Structural health monitoring (SHM) for composite structure undergoing tensile and thermal testing

Application of ultrasonic guided waves generated by piezoelectric smart transducers has become one of the widely-used techniques in structural health monitoring. This technique has led to significant improvements and profound effects in the field of aircraft reliability and safety. Lamb wave propagation on composite plate-like structure undergoing mechanical testing is investigated in the paper. Smart PZT actuator/sensor is bonded on the carbon-fiber and glassfiber epoxy composites, which are subjected to tensile and thermal stress tests. The acquired results indicate the changes in scattering waves in composites materials due to the applied thermal and tensile force. Wavelet analysis was incorporated in this research work in order to distinguish different structural status

Eosinophilic Pneumonia in a Patient with Bronchial Myiasis : Case report and literature review

Pulmonary myiasis is an unusual form of myiasis in humans and has been recently identified as a cause of eosinophilic pneumonia. We report the case of a 13-year-old Omani boy who presented to the Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman, in October 2014 with respiratory distress. Bronchial aspirates revealed features of eosinophilic pneumonia. Possible larvae identified in the cytology report, a high immunoglobulin E level and the patient history all indicated bronchial myiasis. The patient was treated with steroids and ventilation and has since been diseasefree with no long-term side-effects. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case of bronchial myiasis in Oman

Comparative analysis of anxiety assessment methods in athletes

Objective: to identify the most effective method for anxiety assessment in athletes. Materials and methods: the selective criteria were formulated and comparative analysis of 9 most commonly used methods of assessing the level of anxiety was made. 79 athletes of combat sports were tested (34 men, 45 women) in the preparative period of training with Lusher's color test and the integrative anxiety test by A.P. Bizyuk, L.I. Wasserman, B.V. Iovlev. Results: among nine methods most frequently mentioned in the literature, Lusher's color test with the calculation of diagnostic coefficients and the integrative anxiety test by A.P. Bizyuk, L.I. Wasserman, B.V. Iovlev were most consistent with the stated criteria. There were significant correlations between the calculated indices of Luscher's color test, which have physiological explanation: the correlation between the vegetative coefficient and the total deviation from the autogenic norm, mental working capacity, situational anxiety, and between total deviation from the autogenic norm and mental performance, sex (increase in the deviation from the autologous norm corresponds to a decrease in mental performance, an increase in the level of anxiety, parasympathetic tone, and need for rest and energy accumulation). The athletes have the low level of situational anxiety and an average level of personal anxiety if compared with average population values. Conclusions: the findings complement the results of other researchers who also confirmed the validity of use of color test and integrative anxiety test in professional sports to identify the threatening breakdown of mental adaptation and psycho-correction work among athletes

The study of the structure of anxiety in athletes

Objective: to study the structure of disorders caused by anxiety in athletes. Materials and methods: the objects of the first task of the research were different terminological definitions and classifications of anxiety disorders. Comparative analysis of the definitions and concepts used in psychology, physiology, sports medicine, theory and methodology of physical education has been carried out. The second task was to determine the leading factors characterizing the psychological status of athletes, and to give them the descriptive characteristics. A factor analysis was conducted on the results of testing 79 athletes of combat sports (34 men, 45 women) using the M Luscher color test and the integrative anxiety test by AP Bizyuk, LI Wasserman, BV Iovlev. Results: Luscher's test scores (total deviation from the autogenous rate, mental performance, vegetative coefficient) explained only 14.5% of the total variance. Simultaneously, the indicator of situational anxiety from Luscher's test was not included in any factor. The informativeness of more detailed integrative anxiety test was significantly higher: its indicators were included in 3 factors, explaining totally 49.5% of the total variance, as well as in the general factor, which explains 33% of the total variance. Conclusions: the emotional component (emotions which cause situational anxiety) contributes largely to the total anxiety level, some smaller contribution accounts for the social components (fear of condemnation, dependence on the opinions of others), finally, the personal anxiety contributes to it even less

CHARACTERIZATION OF PARASITE ANTIGENS FROM HUMAN HYDATID CYST FLUID BY SDS-PAGE AND IEF

Combining high resolution power of SDS-PAGE and IEF with the specific immunological recognition of a human antiserum directed against Echinococcus granulosus antigens, we could identify, in 4 hydatid cystic fluids of human origin, 4 antigens with a molecular weight in the range 32-13 KD, and an antigen of 200 KD which, in reducing conditions, gave 2 bands of 67 and 52 KD. In addition, mainly in one of the cystic fluids, there were at least another 4 specific non-reducible bands with a molecular weight ranging from 80 to 40 KD. Specific parasite antigens, which constitute not more than 3% of total protein content of the cystic fluid, migrate, in isoelectric focusing, from a pH of less than 5 to more than 8. © 1985 Springer-Verlag