Linear stability analysis of fluid–structure interaction problems with an immersed boundary method

In this work, we present a novel approach to perform the linear stability analysis of fluid-structure interaction problems. The underlying idea is the combination of a validated immersed boundary solver for the nonlinear coupled dynamics with Krylovbased techniques to obtain a robust and accurate global stability solver for elastic structures interacting with incompressible viscous flows. The computation of the leading eigenvalues of the linearized system is carried out in a matrix-free framework by adopting a classical Krylov subspace method. The proposed algorithm avoids the complex analytical linearization of the equations while retaining all the relevant aspects of the fully-coupled fluid-structure system. The methodology has been tested for several cases involving two-dimensional incompressible flows around elastically mounted circular cylinders. The obtained results show a good quantitative agreement with those available in the literature. Finally, the method was applied to investigate the linear stability of the laminar flow past two elastically mounted cylinders in tandem configuration at Re = 100, revealing the existence of two complex dominant modes. For low values of the reduced velocity U*, only one mode is found to be unstable and related to the stationary wake mode. The loss of stability of the second mode at U* = 4 marks the beginning of the lock-in region. We also show that for U* = 5 the modes interact, giving rise to the beating phenomenon observable in the nonlinear time evolution of the system. For larger values of the reduced velocity, the linear dynamics is governed by one dominant mode characterized by wider oscillations of the rear cylinder, matching the results of the nonlinear simulations.(c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Unveiling the competitive role of global modes in the pattern formation of rotating sphere flows

The wake flow past a streamwise rotating sphere is a canonical model of numerous applications, such as particle-driven flows, sport aerodynamics and freely rising or falling bodies, where the changes in particles' paths are related to the destabilization of complex flow regimes and associated force distributions. Herein, we examine the spatio-temporal pattern formation, previously investigated by Lorite-Diez & Jimenez-Gonzalez (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 896, 2020, A18) and Pier (J. Fluids Struct., vol. 41, 2013, pp. 43-50), from a dynamical system perspective. A systematic study of the mode competition between rotating waves, which arise from the linearly unstable modes of the steady-state, exhibits their connection to previously observed helical patterns present within the wake. The organizing centre of the dynamics turns out to be a triple Hopf bifurcation associated with three non-axisymmetric, oscillating modes with respective azimuthal wavenumbers m = -1, -1 and -2. The unfolding of the normal form unveils the nonlinear interaction between the rotating waves to engender more complex states. It reveals that for low values of the rotation rate, the flow field exhibits a similar transition to the flow past the static sphere, but accompanied by a rapid variation of the frequencies of the flow with respect to the rotation. The transition from the single helix pattern to the double helix structure within the wake displays several regions with hysteric behaviour. Eventually, the interaction between single and double helix structures within the wake lead towards temporal chaos, which here is attributed to the Ruelle-Takens-Newhouse route. The onset of chaos is detected by the identification of an invariant state of the normal form constituted by three incommensurate frequencies. The evolution of the chaotic attractor is determined using of time-stepping simulations, which were also performed to confirm the existence of bi-stability and to assess the fidelity of the computations performed with the normal form

Tuberculosis in Anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor-treated Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients After the Implementation of Preventive Measures: Compliance With Recommendations and Safety of Retreatment.

Despite having adopted preventive measures, tuberculosis (TB) may still occur in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF). Data on the causes and characteristics of TB cases in this scenario are lacking. Our aim was to describe the characteristics of TB in anti-TNF-treated IBD patients after the publication of the Spanish TB prevention guidelines in IBD patients and to evaluate the safety of restarting anti-TNF after a TB diagnosis. In this multicentre, retrospective, descriptive study, TB cases from Spanish hospitals were collected. Continuous variables were reported as mean and standard deviation or median and interquartile range. Categorical variables were described as absolute and relative frequencies and their confidence intervals when necessary. We collected 50 TB cases in anti-TNF-treated IBD patients, 60% male, median age 37.3 years (interquartile range [IQR] 30.4-47). Median latency between anti-TNF initiation and first TB symptoms was 155.5 days (IQR 88-301); 34% of TB cases were disseminated and 26% extrapulmonary. In 30 patients (60%), TB cases developed despite compliance with recommended preventive measures; *not performing 2-step TST (tuberculin skin test) was the main failure in compliance with recommendations. In 17 patients (34%) anti-TNF was restarted after a median of 13 months (IQR 7.1-17.3) and there were no cases of TB reactivation. Tuberculosis could still occur in anti-TNF-treated IBD patients despite compliance with recommended preventive measures. A significant number of cases developed when these recommendations were not followed. Restarting anti-TNF treatment in these patients seems to be safe