Wrinkled and slack membranes: nonlinear 3D elasticity solutions via smooth DMS-FEM and experiment

The smooth DMS-FEM, recently proposed by the authors, is extended and applied to the geometrically nonlinear and ill-posed problem of a deformed and wrinkled/slack membrane. A key feature of this work is that three-dimensional nonlinear elasticity equations corresponding to linear momentum balance, without any dimensional reduction and the associated approximations, directly serve as the membrane governing equations. Domain discretization is performed with triangular prism elements and the higher order (C1 or more) interelement continuity of the shape functions ensures that the errors arising from possible jumps in the first derivatives of the conventional C0 shape functions do not propagate because the ill-conditioned tangent stiffness matrices are iteratively inverted. The present scheme employs no regularization and exhibits little sensitivity to h-refinement. Although the numerically computed deformed membrane profiles do show some sensitivity to initial imperfections (nonplanarity) in the membrane profile needed to initiate transverse deformations, the overall patterns of the wrinkles and the deformed shapes appear to be less so. Finally, the deformed profiles, computed through the DMS FEM-based weak formulation, are compared with those obtained through an experiment on an ultrathin Kapton membrane, wherein wrinkles form because of the applied boundary displacement conditions. Comparisons with a reported experiment on a rectangular membrane are also provided. These exercises lend credence to the feasibility of the DMS FEM-based numerical route to computing post-wrinkled membrane shapes. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evaluation of mechanical losses in a linear motor pressure wave generator

A moving magnet linear motor compressor or pressure wave generator (PWG) of 2 cc swept volume with dual opposed piston configuration has been developed to operate miniature pulse tube coolers. Prelimnary experiments yielded only a no-load cold end temperature of 180 K. Auxiliary tests and the interpretation of detailed modeling of a PWG suggest that much of the PV power has been lost in the form of blow-by at piston seals due to large and non-optimum clearance seal gap between piston and cylinder. The results of experimental parameters simulated using Sage provide the optimum seal gap value for maximizing the delivered PV power.

Relaxor behaviour in BaBi4Ti4O15 ceramics fabricated using the powders obtained by mechanochemically assisted synthesis route

Mechanochemically activated reactants were found to facilitate the synthesis of fine powders comprising 200-400 nm range crystallites of BaBi4Ti4O15 at a significantly lower temperature (700 A degrees C) than that of solid-state reaction route. Reactants (CaCO3, Bi2O3 and TiO2) in stoichiometric ratio were ball milled for 48 h to obtain homogeneous mixture. The evolution of the BaBi4Ti4O15 phase was systematically followed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to probe its structural and microstructural details. The electron diffraction studies established the presence of correlated octahedral rotations and associated long-range polar ordering. High-resolution TEM imaging nevertheless revealed structural inhomogeneities leading to intergrowth defects. Dense BaBi4Ti4O15 ceramics with an average grain size of 0.9 mu m were fabricated using mechanochemically assisted synthesized powders at relatively low temperature (1000 A degrees C). The effect of grain size on the dielectric and relaxor behaviour of BaBi4Ti4O15 ceramics was investigated. Fine-grained ceramics (average grain size similar to 0.9 mu m) showed higher diffusion in phase transition, lower temperature of phase transition, lower Vogel-Fulcher freezing temperature and higher activation energy for the polarization reversal than those for coarse-grained ceramics (average grain size similar to 7 mu m) fabricated via the conventional solid-state reaction route.

液层厚度对浮力-热毛细对流面型的影响

将Michelson光学干涉测量系统与图像处理技术相结合,发展形成一种实时诊断热毛细对流和浮力对流流体表面形貌的实验测量系统.采用光学干涉测量方法研究了两端带有温差的矩形池内薄层流体的对流、表面变形、以及表面波的基本问题.应用Fourier变换方法对实验结果进行计算和分析,得到了流体表面变形和表面波的定量的实验结果.实验结果表明了在浮力-热毛细对流的发展过程中,首先出现流体的表面变形,之后在该变形的基础上,叠加了一个表面波的信息,该表面变形和表面波与流体的温度梯度、表面张力、以及浮力有直接的关系;表面波隐藏在表面变形内.

Efecto de distintos intervalos de mediciones de leche sobre la estimación de producción de leche total, repetibilidad y la forma de la curva de lactancia en un hato reyna

El presente trabajo se realizó con el objetivo de estudiar el efecto de cuatro intervalos de medición de leche (diario, cada 7, 14 y 28 días) sobre la producción de leche total, la repetibilidad y la forma de la curva de lactancia. Para lo cual se utilizaron los registros productivos y reproductivos del hato criollo Reyna de la Finca San José ubicada en Masatepe, Nicaragua. Se estudiaron 105 lactancia provenientes de 28 vacas durante el periodo de 1982 - 1990. Las características estudiadas fueron PLTOT, repetibilidad y la forma de la curva de lactancia. Todos los análisis estadísticos fueron realizados con el procedimiento de mínimos cuadrados y máxima verosimilitud establecido en el paquete estadístico LSMLMW

Evaluación agronómica y uso eficiente de nitrógeno en veinticuatro lineas de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) en el municipio de Posoltega, departamento de Chinandega, 2003

La producción de alimentos básicos es una prioridad que está siendo fuertemente investigada en la actualidad, entre éstos se encuentra el sorgo con endosperma blanco que constituye una alternativa viable para el consumo en zonas de escasas precipitaciones. Con el fin de evaluar el comportamiento agronómico y productivo de líneas, se condujo este estudio en el Centro Experimental de Occidente (CEO), ubicado en el municipio de Posoltega, departamento de Chinandega con coordenadas de 12º33’ de latitud norte y 85º59’ de longitud oeste a una elevación de 80 msnm, en suelos de textura franco-arenosa en la época de postrera comprendida de septiembre a diciembre de 2003. Se utilizó un diseño bifactorial en Bloques Completos al Azar (BCA) con cuatro repeticiones. Los factores evaluados fueron 24 líneas de sorgo y un testigo local (Pinolero 1) con aplicación de fondo de 193.64 kg de completo 12-30-10 ha-1, y dos niveles de fertilización nitrogenada 0 y 112 kg de N ha-1 con UREA 46%, fraccionada en dos aplicaciones. Los resultados reflejan que la mayoría de las variables evaluadas presentan diferencias significativas para ambos factores (A y B) a excepción de la variable altura de planta que no presenta significancia para el factor B, la interacción no tuvo significancia para ninguna variable. El rendimiento de grano mostró diferencias altamente significativas para ambos factores y para la interacción, sobresaliendo la línea SOBERANO con 3271.44 kg ha-1 para el factor A. En la interacción, los mayores rendimientos de grano se presentaron cuando se aplicó 112 kg de N ha-1 al suelo, sobresaliendo las líneas ICSVLM_ 89513, 89524, 93081, 90510, 93074 y SOBERANO con rendimientos de grano entre 4844.08 y 4016.22 kg ha-1 en orden descendiente. Sin embargo la línea ICSVLM_90538 con rendimiento de 2847 kg ha-1 con el nivel cero aplicación de nitrógeno (UREA 46%) logró superar el rendimiento promedio nacional. Las líneas que expresaron un mejor Uso Eficiente de Nitrógeno (UEN) fueron ICSVLM_89544 con 93.5% de relación de eficiencia, ICSVLM_93065 con 90% de eficiencia fisiológica e ICSVLM_89524 con 80.3% de eficiencia de recuperación.

Área de preservação permanente em áreas urbanas

Consultora Legislativa - Área XI - Meio Ambiente e Direito Ambiental, Organização Territorial, Desenvolvimento Urbano e Regional

Wetland Tracker Data Collection Central Coast (Morro Bay Region)

The goal of this project was to gather information on wetland restoration projects in the Moro Bay, California, region. Data provided to the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) will be used to enhance a web-based, public access database, the Bay Area Wetland Project Tracker. Wetland Tracker provides information on the location, size, sponsors, habitats, contact persons, and status of included projects. Its website provides an interactive map of planned and completed wetland projects (http://www.wetlandtracker.org). (Document contains 4 pages)

Parametric excitation of Rb-87 atoms in a quadrupole-Ioffe-configuration trap

We have experimentally studied the parametric excitation of Rb-87 atoms in a quadrupole-Ioffe-configuration trap. The temperature of an atomic cloud and number of trapped atoms versus time and modulation frequency of the parametric excitation field have been measured. We also noticed that the contribution of atomic collisions to the energy distributions can not be ignored in the case of weak excitation, which results in a lower temperature of the atomic cloud than by Gehm [Phys. Rev. A 58, 3914 (1998)] predicted.

克隆植物的分布及其与环境和物种多样性的关系

　　中国植被的1860个样方资料的统计结果表明，克隆植物存在于不同类型的生态系统中，并在大部分生态系统中占有重要地位。同非克隆植物相比，克隆植物大多具有更强的适应环境压力的能力。在高纬度、高海拔地区，克隆植物的丰富度较高。在寒冷、低氮含量、养分贫瘠的生境中出现频率较高。在高山草甸、冻原、高山裸岩和砾石稀疏植被带等胁迫生境中克隆植物占的比例较高。克隆植物中，具有不同克隆生长器官的植物在不同生境中出现频率不同。根起源克隆植物在低纬度、低海拔，以及较温暖、湿润的生境中丰富度较高，相反，茎起源克隆植物在高纬度、高海拔，较寒冷、干旱的生境中丰富度较高。根起源克隆植物中，根出条型植物的生境条件和根起源克隆植物的相同，出现在灌丛、阔叶林和竹林中的频率较高;茎起源克隆植物中，根茎型植物的生境条件和茎起源植物的相同，出现在水生植被、草甸和草原中的频率较高，而匍匐茎型植物在较温暖、湿润、阴蔽的生境中出现频率较高。不同克隆生长构型的植物对生境的适应性不同。密集型克隆植物在高纬度、高海拔，寒冷、养分贫瘠生境中较丰富，如高山灌丛、草原，荒漠草原;同密集型克隆植物相比，游击型克隆植物在低纬度、低海拔，相对温暖、湿润的生境中丰富度较高，如水生植被、草甸。 　　在低植物密度生境中，物种多样性随密集型和游击型克隆植物相对重要值的增加而增加。在高植物密度生境中，高度密集的密集型克隆分株，阻止其它物种的定居，容易形成局部垄断的格局，从而降低群落物种多样性。当游击型克隆植物进入高密度生境中时，它会借助于其分散分株的空间扩展优势迅速在生境中取得优势地位，排斥其它物种，导致物种多样性的降低。群落中克隆性与多样性的关系同植物的克隆生长构型和克隆植物种群内部的调节机制，以及植物的生境状况有关系。在低密度生境中，物种多样性随克隆植物重要性的增加而增加，在高密度生境中，物种多样性随克隆植物重要性的增加而降低。克隆性与多样性的关系还需要通过生态学实验深入研究。

猕猴的半透明带分析法——精子活动度和卵母细胞成熟度对精卵结合率的影响

透明带是精卵相互作用的首要部位,精子与透明带结合是受精过程中初始而关键的一步,这与精子活力和卵的成熟度密切相关.目前检测精子的受精潜力和探讨精卵相互作用的机理尚无较理想的实验模型,Burkman等首先在人的体外受精(IVF)研究中建立的半透明带分析法(Hemizona assay,HZA),利用一分为二,功能相同的半透明带,在进行精子与透明带结合及相互作用的比较研究中,具有明显的优点.利用HZA检测精子活力与受精率的关系在人的IVF中得到肯定的验证.应用HZA还发现,不同发育阶段的卵(超数排卵方法获

Fiber laser processing of amorphous rare earth NeFeB magnetic materials

Since the exchange coupling theory was proposed by Kneller and Hawig in 1991 there has been a significant effort within the magnetic materials community to enhance the performance of rare earth magnets by utilising nano-composite meta-materials. Inclusions of magnetically soft iron smaller than approximately 10 nm in diameter are exchange coupled to a surrounding magnetically hard Nd2Fe14B matrix and provide an enhanced saturisation magnetisation without reducing coercivity. For such a fine nanostructure to be produced, close control over the thermal history of the material is needed. A processing route which provides this is laser annealing from an amorphous alloy precursor. In the current work, relationships between laser parameters, thermal histories of laser processed amorphous stoichiometric NdFeB ribbons and the magnetic properties of the resulting nanocrystalline products have been determined with a view to applying the process to thick film nanocomposite magnet production.