Probabilistic learning for modeling and quantifying model-form uncertainties in nonlinear computational mechanics

Recently, a novel nonparametric probabilistic method for modeling and quantifying model-form uncertainties in nonlinear computational mechanics was proposed. Its potential was demonstrated through several uncertainty quantification (UQ) applications in vibration analysis and nonlinear computational structural dynamics. This method, which relies on projection-based model order reduction to achieve computational feasibility, exhibits a vector-valued hyperparameter in the probability model of the random reduced-order basis and associated stochastic projection-based reduced-order model. It identifies this hyperparameter by formulating a statistical inverse problem, grounded in target quantities of interest, and solving the corresponding nonconvex optimization problem. For many practical applications, however, this identification approach is computationally intensive. For this reason, this paper presents a faster predictor-corrector approach for determining the appropriate value of the vector-valued hyperparameter that is based on a probabilistic learning on manifolds. It also demonstrates the computational advantages of this alternative identification approach through the UQ of two three-dimensional nonlinear structural dynamics problems associated with two different configurations of a microelectromechanical systems device.     

Cerebral oxygenation during warming after cardiopulmonary bypass

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate jugular venous oxygen saturation (SjVO2), measured with a fiberoptic oximetry catheter, and brain tissue oxygen saturation, measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRSO2), as monitors of cerebral oxygenation during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. DESIGN: Prospective, clinical study. SETTING: Operating room of a Veterans Administration Hospital. PATIENTS: Nineteen patients undergoing moderate hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. INTERVENTIONS: SjvO2 and NIRSO2 were monitored in the patients during the surgical procedure. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Moderate hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass surgery had two distinct cerebral hemodynamic phases. While the patients were hypothermic, SjvO2 averaged 80 +/- 7% and none of the patients had an increase in cerebral lactate production. During the rewarming period, however, reductions in SjvO2 to < 50% occurred in 16 (84%) patients and increased cerebral anaerobic metabolism developed in 11 (58%) patients. SjvO2 during rewarming was dependent on mean arterial pressure, with 60 mm Hg appearing to be a critical value. Two other factors appeared to also contribute to the jugular desaturation, a low hematocrit and a rapid warming time. The SjvO2 catheter had excellent performance during the surgery. The average difference between paired measurements of SjvO2 by the catheter and in blood samples was -0.4 +/- 4.25%, and the correlation between the two measurements was highly significant (r2 = .93; p < .001). The NIRSO2 trended with the SjvO2 in most patients (r2 = .63; p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms other studies showing that jugular venous desaturation can occur during rewarming after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Presently, SjvO2 appears to be a better monitor of cerebral oxygenation than NIRSO2. However, NIRSO2 has promise as a noninvasive monitor of cerebral oxygenation if future developments allow more quantitative measurements of oxygen saturation.     

Evaluation of long-term results of a modified VAB-6 chemotherapy regimen in a cohort of good-risk metastatic non seminomatous germ-cell tumors

From 1984 to 1988, we conducted at Institut Gustave-Roussy a phase II trial with a modified VAB-6 (mVAB-6) chemotherapy regimen in 50 patients with good prognosis metastatic non seminomatous germ-cell tumors, including 27 patients (54%) with retroperitoneal lymph nodes only. The mVAB-6 combination consisted of vinblastine 4 mg/m2/day at d1, of actinomycin D1 mg/m2/day at d1, of cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2/day at d1, of cisplatin 120 mg/m2/day at d1 and of bleomycin 20 mg/day from d1 to d3. Four cycles of mVAB-6 were delivered every 4 weeks. A complete response was observed in 46 patients (92%). The other 4 patients achieved a partial response with normal serum tumor markers. Forty-two patients (84%) remain continuously free of disease. Eight relapses subsequently occurred 3 to 60 months after the end of treatment. Overall 45 patients (90%) remain free of disease after a median follow-up of 8 years. The long-term clinical toxicity was minimal. Three patients developed secondary tumors: 2 contralateral non seminomatous germ-cell tumors and 1 pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We conclude that the mVAB-6 regimen yielded excellent results and minimal long-term toxicity in this group of patients with very good-risk metastatic tumors.     

Time‐decomposed parallel time‐integrators: theory and feasibility studies for fluid,structure, and fluid–structure applications

A methodology for squeezing the most out of massively parallel processors when solving partial differential evolution equations by implicit schemes is presented. Its key components include a preferred implicit time‐integrator, a decomposition of the time‐domain into time‐slices, independent time‐integrations in each time‐slice of the semi‐discrete equations, and Newton‐type iterations on a coarse time‐grid. Hence, this methodology parallelizes the time‐loop of a time‐dependent partial differential equation solver without interfering with its sequential or parallel space‐computations. It is particularly interesting for time‐dependent problems with a few degrees of freedom such as those arising in robotics and protein folding applications, where the opportunities for parallelization over the degrees of freedom are limited. Error and stability analyses of the proposed parallel methodology are performed for first‐ and second‐order hyperbolic problems. Its feasibility and impact on reducing the solution time below what is attainable by methods which address only parallelism in the space‐domain are highlighted for fluid, structure, and coupled fluid–structure model problems. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF GULF ASPHALTS

The neat asphalt samples collected from the different asphalt producing refineries in the Gulf countries were subjected to two aging processes to simulate heating, mixing and compaction, and in service aging. The asphalt samples of the different aging stages were subjected to physical and chemical tests. The measured physical and consistency properties were used to calculate various temperature susceptibility indices. Corbett analysis, Ion exchange chromatography, HP-GPC, and FT-1R analysis were used to study the effect of aging on the molecular nature of asphalts.     

A prospective randomized trial of triage angiography in acute coronary syndromes ineligible for thrombolytic therapy. Results of the medicine versus angiography in thrombolytic exclusion (MATE) trial

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine if early triage angiography with revascularization, if indicated, favorably affects clinical outcomes in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction who are ineligible for thrombolysis. BACKGROUND: The majority of patients with acute myocardial infarction and other acute coronary syndromes are considered ineligible for thrombolysis and therefore are not afforded the opportunity for early reperfusion. METHODS: This multicenter, prospective, randomized trial evaluated in a controlled fashion the outcomes following triage angiography in acute coronary syndromes ineligible for thrombolytic therapy. Eligible patients (n=201) with <24 h of symptoms were randomized to early triage angiography and subsequent therapies based on the angiogram versus conventional medical therapy consisting of aspirin, intravenous heparin, nitroglycerin, beta-blockers, and analgesics. RESULTS: In the triage angiography group, 109 patients underwent early angiography and 64 (58%) received revascularization, whereas in the conservative group, 54 (60%) subsequently underwent nonprotocol angiography in response to recurrent ischemia and 33 (37%) received revascularization (p=0.004). The mean time to revascularization was 27+/-32 versus 88+/-98 h (p=0.0001) and the primary endpoint of recurrent ischemic events or death occurred in 14 (13%) versus 31 (34%) of the triage angiography and conservative groups, respectively (45% risk reduction, 95% CI 27-59%, p=0.0002). There were no differences between the groups with respect to initial hospital costs or length of stay. Long-term follow-up at a median of 21 months revealed no significant differences in the endpoints of late revascularization, recurrent myocardial infarction, or all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Early triage angiography in patients with acute coronary syndromes who are not eligible for thrombolytics reduced the composite of recurrent ischemic events or death and shortened the time to definitive revascularization during the index hospitalization. Despite more frequent early revascularization after triage angiography, we found no long-term benefit in cardiac outcomes compared with conservative medical therapy with revascularization prompted by recurrent ischemia.     

An investigation of the corrosion behaviour of a FeNiCoAlTa shape memory alloy in 3.5 wt-% NaCl solution

In this study, the corrosion behaviour of an FeNiCoAlTa (NCAT) shape memory alloy in 3.5% (w?w^?1) NaCl solution was evaluated. Linear polarisation resistance and potentiodynamic polarisation tests were conducted at 25°C. An open circuit potential (OCP) of ?381?mV (vs. saturated calomel reference electrode) and a corrosion rate (CR) of 0.0174?mm?y^?1 were obtained. The NCAT alloy did not show any passivation in the 3.5% (w?w^?1) NaCl solution. Its corrosion behaviour was very similar to that of G10180 (AISI 1018) carbon steel with the NCAT showing a lower CR and a less active OCP. Its corrosion in the solution was a combination of general dissolution and localised attack (pitting). Aging heat treatment caused β-Ni₃Al phase, and tantalum to precipitate on the grain boundaries, resulting in chemical species segregation between the grain boundaries and the grains. The chemical segregation caused intergranular corrosion of the alloy.     

Cylindrical Bending and Vibration of Polar Material Laminates

This article considers a plane strain problem, which is known in conventional linear elasticity as cylindrical bending of simply supported plates and cross-ply laminates. By considering fibrous composites containing fibers resistant to bending, it formulates and solves corresponding polar elasticity equations governing the static and dynamic behavior of beam-like components made of a homogeneous or layered transversely isotropic material; each layer has embedded a single family of fibers. Fiber bending stiffness is accounted for through involvement of an extra elastic modulus, which, unlike its conventional elasticity counterparts that have dimensions of stress, has dimensions of force. Its involvement in the analysis implies existence of some intrinsic material area or length parameter, which may be associated, for instance, with fiber thickness of fiber spacing. A considerable amount of relevant numerical results are presented for thick beam components made of either homogeneous or two-layered transversely isotropic material. For the static bending problem, these include a detailed presentation of through-thickness distributions of displacements, stresses, as well as couple-stress. For the dynamic problem, attention is focused on the influence that fiber bending stiffness exerts on fundamental frequency parameters.     

Application of genetic algorithm to optimization of buckling restrained braces for seismic upgrading of existing structures

A systematic methodology is proposed for determining the optimal cross-sectional areas of buckling restrained braces used for the seismic upgrading of structures against severe earthquakes. Single-objective and multi-objective optimization problems are formulated. The objective for the former is cost and those for the latter are cost and damage. The constraint is the minimum structural performance required. A genetic algorithm is employed to solve both types of problem. Performance is estimated by conducting nonlinear dynamic analysis. A preliminary procedure based on static analysis is adopted to improve the search efficiency. Both approaches are applied to the strengthening of a multi-storey frame.