The main characteristics of the cohesive (or fictitious) crack model, which is now generally accepted as the best simple fracture model for concrete, are (aside from tensile strength) the fracture energies GF and Gf corresponding to the areas under the complete softening stress-separation curve and under the initial tangent of this curve. Although these are two independent fracture characterist...

A newly designed printed slot antenna is presented that incorporates variable two band-notched functions for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications. The two band notches of this coplanar waveguide (CPW) fed antenna are achieved by an M-shaped slot (MSS) embedded in the radiating element and a C-shaped strip (CSS) close to ground plane, therefore two very narrow rejected properties in the wireless lo...

OBJECTIVE To examine the predictive value of clinical examination, laboratory tests and Doppler ultrasound examination in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and/or antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) pregnancies. METHODS A prospective study of 116 pregnancies followed in a single tertiary referral centre. Outcomes analysed were fetal/neonatal death and adverse pregnancy outcome. Univariate analys...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and establish the use of tympanometry in conscious sheep to provide a means of objective assessment of tympanic membrane integrity, middle ear ventilation and functioning of the Eustachian tube (ET). DESIGN: After conditioning the sheep for four weeks, tympanometric measurements at 226 Hz were carried out weekly for 13 weeks. Before measurements, the external ear canal...

It is important for the development of hearing aids and other audio devices to estimate the frequency selectivity and compression of the auditory filter accurately. Previously, we reported a technique for estimating the compression of the auditory filter that combined data from a simultaneous notched-noise experiment and a temporal masking curve (TMC) experiment. Unfortunately, the TMC data der...

Studies on the growth of small cracks have led to the observation that fatigue life of many engineering materials is primarily “crack growth” from micro-structural features, such as inclusion particles, voids, slip-bands or from manufacturing defects. This paper reviews the capabilities of a plasticity-induced crack-closure model to predict fatigue lives of metallic materials using “small-crack...

Rice grain chalkiness is a highly complex trait involved in multiple metabolic pathways and controlled by polygenes and growth conditions. To uncover novel aspects of chalkiness formation, we performed an integrated profiling of gene activity in the developing grains of a notched-belly rice mutant. Using exhaustive tandem mass spectrometry-based shotgun proteomics and whole-genome RNA sequencin...

Dental structures capture, retain and fragment food for ingestion. Gnathostome dentition should be viewed in the context of the prey's material properties. Animal muscle and skin are mechanically tough materials that resist fragmentation unless energy is continually supplied directly to the tip of the fracture by some device such as a blade edge. Despite the variety of bladed tooth morphologies...

To cite: Chinta M, Saisankar AJ, Birra C, et al. BMJ Case Rep Published online: [please include Day Month Year] doi:10.1136/ bcr-2016-216354 DESCRIPTION Mucoceles are the most common lesions of the minor salivary glands that occur mostly in the lower lip, probably due to the higher incidence of mechanical trauma in this region. A 9-year-old boy visited the department with symptoms of swelling o...

The microstructure and properties of a 5 wt.% Cr cold work tool steel were studied after austenitisation at 1020°C, 1050°C or 1075°C followed by single, double and triple tempering treatments at 525°C. The microstructures were investigated with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction and phase transformations were studied by dilatometry. Furthermore, hardness and Charpy un-notched an...