Analysis of interaction between tunnels in soft ground by 3D numerical modeling

Tunnels are increasingly being excavated in soft ground conditions when services are required in urban environments, and it is now common to have tunnels crossing at various elevations. As the tunnel excavations are undertaken at different levels, there will be an interaction which can have a significant influence on stress distributions and consequently deformations within the tunnels and surface settlement. As multi-layer tunnelling is a three dimensional phenomenon in nature, 3D numerical solutions must be utilized for perpendicularly crossing tunnels at various levels. This paper reports the investigations into the changes in stress distribution, deformations and surface settlements which may be expected when the twin Tohid Tunnels pass beneath the Line 4 metro tunnel in Tehran.     

Experimental observation of speckle instability in a two-dimensional disordered medium

Temporal fluctuations of the speckle pattern formed upon backscattering of a laser beam from an interface between gold and nonlinear polymer film have been observed as a function of optical power. The instability can be explained by coupling of laser light to surface plasmons and other guided modes, which experience multiple scattering while propagating in the film along the interface. The speckle pattern produced in this process is extremely sensitive to fluctuations of the scattering potential near the interface.     

Accuracy improving guidelines for network anomaly detection systems

An unprecedented growth in computer and communication systems in the last two decades has resulted in a proportional increase in the number and sophistication of network attacks. In particular, the number of previously-unseen attacks has increased exponentially in the last few years. Due to the rapidly evolving nature of network attacks, a considerable paradigm shift has taken place in the intrusion detection community. The main focus is now on Network Anomaly Detection Systems (NADSs) which model and flag deviations from normal/benign behavior of a network and can hence detect previously-unseen attacks. Contemporary NADS borrow concepts from a variety of theoretical fields (e.g., Information theory, stochastic and machine learning, signal processing, etc.) to model benign behavior. These NADSs, however, fall short of achieving acceptable performance levels as therefore widespread commercial deployments. Thus, in this paper, we firstly evaluate the performance of eight prominent network-based anomaly detectors under malicious portscan attacks to identify which NADSs perform better than others and why. These NADSs are evaluated on three criteria: accuracy (ROC curves), scalability (with respect to varying normal and attack traffic rates, and deployment points) and detection delay. These criteria are evaluated using two independently collected datasets with complementary strengths. We then propose novel methods and promising guidelines to improve the accuracy and scalability of existing and future anomaly detectors. Experimental analysis of the proposed guidelines is also presented for the proof of concept.     

Adaptive nonlinear control of pH neutralization processes using fuzzy approximators

In this paper, an adaptive control scheme, based on fuzzy logic systems, for pH control is addressed. For implementation of the proposed scheme no composition measurement is required. Stability of the closed-loop system is established and it is shown that the solution of the closed-loop system is uniformly ultimately bounded and under a certain condition, asymptotical stability is achieved. Effectiveness of the proposed controller is tested through simulation and experimental studies. Results indicate that the proposed controller has good performances in set-point tracking and load rejection and much better than that of a tuned PI controller.     

Formal anonymity models for efficient privacy-preserving joins

Organizations, such as federally-funded medical research centers, must share de-identified data on their consumers to publicly accessible repositories to adhere to regulatory requirements. Many repositories are managed by third-parties and it is often unknown if records received from disparate organizations correspond to the same individual. Failure to resolve this issue can lead to biased (e.g., double counting of identical records) and underpowered (e.g., unlinked records of different data types) investigations. In this paper, we present a secure multiparty computation protocol that enables record joins via consumers’ encrypted identifiers. Our solution is more practical than prior secure join models in that data holders need to interact with the third party one time per data submission. Though technically feasible, the speed of the basic protocol scales quadratically with the number of records. Thus, we introduce an extended version of our protocol in which data holders append k-anonymous features of their consumers to their encrypted submissions. These features facilitate a more efficient join computation, while providing a formal guarantee that each record is linkable to no less than k individuals in the union of all organizations’ consumers. Beyond a theoretical treatment of the problem, we provide an extensive experimental investigation with data derived from the US Census to illustrate the significant gains in efficiency such an approach can achieve.     

Simulation of the deflected cutting tool trajectory in complex surface milling

Since industry is rapidly developing, either locally or globally, manufacturers witness harder challenges due to the growing competitivity. This urges them to better consider the four factors linked to production and output: quality, quantity, cost and price, quality being of course the most important factor which constitutes their main concern. Efforts will be concentrated??in this research??on improving the quality and securing more accuracy for a machined surface in ball-end milling. Quality and precision are two essential criteria in industrial milling. However, milling errors and imperfections, due mainly to the cutting tool deflection, hinder the full achieving of these targets. Our task, all along this paper, consists in studying and realizing the simulation of the deflected cutting tool trajectory, by using the methods which are available. In a future stage, and in the frame of a deeper research, the simulation process will help to carry out the correction and the compensation of the errors resulting from the tool deflection. The corrected trajectory which is obtained by the method mirror will be sent to the machine. To achieve this goal, the next process consists??as a first step??in selecting a model of cutting forces for a ball-end mill. This allows to define??later on??the behavior of this tool, and the emergence of three methods namely the analytical model, the finite elements method, and the experimental method. It is possible to tackle the cutting forces simulation, all along the tool trajectory, while this latter is carrying out the sweeping of the part to be machined in milling and taking into consideration the cutting conditions, as well as the geography of the workpiece. A simulation of the deflected cutting tool trajectory dependent on the cutting forces has been realized.     

The stability of hydrogen evolution activity and corrosion behavior of NiCu coatings with long-term electrolysis in alkaline solution

In this study, NiCu composite coating was electrochemically deposited on a copper electrode (Cu/NiCu) and tested for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 1 M KOH solution for long-term electrolysis with the help of cathodic current–potential curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The bulk and surface composition of the coating was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The surface morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of electrolysis on the corrosion behavior of the Cu/NiCu electrode was also reported. It was found that the NiCu coating had a compact and porous structure with good time stability. The HER activity of the coating was stable over 120 h electrolysis and the HER mechanism was not modified during the operation. The corrosion tests showed that the corrosion resistance of the Cu/NiCu electrode changed when a cathodic current was applied to the electrolysis system.     

A comprehensive simulation model for immunity prediction in integrated circuits with respect to substrate injection

This paper presents a comprehensive modelling methodology for the electromagnetic immunity of integrated circuits (ICs) to direct power injection (DPI). The aim of this study is to predict the susceptibility of ICs by the means of simulations performed on an appropriate electrical model of different integrated logic cores located in the same die. These cores are identical from a functional point of view, but differ by their design strategies. The simulation model includes the whole measurement setup as well as the integrated circuit under test, its environment (PCB, power supply) and the substrate model of each logic core. Simulation results and comparisons with measurement results demonstrate the validity of the suggested model. Moreover, they highlight the interest of the aforementioned protection strategies against electromagnetic disturbances.     

Statistical optimization for oxidation of ethyl benzene over Co-Mn/SBA-15 catalyst by Box-Behnken design

A series of cobalt and manganese catalysts supported on SBA-15 with different loading of Mn⁺² and Co⁺² were synthesized. These samples were characterized by SEM and XRD techniques. The catalytic activity of these samples was evaluated in the oxidation of ethylbenzene (EB) to produce acetophenone (AP) and benzoic acid (BA) in the liquid phase using tert-butylhydroperoxide (TBHP) as an oxidant. The effects of Co-Mn loading, TBHP: EB molar ratio and temperature on acetophenone and benzoic acid yields were studied by Box-Behnken experimental design to optimize the production of acetophenone and benzoic acid in liquid system.