A finite element method for cracked components of structures

In this paper, a method is developed for determining the effective stiffness of the cracked component. The stiffness matrix of the cracked component is integrated into the global stiffness matrix of the finite element model of the global platform for the FE calculation of the structure in any environmental conditions. The stiffness matrix equation of the cracked component is derived by use of the finite variation principle and fracture mechanics. The equivalent parameters defining the element that simulates the cracked component are mathematically presented, and can be easily used for the FE calculation of large scale cracked structures together with any finite element program. The theories developed are validated by both lab tests and numerical calculations, and applied to the evaluation of crack effect on the strength of a fixed platform and a self-elevating drilling rig.

Evaluation of manufacturing techniques for a minifluidics demonstrator system

A multi-disciplinary team based at Heriot-Watt University and other Universities has been set up to tackle the design and manufacturing of lab-on-a-chip for industries as one of the demonstrators of the EPSRC Grand Challenge project "3D-Mintegration". The team focuses on the analysis of foetal genetic material extracted from maternal blood as a smart alternative to invasive prenatal testing such as amniocentesis. The first module of the microsystem envisaged achieves a separation of blood cells from plasma. This system permits the testing of different manufacturing techniques.

Manejo de malezas bajo dos sistemas de labranza en cultivo de soya (Glycine max (L.) Merril)

El presente trabajo fue realizado en el Centro Experimental del Algodón, en el ciclo agrícola 1989-1990 con el objetivo de estudiar la influencia del control químico y la Labranza Minina y Convencional en las poblaciones de malezas, durante el primer ciclo del cultivo de soya. Se utilizó un diseño de Bloque Completos al Azar non tres tratamientos y cuatro repeticiones. Se realizaron recuentos de malezas a los 15, 30 y 45 días después de la emergencia del cultivo. Se tomaron datos de individuos/especie y biomasa seca de malezas en un metro cuadrado. Al final se midió el rendimiento del cultivo en Kg/ha Los Tratamientos fueron: Tratamiento (Lab. Min; Lab. Min; Lab. Conv.) N. Común (Paraguat; Glifosto; Imazaquin + Pendimentalin) N. Comercial (Gramoxone; Roundup; Scepter + Prowl) Dosis (1/ha) (2.13; 4.26; 0.99+1.42) En el estudio se encontró que el mejor tratamiento fue donde se utilizó Labranza Convencional y control de malezas ron Scepter y Prowl.

The Nonlinear Phenomena Of Thin Polydimethylsiloxane (Pdms) Films In Electrowetting

Electrowetting (EW) is an effective way to manipulate small volume liquid in micro- and nano-devices, for it can improve its wettability. Since the late 1990s, electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) has been used widely in bio-MEMS, lab-on-a-chip, etc. Polydimethlsiloxane (PDMS) is extensively utilized as base materials in the fabrication of biomedical micro- and nano-devices. The properties of thin PDMS films used as dielectric layer in EW are studied in this paper. The experimental results show that the thin PDMS films exhibit good properties in EWOD. As to PDMS films with different thicknesses, a threshold voltage and a hysteresis were observed in the EIWOD experiments.

Role Of Vertical Component Of Surface Tension Of The Droplet On The Elastic Deformation Of Pdms Membrane

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) has been widely used in lab-on-a-chip and micro- total analysis systems (mu-TAS), thus wetting and electrowetting behaviors of PDMS are of great importance in these devices. PDMS is a kind of soft polymer material, so the elastic deformation of PDMS membrane by a droplet cannot be neglected due to the vertical component of the interfacial tension between the liquid and vapor, and this vertical component of liquid-vapor surface tension is also balanced by the stress distribution within the PDMS membrane. Such elastic deformation and stress distribution not only affect the exact measurement of contact angle, but also have influence on the micro-fluidic behavior of the devices. Using ANSYS code, we simulated numerically the elastic deformation and stress distribution of PDMS membrane on a rigid substrate due to the liquid-vapor surface tension. It is found that the vertical elastic deformation of the PDMS membrane is on the order of several tens of nanometers due to the application of a droplet with a diameter of 2.31 mm, which is no longer negligible for lab-on-a-chip and mu-TAS. The vertical elastic deformation increases with the thickness of the PDMS membrane, and there exists a saturated membrane thickness, regarded as a semi-infinite membrane thickness, and the vertical elastic deformation reaches a limiting value when the membrane thickness is equal to or thicker than such saturated thickness. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2008.

Estudio comparativo entre los métodos diagnósticos para mastitis subclínicas, California Test y DRAMINSKI 4Q en vacas Jersey, Diriamba – Carazo, Agosto –Octubre, 2015

El presente estudio se realizó con el objetivo de proporcionar una nueva herramienta de diagnóstico de mastitis subclínica bovina a nivel de campoy reducir las pérdidas económicas ocasionadas por la mastitis subclínica a los productores mediante el diagnóstico temprano, esto se pretende lograr mediante la comparación de dos métodos de diagnóstico como son California Mastitis Test y Detector de mastitis subclínica DRAMINSKI 4Q, el estudio se realizó en la finca “Santana” ubicada en el municipio de Diriamba, departamento de Carazo, ubicada en las coordenadas 11°49´59.9” latitud norte y de 86°14´21.1”longitud oeste con una altura aproximada a 580msnm, fueron utilizados 19 hembras las cuales estaban entre dos y tres lactancias, fueron muestreadas por cinco semanas consecutivas en el segundo ordeño, se utilizaron ambos métodos de diagnóstico iniciando por el DRAMINSKI debido a las indicaciones del equipo, se deben utilizar los primeros chorros de leche para obtener mejores resultados, posteriormente se utilizó la prueba california en las mismas vacas, de los cuartos que dieron positivo a uno o ambos métodos de diagnóstico se procedió a tomar la muestra de leche para llevarlo al laboratorio y de esta forma verificar el resultado mediante aislamiento e identificación bacteriana. Los datos fueron analizados mediante la realización de bases de datos Excel y mediante la utilización de la prueba de dependencia para CHI-CUADRADO, en los resultados se obtuvo que no hubo dependencia entre los métodos diagnósticos, pero las diferencias obtenidas no fueron significativas entre uno y otro. En el porcentaje de efectividad en los diagnósticos, para los resultados de DRAMINSKI se obtuvo un 97.38 % de efectividad en el diagnóstico correcto y un 2.62 % de diagnósticos incorrectos versus un 96.11 % de diagnósticos correctos y un 3.89 % de diagnósticos incorrectos que obtuvo la prueba California, los microorganismos aislados causantes de mastitis fueron Staphylococos aureus y Pseudomona aeruginosa.

Do experimental subjects favor their friends?

Ideally we would like subjects of experiments to be perfect strangers so that the situation they face at the lab is not just part of a long run interaction. Unfortunately, it is not easy to reach those conditions and experimenters try to mitigate any effects from those out-of-the-lab relationships by, for instance, randomly matching subjects. However, even if this type of procedure is used, there is a positive probability that a subject may face a friend or an acquaintance. We find evidence that social proximity between subjects is irrelevant to experiment results in dictator games. Thus, although ideal conditions are not met, relations between subjects do not contaminate the results of experiments.

Diário da Constituinte [gravação de vídeo] : [programa n. 172]

Parlamentares de todos os partidos procuram o consenso em torno do projeto de Constituição. O Deputado Israel Pinheiro Filho (PMDB-MG) esclarece que a preocupação é encontrar um texto constitucional que seja mais reduzido, mais enxuto, mas que represente a vontade da sociedade brasileira. Pacifistas denunciam a fabricação indiscriminada de armas nucleares, quarenta e dois anos após a Bomba de Hiroshima. O atual projeto de Constituição admite o uso da energia nuclear somente para fins pacíficos. O Deputado Fabio Feldmann (PMDB-SP) esclarece que muitas pessoas defendem a bomba atômica como um instrumento da paz, o que é um claro absurdo. Ele apoia a emenda popular proposta pela Sociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da Ciência (SBPC) que proíbe a bomba atômica brasileira. Sessão Extraordinária da Assembleia Nacional Constituinte (ANC) debateu a Reforma Agrária. O Deputado Roberto Jefferson (PTB-RJ) criticou a esquerda e considera que a distinção entre terras improdutivas e terras inexploradas deve ser feita pela justiça, pois a violência inviabilizará a Reforma Agrária. O Deputado Aldo Arantes (PC do B-GO) afirma que o atual projeto é a expressão da vontade dos latifundiários e propõe limite ao tamanho das propriedades rurais.

Chemical recycling of municipal packaging waste by pyrolysis

[EN]The present doctoral thesis centers on studying pyrolysis as a chemical recycling technique for rejected packaging waste fractions coming from separation and sorting plants. The pyrolysis experiments have been carried out in a lab-scale installation equipped with a 3.5 L semi-batch reactor and a condensation and collection system for the liquids and gases generated. In the present thesis, an experimental study on the conventional pyrolysis process applied to the aforementioned waste fractions has been conducted, as well as the study of non-conventional or advanced pyrolysis processes such as catalytic and stepwise pyrolysis. The study of the operating parameters has been carried out using a mixed plastics simulated sample, the composition of which is similar to that found in real fractions, and subsequently the optimized process has been applied to real packaging waste. An exhaustive characterization of the solids, liquids and gases obtained in the process has been made after each experiment and their potential uses have been established. Finally, an empirical model that will predict the pyrolysis yields (% organic liquid, % aqueous liquid, % gases, % char, % inorganic solid) as a function of the composition of the initial sample has been developed. As a result of the experimental work done, the requirements have been established for an industrial packaging waste pyrolysis plant that aims to be sufficiently versatile as to generate useful products regardless of the nature of the raw material.

Diário da Constituinte [gravação de vídeo] : [programa n. 225]

Adiado o prazo de entrega do substitutivo, devido a falta de consenso nos temas: reforma agrária e sistema de governo. O Deputado Euclides Scalco (PMDB-PR), vice-líder do PMDB, declara que as negociações continuam. O Relator Bernardo Cabral quer evitar o conflito, para que a Constituição seja concluída este ano. O parlamentarismo é maioria entre os constituintes. Apresentação de estatística sobre a posição dos constituintes em relação ao sistema de governo. O Senador José Fogaça (PMDB-RS) explica a proposta de parlamentarismo adotado de forma gradual. O líder do PFL, Deputado Alceni Guerra (PFL-PR), deseja o apoio do Presidente José Sarney para o parlamentarismo. O Presidente da Assembleia Nacional Constituinte - ANC, Deputado Ulysses Guimarães informa que o número de temas polêmicos diminuíram. O líder do PDC, Deputado Siqueira Campos (PDC-GO), o vice-líder do PTB, Deputado Roberto Jefferson (PTB-RJ) e o líder do PDS, Deputado Amaral Netto (PDS-RJ) aprovam o adiamento. O líder do PFL, Deputado José Lourenço (PFL-BA) concorda com a prorrogação. O líder do PT, Deputado Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT-SP) considera que a prorrogação permite que os dirigentes sindicais façam pressão para colocar no relatório as reivindicações dos trabalhadores.