Adjacent Corners Research Articles

Geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankments with caps in a triangular pattern over soft clay

Given the limit studies on the behavior of GRPS embankments with different numbers of geosynthetic layers and pile caps in a triangular pattern, this paper conducted a series of three-dimensional (3-D) numerical analyses. The numerical model was verified based on a well-instrumented large-scale test. A 3-D soil arch model was proposed for pile caps in a triangular pattern, in which the crown of the upper boundary was approximately 1.4 times the clear spacing of pile caps. Inclusion of geosynthetic reinforcement reduced the soil arching effect but increased the total load carried by the piles. For the case with three geosynthetic layers, the lower layer had a significant effect on load transfer than the middle and upper layers, but each layer had an almost proportional effect on mitigating the differential settlement on the top of the gravel cushion. The maximum strains in the reinforcement concentrated on the geosynthetic strips bridging over two adjacent square cap corners.

Second-Order Topological Superconductivity in π-Junction Rashba Layers.

We consider a Josephson junction bilayer consisting of two tunnel-coupled two-dimensional electron gas layers with Rashba spin-orbit interaction, proximitized by a top and bottom s-wave superconductor with phase difference ϕ close to π. We show that, in the presence of a finite weak in-plane Zeeman field, the bilayer can be driven into a second order topological superconducting phase, hosting two Majorana corner states (MCSs). If ϕ=π, in a rectangular geometry, these zero-energy bound states are located at two opposite corners determined by the direction of the Zeeman field. If the phase difference ϕ deviates from π by a critical value, one of the two MCSs gets relocated to an adjacent corner. As the phase difference ϕ increases further, the system becomes trivially gapped. The obtained MCSs are robust against static and magnetic disorder. We propose two setups that could realize such a model: one is based on controlling ϕ by magnetic flux, the other involves an additional layer of randomly oriented magnetic impurities responsible for the phase shift of π in the proximity-induced superconducting pairing.

Nonlinear dynamic response of reciprocating compressor system with rub-impact fault caused by subsidence

In this paper, a nonlinear dynamic model of the single-stage reciprocating compressor system with a rub-impact fault caused by subsidence is developed, considering the piston rod flexibility. Meanwhile, different rub-impact scenarios of the crosshead including no corner, a single corner, two opposite corners, and two adjacent corners of the crosshead impacting on the slide, are considered in this model. Numerical simulation results show that the subsidence, time-varying load, and piston rod flexibility have significant effects on the vibration response of the reciprocating compressor system with rub-impact, where the larger the subsidence and time-varying load, the more intense the vibration response. Moreover, compared to the rigid piston rod, the flexible piston rod causes the system to generate stronger shock. In the rub-impact, the crosshead appeared in three different motion modes: noncontact; permanent contact; and collision – and most of the collisions occur in the form of two adjacent corners impacting on the slide. In addition, strange attractors are observed in the phase space trajectories, and the existence of chaotic behavior is verified using the Poincaré section method and maximum Lyapunov exponent method.

Spatial Release From Masking Using Clinical Corpora: Sentence Recognition In a Colocated or Spatially Separated Speech Masker

Background: Speech recognition in complex multisource environments is challenging, particularly forlisteners with hearing loss. One source of difficulty is the reduced ability of listeners with hearing loss tobenefit from spatial separation of the target and masker, an effect called spatial release from masking(SRM). Despite the prevalence of complex multisource environments in everyday life, SRM is not routinelyevaluated in the audiology clinic.<br />Purpose: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of assessing SRM in adults usingwidely available tests of speech-in-speech recognition that can be conducted using standard clinicalequipment.<br />Research Design: Participants were 22 young adults with normal hearing. The task was masked sentencerecognition, using each of five clinically available corpora with speech maskers. The target alwayssounded like it originated from directly in front of the listener, and the masker either sounded like it originatedfrom the front (colocated with the target) or from the side (separated from the target). In the realspatial manipulation conditions, source location was manipulated by routing the target and masker toeither a single speaker or to two speakers: one directly in front of the participant, and one mountedin an adjacent corner, 90° to the right. In the perceived spatial separation conditions, the target andmasker were presented from both speakers with delays that made them sound as if they were eithercolocated or separated.<br />Results: With real spatial manipulations, the mean SRM ranged from 7.1 to 11.4 dB, depending on thespeech corpus. With perceived spatial manipulations, the mean SRM ranged from 1.8 to 3.1 dB. Whereasreal separation improves the signal-to-noise ratio in the ear contralateral to the masker, SRM in the perceivedspatial separation conditions is based solely on interaural timing cues.<br />Conclusions: The finding of robust SRM with widely available speech corpora supports the feasibility ofmeasuring this important aspect of hearing in the audiology clinic. The finding of a small but significantSRM in the perceived spatial separation conditions suggests that modified materials could be used toevaluate the use of interaural timing cues specifically.<br />

Numerical analysis of monitoring of plastic hinge formation in frames under seismic excitations

Preliminary, numerical analyses of a novel Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) technique are reported. Based on recent developments of new rotation rate (rotation velocity) sensing devices, it is proposed to use the rotational sensors to measure the rotational difference of structural members to indicate plastic hinge development at the early stage. Respective difference between rotations of two adjacent corner nodes during seismic excitation is used to indicate and possibly quantify plastic hinge formation during seismic response of a moment resisting frame. The preliminary numerical analysis leads to a positive conclusion for the application of the rotation rate sensors in ‘on-line’ monitoring of moment resisting frames subjected to strong, damaging seismic ground motions.

Parallel Valuation: A Direct Comparison of EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L Societal Value Sets.

To compare and contrast EQ-5D-5L (5L) and EQ-5D-3L (3L) health state values derived from a common sample. Data from the 2017 US EQ-5D valuation study were analyzed. Value sets were estimated with random-effects linear regression based on composite time trade-off (cTTO) valuations for 3L and 5L health states with 2 approaches to model specification: main effects only and additional N3/N45 terms. Properties of the descriptive system and value set characteristics were compared by examining distributions of predicted index scores, ceiling effects, and single-level transition values from adjacent corner health states. Mean transition values were calculated for all predicted 3L and 5L health states and plotted against baseline index scores. A total of 1062 respondents were included in the analysis. The observed mean cTTO values for the worst possible 3L and 5L health states were -0.423 and -0.343, respectively. The range of scale was larger with the 3L, compared to the 5L, for both main effects and N term models. Values for the mildest 5L health states (range, 0.857-0.924) were similar to 11111 for the 3L. Parameter estimates for matched dimension levels differed by <|0.07| except for the most severe level of Mobility. For the main effects model, 3L mean transition values were greater for more severe baseline 3L index scores, whereas 5L mean transition values remained constant irrespective of the baseline index score. Compared to the 3L, the 5L exhibited a lower ceiling effect and improved measurement properties. There was a larger range of scale for the 3L compared to 5L; however, this difference was driven by differences in preference for the most severe level of problems in Mobility.

Synthesis of Zeolitic Macrocycles Using Site-Selective Condensation of Regioselectively Difunctionalized Cubic Siloxanes.

The designed synthesis of inorganic cyclic compounds is a significant topic because of their many potential applications. In this study, we used a building block approach to synthesize siloxane-based macrocycles that resemble zeolite apertures. We synthesized a regioselectively functionalized cubic octasiloxane having two adjacent corners modified with Si-O-C bonds via the reaction of octa(hydridosilsesquioxane) (H8Si8O12) with 2,2'-( o-phenylenedioxy)diethanol. Hydrolysis and condensation of the Si-O-C bonds yield the cyclic compounds consisting of three, four, and five cage siloxane units. These compounds have more rigid ring structures than conventional cyclic organosiloxanes. Such an approach will lead to the design of a new class of host materials and molecular channels for transport and separation.

Decoupling and MIMO performance of two planar monopole antennas with protruded strips

AbstractThis paper proposes a simple yet elegant approach to reduce mutual coupling between two closely spaced planar monopole antennas with an inter‐element spacing of 2 mm operating in the 2.45 GHz ISM band by employing two thin metallic strips attached to the adjacent corners of the antenna elements and extending above the partial ground plane. Experimental results revealed a 19.6% measured bandwidth over which the transmission coefficient, S21 ≤ −20 dB, and the reflection coefficient, S11 ≤ −10 dB, extending from 2.25 GHz to 2.74 GHz with a realized gain of 2.86 dB at 2.45 GHz. The proposed array offers excellent MIMO performance in terms of envelope correlation coefficient and link efficiency in realistic MIMO propagation environments.

Location of supplementary feed and water troughs on the sward affects movement and spatial distribution of Brahman cattle (Bos indicus)

The grazing dynamics of animals differ depending on whether they are raised on rangeland or sward areas. Grazing patterns of cattle raised on rangeland can be modified by the location of supplement feed and water troughs. However, no information about the use of this strategy is available for swards. Thus, the effects of the location of supplementary feed and water troughs in small (7500 m2) irrigated swards on movement, behavior and distribution were studied in a herd of 15 Brahman cows. The herd grazed on five swards in rotation, for seven days on each sward, so that each sward then had 28 days of rest. There were four rotations, giving four replicates of each of five treatments. For each rotation, one of the following treatments was randomly assigned to each sward. Supplementary feed and water troughs were: T1 in the same corner of the sward; T2 separate, each in the middle of one of the shorter sides of the sward; T3 separate in diagonally opposite corners; T4 separate in adjacent corners; T5 together in the sward center. The behavior and location of each cow was registered on a daily basis, every 2 h from 9:00 to 15:00 h, 7 days/week, using instantaneous scan sampling during the 140 days that the experiment lasted. Total distance traveled of each cow (i.e. the sum of Euclidean distances between the four subsequent positions of each cow within each day) was longer in T2 and T3 than in T5 (159.8, 162.5 vs 119.5 m respectively; p = 0.006), with the rest of the treatments showing intermediate values. The distance to the nearest cow was longer in T1 vs. T2 and T3 (6.2 vs 4.0 and 4.7 m, respectively; p = 0.007). Similarly, the herd home range was greater in T1 vs. T2 (792.6 vs. 574.7 m2, respectively; p = 0.01). Regardless of the treatment, social disruption occurred on day 1, which gradually decline through the week of grazing. The results show that the location of supplementary feed and water troughs affects the movement and cattle distribution in small (<1 ha) irrigated swards. This might have practical applications in the design of grazing strategies and in the animal welfare of cattle maintained on small swards.

Modeling of a Temperature Distribution in Optomechanical Thermal Microsystems

An approach for modeling the temperature distribution in optomechanical thermal microsystems is presented. Three types of the microsystems are considered: microsystem with two supporting microbeams in adjacent corners of the microplate; microsystem with two supporting microbeams in opposite corners of the microplate; microsystem with four supporting microbeams. In the structure of each type of the microsystems, the modeling domains are marked out, which are divided into zones with homogeneous equivalent parameters. Analytical expressions for the temperature distribution in the zones of optomechanical thermal microsystems are obtained. The method of modeling was used to determine the temperature distribution in bi-material sections in cantilever microbeams in the optomechanical thermal microsystems under consideration. The dependence of the temperature difference on the boundaries of the bi-material section on the thickness of the aluminum layer in this section was determined.

Automatic checkerboard detection for camera calibration using self-correlation

The checkerboard is a frequently used pattern in camera calibration, an essential process to get intrinsic parameters for more accurate information from images. An automatic checkerboard detection method that can detect multiple checkerboards in a single image is proposed. It contains a corner extraction approach using self-correlation and a structure recovery solution using constraints related to adjacent corners and checkerboard block edges. The method utilizes the central symmetric feature of the checkerboard crossings as well as the spatial relationship of neighboring checkerboard corners and the grayscale distribution of their neighboring pixels. Five public datasets are used in the experiments to evaluate the method. Results show high detection rates and a short average runtime of the proposed method. In addition, the camera calibration accuracy also presents the effectiveness of the proposed detection method with reprojected pixel errors smaller than 0.5 pixels.

Indoor localization: novel RSSI approach based on analytical solution and two receivers

Abstract. Indoor localization based on trilateration method uses at least three receivers for an accurate localization in 2-D. We performed indoor localization in 2-D using only two receivers, combining algebraic equations for signal strengths into one quadratic equation with transmitter position as unknown and using a specific receiver placement at the two adjacent corners of the room. This receiver arrangement assures unique coordinates of the transmitter position inside a room, rejecting automatically the other solution which appears outside the room volume. The accuracy of the method is numerically tested in a room with dimensions of 9.7 m × 4.7 m × 3 m and shows a mean reconstruction error of 3.4 cm.

Swimming behaviour can maintain localised jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri: Cubozoa) populations

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 591:287-302 (2018) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12305 Swimming behaviour can maintain localised jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri: Cubozoa) populations Jodie A. Schlaefer1,2,3,*, Eric Wolanski1,2, Michael J. Kingsford1,3 1College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4814, Australia 2TropWATER, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4814, Australia 3ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Townsville, QLD 4814, Australia *Corresponding author: jodie.schlaefer@my.jcu.edu.auAdvance View was available online October 6, 2017 ABSTRACT: The potentially lethal Chironex fleckeri (Class Cubozoa) inhabits estuarine and nearshore coastal waters in the western Pacific. The spatial scales of connectivity between C. fleckeri populations are poorly understood. Biophysical modelling of Port Musgrave, a 17 × 21 km shallow bay in tropical Australia, was used to investigate the potential for connections between populations separated by medium (10s of km) to small (100s of m) spatial scales. We measured the swimming speeds and orientations of medusae ranging in size from 4 to 12 cm interpedalial distance (the distance between two adjacent corners on the bell of the medusae). Medusae swam longshore at average speeds (5.3 ± 3.5 cm s-1 SD) that exceeded the local average current speeds (2.7 ± 2.4 cm s-1). These and other ecological data were used to parameterise the biophysical model. No medusae modelled as passive were advected from the bay in 14 d; <2.5% of swimming medusae were lost. When medusae swam directionally, a high percentage aggregated in shallow waters within 10s to 100s of m of the seeding locations. Newly metamorphosed medusae are likely to be retained in the bay through a combination of ‘sticky water’ (i.e. water with reduced current speeds, reduced through diversion around obstacles) in shallow complex habitats and favourable currents. C. fleckeri are vulnerable to low salinities; however, modelling a strong flood revealed higher salinity refugia in shallow water. As there was high retention within the system, we conclude that populations of C. fleckeri inhabiting shallow, semi-enclosed estuarine bays probably represent stocks. Within these stocks, swimming and favourable currents may minimise connectivity and maintain populations at multiple spatial scales. KEY WORDS: Cubozoa · Population dynamics · Connectivity · Biophysical model · Behaviour Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousCite this article as: Schlaefer JA, Wolanski E, Kingsford MJ (2018) Swimming behaviour can maintain localised jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri: Cubozoa) populations. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 591:287-302. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12305 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 591. Online publication date: March 19, 2018 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2018 Inter-Research.

Investigation of modelling and stress distribution of a coating/substrate system after an indentation test

A monolayer TiAlSiN coating and multilayer TiAlSiN nano-coating were deposited on an ISO P30 cemented carbide substrate, and their mechanical properties and fracture mechanisms were investigated by indentation and scratch tests. Mechanical models of indentation were proposed and optimized according to the results of numerical simulations, and it was found that these models could contribute to the quantitative analysis of stresses. The tensile stresses at the middle of the two adjacent corners along the indentation edge of the multilayer TiAlSiN nano-coating were found to be lower than those of the monolayer TiAlSiN coating, which could decrease the possibility of fracturing the coating. The crack initiation and propagation in the cross-sections of the coatings were observed using a dual-beam focused ion beam (FIB) machine to slot-cut the indentations, and the mechanisms of the crack propagation were analyzed. These cracks propagated perpendicularly to the interface in the monolayer TiAlSiN coating so the fractures could be mainly caused by tensile stress. With the multilayer TiAlSiN nano-coating, the orientation of the cracks observed in the same area were inclined at an angle rather than perpendicular to the interface, possibly due to the combination of tensile stress and shear stress at the interface between layers.

Partial slip under complete contacts near adjacent corners

A solution has been derived for a particular case of complete contact, where the contact edge is located near to an adjacent internal corner and separated by a finite clearance. If the separation is extremely small, the gap may be thought of as a crack and, further, if the contact edge is known to be in a stuck state the classical semi-infinite crack eigensolution will define the tractions along the adjacent contact interface, and hence define the minimum coefficient of friction to ensure adhesion. For problems where this separation is small and finite, the proposed semi-infinite solution defines the tractions along the interface considering the presence of adjacent material. A finite example problem of the block resting in an elastically similar rectangular trench is considered. The solution is then applied to predict the state of edge closure and slip at various finite separations and loading conditions.

New analytic bending solutions of rectangular thin plates with a corner point-supported and its adjacent corner free

Abstract In this paper, we obtain accurate analytic bending solutions of rectangular thin plates with a corner point-supported, its adjacent corner free and their opposite edge clamped or simply supported. This type of problem, characterized by having both free and point-supported corners, is hard to solve by classical analytic approaches. The present study is based on an up-to-date rational superposition method in the symplectic space. The Hamiltonian system-based governing equation is first constructed. The eigenvalue problems of three fundamental bending problems are formed for a plate with a corner point-supported and its adjacent corner free. By symplectic eigen expansion, the analytic solutions of the subproblems are obtained. Superposition of these solutions is equal to that of the original problem. The developed method yields the solutions with satisfactory accuracy by rigorous derivation, without assuming any trial solutions; thus, it has potential for more complex boundary value problems of high-order partial differential equations describing plates’ mechanical behavior.

Influence of Number of Geosynthetic Layers on the Performance of Geosynthetic-reinforced Pile-supported Earth Platforms on Soft Soil: Numerical Study

Geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported earth platforms have been increasingly used to support infrastructures, such as embankments, retaining walls, and storage tanks constructed over soft soils around the world. On the top of piles, one or more layers of geosynthetics are usually placed. However, the effect of number of geosynthetic layers on the behavior of geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported earth platforms has not been well explored so far. Based on a well-instrumented large-scale test, a threedimensional (3-D) numerical study was conducted to investigate the behavior of geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported earth platforms with different number of geosynthetic layers. The numerical results showed that the inclusion of geosynthetics enhanced the efficiency of load transfer. The critical heights of soil arching were almost constant with different numbers of reinforcement layers. The maximum tensile strain in the lower reinforcement was on the edge of pile caps while the maximum tensile strain in the upper reinforcement was close to the pile center. When the square caps were installed in a triangular pattern, the maximum strain in reinforcement is concentrated in the strip bridging two adjacent cap corners.

Thermal emission properties of one-dimensional grating with different parameters**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61378082 and 61675070) and the Project of High-level Professionals in the Universities of Guangdong Province, China.

Thermal emission is often presented as a typical incoherent process. Incorporating periodic structures on the tungsten surface offers the possibility to obtain coherent thermal emission sources. Here we illustrate grating as an example to examine the influence of the geometric parameters on the thermal emission properties. It is found that for very shallow gratings, only surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes can be excited and the emission efficiency is closely related with the filling factor. When the ratio of the depth to period of the grating is in the range from 1/20 to 1/2, the field between the adjacent corners can be coupled to each other across the air gap for the filling factor larger than 0.5 and produce a similar resonance as in an air rod. Further increase of the grating depth can cause the groove of the grating forming metal–insulator–metal (MIM) structures and induce surface plasmon standing wave modes. Our investigations will not only be helpful for manipulating thermal emission properties according to applications, but also help us understand the coupling mechanism between the incident electromagnetism waves and gratings with different parameters in various research fields.

Global tool-path smoothing for CNC machine tools with uninterrupted acceleration

Majority of tool-paths for high-speed machining is composed of series of short linear segments, so-called G01 moves. This discrete tool-path format limits the achievable speed and accuracy of CNC machines. To generate continuous feed motion along sharp cornered tool-paths, most NC systems smooth corners locally using a pre-specified curve or a spline and slow down to be able to change the feed direction within machine kinematic limits. Path speed is dramatically reduced for accuracy if sharp corners are within close vicinity. This paper proposes a new real-time interpolation algorithm for NC systems to generate continuous rapid feed motion along short segmented linear tool-paths by smoothing local and adjacent corners that are within close vicinity. Instead of locally modifying the corner geometry with a spline, the proposed algorithm directly blends axis velocities between consecutive linear segments based on the jerk limited acceleration profile (JLAP) and generates cornering trajectories within user-specified contour errors and kinematic limits of the drives. A novel Look-Ahead Windowing (LAW) technique is developed to plan tangential feed profile with uninterrupted acceleration to continuously smooth the path. The feed profile is optimized to generate rapid motion along overlapping adjacent corners. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed method to interpolate accurate Cartesian high-speed motion along short-segmented tool-paths for machining free-form surfaces found in dies, molds and aerospace parts.

Biomechanical analysis of tension band wiring (TBW) of transverse fractures of patella

PurposeTension band wiring is commonly used for fixation of simple transverse fractures. The popular configuration is parallel Kirschner wires (K-wires) and a stainless steel wire loop placed in a vertically oriented figure-of-8. MethodsWe used a wooden model of a patella with a midway transverse fracture and compared four different types of fixation. The first construct had a vertical figure-of-8 with one twist of wire. The second contained a vertical figure-of-8 with two twists of wire. The third was a vertical figure-of-8 with two twists of wire placed at adjacent corners while the last one had a horizontal figure-of-8 with two twists of wire placed at adjacent corners. Interfragmentary compression at the point of wire breakage was measured for each construct as well as permanent displacement on cyclic loading. ResultsPlacement of the figure-of-eight in a horizontal orientation with two wire twists at the corner improved interfragmentary compression by 63% (p < 0.05, Tukey post hoc test). On cyclic loading, all the constructs with vertical figure-of-eight but none with a horizontal construct failed (p = 0.01; Fisher's exact test). Permanent fracture displacement after cyclic loading was 67% lower with horizontal figure-of-eight constructs (p < 0.05; t test). ConclusionPlacing wire twists at the corner and a horizontal placement of figure-of-8 improves stability of the construct.