Application of the continuum shell finite element SHB8PS to sheet forming simulation using an extended large strain anisotropic elastic–plastic formulation

This paper proposes an extension of the SHB8PS solid–shell finite element to large strain anisotropic elasto-plasticity, with application to several non-linear benchmark tests including sheet metal forming simulations. This hexahedral linear element has an arbitrary number of integration points distributed along a single line, defining the “thickness” direction; and to control the hourglass modes inherent to this reduced integration, a physical stabilization technique is used. In addition, the assumed strain method is adopted for the elimination of locking. The implementation of the element in Abaqus/Standard via the UEL user subroutine has been assessed through a variety of benchmark problems involving geometric non-linearities, anisotropic plasticity, large deformation and contact. Initially designed for the efficient simulation of elastic–plastic thin structures, the SHB8PS exhibits interesting potentialities for sheet metal forming applications—both in terms of efficiency and accuracy. The element shows good performance on the selected tests, including springback and earing predictions for Numisheet benchmark problems.     

Chemometric Optimization of Biologically Active Compounds Extraction from Grape Marc: Composition and Antimicrobial Activity

The article focuses on the optimization of the extraction process of biologically active compounds (BAC) from grape marc—a by-product of the wine industry. The influence of temperature, specifically 30 °C, 45 °C and 65 °C, and ethanol concentration in solutions, specifically 0–96% (v/v) on the extraction yield of polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins and anthocyanins, were investigated. The composition of individual polyphenols, anthocyanins and organic acids, antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS) and CIELab chromatic characteristics of the grape marc extracts (GME), were characterized. The microbiostatic and microbicidal effects in direct contact of GME with pathogenic microorganisms, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, were determined in vitro. The influence of extraction parameters on the total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), tannin content (TC), total anthocyanin content (TAC) and their interdependencies were studied using information analysis. A mathematical model was developed on cubic spline functions. The analysis of individual compounds showed the presence of a wide range of flavonoids (procyanidin B2, procyanidin B1, hyperoside and quercetin), flavones (catechin), hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives (gallic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic acids, m-hydroxybenzoic acid, syringic acid), hydroxycinic acid derivatives and ferulic acid methyl ester. The malvidol-3-glucoside was the main anthocyanin identified in the extract. A high amount of tartaric acid was also found. GME showed significant antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and lower activity against Gram-negative bacteria.     

Investigation of the complexation of essential oil components with cyclodextrins

The formation of inclusion complexes of six essential oil (EO) components (β-caryophyllene, cis-ocimene, trans-ocimene, sabinene hydrate (thujanol), γ-terpinene and α-terpineol) with six cyclodextrins (CDs) (α-CD, β-CD, γ-CD, HP-β-CD, RAMEB and CRYSMEB) was investigated by using static headspace-gas chromatography and UV–visible spectroscopy. Retention studies showed that CDs could efficiently reduce the volatility of EO components except for β-caryophyllene with α-CD. In this case, no inclusion complex was detected while for other compounds the formation of 1:1 inclusion complexes was observed. Results revealed that the inclusion stability mainly depends on geometric complementarity between encapsulated molecule and CD's cavity. Molecular modelling was used to investigate the complementarities between host and guest. Thus, CDs could efficiently be regarded as promising encapsulants for EO components leading to improve their application in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and agriculture fields.     

Measurement of production date (age) of nanogram amount of uranium

JRC-Karlsruhe obtained a swipe sample from a highly enriched uranium seizure, which had taken place in 2011. Due to the very low amount of uranium (nanograms) a new method needed to be developed to determine the U production date (age). The particles on the swipe were collected on a pyrolytic graphite planchet using a vacuum impactor and they were subsequently leached with ccHNO₃. The “bulk” U isotopic composition (²³⁵U: 72.51?±?0.03 wt%) and the production date (December 1992?±?1 year) determined by MC-ICP-MS indicated that the material showed similarity with two other HEU cases seized earlier in Europe.

     

2-microlocal analysis of martingales and stochastic integrals

Recently, a new approach in the fine analysis of sample paths of stochastic processes has been developed to predict the evolution of the local regularity under (pseudo-)differential operators. In this paper, we study the sample paths of continuous martingales and stochastic integrals. We proved that the almost sure 2-microlocal frontier of a martingale can be obtained through the local regularity of its quadratic variation. It allows to link the Hölder regularity of a stochastic integral to the regularity of the integrand and integrator processes. These results provide a methodology to predict the local regularity of diffusions from the fine analysis of its coefficients. We illustrate our work with examples of martingales with unusual complex regularity behaviour and square of Bessel processes.     

Inverse problem for the reaction diffusion system by optimization method

In this paper, we study an inverse problem of reconstructing two time independent coefficients in the reaction diffusion system from the final measurement. First the given problem is transformed into an optimization problem by using optimal control framework and the existence of the minimizer for the control functional is established. Then we prove the stability estimate for two coefficients with the upper bound given by some Sobolev norms of the final measurement.     

Standard monomial theory for desingularized Richardson varieties in the flag variety GL(n)/B

We consider a desingularization Γ of a Richardson variety in the variety of complete flags, obtained as a fibre of a projection from a certain Bott-Samelson variety Z. For any projective embedding of Z via a complete linear system, we construct a basis of the homogeneous coordinate ring of Γ inside Z, indexed by combinatorial objects which we call w ₀ -standard tableaux.     

A Morita Context and Galois Extensions for Quasi-Hopf Algebras

If H is a finite dimensional quasi-Hopf algebra and A is a left H-module algebra, we show that there is a Morita context connecting the smash product A#H and the subalgebra of invariants A ^H . We define also Galois extensions and prove the connection with this Morita context, as in the Hopf case.