Search results for " Mecca"
showing 10 items of 1035 documents
Mipaaf: Piano da 2 miliardi di euro per investire nell’agroalimentare e accompagnare le imprese nel futuro
2014
finanziamenti per l'agroalimentare da parte del MIPAAF
Preliminary design of a magnetorheological brake for automotive use
2011
After an initial study of the characteristics of magnetorheological fluids based on a thorough search in literature, a preliminary configuration of MR brake is proposed. It comes from the evaluation of the main factors influencing the design of an appropriate magnetic circuit, and then the performance obtained in terms of brake torque. The analytical study of the brake has allowed a first preliminary sizing. Through the subsequent execution of an electromagnetic finite element model, created in ANSYS, it was possible to assess more accurately the distribution of the magnetic field inside the MR fluid and hence the resistance to relative motion between rotor and stator. The work needs an acc…
Modeling Right Ventricle Failure After Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device: A Biventricular Finite-Element and Lumped-Parameter Analysis
2017
The risk of right ventricle (RV) failure remains a major contraindication for continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) implantation in patients with heart failure. It is therefore critical to identify the patients who will benefit from early intervention to avoid adverse outcomes. We sought to advance the computational modeling description of the mechanisms underlying RV failure in LVAD-supported patients. RV failure was studied by computational modeling of hemodynamic and cardiac mechanics using lumped-parameter and biventricular finite element (FE) analysis. Findings were validated by comparison of bi-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiographic strain assessment of the …
Three-dimensional parametric modeling of bicuspid aortopathy and comparison with computational flow predictions
2016
Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV)-associated ascending aneurysmal aortopathy (namely âbicuspid aortopathyâ) is a heterogeneous disease making surgeon predictions particularly challenging. Computational flow analysis can be used to evaluate the BAV-related hemodynamic disturbances, which likely lead to aneurysm enlargement and progression. However, the anatomic reconstruction process is time consuming so that predicting hemodynamic and structural evolution by computational modeling is unfeasible in routine clinical practice. The aim of the study was to design and develop a parametric program for three-dimensional (3D) representations of aneurysmal aorta and different BAV phenotypes starting fr…
Particle image velocimetry study of the celiac trunk hemodynamic induced by continuous-flow left ventricular assist device
2017
Abstract Whereas left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is the gold-standard therapy for patients with heart failure, gastrointestinal bleeding is one of the most common complications. LVAD implantation may remarkably impact aortic hemodynamics so that experimental and computational flow analyses can be used to study the disease mechanisms. Here we present an experimentally-calibrated computational model of the celiac trunk hemodynamic of a LVAD-supported patient who experienced bleeding after device implantation. Specifically, both particle image velocimetry (PIV) and echocardiography were used to measure and compare flow distributions in each branch of a phantom model of the patient abdomi…
Shear stress alterations in the celiac trunk of patients with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device as shown by in-silico and in-vitro flo…
2017
Background The use of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) to treat advanced cardiac heart failure is constantly increasing, although this device leads to high risk for gastrointestinal bleeding. Methods Using in-silico flow analysis, we quantified hemodynamic alterations due to continuous-flow LVAD (HeartWare, Inc., Framingham, MA) in the celiac trunk and major branches of the abdominal aorta, and then explored the relationship between wall shear stress (WSS) and celiac trunk orientation. To assess outflow from the aortic branch, a 3-dimensional-printed patient-specific model of the celiac trunk reconstructed from an LVAD-supported patient was used to estimate echocardiographic outflow …
Haemodynamic predictors of a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer rupture using fluid-structure interaction analysis
2013
We present preliminary data on the flow-induced haemodynamic and structural loads exerted on a penetrating atherosclerotic aortic ulcer (PAU). Specifically, one-way fluid-structure interaction analysis was performed on the aortic model reconstructed from a 66-year-old male patient with a PAU that evolved into an intramural haematoma and rupture of the thoracic aorta. The results show that elevated blood pressure (117 mmHg) and low flow velocity at the aortic wall (0.15 m/s(2)) occurred in the region of the PAU. We also found a low value of time-averaged wall shear stress (1.24 N/m(2)) and a high value of the temporal oscillation in the wall shear stress (oscillatory shear index = 0.13) in t…
A multi-criteria approach for the group assessment of an academic course: A case study
2015
The present paper aims at proposing a structured methodology to evaluate the results of an academic training course addressed to postgraduate students. The evaluation process intends to identify the efficacy of an education course bymeans of acomparison between the general objectives and the results expected by the students. Since the evaluated aspects by the students, detected by means of questionnaires, are both quantitative and qualitative, the proposed methodology is based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). In order to facilitate the evaluation process, answers have been modelled by means of linguistic variables. In particular, different evaluation scales have been used and each on…
A sustainable phenolic compound extraction system from olive oil mill wastewater
2017
Abstract The reduction of environmental impact and the achievement of economic advantages based on by-product recovery is the aim of applying methodologies for phenolic compounds extraction from Olive Oil Mill Wastewater. Volume reduction of Olive Oil Mill Wastewater could generate important advantages in terms of waste disposal cost abatement and, in addition, reuse in the production of foods with health properties could lead to economic benefits. Despite the fact that literature shows that several techniques have been developed, few economic approaches have been presented. This paper assesses the economic feasibility of a system based on membrane filtration and reverse osmosis processes f…
Static strength and fatigue life of optimized hybrid single lap aluminum–CFRP structural joints
2017
Hybrid bolted/bonded joints are used to assemble structural components, commonly made by carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP), with aluminum frames. Hence, they have become common solutions in a number of modern structural applications in the industrial fields, as well as civil constructions. Unfortunately, due to the lack of understanding of the relationships between the multiple parameters of influence that characterize their mechanical performance, only limited improvement have been achieved so far over classical bonding approaches, in terms of static and fatigue strength. As a result, further studies are needed in order to better exploit the potential of hybrid bolted/bonded joints a…