Dynamic identification of structures: experimental assessment of modal parameteres through methods in frequency domain, in time-frequency domain and model updating

Among the experimental methods commonly used to define the behaviour of a full scale system, dynamic tests are the most complete and efficient procedures. A dynamic test is an experimental process, which would define a set of characteristic parameters of the dynamic behaviour of the system, such as natural frequencies of the structure, mode shapes and the corresponding modal damping values associated. An assessment of these modal characteristics can be used both to verify the theoretical assumptions of the project, to monitor the performance of the structural system during its operational use. The thesis is structured in the following chapters: The first introductive chapter recalls some basic notions of dynamics of structure, focusing the discussion on the problem of systems with multiply degrees of freedom (MDOF), which can represent a generic real system under study, when it is excited with harmonic force or in free vibration. The second chapter is entirely centred on to the problem of dynamic identification process of a structure, if it is subjected to an experimental test in forced vibrations. It first describes the construction of FRF through classical FFT of the recorded signal. A different method, also in the frequency domain, is subsequently introduced; it allows accurately to compute the FRF using the geometric characteristics of the ellipse that represents the direct input-output comparison. The two methods are compared and then the attention is focused on some advantages of the proposed methodology. The third chapter focuses on the study of real structures when they are subjected to experimental test, where the force is not known, like in an ambient or impact test. In this analysis we decided to use the CWT, which allows a simultaneous investigation in the time and frequency domain of a generic signal x(t). The CWT is first introduced to process free oscillations, with excellent results both in terms of frequencies, dampings and vibration modes. The application in the case of ambient vibrations defines accurate modal parameters of the system, although on the damping some important observations should be made. The fourth chapter is still on the problem of post processing data acquired after a vibration test, but this time through the application of discrete wavelet transform (DWT). In the first part the results obtained by the DWT are compared with those obtained by the application of CWT. Particular attention is given to the use of DWT as a tool for filtering the recorded signal, in fact in case of ambient vibrations the signals are often affected by the presence of a significant level of noise. The fifth chapter focuses on another important aspect of the identification process: the model updating. In this chapter, starting from the modal parameters obtained from some environmental vibration tests, performed by the University of Porto in 2008 and the University of Sheffild on the Humber Bridge in England, a FE model of the bridge is defined, in order to define what type of model is able to capture more accurately the real dynamic behaviour of the bridge. The sixth chapter outlines the necessary conclusions of the presented research. They concern the application of a method in the frequency domain in order to evaluate the modal parameters of a structure and its advantages, the advantages in applying a procedure based on the use of wavelet transforms in the process of identification in tests with unknown input and finally the problem of 3D modeling of systems with many degrees of freedom and with different types of uncertainty.

Experiments on Pro-Sociality and Environmental Issues

The thesis comprises three essays that use experimental methods, one about other-regarding motivations in economic behavior and the others on pro-social behavior in two environmental economics problems. The first chapter studies how the expectations of the others and the concern to maintain a balance between effort exerted and rewards obtained interact in shaping the behavior in a modified dictator game. We find that dictators condition their choices on recipients' expectations only when there is a high probability that the the recipient will not be compensated for her effort. Otherwise, dictators tend to balance the efforts and rewards of the recipients, irrespective of the recipients' expectations. In the second chapter, I investigate the problem of local opposition to large public projects (e.g. landfills, incinerators, etc.). In particular, the experiment shows how the uncertainty about the project's quality makes the community living in the host site skeptical about the project. I also test whether side-transfers and costly information disclosure can help to increase the efficiency. Both tools succesfully make the host more willing to accept the project, but they lead to the realization of different types of projects. The last chapter is an experiment on climate negotiations. To avoid the global warming, countries are called to cooperate in the abatement of their emissions. We study whether the dynamic aspect of the climate change makes cooperation across countries behaviorally more difficult. We also consider inequality across countries as a possible factor that hinders international cooperation.

Advanced polymeric materials for applications in technical equipment for snow sports

The thesis is divided in three chapters, each one covering one topic. Initially, the thermo-mechanical and impact properties of materials used for back protectors have been analysed. Dynamical mechanical analysis (DMTA) has shown that materials used for soft-shell protectors present frequency-sensitive properties. Furthermore, through impact tests, the shock absorbing characteristics of the materials have been investigated proving the differences between soft and hard-shell protectors; moreover it has been demonstrated that the materials used for soft-shell protectors maintain their protective properties after multi-impacts. The second chapter covers the effect of the visco-elastic properties of the thermoplastic polymers on the flexural and rebound behaviours of ski boots. DMTA analysis on the materials and flexural and rebound testing on the boots have been performed. A comparison of the results highlighted a correlation between the visco-elastic properties and the flexural and rebound behaviour of ski boots. The same experimental methods have been used to investigate the influence of the design on the flexural and rebound behaviours. Finally in the third chapter the thermoplastic materials employed for the construction of ski boots soles have been characterized in terms of chemical composition, hardness, crystallinity, surface roughness and coefficient of friction (COF). The results showed a relation between material hardness and grip, in particular softer materials provide more grip with respect to harder materials. On the contrary, the surface roughness has a negative effect on friction because of the decrease in contact area. The measure of grip on inclined wet surfaces showed again a relation between hardness and grip. The performance ranking of the different materials has been the same for the COF and for the slip angle tests, indicating that COF can be used as a parameter for the choice of the optimal material to be used for the soles of ski boots.

Semi-synthetic bile acids as novel drug candidate in liver diseases: physico-chemical characterization and HPLC-ES-MS/MS methods for their quali-quantitative analysis in different experimental animal models

The physico-chemical characterization, structure-pharmacokinetic and metabolism studies of new semi synthetic analogues of natural bile acids (BAs) drug candidates have been performed. Recent studies discovered a role of BAs as agonists of FXR and TGR5 receptor, thus opening new therapeutic target for the treatment of liver diseases or metabolic disorders. Up to twenty new semisynthetic analogues have been synthesized and studied in order to find promising novel drugs candidates. In order to define the BAs structure-activity relationship, their main physico-chemical properties (solubility, detergency, lipophilicity and affinity with serum albumin) have been measured with validated analytical methodologies. Their metabolism and biodistribution has been studied in “bile fistula rat”, model where each BA is acutely administered through duodenal and femoral infusion and bile collected at different time interval allowing to define the relationship between structure and intestinal absorption and hepatic uptake ,metabolism and systemic spill-over. One of the studied analogues, 6α-ethyl-3α7α-dihydroxy-5β-cholanic acid, analogue of CDCA (INT 747, Obeticholic Acid (OCA)), recently under approval for the treatment of cholestatic liver diseases, requires additional studies to ensure its safety and lack of toxicity when administered to patients with a strong liver impairment. For this purpose, CCl4 inhalation to rat causing hepatic decompensation (cirrhosis) animal model has been developed and used to define the difference of OCA biodistribution in respect to control animals trying to define whether peripheral tissues might be also exposed as a result of toxic plasma levels of OCA, evaluating also the endogenous BAs biodistribution. An accurate and sensitive HPLC-ES-MS/MS method is developed to identify and quantify all BAs in biological matrices (bile, plasma, urine, liver, kidney, intestinal content and tissue) for which a sample pretreatment have been optimized.

Tools and methods for the quality assurance of force platforms in human movement analysis

The human movement analysis (HMA) aims to measure the abilities of a subject to stand or to walk. In the field of HMA, tests are daily performed in research laboratories, hospitals and clinics, aiming to diagnose a disease, distinguish between disease entities, monitor the progress of a treatment and predict the outcome of an intervention [Brand and Crowninshield, 1981; Brand, 1987; Baker, 2006]. To achieve these purposes, clinicians and researchers use measurement devices, like force platforms, stereophotogrammetric systems, accelerometers, baropodometric insoles, etc. This thesis focus on the force platform (FP) and in particular on the quality assessment of the FP data. The principal objective of our work was the design and the experimental validation of a portable system for the in situ calibration of FPs. The thesis is structured as follows: Chapter 1. Description of the physical principles used for the functioning of a FP: how these principles are used to create force transducers, such as strain gauges and piezoelectrics transducers. Then, description of the two category of FPs, three- and six-component, the signals acquisition (hardware structure), and the signals calibration. Finally, a brief description of the use of FPs in HMA, for balance or gait analysis. Chapter 2. Description of the inverse dynamics, the most common method used in the field of HMA. This method uses the signals measured by a FP to estimate kinetic quantities, such as joint forces and moments. The measures of these variables can not be taken directly, unless very invasive techniques; consequently these variables can only be estimated using indirect techniques, as the inverse dynamics. Finally, a brief description of the sources of error, present in the gait analysis. Chapter 3. State of the art in the FP calibration. The selected literature is divided in sections, each section describes: systems for the periodic control of the FP accuracy; systems for the error reduction in the FP signals; systems and procedures for the construction of a FP. In particular is detailed described a calibration system designed by our group, based on the theoretical method proposed by ?. This system was the “starting point” for the new system presented in this thesis. Chapter 4. Description of the new system, divided in its parts: 1) the algorithm; 2) the device; and 3) the calibration procedure, for the correct performing of the calibration process. The algorithm characteristics were optimized by a simulation approach, the results are here presented. In addiction, the different versions of the device are described. Chapter 5. Experimental validation of the new system, achieved by testing it on 4 commercial FPs. The effectiveness of the calibration was verified by measuring, before and after calibration, the accuracy of the FPs in measuring the center of pressure of an applied force. The new system can estimate local and global calibration matrices; by local and global calibration matrices, the non–linearity of the FPs was quantified and locally compensated. Further, a non–linear calibration is proposed. This calibration compensates the non– linear effect in the FP functioning, due to the bending of its upper plate. The experimental results are presented. Chapter 6. Influence of the FP calibration on the estimation of kinetic quantities, with the inverse dynamics approach. Chapter 7. The conclusions of this thesis are presented: need of a calibration of FPs and consequential enhancement in the kinetic data quality. Appendix: Calibration of the LC used in the presented system. Different calibration set–up of a 3D force transducer are presented, and is proposed the optimal set–up, with particular attention to the compensation of non–linearities. The optimal set–up is verified by experimental results.

An experimental and theoretical approach to correct for the scattered radiation in an X-ray computer tomography system for industrial applications

The main problem connected to cone beam computed tomography (CT) systems for industrial applications employing 450 kV X-ray tubes is the high amount of scattered radiation which is added to the primary radiation (signal). This stray radiation leads to a significant degradation of the image quality. A better understanding of the scattering and methods to reduce its effects are therefore necessary to improve the image quality. Several studies have been carried out in the medical field at lower energies, whereas studies in industrial CT, especially for energies up to 450 kV, are lacking. Moreover, the studies reported in literature do not consider the scattered radiation generated by the CT system structure and the walls of the X-ray room (environmental scatter). In order to investigate the scattering on CT projections a GEANT4-based Monte Carlo (MC) model was developed. The model, which has been validated against experimental data, has enabled the calculation of the scattering including the environmental scatter, the optimization of an anti-scatter grid suitable for the CT system, and the optimization of the hardware components of the CT system. The investigation of multiple scattering in the CT projections showed that its contribution is 2.3 times the one of primary radiation for certain objects. The results of the environmental scatter showed that it is the major component of the scattering for aluminum box objects of front size 70 x 70 mm2 and that it strongly depends on the thickness of the object and therefore on the projection. For that reason, its correction is one of the key factors for achieving high quality images. The anti-scatter grid optimized by means of the developed MC model was found to reduce the scatter-toprimary ratio in the reconstructed images by 20 %. The object and environmental scatter calculated by means of the simulation were used to improve the scatter correction algorithm which could be patented by Empa. The results showed that the cupping effect in the corrected image is strongly reduced. The developed CT simulation is a powerful tool to optimize the design of the CT system and to evaluate the contribution of the scattered radiation to the image. Besides, it has offered a basis for a new scatter correction approach by which it has been possible to achieve images with the same spatial resolution as state-of-the-art well collimated fan-beam CT with a gain in the reconstruction time of a factor 10. This result has a high economic impact in non-destructive testing and evaluation, and reverse engineering.

Development of quantitative methods for sustainability assessment in process industry

The increasing aversion to technological risks of the society requires the development of inherently safer and environmentally friendlier processes, besides assuring the economic competitiveness of the industrial activities. The different forms of impact (e.g. environmental, economic and societal) are frequently characterized by conflicting reduction strategies and must be holistically taken into account in order to identify the optimal solutions in process design. Though the literature reports an extensive discussion of strategies and specific principles, quantitative assessment tools are required to identify the marginal improvements in alternative design options, to allow the trade-off among contradictory aspects and to prevent the “risk shift”. In the present work a set of integrated quantitative tools for design assessment (i.e. design support system) was developed. The tools were specifically dedicated to the implementation of sustainability and inherent safety in process and plant design activities, with respect to chemical and industrial processes in which substances dangerous for humans and environment are used or stored. The tools were mainly devoted to the application in the stages of “conceptual” and “basic design”, when the project is still open to changes (due to the large number of degrees of freedom) which may comprise of strategies to improve sustainability and inherent safety. The set of developed tools includes different phases of the design activities, all through the lifecycle of a project (inventories, process flow diagrams, preliminary plant lay-out plans). The development of such tools gives a substantial contribution to fill the present gap in the availability of sound supports for implementing safety and sustainability in early phases of process design. The proposed decision support system was based on the development of a set of leading key performance indicators (KPIs), which ensure the assessment of economic, societal and environmental impacts of a process (i.e. sustainability profile). The KPIs were based on impact models (also complex), but are easy and swift in the practical application. Their full evaluation is possible also starting from the limited data available during early process design. Innovative reference criteria were developed to compare and aggregate the KPIs on the basis of the actual sitespecific impact burden and the sustainability policy. Particular attention was devoted to the development of reliable criteria and tools for the assessment of inherent safety in different stages of the project lifecycle. The assessment follows an innovative approach in the analysis of inherent safety, based on both the calculation of the expected consequences of potential accidents and the evaluation of the hazards related to equipment. The methodology overrides several problems present in the previous methods proposed for quantitative inherent safety assessment (use of arbitrary indexes, subjective judgement, build-in assumptions, etc.). A specific procedure was defined for the assessment of the hazards related to the formations of undesired substances in chemical systems undergoing “out of control” conditions. In the assessment of layout plans, “ad hoc” tools were developed to account for the hazard of domino escalations and the safety economics. The effectiveness and value of the tools were demonstrated by the application to a large number of case studies concerning different kinds of design activities (choice of materials, design of the process, of the plant, of the layout) and different types of processes/plants (chemical industry, storage facilities, waste disposal). An experimental survey (analysis of the thermal stability of isomers of nitrobenzaldehyde) provided the input data necessary to demonstrate the method for inherent safety assessment of materials.

Computational methods for the analysis of protein structure and function

The vast majority of known proteins have not yet been experimentally characterized and little is known about their function. The design and implementation of computational tools can provide insight into the function of proteins based on their sequence, their structure, their evolutionary history and their association with other proteins. Knowledge of the three-dimensional (3D) structure of a protein can lead to a deep understanding of its mode of action and interaction, but currently the structures of <1% of sequences have been experimentally solved. For this reason, it became urgent to develop new methods that are able to computationally extract relevant information from protein sequence and structure. The starting point of my work has been the study of the properties of contacts between protein residues, since they constrain protein folding and characterize different protein structures. Prediction of residue contacts in proteins is an interesting problem whose solution may be useful in protein folding recognition and de novo design. The prediction of these contacts requires the study of the protein inter-residue distances related to the specific type of amino acid pair that are encoded in the so-called contact map. An interesting new way of analyzing those structures came out when network studies were introduced, with pivotal papers demonstrating that protein contact networks also exhibit small-world behavior. In order to highlight constraints for the prediction of protein contact maps and for applications in the field of protein structure prediction and/or reconstruction from experimentally determined contact maps, I studied to which extent the characteristic path length and clustering coefficient of the protein contacts network are values that reveal characteristic features of protein contact maps. Provided that residue contacts are known for a protein sequence, the major features of its 3D structure could be deduced by combining this knowledge with correctly predicted motifs of secondary structure. In the second part of my work I focused on a particular protein structural motif, the coiled-coil, known to mediate a variety of fundamental biological interactions. Coiled-coils are found in a variety of structural forms and in a wide range of proteins including, for example, small units such as leucine zippers that drive the dimerization of many transcription factors or more complex structures such as the family of viral proteins responsible for virus-host membrane fusion. The coiled-coil structural motif is estimated to account for 5-10% of the protein sequences in the various genomes. Given their biological importance, in my work I introduced a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) that exploits the evolutionary information derived from multiple sequence alignments, to predict coiled-coil regions and to discriminate coiled-coil sequences. The results indicate that the new HMM outperforms all the existing programs and can be adopted for the coiled-coil prediction and for large-scale genome annotation. Genome annotation is a key issue in modern computational biology, being the starting point towards the understanding of the complex processes involved in biological networks. The rapid growth in the number of protein sequences and structures available poses new fundamental problems that still deserve an interpretation. Nevertheless, these data are at the basis of the design of new strategies for tackling problems such as the prediction of protein structure and function. Experimental determination of the functions of all these proteins would be a hugely time-consuming and costly task and, in most instances, has not been carried out. As an example, currently, approximately only 20% of annotated proteins in the Homo sapiens genome have been experimentally characterized. A commonly adopted procedure for annotating protein sequences relies on the "inheritance through homology" based on the notion that similar sequences share similar functions and structures. This procedure consists in the assignment of sequences to a specific group of functionally related sequences which had been grouped through clustering techniques. The clustering procedure is based on suitable similarity rules, since predicting protein structure and function from sequence largely depends on the value of sequence identity. However, additional levels of complexity are due to multi-domain proteins, to proteins that share common domains but that do not necessarily share the same function, to the finding that different combinations of shared domains can lead to different biological roles. In the last part of this study I developed and validate a system that contributes to sequence annotation by taking advantage of a validated transfer through inheritance procedure of the molecular functions and of the structural templates. After a cross-genome comparison with the BLAST program, clusters were built on the basis of two stringent constraints on sequence identity and coverage of the alignment. The adopted measure explicity answers to the problem of multi-domain proteins annotation and allows a fine grain division of the whole set of proteomes used, that ensures cluster homogeneity in terms of sequence length. A high level of coverage of structure templates on the length of protein sequences within clusters ensures that multi-domain proteins when present can be templates for sequences of similar length. This annotation procedure includes the possibility of reliably transferring statistically validated functions and structures to sequences considering information available in the present data bases of molecular functions and structures.

Study of the thermal effects induced by magnetic resonance on endocardial leads: numerical models and experimental validation

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is today precluded to patients bearing active implantable medical devices AIMDs). The great advantages related to this diagnostic modality, together with the increasing number of people benefiting from implantable devices, in particular pacemakers(PM)and carioverter/defibrillators (ICD), is prompting the scientific community the study the possibility to extend MRI also to implanted patients. The MRI induced specific absorption rate (SAR) and the consequent heating of biological tissues is one of the major concerns that makes patients bearing metallic structures contraindicated for MRI scans. To date, both in-vivo and in-vitro studies have demonstrated the potentially dangerous temperature increase caused by the radiofrequency (RF) field generated during MRI procedures in the tissues surrounding thin metallic implants. On the other side, the technical evolution of MRI scanners and of AIMDs together with published data on the lack of adverse events have reopened the interest in this field and suggest that, under given conditions, MRI can be safely performed also in implanted patients. With a better understanding of the hazards of performing MRI scans on implanted patients as well as the development of MRI safe devices, we may soon enter an era where the ability of this imaging modality may be more widely used to assist in the appropriate diagnosis of patients with devices. In this study both experimental measures and numerical analysis were performed. Aim of the study is to systematically investigate the effects of the MRI RF filed on implantable devices and to identify the elements that play a major role in the induced heating. Furthermore, we aimed at developing a realistic numerical model able to simulate the interactions between an RF coil for MRI and biological tissues implanted with a PM, and to predict the induced SAR as a function of the particular path of the PM lead. The methods developed and validated during the PhD program led to the design of an experimental framework for the accurate measure of PM lead heating induced by MRI systems. In addition, numerical models based on Finite-Differences Time-Domain (FDTD) simulations were validated to obtain a general tool for investigating the large number of parameters and factors involved in this complex phenomenon. The results obtained demonstrated that the MRI induced heating on metallic implants is a real risk that represents a contraindication in extending MRI scans also to patient bearing a PM, an ICD, or other thin metallic objects. On the other side, both experimental data and numerical results show that, under particular conditions, MRI procedures might be consider reasonably safe also for an implanted patient. The complexity and the large number of variables involved, make difficult to define a unique set of such conditions: when the benefits of a MRI investigation cannot be obtained using other imaging techniques, the possibility to perform the scan should not be immediately excluded, but some considerations are always needed.

Hybrid constraint programming and metaheuristic methods for large scale optimization problems

This work presents hybrid Constraint Programming (CP) and metaheuristic methods for the solution of Large Scale Optimization Problems; it aims at integrating concepts and mechanisms from the metaheuristic methods to a CP-based tree search environment in order to exploit the advantages of both approaches. The modeling and solution of large scale combinatorial optimization problem is a topic which has arisen the interest of many researcherers in the Operations Research field; combinatorial optimization problems are widely spread in everyday life and the need of solving difficult problems is more and more urgent. Metaheuristic techniques have been developed in the last decades to effectively handle the approximate solution of combinatorial optimization problems; we will examine metaheuristics in detail, focusing on the common aspects of different techniques. Each metaheuristic approach possesses its own peculiarities in designing and guiding the solution process; our work aims at recognizing components which can be extracted from metaheuristic methods and re-used in different contexts. In particular we focus on the possibility of porting metaheuristic elements to constraint programming based environments, as constraint programming is able to deal with feasibility issues of optimization problems in a very effective manner. Moreover, CP offers a general paradigm which allows to easily model any type of problem and solve it with a problem-independent framework, differently from local search and metaheuristic methods which are highly problem specific. In this work we describe the implementation of the Local Branching framework, originally developed for Mixed Integer Programming, in a CP-based environment. Constraint programming specific features are used to ease the search process, still mantaining an absolute generality of the approach. We also propose a search strategy called Sliced Neighborhood Search, SNS, that iteratively explores slices of large neighborhoods of an incumbent solution by performing CP-based tree search and encloses concepts from metaheuristic techniques. SNS can be used as a stand alone search strategy, but it can alternatively be embedded in existing strategies as intensification and diversification mechanism. In particular we show its integration within the CP-based local branching. We provide an extensive experimental evaluation of the proposed approaches on instances of the Asymmetric Traveling Salesman Problem and of the Asymmetric Traveling Salesman Problem with Time Windows. The proposed approaches achieve good results on practical size problem, thus demonstrating the benefit of integrating metaheuristic concepts in CP-based frameworks.

Machine-learning methods for structure prediction of β-barrel membrane proteins

Different types of proteins exist with diverse functions that are essential for living organisms. An important class of proteins is represented by transmembrane proteins which are specifically designed to be inserted into biological membranes and devised to perform very important functions in the cell such as cell communication and active transport across the membrane. Transmembrane β-barrels (TMBBs) are a sub-class of membrane proteins largely under-represented in structure databases because of the extreme difficulty in experimental structure determination. For this reason, computational tools that are able to predict the structure of TMBBs are needed. In this thesis, two computational problems related to TMBBs were addressed: the detection of TMBBs in large datasets of proteins and the prediction of the topology of TMBB proteins. Firstly, a method for TMBB detection was presented based on a novel neural network framework for variable-length sequence classification. The proposed approach was validated on a non-redundant dataset of proteins. Furthermore, we carried-out genome-wide detection using the entire Escherichia coli proteome. In both experiments, the method significantly outperformed other existing state-of-the-art approaches, reaching very high PPV (92%) and MCC (0.82). Secondly, a method was also introduced for TMBB topology prediction. The proposed approach is based on grammatical modelling and probabilistic discriminative models for sequence data labeling. The method was evaluated using a newly generated dataset of 38 TMBB proteins obtained from high-resolution data in the PDB. Results have shown that the model is able to correctly predict topologies of 25 out of 38 protein chains in the dataset. When tested on previously released datasets, the performances of the proposed approach were measured as comparable or superior to the current state-of-the-art of TMBB topology prediction.

Methods for the Quantification of Motor Stability for the Assessment of Fall Risk

The research field of the Thesis is the evaluation of motor variability and the analysis of motor stability for the assessment of fall risk. Since many falls occur during walking, a better understanding of motor stability could lead to the definition of a reliable fall risk index aiming at measuring and assessing the risk of fall in the elderly, in the attempt to prevent traumatic events. Several motor variability and stability measures are proposed in the literature, but still a proper methodological characterization is lacking. Moreover, the relationship between many of these measures and fall history or fall risk is still unknown, or not completely clear. The aim of this thesis is hence to: i) analyze the influence of experimental implementation parameters on variability/stability measures and understand how variations in these parameters affect the outputs; ii) assess the relationship between variability/stability measures and long- short-term fall history. Several implementation issues have been addressed. Following the need for a methodological standardization of gait variability/stability measures, highlighted in particular for orbital stability analysis through a systematic review, general indications about implementation of orbital stability analysis have been showed, together with an analysis of the number of strides and the test-retest reliability of several variability/stability numbers. Indications about the influence of directional changes on measures have been provided. The association between measures and long/short-term fall history has also been assessed. Of all the analyzed variability/stability measures, Multiscale entropy and Recurrence quantification analysis demonstrated particularly good results in terms of reliability, applicability and association with fall history. Therefore, these measures should be taken in consideration for the definition of a fall risk index.

Power Transient Analysis of Experimental Devices for Jules Horowitz Material Testing Reactor (JHR)

The objective of this thesis is the power transient analysis concerning experimental devices placed within the reflector of Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR). Since JHR material testing facility is designed to achieve 100 MW core thermal power, a large reflector hosts fissile material samples that are irradiated up to total relevant power of 3 MW. MADISON devices are expected to attain 130 kW, conversely ADELINE nominal power is of some 60 kW. In addition, MOLFI test samples are envisaged to reach 360 kW for what concerns LEU configuration and up to 650 kW according to HEU frame. Safety issues concern shutdown transients and need particular verifications about thermal power decreasing of these fissile samples with respect to core kinetics, as far as single device reactivity determination is concerned. Calculation model is conceived and applied in order to properly account for different nuclear heating processes and relative time-dependent features of device transients. An innovative methodology is carried out since flux shape modification during control rod insertions is investigated regarding the impact on device power through core-reflector coupling coefficients. In fact, previous methods considering only nominal core-reflector parameters are then improved. Moreover, delayed emissions effect is evaluated about spatial impact on devices of a diffuse in-core delayed neutron source. Delayed gammas transport related to fission products concentration is taken into account through evolution calculations of different fuel compositions in equilibrium cycle. Provided accurate device reactivity control, power transients are then computed for every sample according to envisaged shutdown procedures. Results obtained in this study are aimed at design feedback and reactor management optimization by JHR project team. Moreover, Safety Report is intended to utilize present analysis for improved device characterization.

Numerical methods for the dispersion analysis of Guided Waves

The use of guided ultrasonic waves (GUW) has increased considerably in the fields of non-destructive (NDE) testing and structural health monitoring (SHM) due to their ability to perform long range inspections, to probe hidden areas as well as to provide a complete monitoring of the entire waveguide. Guided waves can be fully exploited only once their dispersive properties are known for the given waveguide. In this context, well stated analytical and numerical methods are represented by the Matrix family methods and the Semi Analytical Finite Element (SAFE) methods. However, while the former are limited to simple geometries of finite or infinite extent, the latter can model arbitrary cross-section waveguides of finite domain only. This thesis is aimed at developing three different numerical methods for modelling wave propagation in complex translational invariant systems. First, a classical SAFE formulation for viscoelastic waveguides is extended to account for a three dimensional translational invariant static prestress state. The effect of prestress, residual stress and applied loads on the dispersion properties of the guided waves is shown. Next, a two-and-a-half Boundary Element Method (2.5D BEM) for the dispersion analysis of damped guided waves in waveguides and cavities of arbitrary cross-section is proposed. The attenuation dispersive spectrum due to material damping and geometrical spreading of cavities with arbitrary shape is shown for the first time. Finally, a coupled SAFE-2.5D BEM framework is developed to study the dispersion characteristics of waves in viscoelastic waveguides of arbitrary geometry embedded in infinite solid or liquid media. Dispersion of leaky and non-leaky guided waves in terms of speed and attenuation, as well as the radiated wavefields, can be computed. The results obtained in this thesis can be helpful for the design of both actuation and sensing systems in practical application, as well as to tune experimental setup.

Experimental assessment of environmental decay effects in masonry via non destructive diagnostic techniques and mechanical tests

Environmental decay in porous masonry materials, such as brick and mortar, is a widespread problem concerning both new and historic masonry structures. The decay mechanisms are quite complex dependng upon several interconnected parameters and from the interaction with the specific micro-climate. Materials undergo aesthetical and substantial changes in character but while many studies have been carried out, the mechanical aspect has been largely understudied while it bears true importance from the structural viewpoint. A quantitative assessment of the masonry material degradation and how it affects the load-bearing capacity of masonry structures appears missing. The research work carried out, limiting the attention to brick masonry addresses this issue through an experimental laboratory approach via different integrated testing procedures, both non-destructive and mechanical, together with monitoring methods. Attention was focused on transport of moisture and salts and on the damaging effects caused by the crystallization of two different salts, sodium chloride and sodium sulphate. Many series of masonry specimens, very different in size and purposes were used to track the damage process since its beginning and to monitor its evolution over a number of years Athe same time suitable testing techniques, non-destructive, mini-invasive, analytical, of monitoring, were validated for these purposes. The specimens were exposed to different aggressive agents (in terms of type of salt, of brine concentration, of artificial vs. open-air natural ageing, …), tested by different means (qualitative vs. quantitative, non destructive vs. mechanical testing, punctual vs. wide areas, …), and had different size (1-, 2-, 3-header thick walls, full-scale walls vs. small size specimens, brick columns and triplets vs. small walls, masonry specimens vs. single units of brick and mortar prisms, …). Different advanced testing methods and novel monitoring techniques were applied in an integrated holistic approach, for quantitative assessment of masonry health state.