• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• 제7권5호
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• pp.1077-1093
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• 2013

This paper proposes a new network coordinator node design to select the most suitable wireless technology for WBANs by using fuzzy logic. Its goal is to select a wireless communication technology available considering the user/application requirements and network conditions. A WBAN is composed of a set of sensors placed in, on, or around human body, which monitors the human body functions and the surrounding environment. In an effort to send sensor readings from human body to medical center or a station, a WBAN needs to stay connected to a local or a wide area network by using various wireless communication technologies. Nowadays, several wireless networking technologies may be utilized in WLANs and/or WANs each of which is capable of sending WBAN sensor readings to the desired destination. Therefore, choosing the best serving wireless communications technology has critical importance to provide quality of service support and cost efficient connections for WBAN users. In this work, we have developed, modeled, and simulated some networking scenarios utilizing our fuzzy logic-based NCN by using OPNET and MATLAB. Besides, we have compared our proposed fuzzy logic based algorithm with widely used RSSI-based AP selection algorithm. The results obtained from the simulations show that the proposed approach provides appropriate outcomes for both the WBAN users and the overall network.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.557-570
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• 2017

In this study, the seismic performance levels of four bridges are determined using finite element modeling based on ambient vibration testing. The study includes finite element modeling, analytical modal analyses, ambient vibration testing and earthquake analyses of the bridges. For the purpose, four prestressed precast I beam bridges that were constructed for the Ankara-Sivas high speed railway line are selected for analytical and experimental studies. In the study, firstly a literature review related to the dynamic behavior of bridges especially precast beam bridges is given and then the formulation part related to ambient vibration testing and structural performance according to Turkish Seismic Code (2007) is presented. Next, 3D finite element models of the bridge are described and modeled using LARSA 4D software, and analytical dynamic characteristics are obtained. Then ambient vibration testing conducted on the bridges under natural excitations and experimental natural frequencies are estimated. Lastly, time history analyses of the bridges under the 1999 Kocaeli, 1992 Erzincan, and 1999 Duzce Earthquakes are performed and seismic performance levels according to TSC2007 are determined. The results show that the damage on the bridges is all under the minimum damage limit which is in the minimum damage region under all three earthquakes.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.553-566
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• 2016

Fracture energy is one of the key parameters reveal cracking resistance and fracture toughness of concrete. The main purpose of this study is to determine fracture behavior, mechanical properties and microstructural analysis of high strength basalt fiber reinforced concrete (HSFRC). For this purpose, three-point bending tests were performed on notched beams produced using HSFRCs with 12 mm and 24mm fiber length and 1, 2 and $3kg/m^3$ fiber content in order to determine the value of fracture energy. Fracture energies of the notched beam specimens were calculated by analyzing load versus crack mouth opining displacement curves by the help of RILEM proposal. The results show that the effects of basalt fiber content and fiber length on fracture energy are very significant. The splitting tensile and flexural strength of HSFRC increased with increasing fiber content whereas a slight drop in flexural strength was observed for the mixture with 24mm fiber length and $3kg/m^3$ fiber content. On the other hand, there was no significant effect of fiber addition on the compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of the mixtures. In addition, microstructural analysis of the three components; cement paste, aggregate and basalt fiber were performed based on the Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy examinations.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.411-442
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• 2008

Ground motions in near source region of large crustal earthquakes are significantly affected by rupture directivity and tectonic fling. These effects are the strongest at longer periods and they can have a significant impact on Engineering Structures. In this paper, it is aimed to determine near-fault ground motion effects on the nonlinear response of dams including dam-reservoir-foundation interaction. Four different types of dam, which are gravity, arch, concrete faced rockfill and clay core rockfill dams, are selected to investigate the near-fault ground motion effects on dam responses. The behavior of reservoir is taken into account by using Lagrangian approach. Strong ground motion records of Duzce (1999), Northridge (1994) and Erzincan (1992) earthquakes are selected for the analyses. Displacements, maximum and minimum principal stresses are determined by using the finite element method. The displacements and principal stresses obtained from the four different dam types subjected to these nearfault strong-ground motions are compared with each other. It is seen from the results that near-fault ground motions have different impacts on the dam types.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.87-103
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• 2014

This study investigated the effect of soil-structure interaction (SSI) on the response of base-isolated buildings. Seismic isolation can significantly reduce the induced seismic loads on a relatively stiff building by introducing flexibility at its base and avoiding resonance with the predominant frequencies of common earthquakes. To provide a better understanding of the movement behavior of multi-story structures during earthquakes, this study analyzed the dynamic behavior of multi-story structures with high damping rubber bearing (HDRB) behavior base isolation systems that were built on soft soil. Various models were developed, both with and without consideration of SSI. Both the superstructure and soil were modeled linearly, but HDRB was modeled non-linearly. The behavior of the specified models under dynamic loads was analyzed using SAP2000 computer software. Erzincan, Marmara and Duzce Earthquakes were chosen as the ground motions. Following the analysis, the displacements, base shear forces, top story accelerations, base level accelerations, periods and maximum internal forces were compared in isolated and fixed-base structures with and without SSI. The results indicate that soil-structure interaction is an important factor (in terms of earthquakes) to consider in the selection of an appropriate isolator for base-isolated structures on soft soils.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제47권4호
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• pp.408-417
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• 2019

Non-destructive test techniques are becoming increasingly important for assessment and maintenance. These techniques are very useful for assessment of materials such as wood, whose performance can vary considerably depending on the conditions of use. It is possible to estimate some mechanical properties of a material by determining the movement of energy through the material with the help of these techniques. In this study, it was investigated whether the wood material could be tested nondestructively by the heat energy produced by a source. The correlations between the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and sessile oak (Quercus petraea L.) woods were investigated. The thermal conductivity (TC), density, modulus of rupture (MOR), compression strength (CS), and modulus of elasticity (MOE) values of samples were measured according to the related standards and these values were correlated with each other. The linear and multiple regression tests were employed to determine the correlation between thermal conductivity and mechanical properties. The results showed that there is a very strong correlation between thermal conductivity and both density and MOR values. However, the correlations between TC and both MOE and CS were moderate. The results of this study suggest that the thermal conductivity value can be used to estimate the density and some mechanical properties of wood.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.587-593
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• 2020

In this study, bond behavior of ordinary concrete and rebars with different diameters and development length was investigated by using Hinged Beam Test (HBT) and Eccentric Pull-Out Test (EPT) comparatively. For this purpose, three different rebar size and development length depending on rebar diameter were chosen as variables. Three specimens were produced for each series of specimens and totally 54 specimens were tested. At the end of the tests it was observed that obtained results for both tests were quite similar. On the other hand, increased bar size, especially for the specimen with 14 mm bar size and 14 development length (lb), caused shear failure of test specimens. This situation infers that when bigger bar size and lb are used in such test, dimensions of test specimens should be chosen bigger and stirrups should be used for producing of test specimens to obtain more adequate result by preventing shear failure. Also, a nonlinear regression analysis was employed between HBT and EPT results. There was a high correlation between the EPT values, lb, rebar diameters and estimated theoretical HBT. In addition, at the end of the study an equation was suggested to estimate bond strength for HBT by using EPT results.

• 접착 및 계면
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.101-107
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• 2022

Adhesive joints have many advantages such as weight savings, corrosion and fatigue resistance and now developed even withstand of high impact and dynamic loads. However, an adhesion has cumbersome and complicated surface preparation processes. The surface preparation step is critical in adhesive joint manufacturing in order to obtain the prescribed strength for adhesive joints. In this study, it was attempted to simplify and reduce the number of surface preparation steps, and abrasion and rapid adhesive application (ARAA) process is developed for an alternative solution. The abrasion processes are performed only for creating surface roughness in standard procedures (SP), although the abrasion processes cause surface activation itself. The results showed that there is no need the long procedures in laboratory or chemical agents for adhesion. After the abrasion process, the attracted and highly reactive fresh surface layer obtained, and its effect on bonding success is observed and analyzed in this research, in light of the essential physic and adhesion theories. Al 6061 aluminum adherends and epoxy-based adhesives were chosen for bonding processes, which is mostly used in light vehicle parts. The adherends were cleaned, treated and activated only with abrasion, and after the adhesive application the specimens were tested under quasi-static loading. The satisfied ARAA results were compared with that of the specimens fabricated by the standard procedure (SP) of adhesion processes of high impact loads.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.409-430
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• 2006

The aim of this study is to investigate the reliability of strong motion records processed by causal and acausal Butterworth filters in comparison to the results obtained from a synthetic accelerogram. For this purpose, the fault parallel component of the Bolu record of the Duzce earthquake is modeled with a sum of exponentially damped sinusoidal components. Noise-free velocities and displacements are then obtained by analytically integrating the synthetic acceleration model. The analytical velocity and displacement signals are used as a standard with which to judge the validity of the signals obtained by filtering with causal and acausal filters and numerically integrating the acceleration model. The results show that the acausal filters are clearly preferable to the causal filters due to the fact that the response spectra obtained from the acausal filters match the spectra obtained from the simulated accelerogram better than that obtained by causal filters. The response spectra are independent from the order of the filters and from the method of integration (whether analytical integration after a spline fit to the synthetic accelerogram or the trapezoidal rule). The response spectra are sensitive to the chosen corner frequency of both the causal and the acausal filters and also to the inclusion of the pads. Accurate prediction of the static residual displacement (SRD) is very important for structures traversing faults in the near-fault regions. The greatest adverse effect of the high pass filters is their removal of the SRD. However, the noise-free displacements obtained by double integrating the synthetic accelerogram analytically preserve the SRD. It is thus apparent that conventional high pass filters should not be used for processing near-fault strong-motion records although they can be reliably used for far-fault records if applied acausally. The ground motion parameters such as ARIAS intensity, HUSID plots, Housner spectral intensity and the duration of strong-motion are found to be insensitive to the causality of filters.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권22호
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• pp.9687-9692
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• 2014

Background: Biliary tract cancers are rare, and surgical resection is the standard treatment at early stages. However, reports on the benefits of adjuvant treatment following surgical resection are conflicting. This study aimed to evaluate the factors affecting survival and adjuvant treatments in patients with surgically treated biliary tract cancers. Materials and Methods: Patient clinical features, adjuvant treatments, and efficacy and prognostic factor data were evaluated. Survival analyses were performed using SPSS 15.0. Results: The median overall survival was 30.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 18.4-42.9 months). Median survival was 19 months (95% CI, 6-33) for patients treated with fluorouracil based chemotherapy and 53 months (95% CI, 33.2-78.8) with gemcitabine based chemotherapy(p=0.033). On univariate analysis, poor prognostic factors for survival were galbladder localization, perineural invasion, hepatic invasion, a lack of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy treatment, and a lack of lymph node dissection. On multivariate analysis, perineural invasion was a poor prognostic factor (p=0.008). Conclusions: Biliary tract cancers generally have poor prognoses. The main factors affecting survival are tumour localization, perineural invasion, hepatic invasion, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, and lymph node dissection. Gemcitabine-based adjuvant chemotherapy is more effective than 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy.