Evaluation of polymer fracture parameters by the boundary element method

The boundary element method (BEM) for two-dimensional linear viscoelasticity is applied to polymer fracture. The time-dependence of stress intensity factors is assessed for various viscoelastic models as well as loading and support conditions. Various representations of the energy release rate under isothermal conditions are adopted. Additional boundary integral equations for the displacement gradient in the domain are linked to algorithms for the evaluation of path-independent J-integrals. The consistency of BEM predictions and their good agreement with other analytical results confirms BEM as a valid modelling tool for viscoelastic fracture characterisation and failure assessment under complex geometric and loading conditions.     

Dynamic response of offshore platforms to extreme waves including fluid-structure interaction

Basic considerations for dynamic response analyses of offshore platforms under extreme wave loadings are discussed and the main difficulties of the problem are pointed out. These difficulties arise from the random nature of the loading, the nonlinearity of the drag dominated wave forces and the dependence of such forces on the response of the structure. A time domain solution is recommended, using kinematics of a random sea state for the wave force model along with a relative velocity formulation to account for fluid-structure interaction. The proposed solution is based on approximating structural velocities in Morison's equation with their values at the previous time step. This simplification linearizes the equations of motion and permits analyses of detailed structural models by modal techniques. A limited comparison with results from a more accurate solution appears to justify this approximation. As an example, a structure with 1428 degrees of freedom is subjected to a random wave segment and its responses with and without relative velocities are compared. It is shown that relative velocity effects can be well approximated with an appropriate increase in modal damping and therefore analyses neglecting relative motion are justified, provided that the correct increase of viscous damping is specified. The method of solution proposed here can be utilized to establish this increase in the early stages of design.     

A hierarchical system for effective coordination of available-to-promise logic mechanisms

This paper aims to provide a combinatory approach towards addressing the advanced available-to-promise (ATP) problem, consisting of three deterministic optimisation models that operate on both sides of the Customer Order Decoupling Point. The proposed approach is based on long-term aggregate capacity reservation for periods when increased volatility is expected, while still obtaining production plans that meet the predefined and agreed customer service levels. The three optimisation models together guide a system that helps manufacturers to optimally decide on ATP quantity and due date quoting on the basis of available manufacturing resources. To support this system, a prototype software module was designed and implemented in Java that loosely integrates with the popular Open Source ERP system Compiere2's databases and uses the Linear Programming solver QS-Opt to solve the models developed in this research. The system response times as evidenced in the experiments described in this paper are quite acceptable for real-world operations. The proposed solution of the ATP problem is of great value for all competitive and proactive organisations that need a practical tool to support, in the best possible way and in an almost real-time fashion, their decision on whether to accept or decline an incoming customer order request. It is our belief that an integration of the proposed models into existing ERP systems will enhance their limited ATP functionality and provide management with a powerful decision support tool.     

Queue-Aware Resource Allocation for Multi-cell OFDMA Systems with QoS Provisioning

This paper proposes a queue-aware resource allocation algorithm which provides quality of service (QoS) guarantees. The proposed solution adopts a cross-layer design approach since it is aware of both users’ queue buffer states (data link layer) and channel quality state (physical layer). Main advantages of the proposed resource allocation algorithm are: the low computational complexity and its capacity of maintaining lower QoS violation probability than other multi-cellular schemes. The proposed solution can also result in enhanced cell-edge data rate and improved fairness performance. User minimum data rate and target bit error rate as considered as QoS parameters. Validation of the proposed algorithm is achieved through various simulation scenarios wherein QoS violation probability, system fairness, user average data rate and cell-edge throughput are investigated. Numerical results and complexity analysis demonstrate the efficiency and the feasibility of the proposed QoS-oriented approach.     

Occurrence and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile of Streptococcus spp. Isolated from Ewe＇s Milk

The purpose of this study was to determine the occurrence and antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus spp. isolated from fresh ewe＇s milk and consequently to draw conclusions concerning the health condition of the animal flocks and the current trends of antibiotic use in small ruminants. A total of 77 mountainous sheepfolds were investigated representing 10% of all transhumant sheep and goats flocks in the area. Duplicate milk samples were collected from January to February transferred to the laboratory and analyzed for the presence of Streptococcus spp. by using the serial dilution method and plating on the surface of Slanetz and Bartley agar. The isolates were tested against nine antimicrobial agents with the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. The results showed that Streptococcus spp. occurred in 84.4% of the samples and in counts ranged between 1.8 log CFU/mL and 4.6 log CFU/mL. Concerning susceptibility, only 1.3% of the isolates were resistant to all antimicrobials while 27.3% were fully susceptible. Resistance to cefepime was the most common （93.1%） observation followed by resistance to ampicillin （82.1%）, ciprofloxacine （58.3%） and meropenem （51.9%）. The isolates were vancomycin susceptible at a rate of 83.6%. Multidrug resistance to at least three antibiotics was observed to be 22.1% of Streptococcus spp.. Given the prevalence of Streptococcus spp. and the elevated resistance of isolates to various antibiotics it is concluded that further examinations and even interventions are required in order to pertain the appropriate animal health and milk quality.     

Full Characterisation of Crambe abyssinica Hochst. Seed Oil

This work was dedicated to reporting the full chemical and physical characterisation of Crambe abyssinica Hochst. seed oil. The oil from the seeds was extracted using n-hexane. The seeds contain about 30?% oil. Density, refractive index, colour, smoke point, viscosity, acidity, saponification value, iodine value, fatty acid methyl esters, the relative position of fatty acids in C₁ and C₃ carbon glycerol, sterols, tocopherols, peroxide value, $ \mathop E\nolimits_{{1{\text{cm}}}}^{1\,\% } $ at 232?nm, and the susceptibility to oxidation measured by the Rancimat method were determined. The oil was found to contain high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, especially C22:1 (63.77?%). The dominant saturated acid was C22:0 (2.14?%). The oil was also found to contain high levels of β-sitosterol (51.93?%), campestanol (21.98?%), and brassicasterol (12.35?%). α-, γ-, and δ-Tocopherols were detected up to levels of 7.67, 125.04, and 3.99?mg/kg, respectively. The induction period (at 110?°C and 20?l/h) of the oil was 8.83?h. The relative position of fatty acids in C₁ and C₃ position was as follows: linoleic 0.45?%, oleic 8.84?%, and erucic 90.72?%. The thermal profile of the oil presented a single peak at ?20.94?°C.     

振动历史对砂土非线性剪切模量和阻尼比的影响

利用 Stokoe 共振柱的非共振模式对干砂试样施加先期扭剪振动,系统研究振动历史对砂土非线性动力特性的影响。研究发现：对某一砂样,存在一个阀值循环次数,小于该阀值前,砂土最大剪切模量随循环次数衰减,大于该阀值后,随之增大。砂土归一化剪切模量几乎不受预荷载频率影响,阻尼比随预荷载频率增大而增大。归一化剪切模量随循环次数增大而减小,阻尼比则随之增大。增大围压将减弱先期振动对归一化模量和阻尼比的影响,而降低围压将进一步放大先期振动的影响。振动历史对归一化剪切模量和阻尼比的影响是土颗粒之间磨损作用和颗粒竖向再定向作用的共同结果。     

A 16-channel capacitance-to-period converter for capacitive sensor applications

An electronic system able to read out arrays of up to sixteen different capacitive type sensors is presented. The output signal of the readout is a square wave signal, with oscillation period linearly modulated by the respective sensor capacitance under measurement. Components such as charge/discharge current control unit, a multiplexing unit and a bandgap voltage reference are integrated on chip, to obtain a stable and linear readout system for multiple sensors of variable types and capacitance ranges. The ASIC was designed and fabricated in AMS 0.35???m CMOS technology and was hosted on a PCB together with a supervising microcontroller, which is programmed to produce ratiometric measurements using reference capacitances to minimise parasitic effects. Finally, a USB interface undertakes the task of communicating the results to a personal computer. Characterization of the system was performed using (a) discrete capacitances and (b) capacitive pressure sensors. The system was evaluated in a capacitance range of 10?C140?pF exhibiting high linearity (r?=?0.9954) with sensitivity of 0.062???s/pF when tested using in-house made capacitive pressure sensors.