Nonlinear dynamic analysis of moving bilayer plates resting on elastic foundations

The aim of this study is to investigate the dynamic response of axially moving two-layer laminated plates on the Winkler and Pasternak foundations. The upper and lower layers are formed from a bidirectional functionally graded (FG) layer and a graphene platelet (GPL) reinforced porous layer, respectively. Henceforth, the combined layers will be referred to as a two-dimensional (2D) FG/GPL plate. Two types of porosity and three graphene dispersion patterns, each of which is distributed through the plate thickness, are investigated. The mechanical properties of the closed-cell layers are used to define the variation of Poisson’s ratio and the relationship between the porosity coefficients and the mass density. For the GPL reinforced layer, the effective Young’s modulus is derived with the Halpin-Tsai micro-system model, and the rule of mixtures is used to calculate the effective mass density and Poisson’s ratio. The material of the upper 2D-FG layer is graded in two directions, and its effective mechanical properties are also derived with the rule of mixtures. The dynamic governing equations are derived with a first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) and the von K´arm´an nonlinear theory. A combination of the dynamic relaxation (DR) and Newmark’s direct integration methods is used to solve the governing equations in both time and space. A parametric study is carried out to explore the effects of the porosity coefficients, porosity and GPL distributions, material gradients, damping ratios, boundary conditions, and elastic foundation stiffnesses on the plate response. It is shown that both the distributions of the porosity and graphene nanofillers significantly affect the dynamic behaviors of the plates. It is also shown that the reduction in the dynamic deflection of the bilayer composite plates is maximized when the porosity and GPL distributions are symmetric

Geometrically nonlinear thermo-mechanical analysis of graphene-reinforced moving polymer nanoplates

The main target of this study is to investigate nonlinear transient responses of moving polymer nano-size plates fortified by means of Graphene Platelets (GPLs) and resting on a Winkler-Pasternak foundation under a transverse pressure force and a temperature variation. Two graphene spreading forms dispersed through the plate thickness are studied, and the Halpin-Tsai micro-mechanics model is used to obtain the effective Young's modulus. Furthermore, the rule of mixture is employed to calculate the effective mass density and Poisson's ratio. In accordance with the first order shear deformation and von Kármán theory for nonlinear systems, the kinematic equations are derived, and then nonlocal strain gradient scheme is used to reflect the effects of nonlocal and strain gradient parameters on small-size objects. Afterwards, a combined approach, kinetic dynamic relaxation method accompanied by Newmark technique, is hired for solving the time-varying equation sets, and Fortran program is developed to generate the numerical results. The accuracy of the current model is verified by comparative studies with available results in the literature. Finally, a parametric study is carried out to explore the effects of GPL's weight fractions and dispersion patterns, edge conditions, softening and hardening factors, the temperature change, the velocity of moving nanoplate and elastic foundation stiffness on the dynamic response of the structure. The result illustrates that the effects of nonlocality and strain gradient parameters are more remarkable in the higher magnitudes of the nanoplate speed

Sex Affects Myocardial Blood Flow and Fatty Acid Substrate Metabolism in Humans with Nonischemic Heart Failure

In animal models of heart failure (HF), myocardial metabolism shifts from the normal preference for high-energy fatty acid (FA) metabolism towards the more efficient fuel, glucose. However, FA (vs. glucose) metabolism generates more ATP/mole; thus FA metabolism may be especially advantageous in HF. Sex modulates myocardial blood flow (MBF) and substrate metabolism in normal humans. Whether sex affects MBF and metabolism in patients with HF is unknown. We studied 19 well-matched men and women with nonischemic HF with similar ejection fractions (all ≤ 35%). MBF and myocardial substrate metabolism were quantified using positron emission tomography. Women had higher MBF (mL/g/min), FA uptake (mL/g/min), utilization (nmol/g/min) (P<0.005, <0.005, <0.05, respectively) and trended towards higher FA oxidation than men (P=0.09). These findings were independent of age, obesity, and insulin resistance. There were no sex-related differences in fasting myocardial glucose uptake or metabolism. In an exploratory analysis of the longitudinal follow-up of these subjects (mean 7 y), we found that 4 men had a major cardiovascular event, while one woman died of non-cardiac causes. Higher MBF related to improved event-free survival (HR=0.31, P=0.02). In sum, in nonischemic HF, women have higher MBF and FA uptake and metabolism than men, and these changes are not due to differences in other variables that can affect myocardial metabolism (e.g., age, obesity, or insulin resistance). Moreover, higher MBF portends a better prognosis. These sex-related differences should be taken into account in the development and targeting of novel agents aimed at modulating in MBF and metabolism in HF

Analytical, experimental and numerical study of a graded honeycomb structure under in-plane impact load with low velocity

Given the significance of energy absorption in various industries, light shock absorbers such as honeycomb structure under in-plane and out-of-plane loads have been in the core of attention. The purpose of this research is the analyses of graded honeycomb structure (GHS) behaviour under in-plane impact loading and its optimisation. Primarily, analytical equations for plateau stress and specific energy are represented, taking power hardening model (PHM) and elastic–perfectly plastic model (EPPM) into consideration. For the validation and comparison of acquired analytical equations, the energy absorption of a GHS made of five different aluminium grades is simulated in ABAQUS/CAE. In order to validate the numerical simulation method in ABAQUS, an experimental test has been conducted as the falling a weight with low velocity on a GHS. Numerical results retain an acceptable accordance with experimental ones with a 5.4% occurred error of reaction force. For a structure with a specific kinetic energy, the stress–strain diagram is achieved and compared with the analytical equations obtained. The maximum difference between the numerical and analytical plateau stresses for PHM is 10.58%. However, this value has been measured to be 38.78% for EPPM. In addition, the numerical value of absorbed energy is compared to that of analytical method for two material models. The maximum difference between the numerical and analytical absorbed energies for PHM model is 6.4%, while it retains the value of 48.08% for EPPM. Based on the conducted comparisons, the numerical and analytical results based on PHM are more congruent than EPPM results. Applying sequential quadratic programming method and genetic algorithm, the ratio of structure mass to the absorbed energy is minimised. According to the optimisation results, the structure capacity of absorbing energy increases by 18% compared to the primary model

Endovascular and Surgical Treatment of Unruptured MCA Aneurysms: Meta-Analysis and Review of the Literature

Introduction. The best treatment for unruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms is unclear. We perform a meta-analysis of recent publications to evaluate the results of unruptured MCA aneurysms treated with surgical clipping and endovascular coiling. Methods. A PubMed search for articles published between January 2004 and November 2013 was performed. The R statistical software package was used to create a random effects model for each desired incidence rate. Cochran&apos;s Q test was used to evaluate possible heterogeneity among the rates observed in each study. Results. A total of 1891 unruptured MCA aneurysms, 1052 clipped and 839 coiled, were included for analysis. The complete occlusion rate at 6-9 months mean follow-up was 95.5% in the clipped group and 67.8% in the coiled group ( &lt; 0.05). The periprocedural thromboembolism rate in the clipping group was 1.8% compared with 10.7% in the aneurysms treated by coiling ( &lt; 0.05). The recanalization rate was 0% for clipping and 14.3% for coiling ( = 0.05). Modified Rankin scores of 0-2 were obtained in 98.9% of clipped patients compared to 95.5% of coiled (NS). Conclusions. This review weakly supports clipping as the preferred treatment of unruptured MCA aneurysms. Clinical outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups