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Background. Vaspin is an important adipokine that is involved in cardiovascular diseases. This study is aimed at investigating whether vaspin participates in sepsis-induced cardiac injury and explored the possible mechanism. Methods. First, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to establish a mouse model of sepsis, and cardiac vaspin expression was examined. In addition, after pretreatment with vaspin or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), wild-type (WT) mice underwent CLP to establish a septic model and received sham as a control. Finally, WT mice and kallikrein 7 (KLK7-/-) mice were underwent CLP with or without vaspin pretreatment. Results. Mice that underwent CLP and were administered LPS exhibited increased vaspin expression in both the heart and serum compared with sham- or saline-treated mice. In CLP mice, pretreatment with vaspin reduced mortality and alleviated the expression of cardiac injury markers and cardiac dysfunction. In addition, vaspin reduced the cardiac levels of CD45+ cells and CD68+ cells, alleviated the cardiac inflammatory response, and reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. The protective effects of vaspin on CLP mice were masked by the deletion of KLK7, which was demonstrated to be a downstream signal of vaspin. Conclusions. Vaspin alleviates cardiac inflammation and plays a protective role in sepsis-induced cardiac injury by reducing KLK7 expression.

The Qaidam Basin is a cornucopia of salt mineral resources in China, but desertification in the basin has seriously impacted residents’ lives and economic development. Comprehensive analyses of the spatial distribution characteristics of desertification and its driving factors will improve understanding of the causes of desertification. To explore these causes and related driving factors, we used the geographical detector model and geographical information system (GIS) techniques to quantify the relative importance and interactions of driving factors, including meteorological, environmental, and human factors. We found that desertification in the southern Kunlun Mountains, eastern Qilian Mountains, and front of the alluvial fan in the northern Kunlun Mountains was low. This was mainly due to the relatively abundant water resources in these areas. Desertification in the central and western Qaidam Basin was high primarily on account of the abnormally high evaporation. The power of determinant value showed that evaporation (0.481) had the strongest impact on desertification, followed by precipitation (0.460), vegetation type (0.360), soil type (0.293), and temperature (0.251). Evaporation has significantly positive effect on the level of desertification, and precipitation has significantly negative effect. Meteorological factors had the greatest impact on desertification, followed by environmental factors, whereas human factors were the least influential. Despite the small population in the basin and limited economic development, the impact of human activities on desertification cannot be ignored. Our results further indicated that the interactions between the driving factors could enhance the evaluation of desertification. This study comprehensively considered three types of impact factor and a total of nine driving factors. It also analyzed the spatial distribution characteristics and driving factors of desertification in the basin, which improved understanding of desertification in such arid and semi-arid regions in northwest China.

Particle image velocimetry and numerical simulation results of juncture flows were analyzed to parametrically investigate topology transition. The vortex system evolutions from non-vortex to multi-vortex with variations in obstacle bluntness, obstacle width, flow velocity, and boundary layer thickness are discussed from the perspective of velocity characteristic lines. The velocity characteristic lines of u=0, v=0, and ∇2v=0 are adopted to describe the vortex system evolution. The motions of the characteristic lines with juncture flow parameters are described in detail, and the corresponding reflections of the vortex system patterns are illustrated. A panoramic picture of the development of velocity characteristic lines corresponding to the HSV topology transition from a non-vortex to a multi-vortex system with variations in the juncture flow parameter is established. Two methods for determining the attachment/separation pattern of the most upstream singularity are proposed. One method is based on the number of intersections of the u=0 and v=0 velocity characteristic curve lines, and the other is based on the relative positions of the most upstream feet of the u=0 and v=0 loop curves with both feet attached to the wall.

Abstract Solar chimneys may induce natural ventilation through solar radiation. However, sufficient theoretical studies are needed as a basis to fully exploit passive design in practical green building design. In this work, we investigate the heat transfer properties of turbulent natural convective flows in a combined solar chimney with a thermal flux at the absorption wall by means of theoretical analysis and numerical simulations. Two different flow patterns have been found, one with a clear thermal boundary layer flow pattern and the other without, based on high Rayleigh numbers. For flow development in these two flow regimes, the transient scaling analysis is performed separately and the control mechanism for each phase is presented. Some new scale relationships are established to characterize the ventilation performance of solar chimneys, including thermal boundary layer thickness δT, velocity vT, mass flow m, and so on. For the distinct thermal boundary layers, δT,s ~ HΓ2/5/Bo1/5κ2/5, vT,s ~ Bo2/5κ4/5Γ1/5/H, m ~ ρBo1/5κ2/5Γ3/5. For nonobvious thermal boundary layers, vT,f ~ Bo1/3κ/H2/3W1/3, m ~ ρBo1/3κ/A2/3. The important scale relationships are validated using corresponding numerical simulation data, such as the mass flow rate scale M ~ (Γ/κ)3/5Bo1/5 in the distinct thermal boundary layer flow state, and so on. The air changes per hour and heat exchange efficiencies are calculated for a solar chimney with a fixed height‐to‐width ratio to provide a basis for the design of a solar chimney.

The topography of mountainous areas is characterized by large undulations, which lead to a very complex wind field at bridge sites in mountain valleys. The influence of oncoming wind speed on long-span bridges built in mountain valleys is quite pronounced. To investigate the wind characteristics at a bridge site in a mountain valley under different oncoming wind speeds, a wind tunnel test of a terrain model with a scaling ratio of 1:1000, where a long-span bridge would be built in the V-shaped canyon, was conducted. Uniform and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) inflows were both applied, and the effect of different oncoming wind speeds (basic wind speeds of 6 m/s, 8 m/s, 10 m/s, 12 m/s, and 14 m/s) under three wind directions (0°, 30°, and 180°) on the wind characteristics at the main beam and two bridge towers were studied. The results indicate that increasing oncoming wind speed leads to decreased wind profiles and wind speed amplification factors and increased wind attack angles, while wind yaw angles remain largely unchanged. In addition, compared to ABL inflow, the variation of fluctuating wind characteristics is more pronounced with the oncoming wind speed under uniform inflow. Under uniform inflow conditions, increasing the oncoming wind speed causes decreased turbulence intensity, reduces the peak frequency of the power spectrum, and slows down the high-frequency decay rate. Under ABL inflow conditions, turbulence intensity and the power spectrum remain unchanged with different oncoming wind speeds. Additionally, the turbulent integral scale derived from fitting with the von Kármán wind spectrum is sufficiently accurate, and the variation in the turbulent integral scale is greatly influenced by the terrain. Furthermore, higher wind speeds result in stronger coherence between two points. When two points are at different locations but with the same spacing, the coherence function remains roughly the same. Locations with higher kurtosis and skewness values exhibit steeper probability density functions, with larger kurtosis and skewness coefficients typically found on the leeward side. High wind speeds are more detrimental to bridge safety, and appropriate preventive measures should be implemented in advance to address extreme conditions that may arise at high wind speeds.

Shaft structures in high-rise buildings may increase fire coverage due to chimney effects. However, few previous studies have considered the motion of the flue gas under the combined effect of the chimney effect and thermal buoyancy. So, we set a continuous gradient differential pressure opening based on the characteristics of the chimney effect in winter. The CFD method is used to simulate 12 operating conditions with different fire source locations and rates of heat release from the ignition source. We compare and analyze the temperature rise, the flue gas rise law and the variation of the thermal pressure difference between the inner and outer shafts for different fire source powers. The results show that, in the case of low-floor fires, the range of temperature appreciation and fluctuation at the local measurement point increases with the fire power and the distribution of temperature appreciation decreases with the height. The relationship between the dimensionless time and the dimensionless height of the flue gas layer is exponential for different fire position conditions. The fire causes the neutral surface to shift, and below the original neutral surface, the higher the position of the fire source, the more pronounced the shift of the neutral surface.

With the widespread adoption of 5G telecommunication networks, to reduce construction costs, it has become necessary to add new equipment or antennas to existing 4G and 3G telecommunication towers. This significantly changes the original aerodynamic shape of the towers, leading to a substantial increase in the wind load, which may exceed the original structure’s bearing capacity and pose a threat to the structure’s safety. This study employed three-dimensional numerical simulation methods to systematically investigate the impact of various antenna arrangement parameters, such as the arrangement number, arrangement form, and arrangement layers, on the wind load characteristics of telecommunication towers. The findings revealed that the antenna arrangement form significantly affects the sensitivity of the telecommunication tower’s wind load to the wind direction, with more uniform antenna arrangements resulting in less sensitivity. Compared to the drag coefficient and the windward base overturning moment coefficient, the tower’s lateral force coefficient and the crosswind base overturning moment coefficient are more sensitive to changes in the wind direction. The change patterns in the tower’s overturning force coefficient and overturning moment coefficient with the antenna arrangement number are essentially the same. However, as the antenna arrangement number increases, the growth rate of the tower’s overturning moment coefficient is about twice that of the overturning force coefficient. The tower’s overturning force coefficient increases approximately linearly with the increase in antenna arrangement layers, while the tower’s overturning moment coefficient exhibits a nonlinear increase with the increase in antenna arrangement layers. The rate of increase in the wind load with the antenna arrangement layers is significantly greater than that with the antenna arrangement number. Thus, to reduce wind load, it is advisable in practical engineering applications to increase the antenna arrangement number per layer, thereby reducing the antenna arrangement layers. The study also summarized a calculation method for the structural wind load of telecommunication towers, taking into account the influence of antenna arrangement parameters, providing a reliable basis for the structural design and safety assessment of telecommunication towers in practical engineering.

To investigate the susceptibility of drifting snow along the Ya’an–Qamdo section of the railway, which is located in a high-altitude and cold plateau in Southwest China with scarce meteorological information, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) is used in this paper to simulate the spatio-temporal distribution of meteorological data. According to the varying terrain, the railway section from Ya’an to Qamdo is divided into two regions along 100.8° E for double-layer nested simulation. The original land use data of the WRF model are used in region 1. Due to the increased number of mountains in region 2, the original data are replaced by the MCD12Q1v006 land use data, and the vertical direction layers are densified near the ground to increase simulation accuracy. The simulated results are compared with the observation data. It is found that after densification, the results have been significantly improved. The results obtained by the WRF model can accurately simulate the change trends of temperature, rainfall, and wind speed, and the correlation coefficients are relatively high, which verifies the accuracy of WRF for simulating complex terrain regions. The simulation results further indicate that approximately 300 km of the Ya’an–Qamdo railway may experience drifting snow. Among them, no drifting snow events occur in Ya’an County, and the areas with higher probability are located at the border between Luding County and Tianquan County, followed by Kangding area. The remaining areas have a probability of less than 10%. The WRF model demonstrates its capability in the drifting snow protection of railways with limited meteorological data.

To solve the problem that the damage diagnosis model of cable-stayed bridges cannot quantitatively evaluate its validity, the verification method of the diagnosis model is investigated. A model validation method [Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE)-Statistical Hypothesis Test (SHT), R–S] that combines the RMSE evaluation index and the SHT is proposed and applied to the reliability evaluation of the cable-stayed bridge data mining damage diagnosis model. First, the R–S method evaluates the diagnostic effect of the model via the evaluation index. Second, the SHT method is used to quantitatively compare the consistency between the output data of the diagnostic model and the actual structure output data. Finally, the validity of the model is quantitatively evaluated. The application process of the proposed method is demonstrated by an example. The results show that the diagnostic model has strong reliability and that the confidence level Pδ exceeds 90%, which indicates the effectiveness of the diagnostic model verification method.

To solve the problem that finite element analysis and calculation need to be repeated during model updates, which leads to tedious and inefficient correction work, ABAQUS (a powerful finite element software for engineering simulation) is used to develop a user-friendly graphical user interface platform for automatic completion of this update for cable-stayed bridges. In this paper, a method for establishing the benchmark finite element model of cable-stayed bridges based on ABAQUS and influence matrix (IM)-hunter prey optimization (HPO) is proposed. The method is based on the secondary development of ABAQUS to realize the modules of sensitivity analysis, influence matrix, and optimization. According to the sensitivity analysis module, the influence of the change in the finite element model parameters on the static response of a cable-stayed bridge is studied, and the cable area is used as the parameter to be corrected. The influence matrix module is used to obtain the IM of the cable area to girder displacement and cable force under a static load. The objective function is constructed by combining the measured displacement and cable force data using the optimization module, and the global optimal solution of the parameters to be corrected in the objective function is found by HPO. Finally, the solution is sent to the finite element model for correction, and the corrected displacement and cable force data are compared with the measured data. The results show that the modified calculation results obtained by this method are in good agreement with the measured results. The modified finite element model can be used as presented.

Argon injection is usually applied in the continuous casting mold to prevent submerged entry nozzle (SEN) clogging. However, the stability of the slag–steel interface is affected by the injected gas, even leading to the formation of the slag eye. A computational fluid dynamics–discrete bubble model–volume of fluid (CFD-DBM-VOF) model is established to predict the argon–slag–steel–air four-phase flow in the continuous casting mold. The bubble behavior is treated with the Lagrangian approach considering bubble coalescence and breakup. The movement behavior of the slag–steel interface is analyzed with and without argon blowing, validated with the water model. The results show that the large bubble tends to float up into the slag–steel interface near the SEN with argon injection, resulting in fluctuations in the slag–steel interface near the SEN. The bubble distribution, flow field, fluctuation height of the slag–steel interface and configuration of the slag eye in the mold are analyzed. Furthermore, the effect on the casting speed, gas flow rate and thickness of the slag layer is obtained based on the result. The mathematical prediction results showcase a combination of well-established phenomena and newly generated predictions.

This paper presents a new type of wind guide barrier (WGB). Through wind tunnel experiments, the key parameters of three types of WGB were studied, as well as their effects on the aerodynamic characteristics of a high-speed train and blunt body box girder system, while the bridge deck wind field was investigated. The results show that the shielding effect is the main factor affecting the windproof performance of the WGB. When the WGB is installed, the mean wind pressure distribution on the train is comparable to that of using a vertical wind barrier while reducing barrier resistance and the resistance of the bridge–barrier system. At the same time, the WGB can guide the oncoming flow, resulting in an increase in the streamwise and vertical wind velocity ratios on the bridge deck, as well as an increase in the maximum aerodynamic coefficient on the train.

Abstract In the current design specification of building structure, the basic wind pressure and basic snow pressure are two independent values, and it is impossible to acquire both of these values when snow and wind occur at the same time. Taking parameters such as snowfall intensity, snowfall amount, wind speed, and wind direction as indicators, the value of the combined distribution of wind and snowfall in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region of China was extracted. A joint distribution map of the daily average snowfall among the top-ten largest consecutive snowfall events and the daily average wind scale from the first day of snowfall to the fifth day after the snowfall were obtained. The study found that after a heavy snowfall in the Zhangjiakou area, the accumulated wind power was large and, although the wind speed was favorable for the occurrence of snowdrifts, the snowfall was light. After a heavy snowfall in the Shijiazhuang area, the accumulated wind power was small, and the probability of snowdrift formation was low. In the eastern regions of Cangzhou, Beijing, Tianjin, Tangshan, and Qinhuangdao, the accumulated wind force was relatively large after a heavy snowfall, and the probability of windblown snow was relatively high.

The mixed convection and heat transfer in enclosures with inner heat sources widely exist in building ventilation, cooling of nuclear reactors and cooling of electronic components. In this study, the heat transfer characteristics of mixed convection in an open arc-shaped cavity with double heat sources under the condition of bottom heating and top wall cooling are studied by two-dimensional numerical simulation using ANSYS FLUENT. The influence of the Reynolds number on flow structures, transient characteristics and heat transfer characteristics in the arc cavity was studied by changing inlet wind speed. As the Reynolds number changes from 2.19 × 105 to 4.38 × 107, the flow in the fully developed stage will evolve from turbulent flow to periodic flow and then to steady state flow. In this study, the critical Reynolds number intervals for three different flow states are given. The increase in the Reynolds number enhances the heat convection in the cavity. The difference between heat convection and heat conduction is increased, which has a linear relationship with the Reynolds number. As the Reynolds number increases, the heat removal capacity in the middle region of the double heat sources is not always enhanced, which is due to the sudden change in flow structure and flow state around Re = 1.18 × 107.

With the intensification of energy consumption, how to make rational and efficient use of wind energy has been studied all over the world. The construction of facilities to obtain wind energy requires an accurate assessment of the wind characteristics of the local terrain. In order to study the wind characteristics on an island in Southeast China, a 1:1300 terrain model is established, and the characteristics of mean wind and fluctuating wind are studied by numerical simulation and wind tunnel test. The results show that wind speed is affected by the incoming wind direction and local terrain. Wind speed on windward slopes and flat areas with no obstructions is higher, and wind speed on leeward slopes and valleys is lower. Then, the wind attack angle of each measuring point is mainly in the range of −10°~10°, which is much higher than that in flat areas. The positive and negative wind attack angles are controlled by the incoming wind direction, and the size is closely related to the local terrain. As for pulsation characteristics, the disturbance of the inflow determines the turbulence intensity. The incoming wind direction mainly affects the turbulence intensity on the hillside, while the turbulence intensity in the valley and flat area is controlled by the local terrain. In addition, the fluctuating wind speed power spectra on the island is more consistent with the von Karman spectrum, which is quite different from the Kaimal spectrum. The bandwidth on hillsides and valleys will not change with the change in inflow, but for flat areas, the bandwidth is greatly affected by the inflow direction.