This study advances the DRASTIC groundwater vulnerability assessment framework by integrating a multi-hazard groundwater index(MHGI)to account for the dynamic impacts of diverse anthropogenic activities and natural fa...This study advances the DRASTIC groundwater vulnerability assessment framework by integrating a multi-hazard groundwater index(MHGI)to account for the dynamic impacts of diverse anthropogenic activities and natural factors on both groundwater quality and quantity.Incorporating factors such as population growth,agricultural practices,and groundwater extraction enhances the framework’s ability to capture multi-dimensional,spatiotemporal changes in groundwater vulnerability.Additional improvements include refined weighting and rating scales for thematic layers based on available observational data,and the inclusion of distributed recharge.We demonstrate the practical utility of this dynamic DRASTIC-based framework through its application to the agro-urban regions of the Irrigated Indus Basin,a major groundwater-dependent agricultural area in South Asia.Results indicate that between 2005 and 2020,54%of the study area became highly vulnerable to pollution.The MHGI revealed a 13%decline in potential groundwater storage and a 25%increase in groundwater-stressed zones,driven primarily by population growth and intensive agriculture.Groundwater vulnerability based on both groundwater quality and quantity dimensions showed a 19%decline in areas of low to very low vulnerability and a 6%reduction in medium vulnerability zones by 2020.Sensitivity analyses indicated that groundwater vulnerability in the region is most influenced by groundwater recharge(42%)and renewable groundwater stress(38%).Validation with in-situ data yielded area under the curve values of 0.71 for groundwater quality vulnerability and 0.63 for MHGI.The framework provides valuable insights to guide sustainable groundwater management,safeguarding both environmental integrity and human well-being.展开更多
The nonlinear response of structures is usually evaluated by considering two accelerograms acting simultaneously along the orthogonal directions. In this study, the infl uence of the earthquake direction on the seismi...The nonlinear response of structures is usually evaluated by considering two accelerograms acting simultaneously along the orthogonal directions. In this study, the infl uence of the earthquake direction on the seismic response of building structures is examined. Three multi-story RC buildings, representing a very common structural typology in Italy, are used as case studies for the evaluation. They are, respectively, a rectangular plan shape, an L plan shape and a rectangular plan shape with courtyard buildings. Nonlinear static and dynamic analyses are performed by considering different seismic levels, characterized by peak ground acceleration on stiff soil equal to 0.35 g, 0.25 g and 0.15 g. Nonlinear dynamic analyses are carried out by considering twelve different earthquake directions, and rotating the direction of both the orthogonal components by 30° for each analysis(from 0° to 330°). The survey is carried out on the L plan shape structure. The results show that the angle of the seismic input motion signifi cantly infl uences the response of RC structures; the critical seismic angle, i.e., the incidence angle that produces the maximum demand, provides an increase of up to 37% in terms of both roof displacements and plastic hinge rotations.展开更多
The key parameters for damage detection and localization are eigenfrequencies, related equivalent viscous damping factors and mode shapes. The classical approach is based on the evaluation of these structural paramete...The key parameters for damage detection and localization are eigenfrequencies, related equivalent viscous damping factors and mode shapes. The classical approach is based on the evaluation of these structural parameters before and after a seismic event, but by using a modern approach based on time-frequency transformations it is possible to quantify these parameters throughout the ground shaking phase. In particular with the use of the S-Transform, it is possible to follow the temporal evolution of the structural dynamics parameters before, during and after an earthquake. In this paper, a methodology for damage localization on framed structures subjected to strong motion earthquakes is proposed based on monitoring the modal curvature variation in the natural frequency of a structure. Two examples of application are described to illustrate the technique: Computer simulation of the nonlinear response of a model, and several laboratory(shaking table) tests performed at the University of Basilicata(Italy). Damage detected using the proposed approach and damage revealed via visual inspections in the tests are compared.展开更多
Self-centering earthquake-resistant structures have received increased attention due to their ability to reduce post-earthquake residual deformations and,thus,repair time and cost.This stimulated the development of re...Self-centering earthquake-resistant structures have received increased attention due to their ability to reduce post-earthquake residual deformations and,thus,repair time and cost.This stimulated the development of recentering shape memory alloy(SMA)dampers that use superelastic nitinol wires to dissipate energy and self-center the structure.However,there are still a few case studies applications on full-scale RC buildings in the literature.Moreover,general guidelines or even simplified approaches for the practical design of SMA damped braces are still lacking.This paper focuses on evaluating the effect of using self-centering shape memory alloy dampers for buckling-restrained braces applied for the seismic retrofit of a complex RC building structure.A design method originally proposed for elastoplastic dampers was implemented to size the SMA dampers to be placed on selected spans and stories of a building.The effectiveness of the design procedure was demonstrated by nonlinear time-history analyses under different sets of earthquake strong ground motions.The analysis results show that the recentering shape memory alloy bracing system is effective in limiting the maximum transient inter-story drifts and reducing the residual inter-story drifts after strong seismic events,due to its excellent recentering behavior together with its not negligible energy dissipation capacity.展开更多
Poromechanics plays a key role in modelling hard and soft tissue behaviours,by providing a thermodynamic framework in which chemo-mechanical mutual interactions among fluid and solid constituents can be consistently r...Poromechanics plays a key role in modelling hard and soft tissue behaviours,by providing a thermodynamic framework in which chemo-mechanical mutual interactions among fluid and solid constituents can be consistently rooted,at different scale levels.In this context,how different biological species(including cells,extra-cellular components and chemical metabolites)interplay within complex environments is studied for characterizing the mechanobiology of tumor growth,governed by intra-tumoral residual stresses that initiate mechanotransductive processes deregulating normal tissue homeostasis and leading to tissue remodelling.Despite the coupling between tumor poroelasticity and interspecific competitive dynamics has recently highlighted how microscopic cells and environment interactions influence growth-associated stresses and tumor pathophysiology,the nonlinear interlacing among biochemical factors and mechanics somehow hindered the possibility of gaining qualitative insights into cells dynamics.Motivated by this,in the present work we recover the linear poroelasticity in order to benefit of a reduced complexity,so first deriving the well-known Lyapunov stability criterion from the thermodynamic dissipation principle and then analysing the stability of the mechanical competition among cells fighting for common space and resources during cancer growth and invasion.At the end,the linear poroelastic model enriched by interspecific dynamics is also exploited to show how growth anisotropy can alter the stress field in spherical tumor masses,by thus indirectly affecting cell mechano-sensing.展开更多
Since the half of the XX century,attention was given to the instability of structures under parametric excitation,especially under periodic loads.On the other hand,the instability of bars subjected to axial loads of i...Since the half of the XX century,attention was given to the instability of structures under parametric excitation,especially under periodic loads.On the other hand,the instability of bars subjected to axial loads of impulsive type has been little studied,in spite of the practical importance of the topic.Thus,in Engineering Design it is frequently supposed,without tests or additional verifications,that an axial load of short duration can exceed the Euler critical load of the bar without inducing damage in the same.Within this context,this paper proposes the use of the truss-like Discrete Element Method(DEM)for determining the dynamic response of elastic straight bars subjected to axial loads defined by pulses of short duration.The proposed approach allows the consideration of initial imperfections,as well as large displacements and other non-linear effects.The influence of the pulse duration and other effects in the response of the bar are also evaluated.Initially,the performance of the proposed methodology is verified in static and dynamic instability problems of homogeneous bars without geometrical imperfections,by comparing the DEM results with analytical solutions available in the literature.After that,the DEM is employed to analyze more complex cases,including bars with initial imperfections and non-homogeneous bars,in which material properties,as Young’s modulus and mass density,are assumed to be correlated Gaussian random fields.The proposed methodology has proven to be a useful and easy tool for analysis of dynamic instability of bars and could therefore be used by designers for estimating the dynamic buckling load.展开更多
The roof system of social housing in Brazil generally consists of components made out of native forest lumber of high market value. Taking into account the increasing number of planted forests and the need to develop ...The roof system of social housing in Brazil generally consists of components made out of native forest lumber of high market value. Taking into account the increasing number of planted forests and the need to develop new products and to add value to this timber, this work deals with the development and structural analysis of a roof system using yellow pine plantation wood （Pinus spp）, a sustainable material which however presents many defects. The NLT （laminated nailed timber） technology was chosen as it allows the use of shorter length and smaller cross section pieces, eliminating major defects. Seven samples of structural trussed rafters in NLT were tested; six made out of graded timber and one ungraded in order to verify the impact of the wood grading in the structural performance of the model. The results showed that the trussed rafter system in NLT meets the necessary structural performance requiring poor conditions of infrastructure for manufacture process, and that the graded wood samples showed better performance than the ungraded one.展开更多
This paper describes the installation and management of the monitoring system of the “Our Lady of Tears Shrine” in Syracuse, whose dome is an imposing r.c. and prestressed r.c. structure of about 22,000 ton that was...This paper describes the installation and management of the monitoring system of the “Our Lady of Tears Shrine” in Syracuse, whose dome is an imposing r.c. and prestressed r.c. structure of about 22,000 ton that was seismically isolated by flat sliding devices with hysteretic dampers. The monitoring system, representing an upgrading and improvement of an old system never made working, has some innovative features, because it allows to manage with the same dedicated hardware and software both the slow (thermal variations, relative humidity, wind direction and velocity) and the fast acquisitions (dynamic vibrations by wind and earthquake). The monitoring system was inserted among those structures maintained and controlled by the Seismic Observatory of Structures of the National Department of Civil Protection. Some records of low magnitude earthquakes allowed to validate the correct behaviour of the whole structure, as well as to make a dynamic identification of the complex construction and to calibrate a detailed finite element model of the Sanctuary, thus predicting isolators’ behaviour under design earthquake.展开更多
A process capability study is performed for the turning process on a general purpose center lathe in order to verify the process performance and machine ability to perform within specified tolerance limit. The process...A process capability study is performed for the turning process on a general purpose center lathe in order to verify the process performance and machine ability to perform within specified tolerance limit. The process and machine capability indices were measured to determine the process and machine adequacy for industrial application. The tolerance limits were obtained from the given nominal size of the shaft, using the basic hole system and 90 sample shafts were turned on the lathe machine to specification for varying spindle speed and feed rate of the lathe. Three (3) samples were randomly selected for the turning process of a combination of the spindle speed and feed rate as a subgroup size for a total subgroup of thirty (30). The diameters (representing the quality characteristics) were used to generate control charts and capability histogram for the process. The process is within statistical control but found incapable of meeting up to specification because the capability index (C<sub>p</sub>) measured was less than 1 and the machine capability for industrial application is not adequate.展开更多
Local scour at a pile or pier in current or wave environments threats the safety of the upper structure all over the world.The application of a net-like matt as a scour protection cover at the pile or pier was propose...Local scour at a pile or pier in current or wave environments threats the safety of the upper structure all over the world.The application of a net-like matt as a scour protection cover at the pile or pier was proposed.The matt weakens and diffuses the flow in the local scour pit and thus reduces local scour while enhances sediment deposition.Numerical simulations were carried out to investigate the flow at the pile covered by the matt.The simulation results were used to optimize the thickness dt(2.6 d_(95)∼17.9 d_(95))and opening size dn(7.7 d_(95)∼28.2 d_(95))of the matt.It was found that the matt significantly reduced the local velocity and dissipated the vortex at the pile,substantially reduced the extent of local scour.The smaller the opening size of the matt,the more effective was the flow diffusion at the bed,and smaller bed shear stress was observed at the pile.For the flow conditions considered in this study,a matt with a relative thickness of T=7.7 and relative opening size of S=7.7 could be effective in scour protection.展开更多
Background:To compare and contrast morpho-volumetric features between Down syndrome(DS)cornea and non-DS keratoconic cornea by three-dimensional(3D)modelling.Methods:Forty-three subjects(43 eyes)with DS and 99 patient...Background:To compare and contrast morpho-volumetric features between Down syndrome(DS)cornea and non-DS keratoconic cornea by three-dimensional(3D)modelling.Methods:Forty-three subjects(43 eyes)with DS and 99 patients matching their age and sex(99 eyes)with keratoconus(KC)were included in this single-center cross-sectional study.Main outcome measures were high-order aberrations(HOA),central corneal thickness(CCT),spherical equivalent refraction,and morpho-volumetric parameters established using a 3D corneal model,such as deviation of anterior and posterior corneal apices(Dapexant/D_(apexpost))and minimum thickness points(D_(mctant)/D_(mctpost))from corneal vertex,areas of the anterior and posterior surfaces(Aant/A_(post)),sagittal area passing through the anterior and posterior corneal apices(Aapexant/Aapexpost)and minimum thickness point(A_(mctpost))and corneal volume of the complete cornea(V_(total)).Results:Age,gender,spherical equivalent refraction,CCT and V_(total)were similar between the net on-DS KC and DS groups(P>0.05),while non-DS KC group had higher HOA than the DS group(P<0.05).Dapexant,Aant,A_(post)and Aapexant showed higher values in the DS group than in the non-DS KC group,whereas D_(apexpost)showed a reduction in the DS group when compared with the non-DS KC group(P<0.05).Conclusions:This study demonstrated that anterior and posterior corneal apex dynamics were specifically different in DS subjects,as the anterior apex tends to displace more prominently when compared to that from the non-DS KC group,while the posterior apex appears to be more stable than that in non-DS KC,which also support the theory that DS patients suffer from a specific keratopathy,distinctively different to KC but strongly related to it,and probably showing a diversity of corneal phenotypes in all cases of DS.展开更多
This research establishes a methodological framework for generating geometrically accurate 3D representations of human crystalline lenses through scanning technologies and digital reconstruction. Multiple scanning sys...This research establishes a methodological framework for generating geometrically accurate 3D representations of human crystalline lenses through scanning technologies and digital reconstruction. Multiple scanning systems were evaluated to identify optimal approaches for point cloud processing and subsequent development of parameterized solid models, facilitating comprehensive morpho-geometric characterization. Experimental work was performed at the 3D Scanning Laboratory of SEDIC (Industrial Design and Scientific Calculation Service) at the Technical University of Cartagena, employing five distinct scanner types based on structured light, laser, and infrared technologies. Test specimens—including preliminary calibration using a lentil and biological analysis of a human crystalline lens—were digitized under rigorously controlled environmental conditions. Acquired point clouds underwent processing in Rhinoceros software to produce digital surface meshes, which were subsequently converted into solid CAD models via SolidWorks. Model fidelity and biomedical relevance were assessed through quantification of geometric and physical properties. Scanner performance varied significantly in reconstruction precision and resolution, with structured blue light systems (e.g., Artec SPIDER) exhibiting superior capability for capturing lens surface topography compared to infrared or white light alternatives. Resultant models enabled accurate dimensional analysis of clinically relevant parameters including volumetric and surface area measurements. Technology-specific advantages and constraints were rigorously cataloged relative to sample attributes. Findings indicate that structured blue light scanning provides the most effective foundation for crystalline lens digitization and modeling. The presented methodological approach not only ensures high-fidelity solid model generation but also demonstrates translational potential in medical domains, from custom intraocular lens design to refinement of ophthalmic therapeutic interventions.展开更多
The transient electromagnetic(TEM)method becomes more urgent than ever for marine ex-ploration due to abundant resource reserves and the increasing undersea engineering construction activities,especially in the offsho...The transient electromagnetic(TEM)method becomes more urgent than ever for marine ex-ploration due to abundant resource reserves and the increasing undersea engineering construction activities,especially in the offshore exploration of mineral deposits such as Sanshandao gold mine.However,the re-search and application of TEM method in marine environment are still challenged by many problems.Such contradiction motivates our study on the coincident-loop TEM in seafloor exploration.The TEM response of coincident loops is firstly derived in the integral form,based on the potential functions in Helmholtz equ-ations for a magnetic source locating in the whole-space layered model.The frequency-domain vertical magnetic field is described as the Hankel integral with double first-order Bessel functions of first kind.Se-condly,the time-domain induced voltage is obtained by transforming the frequency-domain response through the cosine transform and then taking the derivative of time.To simultaneously solve the Hankel transform and the cosine transform,a novel algorithm is introduced by adapting the fixed-point quadra-ture and extrapolation via the Shanks transformation.Finally,a typical conductivity model for marine po-lymetallic deposit is designed to investigate the characteristic of TEM response under various conditions.Numerical results demonstrate that existence of conductive seawater causes the TEM response to increase significantly and decay slower.The air-sea reflected electromagnetic waves lead to a significantly large fake negative response(NR)in shallower seawater with depth less than 300 m.Increase in the height of loops will weaken and delay the anomaly response and shorten the observation time-window.The height of configu-ration should be no more than 100 m for shallower targets and 50 m for deeper targets,respectively.The observation time-window should cover 10-1000 ms.Increase in the radius of loops only enhances the TEM response proportionally but hardly improves the relative anomaly.The vertical resolution on the low-resistivity target approximates 20 m for the configuration considered in the study.Decreases in D.C.resistivity and chargeability cause the positive response(PR)to increase significantly and decay more ra-pidly.Meanwhile,the NR is advanced and enlarged significantly and decays slower compared with the PR.The influence of time constant is not monotony and there exists an optimal value for producing the maxi-mum NR.As the frequency parameter increases,the PR is caused to decay more rapidly without magni-tude change and the NR is advanced and decays more rapidly with significant increase in magnitude.The influence of frequency parameter is more pronounced than that of time constant.展开更多
This paper presents the formulation of finite elements based on Deslauriers-Dubuc interpolating scaling functions, also known as Interpolets, for their use in wave propagation modeling. Unlike other wavelet families l...This paper presents the formulation of finite elements based on Deslauriers-Dubuc interpolating scaling functions, also known as Interpolets, for their use in wave propagation modeling. Unlike other wavelet families like Daubechies, Interpolets possess rational filter coefficients, are smooth, symmetric and therefore more suitable for use in numerical methods. Expressions for stiffness and mass matrices are developed based on connection coefficients, which are inner products of basis functions and their derivatives. An example in 1-D was formulated using Central Difference and Newmark schemes for time differentiation. Encouraging results were obtained even for large time steps. Results obtained in 2-D are compared with the standard Finite Difference Method for validation.展开更多
The activated sludge process is characterized by high microbial density and diversity,both of which facilitate antibiotic resistance gene transfer.Many studies have suggested that antibiotic and non-antibiotic drugs a...The activated sludge process is characterized by high microbial density and diversity,both of which facilitate antibiotic resistance gene transfer.Many studies have suggested that antibiotic and non-antibiotic drugs at sub-inhibitory concentrations are major inducers of conjugative gene transfer.The self-transmissible plasmid pND6-2 is one of the endogenous plasmids harbored in Pseudomonas putida ND6,which can trigger the transfer of another co-occurring naphthalene-degrading plasmid pND6-1.Therefore,to illustrate the potential influence of stimulants on conjugative transfer of pND6-2,we evaluated the effects of four antibiotics (ampicillin,gentamycin,kanamycin,and tetracycline) and naphthalene,on the conjugal transfer efficiency of pND6-2 by filter-mating experiment.Our findings demonstrated that all stimulants within an optimal dose promoted conjugative transfer of pND6-2from Pseudomonas putida GKND6 to P.putida KT2440,with tetracycline being the most effective (100μg/L and 10μg/L),as it enhanced pND6-2-mediated intra-genera transfer by approximately one hundred-fold.Subsequently,seven AS reactors were constructed with the addition of donors and different stimulants to further elucidate the conjugative behavior of pND6-2 in natural environment.The stimulants positively affected the conjugal process of pND6-2,while donors reshaped the host abundance in the sludge.This was likely because stimulant addition enhanced the expression levels of conjugation transfer-related genes.Furthermore,Blastocatella and Chitinimonas were identified as the potential receptors of plasmid pND6-2,which was not affected by donor types.These findings demonstrate the positive role of sub-inhibitory stimulant treatment on pND6-2 conjugal transfer and the function of donors in re-shaping the host spectrum of pND6-2.展开更多
In this study,waveform data obtained from Western Sichuan Seismic Array(WSSA)in China was utilized to reveal the temporal variations in coda attenuation around the eastern Tibet Plateau and Western Sichuan.Based on th...In this study,waveform data obtained from Western Sichuan Seismic Array(WSSA)in China was utilized to reveal the temporal variations in coda attenuation around the eastern Tibet Plateau and Western Sichuan.Based on the single-scattering model,coda attenuation factor QC^(-1) is calculated in narrower overlapping frequency bands at 1.0-24 Hz by measuring the coda decay rates for local earthquakes before and after the Wenchuan mainshock.The temporal variations in coda attenuation are investigated within three periods.The periodⅠlasted from January 2007 to the end of 2007.The periodⅡlasted from January 2008 till Wenchuan earthquake.The periodⅢlasted from the mainshock to the end of 2008.The resulted temporal variations demonstrate an increase in average QC^(-1) by approximately 35%-45%in the vicinity of Longmenshan and 30%-35%in Sichuan Basin after the Wenchuan earthquake in lower frequency bands within 1.25-8 Hz.On the contrary,the average QC^(-1) is shown to decrease by approximately10%-18%in southern segment of Longmenshan,15%-38%in the Chuan-Dian block,and 10-12%in the South China block.These results are confirmed by a statistical t-test at 99.9%confidence level No statistically significant change in QC^(-1)(<10%)is found in the Songpan-Ganzi block after the mainshock.Temporal variations of coda attenuation differ significantly in individual blocks after the mainshock.The coda attenuation is proposed to be a beacon to tectonic static stress changes associated with the Wenchuan earthquake.展开更多
The present study aims to develop a robust structural damage identification method that can be used for the evaluation of bridge structures. An approach for the structural damage identification based on the measuremen...The present study aims to develop a robust structural damage identification method that can be used for the evaluation of bridge structures. An approach for the structural damage identification based on the measurement of natural frequencies is presented. The structural damage model is assumed to be associated with a reduction of a contribution to the element stiffness matrix equivalent to a scalar reduction of the material modulus. A computational procedure for the direct iteration technique based on the non-linear perturbation theory is proposed to identify structural damage. The presented damage identification technique is applied to the footbridge over the Slunjcica River near Slunj to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Using a limited number of measured natural frequencies, reduction in the stiffness of up to 100% at multiple sites is detected. The results indicate that the proposed approach can be successful in not only predicting the location of damage but also in determining the extent of structural damage.展开更多
基金funding from the National Science Foundation(NSF Award 2114701)of the United States.
文摘This study advances the DRASTIC groundwater vulnerability assessment framework by integrating a multi-hazard groundwater index(MHGI)to account for the dynamic impacts of diverse anthropogenic activities and natural factors on both groundwater quality and quantity.Incorporating factors such as population growth,agricultural practices,and groundwater extraction enhances the framework’s ability to capture multi-dimensional,spatiotemporal changes in groundwater vulnerability.Additional improvements include refined weighting and rating scales for thematic layers based on available observational data,and the inclusion of distributed recharge.We demonstrate the practical utility of this dynamic DRASTIC-based framework through its application to the agro-urban regions of the Irrigated Indus Basin,a major groundwater-dependent agricultural area in South Asia.Results indicate that between 2005 and 2020,54%of the study area became highly vulnerable to pollution.The MHGI revealed a 13%decline in potential groundwater storage and a 25%increase in groundwater-stressed zones,driven primarily by population growth and intensive agriculture.Groundwater vulnerability based on both groundwater quality and quantity dimensions showed a 19%decline in areas of low to very low vulnerability and a 6%reduction in medium vulnerability zones by 2020.Sensitivity analyses indicated that groundwater vulnerability in the region is most influenced by groundwater recharge(42%)and renewable groundwater stress(38%).Validation with in-situ data yielded area under the curve values of 0.71 for groundwater quality vulnerability and 0.63 for MHGI.The framework provides valuable insights to guide sustainable groundwater management,safeguarding both environmental integrity and human well-being.
基金partially funded by Italian Department of Civil Protection in the frame of the National ReLUIS Project 2005-2008 line 2-Theme 2
文摘The nonlinear response of structures is usually evaluated by considering two accelerograms acting simultaneously along the orthogonal directions. In this study, the infl uence of the earthquake direction on the seismic response of building structures is examined. Three multi-story RC buildings, representing a very common structural typology in Italy, are used as case studies for the evaluation. They are, respectively, a rectangular plan shape, an L plan shape and a rectangular plan shape with courtyard buildings. Nonlinear static and dynamic analyses are performed by considering different seismic levels, characterized by peak ground acceleration on stiff soil equal to 0.35 g, 0.25 g and 0.15 g. Nonlinear dynamic analyses are carried out by considering twelve different earthquake directions, and rotating the direction of both the orthogonal components by 30° for each analysis(from 0° to 330°). The survey is carried out on the L plan shape structure. The results show that the angle of the seismic input motion signifi cantly infl uences the response of RC structures; the critical seismic angle, i.e., the incidence angle that produces the maximum demand, provides an increase of up to 37% in terms of both roof displacements and plastic hinge rotations.
基金Italian Civil Protection within the Projects DPC-RELUIS 2010-2013(Task 3.1)DPC-RELUIS 2014(Special Project"Monitoraggio")
文摘The key parameters for damage detection and localization are eigenfrequencies, related equivalent viscous damping factors and mode shapes. The classical approach is based on the evaluation of these structural parameters before and after a seismic event, but by using a modern approach based on time-frequency transformations it is possible to quantify these parameters throughout the ground shaking phase. In particular with the use of the S-Transform, it is possible to follow the temporal evolution of the structural dynamics parameters before, during and after an earthquake. In this paper, a methodology for damage localization on framed structures subjected to strong motion earthquakes is proposed based on monitoring the modal curvature variation in the natural frequency of a structure. Two examples of application are described to illustrate the technique: Computer simulation of the nonlinear response of a model, and several laboratory(shaking table) tests performed at the University of Basilicata(Italy). Damage detected using the proposed approach and damage revealed via visual inspections in the tests are compared.
文摘Self-centering earthquake-resistant structures have received increased attention due to their ability to reduce post-earthquake residual deformations and,thus,repair time and cost.This stimulated the development of recentering shape memory alloy(SMA)dampers that use superelastic nitinol wires to dissipate energy and self-center the structure.However,there are still a few case studies applications on full-scale RC buildings in the literature.Moreover,general guidelines or even simplified approaches for the practical design of SMA damped braces are still lacking.This paper focuses on evaluating the effect of using self-centering shape memory alloy dampers for buckling-restrained braces applied for the seismic retrofit of a complex RC building structure.A design method originally proposed for elastoplastic dampers was implemented to size the SMA dampers to be placed on selected spans and stories of a building.The effectiveness of the design procedure was demonstrated by nonlinear time-history analyses under different sets of earthquake strong ground motions.The analysis results show that the recentering shape memory alloy bracing system is effective in limiting the maximum transient inter-story drifts and reducing the residual inter-story drifts after strong seismic events,due to its excellent recentering behavior together with its not negligible energy dissipation capacity.
基金M.F.,A.C.and S.P.acknowledge the Italian Ministry of Education,University and Research(MIUR)(Grants ARS01-01384-PROSCAN and PRIN 201720177TTP3S).A.R.C.acknowledges the support from PON-AIM 1849854-1.
文摘Poromechanics plays a key role in modelling hard and soft tissue behaviours,by providing a thermodynamic framework in which chemo-mechanical mutual interactions among fluid and solid constituents can be consistently rooted,at different scale levels.In this context,how different biological species(including cells,extra-cellular components and chemical metabolites)interplay within complex environments is studied for characterizing the mechanobiology of tumor growth,governed by intra-tumoral residual stresses that initiate mechanotransductive processes deregulating normal tissue homeostasis and leading to tissue remodelling.Despite the coupling between tumor poroelasticity and interspecific competitive dynamics has recently highlighted how microscopic cells and environment interactions influence growth-associated stresses and tumor pathophysiology,the nonlinear interlacing among biochemical factors and mechanics somehow hindered the possibility of gaining qualitative insights into cells dynamics.Motivated by this,in the present work we recover the linear poroelasticity in order to benefit of a reduced complexity,so first deriving the well-known Lyapunov stability criterion from the thermodynamic dissipation principle and then analysing the stability of the mechanical competition among cells fighting for common space and resources during cancer growth and invasion.At the end,the linear poroelastic model enriched by interspecific dynamics is also exploited to show how growth anisotropy can alter the stress field in spherical tumor masses,by thus indirectly affecting cell mechano-sensing.
文摘Since the half of the XX century,attention was given to the instability of structures under parametric excitation,especially under periodic loads.On the other hand,the instability of bars subjected to axial loads of impulsive type has been little studied,in spite of the practical importance of the topic.Thus,in Engineering Design it is frequently supposed,without tests or additional verifications,that an axial load of short duration can exceed the Euler critical load of the bar without inducing damage in the same.Within this context,this paper proposes the use of the truss-like Discrete Element Method(DEM)for determining the dynamic response of elastic straight bars subjected to axial loads defined by pulses of short duration.The proposed approach allows the consideration of initial imperfections,as well as large displacements and other non-linear effects.The influence of the pulse duration and other effects in the response of the bar are also evaluated.Initially,the performance of the proposed methodology is verified in static and dynamic instability problems of homogeneous bars without geometrical imperfections,by comparing the DEM results with analytical solutions available in the literature.After that,the DEM is employed to analyze more complex cases,including bars with initial imperfections and non-homogeneous bars,in which material properties,as Young’s modulus and mass density,are assumed to be correlated Gaussian random fields.The proposed methodology has proven to be a useful and easy tool for analysis of dynamic instability of bars and could therefore be used by designers for estimating the dynamic buckling load.
文摘The roof system of social housing in Brazil generally consists of components made out of native forest lumber of high market value. Taking into account the increasing number of planted forests and the need to develop new products and to add value to this timber, this work deals with the development and structural analysis of a roof system using yellow pine plantation wood （Pinus spp）, a sustainable material which however presents many defects. The NLT （laminated nailed timber） technology was chosen as it allows the use of shorter length and smaller cross section pieces, eliminating major defects. Seven samples of structural trussed rafters in NLT were tested; six made out of graded timber and one ungraded in order to verify the impact of the wood grading in the structural performance of the model. The results showed that the trussed rafter system in NLT meets the necessary structural performance requiring poor conditions of infrastructure for manufacture process, and that the graded wood samples showed better performance than the ungraded one.
文摘This paper describes the installation and management of the monitoring system of the “Our Lady of Tears Shrine” in Syracuse, whose dome is an imposing r.c. and prestressed r.c. structure of about 22,000 ton that was seismically isolated by flat sliding devices with hysteretic dampers. The monitoring system, representing an upgrading and improvement of an old system never made working, has some innovative features, because it allows to manage with the same dedicated hardware and software both the slow (thermal variations, relative humidity, wind direction and velocity) and the fast acquisitions (dynamic vibrations by wind and earthquake). The monitoring system was inserted among those structures maintained and controlled by the Seismic Observatory of Structures of the National Department of Civil Protection. Some records of low magnitude earthquakes allowed to validate the correct behaviour of the whole structure, as well as to make a dynamic identification of the complex construction and to calibrate a detailed finite element model of the Sanctuary, thus predicting isolators’ behaviour under design earthquake.
文摘A process capability study is performed for the turning process on a general purpose center lathe in order to verify the process performance and machine ability to perform within specified tolerance limit. The process and machine capability indices were measured to determine the process and machine adequacy for industrial application. The tolerance limits were obtained from the given nominal size of the shaft, using the basic hole system and 90 sample shafts were turned on the lathe machine to specification for varying spindle speed and feed rate of the lathe. Three (3) samples were randomly selected for the turning process of a combination of the spindle speed and feed rate as a subgroup size for a total subgroup of thirty (30). The diameters (representing the quality characteristics) were used to generate control charts and capability histogram for the process. The process is within statistical control but found incapable of meeting up to specification because the capability index (C<sub>p</sub>) measured was less than 1 and the machine capability for industrial application is not adequate.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52171268)CCCC Road&Bridge Special Engineering Co.,Ltd.
文摘Local scour at a pile or pier in current or wave environments threats the safety of the upper structure all over the world.The application of a net-like matt as a scour protection cover at the pile or pier was proposed.The matt weakens and diffuses the flow in the local scour pit and thus reduces local scour while enhances sediment deposition.Numerical simulations were carried out to investigate the flow at the pile covered by the matt.The simulation results were used to optimize the thickness dt(2.6 d_(95)∼17.9 d_(95))and opening size dn(7.7 d_(95)∼28.2 d_(95))of the matt.It was found that the matt significantly reduced the local velocity and dissipated the vortex at the pile,substantially reduced the extent of local scour.The smaller the opening size of the matt,the more effective was the flow diffusion at the bed,and smaller bed shear stress was observed at the pile.For the flow conditions considered in this study,a matt with a relative thickness of T=7.7 and relative opening size of S=7.7 could be effective in scour protection.
基金supported in part by the Thematic Network for Co-Operative Research in Health(Red Temática De Investigación Oftalmológica,RETICS)(Reference No.RD16/0008/0012)financed by the Carlos III Health Institute-General Sub-direction of Networks and Cooperative Investigation Centres(R&D&I National Plan 2013–2016)and the European Regional Development Fund(FEDER)+2 种基金carried out within the framework of the project“Desarrollo y validación de un nuevo concepto de caracterización biomecánica-morfofuncional de la córnea”(Reference No.DTS21/00103)funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III(ISCIII)cofunded by the European Union.This study was also carried out in collaboration with the Association for the Integration of the Disabled in the Comarca del Mar Menor(AIDEMAR,collaboration protocol UPCT-AIDEMAR).
文摘Background:To compare and contrast morpho-volumetric features between Down syndrome(DS)cornea and non-DS keratoconic cornea by three-dimensional(3D)modelling.Methods:Forty-three subjects(43 eyes)with DS and 99 patients matching their age and sex(99 eyes)with keratoconus(KC)were included in this single-center cross-sectional study.Main outcome measures were high-order aberrations(HOA),central corneal thickness(CCT),spherical equivalent refraction,and morpho-volumetric parameters established using a 3D corneal model,such as deviation of anterior and posterior corneal apices(Dapexant/D_(apexpost))and minimum thickness points(D_(mctant)/D_(mctpost))from corneal vertex,areas of the anterior and posterior surfaces(Aant/A_(post)),sagittal area passing through the anterior and posterior corneal apices(Aapexant/Aapexpost)and minimum thickness point(A_(mctpost))and corneal volume of the complete cornea(V_(total)).Results:Age,gender,spherical equivalent refraction,CCT and V_(total)were similar between the net on-DS KC and DS groups(P>0.05),while non-DS KC group had higher HOA than the DS group(P<0.05).Dapexant,Aant,A_(post)and Aapexant showed higher values in the DS group than in the non-DS KC group,whereas D_(apexpost)showed a reduction in the DS group when compared with the non-DS KC group(P<0.05).Conclusions:This study demonstrated that anterior and posterior corneal apex dynamics were specifically different in DS subjects,as the anterior apex tends to displace more prominently when compared to that from the non-DS KC group,while the posterior apex appears to be more stable than that in non-DS KC,which also support the theory that DS patients suffer from a specific keratopathy,distinctively different to KC but strongly related to it,and probably showing a diversity of corneal phenotypes in all cases of DS.
基金funded by“Programa de Ayuda para la Puesta en Marcha o Mantenimiento de Líneas de Investigación Competitivas(LANZADERA)2025”of the Technical University of Cartagena.This study was also carried out in collaboration with the Association for the Integration of the Disabled in the Comarca del Mar Menor(AIDEMAR,collaboration protocol UPCT-AIDEMAR)Ophthalmology team at the“Hospital General Universitario Santa Lucia”in Cartagena for their support during this research.
文摘This research establishes a methodological framework for generating geometrically accurate 3D representations of human crystalline lenses through scanning technologies and digital reconstruction. Multiple scanning systems were evaluated to identify optimal approaches for point cloud processing and subsequent development of parameterized solid models, facilitating comprehensive morpho-geometric characterization. Experimental work was performed at the 3D Scanning Laboratory of SEDIC (Industrial Design and Scientific Calculation Service) at the Technical University of Cartagena, employing five distinct scanner types based on structured light, laser, and infrared technologies. Test specimens—including preliminary calibration using a lentil and biological analysis of a human crystalline lens—were digitized under rigorously controlled environmental conditions. Acquired point clouds underwent processing in Rhinoceros software to produce digital surface meshes, which were subsequently converted into solid CAD models via SolidWorks. Model fidelity and biomedical relevance were assessed through quantification of geometric and physical properties. Scanner performance varied significantly in reconstruction precision and resolution, with structured blue light systems (e.g., Artec SPIDER) exhibiting superior capability for capturing lens surface topography compared to infrared or white light alternatives. Resultant models enabled accurate dimensional analysis of clinically relevant parameters including volumetric and surface area measurements. Technology-specific advantages and constraints were rigorously cataloged relative to sample attributes. Findings indicate that structured blue light scanning provides the most effective foundation for crystalline lens digitization and modeling. The presented methodological approach not only ensures high-fidelity solid model generation but also demonstrates translational potential in medical domains, from custom intraocular lens design to refinement of ophthalmic therapeutic interventions.
基金This research was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2018YFC0603806).
文摘The transient electromagnetic(TEM)method becomes more urgent than ever for marine ex-ploration due to abundant resource reserves and the increasing undersea engineering construction activities,especially in the offshore exploration of mineral deposits such as Sanshandao gold mine.However,the re-search and application of TEM method in marine environment are still challenged by many problems.Such contradiction motivates our study on the coincident-loop TEM in seafloor exploration.The TEM response of coincident loops is firstly derived in the integral form,based on the potential functions in Helmholtz equ-ations for a magnetic source locating in the whole-space layered model.The frequency-domain vertical magnetic field is described as the Hankel integral with double first-order Bessel functions of first kind.Se-condly,the time-domain induced voltage is obtained by transforming the frequency-domain response through the cosine transform and then taking the derivative of time.To simultaneously solve the Hankel transform and the cosine transform,a novel algorithm is introduced by adapting the fixed-point quadra-ture and extrapolation via the Shanks transformation.Finally,a typical conductivity model for marine po-lymetallic deposit is designed to investigate the characteristic of TEM response under various conditions.Numerical results demonstrate that existence of conductive seawater causes the TEM response to increase significantly and decay slower.The air-sea reflected electromagnetic waves lead to a significantly large fake negative response(NR)in shallower seawater with depth less than 300 m.Increase in the height of loops will weaken and delay the anomaly response and shorten the observation time-window.The height of configu-ration should be no more than 100 m for shallower targets and 50 m for deeper targets,respectively.The observation time-window should cover 10-1000 ms.Increase in the radius of loops only enhances the TEM response proportionally but hardly improves the relative anomaly.The vertical resolution on the low-resistivity target approximates 20 m for the configuration considered in the study.Decreases in D.C.resistivity and chargeability cause the positive response(PR)to increase significantly and decay more ra-pidly.Meanwhile,the NR is advanced and enlarged significantly and decays slower compared with the PR.The influence of time constant is not monotony and there exists an optimal value for producing the maxi-mum NR.As the frequency parameter increases,the PR is caused to decay more rapidly without magni-tude change and the NR is advanced and decays more rapidly with significant increase in magnitude.The influence of frequency parameter is more pronounced than that of time constant.
文摘This paper presents the formulation of finite elements based on Deslauriers-Dubuc interpolating scaling functions, also known as Interpolets, for their use in wave propagation modeling. Unlike other wavelet families like Daubechies, Interpolets possess rational filter coefficients, are smooth, symmetric and therefore more suitable for use in numerical methods. Expressions for stiffness and mass matrices are developed based on connection coefficients, which are inner products of basis functions and their derivatives. An example in 1-D was formulated using Central Difference and Newmark schemes for time differentiation. Encouraging results were obtained even for large time steps. Results obtained in 2-D are compared with the standard Finite Difference Method for validation.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No. 31670512)Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China(No. 2018JM3039)。
文摘The activated sludge process is characterized by high microbial density and diversity,both of which facilitate antibiotic resistance gene transfer.Many studies have suggested that antibiotic and non-antibiotic drugs at sub-inhibitory concentrations are major inducers of conjugative gene transfer.The self-transmissible plasmid pND6-2 is one of the endogenous plasmids harbored in Pseudomonas putida ND6,which can trigger the transfer of another co-occurring naphthalene-degrading plasmid pND6-1.Therefore,to illustrate the potential influence of stimulants on conjugative transfer of pND6-2,we evaluated the effects of four antibiotics (ampicillin,gentamycin,kanamycin,and tetracycline) and naphthalene,on the conjugal transfer efficiency of pND6-2 by filter-mating experiment.Our findings demonstrated that all stimulants within an optimal dose promoted conjugative transfer of pND6-2from Pseudomonas putida GKND6 to P.putida KT2440,with tetracycline being the most effective (100μg/L and 10μg/L),as it enhanced pND6-2-mediated intra-genera transfer by approximately one hundred-fold.Subsequently,seven AS reactors were constructed with the addition of donors and different stimulants to further elucidate the conjugative behavior of pND6-2 in natural environment.The stimulants positively affected the conjugal process of pND6-2,while donors reshaped the host abundance in the sludge.This was likely because stimulant addition enhanced the expression levels of conjugation transfer-related genes.Furthermore,Blastocatella and Chitinimonas were identified as the potential receptors of plasmid pND6-2,which was not affected by donor types.These findings demonstrate the positive role of sub-inhibitory stimulant treatment on pND6-2 conjugal transfer and the function of donors in re-shaping the host spectrum of pND6-2.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41874161 and No.41720104006)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.2019069)Guangdong Provincial Key R&D Program(No.2019B111105002)。
文摘In this study,waveform data obtained from Western Sichuan Seismic Array(WSSA)in China was utilized to reveal the temporal variations in coda attenuation around the eastern Tibet Plateau and Western Sichuan.Based on the single-scattering model,coda attenuation factor QC^(-1) is calculated in narrower overlapping frequency bands at 1.0-24 Hz by measuring the coda decay rates for local earthquakes before and after the Wenchuan mainshock.The temporal variations in coda attenuation are investigated within three periods.The periodⅠlasted from January 2007 to the end of 2007.The periodⅡlasted from January 2008 till Wenchuan earthquake.The periodⅢlasted from the mainshock to the end of 2008.The resulted temporal variations demonstrate an increase in average QC^(-1) by approximately 35%-45%in the vicinity of Longmenshan and 30%-35%in Sichuan Basin after the Wenchuan earthquake in lower frequency bands within 1.25-8 Hz.On the contrary,the average QC^(-1) is shown to decrease by approximately10%-18%in southern segment of Longmenshan,15%-38%in the Chuan-Dian block,and 10-12%in the South China block.These results are confirmed by a statistical t-test at 99.9%confidence level No statistically significant change in QC^(-1)(<10%)is found in the Songpan-Ganzi block after the mainshock.Temporal variations of coda attenuation differ significantly in individual blocks after the mainshock.The coda attenuation is proposed to be a beacon to tectonic static stress changes associated with the Wenchuan earthquake.
文摘The present study aims to develop a robust structural damage identification method that can be used for the evaluation of bridge structures. An approach for the structural damage identification based on the measurement of natural frequencies is presented. The structural damage model is assumed to be associated with a reduction of a contribution to the element stiffness matrix equivalent to a scalar reduction of the material modulus. A computational procedure for the direct iteration technique based on the non-linear perturbation theory is proposed to identify structural damage. The presented damage identification technique is applied to the footbridge over the Slunjcica River near Slunj to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Using a limited number of measured natural frequencies, reduction in the stiffness of up to 100% at multiple sites is detected. The results indicate that the proposed approach can be successful in not only predicting the location of damage but also in determining the extent of structural damage.
