Sharif Digital Repository

This paper presents a three-dimensional micromechanical model of brain white matter tissue as a transversely isotropic soft composite described by the generalized Ogden hyperelastic model. The embedded element technique, with corrected stiffness redundancy in large deformations, was used for the embedment of a histology-informed probabilistic distribution of the axonal fibers in the extracellular matrix. The model was linked to a multi-objective, multi-parametric optimization algorithm, using the response surface methodology, for characterization of material properties of the axonal fibers and extracellular matrix in an inverse finite element analysis. The optimum hyperelastic... 

This paper presents a bi-directional closed-form analytical solution, in the framework of nonlinear soft composites mechanics, for top-down hyperelastic characterization of brain white matter tissue components, based on the directional homogenized responses of the tissue in the axial and transverse directions. The white matter is considered as a transversely isotropic neo-Hookean composite made of unidirectional distribution of axonal fibers within the extracellular matrix. First, two homogenization formulations are derived for the homogenized axial and transverse shear moduli of the tissue, based on definition of the strain energy density function. Next, the rule of mixtures and... 

Vehicular ad hoc networks have attracted the attention of many researchers during the last years due to the emergence of autonomous vehicles and safety concerns. Most of the frameworks which are proposed for the modeling and analysis VANET applications make use of simulation techniques. Due to the high level of concurrency in these applications, simulation results do not guarantee the correct behavior of the system and more accurate analysis techniques are required. In this paper, we have developed a framework to provide model checking facilities for the analysis of VANET applications. To this end, an actor-based modeling language, Rebeca, is used which is equipped with a variety of model... 

The objective of the present study is to predict Young's modulus of polymer-layered silicate nanocomposites (PLSNs) containing fully intercalated structures. The particular contribution of this article is to consider the changes in structural parameters of different intercalated morphologies in vicinity of each other. These parameters include aspect ratio of intercalated stacks, number of silicate layers per stack, d-spacing between the layers, modulus of the gallery phase, and volume fraction of each intercalated morphology. To do this, the effective particle concept has been employed and combined with the Mori-Tanaka micromechanical model. It has been shown that the simultaneous effects of... 

Carbon dioxide storage in geological formations is one of the mature strategies developed for controlling global warming. This paper represents a comprehensive experimental and geochemical modeling study to analyze CO2-brine-rock interactions in a carbonate rock containing calcite and dolomite minerals. PHREEQC geochemical package has been applied for modeling the geochemical reactions in the studied porous media. Firstly, dynamic experiments are performed to calibrate the geochemical model. Then, static experiments are conducted to study the geochemical reactions in the CO2-brine-rock interaction system. This study contributes to analyzing the precipitation-dissolution and ion exchange... 

For the first time, the mechanism of Fischer esterification between acetic acid and ethanol over silica-functionalized propylsulfonic acid (silica-propyl-SO3H) catalyst was explored by means of computational modeling techniques. For this purpose, 6-edge-atom cage-like cluster comprising Si-O-Si sequences has been selected to represent the surface of the catalyst. The results indicate that the reaction goes through concerted transition states. In all optimized structures no proton (H+) transfer occurs from catalyst to the substrates and the role of the catalyst is via the activation of the substrates through the formation of strong hydrogen bonds (H-bonds). Furthermore, the energetic diagram... 

Background The ratio of total lumbar rotation over pelvic rotation (lumbopelvic rhythm) during trunk sagittal movement is essential to evaluate spinal loads and discriminate between low back pain and asymptomatic population. Methods Angular rotations of the pelvis and lumbar spine as well as their sagittal rhythm during forward flexion and backward extension in upright standing of eight asymptomatic males are measured using an inertial tracking device. The effect of variations in the lumbopelvic ratio during trunk flexion on spinal loads is quantified using a detailed musculoskeletal model. Findings The mean of peak voluntary flexion rotations of the thorax, pelvis, and lumbar was 121 (SD... 

Given measurement difficulties, earlier modeling studies have often used some constant ratios to predict lumbar segmental kinematics from measurements of total lumbar kinematics. Recent imaging studies suggested distribution of lumbar kinematics across its vertebrae changes with trunk rotation, lumbar posture, and presence of load. An optimization-based method is presented and validated in this study to predict segmental kinematics from measured total lumbar kinematics. Specifically, a kinematics-driven biomechanical model of the spine is used in a heuristic optimization procedure to obtain a set of segmental kinematics that, when prescribed to the model, were associated with the minimum... 

The kinematics information from imaging, if combined with optimization-based biomechanical models, may provide a unique platform for personalized assessment of trunk muscle forces (TMFs). Such a method, however, is feasible only if differences in lumbar spine kinematics due to differences in TMFs can be captured by the current imaging techniques. A finite element model of the spine within an optimization procedure was used to estimate segmental kinematics of lumbar spine associated with five different sets of TMFs. Each set of TMFs was associated with a hypothetical trunk neuromuscular strategy that optimized one aspect of lower back biomechanics. For each set of TMFs, the segmental... 

In this study, the effect of strain ageing on mechanical properties of warm-rolled steel is investigated. Warm-rolling experiments together with mechanical testing are employed to investigate the effect of processing parameters on the ageing kinetics during and after warm rolling of a low-carbon steel. To do so, the occurrence of dynamic strain ageing is first determined by means of a two-dimensional thermo-mechanical model and then the effect of this phenomenon on the subsequent static strain ageing after warm rolling is studied employing mechanical testing. The results show that the occurrence of dynamic strain ageing during warm rolling may effectively alter the progress of the subsequent... 

The effect of welding current and polarity, i.e. AC and DCEN, on imposed thermal cycles, mechanical properties, microstructural events and residual stresses was investigated in GTA welding of AA5052. A three-dimensional thermo-mechanical model was utilized to evaluate thermal responses and residual stresses distribution in the weldments. Tensile testing and hardness measurements were also conducted to study the effect of welding polarity on the mechanical properties of components. Microstructural observations utilizing optical microscopy were carried out to assess the microstructural evolutions. The results show that wide varieties of microstructures are produced in DCEN sample from cells at... 

Physicians use charts that are prepared by experiments on animals or humans to prescribe drug dosage for patients. This method requires some precious amount of time by the Ministry of Health to approve new drugs to be used in healthcare centers. Three-dimensional modeling of the inner medulla by considering the known physiological features help us to predict the distribution of a drug or any minerals in the kidney. In this study we present modeling of the important species distribution including Na+ and urea in the rat inner medulla that influence the urine concentrating mechanism. We use a C++ code to develop the inner medulla geometry based on physiological data to better capture the...