Respirometric calibration and validation of a biological nitrite oxidation model including biomass growth and substrate inhibition

The modelling of the nitrification process of high-strength ammonium wastewater must be designed to consider it as a two-step reaction with substrate inhibition. Consequently, kinetic and stoichiometric parameters of both steps are required. In this work, the second step in the nitrification process was studied: a biological nitrite oxidation model was formulated, calibrated and validated using only oxygen uptake rate (OUR) measurements. The model included biomass growth and substrate inhibition. First, the biomass yield coefficient for nitrite-oxidising biomass was determined. Then, a respirometric experiment with one nitrite pulse of 500 mg N-NO₂⁻ L⁻¹ was performed to estimate the rest of the model parameters. The practical identifiability study showed that the parameters were strongly correlated. Hence, a new experimental design consisting of two consecutive pulses and a delayed third one was designed to improve the parameter identifiability. Both experimental designs were compared using contour plots of the objective function and optimal experimental design criteria for parameter estimation. It was concluded that the parameter identifiability was improved with the new experimental design. Finally, the estimated parameters were validated and the pH effect on the inhibition coefficient was evaluated.     

都市文化的风景线——台州市椒江南岸沿江景观概念规划中标方案

简要回顾和介绍了台州市椒江南岸沿江景观概念规划中标方案的构思过程,重点阐述方案构思过程中基地分析、项目定位、主题空间景观营造等方面的逻辑推演关系:在深入解读基地条件和分析研究国内外相关案例的基础上,针对本地区的基地特质,选择适合基地未来发展的功能定位,并通过塑造可识别性空间景观的设计手法来实现其发展目标。     

On optimal monitor placement for localizing node failures via network tomography

We investigate the problem of placing monitors to localize node failures in a communication network from binary states (normal/failed) of end-to-end paths, under the assumption that a path is in normal state if and only if it contains no failed nodes. To uniquely localize failed nodes, the measurement paths must show different symptoms (path states) under different failure events. Our goal is to deploy the minimum set of monitors to satisfy this condition for a given probing mechanism. We consider three families of probing mechanisms, according to whether measurement paths are (i) arbitrarily controllable, (ii) controllable but cycle-free, or (iii) uncontrollable (i.e., determined by the default routing protocol). We first establish theoretical conditions that characterize network-wide failure identifiability through a per-node identifiability measure that can be efficiently evaluated for the above three probing mechanisms. Leveraging these results, we develop a generic monitor placement algorithm, applicable under any probing mechanism, that incrementally selects monitors to optimize the per-node measure. The proposed algorithm is shown to be optimal for probing mechanism (i), and provides upper and lower bounds on the minimum number of monitors required by the other probing mechanisms. In the special case of single-node failures, we develop an improved monitor placement algorithm that is optimal for probing mechanism (ii) and has linear time complexity. Using these algorithms, we study the impact of the probing mechanism on the number of monitors required for uniquely localizing node failures. Our results based on real network topologies show that although more complicated to implement, probing mechanisms that allow monitors to control measurement paths substantially reduce the required number of monitors.     

Reprint of “Pharmacokinetic modelling of the anti-malarial drug artesunate and its active metabolite dihydroartemisinin”

A four compartment mechanistic mathematical model is developed for the pharmacokinetics of the commonly used anti-malarial drug artesunate and its principle metabolite dihydroartemisinin following oral administration of artesunate. The model is structurally unidentifiable unless additional constraints are imposed. Combinations of mechanistically derived constraints are considered to assess their effects on structural identifiability and on model fits. Certain combinations of the constraints give rise to locally or globally identifiable model structures.     

探索木构建筑修复中的可识别性原则——以重庆湖广会馆保护修复工程为例

对可识别性原则在文物保护中的重要性及目前在木构建筑修复实践中的误区等问题进行了探讨。结合重庆湖广会馆保护修复工程实例,分析讨论了可识别性原则在指导木构建筑修复时的一些具体方法,并提出后续思考。     

Dimensional synthesis for 3-PRS mechanism based on identifiability performance

Many performance indices for parallel mechanism are put forward in the phase of dimensional synthesis,except for identifiability index,which determines the difficulty of kinematical calibration.If the ...     

基于概率分布模型的流量预报及参数动态识别

概率分布模型（PDM）在国内流域的适用性及参数在不同径流阶段的变化研究较少。本文以浙江省两典型流域为例,建立PDM流量预报对比模型,根据参数动态识别分析确定不同时间窗口下参数变化,从而推断关键影响因子。研究结果表明：（1）PDM模型在两流域模拟结果较为满意,纳什效率系数均可达到0.7以上,且低流量为主的龙泉溪流域模拟效果明显优于高流量主导的金华江流域;（2）在不同洪水事件下PDM参数（经验参数α、b和最大蓄水能力Smax）均与前期土壤湿度显著负相关,与退水斜率有关的参数b在金华江流域与蒸发量显著正相关,而在龙泉溪流域与平均降雨负相关性显著;（3）受地表以下28 cm土壤湿度变化控制的参数α在洪峰及退水阶段识别度最大。     

Toward predictive food process models: A protocol for parameter estimation

Mathematical models, in particular, physics-based models, are essential tools to food product and process design, optimization and control.

The success of mathematical models relies on their predictive capabilities. However, describing physical, chemical and biological changes in food processing requires the values of some, typically unknown, parameters. Therefore, parameter estimation from experimental data is critical to achieving desired model predictive properties.

This work takes a new look into the parameter estimation (or identification) problem in food process modeling. First, we examine common pitfalls such as lack of identifiability and multimodality. Second, we present the theoretical background of a parameter identification protocol intended to deal with those challenges. And, to finish, we illustrate the performance of the proposed protocol with an example related to the thermal processing of packaged foods.