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No description available.

In this work, we present an amplitude-shape method for solving evolution problems described by partial differential equations. The method is capable of recognizing the special structure of many evolution problems. In particular, the stiff system of ordinary differential equations resulting from the semi-discretization of partial differential equations is considered. The method involves transforming the system so that only a few equations are stiff and the majority of the equations remain non-stiff. The system is treated with a mixed explicit-implicit scheme with a built-in error control mechanism. This approach proved to be very effective for the solution of stiff systems of equations describing spatially dependent chemical kinetics. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, 1997.

In the last decade, Answer Set Programming (ASP) and Satisfiability (SAT) have been used to solve combinatorial search problems and practical applications in which they arise. In each of these formalisms, a tool called a solver is used to solve problems. A solver takes as input a specification of the problem – a logic program in the case of ASP, and a CNF theory for SAT – and produces as output a solution to the problem. Designing fast solvers is important for the success of this general-purpose approach to solving search problems. Classes of instances that pose challenges to solvers can help in this task. In this dissertation we create challenging yet simple benchmarks for existing solvers in ASP and SAT.We do so by providing models of simple logic programs as well as models of simple CNF theories. We then randomly generate logic programs as well as CNF theories from these models. Our experimental results show that computing answer sets of random logic programs as well as models of random CNF theories with carefully chosen parameters is hard for existing solvers. We generate random logic programs with 2-literals, and our experiments show that it is hard for ASP solvers to obtain answer sets of purely negative and constraint-free programs, indicating the importance of these programs in the development of ASP solvers. An easy-hard-easy pattern emerges as we compute the average number of choice points generated by ASP solvers on randomly generated 2-literal programs with an increasing number of rules. We provide an explanation for the emergence of this pattern in these programs. We also theoretically study the probability of existence of an answer set for sparse and dense 2-literal programs. We consider simple classes of mixed Horn formulas with purely positive 2- literal clauses and purely negated Horn clauses. First we consider a class of mixed Horn formulas wherein each formula has m 2-literal clauses and k-literal negated Horn clauses. We show that formulas that are generated from the phase transition region of this class are hard for complete SAT solvers. The second class of Mixed Horn Formulas we consider are obtained from completion of a certain class of random logic programs. We show the appearance of an easy-hard-easy pattern as we generate formulas from this class with increasing numbers of clauses, and that the formulas generated in the hard region can be used as benchmarks for testing incomplete SAT solvers.

Boolean formulas can be used to model real-world facts. In some situation we may havea Boolean formula that closely approximates a real-world fact, but we need to fine-tune itso that it models the real-world fact exactly. This is a problem of theory revision where thetheory is in the form of a Boolean formula. An algorithm is presented for revising a class ofBoolean formulas that are expressible as conjunctions of Horn clauses. Each of the clausesin the formulas considered here has a unique unnegated variable that does not appear inany other clauses, and is not `F'. The revision algorithm uses equivalence and membershipqueries to revise a given formula into a formula that is equivalent to an unknown targetformula having the same set of unnegated variables. The amount of time required by thealgorithm to perform this revision is logarithmic in the number of variables, and polynomialin the number of clauses in the unknown formula. An early version of this work waspresented at the 2003 Midwest Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science Conference [4].

Perforated tubes in mufflers are generally modeled by the transfer impedance approach since modeling the actual geometry of the perforated tubes with holes is very expensive due to the enormity of the boundary elements required. With the development of the substructuring technique which greatly reduces the number of elements required detailed modeling of the perforated tubes has become possible. In this thesis mufflers with perforated tubes are analyzed by modeling the actual geometry and locations of holes on the perforated tubes. The Direct-mixed-body boundary element method with substructuring is used to model the mufflers. Mufflers of various geometry containing perforated tubes with holes of different sizes and porosity are tested. The results obtained from the analyses are compared with the empirical formula results and experimental results. A preliminary investigation on the detailed modeling of flow-through catalytic converters is also conducted.

Women in the perinatal period who suffer from mental health challenge (and specifically mood disorders) have a number of special considerations to which they must attend. Issues around psychotropic medication, hormonal fluctuations and/or sleep hygiene, for example, may lead women to a decision to feed their infants with formula. In this hermeneutic study, the experiences of six women are studied. The women are registered with Perinatal Mental Health Program at Vancouver Island Health Authority, and are feeding their infants with formula. Evidence- based-practice guidelines are explored in the context of mental health challenge. A dilemma has been exposed around the perceived need expressed by participants for ‘permission’ to discontinue or not initiate breastfeeding. The potential for further understanding looms with regard to the relationship between breastfeeding challenge and the onset of a mood disorder, including the speculation that breastfeeding difficulties may belong on the list of risk factors for post partum depression.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 253-255).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-04-24Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:55:34Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 merejolli_r_me_prud.pdf: 1357578 bytes, checksum: 415c634c0e40bf216c3855bc04b34cf3 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Neste trabalho é apresentado um método numérico para simular escoamentos viscoelásticos axissimétricos com superfícies livres modelados pela equação constitutiva PTT (Phan-Thien-Tanner). As equações governantes para escoamentos axissimétricos transientes incompressíveis de um fluido PTT são resolvidas utilizando o método de diferenças finitas numa malha deslocada. As derivadas temporais da equação do momento e da equação constitutiva são integradas pelo método de Euler explícito. Os termos convectivos são aproximados pelo método de alta ordem CUBISTA (Convergent and Universally Bounded Interpolation Scheme for the Treament of Advection), os termos difusivos e as derivadas espaciais são aproximados por diferenças centrais. O fluido é modelado utilizando a técnica Marker-and-Cell (MAC) o que permite visualizar e localizar a superfície livre do fluido. O método numérico descrito neste trabalho foi implementado na plataforma de alto desempenho denominada FREEFLOW-AXI e verificado comparando-se os resultados numéricos obtidos da simulação do escoamento totalmente desenvolvido em um tubo com a solução analítica deste problema. Foram obtidos alguns resultados numéricos para escoamentos axissimétricos com superfícies livres utilizando um fluido PTT, tais como, o impacto de uma gota esférica de fluido viscoelástico numa superfície rígida (Impacting Drop), o impacto de uma gota esférica numa superfície líquida (Splashing Drop) e o problema do inchamento do extrudado (Dieswell). Nestas simulações, o foco principal foi estudar numericamente os efeitos dos parâmetros do modelo PTT e nestes escoamentos / In this work is presented a numerical method for simulating axisymmetric viscoelastic free surface flows modeled by the constitutive equation PTT (Phan-Thien-Tanner). The governing equations for incompressible transient axisymmetric flows of a PTT fluid are solved using the finite difference method in a staggered grid. The time derivatives on momentum and constitutive equations are integrated by forward Euler method. The convective terms are approximated by the high order method CUBISTA (Convergent and Universally Bounded Interpolation Scheme for the Treament of Advection), the diffusive terms and the spatial derivatives are approximated by central differences. The fluid is modeled using the strategy “Marker-and-Cell” (MAC) which allows to view and locate the free surface of the fluid. The numerical method described in this work was implemented on the high performance platform called FREEFLOW-AXI and verified by comparing the numerical results of fully developed tube flow with the analytic solution of this problem. Some numerical results for axisymmetric free surface flows using a PTT fluid were obtained, such as, impacting drop, splashing drop and the dieswell problems. In these simulations, the numerical studies about the influence that the parameters of the PTT model and exert on the flows were the main focus