Fracture mechanics research at Mechanical Engineering Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Conferencia invitada.Fracture Mechanics is currently an essential subject for understanding failure mechanisms of engineering materials and components. Accurate and rapid evaluation of singular and non-singular terms of stress, strain and displacement fields in the neighbouring of the tip of a fatigue crack is the foundation of multi-parameter Fracture Mechanics [1]. These terms are normally described by means of the Stress Intensity Factor (SIF) and the T stresses and are very useful to assess the level of safety [2] and the stability of cracks and crack-like defects in mechanical components prone to linear elastic failure, both under constant [2–7] and variable amplitude loading [8–11]. In general, evaluation of such terms cannot be performed only by finite element method [12–14]. This is due to the difficulty in accurately accounting for load level and exact geometry and orientation of defects [3,15]. Consequently, hybrid methods that incorporate experimental information [16,17] into an analytical and/or a numerical approach tend to be more trustworthy. Among these, full-field experimental techniques such as electronic speckle pattern interferometry [18–20], digital image correlation [21–27], thermo-elastic stress analysis [28–30], X-ray diffraction [31–33] and photo-elasticity [34–38] are often preferred. Estimation of Fracture Mechanics parameters requires accurate positioning of the crack tip. Moreover, local deformations as well as rigid body movements need to be taken into consideration. This research will summarise a general methodology including the above-described aspects for Fracture Mechanics analyses.Departamento de Ingeniería Civil, de Materiales y Fabricación Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Analysis of the condition of connecting electrodes to the body of the patient with the application of a defibrator

The application of defibrillators in medical practice is considered in the paper. It is shown that for automated defibrillators there is a problem of analyzing the wall of electrode connection to the patient's body during automatic defibrillator operation

Poremećaji reprodukcijske funkcije u mužjaka štakora uzrokovani unosom tekućine bogate fruktozom od 23 dana starosti do puberteta

There is compelling evidence that a hypercaloric, high-fructose diet can cause metabolic syndrome (MetS) and a whole range of other metabolic changes. In the context of androgen deficiency, MetS in boys merits special attention, but the effects of fructose-rich diet in youth on future male reproductive function are still poorly evidenced. The aim of this study was to address this issue and analyse the effects of high-fructose intake starting from weaning to puberty (postnatal day 23 up to 83) on the reproductive function of male rats. For this purpose juvenile male Wistar rats were divided in two groups: control and the group receiving 10 % fructose solution instead of drinking water. Reproductive function was evaluated in terms of fertility, sperm count, testes/epididymis morphology, and serum sex hormones. The fructose-treated group showed a decrease in testosterone and twofold increase in luteinising and follicle-stimulating hormone levels in the serum. This was accompanied with lower testis/epididymis weights, sperm count, and changed testis/epididymis morphology. Their fertility remained unchanged, but the fertility of females mating with these males diminished. In addition, pre-implantation and post-implantation embryonic death rate rose in these females. Our results have confirmed that high fructose consumption from early age until puberty can impair the reproductive function of male rats, and call for further animal and epidemiological investigation.Postoje snažni dokazi da hiperkalorična prehrana bogata fruktozom može uzrokovati metabolički sindrom (MetS) i cijeli niz drugih promjena u metabolizmu. U smislu androgene deficijencije, MetS u dječaka izaziva posebnu pažnju, ali nema mnogo spoznaja o učincima prehrane bogate fruktozom u ranoj mladosti na buduću reprodukcijsku funkciju u muškaraca. Stoga je cilj ovoga istraživanja bio analizirati učinke unosa tekućine bogate fruktozom u mladih mužjaka štakora od trenutka kad su prestali sisati (23 dana starosti) do puberteta (83 dana starosti) na njihovu reprodukcijsku funkciju. U tu su svrhu muški Wistar štakori podijeljeni u dvije skupine: kontrolnu i onu koja je primala 10 %-tnu otopinu fruktoze umjesto vode za piće. Parametri procjene reprodukcijske funkcije obuhvatili su plodnost, broj spermija, morfologiju testisa (sjemenika) i epididimisa (pasjemenika) te razine spolnih hormona u serumu. U skupini koja je primala fruktozu zamijećeno je smanjenje razine testosterona i dvostruko povećanje razina luteinizirajućega i folikulostimulirajućega hormona u serumu u odnosu na kontrolnu skupinu. Te su promjene popraćene padom težine testisa i epididimisa, broja spermija te promjenama u morfologiji testisa i epididimisa. Plodnost im se nije promijenila, ali je zato plodnost ženki koje su se parile s mužjacima izloženima fruktozi bila smanjena. Osim toga, u tih se ženki povećala smrtnost embrija prije i nakon implantacije u odnosu na ženke koje su se parile s kontrolnim mužjacima. Naši rezultati potvrđuju pretpostavku da konzumacija hrane i pića bogatih fruktozom od rane dobi do puberteta može oštetiti reprodukcijsku funkciju u štakora. Stoga je potrebno provesti daljnja istraživanja u životinja te epidemiološka istraživanja u ljudi

Some of the features of the viscoplastic media

The article considers the influence of the structure and the chemical composition of ground blast furnace slag on rheological properties of slag suspensions. Different composition and structure of blast furnace slags were studie

Analysis of a distinct speech disorder seen in chronic manganese toxicity following Ephedrone abuse

INTRODUCTION: In the last fifteen years a new cause of chronic manganese toxicity has been recognized. It follows recreational intravenous injections of Ephedrone, synthesized from a cold remedies contained pseudoephedrine. Potassium permanganate is used as an oxidant. It presents with severe parkinsonism-dystonia and a characteristic dysarthria. OBJECTIVES: We performed a focus perceptual study of dysarthria in Ephedrone induced parkinsonism and compared the findings with the speech disorders seen in Parkinson's disease (PD) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). METHODS: A digital voice recording, perceptual speech analysis (Darley, 1975) [18], serial neurological assessment and Brain Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging were performed at the Lviv regional Clinical Hospital. The results were analysed at the Institute of Neurology in London. RESULTS: Dysarthria developed after 8.5 ± 3.2 months of daily intravenous Ephedrone abuse and was an initial symptom in a third of cases. It was characterised by a robotic-flat prosody, whispering or continuous phonation, an inability to regulate pitch and volume, frozen lip articulation, a variable degree of dystonic tightness, difficulties in speech initiation and palladia, There was no nasality and swallowing was normal. In some patients speech deteriorated even after the discontinuation of Ephedrone. MR imaging, performed soon after drug cessation showed T1 signal hyperintesity in striatum and pallidum, especially in the Globus Pallidum interna. CONCLUSION: Ephedrone induced chronic manganese toxicity can lead to a mixed hypokinetic-dystonic dysarthria with a distinct dystonic pattern. Perceptual speech analysis can be a helpful ancillary investigation in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonism, and may permit the recognition of chronic manganese toxicity

First study of \eta_c, \eta(1760) and X(1835) production via \eta'\pi^+\pi^- final states in two-photon collisions

The invariant mass spectrum of the \eta' \pi^+ \pi^- final state produced in two-photon collisions is obtained using a 673 fb^{-1} data sample collected in the vicinity of the \Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^+e^- collider. We observe a clear signal of the \eta_c and measure its mass and width to be M(\eta_c)=(2982.7 +- 1.8(stat) +- 2.2(syst) +- 0.3(model)) MeV/c^2 and \Gamma(\eta_c) = (37.8^{+5.8}_{-5.3}(stat) +- 2.8(syst) +- 1.4(model)) MeV/c^2. The third error is an uncertainty due to possible interference between the \eta_c and a non-resonant component. We also report the first evidence for \eta(1760) decay to \eta' \pi^+ \pi^-; we find two solutions for its parameters, depending on the inclusion or not of the X(1835), whose existence is of marginal significance in our data. From a fit to the mass spectrum using coherent X(1835) and \eta(1760) resonant amplitudes, we set a 90% confidence level upper limit on the product \Gamma_{\gamma\gamma} \BR (\eta' \pi^+ \pi^-) for the X(1835).Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, submitted to PR

Search for Time-Dependent CPT Violation in Hadronic and Semileptonic B Decays

We report a new sensitive search for CPT violation, which includes improved measurements of the CPT-violating parameter z and the total decay-width difference normalized to the averaged width DeltaGamma_d/Gamma_d of the two Bd mass eigenstates. The results are based on a data sample of 535 x 10^6 BBbar pairs collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^+e^- collider. We obtain Re(z) = [+1.9 +/- 3.7 (stat) +/- 3.3 (syst)] x 10^{-2}, Im(z) = [-5.7 +/- 3.3 (stat) +/- 3.3 (syst)] x 10^{-3}, and DeltaGamma_d/Gamma_d = [-1.7 +/- 1.8 (stat) +/- 1.1 (syst)] x 10^{-2}, all of which are consistent with zero. This is the most precise single measurement of these parameters in the neutral B-meson system to date.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, LaTeX; addition of supplemental information, corrections of typos, results unchange

Observation of X(3872)→J/ψγX(3872)\to J/\psi \gamma and search for X(3872)→ψ′γX(3872)\to\psi'\gamma in B decays

We report a study of $B\to (J/\psi \gamma) K$ and $B\to (\psi' \gamma)K$ decay modes using $772\times 10^{6}$ $B\bar{B}$ events collected at the \Upsilon(4S)$resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB energy-asymmetric$e^+ e^-$collider. We observe$X(3872) \to J/\psi \gamma$and report the first evidence for$\chi_{c2} \to J/\psi \gamma$in$B\to (X_{c\bar{c}}\gamma) K$decays, while in a search for$X(3872) \to \psi' \gamma$no significant signal is found. We measure the branching fractions,$\mathcal{B}(B^{\pm} \to X(3872) K^{\pm}) \mathcal{B}(X(3872) \to J/\psi\gamma)$$=$$(1.78^{+0.48}_{-0.44}\pm 0.12)\times 10^{-6}$,$\mathcal{B} (B^{\pm} \to\chi_{c2} K^{\pm})$$=$$(1.11^{+0.36}_{-0.34} \pm 0.09) \times 10^{-5}$,$\mathcal{B}(B^{\pm} \to X(3872) K^{\pm}) \mathcal{B}(X(3872) \to \psi'\gamma)$$<$$3.45\times 10^{-6}$ (upper limit at 90% C.L.) and also provide upper limits for other searches.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Evidence for Direct CP Violation in B±→ηh±B^\pm \to \eta h^\pm and Observation of B0→ηK0B^0 \to \eta K^0

We report measurements of the branching fractions and CP asymmetries for B^+- -> eta h^+- (h = K or pi) and the observation of the decay B^0 -> eta K^0 from the final data sample of 772x10^6 BBbar pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^+e^- collider. The measured branching fractions are Br(B^+- -> eta K^+-) = (2.12 +- 0.23 +- 0.11)x10^-6}, Br(B^+- -> eta pi^+-) = (4.07 +- 0.26 +- 0.21)x10^{-6} and Br(B^0 -> eta K^0) = (1.27^{+0.33}_{-0.29} +- 0.08)x10^-6, where the last decay is observed for the first time with a significance of 5.4 standard deviations (\sigma). We also find evidence for CP violation in the charged B modes, A_{CP}(B^+- -> eta K^+-) = -0.38 +- 0.11 +- 0.01 and A_{CP}(B^+- -> eta pi^+- = -0.19 +- 0.06 +- 0.01 with significances of 3.8 sigma and 3.0 sigma, respectively. For all measurements, the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Search for charmonium and charmonium-like states in \Upsilon(2S) radiative decays

Using a sample of 158 million \Upsilon(2S) events collected with the Belle detector, charmonium and charmonium-like states with even charge parity are searched for in \Upsilon(2S) radiative decays. No significant \chi_{cJ} or \eta_c signal is observed and the following upper limits at 90% confidence level (C.L.) are obtained: BR(\Upsilon(2S)\to \gamma \chi_{c0})< 1.0 \times 10^{-4}, BR(\Upsilon(2S) \to \gamma \chi_{c1})<3.6 \times 10^{-6}, BR(\Upsilon(2S) \to \gamma \chi_{c2})<1.5 \times 10^{-5}, and BR(\Upsilon(2S) \to \gamma \eta_c)< 2.7 \times 10^{-5}. No significant signal of any charmonium-like state is observed, and we obtain the limits \BR(\Upsilon(2S)\to \gamma X(3872))\times\BR(X(3872)\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi)< 0.8 \times 10^{-6}, BR(\Upsilon(2S) \to \gamma X(3872))\times BR(X(3872)\to\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0 J/\psi)< 2.4\times 10^{-6}, BR(\Upsilon(2S) \to \gamma X(3915))\times BR(X(3915)\to\omega J/\psi)< 2.8\times 10^{-6}, BR(\Upsilon(2S) \to \gamma Y(4140))\times BR(Y(4140)\to\phi J/\psi)) < 1.2\times 10^{-6}, and BR(\Upsilon(2S) \to \gamma X(4350))\times BR(X(4350)\to\phi J/\psi))< 1.3\times 10^{-6} at 90% C.L.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl