Analysis of multiple cracking in metal/ceramic composites with lamellar microstructure

Financial support of this research by The Royal Society, UK (IE121116), The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, UK (Trust Reference 31747) and DFG (PI 785/3-2, PI 785/1-2), Germany, is gratefully acknowledged. We thank Dr. S. Roy (KIT) for providing the microstructure images and Professor I. Tsukrov (University of New Hampshire, USA) for helpful discussions.Peer reviewedPostprin

Dissipative Heating and Thermal Fatigue Life Prediction for Structures Containing Piezoactive Layers

A coupled dynamic problem of thermo-electro-mechanics for a layered beam is formulated based on the Kirchhoff–Love hypotheses. In the case of harmonic loading, a simplified formulation is given using the single frequency approximation and the concept of complex moduli. As an example, the problem of forced vibration of a three-layer sandwich beam (aluminium alloy core covered with piezoelectric layers) with hinged ends is solved in order to investigate the accuracy and applicability of the approximate monoharmonic approach and to study the self-heating caused by the electromechanical losses in piezoactive layers and the mechanical losses in electrically passive metal layer. The thermal fatigue life was estimated assuming that the structure fails if the temperature exceeds the Curie point for piezoceramics

Розробка моделі лікарського засобу з антибактеріальними та імунокорегуючими властивостями для лікування гнійно-септичних захворювань

У статті вивчаються механізми поєднаної дії антибіотиків ванкоміцину або гентаміцину з очищеним біополімером природного походження (ЕАР) Staphylococcus aureus, що як показано в попередніх дослідженнях, є індуктором продукції захисних цитокінів клітинами імунної системи. Отримані результати свідчать про синергізм дії досліджуваних комбінованих препаратів з індуктором продукції захисних цитокінів – білком адгезином. Встановлено, що застосування комбінації препаратів посилювало антибактеріальну дію, фагоцитарну активность та індекс цитотоксичності. Результати досліджень можуть ввійти в основу розробки комбінованих препаратів з антибактеріальною дією та імунокорегуючими впливами, що можуть бути застосовані для лікування гнійно-септичних захворювань.The article studied the effect mechanisms of the antibiotics vancomycin and gentamicin combined which with purified cell biopolymer of Staphylococcus aureus (EAP), that like as it was shown in previous studies is an inducer of the production of protective cytokines by cells of the immune system. The obtained results shown the synergistic effect of the drug combination with adherence protein – an inducer of the production of protective cytokines. It was shown that the drug combination results in enhancement of antimicrobial activity, as well as an increase of phagocytic activity and cytotoxicity index. The research results may form the design basis of the combined drugs which have antibacterial and immunoprotective effects that can be used in treatment purulent and septic diseases

Performance of a spaghetti calorimeter prototype with tungsten absorber and garnet crystal fibres

A spaghetti calorimeter (SPACAL) prototype with scintillating crystal fibres was assembled and tested with electron beams of energy from 1 to 5 GeV. The prototype comprised radiation-hard Cerium-doped GdAlGaO (GAGG:Ce) and YAlO (YAG:Ce) embedded in a pure tungsten absorber. The energy resolution was studied as a function of the incidence angle of the beam and found to be of the order of 10%/E⊕1%, in line with the LHCb Shashlik technology. The time resolution was measured with metal channel dynode photomultipliers placed in contact with the fibres or coupled via a light guide, additionally testing an optical tape to glue the components. Time resolution of a few tens of picosecond was achieved for all the energies reaching down to (18.5 ± 0.2) ps at 5 GeV.We acknowledge support by the CERN Strategic Programme on Technologies for Future Experiments, https://ep-rnd.web.cern.ch/, by the MCIN/AEI, GenCat and GVA (Spain), and by the NSFC (China) under grant Nos. 12175005, 12061141007. The measurements were performed at the Test Beam Facility at DESY Hamburg (Germany), a member of the Helmholtz Association (HGF). The authors would like to thank T. Schneider, H. Gerwig, N. Siegrist, and D. Deyrail (CERN) for their help in designing and assembling the prototype and the set-up, A. Barnyakov, Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics (BINP), Novosibirsk, for kindly providing the MCPs, and the ITEP ATLAS group for the DWCs

Observation of an Excited Bc+ State

Using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.5 fb-1 recorded by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of s=7, 8, and 13 TeV, the observation of an excited Bc+ state in the Bc+π+π- invariant-mass spectrum is reported. The observed peak has a mass of 6841.2±0.6(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, where the last uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the Bc+ mass. It is consistent with expectations of the Bc∗(2S31)+ state reconstructed without the low-energy photon from the Bc∗(1S31)+→Bc+γ decay following Bc∗(2S31)+→Bc∗(1S31)+π+π-. A second state is seen with a global (local) statistical significance of 2.2σ (3.2σ) and a mass of 6872.1±1.3(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, and is consistent with the Bc(2S10)+ state. These mass measurements are the most precise to date

Search for CP violation in D+→ϕπ+ and D+s→K0Sπ+ decays

A search for CP violation in D + → ϕπ + decays is performed using data collected in 2011 by the LHCb experiment corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1 at a centre of mass energy of 7 TeV. The CP -violating asymmetry is measured to be (−0.04 ± 0.14 ± 0.14)% for candidates with K − K + mass within 20 MeV/c 2 of the ϕ meson mass. A search for a CP -violating asymmetry that varies across the ϕ mass region of the D + → K − K + π + Dalitz plot is also performed, and no evidence for CP violation is found. In addition, the CP asymmetry in the D+s→K0Sπ+ decay is measured to be (0.61 ± 0.83 ± 0.14)%

Measurement of the ratio of branching fractions BR(B0 -> K*0 gamma)/BR(Bs0 -> phi gamma)

The ratio of branching fractions of the radiative B decays B0 -> K*0 gamma and Bs0 -> phi gamma has been measured using 0.37 fb-1 of pp collisions at a centre of mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, collected by the LHCb experiment. The value obtained is BR(B0 -> K*0 gamma)/BR(Bs0 -> phi gamma) = 1.12 +/- 0.08 ^{+0.06}_{-0.04} ^{+0.09}_{-0.08}, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third is associated to the ratio of fragmentation fractions fs/fd. Using the world average for BR(B0 -> K*0 gamma) = (4.33 +/- 0.15) x 10^{-5}, the branching fraction BR(Bs0 -> phi gamma) is measured to be (3.9 +/- 0.5) x 10^{-5}, which is the most precise measurement to date.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure, 2 table

Differential branching fraction and angular analysis of the decay B0→K∗0μ+μ−

The angular distribution and differential branching fraction of the decay B 0→ K ∗0 μ + μ − are studied using a data sample, collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at s√=7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1. Several angular observables are measured in bins of the dimuon invariant mass squared, q 2. A first measurement of the zero-crossing point of the forward-backward asymmetry of the dimuon system is also presented. The zero-crossing point is measured to be q20=4.9±0.9GeV2/c4 , where the uncertainty is the sum of statistical and systematic uncertainties. The results are consistent with the Standard Model predictions

Opposite-side flavour tagging of B mesons at the LHCb experiment

The calibration and performance of the oppositeside flavour tagging algorithms used for the measurements of time-dependent asymmetries at the LHCb experiment are described. The algorithms have been developed using simulated events and optimized and calibrated with B + →J/ψK +, B0 →J/ψK ∗0 and B0 →D ∗− μ + νμ decay modes with 0.37 fb−1 of data collected in pp collisions at √ s = 7 TeV during the 2011 physics run. The oppositeside tagging power is determined in the B + → J/ψK + channel to be (2.10 ± 0.08 ± 0.24) %, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic

Study of B0(s)→K0Sh+h′− decays with first observation of B0s→K0SK±π∓ and B0s→K0Sπ+π−

A search for charmless three-body decays of B 0 and B0s mesons with a K0S meson in the final state is performed using the pp collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1, collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV recorded by the LHCb experiment. Branching fractions of the B0(s)→K0Sh+h′− decay modes (h (′) = π, K), relative to the well measured B0→K0Sπ+π− decay, are obtained. First observation of the decay modes B0s→K0SK±π∓ and B0s→K0Sπ+π− and confirmation of the decay B0→K0SK±π∓ are reported. The following relative branching fraction measurements or limits are obtained B(B0→K0SK±π∓)B(B0→K0Sπ+π−)=0.128±0.017(stat.)±0.009(syst.), B(B0→K0SK+K−)B(B0→K0Sπ+π−)=0.385±0.031(stat.)±0.023(syst.), B(B0s→K0Sπ+π−)B(B0→K0Sπ+π−)=0.29±0.06(stat.)±0.03(syst.)±0.02(fs/fd), B(B0s→K0SK±π∓)B(B0→K0Sπ+π−)=1.48±0.12(stat.)±0.08(syst.)±0.12(fs/fd)B(B0s→K0SK+K−)B(B0→K0Sπ+π−)∈[0.004;0.068]at90%CL