Numerical and experimental characterization of antenna positioning in a dual-radio mesh router

This paper investigates the influence of the position of the antennas in a dual-radio mesh router by characterizing the router components from an electromagnetic point of view. Since the behavior of a wireless router equipped with multiple devices and antennas can be affected by mutual coupling among several close conducting bodies, numerical and experimental tests are carried out to provide some suggestions for an accurate positioning of the antennas. A reference configuration is implemented in an electromagnetic Computer-Aided Design (CAD) simulator. The most significant numerical results are validated by performing a campaign of measurements in anechoic chamber and deploying a testbed for the derivation of the experimental values of throughput, return loss, power density, and directivity.     

Nitsche’s method for two and three dimensional NURBS patch coupling

We present a Nitche’s method to couple non-conforming two and three-dimensional non uniform rational b-splines (NURBS) patches in the context of isogeometric analysis. We present results for linear elastostatics in two and and three-dimensions. The method can deal with surface-surface or volume-volume coupling, and we show how it can be used to handle heterogeneities such as inclusions. We also present preliminary results on modal analysis. This simple coupling method has the potential to increase the applicability of NURBS-based isogeometric analysis for practical applications.     

Study of the laboratory Vane test on mortars

The Vane method (Vane test) is a simple but efficient method to measure the yield stress among other properties of non-Newtonian fluids. These fluids exhibit big flow effects in flat surfaces which are common in rheometers devices of different types (parallel disk or coaxial cylinder types). The yield stress values obtained with Vane method, in pastes, gels, soils and concentrated suspensions, have presented good agreement with results found elsewhere by most of the rheologic methods shown in the literature. The aim of this work is presenting a discussion on the capabilities of the Vane method, highlighting the theoretical basis, the functioning principle with some operational particularities, and some applications of the method in investigating the properties of fresh rendering mortars.     

Topologically controlled growth of magnetic-metal-functionalized semiconductor oxide nanorods

Colloidal semiconductor-magnetic hybrid nanocrystals with topologically controlled composition are fabricated by heterogeneous nucleation of spherical epsilon-Co domains onto anatase TiO2 nanorods. The latter can be selectively decorated at either their tips or at multiple locations along their longitudinal sidewalls, forming lattice-matched heterointerfaces regardless of the metal deposition sites. The possibility of switching between either heterostructure growth modes arises from the facet-dependent chemical reactivity of the oxide seeds, which is governed mainly by selective adhesion of the surfactants rather than by small differences in misfit-induced interfacial strain at the relevant junction points.     

Verification of cardiac tissue electrophysiology simulators using an N-version benchmark

Ongoing developments in cardiac modelling have resulted, in particular, in the development of advanced and increasingly complex computational frameworks for simulating cardiac tissue electrophysiology. The goal of these simulations is often to represent the detailed physiology and pathologies of the heart using codes that exploit the computational potential of high-performance computing architectures. These developments have rapidly progressed the simulation capacity of cardiac virtual physiological human style models; however, they have also made it increasingly challenging to verify that a given code provides a faithful representation of the purported governing equations and corresponding solution techniques. This study provides the first cardiac tissue electrophysiology simulation benchmark to allow these codes to be verified. The benchmark was successfully evaluated on 11 simulation platforms to generate a consensus gold-standard converged solution. The benchmark definition in combination with the gold-standard solution can now be used to verify new simulation codes and numerical methods in the future.     

Controlled synthesis of carbon nanostructures using aligned ZnO nanorods as templates

By combining in situ X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, ex situ high resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, we show that chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on vertically aligned ZnO nanorods can synthesize different carbon nanostructures (CNs), whose morphology is driven by the ZnO nanorods and whose dimensions and structures change as a function of the process temperature. The CNs range from amorphous carbon cups, completely covering the nanorods, to high density one-dimensional carbon nano-dendrites (CNDs), which start to appear like short hairs on the ZnO nanorods. The nanorods are partially etched when the process is done at 630–800 °C, while they are completely etched at temperatures higher than 800 °C. In the latter case, CNDs emerge from a porous carbon sponge formed at the substrate interface but they are preferentially aligned along the location of the pristine ZnO nanorods. When used as a chemiresisitor the CND–ZnO structures have a higher sensitivity to ammonia compared to chemiresistors made by bare ZnO nanorods, to other one-dimensional CNs, like carbon nanotubes or other metal/metal-oxides hybrid CNs.     

Variable order metrics for decision diagrams in system verification

International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer - Decision diagrams (DDs) are widely used in system verification to compute and store the state space of finite discrete events...     

Severe myocardial dysfunction and coronary revascularization

Severe myocardial dysfunction, characterized by global hypokinesis, or akinetic areas with hypokinesis of the remaining wall, and a very low ejection fraction (EF), has been considered to be a contraindication for coronary revascularization (CABG). However, myocardial scintigraphy and echo-stress data have shown that hypo- or akinetic areas can regain their contractility. Therefore, we expanded the indications for CABG, and performed operations even upon patients who were waiting for a heart transplant. Between January 1993 and June 1995, among 352 patients who underwent CABG, 85 had highly depressed left ventricular function. Their resting EF was lower than 0.35, and in 27 it was lower than 0.25. Viable areas of myocardium were found in all of the patients through the combination of scintigraphy and dobutamine-echocardiography: these areas depended on significant coronary lesions. The mean age of the patients was 48.2 years (range 33-62 years); angina was present in 62 patients. A mean of 3.1 grafts/patient were implanted; enoximone was used in all but 5 patients upon weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass; intra-aortic balloon pump was used in 9 cases. Operative mortality was 10.6% (9 patients), due to low-output syndrome in 5, acute myocardial infarction in 2, cerebral damage in 1, and respiratory failure in 1. At the 6-month follow-up, EF was improved in all but 7 patients, in whom it remained unchanged. Scintigraphic and echocardiographic tests revealed good function in most of the areas that had been previously recognized as hypo- or akinetic. These results suggest that the indications for standard myocardial revascularization can be expanded, and a promising option can be offered to patients who may otherwise be destined to wait for an uncertain transplantation.     

Silk fibroin nanofibers electrospun on glass fiber as a potential device for solid phase microextraction

The electrospinning technique was applied to coat fused silica fibers with regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) nanofibers, aiming to build a device applicable for solid phase microextraction analysis. The device was characterized by attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy, thermal analyses (differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis), and scanning electron microscopy, and employed to extract/desorb isopropyl alcohol (IPA) from the headspace of an IPA aqueous solution. The electrospun coating proved to be thermally stable up to 250°C, even after 4 h of exposure to this temperature. A 2² factorial experimental design was used to evaluate the flow rate of the polymer solution and the distance between capillary tip and collector on the mean RSF fiber diameter. A low flow rate (0.20 mL h^?1) and large capillary tip‐to‐collector distance (12 cm) yielded fibers with mean diameter of (304 ± 46 nm). The nanofibers were heated to 250°C, simulating the conditions in the injector of a gas chromatograph (GC). In these conditions, the RSF nanofibers were found not to melt even after 4 h of exposure to heat, although slight structural damage was detected. Preliminary assays using the as‐constructed device built under optimized electrospinning conditions (0.20 mL h^?1 and 12 cm) were performed in a GC by contact with the headspace of a 50 ppm IPA solution to determine the extraction and desorption times. The results indicated that the extraction process stabilized after 20 min of contact with the headspace of the IPA solution. The desorption process was complete after 10 min at 140°C. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41717.