An implicit boundary finite element method with extension to frictional sliding boundary conditions and elasto-plastic analyses

Implicit boundary methods, which enrich the interpolation structure with implicit weight functions, are straightforward methods for the enforcement of Dirichlet boundary conditions. In this article, we follow the implicit boundary method that uses approximate step functions (the step boundary method) developed by Kumar et al. and provide modifications that have several advantages. Roller boundary conditions have wide practical applications in engineering, however, the step boundary method for roller boundary conditions with inclinations has yet to be fully formulated through to the final linear system of equations. Thus we provide a complete derivation that leads to simplified sti↵ness matrices compared to the original approach, which can be implemented directly in fictitious domain finite element analysis. The approach is then extended, we believe for the first time, to the nonlinear cases of frictional boundary conditions and elasto-plastic material behaviour. The proposed formulation and procedures are validated on a number of example problems that test di↵erent aspects of the method

On Lagrangian mechanics and the implicit material point method for large deformation elasto-plasticity

The material point method is ideally suited to modelling problems involving large deformations where conventional mesh-based methods would struggle. However, total and updated Lagrangian approaches are unsuitable and non-ideal, respectively, in terms formulating equilibrium for the method. This is due to the basis functions, and particularly the derivatives of the basis functions, of material point methods normally being dened based on an unformed, and sometimes regular, background mesh. It is possible to map the basis function spatial derivatives using the deformation at a material point but this introduces additional algorithm complexity and computational expense. This paper presents a new Lagrangian statement of equilibrium which is ideal for material point methods as it satises equilibrium on the undeformed background mesh at the start of a load step. The formulation is implemented using a quasi-static implicit algorithm which includes the derivation of the consistent tangent to achieve optimum convergence of the global equilibrium iterations. The method is applied to a number of large deformation elasto-plastic problems, with a specic focus of the convergence of the method towards analytical solutions with the standard, generalised interpolation and CPDI2 material point methods. For the generalised interpolation method, dierent domain updating methods are investigated and it is shown that all of the current methods are degenerative under certain simple deformation elds. A new domain updating approach is proposed that overcomes these issues. The proposed material point method framework can be applied to all existing material point methods and adopted for implicit and explicit analysis, however its advantages are mainly associated with the former

An efficient and locking-free material point method for three dimensional analysis with simplex elements

The Material Point Method is a relative newcomer to the world of solid mechanicsmodelling. Its key advantage is the ability to model problems having large defor-mations while being relatively close to standard nite element methods, howeverits use for realistic engineering applications will happen only if the material pointcan be shown to be both ecient and accurate (compared to standard nite elementmethods), when modelling complex geometries with a range of material models. Inthis paper we present developments of the standard material point method aimed atrealising these goals. The key contribution provided here is the development of amaterial point method that avoids volumetric locking (arising from elastic or elasto-plastic material behaviour) whilst using low order tetrahedral nite elements forthe background computational mesh, hence allowing unstructured background gridsto be used for complex geometries. We also show that these developments can beeectively parallelised to improve computational ecienc

A review of the phytochemical support for the shifting defence hypothesis

Several theories have been developed to explain why invasive species are very successful and develop into pest species in their new area. The shifting defence hypothesis (SDH) argues that invasive plant species quickly evolve towards new defence levels in the invaded area because they lack their specialist herbivores but are still under attack by local (new) generalist herbivores. The SDH predicts that plants should increase their cheap, toxic defence compounds and lower their expensive digestibility reducing compounds. As a net result resources are saved that can be allocated to growth and reproduction giving these plants a competitive edge over the local plant species. We conducted a literature study to test whether toxic defence compounds in general are increased in the invaded area and if digestibility reducing compounds are lowered. We specifically studied the levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, a toxin which is known for its beneficial and detrimental impact against specialists and generalists, respectively. Digestibility reducers did not show a clear trend which might be due to the small number of studies and traits measured. The meta analysis showed that toxic compounds in general and pyrrolizidine alkaloid levels specifically, increased significantly in the invaded area, supporting the predictions of the SDH that a fast evolution takes place in the allocation towards defence

Outcome following patent ductus arteriosus ligation in premature infants:A retrospective cohort analysis

BACKGROUND: The patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is an important problem in premature infants. Surgical PDA ligation is usually only be considered when medical treatment has either failed or was contraindicated. The aims of our study were to determine the mortality and morbidity following patent ductus arteriosus ligation in premature infants, and whether prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor (PSI) use prior to ligation affects outcome. METHODS: A retrospective case note review study to determine the outcome of premature infants undergoing patent ductus arteriosus ligation in one tertiary neonatal intensive care unit and two paediatric cardiothoracic centres. RESULTS: We had follow-up data on 87 infants. Cumulative mortality rates at 7 days, 30 days and at hospital discharge were 2%, 8% and 20% respectively. The incidence of chronic lung disease, intraventricular haemorrhage, necrotising enterocolitis and retinopathy of prematurity were 77%, 39%, 26% and 28% respectively. There was no difference in mortality, incidence of chronic lung disease or duration of oxygen dependence between those who had and those who had not received a PSI prior to surgical ligation. In those who had received 2 or more courses of PSI prior to surgical ligation, there was a trend to increase in the duration of oxygen therapy and chronic lung disease, but no difference in mortality. CONCLUSION: This study shows that patent ductus arteriosus ligation is a relatively safe procedure (30 day survival 92%) but there is substantial late mortality and a high incidence of morbidity in the survivors. 2 or more courses of PSI prior to surgical ligation trends to increased oxygen dependence and chronic lung disease. This high risk population requires careful follow-up. A definitive prospective cohort study is lacking

Relationships of Cetacea (Artiodactyla) Among Mammals: Increased Taxon Sampling Alters Interpretations of Key Fossils and Character Evolution

BACKGROUND: Integration of diverse data (molecules, fossils) provides the most robust test of the phylogeny of cetaceans. Positioning key fossils is critical for reconstructing the character change from life on land to life in the water. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We reexamine relationships of critical extinct taxa that impact our understanding of the origin of Cetacea. We do this in the context of the largest total evidence analysis of morphological and molecular information for Artiodactyla (661 phenotypic characters and 46,587 molecular characters, coded for 33 extant and 48 extinct taxa). We score morphological data for Carnivoramorpha, Creodonta, Lipotyphla, and the raoellid artiodactylan Indohyus and concentrate on determining which fossils are positioned along stem lineages to major artiodactylan crown clades. Shortest trees place Cetacea within Artiodactyla and close to Indohyus, with Mesonychia outside of Artiodactyla. The relationships of Mesonychia and Indohyus are highly unstable, however--in trees only two steps longer than minimum length, Mesonychia falls inside Artiodactyla and displaces Indohyus from a position close to Cetacea. Trees based only on data that fossilize continue to show the classic arrangement of relationships within Artiodactyla with Cetacea grouping outside the clade, a signal incongruent with the molecular data that dominate the total evidence result. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Integration of new fossil material of Indohyus impacts placement of another extinct clade Mesonychia, pushing it much farther down the tree. The phylogenetic position of Indohyus suggests that the cetacean stem lineage included herbivorous and carnivorous aquatic species. We also conclude that extinct members of Cetancodonta (whales+hippopotamids) shared a derived ability to hear underwater sounds, even though several cetancodontans lack a pachyostotic auditory bulla. We revise the taxonomy of living and extinct artiodactylans and propose explicit node and stem-based definitions for the ingroup

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac

AMPLE: A Material Point Learning Environment

The Material Point Method is a computational tool ideally suited to modelling solid mechanics problems involving large deformations where conventional mesh-based methods struggle. Explicit and implicit formulations are available, but for both the learning curve for understanding the method and arriving at a useful implementation is severe. Researchers must understand and implement finite element analysis, non-linear material behaviour, finite deformation mechanics and non-linear solution methods before they can even verify their formulations. This issue represents a significant barrier for post-doctoral researchers, graduate students and undergraduate students to start working with (and understanding) the method. This paper presents A Material Point Learning Environment (AMPLE) based around implicit variants of the method, with the aim of softening this steep learning curve via MATLAB-based, accessible and compact scripts. The code is freely available from github.com/wmcoombs/AMPLE

On the Numerical Implementation of a Thermomechanical Hyperplasticity Model for Fine-Grained Soils

The numerical implementation of a recently developed thermomechanical constitutive model for fine-grained soils based on hyperelasticity-hyperplasticity theory (Golchin et al. 2020), is presented. A new unconventional implicit stress return mapping algorithm, compatible with elasticity derived from Gibbs (complementary) energy potential, in strain invariant space, is designed and the consistent tangent operator for use in boundary value problems (such as in the finite element method) is derived. It is shown that the rate of convergence of the stress integration algorithm is quadratic. The numerical results are in good agreement with available data from thermomechanical element tests found in literature.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Geo-engineeringCivil Engineering and Geoscience