Stress Relaxation Behaviour Modeling in Rigid Polyurethane (PU) Elastomeric Materials.

Polyurethane (PU) has been used in a variety of industries during the past few years due to its exceptional qualities, including strong mechanical strength, good abrasion resistance, toughness, low-temperature flexibility, etc. More specifically, PU is easily "tailored" to satisfy particular requirements. There is a lot of potential for its use in broader applications due to this structure-property link.

Rheological Relaxation of OSB Beams Reinforced with CFRP Composites.

An experimental and analytical approach to the relaxation problem of wood-based materials-OSB (Oriented Strand Boards-pressed wood-based composite panels) beams, including beams with CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforced polymer) tape composite reinforcement, is presented. It is a relevant engineering and scientific problem due to the fact that wood and wood-based materials, as well as composite reinforcements, are widely used in building constructions. Their rheological properties are very important and complicated to estimate.

Influence of Boundary Conditions on Numerical Homogenization of High Performance Concrete.

Concrete is the most widely used construction material nowadays. We are concerned with the computational modelling and laboratory testing of high-performance concrete (HPC). The idea of HPC is to enhance the functionality and sustainability of normal concrete, especially by its greater ductility as well as higher compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths.

Motor assessment in Parkinson`s disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of most disabling disorders of the central nervous system. The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease: shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement, postural instability and difficulty with walking and gait, are difficult to measure. When disease symptoms become more pronounced, the patient experiences difficulties with hand function and walking, and is prone to falls.

Modelling analysis and prediction of women javelin throw results in the years 1946 - 2013.

The main goals of our study of the women's javelin throw were twofold:. first, to analyse the dynamics of female javelin throw results variability as a function of time (time period 1946-2014), second, to create a predictive model of the results during the upcoming 4 years. The study material consisted of databases covering the female track and field events obtained from the International Association of Athletics Federations.

Phase Stability and Stoichiometry in Thin Film Iron Pyrite: Impact on Electronic Transport Properties.

The use of pyrite FeS2 as an earth-abundant, low-cost, nontoxic thin film photovoltaic hinges on improved understanding and control of certain physical and chemical properties. Phase stability, phase purity, stoichiometry, and defects, are central in this respect, as they are frequently implicated in poor solar cell performance. Here, phase-pure polycrystalline pyrite FeS2 films, synthesized by ex situ sulfidation, are subject to systematic reduction by vacuum annealing (to 550 °C) to assess phase stability, stoichiometry evolution, and their impact on transport.

Prevalence of stress urinary incontinence in elite female endurance athletes.

The goal of the study was to assess the prevalence of stress urinary incontinence in a group of elite female endurance athletes, as professional sport is one of the risk factors for stress urinary incontinence. SUI rates in the groups of female cross-country skiers and runners were compared to determine whether the training weather conditions like temperature and humidity influenced the prevalence of urinary incontinence. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed among 112 elite female athletes ie.

Effects of growth hormone and testosterone therapy on aerobic and anaerobic fitness, body composition and lipoprotein profile in middle-aged men.

Introduction: Andropause and aging are associated with neuroendocrine dysfunctions. Growth hormone and testosterone play a significant role in several processes affecting adaptation and thereby also everyday functioning. The aim of this research project was to evaluate the effects of recombinant human growth hormone and testosterone enanthate injections on body mass and body composition, aerobic and anaerobic fitness and lipid profile in middle-aged men.

The effect of aerobic exercise training on the distribution of succinate dehydrogenase activity throughout muscle fibres.

We evaluated the effect of endurance training (cycling 3 times per week for 12 weeks) on succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity in the subsarcolemmal (SS) and intermyofibrillar (IMF) regions of vastus lateralis muscle fibres in 7 individuals (4 females and 3 males). SDH activity of the SS region increased 9.4% and 12.

Characterization of gonadotropic and ovarian steroid hormones during the periovulatory period in high ovulating select and control line gilts.

Cyclic gilts from Control (C, randomly selected, n = 11) and Relax Select (RS, nine generations of selection for increased ovulation rate followed by seven generations of relaxed or random selection, n = 9) lines of the University of Nebraska Gene Pool population (derived from 14 different breeds) were utilized to characterize differences in gonadotropic and ovarian steroid hormones during preovulatory and postovulatory phases of the estrous cycle. Blood samples were collected during four periods (0500, 1100, 1700 and 2300) daily beginning 2 d prior to anticipated estrus (d -2, d 18 of a 20-d estrous cycle), and continuing through d 4 postestrus (d 0 = 1st of standing estrus). Sampling within a period consisted of five blood samples at 15-min intervals.

Selection practices and genetic and phenotypic trends estimated from Nebraska SPF swine field records.

Records collected during 1971 through 1979 from 101,606 pigs raised in 18 herds that were members of the Nebraska SPF Swine Accrediting Association were evaluated for phenotypic trends and predicted and observed genetic trends. Traits considered were backfat at 100 kg (BF) and weight at 140 d of age (WT). Phenotypic change on average was beneficial for BF (-.

Genetic and phenotypic parameters estimated from Nebraska specific-pathogen-free swine field records.

Records collected during 1971 through 1979 from 101,606 hogs raised in 18 Nebraska Specific Pathogen Free herds were analyzed. Traits considered were backfat at 100 kg (BF), weight at 140 d of age (WT) and, in some analyses, number of live pigs/litter at birth (NBA). The phenotypic correlation of BF and WT, averaged across herds, was -.

Serologic survey for Bordetella bronchiseptica in Nebraska specific-pathogen-free pigs.

The frequency of Bordetella bronchiseptica infection in Nebraska specific-pathogen-free (SPF) pigs was determined by serologic and bacteriologic cultural analysis. Serum samples from non-SPF herds were tested for comparison. A total of 1,282 of 1,397 (92%) of the SPF pigs tested had antibody to B bronchiseptica; 37 of 220 (17%) were culture-positive, and 67 of 4125 (1.