Towards risk-informed PBSHM: Populations as hierarchical systems

The prospect of informed and optimal decision-making regarding the operation and maintenance (O&M) of structures provides impetus to the development of structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. A probabilistic risk-based framework for decision-making has already been proposed. However, in order to learn the statistical models necessary for decision-making, measured data from the structure of interest are required. Unfortunately, these data are seldom available across the range of environmental and operational conditions necessary to ensure good generalisation of the model. Recently, technologies have been developed that overcome this challenge, by extending SHM to populations of structures, such that valuable knowledge may be transferred between instances of structures that are sufficiently similar. This new approach is termed population-based structural heath monitoring (PBSHM). The current paper presents a formal representation of populations of structures, such that risk-based decision processes may be specified within them. The population-based representation is an extension to the hierarchical representation of a structure used within the probabilistic risk-based decision framework to define fault trees. The result is a series, consisting of systems of systems ranging from the individual component level up to an inventory of heterogeneous populations. The current paper considers an inventory of wind farms as a motivating example and highlights the inferences and decisions that can be made within the hierarchical representation.Comment: Submitted to IMAC-XLI conference (2023), Austin, Texas, US

A decision framework for selecting information-transfer strategies in population-based SHM

Decision-support for the operation and maintenance of structures provides significant motivation for the development and implementation of structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. Unfortunately, the limited availability of labelled training data hinders the development of the statistical models on which these decision-support systems rely. Population-based SHM seeks to mitigate the impact of data scarcity by using transfer learning techniques to share information between individual structures within a population. The current paper proposes a decision framework for selecting transfer strategies based upon a novel concept -- the expected value of information transfer -- such that negative transfer is avoided. By avoiding negative transfer, and by optimising information transfer strategies using the transfer-decision framework, one can reduce the costs associated with operating and maintaining structures, and improve safety.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures. Author accepted manuscript in Proceedings of the 14th International Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring, Stanford University, California, USA. 202

Double-impulse magnetic focusing of launched cold atoms.

We have theoretically investigated three-dimensional focusing of a launched cloud of cold atoms using a pair of magnetic lens pulses (the alternate-gradient method). Individual lenses focus radially and defocus axially or vice versa. The performance of the two possible pulse sequences are compared and found to be ideal for loading both 'pancake' and 'sausage' shaped magnetic/optical microtraps. It is shown that focusing aberrations are considerably smaller for double-impulse magnetic lenses compared to single-impulse magnetic lenses. An analysis of clouds focused by the double-impulse technique is presented

Monitoring-Supported Value Generation for Managing Structures and Infrastructure Systems

To maximize its value, the design, development and implementation of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) should focus on its role in facilitating decision support. In this position paper, we offer perspectives on the synergy between SHM and decision-making. We propose a classification of SHM use cases aligning with various dimensions that are closely linked to the respective decision contexts. The types of decisions that have to be supported by the SHM system within these settings are discussed along with the corresponding challenges. We provide an overview of different classes of models that are required for integrating SHM in the decision-making process to support management and operation and maintenance of structures and infrastructure systems. Fundamental decision-theoretic principles and state-of-the-art methods for optimizing maintenance and operational decision-making under uncertainty are briefly discussed. Finally, we offer a viewpoint on the appropriate course of action for quantifying, validating and maximizing the added value generated by SHM. This work aspires to synthesize the different perspectives of the SHM, Prognostic Health Management (PHM), and reliability communities, and deliver a roadmap towards monitoring-based decision support

Decay of a three-quasiparticle isomer in the neutron-rich nucleus 183Ta

Excited states in neutron-rich tantalum isotopes have been studied with deep-inelastic reactions using 136Xe ions incident on a 186W target. New transitions observed below the τ=1.3 μs isomer in 183Ta have enabled the establishment of its energy and pu

Isomers and excitation modes in the gamma-soft nucleus 192 Os

New spectroscopic results for high-spin states in 192Os populated in deep-inelastic reactions include the identification of a 2-ns, 12+ isomeric state at 2865 keV and a 295-ns, 20+ state at 4580 keV and their associated δJ=2 sequences. The structures ar

Long-lived three-quasiparticle isomers in 191Ir and 193Ir with triaxial deformation

Deep-inelastic reactions have been used to populate high-spin states in the iridium isotopes. New results include the identification of particularly long-lived three-quasiparticle isomers in 191Ir and 193Ir, with mean-lives of 8.2(7) s and 180(3) μs res

Isomers and alignments in 191Ir and 192Os

Deep-Inelastic reactions have been used to populate high-spin states in the even-even osmium isotopes and in the iridium neighbors. New isomers have been identified in 190Os, 192Os, 194Os, 191Ir and 193Ir. These include a 2 ns 12 + state at 2865 keV and a 295 ns, 20 + state at 4580 keV in 192Os. Although a number of multi-quasiparticle states arising from prolate and triaxial deformations are expected in these nuclei, the main structures in 192Os can be interpreted as a two-stage alignment of i 13/2 neutrons at oblate deformation, in close analogy with similar structures in the isotones 194Pt and 196Hg. The isomers are attributed to low-energy E2 transitions at the point of the alignment gains. The isomer observed in 191Ir is long-lived (τ m ∼8s) and probably arises from coupling of the h 11/2 proton to the 10 -ν/9/2 - [505]11/2 + [615] prolate configuration that gives rise to long-lived isomers in 190Os and 192Os, although potential-energy-surface calculations indicate that the resultant three-quasiparticle state will be triaxial

Spatial patterns and environmental constraints on ecosystem services at a catchment scale

Improved understanding and prediction of the fundamental environmental controls on ecosystem service supply across the landscape will help to inform decisions made by policy makers and land-water managers. To evaluate this issue for a local catchment case study, we explored metrics and spatial patterns of service supply for water quality regulation, agriculture production, carbon storage, and biodiversity for the Macronutrient Conwy catchment. Methods included using ecosystem models such as LUCI and JULES, integration of national scale field survey datasets, earth observation products and plant trait databases, to produce finely resolved maps of species richness and primary production. Analyses were done with both 1x1 km gridded and subcatchment data. A common single gradient characterised catchment scale ecosystem services supply with agricultural production and carbon storage at opposing ends of the gradient as reported for a national-scale assessment. Species diversity was positively related to production due to the below national average productivity levels in the Conwy combined with the unimodal relationship between biodiversity and productivity at the national scale. In contrast to the national scale assessment, a strong reduction in water quality as production increased was observed in these low productive systems. Various soil variables were tested for their predictive power of ecosystem service supply. Soil carbon, nitrogen, their ratio and soil pH all had double the power of rainfall and altitude, each explaining around 45% of variation but soil pH is proposed as a potential metric for ecosystem service supply potential as it is a simple and practical metric which can be carried out in the field with crowd-sourcing technologies now available. The study emphasises the importance of considering multiple ecosystem services together due to the complexity of covariation at local and national scales, and the benefits of exploiting a wide range of metrics for each service to enhance data robustness

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy