User Follow Prediction of Microblog Based on the Activeness and Interest Similarity

Many microblog fans have formed the basis of microblog information dissemination and diffusion, so accurate prediction and attracting more potential customers to follow microblogger becomes very necessary. By employing interpersonal relationship network of microblog fans, this study integrates microblogger popularity and user activeness into interest similarity in order to explain user follow predictor and propose user follow prediction models. Support vector machine (SVM) is used to train this model. Open data from Tencent microblog in KDD Cup 2012 prove that the proposed prediction model has higher prediction accuracy and stability. Key words: Microblog; User follow; Microblogger popularity; User activeness; Interest similarity; Prediction mode

Multi-Loop Integral Control-Based Heart Rate Regulation for Fast Tracking and Faulty-Tolerant Control Performance in Treadmill Exercises

In order to offer a reliable, fast, and offset-free tracking performance for the regulation of heart rate (HR) during treadmill exercise, a two-input single-output (2ISO) control system by simultaneously manipulating both treadmill speed and gradient is proposed. The decentralized integral controllability (DIC) analysis is extended to nonlinear and non-square processes especially for a 2ISO process, namely multi-loop integral controllability (MIC). The proposed multi-loop integral control-based HR regulation by manipulating treadmill speed and gradient is then validated through a comparative treadmill experiment that compares the system performance of the proposed 2ISO MIC control loop with that of single-input single-output (SISO) loops, speed/gradient-to-HR. The experimental validation presents that by simultaneously using two control inputs, the automated system can achieve the fastest HR tracking performance and stay close to the reference HR during steady state, while comparing with two SISO structures, and offer the fault-tolerant ability if the gains of the two multi-loop integral controllers are well tuned. It has a vital implication for the applications of exercise rehabilitation and fitness in relation to the automated control system

Modeling of Rate-Independent and Symmetric Hysteresis Based on Madelung’s Rules

Hysteresis is a kind of nonlinearity with memory, which is usually unwanted in practice. Many phenomenological models have been proposed to describe the observed hysteresis. For instance, the Prandtl-Ishlinskii (PI) model, which consists of several backlash operators, is the most widely used. On the other hand, the well-known Madelung’s rules are always used to validate hysteresis models. It is worth pointing out that the PI model obeys Madelung’s rules. In this paper, instead of considering these rules as criteria, we propose a modeling method for symmetric hysteresis by directly constructing the trajectory based on Madelung’s rules. In the proposed method, turning points are recorded and wiped out according to the input value. After the implementation of the recording and wiping-out mechanisms, the curve which the current trajectory moves along can be determined and then the trajectory can be described. Furthermore, the relationship between the proposed method and the PI model is also investigated. The effectiveness of the presented method is validated by simulation and experimental results

A Probabilistic Framework for Resilience Quantification of Residential Building Portfolios Exposed to Tropical Cyclone Winds

Residential buildings in coastal areas often suffer from dramatic cyclone-induced damages. Resilience analysis is a powerful tool to quantify the object\u27s (e.g., a building portfolio\u27s) ability to withstand disruptive events. The key aspects include (1) the modeling of the recovery process in the aftermath of a cyclone event, which is intrinsically complex and is conditional on multiple factors (e.g., the available resources, the damage state immediately after a hazardous event), and (2) a reasonable index for resilience quantification that is capable of reflecting the asset owner/decision-maker\u27s requirement for the recovery process. In this paper, a new resilience measure is proposed that incorporates a requirement of anticipated recovery time (i.e., whether the recovery can be completed before the anticipated time) for the object. A novel framework for resilience quantification of residential building portfolios is also developed, which involves an optimal resource allocation strategy to maximize the resilience of building portfolios. The applicability of the proposed framework is illustrated through examining the resilience of a virtual community subjected to cyclone winds. The impacts of resourcefulness, wind field uncertainty, and correlation between building capacities on the building portfolio resilience are investigated

Who Needs to Save Energy and Reduce Emissions? Perspective of Energy Misallocation and Economies of Scale

With the rapid development of the economy, human survival and socio-economic development are facing the severe challenges of climate threats. Global warming is one of the greatest threats to human survival and political stability that has occurred in human history. The main factor causing global warming is the extensive use of energy; therefore, it is imperative to spend more effort in energy conservation and emission reduction. In this context, this paper provides a reference and basis for decision making on emission-reduction paths through the perspective of energy input misallocation and economies of scale of CO2 emissions. The results show that for cities with relatively low energy inputs, the impact of excessive energy input on CO2 emissions is stronger than the effect of the scale of energy input on reducing CO2 emissions. Therefore, these cities need to prioritize energy conservation and emission reduction. On the other hand, in cities with large energy inputs, the impact of the scale of energy input on reducing CO2 emissions is more significant than the effect of excessive energy input on CO2 emissions. Therefore, these areas should also focus on energy conservation and emission reduction. The results of this paper have theoretical value and practical significance for scientifically implementing energy conservation and emission reduction strategies, as well as reasonably planning energy conservation pathways

Estimating the resistance of aging service-proven bridges with a Gamma process-based deterioration model

The environmental or anthropogenic factors, to which the in-service bridges are subjected, are responsible for the reduction of bridge performance, and finally lead to great service risk for bridges and increase the probability of substantial economic losses. Probability-based estimate of bridge resistance is an essential indicator for the bridge condition evaluation and for optimization of bridge maintenance/repair decisions. It places an emphasis on the proper probabilistic models of structural properties and assessment methods. Making full use of historical service load information may improve the accuracy of bridge performance assessment with reduced epistemic uncertainty for existing aging bridges. In to-date analyses to update the bridge resistance with past service information, the models of resistance deterioration have been assumed as either deterministic or fully correlated, which may differ significantly from the realistic case. With this regard, this paper proposes a novel method for updating the resistance of service-proven bridges with a realistic deterioration model. The Gamma stochastic process has been suggested in the literature to describe the probabilistic behavior of structural time-dependent resistance and thus is adopted in this paper. An illustrative bridge is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method. Parametric examples are conducted to investigate the role of resistance deterioration model in the updated estimate of bridge resistance with historical service information. Keywords: Existing aging bridges, Historical load information, Resistance updating, Gamma deterioration process, Bridge safet