Contact and crack problems for an elastic wedge

The contact and the crack problems for an elastic wedge of arbitrary angle are considered. The problem is reduced to a singular integral equation which, in the general case, may have a generalized Cauchy kernel. The singularities under the stamp as well as at the wedge apex were studied, and the relevant stress intensity factors are defined. The problem was solved for various wedge geometries and loading conditions. The results may be applicable to certain foundation problems and to crack problems in symmetrically loaded wedges in which cracks initiate from the apex

An abdominal tuberculosis case mimicking an abdominal mass

Abdominal tuberculosis is rare in childhood. It may be difficult to diagnose as it mimics various disorders. We present a 12-year-old child with an unusual clinical presentation who was diagnosed with abdominal tuberculosis only perioperatively

Scrutinising the exceptionalism of young rural NEETs: A bibliometric review

The situation of rural NEETs aged 15 to 24 remains understudied. However, transitions from adolescence to emerging adulthood are very demanding for those in the countryside. Our paper discusses this gap by characterising the scholarship focusing on rural NEETs. We undertook a bibliometric review based on 325 entries on Web of Science (WoS) using the Bibliometrix analysis package. Our approach included descriptive bibliometric analysis, co-citation networks assessment, and thematic analysis. Our findings show that the investigation efforts depicting younger rural NEET are recent and marginal in the larger context of international NEETs scholarship. The field is dominated by economy- and sociology-led networks. Concerns regarding health and employment issues are central in international publishing trends, showing a dominant youth-at-risk approach to this group. Still, themes associated with adolescent NEETs and relevant programs’ assessment are gaining traction. Our findings show a need for funding research initiatives to reduce the invisibility of young rural NEETs.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Linewidth and viscosity of isobutyric acid—deuterium oxide mixtures of critical composition above and below the phase separation temperature

Linewidth and visocity measurement covering the single phase and two phase region were made. Comparison of the data with the mode–mode coupling results of Kawasaki show good agreement with no adjustable parameters. In the one phase region measurements of autocorrelation functions indicate small deviations from a single exponential when ‖T −Tc‖?0.05 °C. The shear viscosity exponent ϕ was found to be 0.077±0.002, somewhat larger than the theoretical estimates.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70414/2/JCPSA6-74-10-5842-1.pd

Cladding mode coupling in highly localized fiber Bragg gratings: modal properties and transmission spectra

The spectral characteristics of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with a transversely inhomogeneous refractive index profile, differs con- siderably from that of a transversely uniform one. Transmission spectra of inhomogeneous and asymmetric FBGs that have been inscribed with focused ultrashort pulses with the so-called point-by-point technique are investigated. The cladding mode resonances of such FBGs can span a full octave in the spectrum and are very pronounced (deeper than 20dB). Using a coupled-mode approach, we compute the strength of resonant coupling and find that coupling into cladding modes of higher azimuthal order is very sensitive to the position of the modification in the core. Exploiting these properties allows precise control of such reflections and may lead to many new sensing applications.Comment: Submission to OE, 16 pages, 6 figure

Careers advancement of women: Applying a multi-level relational perspective in the context of Turkish banking organisations

This article investigates the question of why women remain underrepresented in management positions despite their increasing presence in the Turkish banking sector context. By using an integrative framework that brings together the relational and institutional perspectives, this article seeks to understand how macro-level contextual influences reflect on meso-organisational processes and practices, which in turn influence women’s micro-individual career trajectories. This article explores the careers experiences of 49 female banking professionals from three distinct banking organisations (Turkish, western and Islamic). The findings reveal that women’s limited representation at managerial level is an outcome of the interplay between macro-, meso- and micro-level issues. At the macro-level, the article highlights religion-based fragmented social structure as a key factor in the socio-cultural context of Turkey. At the meso-level, the analysis of the three different cases identifies factors relevant to both western and Middle Eastern societal contexts. At the micro-level, the analysis highlights how women’s perceptions of macro-level barriers change depending on their organisational context, emphasising the interrelatedness between these three levels. The article contributes to women’s career literature by providing the Turkish perspective and introducing novel insights into the interplay between societal forces, organisational practices and individuals’ perceptions

Modification of surface energy in nuclear multifragmentation

Within the statistical multifragmentation model we study modifications of the surface and symmetry energy of primary fragments in the freeze-out volume. The ALADIN experimental data on multifragmentation obtained in reactions induced by high-energy projectiles with different neutron richness are analyzed. We have extracted the isospin dependence of the surface energy coefficient at different degrees of fragmentation. We conclude that the surface energy of hot fragments produced in multifragmentation reactions differs from the values extracted for isolated nuclei at low excitation. At high fragment multiplicity, it becomes nearly independent of the neutron content of the fragments.Comment: 11 pages with 13 figure

A case of pulmonary aspergillosis in white storks

ΔΕΝ ΔΙΑΤΙΘΕΤΑΙ ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗAspergillosis is a fungal infection affecting respiratory system both in mammals and avian species. It is more commonly encountered in birds, in comparison with its mammalian counterpart. Mostly isolated strains are Aspergillus fumigatus (95%) and Aspergillus flavus (5%). Affected lungs and air sacs reveal miliary to gross lesions like gray-yellowish or white-grayish granulomatous foci surrounded by white halos indicative of inflammatory infiltration. Five storks found dead in the rural areas near Istanbul were submitted to our faculty between years 2008 and 2014. Two of them were thought to be younger than 1-year-old and the other three were older than one year of age. Necropsies were performed right after their submissions. Aspergillosis lesions were observed in the lungs and thoracic air sacs of the first four storks. In addition to these changes the lesions were detected at the aortic bifurcation and on the testicular and renal capsule of the fifth stork. Histopathology revealed encapsulated granulomas with foci of caseous necrosis at the center surrounded by numerous macrophages, heterophil leukocytes, lymphocytes and foreign body giant cells in all the storks. Following the gross, histopathological and mycological examinations the agents were detected as Aspergillus fumigatus. Although, the number of reported deaths due to Aspergillosis is not high in storks, we believe that these birds are quite susceptible to the disease and stress factors such as migration increases the risk of pathogenicity. This report was designed as a contribution to literature since there is only one reported case available with respect to aspergillosis associated death in storks and stress factors such as migration may also predispose storks to the disease

Influence of Gelatin Source and Bloom Number on Gelatin Methacryloyl Hydrogels Mechanical and Biological Properties for Muscle Regeneration

Approximately half of an adult human’s body weight is made up of muscles. Thus, restoring the functionality and aesthetics of lost muscle tissue is critical. The body is usually able to repair minor muscle injuries. However, when volumetric muscle loss occurs due to tumour extraction, for instance, the body will form fibrous tissue instead. Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels have been applied for drug delivery, tissue adhesive, and various tissue engineering applications due to their tuneable mechanical properties. Here, we have synthesised GelMA from different gelatin sources (i.e., porcine, bovine, and fish) with varying bloom numbers, which refers to the gel strength, and investigated for the influence of the source of gelatin and the bloom number on biological activities and mechanical properties. The results indicated that the source of the gelatin and variable bloom numbers have an impact on GelMA hydrogel properties. Furthermore, our findings established that the bovine-derived gelatin methacryloyl (B-GelMA) has better mechanical properties than the other varieties composed of porcine and fish with 60 kPa, 40 kPa, and 10 kPa in bovine, porcine, and fish, respectively. Additionally, it showed a noticeably greater swelling ratio (SR) ~1100% and a reduced rate of degradation, improving the stability of hydrogels and giving cells adequate time to divide and proliferate to compensate for muscle loss. Furthermore, the bloom number of gelatin was also proven to influence the mechanical properties of GelMA. Interestingly, although GelMA made of fish had the lowest mechanical strength and gel stability, it demonstrated excellent biological properties. Overall, the results emphasise the importance of gelatin source and bloom number, allowing GelMA hydrogels to have a wide range of mechanical and excellent biological properties and making them suitable for various muscle tissue regeneration applications

Accurate multiplex gene synthesis from programmable DNA microchips

Testing the many hypotheses from genomics and systems biology experiments demands accurate and cost-effective gene and genome synthesis. Here we describe a microchip-based technology for multiplex gene synthesis. Pools of thousands of 'construction' oligonucleotides and tagged complementary 'selection' oligonucleotides are synthesized on photo-programmable microfluidic chips(1), released, amplified and selected by hybridization to reduce synthesis errors ninefold. A one-step polymerase assembly multiplexing reaction assembles these into multiple genes. This technology enabled us to synthesize all 21 genes that encode the proteins of the Escherichia coli 30S ribosomal subunit, and to optimize their translation efficiency in vitro through alteration of codon bias. This is a significant step towards the synthesis of ribosomes in vitro and should have utility for synthetic biology in general.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/62677/1/nature03151.pd