Frequently, the topologies generated using conventional discrete structural layout optimization methods may be shown to be in unstable equilibrium with the specified applied loading. Instability may occur due to the lack of lateral bracing at a node lying within a line of parallel compression members (or ‘chain’), or at the end of a compression member. In practice, this would typically lead eit...

Cold-stressed populations of the estuarine bacterium Vibrio vulnificus constitute model systems for the “viable but nonculturable” (VBNC) state, and are comprised of nonrecoverable, injured, and fully culturable cells. The nonculturable cells display increased sonication resistance, but also substantial degradation of nucleic acids, raising the possibility that these “VBNC” cells are, in spite ...

Stability analysis in compliant mechanism (CM) design is of utmost importance. From a practical point of view, a CM that is unstable is of no significance (has no practical value). Three useful plots were considered in the evaluation of each of the dynamic models of nine configurations of compliant constant-force compression mechanisms (CCFCMs) for their stability characteristics, which include...

Learning practical nursing skills is an important part of the baccalaureate in nursing. However, many newly qualified nurses lack practical skill proficiency required to ensure safe patient care. The invasive skill peripheral vein cannulation (PVC) is particularly challenging to learn and perform. This study explored conditions influencing nursing students' learning and performance of the techn...

Paper extends some basic results from the area of finite time and practical stability to linear, continuous, time invariant time-delay systems. Sufficient conditions of this kind of stability, for particular class of time-delay systems are derived.

the transport of dissolved contaminants in groundwater is usually described by the advectiondispersion equation with reaction. several numerical methods for solving the one-dimensional are availableincluding finite difference methods, finite volume methods, and finite element methods. stringent conditions,such as small peclet (pe) and courant (cr) numbers, must be satisfied to ensure the accura...

Practical stability of real states of nonlinear sliding mode control systems is related to asymptotic vanishing of the corresponding sliding errors. Conditions are found such that, if the equivalent control achieves exponential stability, then real states are practically stable. In special cases, their exponential stability is obtained. A link between convergence of regularization procedures an...

In the paper the problem of stability of fractional discretetime linear scalar systems with state space pure delay is considered. Using the classical D-decomposition method, the necessary and sufficient condition for practical stability as well as the sufficient condition for asymptotic stability are given.