Modelling and analysis of thin-walled beams in the context of the Generalized Beam Theory

In this work, the Generalized Beam Theory (GBT) is used as the main tool to analyze the mechanics of thin-walled beams. After an introduction to the subject and a quick review of some of the most well-known approaches to describe the behaviour of thin-walled beams, a novel formulation of the GBT is presented. This formulation contains the classic shear-deformable GBT available in the literature and contributes an additional description of cross-section warping that is variable along the wall thickness besides along the wall midline. Shear deformation is introduced in such a way that the classical shear strain components of the Timoshenko beam theory are recovered exactly. According to the new kinematics proposed, a reviewed form of the cross-section analysis procedure is devised, based on a unique modal decomposition. Later, a procedure for a posteriori reconstruction of all the three-dimensional stress components in the finite element analysis of thin-walled beams using the GBT is presented. The reconstruction is simple and based on the use of three-dimensional equilibrium equations and of the RCP procedure. Finally, once the stress reconstruction procedure is presented, a study of several existing issues on the constitutive relations in the GBT is carried out. Specifically, a constitutive law based on mirroring the kinematic constraints of the GBT model into a specific stress field assumption is proposed. It is shown that this method is equally valid for isotropic and orthotropic beams and coincides with the conventional GBT approach available in the literature. Later on, an analogous procedure is presented for the case of laminated beams. Lastly, as a way to improve an inherently poor description of shear deformability in the GBT, the introduction of shear correction factors is proposed. Throughout this work, numerous examples are provided to determine the validity of all the proposed contributions to the field.

Problema di Cauchy per l'equazione del calore e l'equazione delle onde

Oggetto della mia tesi è la trasformata di Fourier e la sua applicazione alla risoluzione dell'equazione del calore e dell'equazione delle onde. Nel primo capitolo ricordo la definizione di trasformata di Fourier, alcune sue proprietà e infine la definizione di Spazi di Schwartz. Nel secondo capitolo risolverò l'equazione del calore e nel terzo l'equazione delle onde.

Analysis of the Kohn Laplacian on the Heisenberg Group and on Cauchy-Riemann Manifolds

The purpose of this study is to analyse the regularity of a differential operator, the Kohn Laplacian, in two settings: the Heisenberg group and the strongly pseudoconvex CR manifolds. The Heisenberg group is defined as a space of dimension 2n+1 with a product. It can be seen in two different ways: as a Lie group and as the boundary of the Siegel UpperHalf Space. On the Heisenberg group there exists the tangential CR complex. From this we define its adjoint and the Kohn-Laplacian. Then we obtain estimates for the Kohn-Laplacian and find its solvability and hypoellipticity. For stating L^p and Holder estimates, we talk about homogeneous distributions. In the second part we start working with a manifold M of real dimension 2n+1. We say that M is a CR manifold if some properties are satisfied. More, we say that a CR manifold M is strongly pseudoconvex if the Levi form defined on M is positive defined. Since we will show that the Heisenberg group is a model for the strongly pseudo-convex CR manifolds, we look for an osculating Heisenberg structure in a neighborhood of a point in M, and we want this structure to change smoothly from a point to another. For that, we define Normal Coordinates and we study their properties. We also examinate different Normal Coordinates in the case of a real hypersurface with an induced CR structure. Finally, we define again the CR complex, its adjoint and the Laplacian operator on M. We study these new operators showing subelliptic estimates. For that, we don't need M to be pseudo-complex but we ask less, that is, the Z(q) and the Y(q) conditions. This provides local regularity theorems for Laplacian and show its hypoellipticity on M.

Problema di Cauchy-Dirichlet per l'equazione del calore di una sbarra omogenea

In questa tesi vengono forniti risultati sulle serie di Fourier e successivamente sulle serie di Fejér, utili per poter analizzare il cosiddetto problema di Cauchy-Dirichlet per l'equazione del calore di una sbarra omogenea. Lo scopo è trovare soluzioni classiche del problema che presenta come dato iniziale dapprima una funzione di classe C^1 e successivamente una funzione solamente continua.

Un modello di percezione del colore, espresso da un problema di Cauchy in spazi di Banach

Scopo della tesi è studiare un modello di percezione cromatica, che descrive la propagazione dell'attività mediante un problema di Cauchy in spazi di Banach. Presentiamo dapprima il problema della stabilità delle soluzioni al problema di Cauchy tramite il metodo Lyapunov; prima in dimensione finita, e poi in spazi di Banach. Poi verifichiamo che l'equazione fondamentale di percezione cromatica ricade nel setting considerato e che il funzionale di Lyapunov associato verifica le ipotesi che assicurano la stabilità.

On the experimental behaviour of a silty sand and its modelling through Generalized Plasticity.

La tesi contiene uno studio sperimentale sul comportamento di una sabbia limosa del sottosuolo della laguna veneta e propone un'interpretazione dei risultati sperimentali ottenuti alla luce dei presupposti teorici di un approccio costitutivo avanzato noto come "Plasticità Generalizzata". Il programma sperimentale è consistito nella realizzazione di prove edometriche e prove triassiali su campioni di sabbia provenienti dal sito di Treporti, situato in prossimità della bocca di Lido. La risposta sperimentale, in termini di modulo volumetrico, è stata messa a confronto con i risultati di alcuni studi di letteratura, con particolare riferimento a quelli condotti da Jefferies & Been (2000). La disponibilità di prove di compressione edometrica realizzate nella cella K0 e la conseguente possibilità di valutare il coefficiente di spinta a riposo ha permesso di interpretare le prove in termini di tensione media efficace p' e di verificare l'applicabilità al caso in esame degli approcci di letteratura disponibili, spesso sviluppati a partire da prove di compressione isotropa effettuate in cella triassiale. Il comportamento tenso-deformativo osservato è stato successivamente simulato con un modello costitutivo per sabbie sviluppato nell'ambito della Plasticità Generalizzata. In particolare sono state utilizzate tre diverse formulazioni, che costituiscono un avanzamento dell'iniziale modello costitutivo proposto da Pastor, Zienkiewicz e Chan (1990), basate sull'uso di un parametro di stato del materiale definito rispetto alle condizioni di Stato Critico. Dal confronto tra previsioni del modello e risposta sperimentale è stato possibile individuare la formulazione che meglio simula il comportamento meccanico osservato sia in compressione edometrica sia in prove di taglio ed è stato proposto un set di parametri costitutivi ritenuti rappresentativi del terreno studiato.

Alternative derivative expansion in Functional RG and application

We give a brief review of the Functional Renormalization method in quantum field theory, which is intrinsically non perturbative, in terms of both the Polchinski equation for the Wilsonian action and the Wetterich equation for the generator of the proper verteces. For the latter case we show a simple application for a theory with one real scalar field within the LPA and LPA' approximations. For the first case, instead, we give a covariant "Hamiltonian" version of the Polchinski equation which consists in doing a Legendre transform of the flow for the corresponding effective Lagrangian replacing arbitrary high order derivative of fields with momenta fields. This approach is suitable for studying new truncations in the derivative expansion. We apply this formulation for a theory with one real scalar field and, as a novel result, derive the flow equations for a theory with N real scalar fields with the O(N) internal symmetry. Within this new approach we analyze numerically the scaling solutions for N=1 in d=3 (critical Ising model), at the leading order in the derivative expansion with an infinite number of couplings, encoded in two functions V(phi) and Z(phi), obtaining an estimate for the quantum anomalous dimension with a 10% accuracy (confronting with Monte Carlo results).

NCX-1000, a nitric oxide-releasing derivative of UDCA, does not decrease portal pressure in patients with cirrhosis: results of a randomized, double-blind, dose-escalating study

NCX-1000 (2(acetyloxy) benzoic acid-3(nitrooxymethyl)phenyl ester) is an nitric oxide (NO)-releasing derivative of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which showed selective vasodilatory effect on intrahepatic circulation in animal models of cirrhosis. This study was aimed at testing the efficacy and tolerability of this compound in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

Evidence of a Generalized Defect of Acinar Cell Function in Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome

: Because the acinar cells of the exocrine pancreas in patients with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) are severely depleted, we hypothesized that a similar deficiency may be present in acinar cells of the parotid gland.

Clinical Outcomes Following Treatment of Non-contained Intrabony Defects with Enamel Matrix Derivative (EMD) or Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR). A 12-month Randomized Controlled Clinical trial

The purpose of this study is to compare the healing of deep, non-contained intrabony defects (i.e., with a ?80% 1-wall component and a residual 2- to 3-wall component in the most apical part) treated with either an enamel matrix derivative (EMD) or guided tissue regeneration (GTR) after 12 months.

Healing of two and three wall intrabony periodontal defects following treatment with an enamel matrix derivative combined with autogenous bone

BACKGROUND: There are still limited data on the outcomes of regenerative periodontal surgery using a combination of an enamel matrix protein derivative (EMD) and autogenous bone (AB). AIM: To evaluate the healing of deep intrabony defects treated with either a combination EMD+AB or EMD alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty patients with advanced chronic periodontitis, with one deep intrabony defect, were randomly treated with either EMD+AB (test) or EMD (control). Clinical assessments were performed at baseline and at 1 year after treatment. The primary outcome variable was relative attachment level (RAL). RESULTS: Healing was uneventful in all patients. The test sites showed a reduction in the mean probing pocket depth (PPD) of 5.6 +/- 0.9 mm (p<0.001), a gain in the mean RAL of 4.2 +/- 1.1 mm (p<0.001) and a gain in the mean probing bone level (PBL) of 3.9 +/- 1.0 mm (p<0.001). The control group displayed a mean PPD reduction of 4.6 +/- 0.4 mm (p<0.001), a mean RAL gain of 3.4 +/- 0.8 mm (p<0.001) and a mean PBL gain of 2.8 +/- 0.8 mm (p<0.001). RAL gains of > or =4 mm were measured in 90% of the test defects and in 55% of the controls. PBL gains of > or =4 mm were obtained in 85% of the test defects and in 25% of the control ones. The test treatment resulted in statistically higher PPD reductions, RAL gains and PBL gains compared with the control (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Within their limits, the present results indicate that: (i) at 1 year after surgery, both therapies resulted in statistically significant clinical improvements compared with baseline and (ii) although the combination of EMD+AB resulted in statistically significant higher soft and hard tissue improvements compared with treatment with EMD, the clinical relevance of this finding is unclear.

Generalized expansion of nociceptive reflex receptive fields in chronic pain patients

Widespread central hypersensitivity is present in chronic pain and contributes to pain and disability. According to animal studies, expansion of receptive fields of spinal cord neurons is involved in central hypersensitivity. We recently developed a method to quantify nociceptive receptive fields in humans using spinal withdrawal reflexes. Here we hypothesized that patients with chronic pelvic pain display enlarged reflex receptive fields. Secondary endpoints were subjective pain thresholds and nociceptive withdrawal reflex thresholds after single and repeated (temporal summation) electrical stimulation. 20 patients and 25 pain-free subjects were tested. Electrical stimuli were applied to 10 sites on the foot sole for evoking reflexes in the tibialis anterior muscle. The reflex receptive field was defined as the area of the foot (fraction of the foot sole) from which a muscle contraction was evoked. For the secondary endpoints, the stimuli were applied to the cutaneous innervation area of the sural nerve. Medians (25-75 percentiles) of fraction of the foot sole in patients and controls were 0.48 (0.38-0.54) and 0.33 (0.27-0.39), respectively (P=0.008). Pain and reflex thresholds after sural nerve stimulation were significantly lower in patients than in controls (P<0.001 for all measurements). This study provides for the first time evidence for widespread expansion of reflex receptive fields in chronic pain patients. It thereby identifies a mechanism involved in central hypersensitivity in human chronic pain. Reverting the expansion of nociceptive receptive fields and exploring the prognostic meaning of this phenomenon may become future targets of clinical research.

The quassinoid derivative NBT-272 targets both the AKT and ERK signaling pathways in embryonal tumors

The quassinoid analogue NBT-272 has been reported to inhibit MYC, thus warranting a further effort 7to better understand its preclinical properties in models of embryonal tumors (ET), a family of childhood malignancies sharing relevant biological and genetic features such as deregulated expression of MYC oncogenes. In our study, NBT-272 displayed a strong antiproliferative activity in vitro that resulted from the combination of diverse biological effects, ranging from G(1)/S arrest of the cell cycle to apoptosis and autophagy. The compound prevented the full activation of both eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and its binding protein 4EBP-1, regulating cap-dependent protein translation. Interestingly, all responses induced by NBT-272 in ET could be attributed to interference with 2 main proproliferative signaling pathways, that is, the AKT and the MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways. These findings also suggested that the depleting effect of NBT-272 on MYC protein expression occurred via indirect mechanisms, rather than selective inhibition. Finally, the ability of NBT-272 to arrest tumor growth in a xenograft model of neuroblastoma plays a role in the strong antitumor activity of this compound, both in vitro and in vivo, with its potential to target cell-survival pathways that are relevant for the development and progression of ET.

Effect of enamel matrix derivative and parathyroid hormone on bone formation in standardized osseous defects: an experimental study in minipigs

Previous experimental studies have indicated that locally administered enamel matrix derivative (EMD) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) may have a stimulatory effect on bone formation. However, it is not clear if the positive effect of EMD is related to its effect on the periodontium as a whole or directly on the bone-forming cells. In addition, it is not known if the presentation of PTH by adding the amino acid sequence Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) is essential for its osteopromotive effect. Local delivery of a bioactive substance at the right time and in the right concentration often constitutes a major challenge. Polyethylene glycol-based hydrogel (PEG) is a degradable vehicle developed for delivery of bioactive proteins. To enhance the mechanical stability of the PEG-bioactive substance complex, an osteoconductive bone substitute material is often needed.