Search results for: structural defect
4420 Experimental Analysis of Tuned Liquid Damper (TLD) with Embossments Subject to Random Excitation
Authors: Mohamad Saberi, Arash Sohrabi
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Tuned liquid damper is one the passive structural control ways which has been used since mid-1980 decade for seismic control in civil engineering. This system is made of one or many tanks filled with fluid, mostly water that installed on top of the high raised structure and used to prevent structure vibration. In this article we will show how to make seismic table contain TLD system and analysis the result of using this system in our structure. Results imply that when frequency ratio approaches 1 this system can perform its best in both dissipate energy and increasing structural damping. And also results of these serial experiments are proved compatible with Hunzer linear theory behaviour.Keywords: TLD, seismic table, structural system, Hunzer linear behaviour
Procedia PDF Downloads 3784419 Evaluation of Compressive Mechanical Properties of the Radial Bone Defect Treated with Selected Bone Graft Substitute Materials in Rabbit
Authors: Omid Gholipoor Bashiri, Ghafur Mosavi, Aliasghar Behnamghader, Seyed Mahmood Rabiee
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Objective: To determine the effect of selected bone graft on the compression properties of radial bone in rabbit. Design-Experimental in vivo study. Animals: A total of 45 adult male New Zealand white rabbits. Procedures: The rabbits were anesthetized and a one-cm-full thickness piece of radial bone was removed using oscillating saw in the all rabbit. The rabbits were divided into 5 groups on the basis of the material used to fill the bone defect: group 1: the paste of bone cement calcium phosphate; group II: the paste of calcium phosphate mixture with type I collagen; group III: tricalcium phosphate mixed with hydroxyapatite (TCP & HP) with 5% porosity; group IV: the same scaffold as group III with 10% porosity; and group V: the same scaffold as group III and IV with 20% porosity, with 9 rabbits in each group. Subsequently subdivided into 3 subgroups of 3 rabbits each. Results: There was a significant increase in compression properties of radial bone in the group II and V in 2nd and 3rd months as compared with groups I, III and IV. The mean endurable crack-strength in group II and V were slightly higher than that of normal radius (P<0.05). Conclusion and clinical relevance: Application of calcium phosphate paste with type I collagen and scaffold of tricalcium phosphate with hydroxyapatite having 20% porosity indicated to have positive effect in integral formation of qualitative callus at the site of fracture and early re-organization of callus to regain mechanical strength too.Keywords: calcium phosphate, tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, radial bone, compressive properties, porosity, type i collagen, rabbit
Procedia PDF Downloads 4524418 Angiomotin Regulates Integrin Beta 1-Mediated Endothelial Cell Migration and Angiogenesis
Authors: Yuanyuan Zhang, Yujuan Zheng, Giuseppina Barutello, Sumako Kameishi, Kungchun Chiu, Katharina Hennig, Martial Balland, Federica Cavallo, Lars Holmgren
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Angiogenesis describes that new blood vessels migrate from pre-existing ones to form 3D lumenized structure and remodeling. During directional migration toward the gradient of pro-angiogenic factors, the endothelial cells, especially the tip cells need filopodia to sense the environment and exert the pulling force. Of particular interest are the integrin proteins, which play an essential role in focal adhesion in the connection between migrating cells and extracellular matrix (ECM). Understanding how these biomechanical complexes orchestrate intrinsic and extrinsic forces is important for our understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving angiogenesis. We have previously identified Angiomotin (Amot), a member of Amot scaffold protein family, as a promoter for endothelial cell migration in vitro and zebrafish models. Hence, we established inducible endothelial-specific Amot knock-out mice to study normal retinal angiogenesis as well as tumor angiogenesis. We found that the migration ratio of the blood vessel network to the edge was significantly decreased in Amotec- retinas at postnatal day 6 (P6). While almost all the Amot defect tip cells lost migration advantages at P7. In consistence with the dramatic morphology defect of tip cells, there was a non-autonomous defect in astrocytes, as well as the disorganized fibronectin expression pattern correspondingly in migration front. Furthermore, the growth of transplanted LLC tumor was inhibited in Amot knockout mice due to fewer vasculature involved. By using MMTV-PyMT transgenic mouse model, there was a significantly longer period before tumors arised when Amot was specifically knocked out in blood vessels. In vitro evidence showed that Amot binded to beta-actin, Integrin beta 1 (ITGB1), Fibronectin, FAK, Vinculin, major focal adhesion molecules, and ITGB1 and stress fibers were distinctly induced by Amot transfection. Via traction force microscopy, the total energy (force indicater) was found significantly decreased in Amot knockdown cells. Taken together, we propose that Amot is a novel partner of the ITGB1/Fibronectin protein complex at focal adhesion and required for exerting force transition between endothelial cell and extracellular matrix.Keywords: angiogenesis, angiomotin, endothelial cell migration, focal adhesion, integrin beta 1
Procedia PDF Downloads 2374417 Various Shaped ZnO and ZnO/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites and Their Use in Water Splitting Reaction
Authors: Sundaram Chandrasekaran, Seung Hyun Hur
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Exploring strategies for oxygen vacancy engineering under mild conditions and understanding the relationship between dislocations and photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell performance are challenging issues for designing high performance PEC devices. Therefore, it is very important to understand that how the oxygen vacancies (VO) or other defect states affect the performance of the photocatalyst in photoelectric transfer. So far, it has been found that defects in nano or micro crystals can have two possible significances on the PEC performance. Firstly, an electron-hole pair produced at the interface of photoelectrode and electrolyte can recombine at the defect centers under illumination of light, thereby reducing the PEC performances. On the other hand, the defects could lead to a higher light absorption in the longer wavelength region and may act as energy centers for the water splitting reaction that can improve the PEC performances. Even if the dislocation growth of ZnO has been verified by the full density functional theory (DFT) calculations and local density approximation calculations (LDA), it requires further studies to correlate the structures of ZnO and PEC performances. Exploring the hybrid structures composed of graphene oxide (GO) and ZnO nanostructures offer not only the vision of how the complex structure form from a simple starting materials but also the tools to improve PEC performances by understanding the underlying mechanisms of mutual interactions. As there are few studies for the ZnO growth with other materials and the growth mechanism in those cases has not been clearly explored yet, it is very important to understand the fundamental growth process of nanomaterials with the specific materials, so that rational and controllable syntheses of efficient ZnO-based hybrid materials can be designed to prepare nanostructures that can exhibit significant PEC performances. Herein, we fabricated various ZnO nanostructures such as hollow sphere, bucky bowl, nanorod and triangle, investigated their pH dependent growth mechanism, and correlated the PEC performances with them. Especially, the origin of well-controlled dislocation-driven growth and its transformation mechanism of ZnO nanorods to triangles on the GO surface were discussed in detail. Surprisingly, the addition of GO during the synthesis process not only tunes the morphology of ZnO nanocrystals and also creates more oxygen vacancies (oxygen defects) in the lattice of ZnO, which obviously suggest that the oxygen vacancies be created by the redox reaction between GO and ZnO in which the surface oxygen is extracted from the surface of ZnO by the functional groups of GO. On the basis of our experimental and theoretical analysis, the detailed mechanism for the formation of specific structural shapes and oxygen vacancies via dislocation, and its impact in PEC performances are explored. In water splitting performance, the maximum photocurrent density of GO-ZnO triangles was 1.517mA/cm-2 (under UV light ~ 360 nm) vs. RHE with high incident photon to current conversion Efficiency (IPCE) of 10.41%, which is the highest among all samples fabricated in this study and also one of the highest IPCE reported so far obtained from GO-ZnO triangular shaped photocatalyst.Keywords: dislocation driven growth, zinc oxide, graphene oxide, water splitting
Procedia PDF Downloads 2944416 Structural Analysis of Multi-Pressure Integrated Vessel for Sport-Multi-Artificial Environment System
Authors: Joon-Ho Lee, Jeong-Hwan Yoon, Jung-Hwan Yoon, Sangmo Kang, Su-Yeon Hong, Hyun-Woo Jeong, Jaeick Chae
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There are several dedicated individual chambers for sports that are supplied and used, but none of them are multi-pressured all-in-one chambers that can provide a sports multi-environment simultaneously. In this study, we design a multi-pressure (positive/atmospheric/negative pressure) integrated vessel that can be used for the sport-multi-artificial environment system. We presented additional vessel designs with enlarged space for the tall users; with reinforcement pads added to reduce the maximum stress in the joints of its shells, and then carried out numerical analysis for the structural analysis with maximum stress and structural safety. Under the targeted allowable pressure conditions, maximum stresses occurred at the joint of the shell, and the entrance, the safety of the structure was checked with the allowable stress of its material.Keywords: structural analysis, multi-pressure, integrated vessel, sport-multi-artificial environment
Procedia PDF Downloads 5324415 Structural Health Monitoring of Offshore Structures Using Wireless Sensor Networking under Operational and Environmental Variability
Authors: Srinivasan Chandrasekaran, Thailammai Chithambaram, Shihas A. Khader
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The early-stage damage detection in offshore structures requires continuous structural health monitoring and for the large area the position of sensors will also plays an important role in the efficient damage detection. Determining the dynamic behavior of offshore structures requires dense deployment of sensors. The wired Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems are highly expensive and always needs larger installation space to deploy. Wireless sensor networks can enhance the SHM system by deployment of scalable sensor network, which consumes lesser space. This paper presents the results of wireless sensor network based Structural Health Monitoring method applied to a scaled experimental model of offshore structure that underwent wave loading. This method determines the serviceability of the offshore structure which is subjected to various environment loads. Wired and wireless sensors were installed in the model and the response of the scaled BLSRP model under wave loading was recorded. The wireless system discussed in this study is the Raspberry pi board with Arm V6 processor which is programmed to transmit the data acquired by the sensor to the server using Wi-Fi adapter, the data is then hosted in the webpage. The data acquired from the wireless and wired SHM systems were compared and the design of the wireless system is verified.Keywords: condition assessment, damage detection, structural health monitoring, structural response, wireless sensor network
Procedia PDF Downloads 2764414 Retrospective Analysis of Facial Skin Cancer Patients Treated in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Kiel
Authors: Abdullah Saeidi, Aydin Gülses, Christan Flörke
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Skin cancer of the face region is the most common type of malignancy and surgical excision is the preferred approach. However, the clinical long term results reported in the literature are still controversial. Objectives: To describe; 1. Demographical characteristics 2. Affected site, distribution and TNM classification regarding tumor type 3. Surgical aspects • Surgical removal: excision principles, safety margins, the need for secondary resection, primary reconstruction/ defect closure, anesthesia protocol, duration of hospital stay (if any) • Secondary intervention for defect closure/reconstruction: Flap technique, anesthesia protocol, duration of hospital stay (if any), postoperative wound management etc. 4. Tumor recurrences 5. Clinical outcomes 6. Studying the possible therapy approach throw Biostatistical relation and correlation between multiple Histological, diagnostics and clinical Faktors. following surgical ablation of the skin cancer of the head and neck region. Methods: Selection and statistical analysis of medical records of patients who had admitted to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig Holstein, Campus Kiel during the period of 2015-2019 will be retrospectively evaluated. Data will be collected via ORBIS Information-Management-System (ORBIS AG, Saarbrücken, Germany).Keywords: non melanoma skin cancer, face skin cancer, skin reconstruction, non melanoma skin cancer recurrence, non melanoma skin cancer metastases
Procedia PDF Downloads 1064413 Experimental Analysis of Tuned Liquid Damper (TLD) for High Raised Structures
Authors: Mohamad Saberi, Arash Sohrabi
Abstract:
Tuned liquid damper is one the passive structural control ways which has been used since mid-1980 decade for seismic control in civil engineering. This system is made of one or many tanks filled with fluid, mostly water that installed on top of the high raised structure and used to prevent structure vibration. In this article, we will show how to make seismic table contain TLD system and analysis the result of using this system in our structure. Results imply that when frequency ratio approaches 1 this system can perform its best in both dissipate energy and increasing structural damping. And also results of these serial experiments are proved compatible with Hunzer linear theory behaviour.Keywords: TLD, seismic table, structural system, Hunzer linear behaviour
Procedia PDF Downloads 3354412 Mechanical Properties of Ancient Timber Structure Based on the Non Destructive Test Method: A Study to Feiyun Building, Shanxi, China
Authors: Annisa Dewanti Putri, Wang Juan, Y. Qing Shan
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The structural assessment is one of a crucial part for ancient timber structure, in which this phase will be the reference for the maintenance and preservation phase. The mechanical properties of a structure are one of an important component of the structural assessment of building. Feiyun as one of the particular preserved building in China will become one of the Pioneer of Timber Structure Building Assessment. The 3-storey building which is located in Shanxi Province consists of complex ancient timber structure. Due to condition and preservation purpose, assessments (visual inspections, Non-Destructive Test and a Semi Non-Destructive test) were conducted. The stress wave measurement, moisture content analyzer, and the micro-drilling resistance meter data will overview the prediction of Mechanical Properties. As a result, the mechanical properties can be used for the next phase as reference for structural damage solutions.Keywords: ancient structure, mechanical properties, non destructive test, stress wave, structural assessment, timber structure
Procedia PDF Downloads 4744411 Neutron Irradiated Austenitic Stainless Steels: An Applied Methodology for Nanoindentation and Transmission Electron Microscopy Studies
Authors: P. Bublíkova, P. Halodova, H. K. Namburi, J. Stodolna, J. Duchon, O. Libera
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Neutron radiation-induced microstructural changes cause degradation of mechanical properties and the lifetime reduction of reactor internals during nuclear power plant operation. Investigating the effects of neutron irradiation on mechanical properties of the irradiated material (hardening, embrittlement) is challenging and time-consuming. Although the fast neutron spectrum has the major influence on microstructural properties, the thermal neutron effect is widely investigated owing to Irradiation-Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking firstly observed in BWR stainless steels. In this study, 300-series austenitic stainless steels used as material for NPP's internals were examined after neutron irradiation at ~ 15 dpa. Although several nanoindentation experimental publications are available to determine the mechanical properties of ion irradiated materials, less is available on neutron irradiated materials at high dpa tested in hot-cells. In this work, we present particular methodology developed to determine the mechanical properties of neutron irradiated steels by nanoindentation technique. Furthermore, radiation-induced damage in the specimens was investigated by High Resolution - Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM) that showed the defect features, particularly Frank loops, cavity microstructure, radiation-induced precipitates and radiation-induced segregation. The results of nanoindentation measurements and associated nanoscale defect features showed the effect of irradiation-induced hardening. We also propose methodologies to optimized sample preparation for nanoindentation and microscotructural studies.Keywords: nanoindentation, thermal neutrons, radiation hardening, transmission electron microscopy
Procedia PDF Downloads 1584410 Structural and Modal Analyses of an s1223 High-Lift Airfoil Wing for Drone Design
Authors: Johnson Okoduwa Imumbhon, Mohammad Didarul Alam, Yiding Cao
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Structural analyses are commonly employed to test the integrity of aircraft component systems in the design stage to demonstrate the capability of the structural components to withstand what it was designed for, as well as to predict potential failure of the components. The analyses are also essential for weight minimization and selecting the most resilient materials that will provide optimal outcomes. This research focuses on testing the structural nature of a high-lift low Reynolds number airfoil profile design, the Selig S1223, under certain loading conditions for a drone model application. The wing (ribs, spars, and skin) of the drone model was made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer and designed in SolidWorks, while the finite element analysis was carried out in ANSYS mechanical in conjunction with the lift and drag forces that were derived from the aerodynamic airfoil analysis. Additionally, modal analysis was performed to calculate the natural frequencies and the mode shapes of the wing structure. The structural strain and stress determined the minimal deformations under the wing loading conditions, and the modal analysis showed the prominent modes that were excited by the given forces. The research findings from the structural analysis of the S1223 high-lift airfoil indicated that it is applicable for use in an unmanned aerial vehicle as well as a novel reciprocating-airfoil-driven vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone model.Keywords: CFRP, finite element analysis, high-lift, S1223, strain, stress, VTOL
Procedia PDF Downloads 2284409 Comparison of Anterolateral Thigh Flap with or without Acellular Dermal Matrix in Repair of Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Defect: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Yaya Gao, Bing Zhong, Yafeng Liu, Fei Chen
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Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore the difference between acellular dermal matrix (ADM) combined with anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap and ALT flap alone. Methods: HSCC patients were treated and divided into group A (ALT) and group B (ALT+ADM) between January 2014 and December 2018. We compared and analyzed the intraoperative information and postoperative outcomes of the patients. Results: There were 21 and 17 patients in group A and group B, respectively. The operation time, blood loss, defect size and anastomotic vessel selection showed no significant difference between two groups. The postoperative complications, including wound bleeding (n=0 vs. 1, p=0.459), wound dehiscence (n=0 vs. 1, p=0.459), wound infection (n=5vs.3, p=0.709), pharyngeal fistula (n=5vs.4, p=1.000) and hypoproteinemia (n=11 vs. 12, p=0.326) were comparable between the groups. Dysphagia at 6 months (number of liquid diets=0vs. 0; number of partial tube feedings=1vs. 1; number of total tube feedings=1vs. 0, p=0.655) also showed no significant differences. However, significant differences was observed in dysphagia at 12 months (number of liquid diets=0vs. 0; number of partial tube feedings=3 vs. 1; number of total tube feedings=10vs. 1, p=0.006). Conclusion: For HSCC patients, the use of the ALT flap combined ADM, compared to ALT treatment, showed better swallowing function at 12 months. The ALT flap combined ADM may serve as a safe and feasible alternative for selected HSCC patients.Keywords: hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, anterolateral thigh free flap, acellular dermal matrix, reconstruction, dysphagia
Procedia PDF Downloads 774408 Moment-Curvature Relation for Nonlinear Analysis of Slender Structural Walls
Authors: E. Dehghan, R. Dehghan
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Generally, the slender structural walls have flexural behavior. Since behavior of bending members can be explained by moment–curvature relation, therefore, an analytical model is proposed based on moment–curvature relation for slender structural walls. The moment–curvature relationships of RC sections are constructed through section analysis. Governing equations describing the bond-slip behavior in walls are derived and applied to moment–curvature relations. For the purpose of removing the imprecision in analytical results, the plastic hinge length is included in the finite element modeling. Finally, correlation studies between analytical and experimental results are conducted with the objective to establish the validity of the proposed algorithms. The results show that bond-slip effect is more significant in walls subjected to larger axial compression load. Moreover, preferable results are obtained when ultimate strain of concrete is assumed conservatively.Keywords: nonlinear analysis, slender structural walls, moment-curvature relation, bond-slip, plastic hinge length
Procedia PDF Downloads 3174407 Theoretical Study of Gas Adsorption in Zirconium Clusters
Authors: Rasha Al-Saedi, Anthony Meijer
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The progress of new porous materials has increased rapidly over the past decade for use in applications such as catalysis, gas storage and removal of environmentally unfriendly species due to their high surface area and high thermal stability. In this work, a theoretical study of the zirconium-based metal organic framework (MOFs) were examined in order to determine their potential for gas adsorption of various guest molecules: CO2, N2, CH4 and H2. The zirconium cluster consists of an inner Zr6O4(OH)4 core in which the triangular faces of the Zr6- octahedron are alternatively capped by O and OH groups which bound to nine formate groups and three benzoate groups linkers. General formula is [Zr(μ-O)4(μ-OH)4(HCOO)9((phyO2C)3X))] where X= CH2OH, CH2NH2, CH2CONH2, n(NH2); (n = 1-3). Three types of adsorption sites on the Zr metal center have been studied, named according to capped chemical groups as the ‘−O site’; the H of (μ-OH) site removed and added to (μ-O) site, ‘–OH site’; (μ-OH) site removed, the ‘void site’ where H2O molecule removed; (μ-OH) from one site and H from other (μ-OH) site, in addition to no defect versions. A series of investigations have been performed aiming to address this important issue. First, density functional theory DFT-B3LYP method with 6-311G(d,p) basis set was employed using Gaussian 09 package in order to evaluate the gas adsorption performance of missing-linker defects in zirconium cluster. Next, study the gas adsorption behaviour on different functionalised zirconium clusters. Those functional groups as mentioned above include: amines, alcohol, amide, in comparison with non-substitution clusters. Then, dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D) calculations were performed to further understand the enhanced gas binding on zirconium clusters. Finally, study the water effect on CO2 and N2 adsorption. The small functionalized Zr clusters were found to result in good CO2 adsorption over N2, CH4, and H2 due to the quadrupole moment of CO2 while N2, CH4 and H2 weakly polar or non-polar. The adsorption efficiency was determined using the dispersion method where the adsorption binding improved as most of the interactions, for example, van der Waals interactions are missing with the conventional DFT method. The calculated gas binding strengths on the no defect site are higher than those on the −O site, −OH site and the void site, this difference is especially notable for CO2. It has been stated that the enhanced affinity of CO2 of no defect versions is most likely due to the electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged O of CO2 and the positively charged H of (μ-OH) metal site. The uptake of the gas molecule does not enhance in presence of water as the latter binds to Zr clusters more strongly than gas species which attributed to the competition on adsorption sites.Keywords: density functional theory, gas adsorption, metal- organic frameworks, molecular simulation, porous materials, theoretical chemistry
Procedia PDF Downloads 1844406 Ab Initio Studies of Structural and Thermal Properties of Aluminum Alloys
Authors: M. Saadi, S. E. H. Abaidia, M. Y. Mokeddem.
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We present the results of a systematic and comparative study of the bulk, the structural properties, and phonon calculations of aluminum alloys using several exchange–correlations functional theory (DFT) with different plane-wave basis pseudo potential techniques. Density functional theory implemented by the Vienna Ab Initio Simulation Package (VASP) technique is applied to calculate the bulk and the structural properties of several structures. The calculations were performed for within several exchange–correlation functional and pseudo pententials available in this code (local density approximation (LDA), generalized gradient approximation (GGA), projector augmented wave (PAW)). The lattice dynamic code “PHON” developed by Dario Alfè was used to calculate some thermodynamics properties and phonon dispersion relation frequency distribution of Aluminium alloys using the VASP LDA PAW and GGA PAW results. The bulk and structural properties of the calculated structures were compared to different experimental and calculated works.Keywords: DFT, exchange-correlation functional, LDA, GGA, pseudopotential, PAW, VASP, PHON, phonon dispersion
Procedia PDF Downloads 4854405 A Structural Equation Model of Risk Perception of Rockfall for Revisit Intention
Authors: Ya-Fen Lee, Yun-Yao Chi
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The study aims to explore the relationship between risk perceptions of rockfall and revisit intention using a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis. A total of 573 valid questionnaires are collected from travelers to Taroko National Park, Taiwan. The findings show the majority of travellers have the medium perception of rockfall risk, and are willing to revisit the Taroko National Park. The revisit intention to Taroko National Park is influenced by hazardous preferences, willingness-to-pay, obstruction and attraction. The risk perception has an indirect effect on revisit intention through influencing willingness-to-pay. The study results can be a reference for mitigation the rockfall disaster.Keywords: risk perception, rockfall, revisit intention, structural equation modelling
Procedia PDF Downloads 4354404 Suicide Prevention through Spiritual Practice
Authors: Jayant Balaji Athavale, Sean Clarke
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Background: According to the WHO, every year, more than 700,000 people die by suicide, which is one person around every 45 seconds. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds globally. The most common situations or life events that might cause suicidal thoughts are financial problems/unemployment, rejections, relationship breakups, sexual/substance abuse and mental illnesses. Mental/psychological weakness caused due to defects in one’s personality is one of the main reasons why people feel they cannot cope in such situations and contemplate suicide. A WHO Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020 lists a 4-point strategy to enhance mental health by ‘implementing strategies for promotion and prevention in mental health.’ Methodology: With 40 years of spiritual research background, the team at the Maharshi University of Spirituality has studied the spiritual root causes that can significantly affect one’s mental health and the solutions to improve it. Results/Findings: According to spiritual science, the time and nature of death are mostly due to spiritual reasons. A person would mostly contemplate and attempt suicide when he is spiritually most vulnerable. Spiritual practice, as per universal principles, helps in protecting a person spiritually and prevents him from getting such thoughts of self-harm or acting upon them by controlling such impulses. The University has had much success in helping people to overcome the defects in their personalities, including those with suicidal thoughts, through spiritual practices such as chanting the Name of God and the Personality Defect Removal (PDR) process developed by the Author. Conclusion: If such techniques were taught in educational institutions, they could be simple yet effective self-help tools to prevent thoughts of suicide and enhance mental health and well-being.Keywords: suicide, mental health, abuse, suicide prevention, personality defect removal
Procedia PDF Downloads 1974403 Structural Behavior of Lightweight Concrete Made With Scoria Aggregates and Mineral Admixtures
Authors: M. Shannag, A. Charif, S. Naser, F. Faisal, A. Karim
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Structural lightweight concrete is used primarily to reduce the dead-load weight in concrete members such as floors in high-rise buildings and bridge decks. With given materials, it is generally desired to have the highest possible strength/unit weight ratio with the lowest cost of concrete. The work presented herein is part of an ongoing research project that investigates the properties of concrete mixes containing locally available Scoria lightweight aggregates and mineral admixtures. Properties considered included: workability, unit weight, compressive strength, and splitting tensile strength. Test results indicated that developing structural lightweight concretes (SLWC) using locally available Scoria lightweight aggregates and specific blends of silica fume and fly ash seems to be feasible. The stress-strain diagrams plotted for the structural LWC mixes developed in this investigation were comparable to a typical stress-strain diagram for normal weight concrete with relatively larger strain capacity at failure in case of LWC.Keywords: lightweight concrete, scoria, stress, strain, silica fume, fly ash
Procedia PDF Downloads 5114402 Studying the Temperature Field of Hypersonic Vehicle Structure with Aero-Thermo-Elasticity Deformation
Authors: Geng Xiangren, Liu Lei, Gui Ye-Wei, Tang Wei, Wang An-ling
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The malfunction of thermal protection system (TPS) caused by aerodynamic heating is a latent trouble to aircraft structure safety. Accurately predicting the structure temperature field is quite important for the TPS design of hypersonic vehicle. Since Thornton’s work in 1988, the coupled method of aerodynamic heating and heat transfer has developed rapidly. However, little attention has been paid to the influence of structural deformation on aerodynamic heating and structural temperature field. In the flight, especially the long-endurance flight, the structural deformation, caused by the aerodynamic heating and temperature rise, has a direct impact on the aerodynamic heating and structural temperature field. Thus, the coupled interaction cannot be neglected. In this paper, based on the method of static aero-thermo-elasticity, considering the influence of aero-thermo-elasticity deformation, the aerodynamic heating and heat transfer coupled results of hypersonic vehicle wing model were calculated. The results show that, for the low-curvature region, such as fuselage or center-section wing, structure deformation has little effect on temperature field. However, for the stagnation region with high curvature, the coupled effect is not negligible. Thus, it is quite important for the structure temperature prediction to take into account the effect of elastic deformation. This work has laid a solid foundation for improving the prediction accuracy of the temperature distribution of aircraft structures and the evaluation capacity of structural performance.Keywords: aerothermoelasticity, elastic deformation, structural temperature, multi-field coupling
Procedia PDF Downloads 3414401 Ulnar Parametacarpal Flap for Coverage of Fifth Finger Defects: Propeller Flap Concept
Authors: Ahmed M. Gad, Ahmed S. Hweidi
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Background: Defects of the little finger and adjacent areas are not uncommon. It could be a traumatic, post-burn, or after contracture release. Different options could be used for resurfacing these defect, including skin grafts, local or regional flaps. Ulnar para-metacarpal flap described by Bakhach in 1995 based on the distal division of the dorsal branch of the ulnar artery considered a good option for that. In this work, we applied the concept of propeller flap for better mobilization and in-setting of the ulnar para-metacarpal flap. Methods: The study included 15 cases with 4 females and 11 male patients. 10 of the patients had severe post-burn contractures of little finger, and 5 had post-traumatic little finger defects. Contractures were released and resulting soft tissue defects were reconstructed with propeller ulnar para-metacarpal artery flap. The flap based on two main perforators communicating with the palmar system, it was raised based on one of them depending on the extent of the defect and rotated 180 degrees after judicious dissection of the perforator. Results: 13 flaps survived completely, one of the cases developed partial skin loss, which healed by dressing, another flap was completely lost and covered later by a full-thickness skin graft. Conclusion: Ulnar para-metacarpal flap is a reliable option to resurface the little finger as well as adjacent areas. The application of the propeller flap concept based on whether the proximal or distal communicating branch makes the rotation and in-setting of the flap easier.Keywords: little finger defects, propeller flap, regional hand defects, ulnar parametacarpal flap
Procedia PDF Downloads 1974400 Best Combination of Design Parameters for Buildings with Buckling-Restrained Braces
Authors: Ángel de J. López-Pérez, Sonia E. Ruiz, Vanessa A. Segovia
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Buildings vulnerability due to seismic activity has been highly studied since the middle of last century. As a solution to the structural and non-structural damage caused by intense ground motions, several seismic energy dissipating devices, such as buckling-restrained braces (BRB), have been proposed. BRB have shown to be effective in concentrating a large portion of the energy transmitted to the structure by the seismic ground motion. A design approach for buildings with BRB elements, which is based on a seismic Displacement-Based formulation, has recently been proposed by the coauthors in this paper. It is a practical and easy design method which simplifies the work of structural engineers. The method is used here for the design of the structure-BRB damper system. The objective of the present study is to extend and apply a methodology to find the best combination of design parameters on multiple-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) structural frame – BRB systems, taking into account simultaneously: 1) initial costs and 2) an adequate engineering demand parameter. The design parameters considered here are: the stiffness ratio (α = Kframe/Ktotal), and the strength ratio (γ = Vdamper/Vtotal); where K represents structural stiffness and V structural strength; and the subscripts "frame", "damper" and "total" represent: the structure without dampers, the BRB dampers and the total frame-damper system, respectively. The selection of the best combination of design parameters α and γ is based on an initial costs analysis and on the structural dynamic response of the structural frame-damper system. The methodology is applied to a 12-story 5-bay steel building with BRB, which is located on the intermediate soil of Mexico City. It is found the best combination of design parameters α and γ for the building with BRB under study.Keywords: best combination of design parameters, BRB, buildings with energy dissipating devices, buckling-restrained braces, initial costs
Procedia PDF Downloads 2584399 The Application of Artificial Neural Network for Bridge Structures Design Optimization
Authors: Angga S. Fajar, A. Aminullah, J. Kiyono, R. A. Safitri
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This paper discusses about the application of ANN for optimizing of bridge structure design. ANN has been applied in various field of science concerning prediction and optimization. The structural optimization has several benefit including accelerate structural design process, saving the structural material, and minimize self-weight and mass of structure. In this paper, there are three types of bridge structure that being optimized including PSC I-girder superstructure, composite steel-concrete girder superstructure, and RC bridge pier. The different optimization strategy on each bridge structure implement back propagation method of ANN is conducted in this research. The optimal weight and easier design process of bridge structure with satisfied error are achieved.Keywords: bridge structures, ANN, optimization, back propagation
Procedia PDF Downloads 3724398 Accelerated Structural Reliability Analysis under Earthquake-Induced Tsunamis by Advanced Stochastic Simulation
Authors: Sai Hung Cheung, Zhe Shao
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Recent earthquake-induced tsunamis in Padang, 2004 and Tohoku, 2011 brought huge losses of lives and properties. Maintaining vertical evacuation systems is the most crucial strategy to effectively reduce casualty during the tsunami event. Thus, it is of our great interest to quantify the risk to structural dynamic systems due to earthquake-induced tsunamis. Despite continuous advancement in computational simulation of the tsunami and wave-structure interaction modeling, it still remains computationally challenging to evaluate the reliability (or its complement failure probability) of a structural dynamic system when uncertainties related to the system and its modeling are taken into account. The failure of the structure in a tsunami-wave-structural system is defined as any response quantities of the system exceeding specified thresholds during the time when the structure is subjected to dynamic wave impact due to earthquake-induced tsunamis. In this paper, an approach based on a novel integration of the Subset Simulation algorithm and a recently proposed moving least squares response surface approach for stochastic sampling is proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is discussed by comparing its results with those obtained from the Subset Simulation algorithm without using the response surface approach.Keywords: response surface model, subset simulation, structural reliability, Tsunami risk
Procedia PDF Downloads 3834397 Reliability Estimation of Bridge Structures with Updated Finite Element Models
Authors: Ekin Ozer
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Assessment of structural reliability is essential for efficient use of civil infrastructure which is subjected hazardous events. Dynamic analysis of finite element models is a commonly used tool to simulate structural behavior and estimate its performance accordingly. However, theoretical models purely based on preliminary assumptions and design drawings may deviate from the actual behavior of the structure. This study proposes up-to-date reliability estimation procedures which engages actual bridge vibration data modifying finite element models for finite element model updating and performing reliability estimation, accordingly. The proposed method utilizes vibration response measurements of bridge structures to identify modal parameters, then uses these parameters to calibrate finite element models which are originally based on design drawings. The proposed method does not only show that reliability estimation based on updated models differs from the original models, but also infer that non-updated models may overestimate the structural capacity.Keywords: earthquake engineering, engineering vibrations, reliability estimation, structural health monitoring
Procedia PDF Downloads 2234396 A Bibliometric Analysis of the Structural Equation Modeling in Education
Authors: Lim Yi Wei
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Structural equation modelling (SEM) is well-known in statistics due to its flexibility and accessibility. It plays an increasingly important role in the development of the education field. The number of research publications using SEM in education has increased in recent decades. However, there is a lack of scientific review conducted on SEM in education. The purpose of this study is to investigate research trends related to SEM in education. The researcher will use Vosviewer, Datawrapper, and SciMAT to do bibliometric analysis on 5549 papers that have been published in the Scopus database in the last five years. The result will show the publication trends of the most cited documents, the top contributing authors, countries, institutions, and journals in the research field. It will also look at how they relate to each other in terms of co-citation, collaboration, and co-occurrence of keywords. This study will benefit researchers and practitioners by identifying research trends and the current state of SEM in education.Keywords: structural equation modeling, education, bibliometric analysis, Vosviewer
Procedia PDF Downloads 994395 Effect of Intrinsic Point Defects on the Structural and Optical Properties of SnO₂ Thin Films Grown by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis Method
Authors: Fatiha Besahraoui, M'hamed Guezzoul, Kheira Chebbah, M'hamed Bouslama
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SnO₂ thin film is characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Photoluminescence Spectroscopies. AFM images show a dense surface of columnar grains with a roughness of 78.69 nm. The PL measurements at 7 K reveal the presence of PL peaks centered in IR and visible regions. They are attributed to radiative transitions via oxygen vacancies, Sn interstitials, and dangling bonds. A bands diagram model is presented with the approximate positions of intrinsic point defect levels in SnO₂ thin films. The integrated PL measurements demonstrate the good thermal stability of our sample, which makes it very useful in optoelectronic devices functioning at room temperature. The unusual behavior of the evolution of PL peaks and their full width at half maximum as a function of temperature indicates the thermal sensitivity of the point defects present in the band gap. The shallower energy levels due to dangling bonds and/or oxygen vacancies are more sensitive to the temperature. However, volume defects like Sn interstitials are thermally stable and constitute deep and stable energy levels for excited electrons. Small redshifting of PL peaks is observed with increasing temperature. This behavior is attributed to the reduction of oxygen vacancies.Keywords: transparent conducting oxide, photoluminescence, intrinsic point defects, semiconductors, oxygen vacancies
Procedia PDF Downloads 854394 Insights and Observation for Optimum Work Roll Cooling in Flat Hot Mills: A Case Study on Shape Defect Elimination
Authors: Uday S. Goel, G. Senthil Kumar, Biswajit Ghosh, V. V. Mahashabde, Dhirendra Kumar, H. Manjunath, Ritesh Kumar, Mahesh Bhagwat, Subodh Pandey
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Tata Steel Bhushan Steel Ltd.(TSBSL)’s Hot Mill at Angul , Orissa , India, was facing shape issues in Hot Rolled (HR) coils. This was resulting in a defect called as ‘Ridge’, which was appearing in subsequent cold rolling operations at various cold mills (CRM) and external customers. A collaborative project was undertaken to resolve this issue. One of the reasons identified was the strange drop in thermal crown after rolling of 20-25 coils in the finishing mill (FM ) schedule. On the shop floor, it was observed that work roll temperatures in the FM after rolling were very high and non uniform across the work roll barrel. Jammed work roll cooling nozzles, insufficient roll bite lubrication and inadequate roll cooling water quality were found to be the main reasons. Regular checking was initiated to check roll cooling nozzles health, and quick replacement done if found jammed was implemented. Improvements on roll lubrication, especially flow rates, was done. Usage of anti-peeling headers and inter stand descaling was enhanced. A subsequent project was also taken up for improving the quality of roll cooling water. Encouraging results were obtained from the project with a reduction in rejection due to ridge at CRM’s by almost 95% of the pre project start levels. Poor profile occurrence of HR coils at HSM was also reduced from a high of 32% in May’19 to <1% since Apr’20.Keywords: hot rolling flat, shape, ridge, work roll, roll cooling nozzle, lubrication
Procedia PDF Downloads 984393 Structural Parameter-Induced Focusing Pattern Transformation in CEA Microfluidic Device
Authors: Xin Shi, Wei Tan, Guorui Zhu
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The contraction-expansion array (CEA) microfluidic device is widely used for particle focusing and particle separation. Without the introduction of external fields, it can manipulate particles using hydrodynamic forces, including inertial lift forces and Dean drag forces. The focusing pattern of the particles in a CEA channel can be affected by the structural parameter, block ratio, and flow streamlines. Here, two typical focusing patterns with five different structural parameters were investigated, and the force mechanism was analyzed. We present nine CEA channels with different aspect ratios based on the process of changing the particle equilibrium positions. The results show that 10-15 μm particles have the potential to generate a side focusing line as the structural parameter (¬R𝓌) increases. For a determined channel structure and target particles, when the Reynolds number (Rₑ) exceeds the critical value, the focusing pattern will transform from a single pattern to a double pattern. The parameter α/R𝓌 can be used to calculate the critical Reynolds number for the focusing pattern transformation. The results can provide guidance for microchannel design and biomedical analysis.Keywords: microfluidic, inertial focusing, particle separation, Dean flow
Procedia PDF Downloads 794392 Climate Change Awareness at the Micro Level: Case Study of Grande Riviere, Trinidad
Authors: Sherry Ann Ganase, Sandra Sookram
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This study investigates the level of awareness to climate change and major factors that influence such awareness in Grande Riviere, Trinidad. Through the development of an Awareness Index and application of a Structural Equation Model to survey data, the findings suggest an Awareness index value of 0.459 in Grande Riviere. These results suggest that households have climate smart attitudes and behaviors but climate knowledge is lacking. This is supported by the structural equation model which shows a negative relationship between awareness and causes of climate change. The study concludes by highlighting the need for immediate action on increasing knowledge.Keywords: awareness, climate change, climate education, index structural equation model
Procedia PDF Downloads 4664391 A Review of the Drawbacks of Current Fixed Connection Façade Systems, Non-Structural Standards, and Ways of Integrating Movable Façade Technology into Buildings
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Façade panels of various shapes, weights, and connections usually act as a barrier between the indoor and outdoor environments. They also play a major role in enhancing the aesthetics of building structures. They are attached by different types of connections to the primary structure or inner panels in double skin façade skins. Structural buildings designed to withstand seismic shocks have been undergoing a critical appraisal in recent years, with the emphasis changing from ‘strength’ to ‘performance’. Performance based design and analysis have found their way into research, development, and practice of earthquake engineering, particularly after the 1994 Northridge and 1995 Kobe earthquakes. The design performance of facades as non-structural elements has now focused mainly on evaluating the damage sustained by façade frames with fixed connections, not movable ones. This paper will review current design standards for structural buildings, including the performance of structural and non-structural components during earthquake excitations in order to overview and evaluate the damage assessment and behaviour of various façade systems in building structures during seismic activities. The proposed solutions for each facade system will be discussed case by case to evaluate their potential for incorporation with newly designed connections. Finally, Double-Skin-Facade systems can potentially be combined with movable facade technology, although other glazing systems would require minor to major changes in their design before being integrated into the system.Keywords: building performance, earthquake engineering, glazing system, movable façade technology
Procedia PDF Downloads 548