Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic modeling by XFEM of cracked 2D structures containing inclusion

This work deals static and dynamic modeling of cracked structures containing inclusions using the eXtended Finite Element Method (X-FEM). For this purpose, a computer code was developed in this study through on all the developments made, especially with the dynamic analysis, which constitutes the originality of this work compared to previous work. Several applications of validation and practical kind have been tested in this study demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the X-FEM and of the developed computer code for modeling such structures.
Simulation of Voice Over IP for the Battlespace Communications System (Land)

Abstract : Project JP2072 aims to enhance communications in the land environment, providing more capacity for computer data traffic. One potential option is an Internet Protocol-based network carrying both voice and data. An important consideration for a converged network is whether or not acceptable voice services can be supported given the additional data traffic load. This report describes a method to estimate the quality of Voice over IP calls in the presence of other network traffic, based on the ITU E-Model. Required inputs to the E-Model are determined from a computer simulation of the network. The authors illustrate the application of the model to a reference Parakeet network. Two companion reports present corresponding simulations of ATM-based solutions, which, together with the simulation described in this report, will enable an evaluation of the options proposed for project JP2072. (6 tables, 3 figures, 16 refs.)
Serum metabolomics study of end-stage renal disease with depression: potential biomarkers for diagnosis and promising targets for therapy

Background End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the most severe stage during the development of the renal failure. And depression is the most common psychological disorder in patients with ESRD, which in turn aggravates the progression of renal failure and seriously reduce the quality of life in ESRD patients with depression, but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to reveal the pathogenesis and discover novel peripheral biomarkers for ESRD with depression through metabolomics analysis.Methods Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) was used to explore changes of serum metabolites among healthy controls (n = 12), ESRD patients (n = 17), and ESRD patients with depression (n = 17). Also, the differential metabolites between groups were subjected to clustering analysis, pathway analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results A total of 57 significant serum differential metabolites were identified between the ESRD without depression group and the ESRD with depression group, which were involved in 19 metabolic pathways, such as energy metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism and glutamate-centered metabolism. Moreover, the area under the ROC curve of Gentisic acid, Uric acid, 5-HT, 2-Phosphoglyceric acid, Leucyl-phenylalanine, Propenoyl carnitine, Malaoxon, Pregnenolone, 6-Thioxanthine 5'-monophosphate, Hydroxyl ansoprazole, Zileuton O-glucuronide, Cabergoline, PA (16:0/18:2(9Z,12Z)), PG (18:0/18:1(11Z)), probucol, etc. and their combination was greater than 0.90. Conclusions Inflammation, oxidative stress and metabolic abnormalities in energy metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism and glutamate-centered metabolism may be associated with the pathogenesis of ESRD with depression, which may be promising targets for therapy. Furthermore, the identified differential metabolites may serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis of ESRD patients with depression.
Benefits on using H-P2PSIP in mobile environments

The use of peer-to-peer technologies is increasing everyday and the improvement of mobility technologies is a reality. Now, it is expected that peer-to-peer applications run on mobile devices, but the conjunction of these two technologies is an open research issue. The user mobility impacts on the churn suffered by peer-to-peer networks and consequently it impacts on their performance. Therefore, some mechanisms are necessary to minimize this undesirable effect. Our proposal tries to solve this problem by using a Hierarchical P2PSIP architecture where different overlays are used for different peer mobility behaviours and they are interconnected between them through an interconnection overlay. In this way it is possible for peers that share the same behaviour to choose a certain protocol or to optimize some functionality that suits best with their mobility situation, while maintaining connectivity with all peers.
Twin-Chain Polymer Networks Loaded With Nanostructured Fluids for the Selective Removal of A Non-Original Varnish From A 20th Century Oil Painting At The Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice

This paper reports on the evaluation of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) “twin-chain” polymer network (TC-PN) combined with an oil-in-water nanostructured fluid (NSF) for the removal of a polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) varnish. Small Angle X-ray Scattering, Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy, and Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy showed that the structure of the gel and the NSF are only minimally altered by loading the fluid into the gel. The NSF is partially free to diffuse through the network, but also interacts with the gel walls. During the cleaning, the dynamics of the fluid at the gel-substrate interface are controlled by the osmotic balance taking place among the interconnected pores. These features grant effective and controlled cleaning performances. The case study identified for this research is Pablo Picasso’s The Studio (L’Atelier, 1928), one of the masterpieces in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice (PGC). In 1969 the oil painting, originally unprotected, was wax-lined and then varnished using a PVAc varnish. Over the years, the white shades of the painting have been compromised by the yellowing of the varnish and soiling of deposits. On painting mock-ups, the NSF-loaded hydrogels allowed the swelling and softening of PVAc varnish and wax layers, which were then removed with gentle mechanical action. Effective varnish and wax removal at the micron scale, and the absence of residues from the cleaning system (gel and NSF), were confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) 2D imaging. The effective and safe removal of the aged PVAc varnish and wax layer from the surface of the painting was then carried out using the same cleaning protocol successfully tested on the mock-ups, setting the NSF-loaded PVA TC-PNs as robust and reliable tools for the cleaning of sensitive works of art.
NITROGEN AND ORGANIC FERTILIZATION ON GRAPEVINE PRODUCTIVITY IN THE BRAZILIAN SEMIARID REGION

ABSTRACT Nitrogen fertilization is a limiting factor for grapevine production; its excess or deficiency can cause changes in fruit quantity and quality. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate productive parameters of grapevines of the Isabel-Precoce cultivar subjected to nitrogen and organic fertilization in the western semiarid region of the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Brazil. The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region, in Mossoró, RN, Brazil, during two production cycles. The soil of the area used was classified as dystrophic Red Argissolo (Udult) of sandy texture. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with six replications, using a 5×2 factorial arrangement, with 5 nitrogen fertilizer rates (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kg ha-1) and two organic fertilizer rates (0, and 20 m3 ha-1 of bovine manure). The production components number of bunches per plant, grape production per plant, grape yield, weight, length and width of bunches, number of berries per bunch, and ten-berry weight were evaluated. The nitrogen rates and organic fertilizer rates used were significant (p=0.05) for all evaluated components. The N rate of 60 kg ha-1 combined with the organic fertilization generated the best results for the analyzed variables. N rates from 60 to 120 kg ha-1, applied singly or combined with organic fertilizer, hindered the production components of the Isabel-Precoce grapevines.
A Replication Protocol for an Intrusion-Tolerant System Design

To my Parents and Family iii Acknowledgments In writing this thesis many people have provided me with invaluable support in one form or another. I am forever indebted to you all. Specifically, I would like to thank my advisor Prof. William H. Sanders for guiding and encouraging me through this research and the beginnings of my graduate career. Dr. Michel Cukier has also helped me immensely with his many insightful suggestions about my work. in completing the implementation of this work. Her wonderful patience and hard work in helping me learn the AQuA framework and ACE, as well as in helping me implement and debug significant portions of the initial code, made this work possible. I am grateful to the other members of my office community, a great place to spend my time. I am also very thankful to Jenny Applequist for her help at all times and, in particular, in editing this thesis.00-C-0172. In particular, I would like to thank Dr. Jaynarayan Lala, Program manager of OASIS, for his guidance and support of the ITUA project. Finally, I would like to thank my close friends, both local and afar, for helping me stay focused and sane while working on this thesis. In particular my roommate and co-worker Ryan Lefever has been a great friend and helped me to stay on track at times when I might have given up. Maria Jimenez has been a wonderfully supportive and understanding friend throughout the process. Her patience and support during the many late nights and iv stressful times was invaluable. Lastly, my parents have been integral in my reaching this goal successfully. To them, I am and forever will be, grateful for all they have done on my behalf.
3-D computational investigation of viscoelastic biofilms using GPUs

A biofilm is a slimy colony of bacteria and the materials they secrete, collectively called “extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)”. The EPS consists mostly of bio-polymers, which cross link into a network that behave viscoelastically under deformation. We propose a single-fluid multi-component phase field model of biofilms that captures this behavior, then use numerical simulations on GPUs to investigate the biofilm’s growth and its hydrodynamics properties. We model a biofilm immersed in a solution as a two-phase fluid, consisting of the solution, which is modeled as a viscous fluid, and the biomass, which is modeled as a viscoelastic solution with viscosity much higher than that of the solution. Each fluid has its own velocity field, but the important quantity is their combined volume-averaged velocity, which is the main physically observable quantity. The theory is developed with this average velocity in mind, while tracking the individual velocities using the excessive velocity of each fluid, which is calculated from the given mixing free energy density. By using the phase field model, the whole domain is governed by a single set of governing equations, simplifying the numerical procedure significantly. The model accounts for Cahn-Hilliard phase mixing and nucleation, biomass growth from nutrient consumption, nutrient diffusion, fluid flow interaction, viscous stress due to bacteria and the solution, and elastic stress due to the EPS. We use a finite difference scheme based on a staggered grid in 2-D and 3-D geometry. The incompressible Navier-Stokes equation is solved by the Gauge-Uzawa method, modified so that it can be quickly solved using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The elastic stress is governed by a modified Giesekus constitutive equation valid trivially in the solvent
Development of a numerical tool to predict hydrodynamics, temperature and TDG in hydropower flows

Recommended Citation Wang, Yushi. "Development of a numerical tool to predict hydrodynamics, temperature and TDG in hydropower flows. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisors, Dr. for their encouragement, guidance, and support throughout this research. I am extremely thankful and appreciative of all the effort and time Dr. Politano has spent helping me to expand my knowledge of fluid mechanics and numerical modeling. She and Dr. Weber have been greater teachers, wonderful mentors, and best role models to me. I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from them. Department of Energy for providing me with a fellowship to fund this research. Their support made this work possible. I am deeply grateful for the time and expertise of the other members of my thesis committee, Dr. Their review and input of my thesis provided valuable feedback and was very much appreciated. Thank you also to my friends and colleagues at IIHR for the assistant they have provided towards the completion of my research. Special thanks go to my friend Yuwei Li for the many discussions, suggestions and help along the way. Last but not least, I would like to thank my parents and family in China for always believing in me, encouraging me, and strengthening me. I also want to thank my lovely wife Yue; she has always been there to support me through the entire process. It has meant more to me than I can ever express. iii ABSTRACT Hydropower is the most important renewable energy source on the planet. Though it provides abundant benefits to society, it also has environmental and ecological consequences. Dam construction significantly alters natural flow conditions. Fish numbers decline and other aquatic life may be adversely affected, especially during migration and reproduction cycles, due to degradation of their natural habitat. High summer water temperatures in hydropower reservoirs and elevated total dissolved gas (TDG) concentrations in downstream tailrace regions can increase mortality rates of fish passing through the dam. This study proposes to develop a numerical model to improve the prediction of hydrodynamics and water-quality parameters in hydropower flows. The main focus is to simulate temperature dynamics and TDG distribution in the McNary Dam forebay and tailrace. Existing numerical temperature and TDG models, developed by Politano et al. (2008, 2009c), were improved and implemented into the open-source CFD code OpenFOAM. These newly developed …
Cochlostoma revised: the subgenus Clessiniella Zallot et al., 2015 (Caenogastropoda, Cochlostomatidae)

Five species of the subgenus Clessiniella of Cochlostoma (Cochlostomatidae) are recognized, viz. Cochlostoma (Clessiniella) villae (Strobel, 1851), Cochlostoma (Clessiniella) tergestinum (Westerlund, 1878), Cochlostoma (Clessiniella) waldemari (A.J. Wagner, 1897), Cochlostoma (Clessiniella) anomphale Boeckel, 1939 and Cochlostoma (Clessiniella) stelucarum sp. nov. The shells and the genitalia are described and the distributional data are summarized for all the species.
Dynamic Rupture and Ground Motion Modeling on Realistically Complex Strike-Slip Faults

Faults are complex structures: they are geometrically complex, and have variable stress conditions and frictional behaviors along their length. In addition, faults exist in heterogeneous settings, in terms of surrounding geology, and in terms of regional and local stresses. These individual types of heterogeneity all contribute to complex dynamic rupture behaviors and ground motion distributions, as inferred from observational data and supported by previous modeling studies. In this study, we investigate the effects of individual types of complexity, and we combine different types of heterogeneity in order to enhance the realism of models of real-world faults.We use the finite element method to conduct dynamic rupture models of earthquakes on faults with complex geometry, initial stresses, frictional parameters, and surrounding geology, and with combinations of these factors, in order to investigate the effects of this complexity on fault interactions, rupture extent, and ground motion. In particular, we investigate the effect of critical weakening distance on the ability of rupture to propagate through a discontinuity in the fault trace, the effect of a small fault between the larger strands of a stepover on the ability of rupture to jump the stepover, and how zones of aseismic creep affect rupture through locked portions of the same fault. We also construct realistically complex models of the northern San Jacinto Fault, California, incorporating realistic geometry, velocity structure, and combined regional and stochastic stress fields.We find that the distribution of complexity of any type on the fault, which leads to heterogeneous fault strength, has the primary controlling effect on rupture behavior. The relative strength or weakness of the fault, rather than the actual value, is most important. We also find that the balance of the energy budget is crucial; if too much energy is redirected into fracture, rupture stops. Lastly, we find that each type of complexity affects rupture in its own way, but it is difficult to separate out the effects of individual factors in a model that incorporates many types of heterogeneity. We therefore emphasize the importance of including as many types of realistic complexity as feasible when modeling real faults.
Wind-tunnel investigation of rectangular and tapered NACA 23012 wings with plain ailerons and full-span split flaps

An investigation was made to determine the aerodynamic properties of rectangular and tapered NACA 23012 wings with plain ailerons and a full-span split flap, the flap retracting ahead of the ailerons. Measurements were made of lift and drag and of pitching, rolling, yawing, and hinge moments for all conditions of full-span flaps neutral and deflected at different chord locations. The results of the tests showed that a 0.20c(sub w) full span split flap located at approximately the 0.75c(sub w) point gave higher lift coefficients than had previously been obtained with a conventional 0.20c(sub w) partial-span split flap of a length to permit satisfactory control with plain ailerons. Still higher lifts were obtained if the full-span flap, when deflected, was moved back to the aileron axis. Moving the flap back to the aileron, in general, improved the aileron characteristics over those with the flap retracted. The most promising arrangement of full-span split flap and plain aileron combination tested, both for high lift and lateral control, was the rectangular wing with 0.20c(sub w) deflected 60 degrees at the 0.90c(sub w) location with 0.10c(sub w) semispan ailerons.
Oil from microalgae: species selection, photobioreactor design and process optimization

This PhD research project was focused on microalgal oil production for biofuel. The work includes mostly an experimental part on microalgal species selection and optimization of growth conditions and a part of process simulation and photobioreactor design. After an overview of literature on the algal biology and cultivation and photobioreactor design, the experimental activities started with the set up of materials, methods and experimental apparatus, several microalgal species were screened, in order to select the most promising ones from an industrial point of view. In addition, an experimental apparatus was set up for optimizing growth conditions, under non-limiting CO2 supply. The effect of light and of other relevant operating variables on growth were addressed and discussed, and some suggestions to better understand the process behavior were given with respect to lipid content maximization, carbon dioxide and nitrogen supply, and illumination conditions. The possibility of exploiting mixotrophy to support algal growth overnight or in dark zones of a photobioreactor was also investigated. Finally, a continuous photobioreactor was designed and built, in order to test the feasibility of the algal biomass production in an industrial continuous process operated at steady-state. Together with experiments, a process simulation work was also carried out, by using the software Aspen Plus™. This part of the thesis was focused on the calculation of the microalgal biomass production and photobioreactor performances under different operating conditions.
Adaptive predictive control of transient vibrations of cantilevers with changing weight

Abstract A method to control the transient vibrations in cantilever beam structures with variable weight is presented. The proposed adaptive approach is based on the hybrid extended Kalman filter (EKF) for the joint estimation of dynamic states and the weight parameter, in combination with dual-mode infinite horizon model predictive control (MPC). This adaptive predictive method is compared to nominal linear quadratic (LQ) control and positive position feedback (PPF) in experiment. Experiments are performed on an active cantilever beam with piezoelectric actuation, subjected to transient vibration effects and weight variations. The results presented in this article suggest that the proposed algorithm outperforms its traditional counterparts, while requiring less inputs to the actuated structure.
Radiation Pattern Calculation for Missile Radomes in the Near Field of an Antenna.

Abstract : An analytical model and computer simulation are presented for a radome located in the near field of an antenna. Using the computer code described here, design tradeoffs can be performed between electrical, structural, and aerodynamic properties of the radome. The code is based on a method of moments solution to the E-field integral equation for bodies of arbitrary shape. Measured radiation patterns for AGM-88 High Speed Antiradiation Missile (HARM) and AIM-9C missile radomes are compared to computed data.
CFD Analysis of Grand River and Bubble-line Design

The 2014 USRowing Masters National Championships was held from August 14-17, 2014 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The West Michigan Sports Commission and Grand Rapids Rowing Association hosted the event for the first time. The event was held in a section of Grand River, near the Comstock Riverside Park, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Since the event was being held in the section of the Grand River which was curved and varying in its width throughout, Grand Rapids Rowing Association wanted to determine if this impacted the flow of the river throughout its width and whether this would give an added advantage to any of the teams. This paper discusses the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study performed on the section of Grand River where the US Rowing Masters National Championship took place along with the design of bubble-line at the finish line. The CFD analysis of the section of the Grand River where the US Rowing Masters National Championship took place confirmed that the curved nature of the river does not affect the flow considerably to give an added advantage to any of the participating teams. Also, design suggestions for the bubble-line at the finish of the race are being discussed in this report.
Fabrication and Noise Reduction of the Miniature Tactile Sensor Using Through-Silicon-Via Connection with Signal Amplifier

A miniature tactile sensor has been fabricated by connecting stress-sensitive part with an amplifier of integrated circuit through through-silicon-via (TSV) electrically. The sensitive part consists of three warped cantilevers with piezoresistive NiCr thin film which are prepared on a silicon-on-insulator wafer by the surface micromachining technique. The TSV connection can reduce noise of detected change of the piezoresistive output induced by wire between the sensitive part and the amplifier. Fabricated tactile sensor of 5×5 mm2 size has linear dependence of the output on both normal and shear forces. The output noise has been successfully decreased by 14 and 34% in the sensor using the TSVs compared with that using wires of 3 and 6 mm lengths, respectively.