Optimization of long span portal frames using spatially distributed surrogates

Zhifang Zhang,Jingwen Pan,Jiyang Fu,Hemant Kumar Singh,Yong-Lin Pi,Jiurong Wu,Rui Rao 국제구조공학회 2017 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.24 No.2

This paper presents optimization of a long-span portal steel frame under dynamic wind loads using a surrogate-assisted evolutionary algorithm. Long-span portal steel frames are often used in low-rise industrial and commercial buildings. The structure needs be able to resist the wind loads, and at the same time it should be as light as possible in order to be cost-effective. In this work, numerical model of a portal steel frame is constructed using structural analysis program (SAP2000), with the web-heights at five locations of I-sections of the columns and rafters as the decision variables. In order to evaluate the performance of a given design under dynamic wind loading, the equivalent static wind load (ESWL) is obtained from a database of wind pressures measured in wind tunnel tests. A modified formulation of the problem compared to the one available in the literature is also presented, considering additional design constraints for practicality. Evolutionary algorithms (EA) are often used to solve such non-linear, black-box problems, but when each design evaluation is computationally expensive (e.g., in this case a SAP2000 simulation), the time taken for optimization using EAs becomes untenable. To overcome this challenge, we employ a surrogate-assisted evolutionary algorithm (SAEA) to expedite the convergence towards the optimum design. The presented SAEA uses multiple spatially distributed surrogate models to approximate the simulations more accurately in lieu of commonly used single global surrogate models. Through rigorous numerical experiments, improvements in results and time savings obtained using SAEA over EA are demonstrated.

Scale Effect of the Model Extent on Seepage Analysis of Circular Tunnels under Drained Conditions

Jian Wu,Zhifang Zhou 대한토목학회 2022 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.26 No.12

Numerical simulations have been widely used to predict groundwater inflow into tunnels during excavations. An appropriate geometric size of a numerical model is crucial for reducing the simulation time and ensuring the accuracy of numerical results. However, to the best of our knowledge, no information concerning the scale effect of the model extent on the seepage characteristics of tunnels under drained conditions has been published. This study evaluates how the model extent affects the tunnel inflow, drawdown, and water pressure via the Signorini type variational inequality formulation. A series of two-dimensional finite element models are conducted with various combinations of tunnel parameters, including tunnel radius, initial groundwater level, lining thickness, and relative permeability. Subsequently, a comprehensive function to yield the optimum model extent within an allowable error is proposed. Interestingly, the optimum model extent for both tunnel inflow and water pressure decreases with an increase in the relative permeability, whereas that of the drawdown exhibits the opposite pattern. A model extent of no less than 200 times the tunnel radius is recommended to acquire accurate model results and is verified with existing analytical methods. This study therefore not only highlights the drainage effect of the tunnel but also provides universal suggestions for engineering practice.

Detection of Myocardial Metabolic Abnormalities by 18F-FDG PET/CT and Corresponding Pathological Changes in Beagles with Local Heart Irradiation

Rui Yan,Jianbo Song,Zhifang Wu,Min Guo,Jianzhong Liu,Jianguo Li,Xinzhong Hao,Sijin Li 대한영상의학회 2015 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.16 No.4

To determine the efficacy of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in the detection of radiation-induced myocardial damage in beagles by comparing two pre-scan preparation protocols as well as to determine the correlation between abnormal myocardial FDG uptake and pathological findings. The anterior myocardium of 12 beagles received radiotherapy locally with a single X-ray dose of 20 Gy. 18F-FDG cardiac PET/CT was performed at baseline and 3 months after radiation. Twelve beagles underwent two protocols before PET/CT: 12 hours of fasting (12H-F), 12H-F followed by a high-fat diet (F-HFD). Regions of interest were drawn on the irradiation and the non-irradiation fields to obtain their maximal standardized uptake values (SUVmax). Then the ratio of the SUV of the irradiation to the non-irradiation fields (INR) was computed. Histopathological changes were identified by light and electron microscopy. Using the 12H-F protocol, the average INRs were 1.18 ± 0.10 and 1.41 ± 0.18 before and after irradiation, respectively (p = 0.021). Using the F-HFD protocol, the average INRs were 0.99 ± 0.15 and 2.54 ± 0.43, respectively (p < 0.001). High FDG uptake in irradiation field was detected in 33.3% (4/12) of 12H-F protocol and 83.3% (10/12) of F-HFD protocol in visual analysis, respectively (p = 0.031). The pathology of the irradiated myocardium showed obvious perivascular fibrosis and changes in mitochondrial vacuoles. High FDG uptake in an irradiated field may be related with radiation-induced myocardial damage resulting from microvascular damage and mitochondrial injury. An F-HFD preparation protocol used before obtaining PET/CT can improve the sensitivity of the detection of cardiotoxicity associated with radiotherapy.

Simotang Alleviates the Gastrointestinal Side Effects of Chemotherapy by Altering Gut Microbiota

( Lijing Deng ),( Xingyi Zhou ),( Zhifang Lan ),( Kairui Tang ),( Xiaoxu Zhu ),( Xiaowei Mo ),( Zongyao Zhao ),( Zhiqiang Zhao ),( Mansi Wu ) 한국미생물생명공학회 2022 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.32 No.4

Simotang oral liquid (SMT) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) consisting of four natural plants and is used to alleviate gastrointestinal side effects after chemotherapy and functional dyspepsia (FD). However, the mechanism by which SMT helps cure these gastrointestinal diseases is still unknown. Here, we discovered that SMT could alleviate gastrointestinal side effects after chemotherapy by altering gut microbiota. C57BL/6J mice were treated with cisplatin (DDP) and SMT, and biological samples were collected. Pathological changes in the small intestine were observed, and the intestinal injury score was assessed. The expression levels of the inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-6 and the adhesive factors Occludin and ZO-1 in mouse blood or small intestine tissue were also detected. Moreover, the gut microbiota was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons. SMT was found to effectively reduce gastrointestinal mucositis after DDP injection, which lowered inflammation and tightened the intestinal epithelial cells. Gut microbiota analysis showed that the abundance of the anti-inflammatory microbiota was downregulated and that the inflammatory microbiota was upregulated in DDP-treated mice. SMT upregulated antiinflammatory and anticancer microbiota abundance, while the inflammatory microbiota was downregulated. An antibiotic cocktail (ABX) was also used to delete mice gut microbiota to test the importance of gut microbiota, and we found that SMT could not alleviate gastrointestinal mucositis after DDP injection, showing that gut microbiota might be an important mediator of SMT treatment. Our study provides evidence that SMT might moderate gastrointestinal mucositis after chemotherapy by altering gut microbiota.

Deletion of Superoxide Dismutase Gene of Bombyx mori Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus Affects Viral DNA Replication

Wang, Wenbing,Song, Zhixiu,Ji, Ping,Wu, Jun,Zhang, Zhifang,He, Jialu,Wu, Xiangfu Korean Society of Sericultural Science 2004 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.9 No.2

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an important enzyme which catalyzes superoxide radicals to hydrogen peroxide. A Cu, Zn sod-like gene was found in Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus encoding 151 amino acids. To demonstrate its function, a recombinant virus named dsBmNPV with deleted sod gene was constructed. It was discovered that the sod gene was not essential for viral replication. Studies on growth of budded virus in BmN cells and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in vivo after dsBmNPV infection showed that the titer of dsBmNPV decreased obviously comparing to wild type BmNPV, the sod gene was effective on genomic DNA replication of baculovirus, the peak of SOD activity of silkworm infected with wt-BmNPV appeared between 36 and 48 hrs post infection, and with dsBmNPV, it did not appear. And the changes of CAT activity after infection were similar to SOD activity.