Effect of Hanger Flexibility on Dynamic Response of Suspension Bridges

Linearized continuum models of a suspended span with unloaded backstays and of a symmetric three-span suspension bridge are used to study the effects of the flexibility of the hangers on the vertical vibrations of suspension bridges. The models include elastic parabolic cables, flexible distributed hangers with variable length, and a stiffening girder represented by an elastic beam. It is shown that the free vibrations of a suspended span with unloaded backstays are controlled by five dimensionless parameters, while six dimensionless parameters control the response of a symmetric three-span suspension bridge. The results indicate that the flexibility of the hangers has a significant effect on the natural frequencies of the higher modes only when the relative stiffness of the girder is very high. The effects of hanger flexibility on the response of a suspension bridge to localized impulsive loads are also found to be small. These findings confirm the traditional, albeit previously untested, assumption of inextensible hangers. Finally, the threshold amplitudes of free vibrations that would result in the incipient slackening of the hangers are determined.     

Caving performance through the integration of microseismic activity and numerical modeling at DOZ-PT Freeport, Indonesia

This article describes an undergoing research at PT Freeport,Indonesia,in which the main goal is to use the microseismic information recorded as a result of mining to analyze cave propagation and stress performance on the actual production and fixed in-frastructure.At the moment,several numerical experiments have been conducted to correlate the mining activity with the microseis-mic events using the data collected during year 2005 and 2006.As a result of the preliminary analysis a micro-and a macrocracking envelop were proposed on the basis of computation of stress behavior at the location of the events.Stresses have been computed us-ing standard elastic continuous boundary element models.The correlation between the average source radius and the stress perform-ance has provided a method to propose a macrocracking criterion.Several techniques have been tested to nucleate the microseismic activity around different geological features.This last attempt was aimed to look at potential overstresses induced over the undercut and extraction level drifts.A method was devised to integrate the microseismicity into a 3-dimensional ride distribution model.This model has shown to be very effective to quantify the overstress induced as a result of computing volumetric microseismieity density.The volumetric microseismic model showed to induce overstress up to 10 MPa over a period of two months.The future work will concentrate on the calibration of the integrated model with actual damage observations made at the current mining infrastructure.     

Simultaneous generation and correlation of complete sets of generalized pairwise complementary sequences

New coding schemes are increasingly being developed to adapt multisensor and communication systems to the requirements of the current technological environment. In some cases, the practical implementation of these schemes involves a great amount of signal processing operations. In order to achieve and make suitable their use in different platforms, efficient algorithms are required to process coding. In the last years, a new kind of complementary sequences, known as Generalized Pairwise Complementary sequences, has been proposed. These sequences provide high noise immunity when they are applied to multiuser systems, as well as a low cross‐correlation, which is convenient in those applications. The aim of this paper is to propose optimized generation and correlation architectures for Generalized Pairwise Complementary sequences that would allow to process a complete set using a reduced amount of operations. An analytical demonstration is provided, with a final comparison to evaluate the reduction with regard to other algorithms. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fabrication of flexible interdigitated μ-electrodes (FIDμEs) for the development of a conductimetric immunosensor for atrazine detection based on antibodies labelled with gold nanoparticles

The present paper describes a simple and low-cost method for the fabrication of mechanically flexible interdigitated μ-electrodes (FIDμEs) and its application as immunosensor.FIDμEs consist of two coplanar non-passivated interdigitated metallic μ-electrodes supported on a flexible transparent substrate, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). Bioreagents deposition on PEN substrates becomes possible by depositing SiO₂ on the electrodes surface (fingers and inter-digits space).These FIDμEs were successfully applied for the development of a selective conductimetric immunosensor for the quantification of atrazine residues. The immunosensor has been demonstrated for detection of small amounts of atrazine, thanks to the use of immunoreagents specifically developed to detect this pesticide.The detection method applied is based on the use of antibodies labelled with gold nanoparticles. The presence of these particles amplifies the conductive signal; hence the immunosensor response was quantified using simple and inexpensive DC measurements.Immunochemical detection of the concentrations of atrazine is achieved by a competitive reaction which occurs before the inclusion of the labelled antibodies.The immunosensor shows limits of detection in the order of 2-3 μg L⁻¹, far below the maximum residue level (50 μg kg⁻¹) established by EU for residues of atrazine as herbicide in the wine grapes and other foodstuff products.     

Three-phase four-wire shunt active power filter based on the SOGI filter and Lyapunov function for DC bus control

The three-phase four-wire shunt active power filter (SAPF) was developed to suppress the harmonic currents generated by nonlinear loads, and for the compensation of unbalanced nonlinear load currents, reactive power, and the harmonic neutral current. In this work, we consider instantaneous reactive power theory (PQ theory) for reference current identification based on the following two algorithms: the classic low-pass filter (LPF) and the second-order generalized integrator (SOGI) filter. Furthermore, since an important process in SAPF control is the regulation of the DC bus voltage at the capacitor, a new controller based on the Lyapunov function is also proposed. A complete simulation of the resultant active filtering system confirms its validity, which uses the SOGI filter to extract the reference currents from the distorted line currents, compared with the traditional PQ theory based on LPF. In addition, the simulation performed also demonstrates the superiority of the proposed approach, for DC bus voltage control based on the Lyapunov function, compared with the traditional proportional-integral (PI) controller. Both novel approaches contribute towards an improvement in the overall performance of the system, which consists of a small rise and settling time, a very low or nonexistent overshoot, and the minimization of the total harmonic distortion (THD).     

Modeling of a coil system considering frequency-dependent inductances and losses I. Analysis of the impedance matrix characteristics

 A general equivalent circuit for the modeling of a system of magnetically coupled coils including the losses is presented. This equivalent circuit includes two parts: a subsystem of primary branches whose terminals correspond with those of the real coils, and a secondary network which allows the representation of frequency-dependent inductances and resistances. An analysis of the equations of the proposed circuit is carried out and an expression of the frequency-dependent impedance matrix as seen by the primary coils is determined. The properties of the mathematical expression are analyzed. The proposed equivalent circuit allows representing the dependence of inductances and resistances on the frequency. The expression of the impedance is the starting point for the synthesis of an equivalent circuit, which is carried out in a separate article. Received: 25 May 2001/Accepted: 25 June 2001     

Microstructure assessment of suspension plasma spraying coatings from multicomponent submicronic Y-TZP/Al2O3/SiC particles

In this research, Suspension Plasma Spraying (SPS) technique was used for the thermal deposition of a multicomponent mixture made up of an Y-TZP/Al₂O₃ matrix with SiC particles. Two suspensions of Y-TZP and Al₂O₃ with different SiC particles content (6?wt% and 12?wt%) were tested as feedstocks in the SPS process. Three stand-off distances were varied in order to assess coating microstructure and evaluate the presence of SiC in the final coatings. Coatings were characterised in terms of porosity, microstructure and phase distribution. The estimate of the amount of SiC in the coating was carried out by XRD technique.Findings showed typical cauliflower-like SPS microstructure which intensifies with stand-off distance. Coatings porosity varied significantly between 8% and 25% whereas minimum porosity was found for the intermedium stand-off distance of 40?mm.Microstructure analysis also revealed the presence of SiC particles in the coatings which was confirmed by EDX analysis, overall XRD tests as well as TG analysis. Finally, evaluation of SiC content in the final coatings by means of XRD analysis showed that most of SiC particles (c.a 80%) of the feedstocks were preserved in the final coatings.     

Sarcopenia: Molecular Pathways and Potential Targets for Intervention

Aging is associated with sarcopenia. The loss of strength results in decreased muscle mass and motor function. This process accelerates the progressive muscle deterioration observed in older adults, favoring the presence of debilitating pathologies. In addition, sarcopenia leads to a decrease in quality of life, significantly affecting self-sufficiency. Altogether, these results in an increase in economic resources from the National Health Systems devoted to mitigating this problem in the elderly, particularly in developed countries. Different etiological determinants are involved in the progression of the disease, including: neurological factors, endocrine alterations, as well as nutritional and lifestyle changes related to the adoption of more sedentary habits. Molecular and cellular mechanisms have not been clearly characterized, resulting in the absence of an effective treatment for sarcopenia. Nevertheless, physical activity seems to be the sole strategy to delay sarcopenia and its symptoms. The present review intends to bring together the data explaining how physical activity modulates at a molecular and cellular level all factors that predispose or favor the progression of this deteriorating pathology.     

A new SEAIRD pandemic prediction model with clinical and epidemiological data analysis on COVID-19 outbreak

Applied Intelligence - Measuring the spread of disease during a pandemic is critically important for accurately and promptly applying various lockdown strategies, so to prevent the collapse of the...