Adaptive remeshing for ductile fracture prediction in metal formingRemaillage adaptatif pour la prévision de la rupture ductile en mise en forme

The analysis of mechanical structures using the Finite Element Method in the framework of large elastoplastic strain, needs frequent remeshing of the deformed domain during computation. Indeed, the remeshing is due to the large geometrical distortion of finite elements and the adaptation to the physical behavior of the solution. This paper gives the necessary steps to remesh a mechanical structure during large elastoplastic deformations with damage. An important part of this process is constituted by geometrical and physical error estimates. The proposed method is integrated in a computational environment using the ABAQUS/Explicit solver and the BL2D-V2 adaptive mesher. To cite this article: H. Borouchaki et al., C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 709–716.     

A Note on Log-Convexity of q-Catalan Numbers

The q-Catalan numbers studied by Carlitz and Riordan are polynomials in q with nonnegative coefficients. They evaluate, at q = 1, to the Catalan numbers: 1, 1, 2, 5, 14,…, a log-convex sequence. We use a combinatorial interpretation of these polynomials to prove a q-log-convexity result. The sequence of q-Catalan numbers is not q-log-convex in the narrow sense used by other authors, so our work suggests a more flexible definition of q-log convex be adopted. Received January 2, 2007     

Identifying Linking-Pin Organizations in Inter-Organizational Networks

Within the large literature on inter-organizational networks, there has been some discussion of linking-pin organizations and the role they play in integrating these networks. Based on this verbal specification of linking-pin organizations, we construct operational criteria and empirical methods for identifying these structurally important organizations in potentially large and complex inter-organizational networks. These methods are based on ideas drawn from blockmodeling, structural holes, centrality and centralization of networks, and identifying cut-points in networks. These methods are applied to a constructed example and then to real empirical inter-organizational networks. Implications and contrasts with other methods are discussed, together with some open problems.     

Evaluation of Polycation-Stabilized Lactate Oxidase in a Silica Sol–Gel as a Biosensor Platform

 Whereas glucose oxidase and related proteins are encapsulated readily in silica sol–gels, α-hydroxy enzymes such as lactate oxidase (LOx), are reported to be damaged by electrostatic interaction with these matrices. Based on a previous report, poly(ethyleneimine), PEI, was evaluated as a protecting compound under conditions suited to analytical measurements. With LOx and PEI co-encapsulated in a silica sol–gel, the enzyme retained 62% of its initial activity after 20 days. In the absence of PEI, activity was lost during the processing. Batch analytical measurements with enzyme-doped sol–gel yielded a linear response over the range 0.5–2.0 mM lactate and a detection limit of 0.03 mM lactate. Both simple incorporation of LOx in a silica sol–gel and an alternative protection method, blocking the ion-exchange sites on silica with La(III), failed. These negative results supported the hypothesis that the efficacy of PEI was related to its formation of a protective sheath around the enzyme. Author for correspondence. E-mail: coxja@muohio.edu Received July 29, 2002; accepted December 15, 2002 Published online May 19, 2003     

La condensation de la matrice masse,ou mass-lumping,pour les éléments finis mixtes de Raviart–Thomas–Nédélec d'ordre 1

. We present practical means to obtain a positive diagonal matrix for the first order Raviart–Thomas–Nédélec finite elements. Applying it to the second order Maxwell equations allows us to use explicit time schemes to solve the resulting differential system. To cite this article: P. Lacoste, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 339 (2004).     

Elliptic divisibility sequences over certain curves

Let n?5 be an integer. We provide an effective method for finding all elliptic curves in short Weierstrass form E/Q with j(E)∈{0,1728} and all P∈E(Q) such that the nth term in the elliptic divisibility sequence defined by P over E fails to have a primitive divisor. In particular, we improve recent results of Everest, Mclaren, and Ward on the Zsigmondy bounds of elliptic divisibility sequences associated with congruent number curves.     

Spinors, Inflation, and Non-Singular Cyclic Cosmologies

We consider toy cosmological models in which a classical, homogeneous, spinor field provides a dominant or sub-dominant contribution to the energy-momentum tensor of a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe. We find that, if such a field were to exist, appropriate choices of the spinor self-interaction would generate a rich variety of behaviors, quite different from their widely studied scalar field counterparts. We first discuss solutions that incorporate a stage of cosmic inflation and estimate the primordial spectrum of density perturbations seeded during such a stage. Inflation driven by a spinor field turns out to be unappealing as it leads to a blue spectrum of perturbations and requires considerable fine-tuning of parameters. We next find that, for simple, quartic spinor self-interactions, non-singular cyclic cosmologies exist with reasonable parameter choices. These solutions might eventually be incorporated into a successful past- and future-eternal cosmological model free of singularities. In an Appendix, we discuss the classical treatment of spinors and argue that certain quantum systems might be approximated in terms of such fields.     

On regularity of a weak solution to the Navier–Stokes equation with generalized impermeability boundary conditions

We consider the 3D Navier–Stokes equation with generalized impermeability boundary conditions. As auxiliary results, we prove the local in time existence of a strong solution (‘strong’ in a limited sense) and a theorem on structure. Then, taking advantage of the boundary conditions, we formulate sufficient conditions for regularity up to the boundary of a weak solution by means of requirements on one of the eigenvalues of the rate of deformation tensor. Finally, we apply these general results to the case of an axially symmetric flow with zero angular velocity.     

Baer orderings with noninvariant valuation ring

We construct division algebras with involution containing a Baer ordering with noninvariant order ring. This gives a negative answer to a question of Holland, whether the order ring is always invariant under inner automorphisms. Furthermore, we give examples of any index. Previously, the only known examples of division algebras containing Baer orderings were of index 2 ⁿ or of indexp forp a prime of the form 4m + 3. Supported in part by the National Science Foundation.