and HCO3– were selected as the discrimination factors. According to the water characteristics of each aquifer and the actual needs of discrimination, the water inrush sources in the mining area were divided into four categories: The goaf water is class I, Ordovician carbonate is class II, Sandstone fracture water from the 13 coal system is class III, and Sandstone fracture water from the 12 coal system is class IV. Taking 56 typical water inrush samples as training samples, 11 groups for prediction samples, establish the input index as typical ion content, output as water source type, using SPSS statistics and MATLAB to realize the R-SVM water source discriminant analysis model, automatically establishing the mapping relationship between the water quality indexes and the evaluation standards, which can achieve the purpose of rapid and accurate discrimination of the water sample data. The results showed that the accuracy of the R-SVM model classification was 90.90% in the verification of the water source discrimination example of Zhaogezhuang mine and the coupled model has high accuracy, good applicability and discriminant ability, and has certain guiding significance for the prevention and control of water damage and the related field work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a design for five conventional superconducting magnet structures to meet the high magnetic load demand of superconducting motors while reducing the superconducting tapes consumption. A 45° highest efficiency line is proposed based on the graphical method, and the magnet structure is optimized by combining finite element and PSO algorithms. Additionally, a correlation function is established using the vertical magnetic field to estimate the critical current, describing the nonlinear relationship between the two. The optimization method can maintain the airgap flux density waveform before and after optimization, reduce tapes consumption and perpendicular field on the tapes, refine the field distribution, and improve the safety margin of superconducting coils. The magnet design scheme can be selected with low tape consumption or high safety margin according to actual demand. This research can be used to optimize the electromagnetic design of superconducting electric motors, as well as other superconducting magnet applications, such as superconducting magnetic bearings, nuclear magnetic resonance, and large-scale scientific installations for high-energy physics. The aim is to achieve the exhaustive use of superconducting tapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognition and type classification can be performed on the reduced plots of village land for the decision-making on the village and land reduction. The village and construction land can represent the low use efficiency in the economically developed regions of China, particularly with the fast urbanization. It is a high demand for the amount reduction and quality improvement of construction land use. This study aims to explore the quantitative recognition and distinguish of the reduced plot of village land using ecological security patterns, in order to promote the regional ecological civilization construction, as well as regional green and sustainable development. Taking Miyun District of Beijing as an example, the evaluation index system was comprehensively constructed for the reduced plot of village land from three different dimensions of ecological security, spatial stability, and development suitability. A regional ecological security pattern was also established using multi-source data, such as land use, point of interest (POI) and socioeconomic statistics. The reduced plots were then determined after evaluation. Furthermore, 3D Rubik’s cube graphical method was used to classify the reduced plots. The results showed that: 1) The classification of habitat quality was featured by the outstanding regional aggregation and distribution characteristics. Specifically, the high-value areas were mainly distributed in the north and middle parts of the study area. The land use types were dominated by woodland, grassland, and water area. The low-value areas were mainly in the towns and relatively dense areas in the southwest. The ecological source area was 781.65 km2 after screening using the habitat quality assessment, accounting for 35.06% of the total study area. A total of 15 ecological corridors with a total length of 479.11 km were recognized via the minimum cumulative resistance model. As such, the ecological security pattern was formed in the Miyun District. 2) There was a great different comprehensive evaluation score for reduced plot of village land. Among them, the high terrain was in the northeast, while the low was in the southwest. The area of reduced plots was 789.84 hm² after a comprehensive evaluation. 3) The reduced plots of village land were divided into short-, mid- and long-term reduction areas. The short-term area consisted of three types, such as ecology-space, ecology-development, and spatial-development reduction. A total area of 565 plots covered an area of 213.34 hm² and accounted for 27.01% of the total reduced plots. Three types of reduced plots were the fundamentals action for the amount reduction and quality improvement. The reduction target needed to be prioritized for the reduction. The mid-term reduction area was composed of three types: ecological security, spatial stability, and development suitable reduction, with a total of 565 plots, covering 337.18 hm2 and accounting for 42.69% of the total reduction plots. The reduced plots in the mid-term reduction areas occupied a large proportion for the core reduction areas. Some measures should be taken for the plot reduction of villages. The long-term reduction area included one type of comprehensive reduced area, with a total of 209 plots, covering a total area of 239.32 hm² and accounting for 30.30% of the total reduced plots. Special attention should be paid to the economical and intensive use of this part of the reduced plot. A long-term reduction area was gradually recovered as the village land. Finally, some reduction measures were proposed, according to the different types of reduced plots. The findings can provide the scientific basis for the identification and classification of the reduced plots of village land in the ecological conservation areas, in order to serve the reduction of ecological conservation areas, ecological protection and regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a general and complete solution for the undrained cylindrical cavity expansion problem in nonassociated Mohr‐Coulomb soil under nonhydrostatic initial stress field (i.e., arbitrary K0${{K}_0}$ values of the earth pressure coefficient), by expanding a unique and efficient graphical solution procedure recently proposed by Chen and Wang in 2022 for the special in situ stress case with K0=1${K}_{0}=1$. It is interesting to find that the cavity expansion deviatoric stress path is always composed of a series of piecewise straight lines, for all different case scenarios of K0 being involved. When the cavity is sufficiently expanded, the stress path will eventually end, exclusively, in a major sextant with Lode angle θ in between 5π3$\frac{{5\pi }}{3}$ and 11π6$\frac{{11\pi }}{6}$ or on the specific line of θ=11π6$\theta = \frac{{11\pi }}{6}$. The salient advantage/feature of the present general graphical approach lies in that it can deduce the cavity expansion responses in full closed form, nevertheless being free of the limitation of the intermediacy assumption for the vertical stress and of the difficulty existing in the traditional zoning method that involves cumbersome, sequential determination of distinct Mohr–Coulomb plastic regions. Some typical results for the desired cavity expansion curves and the limit cavity pressure are presented, to investigate the impacts of soil plasticity parameters and the earth pressure coefficient on the cavity responses. The proposed graphical method/solution will be of great value for the interpretation of pressuremeter tests in cohesive‐frictional soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bayesian approach is applied to estimation of the Weibull-power law process (WPLP) parameters as an alternative to the maximum likelihood (ML) method in the case when the number of events is small. For the process model considered we propose to apply the independent Jeffreys prior distribution and we argue that this is a useful choice. Comparisons were also made between the accuracy of the estimators obtained and those obtained by using other priors—informative and weakly informative. The investigations show that the Bayesian approach in many cases of a fairly broad collection of WPLP models can lead to the Bayes estimators that are more accurate than the corresponding ML ones, when the number of events is small. The problem of fitting the WPLP models, based on ML and Bayes estimators, to some real data is also considered. It is shown that the TTT-concept, used in the reliability theory, is not fully useful for the WPLP models, and it may be so for some other trend-renewal processes. In order to assess the accuracy of the fitting to the real data considered, two other graphical methods are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pinch analysis technique circumvents the drawbacks of local optima in the design of production processes and determines energy targets from a systemic design perspective. It has now evolved into a comprehensive methodology for process industry integration. As research deepens in traditional industrial domains, the exploration of applications in emerging fields is gradually expanding. However, solely relying on the analysis and summarization within a singular domain is insufficient for driving broader applications across diverse fields. Therefore, this paper discusses the pinch analysis techniques across various fields, from energy exchange networks to mass transfer networks. By examining their technical principles and categorizing method types, different technologies are horizontally compared, and their key characteristics are revealed. Subsequently, this paper explores future development directions and imminent challenges of the pinch analysis technique in power systems, aiming to offer new perspectives for expansion and to address existing issues such as load balance analysis, planning rationality, and reliability assessment in power systems. • Pinch analysis methods in various fields are analyzed comprehensively. • Analogous graphic methods and numerical methods of pinch analysis are compared across different fields respectively. • The underlying mathematical structure of pinch analysis techniques and principle of graphical methodology are revealed. • The prospects and a novel approach to applying pinch analysis in power systems are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) may be assessed through objective measurement of limb swelling with common techniques including volumetric measurement using a tape measure or perometry, and measurement of extracellular water using bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS). This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a stand-on BIS device for detection of BCRL, introduce a novel graphical method to compare volumetric and BIS methods alongside traditional specificity and sensitivity analysis, and determine and compare BIS thresholds with those published previously. Materials and Methods: Female participants with indocyanine green lymphography confirmed unilateral arm lymphedema (n = 197) and healthy controls (n = 267) were assessed using a cross-sectional study design. BIS and volumetric measures were obtained in a single session. Results: The BIS lymphedema index (L-Dex) method had a significantly higher sensitivity than the excess volume approach (area under the curve = 0.832 vs. 0.649, p = 0.0001). A threshold of L-Dex 6.5 had a higher true positive rate (70.6%) than L-Dex 10 (68.5%) although false positive rate increased from 0.4% to 2.6%. A threshold of 5% excess volume improved the true positive rate (68.5%) compared with 10% excess volume (49.7%) however the false positive rate increased to an unacceptable 47%. The L-Dex ranges in this study were not significantly different from previously published ranges. Conclusion: BIS was superior for identifying BCRL compared with volume measurements, reaffirming the value of this technique. However, it is recommended that BIS be used in conjunction with comprehensive evaluation of symptoms and clinical presentation. The proposed graphical method provides a simple and easily interpretable approach to compare and define concordance between the two commonly used methods for BCRL assessment namely limb volume and BIS L-Dex indices. The existing BIS (L-Dex) thresholds for presence of BCRL were also validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the vertical pipe test data of riverbed sediment in the downstream section of the main stream of Hotan River, the paper carried out the application and evaluation of different vertical pipe test parameter calculation methods. The HTST01 test point was selected for vertical permeability test, and the HTST02 test point was selected for horizontal and vertical permeability tests, respectively. The rationality of the permeability coefficient value obtained by the traditional calculation method and the difference between its calculation results and the linear graphical method were analyzed. The results indicate that: the array of permeability coefficients obtained by traditional calculation methods approximately follows a non-standard normal distribution with certain skewness and kurtosis, all of which have moderate variability. The use of arithmetic mean values for parameter values has certain rationality and applicability. When using random calculation values, the error size of parameter values has contingency and uncertainty. The straight line graphical method can effectively avoid the generation of random errors, but the calculation results obtained by it differ from the arithmetic mean of traditional calculation methods to some extent. The average relative error value is 10.59%, and the maximum relative error value exceeds 27.00%. In the application process of vertical pipe tests, the influence of the rationality of parameter values obtained by calculation methods should not be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of phase transitions and critical parameters has a history of nearly one century. The interest shown in this field of science has provided an accumulation of knowledge about phase transitions and critical states of matter through significant researches. On the other hand, theoretical and experimental studies still show that the pressure and temperature diagram of the material is not completed. In particular, the absence of plasma in the (p-T) phase diagram, the uncertainty of the pressure-dependent boundary range of the liquid phase and the state of the equilibrium curves are the focus of the studies. In the phase diagram of pure substance (p-T), the representation of only three phases and the boundary curves separating these phases with two basic points limits the phase diagram. However, as long as the plasma, which constitutes 98% of the universe and is accepted as the fourth phase of matter, does not take place in the phase diagram (p-T) and the liquid phase remains uncertain, phase transitions and critical parameters cannot be fully resolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The VS-TOPSIS model was used to conduct groundwater quality assessment. • PCA and PMF model were used to quantitatively identity sources of water chemistry. • Water rock interaction and evaporation mainly controlled groundwater chemistry. • Fluoride contamination in Songyuan City impacted the groundwater quality. • Pumping and irrational well-forming ways partly worsen the quality of the deep water. A detailed and thorough study of the quality and its distribution, source identification and apportionment of groundwater, as the major or even sole selection of clean water in Songyuan City (a typical arid and semi-arid district in China), is needed for local sustainable development. The groundwater quality was evaluated using a vague set (VS)-technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal scheme (TOPSIS) model to determine its contamination status. Additionally, to explore the source and quantitative analysis of the driving factors of the groundwater chemistry in Songyuan City, a hydrochemical graphical method and a Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model were employed. Regarding the quality of the groundwater in Songyuan, 74.5% of the samples were categorized into Grade I–III (Excellent, Good, and Moderate) water, indicating that the majority of the groundwater can be used directly. Moreover, the confined water tended to be cleaner and more appropriate for use in comparison with the phreatic water in Songyuan City. The PCA and PMF model and hydrochemical graphs demonstrated water–rock interactions and the evaporation process acted as the main factor, which was followed by anthropogenic activities as they contributed 50.1% and 20.4% of the total, respectively. Besides, the fluoride and iron contamination mainly caused by geogenic processes cannot be ignored as they were identified as the two driving factors that controlled the water quality, accounting for 20.2% and 9.3%, respectively. The mutual influence of the natural geological processes and human interventions contribute to the groundwater deterioration in Low Plain. Furthermore, the inappropriate well-forming techniques (without water-stop processes) in Qianan County was the main reason for the low-quality of deep Neogene confined water. This research provides useful information and directions for the local government to carry out corresponding and effective groundwater remediation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing development of techniques that utilize high-pressure shear in multiple fields, constructing a proper interpretation of strain and stress in rotational anvil apparatuses is becoming more and more urgent. A macro strain analysis in a rotational anvil apparatus that generates high pressure and shear was performed based on a polycrystal strain spatial distribution. Based on the strain, macro stress components were retrieved. Three analytical methods suitable for various application purposes are presented that can be used to conduct stress/strain analysis of a sample under pressure and shear: a sample center fitting method that obtains macro strain components from the refinement of d-spacing azimuth angle distribution, a six-point graphical method that calculates macro strain components from graphical strain distribution, and a four-point graphical method that determines the components directly from a diffraction image. This study also discusses and verifies the validity of and comparison between the methods through experimental data. The present work is expected to provide a foundation for further experimental studies of shear at pressures and expand the field of high-pressure sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an approximate solution is given to compute the gas emissivities and absorptivities for H2O–CO2–CO mixtures. The proposed model is valid for temperatures from 300 to 2700 K and pressure path‐length (PxL) $({P}_{x}L)$ from 0.06 to 40 atm m. In the calculation of the analytical solution (AS), the nonlinear methods of Galerkin and Ritz were implemented based on the residual solution of the differential roots of the Finite Element Method. For each point value (PxL;T) $({P}_{x}L;T)$ using the AS, the spectral absorptivity aλ ${a}_{\lambda }$ and emissivity ελ ${\varepsilon }_{\lambda }$ were determined, while for the gas mixture the emissivity εm ${\varepsilon }_{m}$ and absorptivity am ${a}_{m}$ were computed using the Hottel Graphical Method (HGM) and the proposed method. In the emissivity calculations, the HGM shows less adjustment, with values of ±20% and ±15% for 79.1% and 56.2% of the available analytical data, while the proposed model correlates adequately with the available data, showing an average deviation of ±15% and ±10% for 91.4% and 76.2% of the available data. In the absorptivity estimations, the HGM shows a weaker fit, with values of ±20% and ±15% for 77.3% and 51.4% of the experimental data, respectively, while the proposed model shows good agreement with the available data, with a mean deviation of ±15% and ±10% for 89.8% and 74.1% of the test made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoir bank collapse is a type of hydrogeological phenomena encountered in hydropower projects, and its prediction remains a challenge. The reservoir bank collapse width in the loess area of China is predicted based on the empirical graphical method established by scholars from the Soviet Union; however, the prediction results are quite different from the actual value. In this study, a field investigation was conducted on the bank slope topography after reservoir bank collapse in a loess area. The results showed that the water bank slope remained vertical after the bank collapse, and the accumulation form of the underwater bank slope followed an exponential curve. When the ratio of the water depth to the bank slope height after bank collapse was less than 0.3, there was an accumulation bank slope above the water. When this ratio was greater than 0.3, the accumulation slope was underwater. Based on the water depth and bank slope height after bank collapse, a formula to predict the topography of the underwater accumulation slope was established. Combined with the characteristics of the post-collapse bank slope, a prediction method for loess bank slope collapse was established. The topography of the bank slope predicted by this method was consistent with the field investigation results. The physical and mechanical properties of the bank slope loess and the characteristics of the bank slope were considered, thus overcoming the shortcomings of the conventional graphical method based on empirical parameters. This study has practical significance for prediction of loess bank collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This article reports for the first time. • The reactivity of both synthetic slag and commercial slag covering the common composition range. • The role of sulfur species in slag on the calorimetric measurement. • A novel graphical method to estimate the reactivity of slag. In this paper, both synthetic slag and commercial slag covering the common composition range were employed to estimate the correlation between slag chemistry and reactivity through hydraulicity and dissolution tests. It was found that slag reactivity was favorably affected by increasing Al 2 O 3 and MgO contents, while the adverse effect of decreasing CaO/SiO 2 ratio could be compensated by higher amounts of Al 2 O 3 and/or MgO. When calorimetric measurement was used to assess the reactivity of slag, the effect of sulfur species incorporated in commercial slag should be taken into consideration as a small quantity of it could lead to a major difference of cumulative heat release due to the formation of ettringite. Moreover, a novel graphical method was proposed to estimate the reactivity of slag considering its chemical composition from a new perspective, i.e. a cartesian coordinate system based on (CaO/SiO 2)−(MgO + Al 2 O 3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a novel approach to compute Compton amplitudes involving a fermion pair inspired by Hopf algebra amplitude constructions. This approach features a recursive relation employing quasi-shuffle sets, directly verifiable by massive factorization properties. We derive results for minimal gauge invariant color-kinematic numerators with physical massive poles using this method. We have also deduced a graphical method for deriving numerators that simplifies the numerator generation and eliminates redundancies, thus providing several computational advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document contains abstracts of various articles related to evaluation. The first article discusses the development of public policy evaluation within the state, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based policies. The second article explores the use of postcolonial theory and collaboration networks in culturally responsive evaluation. The third article provides practical advice for conducting culturally adapted data analysis in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. The fourth article presents the development of intermediate theories in the context of a realistic evaluation of health committees. The fifth article describes a graphical method for causal attribution in theory-based program evaluation. The sixth article proposes a framework for integrating complexity into peace consolidation evaluations. The seventh article evaluates the effectiveness of the Shelter initiative in Ukraine, highlighting the importance of reconfiguring humanitarian aid architecture for improved efficiency. [Extracted from the article]

In the detection of corrosion under insulation (CUI) using pulsed eddy current testing (PECT) method, it is of great significance to reduce the footprint of the probe for improving the spatial resolution to local corrosion. This paper presents a novel method to reduce the probe footprint by modifying the excitation coil into multiple sub-coils and driving them with sequential pulses of different delay time. Finite element simulations are conducted to reveal the underlying mechanism. It is found that by using the sequential excitation scheme, the diffusion and decay of eddy currents in the test piece are regulated, and both the footprint reduction and signal enhancement can be achieved. Afterwards, the effects of the sequence and the delay amount of the applying pulses on the probe footprint are analyzed. Results show that the optimal excitation sequence is to apply pulses with increasing delay time to the sub-coils from outside to inside; the probe footprint decreases with the increase of the delay amount. Experimental work is finally performed to verify the simulation results. A graphical method for measuring the probe footprint is proposed by moving the probe on a step wedge plate and plotting the evaluated thickness against the probe position. Footprint measurement results of a conventional probe and the presented 4-subcoil probe are compared. The effectiveness of the proposed method are validated and the differences between experimental and simulation results are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an approximate analytical solution (AS) is presented to evaluate the radiative thermal exchange through a gaseous participating medium composed of H2O, CO2, and CO, which is valid for the product values of pressure path‐length (PL) from 0.06 to 20 atm m and temperatures (T) from 300 K to 2100 K. The Spence root weighting method is used to approximate the exact solutions. For each set of PL;T $\mathrm{PL}{\rm{;}}T$, the value of exact spectral emissivity and absorptivity ελ ${\varepsilon }_{\lambda }$ and aλ ${a}_{\lambda }$ for the gas mixture is calculated using the AS, the Hottel graphical method (HGM) and the proposed approximate solution. The weaker adjustment was achieved in the modeling of the HGM, with a mean deviation obtained of ±15% and ±20% for 43.8% and 56.3% of the data evaluated, respectively, while the best indices were obtained in the estimation of the proposed method, with a mean deviation obtained of ±10% and ±15% for 81.3% and 98.1% of the available data, respectively. In all cases, the agreement of the proposed model with the available experimental data is good enough to be considered satisfactory for practical design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motions of the various mechanism like acceleration, velocity, displacement and driven members involved the connection of rod and piston. The design of this rod and piston is known as kinematic analysis of the slider crank mechanism. This work used graphical method and analytical method of complex algebra method to analyse kinematic analysis of the engine. An experimental investigation was undertaken to study the variation of piston velocity with the crank angle of a slider crank mechanism, using the principle of instantaneous center approach. This phenomenon was also numerically modeled using the concepts of trigonometric and analytical geometry. But the numeric-calculation was sufficiently tedious, and prone to error, that led to developing a computer solution using Microsoft Excel Package. The three approaches generated piston velocity crank angle graph that were in good agreement with one another, from where it was observed that the variation resembles cosine curve rule, and that the maximum velocity of the slider occurs at a crank angle of 90° while the minimum occurs at 27°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extended search for anomaly free matter coupled N = (1, 0) supergravity in six dimension is carried out by two different methods which we refer to as the graphical and rank methods. In the graphical method the anomaly free models are built from single gauge group models, called nodes, which can only have gravitational anomalies. We search for anomaly free theories with gauge groups G1 × … × Gn with n = 1, 2, … (any number of factors) and G1 × … × Gn × U(1)R where n = 1, 2, 3 and U(1)R is the R-symmetry group. While we primarily consider models with the tensor multiplet number nT = 1, we also provide some results for nT ≠ 1 with an unconstrained number of charged hypermultiplets. We find a large number of ungauged anomaly free theories. However, in the case of R-symmetry gauged models with nT = 1, in addition to the three known anomaly free theories with G1 × G2 × U(1)R type symmetry, we find only six new remarkably anomaly free models with symmetry groups of the form G1 × G2 × G3 × U(1)R. In the case of nT = 1 and ungauged models, excluding low rank group factors and considering only low lying representations, we find all anomaly free theories. Remarkably, the number of group factors does not exceed four in this class. The proof of completeness in this case relies on a bound which we establish for a parameter characterizing the difference between the number of non-singlet hypermultiplets and the dimension of the gauge group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Weibull algorithm is one of the most accurate tools for forecasting and estimating wind energy potential. Two main parameters of the Weibull algorithm are the 'Weibull shape' and 'Weibull scale' factors. There are six different numerical methods to estimate the two Weibull parameters. These six methods are the empirical method of Justus (method 1), the empirical method of Lysen (method 2), the maximum likelihood method (method 3), the modified maximum likelihood method (method 4), the energy pattern factor method (method 5) and the graphical method (method 6). Many commercial wind energy software programs use the Weibull algorithm, and these six methods are used to calculate the potential wind energy at a given site. However, their accuracy is rarely discussed, particularly regarding wind data height. For this purpose, wind data measured for a long period (six years) at real sites are introduced. The wind data sites are categorized into three levels, i.e., low, medium, and high, based on wind data measurement height. The analysis shows that methods 1 and 2 are the most accurate methods among all six methods at low and medium heights. The number of errors increases with the height of these two methods. Methods 3 and 4 are the most suitable options for larger heights, as these scenarios have minimal error. The present study's findings can be used in various fields, e.g., wind energy forecasting and wind farm planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, high-resolution traffic signal event data has provided valuable insights into understanding and managing congestion at signalized intersections. While existing applications primarily employ automated traffic signal performance monitoring (ATSPM) systems as postanalysis tools for identifying everyday congestion causes, traffic engineers are increasingly overwhelmed by the number of ATSPM-capable intersections. The workload increases extensively as the number of ATSPM-capable intersections rises mainly due to the necessity of manually checking and generating performance figures. Nonetheless, an advanced ATSPM system capable of automatically detecting time-of-day congestion bottlenecks among multiple intersections and suggesting "top intersections of interest" would significantly aid traffic managers in monitoring historical congestion and preventing future congestion occurrences. This paper introduces an efficient graphical automated congestion ranking method for capable intersections, leveraging high-resolution traffic signal event data as the basis for automated congestion ranking. To accomplish these objectives, we build upon ATSPM concepts by continuously generating ATSPM measures of effectiveness (MOEs). Utilizing continuously generated ATSPM performance measures in Frisco, Texas, over several months, we devise an efficient graphical method for ranking hourly congestion levels among the studied ATSPM-capable intersections. All intersections are assessed and ranked using a multiobjective optimization technique, the Pareto front method. The points on the Pareto front represent dominating intersections with at least one inferior performance measurement, warranting prioritized improvement. The dominating points identified from the test dataset were validated and further explained using Purdue coordination diagrams (PCD), along with another individual dataset--Wejo-connected vehicle data. The outcomes of this approach have proven the validity of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unit distributions, exhibiting inherent symmetrical properties, have been extensively studied across various fields. A significant challenge in these studies, particularly evident in parameter estimations, is the existence and uniqueness of estimators. Often, it is challenging to demonstrate the existence of a unique estimator. The major issue with maximum likelihood and other estimator-finding methods that use iterative methods is that they need an initial value to reach the solution. This dependency on initial values can lead to local extremes that fail to represent the global extremities, highlighting a lack of symmetry in solution robustness. This study applies a very simple, and unique, estimation method for unit Weibull and unit Burr XII distributions that both attain the global maximum value. Therefore, we can conclude that the findings from the obtained propositions demonstrate that both the maximum likelihood and graphical methods are symmetrically similar. In addition, three real-world data applications are made to show that the method works efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a detailed report on a projectile motion lab activity developed for a conceptual physics course. The activity focuses on understanding physics concepts while minimizing mathematical calculations. Two methods for teaching projectile motion are discussed: the vector component method and Newton's method. The article argues that Newton's method, which uses simpler equations, is more suitable for conceptual physics courses. The lab activity involves determining the initial launch speed of a marble, drawing the trajectory of a projectile, and testing the predictions by launching the marble. The graphical method presented in the article is seen as a practical and simplified approach to projectile motion experiments. [Extracted from the article]

Currently, Pakistan is facing severe energy crises and global warming effects. Hence, there is an urgent need to utilize renewable energy generation. In this context, Pakistan possesses massive wind energy potential across the coastal areas. This paper investigates and numerically analyzes coastal areas' wind power density potential. Eight different state-of-the-art numerical methods, namely an (a) empirical method, (b) graphical method, (c) wasp algorithm, (d) energy pattern method, (e) moment method, (f) maximum likelihood method, (g) energy trend method, and (h) least-squares regression method, were analyzed to calculate Weibull parameters. We computed Weibull shape parameters (WSP) and Weibull scale parameters (WCP) for four regions: Jiwani, Gwadar, Pasni, and Ormara in Pakistan. These Weibull parameters from the above-mentioned numerical methods were analyzed and compared to find an optimal numerical method for the coastal areas of Pakistan. Further, the following statistical indicators were used to compare the efficiency of the above numerical methods: (i) analysis of variance ( R 2 ), (ii) chi-square ( X 2 ), and (iii) root mean square error (RMSE). The performance validation showed that the energy trend and graphical method provided weak performance for the observed period for four coastal regions of Pakistan. Further, we observed that Ormara is the best and Jiwani is the worst area for wind power generation using comparative analyses for actual and estimated data of wind power density from four regions of Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser scanners with rotational Risley prisms produce scan patterns that can be classified as a type of rhodonea curve, because of their symmetry. The present study builds upon the novel, graphical method that we have developed to simulate and analyze such patterns using a commercially available mechanical design program, CATIA V5R20 (Dassault Systems, Paris, France). This graphical method has both the advantage of simplicity (regarding analytical methods) and of generating exact scan patterns (in contrast to approximate methods). The aim of this work is to utilize this method to study symmetry properties of scan patterns produced by a pair of rotational Risley prisms. A multi-parameter analysis is performed, considering the characteristic parameters of the approached scanner: refractive indexes and angles of the prisms, as well as their rotational velocities. Furthermore, Marshall's parameters are considered: ratios of the rotational velocities and of the prism angles. Because the symmetries are identical for scan patterns generated by all the four possible configurations of a pair of prisms (and only their dimensions are different), the shape of these patterns is studied only for one of these configurations. Therefore, without losing generality, the symmetries of the patterns produced by such scanners are determined, as well as some of their characteristic dimensions. Rules-of-thumb were obtained to be able to generate patterns that are appropriate for a specific application. Moreover, we demonstrated that the existing symmetries simplify the process of obtaining the scan patterns by identifying repetitive parts (defined as structures of symmetry) of a pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric dustfall is solid air pollutant, has a major impact on the environment and human health. The objective of this study was to investigate the microscopic characteristics and sources of atmospheric dustfall in open-pit mining coal resource-based city in the arid desert area of Northwest China. The characteristics of size and shape factors, variation of shape factors with size distribution, types of individual particles, and sources of atmospheric dustfall, which were collected in the open-pit mining area and surrounding areas, were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with an energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM–EDS) combined with graphical method and shape factors. The results showed that the atmospheric dustfall in all functional areas was dominated by coarse-grained particles. The shape of the atmospheric dustfall deviated from spherical shape, and with decreasing particle size, the difference in shape factors increased in each functional area. The EDS and XRD analyses indicated the presence of 13 types of particles. The sources were mainly local and included soil dust from each functional area; industrial dust, construction dust, biogenic impurities, fossil fuel combustion, wear products of motor vehicle parts, motor vehicle exhaust emissions, and emission and excreta from biological activities in each functional area except the desert area; emissions from a steel plant in the industrial area; coal-associated ore, coal dust, coal gangue emissions, and emissions from the spontaneous combustion of coal gangue in the open-pit mining area; secondary chemical crystallization products in the industrial area and the open-pit mining area; dust generated by vehicles abrading the surface of the off-mine coal road and in the open-pit mining area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]