Chromitite layers indicate the existence of large, long-lived, and entirely molten magma chambers.

The classical paradigm of the 'big magma tank' chambers in which the melt differentiates, is replenished, and occasionally feeds the overlying volcanos has recently been challenged on various grounds. An alternative school of thought is that such large, long-lived and largely molten magma chambers are transient to non-existent in Earth's history. Our study of stratiform chromitites in the Bushveld Complex-the largest magmatic body in the Earth's continental crust-tells, however, a different story. Several chromitites in this complex occur as layers up to 2 m in thickness and more than 400 kms in lateral extent, implying that chromitite-forming events were chamber-wide phenomena. Field relations and microtextural data, specifically the relationship of 3D coordination number, porosity and grain size, indicate that the chromitites grew as a 3D framework of touching chromite grains directly at the chamber floor from a basaltic melt saturated in chromite only. Mass-balance estimates imply that a few km thick column of this melt is required to form each of these chromitite layers. Therefore, an enormous volume of melt appears to have been involved in the generation of all the Bushveld chromitite layers, with half of this melt being expelled from the magma chamber. We suggest that the existence of thick and laterally extensive chromitite layers in the Bushveld and other layered intrusions supports the classical paradigm of big, albeit rare, 'magma tank' chambers.

A Coupled Biomechanical-Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Model for Horse Racing Tracks.

Distal limb injuries are common in racing horses and track surface properties have been associated with injury risk. To better understand how track surfaces may contribute to equine limb injury, we developed the first 3D computational model of the equine hoof interacting with a racetrack and simulated interactions with model representations of 1) a dirt surface and 2) an all-weather synthetic track. First, a computational track model using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method with a Drucker-Prager (D-P) elastoplastic material model was developed. It was validated against analytical models and published data and then calibrated using results of a custom track testing device applied to the two racetrack types. Second, a sensitivity analysis was performed to determine which model parameters contribute most significantly to the mechanical response of the track under impact-type loading. Third, the SPH track model was coupled to a biomechanical model of the horse forelimb and applied to hoof-track impact for a horse galloping on each track surface. We found that 1) the SPH track model was well validated and it could be calibrated to accurately represent impact loading of racetrack surfaces at two angles of impact; 2) the amount of harrowing applied to the track had the largest effect on impact loading, followed by elastic modulus and cohesion; 3) the model is able to accurately simulate hoof-ground interaction and enables study of the relationship between track surface parameters and the loading on horses' distal forelimbs.

Studying the effects of asymmetry on freestyle swimming using smoothed particle hydrodynamics.

The use of asymmetrical strokes is common in freestyle swimming because of breathing and strength laterality. In this study, the asymmetrical freestyle swimming performance of a male elite level swimmer who breathed every second arm stroke (unilaterally) was investigated. A laser body scan and multi-angle video footage of the athlete were used to generate a swimming biomechanical model. This model was then used in a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) fluid simulation of swimming through a virtual pool. The results from this study enabled the kinematic asymmetry to be related to the consequential fluid dynamic asymmetry. The intra-cyclic fluctuations in the streamwise forces and speed were also examined. Hand angles of attack were compared along with the lift and drag contributions of the hands to generating the streamwise thrust. From this study, connections between asymmetry and the resultant swimming performance were identified.

Dynamic simulation of flat water kayaking using a coupled biomechanical-smoothed particle hydrodynamics model.

Kayak racing performance is known to be dependent on technique, strength and equipment, but the relationship between these factors and performance is not well understood. Complete experimental measures of stroke technique and the interactions between the water and the paddle and the boat are not practical in a racing environment. Instead, simulation using computational fluid dynamics can be used to study this system. A coupled biomechanical-Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (B-SPH) model of the kayaking athlete is presented. Verification and validation of the model are confirmed using drag force data from the literature and a spatial resolution study. Using this model and stroke kinematics (developed from the combination of literature data and digitised motion of an amateur level athlete from video), calculations are made of (a) the fluid response to interactions with the paddle and kayak; (b) speed of the kayak; and (c) magnitudes of force and impulse on the paddle and the hands. Key features of the fluid response are related to the loading on the athlete and the speed of the kayak. Perturbations to stroke technique are explored to give new insights into the relationships between technique and racing performance.

Investigating mixing and emptying for aqueous liquid content from the stomach using a coupled biomechanical-SPH model.

The stomach is a critical organ for food digestion but it is not well understood how it operates, either when healthy or when dysfunction occurs. Stomach function depends on the timing and amplitude of wall contractions, the fill level and the type of gastric content. Using a coupled biomechanical-Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (B-SPH) model, we investigate how gastric discharge is affected by the contraction behaviour of the stomach wall and the viscosity of the content. The results of the model provide new insights into how the content viscosity and the number of compression waves down the length of the stomach affect the mixing within and the discharge rate of the content exiting from the stomach to the duodenum. This investigation shows that the B-SPH model is capable of simulating complicated stomach behaviour. The rate of gastric emptying is found to increase with a smaller period in between contractile waves and to have a nonlinear relationship with content viscosity. Increased resistance to flow into the duodenum is also shown to reduce the rate of emptying. The degree of gastric mixing is found to be insensitive to changes in the period between contractile waves for fluid with a viscosity of water but to be substantially affected by the viscosity of the gastric content.

The Role of the Hand During Freestyle Swimming.

The connections between swimming technique and the fluid dynamical interactions they generate are important for assisting performance improvement. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling provides a controlled and unobtrusive way for understanding the fundamentals of swimming. A coupled biomechanical-smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) fluid model is used to analyze the thrust and drag generation of a freestyle swimmer. The swimmer model was generated using a three-dimensional laser body scan of the athlete and digitization of multi-angle video footage. Two large distinct peaks in net streamwise thrust are found during the stroke, which coincide with the underwater arm strokes. The hand motions generate vortical structures that travel along the body toward the kicking legs and the hands are shown to produce thrust using both lift and drag. These findings advance understanding of the freestyle stroke and may be used to improve athlete technique.

Challenges in computational modelling of food breakdown and flavour release.

A dynamic, three dimensional (3D) computational model that predicts the breakdown of food and the release of tastants and aromas could enhance the understanding of how food is perceived during consumption. This model could also shorten the development process of new foods because many virtual foods could be assessed, and discarded if unsuitable, before any physical prototyping is required. The construction and testing of a complete 3D model of mastication presents many challenges including an accurate representation of: the anatomical movements of the oral cavity (including the teeth, tongue, cheeks and palates), the breakdown behaviour of the food, the interactions between comminuted food and saliva as the bolus is formed, the release and transport of taste and aromas and how these physical and chemical processes are perceived by a person. These challenges are discussed in reference to previous experimental and simulation work and using results of new applications of a coupled biomechanical-smoothed particle hydrodynamics (B-SPH) model. The B-SPH model is demonstrated to simulate several complicated aspects of mastication including: (1) the sensitivity of particle size to changes in the movements of the jaw and tongue; (2) large strain behaviour of food due to softening by heating; (3) interactions between solid and liquid food components; (3) the release of tastants into the saliva; and (4) the transport of tastants to the taste buds. These applications show the possibilities of a model to viably simulate mastication, but highlight the many modelling and experimental challenges that remain.

Pitching effects of buoyancy during four competitive swimming strokes.

The purpose of this study was to determine the pitching effects of buoyancy during all competitive swimming strokes--freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke. Laser body scans of national-level athletes and synchronized multiangle swimming footage were used in a novel markerless motion capture process to produce three-dimensional biomechanical models of the swimming athletes. The deforming surface meshes were then used to calculate swimmer center-of-mass (CoM) positions, center-of-buoyancy (CoB) positions, pitch buoyancy torques, and sagittal plane moments of inertia (MoI) throughout each stroke cycle. In all cases the mean buoyancy torque tended to raise the legs and lower the head; however, during part of the butterfly stroke the instantaneous buoyancy torque had the opposite effect. The swimming strokes that use opposing arm and leg strokes (freestyle and backstroke) had smaller variations in CoM positions, CoB positions, and buoyancy torques. Strokes with synchronized left-right arm and leg movement (butterfly and breaststroke) had larger variations in buoyancy torques, which impacts the swimmer's ability to maintain a horizontal body pitch for these strokes. The methodology outlined in this paper enables the rotational effects of buoyancy to be better understood by swimmers, allowing better control of streamlined horizontal body positioning during swimming to improve performance.

An efficient computational approach to characterize DSC-MRI signals arising from three-dimensional heterogeneous tissue structures.

The systematic investigation of susceptibility-induced contrast in MRI is important to better interpret the influence of microvascular and microcellular morphology on DSC-MRI derived perfusion data. Recently, a novel computational approach called the Finite Perturber Method (FPM), which enables the study of susceptibility-induced contrast in MRI arising from arbitrary microvascular morphologies in 3D has been developed. However, the FPM has lower efficiency in simulating water diffusion especially for complex tissues. In this work, an improved computational approach that combines the FPM with a matrix-based finite difference method (FDM), which we call the Finite Perturber the Finite Difference Method (FPFDM), has been developed in order to efficiently investigate the influence of vascular and extravascular morphological features on susceptibility-induced transverse relaxation. The current work provides a framework for better interpreting how DSC-MRI data depend on various phenomena, including contrast agent leakage in cancerous tissues and water diffusion rates. In addition, we illustrate using simulated and micro-CT extracted tissue structures the improved FPFDM along with its potential applications and limitations.

Fluid flow in a spiral device used for irradiation of biological fluids.

The manufacture of plasma-derived therapeutics includes dedicated viral inactivation steps to minimize the risk of infection. Traditional viral inactivation methods are effective for the removal and inactivation of enveloped viruses, but less effective against small nonenveloped viruses. UV-C irradiation has been demonstrated to be an effective means of inactivating such viruses. The UVivatec lab system consists of a spiral tube around an UV-C irradiation source. Flow of a solution through the chamber generates and ensures controlled mixing and uniform exposure to irradiation. A detailed assessment of the effect of flow rate, alternate cross sectional design and scale up of the irradiation chamber on Dean vortices was performed using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method. The aim was to provide a basis for setting flow rate limits and using a laboratory scale apparatus to model viral inactivation in larger manufacturing scale equipment. The effect of flow rate related changes on the fluence rate was also investigated through chemical actinometry studies. The data were consistent with the simulations indicating that Dean vortices were present at low flow rates, but dissipated at higher flow rates through the spiral chamber. Importantly, this work also allowed a correlation between the small system and large scale system to be established. This will greatly facilitate process development and viral validation studies.

Simulations of dolphin kick swimming using smoothed particle hydrodynamics.

In competitive human swimming the submerged dolphin kick stroke (underwater undulatory swimming) is utilized after dives and turns. The optimal dolphin kick has a balance between minimizing drag and maximizing thrust while also minimizing the physical exertion required of the swimmer. In this study laser scans of athletes are used to provide realistic swimmer geometries in a single anatomical pose. These are rigged and animated to closely match side-on video footage. Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) fluid simulations are performed to evaluate variants of this swimming stroke technique. This computational approach provides full temporal and spatial information about the flow moving around the deforming swimmer model. The effects of changes in ankle flexibility and stroke frequency are investigated through a parametric study. The results suggest that the net streamwise force on the swimmer is relatively insensitive to ankle flexibility but is strongly dependent on kick frequency.

Defining random loose packing for nonspherical grains.

The concept of "random loose packing" (RLP) has evolved through extensive study of loose packings of spheres, which has resulted in an accepted definition as the loosest packing that can be obtained by pouring grains. We extend this consideration to packings of nonspherical grains (ellipsoids) formed by slow settling in a viscous liquid, and perform a detailed analysis of the structural properties of the resulting packings. We find that as in the case of spheres the loosest ellipsoid packings are generated for grains with high interparticle friction. However, unlike spheres, these packings cannot be considered random as they have a significant degree of orientational ordering that increases with the grain's aspect ratio. This demonstrates that applying sedimentation or pouring techniques that have become part of the commonly held definition of RLP, will not generate random packings of ellipsoids. The consequences for the accepted definition of RLP and its applicability to nonspherical grains is discussed.

Discrete-element modelling and smoothed particle hydrodynamics: potential in the environmental sciences.

Particle-based simulation methods, such as the discrete-element method and smoothed particle hydrodynamics, have specific advantages in modelling complex three-dimensional (3D) environmental fluid and particulate flows. The theory of both these methods and their relative advantages compared with traditional methods will be discussed. Examples of 3D flows on realistic topography illustrate the environmental application of these methods. These include the flooding of a river valley as a result of a dam collapse, coastal inundation by a tsunami, volcanic lava flow and landslides. Issues related to validation and quality data availability are also discussed.