The rise in urbanization has increasingly restricted access to natural environments,posing substantial risks to the physical and mental health of urban populations,including university students and other high-stress g...The rise in urbanization has increasingly restricted access to natural environments,posing substantial risks to the physical and mental health of urban populations,including university students and other high-stress groups.This study examines the comparative effects of outdoor forest meditation(OFM)and indoor nature meditation(INM)in simulated nature environments(SNEs)on the physiological and psychological health of university students.A pretestposttest repeated measures design was employed,with 40students participating in three replicated OFM sessions and three identical INM sessions across varied SNE settings.Key physiological metrics,including heart rate(HR),blood pressure(BP),and salivary amylase concentration(SAC),were measured before and after each session.Psychological well-being was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale-10(PSS-10)and Profile of Mood States(POMS).Results revealed significant reductions(p<0.05)in most post-intervention outcomes,except in the second indoor session across physiologic al and psychologic al responses,while multi-sensory INM sessions produced comparable benefits.Notably,SNEs with enhanced sensory components were effective,though slightly less impactful than OFM.These findings suggest that both OFM in nature and INM in SNEs can benefit university students'well-being.INM in SNEs offers a promising alternative for those with limited access to natural settings,contributing meaningfully to stress reduction and overall well-being.This study highlights the potential for nature-based strategies for human health in urban centres,advocating for further investigation into the long-term impacts of SNEs and optimal sensory configurations for maximizing therapeutic effects in urban populations.展开更多
Simulation has proven to be an effective tool for analyzing pipeline network systems （PNS） in order to determine the design and operational variables which are essential for evaluating the performance of the system....Simulation has proven to be an effective tool for analyzing pipeline network systems （PNS） in order to determine the design and operational variables which are essential for evaluating the performance of the system. This paper discusses the use of simulation for performance analysis of transmission PNS. A simulation model was developed for determining flow and pressure variables for different configuration of PNS. The mathematical formulation for the simulation model was derived based on the principles of energy conservation, mass balance, and compressor characteristics. For the determination of the pressure and flow variables, solution procedure was developed based on iterative Newton Raphson scheme and implemented using visual C＋＋6. Evaluations of the simulation model with the existing pipeline network system showed that the model enabled to determine the operational variables with less than ten iterations. The performances of the compressor working in the pipeline network system xvhich includes energy consumption, compression ratio and discharge pressure were evaluated to meet pressure requirements ranging from 4000-5000 kPa at various speed. Results of the analyses from the simulation indicated that the model could be used for performance analysis to assist decisions regarding the design and optimal operations of transmission PNS.展开更多
The longitudinal dynamic flight stability of a bumblebee in forward flight is studied. The method of computational fluid dynamics is used to compute the aerodynamic derivatives and the techniques of eigenvalue and eig...The longitudinal dynamic flight stability of a bumblebee in forward flight is studied. The method of computational fluid dynamics is used to compute the aerodynamic derivatives and the techniques of eigenvalue and eigenvector analysis are employed for solving the equations of motion. The primary findings are as the following. The forward flight of the bumblebee is not dynamically stable due to the existence of one （or two） unstable or approximately neutrally stable natural modes of motion. At hovering to medium flight speed [flight speed Ue = （0-3.5）m s^-1; advance ratio J = 0-0.44], the flight is weakly unstable or approximately neutrally stable; at high speed （Ue = 4.5 m s^-1; J = 0.57）, the flight becomes strongly unstable （initial disturbance double its value in only 3.5 wingbeats）.展开更多
Urban mountain forest is an important part of urban landscapes in low hilly areas,and proper utilization of mountains in building forest landscapes effectively improves images of the city and quality of the urban ecol...Urban mountain forest is an important part of urban landscapes in low hilly areas,and proper utilization of mountains in building forest landscapes effectively improves images of the city and quality of the urban ecological environment.On the basis of analyzing urban mountain features in the low hilly areas,it was proposed that forest landscapes should be constructed from three perspectives of optimizing landscape layout,spatial differentiation,and simulating the nature.Fenghuang Mountain Urban Forest Park in Santai County of Sichuan Province was taken for example to explore the construction of urban mountain forest landscapes.Design concepts of the park were elaborated,and improvement techniques for the mountain forest landscapes were given by investigating present vegetation resources and the overall planning layout.展开更多
In order to present a retrospective analysis of exposition accidents using input data from investigation processes,data from a specific accident was examined,in which we analyzed possible involved gas species（ liquef...In order to present a retrospective analysis of exposition accidents using input data from investigation processes,data from a specific accident was examined,in which we analyzed possible involved gas species（ liquefied petroleum gas; nature gas） and computed their concentrations and distributions based on the interactions between the structures and the effects of the explosion. In this study,5 scenarios were created to analyze the impact effect. Moreover,a coupling algorithm was put into practice,with a practical outflow boundary and joint strength are applied. Finally,the damage effects of each scenario were simulated. Our experimental results showed significant differences in the 5 scenarios concerning the damage effects on the building structures. The results from scenario 3 agree with the accident characteristics,demonstrating the effectiveness of our proposed modeling method. Our proposed method reflects gas properties,species and the concentration and distribution,and the simulated results validates the root cause,process,and consequences of accidental explosions. Furthermore,this method describes the evolution process of explosions in different building structures. Significantly,our model demonstrates the quantatative explosion effect of factors like gas species,gas volumes,and distributions of gases on explosion results. In this study,a feasible,effective,and quantitative method for structure safety is defined,which is helpful to accelerate the development of safer site regulations.展开更多
Vegetation ecosystem simulation and visualisation are challenging topics involving multidisciplinary aspects. In this paper, we present a new generic frame for the simulation of natural phenomena through manageable an...Vegetation ecosystem simulation and visualisation are challenging topics involving multidisciplinary aspects. In this paper, we present a new generic frame for the simulation of natural phenomena through manageable and interacting models. It focuses on the functional growth of large vegetal ecosystems, showing coherence for scales ranging from the individual plant to communities and with a particular attention to the effects of water resource competition between plants. The proposed approach is based on a model of plant growth in interaction with the environmental conditions. These are deduced from the climatic data （light, temperature, rainfall） and a model of soil hydrological budget. A set of layers is used to store the water resources and to build the interfaces between the environmental data and landscape components： temperature, rain, light, altitude, lakes, plant positions, biomass, cycles, etc. At the plant level, the simulation is performed for each individual by a structural-functional growth model, interacting with the plant＇s environment. Temperature is spatialised, changing according to altitude, and thus locally controls plant growth speed. The competition for water is based on a soil hydrological model taking into account rainfalls, water runoff, absorption, diffusion, percolation in soil. So far, the incoming light radiation is not studied in detail and is supposed constant. However, competition for light between plants is directly taken into account in the plant growth model. In our implementation, we propose a simple architecture for such a simulator and a simulation scheme to synchronise the water resource updating （on a temporal basis） and the plant growth cycles （determined by the sum of daily temperatures）. The visualisation techniques are based on sets of layers, allowing both morphological and functional landscape views and providing interesting tools for ecosystem management. The implementation of the proposed frame leads to encouraging results that are presented and illustrate simple academic cases.展开更多
基金funded by UBC Forest and Human Wellbeing Research(Grant No.GR020223)。
文摘The rise in urbanization has increasingly restricted access to natural environments,posing substantial risks to the physical and mental health of urban populations,including university students and other high-stress groups.This study examines the comparative effects of outdoor forest meditation(OFM)and indoor nature meditation(INM)in simulated nature environments(SNEs)on the physiological and psychological health of university students.A pretestposttest repeated measures design was employed,with 40students participating in three replicated OFM sessions and three identical INM sessions across varied SNE settings.Key physiological metrics,including heart rate(HR),blood pressure(BP),and salivary amylase concentration(SAC),were measured before and after each session.Psychological well-being was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale-10(PSS-10)and Profile of Mood States(POMS).Results revealed significant reductions(p<0.05)in most post-intervention outcomes,except in the second indoor session across physiologic al and psychologic al responses,while multi-sensory INM sessions produced comparable benefits.Notably,SNEs with enhanced sensory components were effective,though slightly less impactful than OFM.These findings suggest that both OFM in nature and INM in SNEs can benefit university students'well-being.INM in SNEs offers a promising alternative for those with limited access to natural settings,contributing meaningfully to stress reduction and overall well-being.This study highlights the potential for nature-based strategies for human health in urban centres,advocating for further investigation into the long-term impacts of SNEs and optimal sensory configurations for maximizing therapeutic effects in urban populations.
文摘Simulation has proven to be an effective tool for analyzing pipeline network systems （PNS） in order to determine the design and operational variables which are essential for evaluating the performance of the system. This paper discusses the use of simulation for performance analysis of transmission PNS. A simulation model was developed for determining flow and pressure variables for different configuration of PNS. The mathematical formulation for the simulation model was derived based on the principles of energy conservation, mass balance, and compressor characteristics. For the determination of the pressure and flow variables, solution procedure was developed based on iterative Newton Raphson scheme and implemented using visual C＋＋6. Evaluations of the simulation model with the existing pipeline network system showed that the model enabled to determine the operational variables with less than ten iterations. The performances of the compressor working in the pipeline network system xvhich includes energy consumption, compression ratio and discharge pressure were evaluated to meet pressure requirements ranging from 4000-5000 kPa at various speed. Results of the analyses from the simulation indicated that the model could be used for performance analysis to assist decisions regarding the design and optimal operations of transmission PNS.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10732030)
文摘The longitudinal dynamic flight stability of a bumblebee in forward flight is studied. The method of computational fluid dynamics is used to compute the aerodynamic derivatives and the techniques of eigenvalue and eigenvector analysis are employed for solving the equations of motion. The primary findings are as the following. The forward flight of the bumblebee is not dynamically stable due to the existence of one （or two） unstable or approximately neutrally stable natural modes of motion. At hovering to medium flight speed [flight speed Ue = （0-3.5）m s^-1; advance ratio J = 0-0.44], the flight is weakly unstable or approximately neutrally stable; at high speed （Ue = 4.5 m s^-1; J = 0.57）, the flight becomes strongly unstable （initial disturbance double its value in only 3.5 wingbeats）.
文摘Urban mountain forest is an important part of urban landscapes in low hilly areas,and proper utilization of mountains in building forest landscapes effectively improves images of the city and quality of the urban ecological environment.On the basis of analyzing urban mountain features in the low hilly areas,it was proposed that forest landscapes should be constructed from three perspectives of optimizing landscape layout,spatial differentiation,and simulating the nature.Fenghuang Mountain Urban Forest Park in Santai County of Sichuan Province was taken for example to explore the construction of urban mountain forest landscapes.Design concepts of the park were elaborated,and improvement techniques for the mountain forest landscapes were given by investigating present vegetation resources and the overall planning layout.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(E041003)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(FRF-TP-15-105A1)the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China(2015M580049)
文摘In order to present a retrospective analysis of exposition accidents using input data from investigation processes,data from a specific accident was examined,in which we analyzed possible involved gas species（ liquefied petroleum gas; nature gas） and computed their concentrations and distributions based on the interactions between the structures and the effects of the explosion. In this study,5 scenarios were created to analyze the impact effect. Moreover,a coupling algorithm was put into practice,with a practical outflow boundary and joint strength are applied. Finally,the damage effects of each scenario were simulated. Our experimental results showed significant differences in the 5 scenarios concerning the damage effects on the building structures. The results from scenario 3 agree with the accident characteristics,demonstrating the effectiveness of our proposed modeling method. Our proposed method reflects gas properties,species and the concentration and distribution,and the simulated results validates the root cause,process,and consequences of accidental explosions. Furthermore,this method describes the evolution process of explosions in different building structures. Significantly,our model demonstrates the quantatative explosion effect of factors like gas species,gas volumes,and distributions of gases on explosion results. In this study,a feasible,effective,and quantitative method for structure safety is defined,which is helpful to accelerate the development of safer site regulations.
基金This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.60473110 and by LIAMAGREENLAB Project.
文摘Vegetation ecosystem simulation and visualisation are challenging topics involving multidisciplinary aspects. In this paper, we present a new generic frame for the simulation of natural phenomena through manageable and interacting models. It focuses on the functional growth of large vegetal ecosystems, showing coherence for scales ranging from the individual plant to communities and with a particular attention to the effects of water resource competition between plants. The proposed approach is based on a model of plant growth in interaction with the environmental conditions. These are deduced from the climatic data （light, temperature, rainfall） and a model of soil hydrological budget. A set of layers is used to store the water resources and to build the interfaces between the environmental data and landscape components： temperature, rain, light, altitude, lakes, plant positions, biomass, cycles, etc. At the plant level, the simulation is performed for each individual by a structural-functional growth model, interacting with the plant＇s environment. Temperature is spatialised, changing according to altitude, and thus locally controls plant growth speed. The competition for water is based on a soil hydrological model taking into account rainfalls, water runoff, absorption, diffusion, percolation in soil. So far, the incoming light radiation is not studied in detail and is supposed constant. However, competition for light between plants is directly taken into account in the plant growth model. In our implementation, we propose a simple architecture for such a simulator and a simulation scheme to synchronise the water resource updating （on a temporal basis） and the plant growth cycles （determined by the sum of daily temperatures）. The visualisation techniques are based on sets of layers, allowing both morphological and functional landscape views and providing interesting tools for ecosystem management. The implementation of the proposed frame leads to encouraging results that are presented and illustrate simple academic cases.
