An experimental set-up of the method of caustics was proposed for the accurate evaluation of stress intensity factor. The stress intensity factor evaluation was based on a new formula which was based on the caustic shape area. The new formula was based on the shape area of the caustics. The stress optical constants were evaluated according to the new formula of the stress intensity factor. The ...

AIM To explore the influence of Escherichia coli on the motility of human spermatozoa and its possible mechanism. METHODS Highly motile preparations of spermatozoa from normozoospermic patients were coincubated with Escherichia coli for 4 hours. At 1, 2 and 4 hours of incubation, sperm motility was determined. The factor responsible for sperm immobilization without agglutination was isolated ...

Global monitoring of sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) is improving our knowledge about the photosynthetic functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. The feasibility of SIF retrievals from spaceborne atmospheric spectrometers has been demonstrated by a number of studies in the last years. In this work, we investigate the potential of the upcoming TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI...

The cracked Brazilian disc (CBD) specimen is widely used in order to determine mode-I/II and mixed-mode fracture toughness of a rock medium. In this study, the stress intensity factor (SIF) on the crack-tip in this specimen is calculated for various geometrical crack conditions using the extended-finite element method (X-FEM). This method is based upon the finite element method (FEM). In this m...

Carbon nanotube (CNT) is considered as a new generation of material possessing superior mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. The applications of CNT, especially in composite materials, i.e. carbon nanotube reinforced polymer have received great attention and interest in recent years. To characterize the influence of CNT on the stress intensity factor of nanocomposites, three fracture ...

In this paper, edge crack problems under mechanical loads have been analysed using extended finite element method (XFEM) as it has proved to be a competent method for handling problems with discontinuities. The XFEM provides a versatile technique to model discontinuities in the solution domain without re-meshing or conformal mesh. The stress intensity factors (SIF) have been calculated by domai...

The aim of this study was to characterize the interferon induced intracellular signals in duck hepatocytes and to investigate the effects of duck interferon on virus replication in duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) infected ducks. Interestingly, duck interferon was found to activate intracellular signal transduction pathways similar to those of its mammalian counterparts. An interferon stimulated g...

Turbine-generator shafts are often subjected to a complex transient torsional loading. Such transient torques may initiate and propagate a circumferential crack in the shafts. Mode III crack growth in turbo-generator shafts often results in a fracture surface morphology resembling a factory roof. The interaction of the mutual fracture surfaces results in a pressure and a frictional stress field...

This paper investigates the fatigue behaviour of out-of-plane gusset welded joints strengthened with carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. Two notches were introduced at the weld toes adjacent to longitudinal plate ends to simulate the initial damage. Variables including the stress range, singleor double-sided strengthening and modulus of CFRP materials were considered. It was found...