Composite panels containing multiple through-the-width delaminations and subjected to compression. Part I: Analysis

An analytical and experimental investigation was performed to study the compression response of laminated composite panels containing multiple through-the-width delaminations. Both flat and cylindrical panels were considered. The major objective of the study was to develop an analytical model for simulating the deformations of the laminated panels from initial loading to final collapse. The model consists of three parts: a stress analysis, a contact analysis, and a failure analysis. A nonlinear finite element code was developed based on the model. Extensive experimental work on T300/976 composites was also conducted during the investigation to verify the model and the numerical calculations.

The results of the study will be presented in two parts: I — Analysis and II — Experiments. In this paper, the development of the analytical model, the implementation of the model into the finite element code, and comparisons between the calculations based on the model and the existing analytical and experimental results will be presented. The experiments performed during the investigation, and the comparisons between the calculations and the test data will be given in the second paper.     

TBI2Flow: Travel behavioral inertia based long-term taxi passenger flow prediction

World Wide Web - Taxis are one of the representative modes of traffic systems. However, with the emergence of shared cars led by DiDi and Uber in recent years, the traditional taxi companies are...     

Linkage isomerism for 4-methylimidazole and a new coordination mode of pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylate ligand in {[Cd(pzdc)(4-mim)(5-mim)2]·½H2O}n coordination polymer

A novel one dimensional coordination polymer of Cd(II)-pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylate with a new coordination mode of pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylate ligand (pzdc), {[Cd(pzdc)(4-mim)(5-mim)₂]·½H₂O}_n (1) (4(5)-methylimidazole = 4(5)-mim), has been synthesized and characterized by elemental, thermal analysis, IR spectrum and single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. In complex 1, the Cd(II) ion has a distorted octahedral geometry, in which the pzdc moiety acts as a bridging ligand. Linkage isomerism of the coordinated 4(5)-methylimidazole ligand was observed in 1. The two adjacent one-dimensional chains connected by interchain hydrogen bonds among the N-H groups of methylimidazoles and carboxylate oxygens of pzdc, leading to a three-dimensional framework. The hydrogen bonds account for the coexistence of two unique coordination forms of methylimidazoles in the same coordination sphere.     

Shaped comb fingers for tailored electromechanical restoring force

Electrostatic comb drives are widely used in microelectromechanical devices. These comb drives often employ rectangular fingers which produce a stable, constant force output as they engage. This paper explores the use of shapes other than the common rectangular fingers. Such shaped comb fingers allow customized force-displacement response for a variety of applications. In order to simplify analysis and design of shaped fingers, a simple model is developed to predict the force generated by shaped comb fingers. This model is tested using numerical simulation on several different sample shaped comb designs. Finally, the model is further tested, and the use of shaped comb fingers is demonstrated, through the design, fabrication, and testing of tunable resonators which allow both up and down shifts of the resonant frequency. The simulation and testing results demonstrate the usefulness and accuracy of the simple model. Finally, other applications for shaped comb fingers are described, including tunable sensors, low-voltage actuators, multistable actuators, or actuators with linear voltage-displacement behavior.     

Diphallus with urethral duplication: a rare case

We report on a case of glandular diphallus with incomplete urethral duplication associated with rotation anomaly in the right kidney, and a bifid pelvis and an ectopic ureteral orifice in the left kidney. The bladder was single with good sphincter control. At operation, the hipoplasic glans was resected and the urethra which opened into this glans anastomosed alongside the other urethra. Diphallus and incomplete urethral duplication are discussed.     

Effects of Inclination of Bridge Piers on Scouring Depth

For a safe design of a bridge pier footing, it is important to estimate the maximum depth of scour as accurately as possible. The aim of this experimental study is to investigate the effects of inclination of bridge piers on local scour depths around bridge piers. Single circular piers inclined toward the downstream direction were founded in a uniform bed material. Near threshold conditions were employed. The results of this study indicate that the local scour depth decreases as the inclination of the pier increases.     

Diverge-Merge Processor: Generalized and Energy-Efficient Dynamic Predication

The branch misprediction penalty is a major performance limiter and a major cause of wasted energy in high-performance processors. The diverge-merge processor reduces this penalty by dynamically predicating a wide range of hard-to-predict branches at runtime in an energy-efficient way that doesn't significantly increase hardware complexity or require major ISA changes     

Effects of cysteine and different incubation temperatures on the microflora,chemical composition and sensory characteristics of bio-yogurt made from goat’s milk

Yogurt and bio-yogurts were made from goat’s milk using a starter culture and probiotic culture, with or without cysteine addition (0.5%). Incubation was carried out at 37 and 42 °C until pH 4.6 was reached and yogurts were stored 4 ± 1 °C for 14 days. Yogurts were analysed 1, 7 and 14 days after production. The addition of cysteine, incubation temperature and storage time significantly influenced overall properties of the samples. During storage, whey separation, pH and acetaldehyde decreased, while lactic acid increased. Viable bacterial counts in all bio-yogurts were above 10⁷ cfu g⁻¹ at the end of storage. Whey separation, titratable acidity and lactic acid contents were lower, while acetaldehyde and viable bacterial counts were higher in the bio-yogurts incubated at 37 °C and supplemented with cysteine, in comparison to other samples. This indicates that lower temperature incubation and addition of cysteine can be used satisfactorily for the manufacture of bio-yogurt.