Toward a Simple, Accurate Lagrangian Hydrocode.

Lagrangian hydrocodes play an important role in the computation of transient, compressible, multi-material flows. This research was aimed at developing a simply constructed cell-centered Lagrangian method for the Euler equations that respects multidimensional physics while achieving second-order accuracy. Algorithms that can account for the multidimensional physics associated with acoustic wave propagation and vorticity transport are needed in order to increase accuracy and prevent mesh imprinting. Many of the building blocks of traditional finite volume schemes, such as Riemann solvers and spatial gradient limiters, have their foundations in one-dimensional ideas and so were not used here. Instead, multidimensional point estimates of the fluxes were computed with a Lax-Wendroff type procedure and then nonlinearly modified using a temporal flux limiting mechanism. The linear acoustic equations were used as a simplified test environment for the Lagrangian Euler system. Here Lax-Wendroff methods that exactly preserve vorticity were investigated and found to resist mesh imprinting. However, the dispersion properties of the schemes were poor and so third-order accurate vorticity preserving methods were developed to remedy the problem. The third-order methods guided the construction of a temporal limiting mechanism, which was then used in a vorticity preserving flux-corrected transport scheme. While the acoustic work was interesting in its own right, it also proved to be a useful stepping stone to Lagrangian hydrodynamics. The acoustics algorithms were extended to produce the Simple Lagrangian Method (SLaM). Standard test problems have shown that a first-order accurate version of the method is able to resist mesh imprinting and spurious vorticity despite its minimalistic structure. SLaM is capable of second-order accuracy with a simple parameter change and some preliminary work was done to extend the temporal flux limiting ideas from acoustics to the Lagrangian case. The limited SLaM method converges at second-order for smooth data and is able to capture shocks without producing large unphysical oscillations.PhDAerospace EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113577/1/tblung_1.pd

Epidemiology and Immune Pathogenesis of Viral Sepsis

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Sepsis can be caused by a broad range of pathogens; however, bacterial infections represent the majority of sepsis cases. Up to 42% of sepsis presentations are culture negative, suggesting a non-bacterial cause. Despite this, diagnosis of viral sepsis remains very rare. Almost any virus can cause sepsis in vulnerable patients (e.g., neonates, infants, and other immunosuppressed groups). The prevalence of viral sepsis is not known, nor is there enough information to make an accurate estimate. The initial standard of care for all cases of sepsis, even those that are subsequently proven to be culture negative, is the immediate use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. In the absence of definite diagnostic criteria for viral sepsis, or at least to exclude bacterial sepsis, this inevitably leads to unnecessary antimicrobial use, with associated consequences for antimicrobial resistance, effects on the host microbiome and excess healthcare costs. It is important to understand non-bacterial causes of sepsis so that inappropriate treatment can be minimised, and appropriate treatments can be developed to improve outcomes. In this review, we summarise what is known about viral sepsis, its most common causes, and how the immune responses to severe viral infections can contribute to sepsis. We also discuss strategies to improve our understanding of viral sepsis, and ways we can integrate this new information into effective treatment

Chlorine adsorption induced structure and energetics change of vinyl chloride physisorbed on Ag(1 1 1)

On the Ag(1 1 1) surface pre-adsorbed with Cl, TDS and HREELS studies find that vinyl chloride physisorbs molecularly with a binding energy 8 kJ/mol stronger and an adsorption geometry more parallel to the surface in comparison with adsorption on clean Ag(1 1 1). The vinyl chloride in close proximity to the surface Cl has stronger binding energy than the ones further removed from Cl. The binding energy change due to surface Cl can be modeled with charge-dipole interaction between the negatively charged Cl and the large molecular dipole of vinyl chloride

Stability of Coalescence Hidden variable Fractal Interpolation Surfaces

In the present paper, the stability of Coalescence Hidden variable Fractal Interpolation Surfaces(CHFIS) is established. The estimates on error in approximation of the data generating function by CHFIS are found when there is a perturbation in independent, dependent and hidden variables. It is proved that any small perturbation in any of the variables of generalized interpolation data results in only small perturbation of CHFIS. Our results are likely to be useful in investigations of texture of surfaces arising from the simulation of surfaces of rocks, sea surfaces, clouds and similar natural objects wherein the generating function depends on more than one variable

A simple proof of the Markoff conjecture for prime powers

We give a simple and independent proof of the result of Jack Button and Paul Schmutz that the Markoff conjecture on the uniqueness of the Markoff triples (a,b,c), where a, b, and c are in increasing order, holds whenever $c$ is a prime power.Comment: 5 pages, no figure

Personality as a Predictor of Student Success in Programming Principles

Large numbers of college students continue to fail to successfully complete programming principles courses. However, little research has addressed potential reasons for student failure. Many educators simply assume that high failure rates are acceptable – that computer programming is difficult and some students simply “don’t get it.” Some researchers (i.e., Bishop-Clark & Wheeler, 1994; Carland & Carland, 1990) have studied personality as a predictor of success in computer programming courses. However, with the exception of Woszczynski & Guthrie (2003), few studies have attempted to gather cognitive profiles (Krause, 2000) and match performance to profile type exhibited. Krause’s work shows that students with identified profiles can apply certain study skills to improve the probability of success in the classroom, and Woszczynski & Guthrie (2003) extended this research to the programming classroom, identifying underperforming cognitive profile groups. This study identified the primary cognitive profile of 236 students in a programming principles course at a southeastern university and matched profile to final average in programming principles I. Overall, intuitive thinkers (NT) tended to perform better in programming principles I than sensor feelers (SF). We found no other differences in performance between other paired profiles. We recommend a number of interventions to reach underperforming groups

Analysis of Surface Integrity in Machining of AISI 304 Stainless Steel Under Various Cooling and Cutting Conditions

Recent studies have shown that machining under specific cooling and cutting conditions can be used to induce a nanocrystalline surface layer in the workspiece. This layer has beneficial properties, such as improved fatigue strength, wear resistance and tribological behavior. In machining, a promising approach for achieving grain refinement in the surface layer is the application of cryogenic cooling. The aim is to use the last step of the machining operation to induce the desired surface quality to save time-consuming and expensive post machining surface treatments. The material used in this study was AISI 304 stainless steel. This austenitic steel suffers from low yield strength that limits its technological applications. In this paper, liquid nitrogen (LN2) as cryogenic coolant, as well as minimum quantity lubrication (MQL), was applied and investigated. As a reference, conventional flood cooling was examined. Besides the cooling conditions, the feed rate was varied in four steps. A large rounded cutting edge radius and finishing cutting parameters were chosen to increase the mechanical load on the machined surface. The surface integrity was evaluated at both, the microstructural and the topographical levels. After turning experiments, a detailed analysis of the microstructure was carried out including the imaging of the surface layer and hardness measurements at varying depths within the machined layer. Along with microstructural investigations, different topological aspects, e.g., the surface roughness, were analyzed. It was shown that the resulting microstructure strongly depends on the cooling condition. This study also shows that it was possible to increase the micro hardness in the top surface layer significantly

Novel deployment of a covered duodenal stent in open surgery to facilitate closure of a malignant duodenal perforation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Its a dilemma to attempt a palliative procedure to debulk the tumour and/or prevent future obstructive complications in a locally advanced intra abdominal malignancy.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 38 year old Vietnamese man presented with a carcinoma of the colon which had invaded the gallbladder and duodenum with a sealed perforation of the second part of the duodenum. Following surgical exploration, it was evident that primary closure of the perforated duodenum was not possible due to the presence of unresectable residual tumour.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We describe a novel technique using a covered duodenal stent deployed at open surgery to aid closure of a malignant duodenal perforation.</p

Quantum Shock Waves and Domain Walls in the Real-Time Dynamics of a Superfluid Unitary Fermi Gas

We show that in the collision of two superfluid fermionic atomic clouds one observes the formation of quantum shock waves as discontinuities in the number density and collective flow velocity. Domain walls, which are topological excitations of the superfluid order parameter, are also generated and exhibit abrupt phase changes by $\pi$ and slower motion than the shock waves. The domain walls are distinct from the gray soliton train or number density ripples formed in the wake of the shock waves and observed in the collisions of superfluid bosonic atomic clouds. Domain walls with opposite phase jumps appear to collide elastically.Comment: published version, 4 pages, 6 figure