1,720,962 research outputs found
Development and calibration of a 1D thermo-fluid dynamic model of ventilation in tunnels
Full text linkIn complex, large civil infrastructures where ventilation has a crucial role for the safety of users in both normal operation and hazardous scenarios, the correct prediction of flow and heat transfer parameters is of fundamental importance. While full 3D simulation is applicable only to a limited extent, and the resort to 1D modeling is a common practice in both design and evaluation phases, the limitation of such models lies in the choice of transfer parameters, such as friction loss coefficients and heat transfer coefficients. In this work, an original approach based on the Finite Volume integration of the 1D flow and energy equations is presented. Such equations are to be solved on a network of ducts, representing the ventilation system in the 11.6 km long Mont Blanc Tunnel with a spatial resolution of 10 m. A preliminary calibration of a set of friction loss coefficients against a rich experimental dataset collected throughout a dedicated set of in situ tests is of particular concern here, as it is carried out by means of genetic optimization algorithms. Predictions of the flow field are in remarkable agreement with the experimental data, with an overall RMS error of - 0.42 m/s. Further refinements and possible parameter choices are also discussed
Robustness of tissue oxygenation estimates by continuous wave space-resolved near infrared spectroscopy
Full text linkSignificance: Continuous wave near infrared spectroscopy (CW-NIRS) is widely exploited in clinics to estimate skeletal muscles and brain cortex oxygenation. Spatially resolved spectroscopy (SRS) is generally implemented in commercial devices. However, SRS suffers from two main limitations: the a priori assumption on the spectral dependence of the reduced scattering coefficient [μs'(λ)] and the modeling of tissue as homogeneous. Aim: We studied the accuracy and robustness of SRS NIRS. We investigated the errors in retrieving hemodynamic parameters, in particular tissue oxygen saturation (StO2), when μs'(λ) was varied from expected values, and when layered tissue was considered. Approach: We simulated hemodynamic variations mimicking real-life scenarios for skeletal muscles. Simulations were performed by exploiting the analytical solutions of the photon diffusion equation in different geometries: (1) semi-infinite homogeneous medium and constant μs'(λ); (2) semi-infinite homogeneous medium and linear changes in μs'(λ); (3) two-layered media with a superficial thickness s1=5, 7.5, 10 mm and constant μs'(λ). All simulated data were obtained at source-detector distances ρ=35, 40, 45 mm, and analyzed with the SRS approach to derive hemodynamic parameters (concentration of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, total hemoglobin concentration, and tissue oxygen saturation, StO2) and their relative error. Results: Variations in μs'(λ) affect the estimated StO2 (up to ±10%), especially if changes are different at the two wavelengths. However, the main limitation of the SRS method is the presence of a superficial layer: errors strongly larger than 20% were retrieved for the estimated StO2 when the superficial thickness exceeds 5 mm. Conclusions: These results highlight the need for more sophisticated strategies (e.g., the use of multiple short and long distances) to reduce the influence of superficial tissues in retrieving hemodynamic parameters and warn the SRS users to be aware of the intrinsic limitation of this approach, particularly when exploited in the clinical environment
An integrated approach for the analysis and modeling of road tunnel ventilation. Part I: Continuous measurement of the longitudinal airflow profile
Full text linkThe knowledge of the flow field inside road tunnels under normal operation, let alone fire conditions, is only approximate and partial. The reason is that while the full three-dimensional, unsteady problem is out of reach of numerical methods, on the other hand accurate measurement of the airflow in road and railway tunnels constitutes an extremely demanding task. The present work, structured as a twofold study, takes up the challenge and proposes an original integrated experimental and numerical approach for the analysis and modeling of flow inside a road tunnel and its ventilation systems, aiming at defining a methodology for the creation of “digital twins” of the system itself, on which advanced ventilation and smoke control strategies can be tested and fine-tuned. In this first part, an innovative experimental facility for the continuous acquisition of the longitudinal velocity profile along the whole length of a road tunnel has been designed and built. The facility consists of a survey rake with five bidirectional vane anemometers, which is mounted on a small electric vehicle that can travel through the tunnel at constant speed. This paper reports the design procedure of the measurement facility, with particular focus on the conception and realization of the vehicle carrying the survey rake. Results of the first experimental campaign carried out under the 11611 meters long Mont Blanc road tunnel are presented to corroborate the validity of the approach adopted and the accuracy of the measurement chain
Relationship between sensory characteristics and optical properties in ‘Conference’ pears
No full textPears are appreciated by consumers for their juicy-buttery texture, sweet flavour and pleasant aroma. Sweetness and juiciness are the main drivers for consumer liking, while firm-grainy textures and lack of flavor are disliked. Thus, it is important that the industry can provide high quality fruit to encourage pears consumption. Nondestructive techniques, such as time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy (TRS), can help producers in discriminating pears with different sensory characteristics to satisfy consumer expectations. The aim of this work was to study the relationship between sensory characteristics, quality, and optical properties (absorption and scattering) measured by TRS, in ‘Conference’ pears. At harvest, fruit were measured by TRS for absorption coefficient at 650 nm (μa650), ranked by μa650 in three maturity classes (less, medium, more mature), and randomized in four samples according to 1-MCP treatment (treated, untreated) and storage atmosphere (air; CA: 2 kPa O2, 1 kPa CO2). After 4 months of storage at -1°C plus 7 days at 20°C, less and more mature pears were measured by TRS at 650, 780 and 940 nm, analyzed for firmness (FF), soluble solids (SS) and acidity (TA) and submitted to sensory analysis. Cluster analysis applied on sensory attributes produced three groups (W1, W2, W3), each one representing a specific sensory profile. W1 showed the lowest scores for sweetness and the highest for sourness and astringency. W2 grouped pears with the lowest scores for firmness and astringency and the highest for sweetness, aroma and acceptability together with the lowest FF, μa940 and μs780 values. W3 showed the highest scores for firmness and graininess and the lowest for juiciness and aroma, coupled with the lowest TA and the highest FF, μa650, μa940 and μs780 values. Discriminant analysis based on TRS optical properties correctly classified W1, W2 and W3 profiles in 27, 92 and 67% of the cases, respectively
An integrated approach for the analysis and modeling of road tunnel ventilation. Part II: Numerical model and its calibration
Full text linkThe present work represents the second and final part of a twofold study aiming at the definition and validation of an integrated methodology for the analysis and modeling of road tunnel ventilation systems. A numerical approach is presented, based on the Finite Volume integration of the 1D mechanical and thermal energy conservation equations on a network of ducts, representing the ventilation system of the 11.6 km long Mont Blanc Tunnel. The set of distributed and concentrated loss coefficients, representing dissipation of mechanical energy by friction in each part of the ventilation system, is calibrated against a rich experimental dataset, collected throughout a dedicated set of in situ tests and presented in the first part of the work. The calibration of the model is carried out by means of genetic optimization algorithms. Predictions of the flow field using the calibrated parameters are in remarkable agreement with the experimental data, with an overall RMS error of ± 0.27 m/s, i.e. of the same order of the accuracy of the measurement probes. Further validation against a selection of field data recorded by the tunnel monitoring and control system is brought forward, highlighting the robustness and potential general applicability of the proposed approach
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
- …
