205 research outputs found
SENSOR ARRAY ABLE TO DETECT AND RECOGNISE CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
In this paper we studied a device based on array of six different sensors with surface acoustic wave for detections and recognition of three chemical warfare agents (chloropicrin, soman and lewisite). The sensors are “delay line” type with a center frequency of 69.4 MHz. It presents an original algorithm to identify the nature and concentration of gas from a finite range of possible gases. Numerical program developed to implement this algorithm, provides to operators all the particulars of gas and an indicator of credibility of the results provided as a measure of the degree of disturbance of the signals received from sensors.SAW, chemical warfare agent, array of sensors, algorithm
Stochastic Properties of Static Friction
The onset of frictional motion is mediated by rupture-like slip fronts, which
nucleate locally and propagate eventually along the entire interface causing
global sliding. The static friction coefficient is a macroscopic measure of the
applied force at this particular instant when the frictional interface loses
stability. However, experimental studies are known to present important scatter
in the measurement of static friction; the origin of which remains unexplained.
Here, we study the nucleation of local slip at interfaces with slip-weakening
friction of random strength and analyze the resulting variability in the
measured global strength. Using numerical simulations that solve the
elastodynamic equations, we observe that multiple slip patches nucleate
simultaneously, many of which are stable and grow only slowly, but one reaches
a critical length and starts propagating dynamically. We show that a
theoretical criterion based on a static equilibrium solution predicts
quantitatively well the onset of frictional sliding. We develop a Monte-Carlo
model by adapting the theoretical criterion and pre-computing modal convolution
terms, which enables us to run efficiently a large number of samples and to
study variability in global strength distribution caused by the stochastic
properties of local frictional strength. The results demonstrate that an
increasing spatial correlation length on the interface, representing geometric
imperfections and roughness, causes lower global static friction. Conversely,
smaller correlation length increases the macroscopic strength while its
variability decreases. We further show that randomness in local friction
properties is insufficient for the existence of systematic precursory slip
events. Random or systematic non-uniformity in the driving force, such as
potential energy or stress drop, is required for arrested slip fronts. Our
model and observations..
Preliminary study of the kinematics of the lower limb during direction changes in locomotion of hemiplegic children
Statistics of non-linear stochastic dynamical systems under L\'evy noises by a convolution quadrature approach
This paper describes a novel numerical approach to find the statistics of the
non-stationary response of scalar non-linear systems excited by L\'evy white
noises. The proposed numerical procedure relies on the introduction of an
integral transform of Wiener-Hopf type into the equation governing the
characteristic function. Once this equation is rewritten as partial
integro-differential equation, it is then solved by applying the method of
convolution quadrature originally proposed by Lubich, here extended to deal
with this particular integral transform. The proposed approach is relevant for
two reasons: 1) Statistics of systems with several different drift terms can be
handled in an efficient way, independently from the kind of white noise; 2) The
particular form of Wiener-Hopf integral transform and its numerical evaluation,
both introduced in this study, are generalizations of fractional
integro-differential operators of potential type and Gr\"unwald-Letnikov
fractional derivatives, respectively.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure
Fatty tissue within the maxillary sinus: a rare finding.
BACKGROUND: We report a rare case of fatty tissue within the maxillary sinus in a 21-years-old woman, with a history of several previous punctures of the maxillary sinus. CASE PRESENTATION: Clinical data of the patient was analysed retrospectively. The patient presented with symptoms of left-sided chronic maxillary sinusitis and had undergone several punctures of the left maxillary sinus 18 months earlier. Subsequent to one of the procedures an acute pain in the left orbit lasting a couple of days was noted. Left endoscopic transnasal antrotomy was performed. The maxillary sinus was filled with polypous, chronically inflamed mucous membrane. Upon its removal, the maxillary roof was identified as drawn downwards and covered with normal mucous membrane. Upon dissection of the membrane, adipose tissue filling the zygomatic recess of the sinus was identified and subsequently removed. The maxillary roof was unchanged. Histopatologic examination confirmed the material to be adipose tissue. No short or long term sequelae occurred. CONCLUSION: Adipose tissue can be found in the maxillary sinus most commonly when penetrating from surrounding locations. It is our hypothesis that in the reported patient it penetrated from the orbit to the maxillary sinus following puncture. It seems that a hole in the maxillary sinus roof, about 1 mm in diameter, caused by the needle, may have been a portal of entry for the adipose tissue into the maxillary sinus. The discussed case suggests particular care be taken in performing puncture of the maxillary sinus
Theory of the Relativistic Brownian Motion. The (1+1)-Dimensional Case
We construct a theory for the 1+1-dimensional Brownian motion in a viscous
medium, which is (i) consistent with Einstein's theory of special relativity,
and (ii) reduces to the standard Brownian motion in the Newtonian limit case.
In the first part of this work the classical Langevin equations of motion,
governing the nonrelativistic dynamics of a free Brownian particle in the
presence of a heat bath (white noise), are generalized in the framework of
special relativity. Subsequently, the corresponding relativistic Langevin
equations are discussed in the context of the generalized Ito (pre-point
discretization rule) vs. the Stratonovich (mid-point discretization rule)
dilemma: It is found that the relativistic Langevin equation in the
Haenggi-Klimontovich interpretation (with the post-point discretization rule)
is the only one that yields agreement with the relativistic Maxwell
distribution. Numerical results for the relativistic Langevin equation of a
free Brownian particle are presented.Comment: see cond-mat/0607082 for an improved theor
Continuous professional development: elevating thoracic oncology education in Europe
The @EuroRespSoc launches a new thoracic oncology continuous professional development programme http://bit.ly/31ShuTp
Proof loading and structural reliability
Structural reliability depends on uncertainties in resistance and loads. In many practical cases the resistance dominates and a reduction of uncertainty about resistance is an effective way of increasing safety. It can be accomplished by proof loading.A truncated distribution is considered and reliability indices are calculated for various proof load levels. The structural reliability is sensitive to proof loading for larger coefficients of variation of resistance.A Bayesian approach is applied to develop a posterior distribution for resistance, after proof loading. Reliability indices are calculated for various ratios of the coefficients of variation of load and resistance.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24961/1/0000388.pd
Non-linear dynamic response of a cable system with a tuned mass damper to stochastic base excitation via equivalent linearization technique
Abstract: Non-linear dynamic model of a cable–mass system with a transverse tuned mass damper is considered. The system is moving in a vertical host structure therefore the cable length varies slowly over time. Under the time-dependent external loads the sway of host structure with low frequencies and high amplitudes can be observed. That yields the base excitation which in turn results in the excitation of a cable system. The original model is governed by a system of non-linear partial differential equations with corresponding boundary conditions defined in a slowly time-variant space domain. To discretise the continuous model the Galerkin method is used. The assumption of the analysis is that the lateral displacements of the cable are coupled with its longitudinal elastic stretching. This brings the quadratic couplings between the longitudinal and transverse modes and cubic nonlinear terms due to the couplings between the transverse modes. To mitigate the dynamic response of the cable in the resonance region the tuned mass damper is applied. The stochastic base excitation, assumed as a narrow-band process mean-square equivalent to the harmonic process, is idealized with the aid of two linear filters: one second-order and one first-order. To determine the stochastic response the equivalent linearization technique is used. Mean values and variances of particular random state variable have been calculated numerically under various operational conditions. The stochastic results have been compared with the deterministic response to a harmonic process base excitation
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