Local Runup Amplification By Resonant Wave Interactions

Until now the analysis of long wave runup on a plane beach has been focused on finding its maximum value, failing to capture the existence of resonant regimes. One-dimensional numerical simulations in the framework of the Nonlinear Shallow Water Equations (NSWE) are used to investigate the Boundary Value Problem (BVP) for plane and non-trivial beaches. Monochromatic waves, as well as virtual wave-gage recordings from real tsunami simulations, are used as forcing conditions to the BVP. Resonant phenomena between the incident wavelength and the beach slope are found to occur, which result in enhanced runup of non-leading waves. The evolution of energy reveals the existence of a quasi-periodic state for the case of sinusoidal waves, the energy level of which, as well as the time required to reach that state, depend on the incident wavelength for a given beach slope. Dispersion is found to slightly reduce the value of maximum runup, but not to change the overall picture. Runup amplification occurs for both leading elevation and depression waves.Comment: 10 pages, 7 Figures. Accepted to Physical Review Letters. Other author's papers can be downloaded at http://www.lama.univ-savoie.fr/~dutykh

New trends in data mining.

Trends; Data; Data mining;

Is “plausibility” a core feature of obsessions?

Letters to the Editors.[Excerpt] Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive, recurrent, and persistent ideas, thoughts, images, or impulses that cause intense anxiety and are recognized as self-generated. The word obsession derives from the Latin word obsidere, which means being occupied, preoccupied, or taken into possession. In his General psychopathology, Karl Jaspers identified essential characteristics of obsessional symptoms, including a nonsensical and absurd quality, compelling force of thoughts, the belief that thoughts can influence events, need for order, and unacceptable impulses.1 Later, ego-dystonia and insight were identified as core features of obsessions, crucial for differential diagnosis between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), obsessivecompulsive personality disorder (OCPD), and psychotic disorders.2 Ego-dystonia reflects the conflict (or disharmony) between an idea, a thought, an impulse, an image, or an act and the subject and/or the subject’s self-image. Insight is the extent of knowledge that one has about one’s own thoughts and acts. [...](undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biomimetic microelectronics for regenerative neuronal cuff implants

Smart biomimetics, a unique class of devices combining the mechanical adaptivity of soft actuators with the imperceptibility of microelectronics, is introduced. Due to their inherent ability to self‐assemble, biomimetic microelectronics can firmly yet gently attach to an inorganic or biological tissue enabling enclosure of, for example, nervous fibers, or guide the growth of neuronal cells during regeneration

AUTOMATYCZNA REGULACJA MOCY BIERNEJ PRZEZ URZĄDZENIA FACTS W WARUNKACH NIESTABILNOŚCI NAPIĘCIA W SIECI ELEKTRYCZNEJ

This article describes the problem of automatic regulation of reactive power using electronic devices FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems): static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) and unified power flow controller (UPFC). With the help of a complex writing form, the following are determined: voltages at the installation nodes of the FACTS device and loads, currents of loads, power sources and electronic compensators in case of voltage instability at the load node of the electrical network. Voltages and currents are determined using the node-voltage method. The task of STATCOM is partial or full compensation of reactive power. During the reduction of the voltage at the load node, the reactive power generated by the power source decreases. The STATCOM should partially or fully compensate for the reactive power imbalance as quickly as possible. However, at the same time, it is not possible to fully compensate for the voltage reduction. A series-parallel or parallel-series UPFC can be used to solve this problem. As a result of using the UPFC, it is possible to automatically raise the voltage level to acceptable values with the help of the UPFC series compensator. The analysis shows that the parallel-serial UPFC is characterized by the stability of operation. In the case of using a series-parallel UPFC, there are restrictions on the ability to adjust the imaginary voltage component of the series compensator, since the angle of the voltage vector changes, which causes a failure in the operation of the regulator of the parallel compensator UPFC.W artykule opisano problematykę automatycznej regulacji mocy biernej za pomocą urządzeń elektronicznych FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems): statycznego kompensatora synchronicznego (STATCOM) oraz regulatora przepływu mocy (UPFC). Za pomocą złożonego formularza rejestracyjnego określane są: napięcia w węzłach instalacji urządzenia FACTS i obciążenia, prądy obciążenia, źródeł zasilania i kompensatorów elektronicznych w przypadku niestabilności napięcia w węźle obciążenia sieci elektrycznej. Napięcia i prądy są wyznaczane metodą napięć węzłowych. Zadaniem STATCOM jest częściowa lub pełna kompensacja mocy biernej. Podczas spadku napięcia w węźle obciążenia, moc bierna generowana przez źródło zasilania maleje. STATCOM powinien częściowo lub w pełni skompensować nierównowagę mocy biernej tak szybko, jak to możliwe. Jednocześnie jednak nie jest możliwe pełne skompensowanie spadku napięcia. W celu rozwiązania tego problemu można zastosować szeregowo-równoległy lub równoległo-szeregowy układ UPFC. W wyniku zastosowania UPFC możliwe jest automatyczne podniesienie poziomu napięcia do akceptowalnych wartości za pomocą kompensatora szeregowego UPFC. Analiza pokazuje, że równoległo-szeregowy UPFC charakteryzuje się stabilnością działania. W przypadku zastosowania szeregowo-równoległego UPFC istnieją ograniczenia w zakresie możliwości regulacji składowej urojonej napięcia kompensatora szeregowego, ponieważ zmienia się kąt wektora napięcia, co powoduje awarię działania regulatora kompensatora równoległego UPFC

Wireless powering efficiency assessment for deep-body implantable devices

Several frequency-dependent mechanisms restrict the maximum achievable efficiency for wireless powering implantable bioelectric devices. Similarly, many mathematical formulations have been proposed to evaluate the effect of these mechanisms as well as predict this maximum efficiency and the corresponding optimum frequency. However, most of these methods consider a simplified model, and they cannot tackle some realistic aspects of implantable wireless power transfer. Therefore, this paper proposed a novel approach that can analyze the efficiency in anatomical models and provide insightful information on achieving this optimum operation. First, this approach is validated with a theoretical spherical wave expansion analysis, and the results for a simplified spherical model and a bidimensional human pectoral model are compared. Results have shown that even though a magnetic receiver outperforms an electric one for near-field operation and both sources could be equally employed in far-field range, it is in mid-field that the maximum efficiency is achieved, with an optimum frequency between 1-5 GHz, depending on the implantation depth. In addition, the receiver orientation is another factor that affects the efficiency, with a maximum difference between the best and worst-case scenarios around five times for an electric source and over 13 times for the magnetic one. Finally, this approach is used to analyze the case of a wirelessly powered deep-implanted pacemaker by an on-body transmitter and to establish the parameters that lead to the maximum achievable efficiency

Recovery of the Decorin-Enriched Fraction, Extract (D), From Human Skin: An Accelerated Protocol

The original extraction procedure of Engel and Catchpole [1] has often been used to recover decorin-enriched material from the skin. This material has a strong inhibitory effect on fibroblast proliferation, and clearly suppresses it in skin except after the first 5–6 days of wounding when new scaffold material is required. The aim of our present study has been to find and evaluate the product of a faster recovery method, and to check its consistency as a more reliable means of regularly obtaining sufficient material for topical application in wounds that might become hypertrophic. Modifications of the original Toole and Lowther [2] extraction procedure have been carefully evaluated in an attempt to cut preparation time without compromising biological activity of the inhibitory extract. We have devised a faster recovery procedure without compromising biological activity, even if initial recovery has been somewhat reduced. The latter problem could be offset by repeated cycles of the final extraction step. The main inhibitory activity is shown to be within the decorin-enriched “extract D,” as the core protein and DSPG II. Adjustment of the extract towards neutrality after dialysis against water keeps most of the extracted protein in solution and yielded a decorin-enriched preparation that had a specific activity equivalent to that of the old method. It also yielded a fraction that was readily lyophilised to give a small amount of material that could be stored indefinitely without loss of activity and readily redissolved in aqueous solution. A reliable and relatively quick method is presented for the production, from human skin, of a decorin-enriched preparation that has strong fibroblast inhibitory action. The value of the procedure is that it is inexpensive and can produce the quantities that might be used topically in reducing hypertrophic scarring of wounds