Multicanonical simulations of the 2D spin-1 Baxter-Wu model in a crystal field

We investigate aspects of universality in the two-dimensional (2D) spin-$1$ Baxter-Wu model in a crystal field $\Delta$ using a parallel version of the multicanonical algorithm employed at constant temperature $T$. A detailed finite-size scaling analysis in the continuous regime of the $\Delta-T$ phase diagram of the model indicates that the transition belongs to the universality class of the $4$-state Potts model. The presence of first-order-like finite-size effects that become more pronounced as one approaches the pentacritical point of the model is highlighted and discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, XXXII IUPAP Conference on Computational Physic

Analytical model of asymmetrical Mixed-Mode Bending test of adhesively bonded GFRP joint

This paper presents new analytical model of asymmetric mixed-mode bending (MMB) specimen of adhesively bonded pultruded GFRP joints. An easily applicable relationship for the calculation of the strain energy release rate of the asymmetric MMB specimens is proposed based on the beam theory. The model is capable to analyze stacking sequence as well as various crack propagation paths. In the paper the effect of the various fiber bridging length and different crack propagation paths is analyzed analytically and supported by experimental results. The methodology and results presented in this paper could be utilized for the design of both joint geometry and lay-up of the laminates constituting the joint or for the prediction of the fracture behavior of such structures

Spatial variability in longitudinal elastic modulus of clear timber

Different factors such as age, location of timber within the tree, structural imperfections, load history such as wind and snow etc. can affect the material properties of timber taken from the same species, and grown in the same geographical location and local growth conditions. Consequently, there is a high variability in the mechanical properties [1-2]. This variability is both spatial and random, and is sometimes referred to as ‘random spatial variability’ [3]. Four groups of specimens of different lengths were prepared and their quasi-static behavior was experimentally investigated under tensile loading. In addition to the global displacement monitoring, the local deformations along the length of each specimen were measured. The effect of the mesostructure of the clear timber on the local elastic modulus was examined. The spatial variability of the elastic modulus was experimentally characterized. Also, Statistics concerning the elastic modulus for different lengths were derived and compared

Culture Clash? What cultured meat could mean for UK farming

Headlines It may one day be possible to substitute meat grown through cell culture imperceptibly for meat from livestock. Farmers’ concerns about cultured meat go beyond the impact on their bottom line, including that it is: ■ Uncertain: there are still too many unanswered questions. ■ Unreliable: unbiased data is hard to come by. ■ Unrealistic: work is needed to map how new supply chains could work in practice. ■ Unintended: having many potential knock-on effects. ■ Unfair: questioning who benefits from this further industrialisation of our food system. ■ Unnatural: in contrast to the ‘real’ food the farmers produced. Factors such as business diversification, tenure, assets and contractual relationships affect farmers’ resilience or precarity to this potentially disruptive technology. Yet, under the right circumstances, cultured meat could present opportunities for some UK farmers: ■ Sharpening their competitive edge for selling high-value ‘real meat’. ■ Developing potential new markets such as supplying animal cells or raw materials. ■ Generating income from processing crop or animal by-products as ingredients. ■ Harnessing private investment to produce cultured meat on their own farm. ■ Developing new, fairer supply-chain relationships. Initial analysis suggests that using crop and animal by-products as amino acid sources for cultured meat production could reduce its cost and environmental footprint, while farm-scale production would cost about 30% more than factory-scale. While some farmers were interested in exploring these possibilities further, caring for livestock remained central to their identity. Moving beyond a polarised debate would benefit the cultured meat industry, but it may also benefit farming. Advocates of cultured meat can support this through more inclusive communication: acknowledging uncertainties, celebrating farmer innovation and working with honest brokers. The cultured meat industry and farmers could build common ground through: ■ Joint research and innovation, particularly into waste valorisation and on-farm production. ■ Developing practical partnerships and mechanisms for continued dialogue, such as a platform for interested farmers to connect with cultured meat businesses and a short guide to cultured meat for farmers. ■ Investors expecting cultured meat companies to include farmers in their Environmental, Social and Governance commitments to support a ‘just transition’

Uterine Embolization as a New Treatment Option in Adenomyosis Uteri

Adenomyosis is characterized by the development of endometrial ectopic glands and tissue in the myometrium layer in depth greater than 2.5 mm from the endometrial surface of the separative area by -myomas well as by hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the smooth muscles of the myometrium. This is filtration, not mere displacement, of the myometrium, from the endometrium. Clinical symptoms include dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia. It is diffuse (adenomyosis) or focal (adenomyoma), asymmetrically affects the uterine wall of premenopausal women (usually the posterior) and often coexists with myomas. The pathogenesis of adenomyosis remains unknown. The treatment options are: drug therapy, invasive treatment of fibroids: myomectomy (open—intra-abdominal, laparoscopic, hysteroscopic), hysterectomy, myolysis—cryocatalysis, microwave or radiofrequency thermal catalysis (RF-ablation), ultrasound focus catalysis (FUS), laser photocatalysis and percutaneous selective uterine artery embolization (UAE). Embolization remains an alternative and not a substitute of hysterectomy. The medical indication is made on a case-by-case basis, depending on age, desire for pregnancy and the clinical symptoms of adenomyosis

Universality aspects of the two-dimensional spin-1 Baxter-Wu model in a crystal field

We study the question of universality in the two-dimensional spin-$1$ Baxter-Wu model in the presence of a crystal field $\Delta$. We employ extensive numerical simulations of two types, providing us with complementary results: Wang-Landau sampling at fixed values of $\Delta$ and a parallelized variant of the multicanonical approach performed at constant temperature $T$. A detailed finite-size scaling analysis in the regime of second-order phase transitions in the $(\Delta, T)$ phase diagram indicates that the transition belongs to the universality class of the $4$-state Potts model. Previous controversies with respect to the nature of the transition are discussed and possibly attributed to the presence of strong finite-size effects, especially as one approaches the pentacritical point of the model.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, 1 table, version to be published in Phys. Rev.

Odontoid Process and Femur: A Novel Bond in Anatomy

Objective The morphology and quantitative anatomy of the axis vertebra (C2) attracts a lot of attention between anatomists, surgeons and radiologists. However, no report exists in the literature correlating the height of the dens with the length of the femur. Our paper aims to determine such a correlation. Material and methods An examination of forty-five adult dry skeletons (twenty-three male and twenty-two female) was conducted. The height of the odontoid process of the axis and the maximum length of the femur were measured and statistically analyzed. Results The mean values for the height of the dens were 19.13 +/- 2.74 mm and 16.83 +/- 2.45 mm concerning the male and female dry skeletons respectively. The mean maximum length of the right femur bone was 43.04 +/- 2.32 cm for male and 39.90 +/- 2.40 cm for female skeletons. Data analysis revealed a statistically significant correlation (r=0.709, p <0.001) between the height of the odontoid process and the maximum length of the femur bone. A linear regression model expressing this association was created: Femur max length (in cm) = 32.874 + 0.531 x Dens height (in mm). Conclusion We present a new mathematical equation correlating one of the most studied long bones of the skeleton, the femur, with another long” part of the bony structure of the human body- the C2 odontoid process

Alternatives for domestic water tariff policy in the municipality of Chania, Greece, toward water saving using game theory

Summarization: As defined in the EU Water Framework Directive, every water tariff policy should be fair toward customers, generate legitimate revenue, and motivate consumers toward water saving. In the city of Chania, Greece, the inhabitants have asked for a fairer tariff policy and exhibited the intention to save water under the implementation of stricter measures. Therefore, a two-person zero-sum game was proposed, involving a conflict of interest between the Municipal Enterprise for Water and Sewage of Chania (MEWS) (Player 1) and the city’s approximately 108,000 residents (Player 2). Three scenarios for the gradual reduction of the fixed charges and the gradual increase of volumetric charges were developed, assuming a different degree of change in water consumption behavior by each consumption block of consumers. The payoff matrices, for each scenario, incorporated two clear cost strategies for Player 1, in terms of changing the current tariff policy, and four clear cost strategies for Player 2, regarding the change in consumers’ behavior. The optimal decision for both players, derived from the identification of the equilibrium point, demonstrated that domestic water consumption may be reduced by up to 4.6% while maintaining the MEWS’s profit. The proposed model can provide a guide for other similar applications.Presented on