Models of high velocity impact phenomena

Models of craters formed by impacts at velocities of up to 24.5 km/sec have been computed using the Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics, MESA, EPIC and CALE codes. These modeling efforts are compared to data obtained from the Hypervelocity Microparticle Impact project at Los Alamos using the van de Graaff accelerator. A factor of 5 increase in yield strength was needed to account for high strain rate effects and to match the data. Structure in the data is addressed by using crater volume instead of crater diameter cubed. Detailed code comparisons were made between the four codes with good agreement found.     

The neu-oncogene product in serum and tissue of patients with breast carcinoma

Patients with non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) (n = 387) and cardiac chest pain (CCP) (n = 93) were compared with community controls (n = 81), using a symptom questionnaire that assessed the presence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia, and oesophageal dysfunction and chest pain characteristics. A significantly (p < 0.05) increased prevalence of symptoms compatible with IBS occurred in NCCP patients when compared with those with CCP and with controls. Dysphagia was more frequent in both those with non-cardiac and cardiac chest pain than in controls; this was not apparent, however, when patients with concomitant IBS were excluded. The presence of oesophageal or gastrointestinal symptoms did not enable discrimination with regard to the chest pain characteristics. We conclude that unselected referred patients with documented NCCP are more likely to have IBS and that the presence of oesophageal symptoms such as dysphagia may merely reflect the spectrum of the 'irritable gut'.     

THE INFLUENCE OF LOAD MISALIGNMENT DURING UNIAXIAL LOW-CYCLE FATIGUE TESTING—II: APPLICATIONS

Abstract— Models for predicting scatter bands due to bending have been applied to four alloys, namely AISI 316L, Nimonic 101, 9 Cr-1 Mo, and IN 718. The alloys were tested extensively by 26 laboratories in an international round robin exercise sponsored by the Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) of the EC. After initially selecting data for analysis on the basis of their confirmed conformance to the ASTM bending criterion, it has been shown that in all four materials a major fraction of the data scatter could be attributed to bending. Furthermore, at the lowest strain range the predicted bending component represents the highest proportion of the experimental interlaboratory scatter. Many laboratories did not report any measure of bending and so could not be used in the initial analysis. However, a further interesting deduction from the models is that the entire BCR data-set can be encompassed within a scatter band based upon a bending criterion that is twice the allowable ASTM limit. Differences in the extent of scatter between materials at a given total strain range can be attributed to the gradient of the logarithmic plot of total strain range as a function of lifetime.     

A paradigm for single-case research: The time series study of a long-term psychotherapy for depression.

Articulates a paradigm for single-case research in psychotherapy. A patient diagnosed as having major depressive disorder was seen in an intensive, twice-weekly psychodynamic psychotherapy for 2.5 years. Each session was videotaped, and assessments of patient change were obtained at regular intervals. A time-series analysis was used to model fluctuations in the therapy process to take into account time and the effect of previous events on subsequent changes, thereby preserving the context-determined meaning for therapist and patient actions. A bidirectional analysis of causal effects shows that the influence processes between therapist and patient are mutual and reciprocal and suggests that the effect of the patient on the therapist and on the process has not been made sufficiently explicit in previous models of process and change. The potential of intensive single-case designs for uncovering causal effects in psychotherapy is demonstrated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of an octocalcium phosphate cement

From previous studies it is known that alpha-tertiary calcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate form a cement upon mixing with water. In this study this cement was optimized in terms of the milling of the constituents, their molar ratio, the amount of hydroxyapatite added and the water/powder ratio. The optimum Ca/P molar ratio of the cement mixture was 1.36±0.03. X-ray diffraction showed the reaction product to be octocalcium phosphate. Addition of precipitated hydroxypatite of over 3% diminished the final strength of the cement significantly. However, admixtures of only 2% of precipitated hydroxyapatite (a) kept the final compressive strength at 30±5 MPa after soaking in Ringers solution at 37°C, (b) diminished the initial setting time from 27.5 to 10 min and the final setting time from 65 to 40 min, (c) diminished the time in which the final strength was reached from 36 to less than 14 h. The tensile strength of this cement is 19±1% of its compressive strength. The optimum water/powder ratio as found in this study was 0.30 g/g.     

Comparison of two current modulation strategies for matrixconverters under unbalanced input voltage conditions

In this paper, the input current performance of matrix converters is analyzed, especially with reference to the operating conditions determined by unbalanced supply voltages. The space-vector modulation (SVM) technique is utilized to calculate the duty cycles of the active voltage vectors that must be applied, in each switching cycle period, in order to satisfy the input and output requirements. A detailed theoretical analysis of the input current harmonic content under unbalanced input voltage conditions is presented for two different current modulation strategies. On the basis of numerical simulations as well as measurements on a laboratory prototype setup, the strategies' performance are compared and the validity of the theoretical investigation confirmed. It is concluded that, when the input voltages are unbalanced to a significant extent, a dynamic input current modulation strategy has to be preferred, since a lower harmonic line current distortion will appear     

Mixed-Signal Circuit Classification in a Pseudo-Random Testing Scheme

Pseudo-random testing techniques for mixed-signal circuits offer several advantages compared to explicit time-domain and frequency-domain test methods, especially in a BIST structure. To fully exploit these advantages a suitable choice of the pseudo-random input parameters should be done and an investigation on the accuracy of the circuit response samples needed to reduce the risk of misclassification should be carried out. Here these issues have been addressed for a testing scheme based on the estimation of the impulse response of the device under test (DUT) by means of input-output cross-correlation. Moreover, new acceptance criteria for the DUT are suggested which solve some ambiguity problems arising if the classification of the DUT as good or bad is based on a few samples of the cross-correlation function. Examples of application of the proposed techniques to real cases are also shown in order to assess the impact of the measurement system inaccuracies on the reliability of the test.     

Radiation-Chemical Behavior of TBP in Hydrocarbon and Chlorohydrocarbon Diluents under Conditions of Reprocessing of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Plants

Experiments were performed for comparative assessment of the effect of ionizing radiation on the service characteristics of 30% TBP solutions in various diluents: hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), mixtures of n-paraffins (RED diluent), and fraction of naphthenic hydrocarbons (RZh diluent). The following main parameters were chosen for comparative assessment of the quality of irradiated extractant solutions: composition and behavior of diluent radiolysis products, effect of diluents on the TBP radiolysis, and aggregative stability of emulsions in the main operations of the extraction cycle. The service life of the extraction mixtures was estimated from variation of the above parameters with the irradiation dose. Principles for choosing solvents with increased service life under irradiation were substantiated.