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Numerous recent insights into the complex and dynamic cellular signatures of biological function, development and disease are owed to technical advances in single-cell transcriptome profiling. The deep understanding of cellular biology that single cell expression experiments can deliver comes at a cost, as the complexity and size of the data poses unique challenges to computational data analysis and algorithmic development. In this review, we highlight recent advances in machine learning that allow for efficient integration of single cell data, the identification of known and novel cell types using biological information, and the modeling of dynamic changes of cell populations over time. We summarize novel algorithmic approaches that promise robust, scalable, and explainable analysis of the cells’ multidimensional and dynamic nature. The conclusion provides a brief outlook into the potential future of machine learning–based single-cell expression analysis.

The fatigue phenomenon has been historically related to the railway industry. Nowadays, thanks to the high quality of the materials used, most of the recorded problems have been overcome although there are still degradation processes which are associated to fatigue and need to be considered for the definition of the maintenance campaigns and the general progress of the sector. In this paper, the latest improvements in the isotropic damage based high-cycle fatigue constitutive law proposed by Oller et al. (2005) are presented and the approach is used for the study of two regions of the railway path where fatigue mechanisms are experimentally detected: a straight section and a crossing element. The analysis of the affected areas is performed through a finite element simulation identifying the critical regions liable to the fatigue degradation when the structure interacts with high speed vehicles and predicting the initiation of the degradation at the rail head while capturing the physics of the problem. The potential of the methodology is shown through the case studies and the current shortcomings and the future lines of research are clearly stated. This work has been done within the framework of the RESILTRACK (IDI-20171003) project: resilencia de infraestructuras ferroviarias frente a cambio climático. This project has received funding from the Spanish Government. The work has been also supported by the Spanish Government program and the Severo Ochoa programme through the grant CEX2018-000797-S funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. The authors gratefully acknowledge all the received support.

Background & Aims In autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), normal levels of transaminases and IgG define biochemical remission and are considered the best surrogate markers for histological remission. This study assessed whether this also applies to patients with AIH cirrhosis. Methods In this European multicentric study, we included 125 biopsies from 113 patients with AIH and histologically proven cirrhosis; 105 biopsies from 104 patients with AIH without cirrhosis served as controls. Biochemical parameters were available within 4 weeks of biopsy. AIH activity was graded according to the modified Hepatitis Activity Index (mHAI), with mHAI ≥4/18 considered to indicate risk of disease progression. Results In total, 47 out of 125 liver biopsies were obtained from patients with AIH cirrhosis and normal ALT levels at time of biopsy. Only 26% (12/47) of those livers showed histological remission (mHAI, Graphical abstract, Highlights • A considerable proportion of patients with AIH cirrhosis show histological disease activity despite normal ALT levels. • Addition of IgG only slightly improves the prediction of low histological activity in patients with AIH and cirrhosis. • ALT and IgG do not correlate sufficiently with histological activity in AIH cirrhosis. • New surrogate markers of histological activity are needed in patients with AIH cirrhosis.

Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The behavior of reinforced concrete structures under severe demands, as strong ground motions, is highly complex; this is mainly due to the complexity of concrete behavior and to the strong interaction between concrete and steel, with several coupled failure modes. On the other hand, given the increasing awareness and concern on the worldwide seismic risk, new developments have arisen in earthquake engineering; nonetheless, some developments are mainly based on simple analytical tools that are widely used, given their moderate computational cost. This research aims to provide a solid basis for validation and calibration of such developments by using computationally efficient continuum mechanics-based tools. Within this context, this paper presents a model for 3D simulation of cyclic behavior of RC structures. The model integrates a bond-slip model developed by one of the authors and the damage variable evolution methodology for concrete damage plastic model developed by some authors. In the integrated model, a new technique is derived for efficient 3D analysis of bond-slip of 2 or more crossing reinforcing bars in beam-column joints, slabs, footings, pile caps, and other similar members. The analysis is performed by implementing the bond-slip model in a user element subroutine of Abaqus and the damage variable evolution methodology in the original concrete damage plastic model in the package. Two laboratory experiments consisting of a column and a frame subjected to cyclic displacements up to failure are simulated with the proposed formulation.

This article presents the formulation of an enriched macro finite element based on the trigonometric shear deformation theory for the static analysis of symmetrically laminated composite plates. Shear correction factor is not required because this theory accounts for tangential stress-free boundary conditions on the plate boundary surfaces. The macro element is obtained using the principle of virtual work and Gram-Schmidt orthogonal polynomials as enrichment functions. The implementation of the obtained algorithm is simple and efficient, and allows studying general quadrilateral plates with a single macro element. Several examples are presented to show the capability and applicability of the developed formulation. Fil: Rango, Rita Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina Fil: Nallim, Liz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina Fil: Oller Martinez, Sergio Horacio. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España

This work presents a two-scale homogenization procedure to analyze three dimension composite structures by FEM. The theory implemented is compared with other micro-structural formulations: micro models and serial parallel mixing theory, in terms of result accuracy and computational cost. The comparison shows that for linear analysis, the homogenization is an excellent alternative to the other formulations. Its computational cost is substantially lower than the one required by the micro-model and it is able to capture several micro-structural phenomena that it is not automatically recorded by the serial parallel methodology. It will also be shown that the extension of the proposed theory to the non-linear range stills represents a challenge. The major limitation is its computational cost because it requires to solve the sub scale at each gauss point and load step. However, the comparison shows that this cost is in terms of CPU time but not in terms of memory. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the homogenization is an excellent alternative for simulation of materials with complex micro structures. The method is also very promising for non linear simulations, when coupled with a threshold criteria to decide whether it is necessary to analyze the RVE or not. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This paper presents a general constitutive model for tissue stress driven growth and necrotic remodeling. The general theoretical framework is given by a kinematics formulation in large strain. The model allows the analysis of tissue behaviour considering the coupling of biological and mechanical fields, through the implementation of an internal variable that represents the bioavailability, together with the growth induced by mechanical stimuli. To take into account the tissue necrosis phenomenon a reinterpretation of the classical theory of mixtures is proposed. The proposed formulation is based on the consideration of two components, normal tissue and necrotic tissue, each one with its own volumetric participation, which is treated in an evolutive way, allowing simulating the phenomena of ischemia. This article also presents a brief description of the numerical implementation of the model as well as the obtained results, which shows the process of necrosis of part of the tissue, its influence on the surrounding healthy tissue, and the interaction between the nutrients availability and the stress driven growth and necrotic remodeling process. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Fil: Bellomo, Facundo Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina Fil: Armero, F.. University of California at Berkeley; Estados Unidos Fil: Nallim, Liz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España Fil: Oller, S.. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España

This paper reviews the most common formulations to obtain the compression strength of long fiber composites due to fiber buckling. This failure mode was first studied by Rosen (Fibre Composite Materials, pp.37–45,1965) who defined two different fiber buckling modes, extensional and transverse. Further studies improved the first model proposed by Rosen by defining with more accuracy the mechanics of the problem. Although each formulation use a different approach to solve the problem, all of them agree in the dependence of fiber buckling on three main parameters: matrix shear strength, fiber initial misalignments and volumetric participation of the fibers in the composite. Once having described the different approaches used, and the parameters on which they depend, this paper describes a new formulation capable of obtaining the compression strength of composites taking into account the fiber buckling phenomenon. This formulation uses the serial/parallel mixing theory developed by Rastellini et al. (Comput. Struct. 86(9):879–896,2008) to simulate the composite, and takes advantage of knowing the mechanical performance of the composite constituents to simulate the fiber buckling phenomenon. This is done with an homogenization procedure. It consists in introducing the interaction between fibers and matrix into their respective constitutive equations. The interaction between fiber and matrix takes into account fiber initial misalignments, its volumetric participation and the mechanical properties of both constituents. The new formulation proposed is implemented in a finite element code, taking into account that fibers can have different misalignment levels, and that the composite behaves differently if it is under tensile or compression forces. The mechanical performance of the formulation proposed is studied with several finite element simulations of compressed composites. Finally, the correctness of the formulation is proved by comparing the numerical results with the experimental tests provided by Barbero and Tomblin (Int. J. Solids Struct. 33(29):4379–4393,1996), Tomblin et al. (Int. J. Solids Struct. 34(13):1667–1679,1997).

The definition of an orthotropic yield criterion presents a serious challenge in the formulation of constitutive models based on such theories as elastoplasticity, viscoplasticity, damage, etc. The need to model the behavior of a real orthotropic material requires the formulation of orthotropic yield criteria, and these may be difficult to obtain. For metals, orthotropic yield functions have been formulated by Hill [Proc. Roy. Soc. Lon. Ser. A 193 (1948) 281; J. Mech. Phys. Solids 38(3) (1990) 200], Barlat [Int. J. Plasticity 5 (1989) 51; 7 (1991) 693], Chu [NUMISHEET 93 (1993) 199] and Dutko et al. [Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Engrg. 109 (1993) 73], but in many cases these functions do not describe the true behavior of the metal. The situation is worse when one attempts to represent a nonmetal such as a polymer, ceramic or composite. In this paper, we present a general definition of anexplicit orthotropic yield criteriontogether with a general method for definingimplicit orthotropic yield functions. The latter formulation is based on thetransformed-tensor method, whose principal advantage lies in the possibility of adjusting anarbitrary isotropicyield criterion to the behavior of ananisotropicmaterial. As example we choose the adjustment to the Hill, Hoffman [J. Comp. Materials 1 (1967) 200] and Tsai–Wu [J. Comp. Materials 5 (1971) 58] criteria, but these particular cases serve to establish the methodology for achieving the desired function adjustment for any other well-known criterion or experimental set of data obtained from laboratory.

We identify in this paper a general framework for the development of continuum damage models in their fully coupled plastic damage form. The focus of this paper is directed to the general formulation of infinitesimal models defined by yield and damage surfaces in stress space. The main feature of the proposed formulation is the direct and independent consideration of the damage mechanisms (isotropic damage, cracking, etc.) degrading the stiffness of the material, thus allowing for a complete physical characterization of these effects. This modular structure is accomplished by a kinematic decomposition of the strains in an elastic, plastic and multiple damage parts, as belonging to each activated damage mechanism. An additive decomposition in the infinitesimal range of interest is considered. Based on this decomposition, the constitutive characterization alluded to above for each damage mechanism is carried out in a complete thermodynamically consistent framework. One of the virtues of the considered framework is the fact that it includes many of the diverse damage models existing in the literature as particular cases. In this way, the developments presented herein furnish a unified framework for the formulation of continuum damage models, including isotropic damage, compliance based formulations, effective stress anisotropic models, smeared crack models and the related formulations of cracking and damage based on strong discontinuities. Besides the clear physical significance added to these existing formulations, the proposed framework also defines a very convenient context for the efficient numerical integration of the resulting models. This aspect is explored in Part II of this work, as it is the application of the framework proposed herein to the numerical simulation of porous metals.

In this paper, we present a two-scale numerical method in which structures made up of composite materials are simulated. The method proposed lies within the context of homogenization theory and assumes the periodicity of the internal structure of the material. The problem is divided into two scales of different orders of magnitude: A macroscopic scale in which the body and structure of the composite material is simulated, and a microscopic scale in which an elemental volume called a “cell” simulates the material. In this work, the homogenized strain tensor is related to the transformation of the periodicity vectors. The problem of composite materials is posed as a coupled, two-scale problem, in which the constitutive equation of the composite material becomes the solution of the boundary-value problem in the cell domain. Solving various examples found in the bibliography on this subject demonstrates the validity of the method.

In engineering, traditional approaches aimed at teaching concepts of dynamics to engineering students include the study of a dense yet sequential theoretical development of proofs and exercises. Structural dynamics are seldom taught experimentally in laboratories since these facilities should be provided with expensive equipment such as wave generators, data-acquisition systems, and heavily wired deployments with sensors. In this paper, the design of an experimental experience in the classroom based upon digital fabrication and modeling tools related to structural dynamics is presented. In particular, all experimental deployments are conceived with low-cost, open-source equipment. The hardware includes Arduino-based open-source electronics whereas the software is based upon object-oriented open-source codes for the development of physical simulations. The set of experiments and the physical simulations are reproducible and scalable in classroom-based environments.

In this paper, we develop numerical algorithms for the integration of the continuum plastic damage models formulated in the general framework identified in Part I of this work. More specifically, we focus our attention on a particular plastic damage model of porous metals, involving a classical von Mises yield criterion coupled with a pressure dependent damage surface to model the nucleation and growth of voids in the metallic matrix. Unilateral damage leading to a sudden change of stiffness in the material's response due to the closing/opening of these voids is also incorporated through the imposition of the unilateral constraint of a positive void fraction, thus, illustrating the clear physical significance added by this framework in the resulting constitutive models. The proposed integration algorithms fully use the modularity of the identified framework, leading in this way to independent integration algorithms for the elastoplastic part and each damage mechanism. Remarkably, all these individual integration schemes share the same formal structure as the classical return mapping algorithms employed in the numerical integration of elastoplastic models, namely an operator split structure consisting of a trial state and the return map imposing the plastic and damage consistency, respectively. A Newton iterative scheme imposes the equilibrium (equal stresses) among the different mechanisms of the response of the material. This modular structure allows to obtain the closed-form consistent linearization, involving in a simple form the algorithmic consistent tangents corresponding to each independent mechanism, thus resulting in a very modular and efficient computational implementation. The performance of the proposed algorithms is illustrated in several representative numerical simulations.

Due to the problems arising from impact damage in composite laminates, there is a need to develop fast, accurate, cost-effective and non-destructive testing methods to identify this type of damage at an early stage and thus enhance the service life of composite structures. This paper presents the results of an extensive experimental campaign conducted to investigate the feasibility of using vibration-based methods to identify damages sustained by composite laminates due to low-velocity impacts. The experimental programme included an evaluation of impact damage resistance and tolerance according to ASTM test methods, characterisation of induced damage by ultrasonic testing and quantification of the effects on the vibration response. The damage identification involved the detection, localisation, quantification and estimation of the remaining bearing capacity. Four damage indicators based on modal parameters were assessed by comparing pristine and damaged states. The results allowed for conclusions to be drawn regarding the capability and suitability of each damage indicator, including its ability to detect impact-induced damage, its precision in determining the location of damage, its sensitivity regarding damage extent and pertinent correlations with residual bearing capacity.

The results of a predictive analysis of the mock-up of a reactor containment building, based on computer numerical simulation, are presented in this paper and compared with the results obtained in the context of the VeRCoRs project during the 2015–2018 experimental campaign. The analysis is based on the Serial-Parallel Rule of Mixtures theory applied on a three-dimensional finite element model of the building. All the singular parts of the structure (two buttresses, the main penetrations, the gusset, etc.) and the complete prestressing tendons system are included in the structural model. The non-linear constitutive models used to describe the behaviour of the concrete, reinforcing steel and the tendons are formulated. A description of the Serial-Parallel Rule of Mixtures algorithm is also given. The structural response computed for the successive pressure tests applied on the mock-up are compared with the monitored structural behaviour. Finally, results for a simulation considering the aging of the tendon system during 40 years are shown and discussed.

Fiber-reinforced laminated composite materials are widely used in aircraft, modern vehicles and light-weight structures. With their high elastic modulus, high strength, and capability of being tailored for a several applications, these materials offer definite advantages compared to more traditional structural materials. However, their behavior under impact is of concern since those events may occur during manufacturing, normal operation or maintenance. The situation is critical for impacts that induce significant internal damage undetectable by visual inspection, which causes large reductions on the strength and stability of the structure. New standardized tests to assess the impact tolerance (ASTM D7136 and D7137) lose some of its appeal by its destructive nature as well as costs involved. Non-destructive techniques such as ultrasonic phased array or experimental modal analysis can be complementary in the evaluation of damage and structural integrity. The results of both destructive and non-destructive experiments carried out on forty-eight composite specimens are presented. A good correlation between incident impact energy and delaminated area as well as variation of eigenfrequencies is noticed. This study does not only provide a better understanding of the impact phenomenon but can also help in design and implementation of new test procedures for structural assessment.

Scaden enables robust cell type deconvolution of complex samples across data types, using a deep learning–based model., We present Scaden, a deep neural network for cell deconvolution that uses gene expression information to infer the cellular composition of tissues. Scaden is trained on single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data to engineer discriminative features that confer robustness to bias and noise, making complex data preprocessing and feature selection unnecessary. We demonstrate that Scaden outperforms existing deconvolution algorithms in both precision and robustness. A single trained network reliably deconvolves bulk RNA-seq and microarray, human and mouse tissue expression data and leverages the combined information of multiple datasets. Because of this stability and flexibility, we surmise that deep learning will become an algorithmic mainstay for cell deconvolution of various data types. Scaden’s software package and web application are easy to use on new as well as diverse existing expression datasets available in public resources, deepening the molecular and cellular understanding of developmental and disease processes.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been regarded as ideal reinforcements for high-performance composites. A key factor for the reinforcement efficiency is the interface bonding between the CNTs and the matrix. This paper presents a new constitutive model to predict the mechanical performance of composites made with CNTs. The model takes into account explicitly the performance of the interface between the matrix and the CNTs. The formulation developed is based in the mixing theory. It divides the composite in matrix and in a new material result of coupling the CNTs with the interface. The relation defined between interface and CNTs assumes that the load is transferred to the nanotubes along their ends and that in the central part the CNTs can develop their full strength. The composite non-linear behavior results from the non-linearities of its constituents. In case of interface damage, it also becomes non-linear the law defined to couple the interface with the CNTs. After describing the formulation, it is validated studying the elastic response of several composites made with different types of CNTs reinforcements. The non-linear behavior provided by the formulation is also studied. In both cases the numerical results are compared with experimental data showing good agreement.

The effect of traffic vibrations on buildings is of special interest as its sources have multiplied becoming a concern for residents or for those who work, visit or preserve buildings of heritage value. The problem has their origin in characteristics such as the deterioration of the roads or concentration of public transport routes in adjacent streets. The effect of these vibrations has been the object of study in recent years, with works referred to especially experimental determinations, whose results can be used to assess whether the measurements obtained are within accepted values by some regulations. These results can also be used to calibrate global numerical models to determine this influence analyzing attenuation measures. This paper proposes a global model of finite elements that allows dealing with the treatment of traffic-induced vibrations in structures and analyzing an alternative of solution according to the location. The model includes the building under study, land and surrounding constructions to have orientative results of the whole including its boundary conditions. The actions caused by the traffic are established through impulses that define the load states to be applied. Finally, an alternative is proposed to analyze the options to mitigate the effect of the generated vibrations. Fil: Quinteros, Ricardo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina Fil: Barbat, Alex. Universidad Politecnica de Catalunya. Escuela de Ingenieria de Barcelona Este.; España Fil: Nallim, Liz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina Fil: Oller, Sergio Horacio Cristobal. Universidad Politecnica de Catalunya. Escuela de Ingenieria de Barcelona Este.; España. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina

IntroductionOncologic patients with schizophrenia have a higher mortality, which could be explained by a delayed diagnosis and a poor quality of the oncologic treatment (1). Some of the potential reasons are related with patient’s psychopathology, stigma, and barriers in access to medical care. An structured support during the oncologic treatment has been proposed to solve the difficulties that patients with schizophrenia can experience when handling with an oncologic process. (2).ObjectivesTo illustrate two approaches for cancer accompaniment in patients with schizophrenia.MethodsWe present two case-report and literature research of the topic.ResultsCase A. A 49 y.o. woman diagnosed with a schizoaffective disorder. In the last years she had difficulties to manage her selfcare, so her mental health providers linked her to an individualized community nurse, who later played a crucial role in helping the patient during the diagnosis and treatment of a breast cancer. Case B. A 37 y.o. man diagnosed with schizophrenia, who was very integrated in a peer-support organization. After being diagnosed with a Lymphoma, he continued participating in all the group activities (theatre, collaborative radio, painting) until his decease. Sharing the process with other patients not only improved his quality of life but also helped the group to manage the grief.Conclusions- Individualized support with a mental health nurse could enhance the communication between the oncologist and mental health providers, improve the symptoms management, and allow psychological support. - Peer-support can prevent social isolation, improve the quality of life and the management of the oncologic treatment.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

In this work a kinematics for laminated beams enriched with a refined formulation ZigZag (RZT), originally presented by Tessler et al. in 2007, introduced in a hierarchical one dimensional type “p” finite element is presented. The finite element employs Lagrange polynomials for the approximation of the degrees of freedom of the ends (nodes) and orthogonal Gram-Schmidt polynomials to the internal degrees of freedoms. This finite element allows a very low discretization, is free of shear locking and behaves very well when the analysis of laminated composites with accurate determination of local stresses and strains at laminar level is necessary. This element has been validated in the analysis of laminated beams with various sequences of symmetric and asymmetric stacking, studying in each case its accuracy and stability. Fil: Nallim, Liz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina Fil: Oller, Sergio Horacio Cristobal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España Fil: Oñate, Eugenio. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España Fil: Flores, Fernando Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados En Ingeniería y Tecnología. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados En Ingeniería y Tecnología; Argentina

This paper shows a generalization of the classic isotropic plasticity theory to be applied to orthotropic or anisotropic materials. This approach assumes the existence of a real anisotropic space, and other fictitious isotropic space where a mapped fictitious problem is solved. Both spaces are related by means of a linear transformation using a fourth order transformation tensor that contains all the information concerning the real anisotropic material. The paper describes the basis of the spaces transformation proposed and the expressions of the resulting secant and tangent constitutive equations. Also details of the numerical integration of the constitutive equation are provided. Examples of application showing the good performance of the model for analysis of orthotropic materials and fibre‐reinforced composites are given.

A fatigue constitutive model valid for the composite constituent will be presented in this paper. The composite behaviour will be obtained by means of the serial/parallel mixing theory that is also used as a constitutive equation manager. The constitutive formulation is coupled with a load advancing strategy in order to reduce the computational cost of the numerical simulations. Validation of the constitutive formulation is done on pultruded glass fiber reinforced polymer profiles. Special emphasis is made on the comparison between the experimental and the numerical failure mode. Fil: Barbu, Lucia G.. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España. Centro Internacional de Métodos Numéricos en Ingeniería; España Fil: Oller, Sergio Horacio Cristobal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina Fil: Martinez, Xavier. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España Fil: Barbat, Alex H.. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España

We present Scaden, a deep neural network for cell deconvolution that uses gene expression information to infer the cellular composition of tissues. Scaden is trained on single cell RNA-seq data to engineer discriminative features that confer robustness to bias and noise, making complex data preprocessing and feature selection unnecessary. We demonstrate that Scaden outperforms existing deconvolution algorithms in both precision and robustness. A single trained network reliably deconvolves bulk RNA-seq and microarray, human and mouse tissue expression data and leverages the combined information of multiple data sets. Due to this stability and flexibility, we surmise that deep learning will become an algorithmic mainstay for cell deconvolution of various data types. Scaden’s comprehensive software package is easy to use on novel as well as diverse existing expression datasets available in public resources, deepening the molecular and cellular understanding of developmental and disease processes.

Thenumerical simulationof complexfailure modesofcomposite materials, such asdelamination, can be computationally very demanding, as it requires special elements and/or numerical strategies to characterizedamage onset and propagation. This work presents several formulations developed to optimize the computational performance of an explicit finite element code designed specifically for the simulation of large scale composite structures. The composite mechanical performance is obtained with the matrix-reinforced mixing theory, a simplified version of the serial/parallel mixing theory that does not require aniterative procedureor the calculation of the tangentstiffness matrix. The number of elements required to perform the simulation is reduced by stacking several layers inside a single finite element. This work also proposes a modification of theisotropic damagelaw, capable of taking into account theresidual strengthprovided by friction in type II fracture modes. The ability of these formulations to successfully predict the mechanical performance of composite materials is assessed with the ply drop-off test. In this test a laminate with a change of thickness in its mid-span is loaded until it breaks due to a delamination process. The formulation proposed obtains a very accurate prediction of theexperimental responseof the test, as it provides a very goodcharacterizationof the initiallaminate stiffness, the delamination onset, and its propagation along the specimen.&nbsp

The scatter in the fatigue life of the metallic structures seems to be mainly caused by internal defects of the material (porosity, inclusions as oxide films and carbon layers, grain boundaries, etc.). As discontinuities in geometry, defects cause stress concentration and are therefore prone to fatigue crack initiation. Here, a fatigue model based in continuum mechanic with its general expressions for the elasto-plastic-damage constitutive equations, previously developed by the authors, is extended to include the effects of material internal defects. In this stress life approach the material is considered to be non-homogenous. The material strength is randomly assigned and Stress-Nº of cycles curves are scaled down according to material strength of each point. Limit values for material strength are based on experimental tests of samples with different degree of porosity. &nbsp

A general constitutive model adequate for analysis of the thermomechanical response of composite materials is presented. The model is based on the mixture of the basic substances of the composite and allows the evaluation of the interdependence between the constitutive behaviour of different compounding materials. The behaviour of the each compound is modelled by a general anisotropic thermo‐elasto‐plastic model, termed the ‘base model’. The different base models for each compound are combined using mixing theory to simulate the behaviour of the multiphase material.

In this paper a generalized elasto-plastic damage model for the analysis of multiphase frictional composite materials is presented. Details of the derivation of the secant and tangent constitutive equations are given. Mixing theory is used to insert the basic constitutive expressions for each substance on the multiphase composite solid. Details of the numerical implementation of the model into a general non-linear finite element solution scheme are presented. Some examples of linear and non-linear behaviour of composites are given.

In this paper a constitutive model based on an internal variable-formulation of plasticity theory for the non-linear analysis of concrete is presented. The model uses a new yield criterion which matches experimental data quite well and it accounts for both elastic and plastic stiffness degradations effects. Onset and amount of cracking can be studied by a simple postprocessing of the finite-element plasticity solution. The accuracy of the model is checked with some examples of application.

The paper describes ahygro-thermo-mechanical constitutive modelappropriate for numerical simulation of multiphase composite material behaviour. The theory is based on the mixture of the basic substances of the composite and allows to evaluate the inter-dependent behaviour between the different compounding constitutive models. The initial anisotropy of each compounding can be taken into account by means of amapped isotropic plastic formulation. This is a generalization of classic isotropic plasticity theory applied to orthotropic or anisotropic materials. The basic assumption is the existence of astress and strain real anisotropic spacesand the respectivefictitious isotropic spaceswhere a mapped fictitious problem is solved. Those spaces are related by means of two fourth order transformation tensor. The combination ofmixing theoryand themapped isotropic plastic approachprovides a powerful constitutive framework for the numerical treatment of bulk-fiber composite materials.

A coupled thermomechanical model to simulate solidification problems in casting is presented. The model is formulated from a phenomenological point of view using a general isotropic thermoelasto-plasticity theory. Generalized phase-change effects accounting for the different thermomechanical behaviour of the solidifying material during its evolution from liquid to solid have been considered. For this purpose, a phase-change function, plastic evolution equations and a temperature-dependent constitutive law have been defined. Full thermomechanical effects as well as variable thermal and mechanical boundary conditions are also taken into account. Particular details concerning the numerical implementation of the model are given, where special emphasis is devoted to the resulting highly non-linear fully coupled finite element equations. The behaviour of this formulation is studied first in a simple quenching problem. Finally, a cylindrical casting test problem including phase-change phenomena, temperature-dependent constitutive properties and contact effects is analysed. Numerical results are compared with laboratory measurements.

The main purpose of this paper is to develop a reliable method based on a three-dimensional (3D) finite-element (FE) model to simulate the constitutive behaviour of reinforced concrete structures strengthened with post-tensioned or pre-stressed tendons well beyond the elastic domain. The post-tensioned concrete is modelled as a composite material whose behaviour is described with the serial-parallel rule of mixtures (S-P RoM) (Rastellini et al., 2008; Martinez et al., 2008; Martinez et al., 2014 [3]) and the nonlinear behaviour of each component is accounted for by means of plasticity and damage models. 3D FE models were used, where the nonlinear material behaviour and geometrical analysis based on incremental-iterative load methods were adopted. Several examples are shown where the capabilities of the method on large scale structures are exhibited taking into account the self-weight, the post-tension load and different pressure loads. A new metric for computing the crack opening displacement inside a finite element is proposed. Fil: Barbu, L. G.. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España Fil: Cornejo, A.. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España Fil: Martínez García, Xavier. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España Fil: Oller, Sergio Horacio Cristobal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina Fil: Barbat, A. H.. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España

In order to correctly predict the kinematics of complex structures, analysis using three-dimensional finite elements (3DFEs) seems to be the best alternative. However, simulation of large multi-layered structures with many plies can be unaffordable with 3DFEs because of the excessive computational cost, especially for non-linear materials. In addition, the discretization of very thin layers can lead to highly distorted FEs carrying numerical issues, therefore, reduced models arise as an affordable solution.This paper describes a new finite element formulation to perform numerical simulations of laminated reinforced concrete structures. The intention of this work is that the proposed scheme can be applied in the analysis of real-life structures where a high amount of computational resources are needed to fulfill the meshing requirements, hence the resulting formulation has to be a compromise between simplicity and efficiency.So that, the condensation of a dimension (thickness), mandatory to model three-dimensional structures with two-dimensional finite elements (2DFEs), leads to refer all layers contained within such FEs to a plane, which is typically named middle plane or geometrical plane, since its sole function is to serve as a geometrical reference. This work is based on the assumption that the geometrical plane has to be distinguished from a mechanical plane, which is where the resultant stiffness of all layers is contained. It is also assumed in this work that the mechanical plane changes its position due to non-linear response of the component materials. HighlightsChange in the integration scheme starting from the classical plate theory.Evaluation of a mechanical (or neutral) plane for plate elements.The main assumption is that the change in the position of the mechanical plane is due to the non-linear response of component materials.No additional DOF are required for the discretization of the thickness.The scheme has been applied in the analysis of concrete structures using laminated shells formed by composite materials.

Aim: There is increasing interest in the profiling and quantitation of methionine pathway metabolites for health management research. Currently, several analytical approaches are required to cover metabolites and co-factors. Results: We report the development and the validation of a method for the simultaneous detection and quantitation of 13 metabolites in red blood cells. The method, validated in a cohort of healthy human volunteers, shows a high level of accuracy and reproducibility. Conclusion: This high-throughput protocol provides a robust coverage of central metabolites and co-factors in one single analysis and in a high-throughput fashion. In large-scale clinical settings, the use of such an approach will significantly advance the field of nutritional research in health and disease.

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Oller, S. A., Nallim, L. G. and Oller, S. (2016), Fluid dynamic design of an axial rotor for hydrokinetic riverbed turbine-improvement introduced by a high lift foil profile. Environ. Prog. Sustainable Energy, 35: 1198–1206. doi:10.1002/ep.12320], which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ep.12320/abstract. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.

The overall impact of proteomics on clinical research and its translation has lagged behind expectations. One recognized caveat is the limited size (subject numbers) of (pre-)clinical studies performed at the discovery stage, the findings of which fail to be replicated in larger verification/validation trials. Compromised study designs and insufficient statistical power are consequences of the to-date still limited capacity of mass spectrometry (MS)-based workflows to handle large numbers of samples in a realistic time frame, while delivering comprehensive proteome coverages. We developed a highly automated proteomic biomarker discovery workflow. Herein, we have applied this approach to analyze 1'000 plasma samples from the multi-centered human dietary intervention study "DiOGenes". Study design, sample randomization, tracking, and logistics were the foundations of our large-scale study. We checked the quality of the MS data and provided descriptive statistics. The dataset was interrogated for proteins with most stable expression levels in that set of plasma samples. We evaluated standard clinical variables that typically impact forthcoming results and assessed body mass index-associated and gender-specific proteins at 2 time points. We demonstrate that analyzing a large number of human plasma samples for biomarker discovery with MS using isobaric tagging is feasible, providing robust and consistent biological results.

In fires, release of volatiles usually happens before generation of smoke/airborne particles. Therefore, fire detection systems based on chemical gas sensors may respond faster than systems based on smoke detectors, which currently cope the market. However, fire detectors based exclusively on gas sensors are prone to false alarms. A key element in those systems is the associated signal and data processing since the detector should discriminate fires form other volatile sources (nuisances). Here, we present a gas sensor array composed of different gas sensing technologies for early and robust fire detection. The gas sensor array was placed in a measurement chamber along with commercially available smoke-based detectors. To test the prototype different types of fire and nuisances were performed in the chamber. Results confirmed the benefits of the gas sensing approach since nuisances were rejected and, for some types of fire, the system based on gas sensors triggered the fire alarm faster than the smoke-based detectors.

Fil: Ruano Sandoval, Gonzalo Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Quimica. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Quimica; Argentina