Fabrication and evaluation of uniform and gradient density epoxies

Filled epoxy materials which vary in density in a designed manner have been fabricated and their mechanical properties evaluated. Density variations were produced by incorporating different volume fractions of either glass microballoons (GMB) or alumina. Several different sample types were evaluated including uniform density (0.8 g/cm{sup 3} < {rho} < 2.0 g/cm{sup 3}) samples and gradient density samples (GMB only, 0.8 g/cm{sup 3} < {rho} < 1.2 g/cm{sup 3}). The uniform density specimens were evaluated for the effects of filler type and concentration on modulus and toughness. Results indicated that addition of alumina filler significantly increased the resulting modulus while addition of GMB had little measurable effect. These differences could be understood in terms of the differing moduli of the additives relative to that of the epoxy matrix. In the former case the alumina particulates had a modulus much greater than that of the epoxy while in the latter case, the modulus of the GMB additive was only slightly greater than that of the matrix. Addition of either filler significantly degraded the toughness of the composite specimens and precluded the use of gradients to enhance toughness performance. Discontinuous {open_quotes}block{close_quotes} gradients used for testing were fabricated by simple sequential pours of formulations with different GMB loadings and were evaluated for modulus, strength and ductility. Continuous gradients were fabricated in process studies by programmed shifts in the peristaltic pumping/mixing ratio of epoxies filled with either alumina or GMB. None of the continuous gradient materials were mechanically tested. These results suggest that applications utilizing gradient materials containing alumina and similar high modulus fillers to provide designed stiffness rather than improved toughness are the most appropriate targets for future investigation

Temporal trends in mode, site and stage of presentation with the introduction of colorectal cancer screening: a decade of experience from the West of Scotland

background:  Population colorectal cancer screening programmes have been introduced to reduce cancer-specific mortality through the detection of early-stage disease. The present study aimed to examine the impact of screening introduction in the West of Scotland. methods:  Data on all patients with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer between January 2003 and December 2012 were extracted from a prospectively maintained regional audit database. Changes in mode, site and stage of presentation before, during and after screening introduction were examined. results:  In a population of 2.4 million, over a 10-year period, 14 487 incident cases of colorectal cancer were noted. Of these, 7827 (54%) were males and 7727 (53%) were socioeconomically deprived. In the postscreening era, 18% were diagnosed via the screening programme. There was a reduction in both emergency presentation (20% prescreening vs 13% postscreening, P0.001) and the proportion of rectal cancers (34% prescreening vs 31% pos-screening, P0.001) over the timeframe. Within non-metastatic disease, an increase in the proportion of stage I tumours at diagnosis was noted (17% prescreening vs 28% postscreening, P0.001). conclusions:  Within non-metastatic disease, a shift towards earlier stage at diagnosis has accompanied the introduction of a national screening programme. Such a change should lead to improved outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer

Mechanical properties and energy absorption characteristics of a polyurethane foam

Tension, compression and impact properties of a polyurethane encapsulant foam have been measured as a function of foam density. Significant differences in the behavior of the foam were observed depending on the mode of testing. Over the range of densities examined, both the modulus and the elastic collapse stress of the foam exhibited power-law dependencies with respect to density. The power-law relationship for the modulus was the same for both tension and compression testing and is explained in terms of the elastic compliance of the cellular structure of the foam using a simple geometric model. Euler buckling is used to rationalize the density dependence of the collapse stress. Neither tension nor compression testing yielded realistic measurements of energy absorption (toughness). In the former case, the energy absorption characteristics of the foam were severely limited due to the inherent lack of tensile ductility. In the latter case, the absence of a failure mechanism led to arbitrary measures of energy absorption that were not indicative of true material properties. Only impact testing revealed an intrinsic limitation in the toughness characteristics of the material with respect to foam density. The results suggest that dynamic testing should be used when assessing the shock mitigating qualities of a foam

Divergent mathematical treatments in utility theory

In this paper I study how divergent mathematical treatments affect mathematical modelling, with a special focus on utility theory. In particular I examine recent work on the ranking of information states and the discounting of future utilities, in order to show how, by replacing the standard analytical treatment of the models involved with one based on the framework of Nonstandard Analysis, diametrically opposite results are obtained. In both cases, the choice between the standard and nonstandard treatment amounts to a selection of set-theoretical parameters that cannot be made on purely empirical grounds. The analysis of this phenomenon gives rise to a simple logical account of the relativity of impossibility theorems in economic theory, which concludes the paper

Porcine liver vascular bed in Biodur E20 corrosion casts

Background: Pigs are frequently used as animal models in experimental medicine. To identify processes of vascular development or regression, vascular elements must be recognised and quantified in a three-dimensional (3D) arrangement. Vascular corrosion casts enable the creation of 3D replicas of vascular trees. The aim of our study was to identify suitable casting media and optimise the protocol for porcine liver vascular corrosion casting. Materials and methods: Mercox II® (Ladd Research, Williston, Vermont, USA) and Biodur E20® Plus (Biodur Products, Heidelberg, Germany) were tested in 4 porcine livers. The resins (volume approximately 700 mL) were injected via the portal vein. Corrosion casts were examined by macro-computed tomography, micro-computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy. Results: For hepatectomies, the operating protocol was optimised to avoid gas or blood clot embolisation. We present a protocol for porcine liver vascular bed casting based on corrosion specimens prepared using Biodur E20® epoxy resin. Conclusions: Only Biodur E20®Plus appeared to be suitable for high-volume vascular corrosion casting due to its optimal permeability, sufficient processing time and minimum fragility. Biodur E20® Plus is slightly elastic, radio-opaque and alcohol-resistant. These properties make this acrylic resin suitable for not only vascular research but also teaching purposes.

Structure analysis of the Ga-stabilized GaAs(001)-c(8x2) surface at high temperatures

Structure of the Ga-stabilized GaAs(001)-c(8x2) surface has been studied using rocking-curve analysis of reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). The c(8x2) structure emerges at temperatures higher than 600C, but is unstable with respect to the change to the (2x6)/(3x6) structure at lower temperatures. Our RHEED rocking-curve analysis at high temperatures revealed that the c(8x2) surface has the structure which is basically the same as that recently proposed by Kumpf et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 3586 (2001)]. We found that the surface atomic configurations are locally fluctuated at high temperatures without disturbing the c(8x2) periodicity.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Contribution to understanding the mathematical structure of quantum mechanics

Probabilistic description of results of measurements and its consequences for understanding quantum mechanics are discussed. It is shown that the basic mathematical structure of quantum mechanics like the probability amplitudes, Born rule, commutation and uncertainty relations, probability density current, momentum operator, rules for including the scalar and vector potentials and antiparticles can be obtained from the probabilistic description of results of measurement of the space coordinates and time. Equations of motion of quantum mechanics, the Klein-Gordon equation, Schrodinger equation and Dirac equation are obtained from the requirement of the relativistic invariance of the space-time Fisher information. The limit case of the delta-like probability densities leads to the Hamilton-Jacobi equation of classical mechanics. Many particle systems and the postulates of quantum mechanics are also discussed.Comment: 21 page

Dysfunctional BMPR2 signaling drives an abnormal endothelial requirement for glutamine in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is increasingly recognized as a systemic disease driven by alteration in the normal functioning of multiple metabolic pathways affecting all of the major carbon substrates, including amino acids. We found that human pulmonary hypertension patients (WHO Group I, PAH) exhibit systemic and pulmonary-specific alterations in glutamine metabolism, with the diseased pulmonary vasculature taking up significantly more glutamine than that of controls. Using cell culture models and transgenic mice expressing PAH-causing BMPR2 mutations, we found that the pulmonary endothelium in PAH shunts significantly more glutamine carbon into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle than wild-type endothelium. Increased glutamine metabolism through the TCA cycle is required by the endothelium in PAH to survive, to sustain normal energetics, and to manifest the hyperproliferative phenotype characteristic of disease. The strict requirement for glutamine is driven by loss of sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) activity through covalent modification by reactive products of lipid peroxidation. Using 2-hydroxybenzylamine, a scavenger of reactive lipid peroxidation products, we were able to preserve SIRT3 function, to normalize glutamine metabolism, and to prevent the development of PAH in BMPR2 mutant mice. In PAH, targeting glutamine metabolism and the mechanisms that underlie glutamine-driven metabolic reprogramming represent a viable novel avenue for the development of potentially disease-modifying therapeutics that could be rapidly translated to human studies