Fracture mechanics approach to design analysis of notches, steps and internal cut-outs in planar components

A new approach to the assessment and optimization of geometric stress-concentrating features is proposed on the basis of the correspondence between sharp crack or corner stressfield intensity factors and conventional elastic stress concentration factors (SCFs) for radiused transitions. This approach complements the application of finite element analysis (FEA) and the use of standard SCF data from the literature. The method makes it possible to develop closed-form solutions for SCFs in cases where corresponding solutions for the sharp crack geometries exist. This is helpful in the context of design optimization. The analytical basis of the correspondence is shown, together with the limits on applicability where stress-free boundaries near the stress concentrating feature are present or adjacent features interact. Examples are given which compare parametric results derived from FEA with closed-form solutions based on the proposed method. New information is given on the stress state at a 90° corner or width step, where the magnitude of the stress field intensity is related to that of the corresponding crack geometry. This correspondence enables the user to extend further the application of crack-tip stress-field intensity information to square-cornered steps, external U-grooves, and internal cut-outs

Time-delayed Spatial Patterns in a Two-dimensional Array of Coupled Oscillators

We investigated the effect of time delays on phase configurations in a set of two-dimensional coupled phase oscillators. Each oscillator is allowed to interact with its neighbors located within a finite radius, which serves as a control parameter in this study. It is found that distance-dependent time-delays induce various patterns including traveling rolls, square-like and rhombus-like patterns, spirals, and targets. We analyzed the stability boundaries of the emerging patterns and briefly pointed out the possible empirical implications of such time-delayed patterns.Comment: 5 Figure

Detection of the United States Neisseria meningitidis urethritis clade in the United Kingdom, August and December 2019 - emergence of multiple antibiotic resistance calls for vigilance.

Since 2015 in the United States (US), the US Neisseria meningitidis urethritis clade (US_NmUC) has caused a large multistate outbreak of urethritis among heterosexual males. Its 'parent' strain caused numerous outbreaks of invasive meningococcal disease among men who have sex with men in Europe and North America. We highlight the arrival and dissemination of US_NmUC in the United Kingdom and the emergence of multiple antibiotic resistance. Surveillance systems should be developed that include anogenital meningococci

Bulk phase behaviour of binary hard platelet mixtures from density functional theory

We investigate isotropic-isotropic, isotropic-nematic and nematic-nematic phase coexistence in binary mixtures of circular platelets with vanishing thickness, continuous rotational degrees of freedom and radial size ratios $\lambda$ up to 5. A fundamental measure density functional theory, previously used for the one-component model, is proposed and results are compared against those from Onsager theory as a benchmark. For $\lambda \leq 1.7$ the system displays isotropic-nematic phase coexistence with a widening of the biphasic region for increasing values of $\lambda$. For size ratios $\lambda \geq 2$, we find demixing into two nematic states becomes stable and an isotropic-nematic-nematic triple point can occur. Fundamental measure theory gives a smaller isotropic-nematic biphasic region than Onsager theory and locates the transition at lower densities. Furthermore, nematic-nematic demixing occurs over a larger range of compositions at a given value of $\lambda$ than found in Onsager theory. Both theories predict the same topologies of the phase diagrams. The partial nematic order parameters vary strongly with composition and indicate that the larger particles are more strongly ordered than the smaller particles

Hysterectomy, endometrial destruction, and levonorgestrel releasing intrauterine system (Mirena) for heavy menstrual bleeding : systematic review and meta-analysis of data from individual patients

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Quadrupolar contact terms and Hyperfine Structure

In the interaction of two electric quadrupoles, there is at short distances a contact term proportional to the second derivative of a delta function. This contact term contributes to the hyperfine splitting of bound states of two particles with spin one or higher-for example the bound states of Omega minus and a nucleus of spin one.The contact hyperfine splitting occurs in states with orbital angular momentum one(p-wave), in contrast to the Fermi contact interaction which is in s-states.We find that these contact splittings will be observable with Omega minus atoms and help measure the quadrupole moment and charge radius of the hyperon.Comment: 19 pages; two sentences deleted from first versio

Coherent population trapping in two-electron three-level systems with aligned spins

The possibility of coherent population trapping in two electron states with aligned spins (ortho-system) is evidenced. From the analysis of a three-level atomic system containing two electrons, and driven by the two laser fields needed for coherent population trapping, a conceptually new kind of two-electron dark state appears. The properties of this trapping are studied and are physically interpreted in terms of a dark hole, instead of a dark two-electron state. This technique, among many other applications, offers the possibility of measuring, with subnatural resolution, some superposition-state matrix-elements of the electron-electron correlation that due to their time dependent nature are inaccesible by standard measuring procedures.Comment: 10 pages and 4 figure

Existence of a maximum balanced matching in the hypercube

We prove, that for the maximum possible edges can be chosen simultaneously from each parallel class of the n-cube in such a way that no two edges have a common vertex. © 2013 Copyright Grace Scientific Publishing, LLC