Predictions of the mechanical properties of unidirectional fibre composites by supervised machine learning

We present an application of data analytics and supervised machine learning to allow accurate predictions of the macroscopic stiffness and yield strength of a unidirectional composite loaded in the transverse plane. Predictions are obtained from the analysis of an image of the material microstructure, as well as knowledge of the constitutive models for fibres and matrix, without performing physically-based calculations. The computational framework is based on evaluating the 2-point correlation function of the images of 1800 microstructures, followed by dimensionality reduction via principal component analysis. Finite element (FE) simulations are performed on 1800 corresponding statistical volume elements (SVEs) representing cylindrical fibres in a continuous matrix, loaded in the transverse plane. A supervised machine learning (ML) exercise is performed, employing a gradient-boosted tree regression model with 10-fold cross-validation strategy. The model obtained is able to accurately predict the homogenized properties of arbitrary microstructures

Characterizations of the diurnal shapes of OI 630.0 nm dayglow intensity variations: inferences

International audienceMeasurements of OI 630.0 nm thermospheric dayglow emission by means of the Dayglow Photometer (DGP) at Mt. Abu (24.6° N, 73.7° E, dip lat 19.09° N), a station under the crest of Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA), reveal day-to-day changes in the shapes of the diurnal profiles of dayglow intensity variations. These shapes have been characterized using the magnetometer data from equatorial and low-latitude stations. Substantial changes have been noticed in the shapes of the dayglow intensity variations between 10:00?15:00 IST (Indian Standard Time) during the days when normal and counter electrojet events are present over the equator. It is found that the width (the time span corresponding to 0.8 times the maximum dayglow intensity) of the diurnal profile has a linear relationship with the integrated electrojet strength. Occasional deviation from this linear relationship is attributed to the presence of substantial mean meridional wind

Towards Activity Context using Software Sensors

Service-Oriented Computing delivers the promise of configuring and reconfiguring software systems to address user's needs in a dynamic way. Context-aware computing promises to capture the user's needs and hence the requirements they have on systems. The marriage of both can deliver ad-hoc software solutions relevant to the user in the most current fashion. However, here it is a key to gather information on the users' activity (that is what they are doing). Traditionally any context sensing was conducted with hardware sensors. However, software can also play the same role and in some situations will be more useful to sense the activity of the user. Furthermore they can make use of the fact that Service-oriented systems exchange information through standard protocols. In this paper we discuss our proposed approach to sense the activity of the user making use of software

Retail ring-fencing of banks and its implications

Financial stability remains a key theme globally in view of the Euro zone debt crisis. The latest strategy by Germany and France is to ring-fence the crisis among the PIIGS countries (Portugal, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Spain). In the United Kingdom, the big four major banks have all responded to the Independent Commission of Bankings interim report key recommendation: ring-fencing retail operations into a separate subsidiary of any bank that wishes to operate in the United Kingdom. The report has clearly discussed the advantages and disadvantages of various types of subsidiarisation. Retail ring-fencing is considered a compromise as full subsidiarisation is too costly and operational subsidiarisation is too minimal. The Independent Commission of Banking published its final report on 12 September 2011. They recommended ring-fencing retail banking and a 10 per cent equity baseline. This article focuses on structural reforms of UK banks. It aims to address the question of financial stability from a wider European perspective. The first question is whether cross-border retail banking in the European Economic Area (EEA) is best served by branches or subsidiaries? The second question concerns the legality of setting up subsidiaries in the European Union (EU). Although there are no legal problems for UK-based banks setting up subsidiaries for their retail activities, there might be a legal hurdle for requiring foreign banks setting up subsidiaries in the United Kingdom. The third question concerns EU cross-border banking regulation and supervision. Are the passporting system and the home country supervisory approach still applicable in this post-financial crisis era? Many factors influence the choice of setting up branches or subsidiaries. However, the general position is that branches are more suited for wholesale/investment activities because of ease of funds transfer. Subsidiaries are more suitable for retail banking because of the limited liability principle and extensive local network. Effective cross-border banking must be accompanied by effective supervision and resolution regimes. The passporting concept under EU law and home country dominance are somewhat dated post-financial crisis. Host country control should play a dominant part in financial regulation, especially in the light of the importance of subsidiaries and the limited liability principle associated with them. The Icelandic bank crisis and collapse of Lehman Brothers International Europe illustrate the importance of host country control. Finally, the author argues that requiring banks to hold its retail activities in the form of subsidiaries in another European country is necessary to achieve financial stability. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Ltd

Fungal diversity associated to the olive moth, prays oleae Bernard : a survey for potential entomopathogenic fungi

Olive production is one of the main agricultural activities in Portugal. In the region of Trás-os-Montes this crop has been considerably affected by Prays oleae. In order to evaluate the diversity of fungi on P. oleae population of Trás-os-Montes olive orchards, larvae and pupae of the three annual generations (phyllophagous, antophagous and carpophagous) were collected and evaluated for fungal growth on their surface. From the 3828 larvae and pupae, a high percentage of individuals exhibited growth of a fungal agent (40.6%), particularly those from the phyllophagous generation. From all the moth generations, a total of 43 species from 24 genera were identified, but the diversity and abundance of fungal species differed between the three generations. Higher diversity was found in the carpophagous generation, followed by the antophagous and phyllophagous generations. The presence of fungi displaying entomopathogenic features was highest in the phyllophagous larvae and pupae, being B. bassiana the most abundant taxa. The first report of B. bassiana presence on P. oleae could open new strategies for the biocontrol of this major pest in olive groves, since the use of an already adapted species increases the guarantee of success of a biocontrol approach. The identification of antagonistic fungi able to control agents that cause major olive diseases, such as Verticillium dahliae, will benefit future biological control approaches for limiting this increasingly spreading pathogen.This work was supported by Science and Technology Foundation (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia – FCT) project PTDC/AGR-AAM/102600/2008 “Entomopathogenic fungi associated to olive pests: isolation, characterization and selection for biological control”. The first author is grateful to the Science and Technology Foundation for the PhD grant SFRH/BD/44265/2008

pH of soil of Majalgaon command area (Jayakwadi project stage-III), India

Present paper deals with the study of pH of soil of Majalgoan command area, India. pH varied from 7.55 to 8.98 in different soil types and showed increased trend with depth in most of the profiles

A general existence principle for fixed point theorems in D

We establish two general principles for fixed point theorems in D-metric spaces, and then show that several theorems in D-metric spaces follow as corollaries of these general principles

Pyridine clubbed coumarin analogues: Their synthesis and biological studies as antimicrobials and antioxidants

1713-1720The major aim of this study is to develop the new class of coumarin candidate clubbed with dihydropyridine-3-carbonitrile with an improved potency as an antimicrobial and antioxidant agent. The key intermediate 6-nitro-4-methyl coumarin-yl chloro acetate 5 have been linked to the 6-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-oxo-4-phenyl-1,2-dihydro pyridine-3-carbonitrile IIa-j derivative to afford 4-methyl-6-nitro-2-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yl-2-(3-cyano-6-(4-fluoro phenyl)-4-(substituted-phenyl) pyridin-2-yl-oxy) acetates 7a-j via efficient organic transformations. All the new derivatives have been characterized by spectral studies (IR, 1H and 13C NMR and mass spectroscopy). In vitro antimicrobial activity have been carried out using the broth microdilution method and antioxidant potency using DPPH bioassays. Bioassay results reveal that compound 7e are equipotent against E. coli with MIC value 50 µg/ mL compared to standard drug ciprofoloxacin. A final analogue 7c with 4-chlorophenyl substituent indicated better antifungal potency against C. albicans with MIC value 100 µg/ mL compared to standard drug griseofulvin. In addition, newly synthesized analogues have been found to be significant scavengers of DPPH radical with IC50 values of 32.11 μg/mL. It has been observed that the potent antibacterial candidate has proved to possess significant antioxidant activity. The presence of chlorine and hydroxy group on phenyl ring plays an important role for the potency in above mentioned biological assay