Modelling of a captive unmanned aerial system teledetecting oil pollution on sea surface

Recent major oil-spills were tracked using observations with sufficient altitudes over the sea surface, to detect oil slick locations. For oil-spill responders, we propose a captive Unmanned Aerial System, UAS acting like a periscope over a ship or supply vessel. The system is composed of an umbilical deployed from ship deck, and there are few studies that have examined elasticity within cable dynamic during take-off or landing (TOL) and normal flight phases. Therefore, the safest approach for the control-commands of the system is through umbilical dynamic modelling. We give a time-dependant finite-element formulation, using improved elastic non-linear cable elements. Two kinds of boundary condition, natural or essential, are discussed for roll-in or roll-out of the umbilical. A numerical convergence and a validation with an exact solution are provided, using two examples for the flight parameters. Finally, sensitivity of the model potentially extends its capacity for the system equilibrium prediction, under wind primary influence.Comment: 12 page

Synthesis and Characterization of Nanosized Zirconium Titanate Dispersed Polyaniline Nanocomposite

The recent development in the synthesis of bi-metal oxide nanomaterials through a new synthetic technique upgrades the science and technology of nanoscale materials. Zirconium titanate (ZrTiO4) is synthesized by solid-state combustion reaction usingZrO2 and TiO2 at high temperature.ZrTiO4nanomaterial dispersed polyaniline to form its nanocomposite (ZrTiO4-PANI) is carried out by in-situ polymerization of aniline using ammonium peroxide as an oxidising agent. ZrTiO4-PANI nanocompositeis well characterized by various characterization tools. Structural characterization is carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) andmorphology by Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) tool. The bonding nature of the sample was studied by Fourier transform Infrared (FT-IR). Presence of  metals like Zr and Ti in the nanocomposite was confirmed by Energy Dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) study

Clinical trials law and policy: human subjects protection and global dynamics

This thesis deals with the implications of clinical research specifically, clinical trials in terms of law and policy at the international level. Chapter One presents a comprehensive review of the literature relating to the law and policy of clinical trials, with a specific focus on their international dimension. Chapter Two describes the main rights touched upon by the conduction of and participation in clinical trials. Chapter Three describes the main stakeholders involved in clinical trials (human subjects, sponsors, and investigators) and how their interests align or collide in the face of the need to balance three traditional healthcare competing paradigms: access, cost, and quality. Chapter Four deals with the concerns raised by the globalization of clinical trials, building on one of the most renowned contributions in the field of clinical trials ethics literature. Chapter Five presents a comparative analysis of the European Union and United States clinical trial legal frameworks. Chapter Six focuses on the issue of clinical trials data transparency. The case for registration is taken into consideration because the global dimension of the issue is particularly relevant and the development of an in international set of standards in this context has been successfully achieved thanks to synergy between different stakeholders. Finally, Chapter Seven adopts a more practical approach. It introduces the results of several interviews conducted with clinical trials sponsors, patients and consumer organizations, and investigators and presents the findings of a simple empirical analysis focused on recruitment-dynamics

On the calculation of normals in free-surface flow problems

The use of boundary-conforming finite element methods is considered for the solution of surface-tension-dominated free-surface flow problems in three dimensions. This class of method is based upon the use of a moving mesh whose velocity is driven by the motion of the free surface, which is in turn determined via a kinematic boundary condition for the normal velocity. The significance of the method used to compute the normal direction at the finite element node points for a C0 piecewise-polynomial free surface is investigated. In particular, it is demonstrated that the concept of mass-consistent normals on an isoparametric quadratic tetrahedral mesh is flawed. In this case an alternative, purely geometric, normal is shown to lead to a far more robust numerical algorithm

Finite element simulation of three-dimensional free-surface flow problems

An adaptive finite element algorithm is described for the stable solution of three-dimensional free-surface-flow problems based primarily on the use of node movement. The algorithm also includes a discrete remeshing procedure which enhances its accuracy and robustness. The spatial discretisation allows an isoparametric piecewise-quadratic approximation of the domain geometry for accurate resolution of the curved free surface. The technique is illustrated through an implementation for surface-tension-dominated viscous flows modelled in terms of the Stokes equations with suitable boundary conditions on the deforming free surface. Two three-dimensional test problems are used to demonstrate the performance of the method: a liquid bridge problem and the formation of a fluid droplet

Technical and Functional Validation of a Teleoperated Multirobots Platform for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Nowadays Robotic assisted Minimally Invasive Surgeries (R-MIS) are the elective procedures for treating highly accurate and scarcely invasive pathologies, thanks to their abil- ity to empower surgeons\u2019 dexterity and skills. The research on new Multi-Robots Surgery (MRS) platform is cardinal to the development of a new SARAS surgical robotic platform, which aims at carrying out autonomously the assistants tasks during R- MIS procedures. In this work, we will present the SARAS MRS platform validation protocol, framed in order to assess: (i) its technical performances in purely dexterity exercises, and (ii) its functional performances. The results obtained show a prototype able to put the users in the condition of accomplishing the tasks requested (both dexterity- and surgical-related), even with rea- sonably lower performances respect to the industrial standard. The main aspects on which further improvements are needed result to be the stability of the end effectors, the depth per- ception and the vision systems, to be enriched with dedicated virtual fixtures. The SARAS\u2019 aim is to reduce the main surgeon\u2019s workload through the automation of assistive tasks which would benefit both surgeons and patients by facilitating the surgery and reducing the operation time