Seismic fragility curves based on the probability density evolution method

A seismic fragility curve that shows the probability of failure of a structure in function of a seismic intensity, for example peak ground acceleration (PGA), is a powerful tool for the evaluation of the seismic vulnerability of the structures in nuclear engineering and civil engineering. The common assumption of existing approaches is that the fragility curve is a cumulative probability log-normal function. In this paper, we propose a new technique for construction of seismic fragility curves by numerical simulation using the Probability Density Evolution Method (PDEM). From the joint probability density function between structural response and random variables of a system and/or excitations, seismic fragility curves can be derived without the log-normal assumption. The validation of the proposed technique is performed on two numerical examples

LIMITATIONS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SOLVING A TYPE OF TASK RELATING TO THE EQUATION OF A CIRCLE: AN INVESTIGATION IN VIETNAM

In Vietnam, secondary school students learn the equation of a circle in Grade 10. Based on how to present this equation in the textbook “Geometry 10” and types of task for students, we believe that some limitations happen to students when they solve problems related to the equation of a circle. This paper reports the investigation of 845 students from the Mekong Delta-Vietnam. The results show that our prediction is correct.  Article visualizations

Construction des courbes de fragilité sismique basée sur la méthode de calcul de l'évolution des fonctions de densité de probabilité

Une courbe de fragilité sismique qui présente la probabilité de défaillance d'une structure en fonction d'une intensité sismique, par exemple, le pic d'accélération du sol (Peak Ground Acceleration - PGA), est un outil très performant pour l'évaluation de la vulnérabilité sismique des structures en génie nucléaire (B. Ellingwood, 1990) ou dans le domaine du génie civil (Karim and Yamazaki, 2003). Il existe dans la littérature trois approches : soit par l'avis d'expert, soit empirique grâce aux données d'observation réelles ou par simulation numérique. L'hypothèse la plus commune de ces approches est que la courbe de fragilité est une fonction cumulative de la loi log-normale (Kafali and Grigoriu, 2007 ; Shinozuka et al., 2000). Dans cet article, nous proposons une nouvelle technique de construction des courbes de fragilité sismique par simulation numérique en utilisant la méthode de calcul de l'évolution des fonctions de densité de probabilité (Probability Density Evolution Method – PDEM). Proposée par Li et Chen (Li and Chen, 2004 ; Chen and Li, 2005), la méthode PDEM permet d'évaluer la probabilité conjointe entre la réponse structurale et les variables aléatoires du système et de l'excitation. A partir le la probabilité conjointe, la courbe de fragilité sismique peut être déduite sans utiliser l'hypothèse de la loi log-normale. La validation de la technique proposée est réalisée sur des exemples numériques. Les résultats obtenus sont présentés et discutés

Outage performance analysis of non-orthogonal multiple access systems with RF energy harvesting

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has drawn enormous attention from the research community as a promising technology for future wireless communications with increasing demands of capacity and throughput. Especially, in the light of fifth-generation (5G) communication where multiple internet-of-things (IoT) devices are connected, the application of NOMA to indoor wireless networks has become more interesting to study. In view of this, we investigate the NOMA technique in energy harvesting (EH) half-duplex (HD) decode-and-forward (DF) power-splitting relaying (PSR) networks over indoor scenarios which are characterized by log-normal fading channels. The system performance of such networks is evaluated in terms of outage probability (OP) and total throughput for delay-limited transmission mode whose expressions are derived herein. In general, we can see in details how different system parameters affect such networks thanks to the results from Monte Carlo simulations. For illustrating the accuracy of our analytical results, we plot them along with the theoretical ones for comparison

Outage probability analysis for hybrid TSR-PSR based SWIPT systems over log-normal fading channels

Employing simultaneous information and power transfer (SWIPT) technology in cooperative relaying networks has drawn considerable attention from the research community. We can find several studies that focus on Rayleigh and Nakagami-m fading channels, which are used to model outdoor scenarios. Differing itself from several existing studies, this study is conducted in the context of indoor scenario modelled by log-normal fading channels. Specifically, we investigate a so-called hybrid time switching relaying (TSR)-power splitting relaying (PSR) protocol in an energy-constrained cooperative amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying network. We evaluate the system performance with outage probability (OP) by analytically expressing and simulating it with Monte Carlo method. The impact of power-splitting (PS), time-switching (TS) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on the OP was as well investigated. Subsequently, the system performance of TSR, PSR and hybrid TSR-PSR schemes were compared. The simulation results are relatively accurate because they align well with the theory

A SURVEY OF STUDENTS’ ABILITY OF IDENTIFYING ERRORS IN WRONG SOLUTIONS FOR THE MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE MONOTONICITY OF FUNCTIONS

The monotonicity of a function plays an important role in the general mathematics curriculum in Vietnam, because it is considered as an effective tool for solving mathematical problems involved with the monotonic intervals of functions, their extreme, absolute maximum value and absolute minimum value. Normally, students commit errors in solving these problems because of their complexity and difficulty. In addition, specific characteristics of knowledge also make children make mistakes. The sample consisted of 362 students, and they had the task of identifying errors in false assumptions. From the results of the survey, it was found that when dealing with the monotonicity of the functions, students were still misled.  Article visualizations

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Séparation des composantes harmoniques des tests sous excitation ambiante par la méthode de décomposition dans le domaine de temps-fréquence

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