A homogenization strategy for granular materials is presented and applied to a three-dimensional Discrete Element Method (DEM), that uses superellipsoids as particles. Macroscopic quantities are derived from the microscopic quantities resulting from a DEM simulation by averaging over representative volume elements (RVEs). The implementation of a RVE is described in detail regarding the definiti...

Rectovaginal Endometriosis (RVE) is a severe form of endometriosis classified by Kirtner as stage 4 [1,2]. It is less frequent than peritoneal or ovarian endometriosis affecting 3.8% to 37% of patients with endometriosis [3,4]. RVE infiltrates the rectum, vagina, and rectovaginal septum, up to obliteration of the pouch of Douglas [4]. Endometriotic nodules exceeding 30 mm in diameter have 17.9%...

Meta-regression models are commonly used to synthesize and compare effect sizes. Unfortunately, traditional meta-regression methods are ill-equipped to handle the complex and often unknown correlations among non-independent effect sizes. Robust variance estimation (RVE) is a recently proposed meta-analytic method for dealing with dependent effect sizes. The robumeta package provides functions f...

The present paper deals with a micromechanical model of interface able to couple the damage (micro-crack) evolution, the non-penetration conditions (Signorini equations) and the friction effect (Coulomb’s law). At a typical point of the interface, a Representative Volume Element (RVE) is considered; it is characterized by the presence of two different materials and by a microcrack evolving alon...

Horizontal step-ramp stimuli were used to examine gaze-, eye-, and head-movement dynamics during head-unrestrained pursuit in two rhesus monkeys. In a first series of experiments, we characterized and compared head-restrained (HR) and -unrestrained (HU) pursuit responses to unpredictable, nonperiodic, constant velocity (20-80 degrees/s) stimuli. When the head was free to move, both monkeys used...

A coupled hygro-thermo-mechanical computational model is proposed for fibre reinforced polymers, formulated within the framework of Computational Homogenisation (CH). At each macrostructure Gauss point, constitutive matrices for thermal, moisture transport and mechanical responses are calculated from CH of the underlying representative volume element (RVE). A degradation model, developed from e...

Over the past decade, analysts have proposed several frameworks to explain the process of radicalization into violent extremism (RVE). These frameworks are based primarily on rational, conceptual models which are neither guided by theory nor derived from systematic research. This article reviews recent (post-9/11) conceptual models of the radicalization process and recent (post-9/11) empirical ...

Disuse-induced muscle atrophy is a major concern in aging, in neuromuscular diseases, post-traumatic injury and in microgravity life sciences affecting health and fitness also of crew members in spaceflight. By using a laboratory analogue to body unloading we perform for the first time global gene expression profiling joined to specific proteomic analysis to map molecular adaptations in disused...

Purpose. To assess the diagnostic accuracy of dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DSCE-MRI) in differentiation between benign and malignant liver lesions by assessment of tumoral perfusion parameters. Methods Materials. Seventy-three patients with known focal liver lesions, including 45 benign (16 FNH, 27 angiomas, and 2 abscesses) and 28 malignant ones (17 meta...

BACKGROUND AND AIM There is limited data on the effects of inactivity (prolonged bed-rest) on parameters of endocrine and metabolic function; we therefore aimed to examine changes in these systems during and after prolonged (56- day) bed-rest in male adults. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Twenty healthy male subjects underwent 8 weeks of strict bed-rest and 12 months of follow-up as part of the Berlin ...