High ability of Mont Carlo simulation techniques has been led to ever increasing application of such methods in a wide variety of different fields including structural reliability.This specific approach has been based on event simulation using random sample process and evaluation of their results. Accurate precision requires considerable amount of simulation operations. Using various strategies, one can obtain the acceptable precision with less samples.The Importance Sampling Method(ISM) and Conditional Expectation Method (CEM)are among the examples of such methods and have shown satisfactory performance in structural reliability during the past experiences. In this article a hybrid method has been used and combined with ISM and CEM approaches using a high efficient algorithm to calculate structural reliability. In this approach with the help of high ability of ISM and using the optimum sampling function configuration, the sampling operation could be done in CEM and the failure probability will be evaluated Typical samples in the article reveal the high efficiency of this approach in solving the reliability problems. In this paper the acceptable ability of the algorithm in solving the time variant reliability of structures according to a real case has been shown.

Background: In spite of many advantages in Lenke classification of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, the latest study of Richards et al showed that the King classification is better than had been reported recently and the Lenke classification system of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is less reliable than previously reported.Methods: In this study, we performed a multi-surgeon comparison of these two classification systems. After teaching and discussing all available data of these classification systems with four spine surgeons, a pilot classification was performed. Then, they independently evaluated preoperative radiographs (standing posteroanterior, lateral, and two supine side-bending views) of 99 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The results were determined by calculating the average percentage of intraobserver and interobserver agreement. reliability was quantified using kappa statistics.Findings: The King classification demonstrated good intraobserver and interobserver reliability, with an intraobserver agreement of 85.8% (kappa coefficient, 0.80). Interobserver percentage of agreement averaged 80.8% (kappa coefficient, 0.74). The complete Lenke classification, combining curve type, lumbar modifier, and sagittal thoracic modifier, demonstrated good reliability for both intraobserver and interobserver measurements. The intraobserver percentage of agreement averaged 85.8% (kappa coefficient, 0.82). The interobserver percentage of agreement averaged 80.8% (kappa coefficient, 0.77).Conclusion: In this study, with each investigator performing the radiographic measurements, the King and Lenke classifications were almost similar (the Lenke classification had slightly better results). Such better results might be due to more training of this complex classification system. So, because of greater coverage of idiopathic scoliosis curve and usefulness of Lenke classification system, we prefer using this classification system in our center.

Weighted Uniform Simulation (WUS) is recently presented as one of the efficient simulation methods to obtain structural failure probability and most probable point (MPP). This method requires initial assumptions of failure probability to obtain results. Besides, it has the problem of variation in results when it conducted with few samples. In the present study three strategies have been presented that efficiently enhanced capabilities of WUS. To this aim, a progressively expanding intervals strategy proposed to eliminate the requirement to initial assumptions in WUS, while low-discrepancy samples simultaneously employed to reduce variations in failure probabilities. Moreover, to improve the accuracy of MPP, a new simple local search method proposed and combined with the simulation that strengthened the method to obtain more accurate MPP. The capabilities of proposed strategies investigated by solving several structural reliability problems and obtained results compared with traditional WUS and common reliability methods. Results show that proposed strategies efficiently improved the capabilities of conventional WUS.

The Hasofer-Lind and Rackwitz-Fiessler (HLRF) algorithm, which is based on the first-order reliability method (FORM), is widely used to estimate failure probability, reliability index, and design point in structural reliability analysis. However, due to the high nonlinearity of the limit state surface, the HLRF algorithm can be unstable. To address this issue, this paper proposes an optimization method to locate and estimate the design point in the standard normal space and calculate the corresponding failure probability. The reliability problem is solved using sequential least squares programming (SLSQP) to improve accuracy, robustness, and efficiency. SLSQP replaces the quadratic programming problem with a linear least-squares problem, using a stable LDL factorization of the Hessian of the Lagrangian equation. The initial optimization problem is converted into a minimum distance optimization problem with a lower bound constraint. To eliminate linearization errors, the probability expectation method with rotation directions space is employed. The proposed algorithm is demonstrated in several benchmark numerical examples with both explicit and implicit limit state functions. Its fast convergence rate is a notable feature of the proposed algorithm, which enhances its competitiveness in structural reliability analysis.

The computational burdens and more accurate approximations for the estimation of the failure probability are the main concerns in the structural reliability analyses. The Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method can simply provide an accurate estimation for the failure probability, but it is a time-consuming method for complex reliability engineering problems with a low failure probability and may efficiently approximate the failure probability. In this paper, the efficiency of MCS for the computations of the performance function is improved using a random-weighted method known as the random-weighted MCS (RWMC) method. By using the weighted exponential function, the weights of random data points generated by MCS are adjusted by selecting the random point in the design space. The convergence performances including the computational burdens for evaluating the limit sate function and the accuracy of failure probabilities of RWMC are compared with MCS by using several nonlinear and complex mathematical and structural problems with normal and no-normal random variables. The results indicate that the proposed RWMC method can estimate the accurate results with the less computational burdens, about 100 to 1000 times faster than MCS.

The Big Five Inventory (BFI) is one of the most widely used personality questionnaires, but very few studies have been conducted on its psychometric properties in Iranian population. This study was carried out with the aim of studying the psychometric properties of the BFI questionnaire. For this purpose, 390 university students in Tehran (210 girls and 180 boys) with an age range of 18 to 56 years (M = 27.52; SD = 8.79) were selected using the convenience sampling method and completed BFI and NEO-FFI questionnaires. Cronbach's alpha, multitrait-multimethod matrix, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to estimate the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. The result of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that 15 of the 44 items did not have a strong factor loading (higher than 0.40) on the corresponding factors and were therefore removed from the questionnaire. The fit indices showed that the Persian version of 29 questions (BFI-29) with 5 factors has a good fit with the data. The reliability analysis also showed that the range of Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the factors is from 0.70 to 0.79. The lowest Cronbach's alpha coefficient was related to agreeableness factor and the highest was related to conscientiousness. The findings from the multitrait-multimethod matrix showed that the BFI-29 questionnaire has good convergent and divergent validity with the NEO-FFI questionnaire. In general, based on the results of the present study, it can be said that the BFI-29 questionnaire has desirable psychometric properties and whenever a short tool for personality measurement is needed, this questionnaire can be used.