Veturia Chiroiu¹, Ligia Munteanu¹, Pier Paolo Delsanto²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 75-100, 2010, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2010.016.075

Abstract Conventional continuum theories are unable to capture the observed indentation size effects, due to the lack of intrinsic length scales that represent the measures of nanostructure in the constitutive relations. In order to overcome this deficiency, the Toupin-Mindlin strain gradient theory of nanoindentation is formulated in this paper and the size dependence of the hardness with respect to the depth and the radius of the indenter for multiple walled carbon nanotubes is investigated. Results show a peculiar size influence on the hardness, which is explained via the shear resistance between the neighboring walls during the More >

J. Sladek¹, V. Sladek¹, P. Stanak¹, Ch. Zhang²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 1-26, 2010, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2010.015.001

Abstract A meshless local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) method is applied to solve laminate plate problems described by the Reissner-Mindlin theory. Both stationary and transient dynamic loads are analyzed here. The bending moment and the shear force expressions are obtained by integration through the laminated plate for the considered constitutive equations in each lamina. The Reissner-Mindlin theory reduces the original three-dimensional (3-D) thick plate problem to a two-dimensional (2-D) problem. Nodal points are randomly distributed over the mean surface of the considered plate. Each node is the center of a circle surrounding this node. The weak-form on small More >

David E. Rapp¹, Lambda P. Msezane¹, W. Stuart Reynolds¹, Tamara L. Lotan², Piotr Obara¹, R. Corey O’Connor³, Jerome B. Taxy², Glenn S. Gerber¹, Gregory P. Zagaja¹

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 4484-4489, 2009

Abstract Objectives: We sought to evaluate the ability of biopsy core recutting to increase cancer detection in patients with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN).
Methods: This prospective study encompasses all patients undergoing 12 core TRUS guided prostate biopsy between February 2004 and January 2007. In patients with HGPIN on initial biopsy, the paraffin blocks were resampled for cancer by additional deeper levels per core. Additional analysis was performed in the patients with HGPIN in order to detect whether significant differences in prebiopsy variables were associated with patients subsequently found to have benign versus carcinoma on recutting. Last,… More >

Diniz SPSS, RC Oliveira

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.78, pp. 155-160, 2009, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2009.78.155

Abstract The effects of fusaric acid, a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium sp, were investigated in relation to its action on corn seedlings. The mycotoxin inhibited the development of corn seedlings at 0.2 mM, causing root length reduction. Anatomically, alterations were only visible from 0.5 mM fusaric acid, directly influencing the cell differentiation process. Precocious differentiation reduces the elongation region. This explains (1) that root shortening is morphologically visible, and (2) the differentiation of a great number of lateral roots nearby the apex, which can be seen in longitudinal cuts. More >

Fernanda Gentil¹, Renato Natal Jorge², António Joaquim Mendes Ferreira³, Marco Parente⁴, Pedro Martins⁵, Eurico de Almeida⁶

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.9, No.1, pp. 45-56, 2009, DOI:10.3970/icces.2009.009.045

Abstract The interest in finite element method (FEM) concerning biomechanics has been increasing, in particular, to analyze the mechanical behavior of the human ear. In this work, a finite element model of the middle ear was made. A dynamic study based on a structural response to harmonic vibrations, for different sound pressure levels, applied on the eardrum, is presented using the ABAQUS program. The model includes different ligaments and muscle tendons with elastic and hyperelastic behavior of these supportive structure. The non-linear behavior of the ligaments and muscle tendons was considered, being the connection between ossicles More >

A. Colombo¹, U. Galvanetto²

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.53, No.3, pp. 235-254, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2009.053.235

Abstract The paper addresses the problem of computing the stable manifolds of equilibria and limit cycles of saddle type in piecewise smooth dynamical systems. All singular points that are generically present along one-dimensional or two-dimensional manifolds are classified and such a classification is then used to define a method for the numerical computation of the stable manifolds. Finally the proposed method is applied to the case of a stick-slip oscillator. More >

A. B. Mahmud Hasan^1,2, S.M. Guo¹, M.A. Wahab¹

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.5, No.4, pp. 399-410, 2009, DOI:10.3970/fdmp.2009.005.399

Abstract The effects of gas flow channel design were studied experimentally for increasing fuel cell performance and fuel optimization. Three types of gas flow channels (serpentine, straight and interdigitated) were designed on the basis of water flooding due to electrochemical reactions, electro-osmotic drag, etc. Experimental results indicate that the best cell performance can be obtained by arranging interdigitated gas flow channel at the anode side and serpentine gas flow channel at the cathode side. Detailed analysis on complex two phase water generation and electrochemical phenomena behind those results were analyzed in this work to find out More >

Xiaoyi Liang¹, Zhen Yang^1,2, Xingsheng Gu³, Licheng Ling¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.13, No.2, pp. 135-152, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.013.135

Abstract Supercapacitors, also called electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), occupy a region between batteries and dielectric capacitors on the Ragone plot describing the relation between energy and power. BET specific surface area and specific capacitance are two important electrochemical property parameters for activated carbon EDLCs, which are usually tested by experimental method. However, it is misspent time to repeat lots of experiments for EDLCs' studies. In this investigation, we developed one theoretical model based on improved particle swarm optimization algorithm back propagation (PSO-BP) neural network (NN) to simulate and optimize BET specific surface area and specific capacitance. More >

Khurshid A. Guru^1,2, Adam E. Perlmutter¹, Zubair M. Butt¹, James O. Peabody³

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.15, No.2, pp. 4000-4003, 2008

Abstract Introduction: To describe a technique that may facilitate neurovascular bundle preservation during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.
Materials and methods: From December 2007 to January 2008, 10 patients underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy with bilateral nerve preservation. Hydrodissection of the neurovascular bundle was performed by injecting a 1:10000 epinephrine solution diluted in 0.9% normal saline into the lateral prostatic pedicle with an injection cannula needle (Wolf®). Operative time, blood loss and margin status were assessed when this new technique was utilized. Erectile function status will be analyzed in the future.
Results: Ten potent patients underwent bilateral nerve-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy… More >

Yoh Matsuoka^1,2, Makoto Hirokawa¹, Kimio Chiba¹, Takafumi Hashiba¹, Takeshi Tomoda¹, Shimpei Sugiura¹

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 4106-4108, 2008

Abstract We report a rare case of sarcomatoid carcinoma of the urinary bladder which showed both of biphasic and monophasic phenotypes through its clinical course. A 64 year-old man presented with gross hematuria and interrupted voiding. Radiological examination demonstrated a pedunculated tumor in the bladder with no distant metastases. Pathological diagnosis of transurethral resection revealed biphasic sarcomatoid carcinoma, pT1, composed of squamous cell carcinoma component and spindle cell component. The disease had repeated local recurrences and partial and total cystectomies were performed consequently. The recurrent tumors were monophasic sarcomatoid carcinoma purely composed of spindle cell component. More >