1,117 research outputs found
Effective thermal properties of fibre reinforced materials
The thermal behaviour of an elastic matrix reinforced with synthetic micro or macro fibres subjected to a constant heat flow is investigated in the present work. Steady-state condition for the heat flux is considered and isotropic thermal conductivity for both the matrix and fibres is assumed. Owing to the geometry of the system, reference is made to bipolar cylindrical coordinates.
Various boundary conditions can be considered on the contours of the fibres. In particular, for a matrix reinforced with two fibres taken as insulated inclusions, a vanishing heat flow across the contour of the fibres must be imposed.
After the temperature field has benn determined analytically, a homogeneization procedure is performed in order to find the equivalent thermal properties of the fibre reinforced composite material
Changing the approach to sustainable constructions: An adaptive mix-design calibration process for earth composite materials
One major drawback of excavation earth-based composite construction materials is the variability in excavation earth characteristics from site to site. This variability can affect certain physical properties, and, in turn, the design models used to create a structure. To solve this problem, a methodology has been developed to predict the physical properties of earth-based composites for any mix-design variation, which enables a robust structural design process. This new methodology has been tested for Shot-earth, a new class of earth-based composite material made using high rates of excavation earth, aggregates, and a low rate of stabilization if needed. Shot-earth is placed using a high-speed dry-mix process. The methodology was tested by preparing small, inexpensive specimens through a process that simulates the
dry-process used to fabricate Shot-earth in the field. An adaptive technique, used in conjunction with the experimental methodology, allows for the identification of the variant of possible Shot-earth mix-designs that provides optimal physical properties for a specific project. This technique is potentially applicable to any type of earth-based composite. The proposed methodology’s reliability enables a fast and cost-effective detailing of Shot-earth constructions
The impact of SuperB on flavour physics
This report provides a succinct summary of the physics programme of SuperB,
and describes that potential in the context of experiments making measurements
in flavour physics over the next 10 to 20 years. Detailed comparisons are made
with Belle II and LHCb, the other B physics experiments that will run in this
decade. SuperB will play a crucial role in defining the landscape of flavour
physics over the next 20 years.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure
Self-Expandable Metal Stent for Closure of a Large Leak after Total Gastrectomy
In recent years, self-expandable metallic stents (SEMSs) have emerged as a promising treatment alternative for the bridging and sealing of esophageal perforations and extensive anastomotic leaks after esophageal resection or total gastrectomy. A 56-year-old woman underwent a total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y end-to-side esophagojejunostomy for a gastric signet ring cell carcinoma. Ten days later, esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a 2 cm fistula in the distal end of the Roux limb of the anastomosis. This was confirmed by gastrografin esophagography. The patient was started on total parenteral nutrition. Having deemed clipping treatment for this fistula unfeasible, we decided to insert a partially silicone-coated SEMS (Evolution Controlled Release Esophageal Stent System, Cook Medical, Winston-Salem, N.C., USA). The stent was removed after ten days. Gastrografin esophagography showed no further contrast extravasation, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed closure of the fistula. No clinical complications were observed, and the patient was able to start normal per os nutrition. In conclusion, the treatment of symptomatic leaks in patients who have undergone esophagojejunostomy is challenging, and leakage from the jejunal stump can be a potentially serious complication. In the treatment of leakage after total gastrectomy, plastic stents (which are either too light or exercise too little radial force) and totally covered metallic stents may not adhere sufficiently to the esophagojeujunal walls and, as a result, migrate beyond the anastomosis. The promising results of this report suggest that early stenting, using a partially silicone-coated SEMS, is a feasible alternative to surgical treatment in this category of patients
Update of the Unitarity Triangle Analysis
We present the status of the Unitarity Triangle Analysis (UTA), within the
Standard Model (SM) and beyond, with experimental and theoretical inputs
updated for the ICHEP 2010 conference. Within the SM, we find that the general
consistency among all the constraints leaves space only to some tension
(between the UTA prediction and the experimental measurement) in BR(B -> tau
nu), sin(2 beta) and epsilon_K. In the UTA beyond the SM, we allow for New
Physics (NP) effects in (Delta F)=2 processes. The hint of NP at the 2.9 sigma
level in the B_s-\bar B_s mixing turns out to be confirmed by the present
update, which includes the new D0 result on the dimuon charge asymmetry but not
the new CDF measurement of phi_s, being the likelihood not yet released.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings of the 35th International Conference
of High Energy Physics - ICHEP2010 (July 22-28, 2010, Paris
Automated detection of lung nodules in low-dose computed tomography
A computer-aided detection (CAD) system for the identification of pulmonary
nodules in low-dose multi-detector computed-tomography (CT) images has been
developed in the framework of the MAGIC-5 Italian project. One of the main
goals of this project is to build a distributed database of lung CT scans in
order to enable automated image analysis through a data and cpu GRID
infrastructure. The basic modules of our lung-CAD system, consisting in a 3D
dot-enhancement filter for nodule detection and a neural classifier for
false-positive finding reduction, are described. The system was designed and
tested for both internal and sub-pleural nodules. The database used in this
study consists of 17 low-dose CT scans reconstructed with thin slice thickness
(~300 slices/scan). The preliminary results are shown in terms of the FROC
analysis reporting a good sensitivity (85% range) for both internal and
sub-pleural nodules at an acceptable level of false positive findings (1-9
FP/scan); the sensitivity value remains very high (75% range) even at 1-6
FP/scanComment: 4 pages, 2 figures: Proceedings of the Computer Assisted Radiology
and Surgery, 21th International Congress and Exhibition, Berlin, Volume 2,
Supplement 1, June 2007, pp 357-35
B-physics computations from Nf=2 tmQCD
We present an accurate lattice QCD computation of the b-quark mass, the B and
Bs decay constants, the B-mixing bag-parameters for the full four-fermion
operator basis, as well as estimates for \xi and f_{Bq}\sqrt{B_q} extrapolated
to the continuum limit and the physical pion mass. We have used Nf = 2
dynamical quark gauge configurations at four values of the lattice spacing
generated by ETMC. Extrapolation in the heavy quark mass from the charm to the
bottom quark region has been carried out using ratios of physical quantities
computed at nearby quark masses, having an exactly known infinite mass limit.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, presented at the 31st International Symposium on
Lattice Field Theory (Lattice 2013), 29 July - 3 August 2013, Mainz, German
- …