Finite Element Based Micro-mechanical Modeling of Interphase in Filler Reinforced Elastomers

Characteristic properties of elastomers can be tailored by embedding them with filler particles. Along with enhancing the overall properties of the composite, filler particles also induce some inelastic effects. In this paper, a finite element computational model is used to study the effect of microstructure morphology in filled elastomers, on its macroscopic large deformation behavior. A multiphase material model that accounts for the hypothesis of shift in glass transition temperature in the vicinity of the filler particle is developed to simulate the interphase between the fillers and the matrix. It also accounts for the breakdown and re-aggregation of filler networks under cyclic loading. Examples at the microstructural level, demonstrating the dynamics of the interphase using the developed multiphase model have been successfully simulated. The obtained results are in good qualitative agreement with the Mullins effect. Therefore, computational experiments using this methodology enable the prediction of the experimentally observed softening behavior in filled elastomers based on its microstructure evolution.     

Application of a cohesive zone element for the prediction of damage in nano/micro coating

Many tools in production technology are nowadays coated to obtain a satisfactory lifetime and degradation resistance. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to investigate antiadhesive and wear resistant coatings made of ceramics, plastics and metals produced by High Power Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering (HPPMS) technique [1]. A cohesive zone element technique (CZ) is applied to model the interactions of the coatings and the substrate surfaces (see [2]). This goes along with the investigations of the delamination and failure behavior of the involved surfaces. To illustrate the applicability of the model, several structural simulations are performed. The developed CZ element model is capable of modeling the separation, the contact and also the irreversible reloading conditions in both normal and tangential directions [3]. The model is further developed to be applicable for different structures including different bonding behaviors, with a higher stability. The talk concludes with a detailed discussion of the numerical results of different material and interface properties. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Pharmacological modulation of functional connectivity: the correlation structure underlying the phMRI response to d-amphetamine modified by selective dopamine D3 receptor antagonist SB277011A

Pharmacological MRI (phMRI) experiments utilise fMRI time series methods to map the central effect of pharmaceutical compounds. The typical univariate maps may, however, integrate the effects of several different neurotransmitter systems or underlying mechanisms. The results may thus be spatially and/or mechanistically nonspecific. Intersubject correlation analysis based on the phMRI response amplitude can more directly identify patterns of functional connectivity underlying the central effects of an acutely administered compound. In this article, we extend this approach to experiments where the effects of one compound in modulating the response to another are of interest. Specifically, we show a modulation of the correlation structure of a probe compound (d-amphetamine) by pretreatment with the selective dopamine D3 receptor antagonist SB277011A in the rat. The strongest modifications in the correlation patterns occurred in connection with the ventral tegmental area, the source of mesolimbic dopamine projections and a key substrate in the reward system.     

The Pontryagin -form

The unit -planes on which the first Pontryagin form of the Grassmann manifolds achieves its maximum are determined. This is a shorter and unified proof of results first obtained in 1995 by H. Gluck et al. and in 1998 by W. Gu.

     

Reaction between 1-arenesulphonyl-3-nitro-1,2,4-triazoles and nucleoside base residues. Elucidation of the nature of side-reactions during oligonucleotide synthesis.

The protected guanosine and uridine derivatives (3a, 3b and 4) react with 1-(mesitylene-2-sulphonyl)-3-nitro-1,2,4-triazole (MSNT, 2a) to give 5a, 5b and 7, respectively: 9 is converted into 10 in the same way. The reactions proceed more rapidly in the presence of diphenyl phosphate.     

Proanthocyanidin from Persimmon Fruits

Degradative and other data described below have shown that the tannin of unripe fruits of persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) actually contains (+)-gallocatechin unit in the structure and must be regarded as condensed flavonoid pigments, probably of similar structure to the polymeric proanthocyanidin from avocado seed. The possible structure of the proanthocyanidin from persimmon fruits is proposed tentatively as a polymer of 5, 7, 3′, 4′, 5′-pentahydroxyflavanonol.     

Boundaries of varieties in projective manifolds

We give a characterization of the boundaries of holomorphic chains in complex projective space. This extends previous work of the authors and complements results of Dolbeault and Henkin.     

Functional MRI using intravascular contrast agents: detrending of the relative cerebrovascular (rCBV) time course

In pharmacological fMRI experiments in animal models, blood pool contrast agents may be used to map cerebral blood volume change as a surrogate for neural activation. When the background signal drift due to contrast agent washout is non-negligible over the duration of the signal changes of interest, time-course detrending is essential for accurate interpretation of the experiment. Detrending approaches based on estimation of the background signal from a baseline period of the time course prior to pharmacological (or functional) challenge were evaluated with the aim of identifying a robust method of estimating the contrast agent washout contribution to the background signal drift. For fMRI studies in the rat, it was found that a constrained fit of a mono-exponential washout model was more accurate than a constant background approximation and unconstrained fits for experiments investigating the functional response to rapid pharmacological challenges such as cocaine and amphetamine. Moreover, the constrained fitting approach allows shorter baseline periods than unconstrained extrapolation, reducing the required duration of the experiment.