Self-Excited Acoustical Measurement System for Rock Mass Stress Mapping

This paper presents the results of a preliminary study of a self-excited acoustical system (SAS) for nondestructive testing (NDT). The SAS system was used for mine excavation stresses examination. The principle of operation of the SAS system based on the elastoacoustical effect is presented. A numerical analysis of the excavation was carried out considering the stress factor. An equivalent model based on a two-degree-of-freedom system with a delay has been developed. This model allowed to determine the relation which relates the frequency of the self-excited system to the stress level in the studied ceiling section. This relationship is defined by the elastoacoustic coefficient. The test details for anchorages in laboratory conditions and Wieliczka Salt Mine were presented. This research details of a method for creating actual stress maps in the ceiling of a mine excavation. The results confirmed the possibility of using the new measurement system to monitor the state of stresses in the rock mass.

Two-dimensional Mapping of Bulk Residual Stress Using Cut Mouth Opening Displacement

Background Prior work described an approach for mapping the two-dimensional spatial distribution of biaxial residual stress in plate-like samples, the approach combining multiple slitting measurements with elastic stress analysis. Objective This paper extends the prior work by applying a new variation of the slitting method that uses measurements of cut mouth opening displacement (CMOD) rather than back-face strain (BFS). Methods First, CMOD slitting is validated using an experiment where: BFS and CMOD are measured simultaneously on the same sample during incremental slitting; two residual stress profiles are computed, one from the BFS data and a second from the CMOD data; and the two residual stress profiles are compared. Following validation, multiple adjacent CMOD slitting measurements are used to construct two-dimensional maps of residual stress in plates cut from quenched aluminum. Results The two residual stress versus depth profiles, each computed separately from BFS or CMOD data, are in agreement, with compression near the plate boundaries (-150 MPa) and tension near the plate center (100 MPa); differences between the two stress profiles have a maximum of 25 MPa and a RMS of 7.2 MPa. Repeated biaxial residual stress mapping measurements show the CMOD technique is repeatable, and complementary contour method measurements show the mappings are valid. Aspects of CMOD and BFS deformations during slitting are also described and show they are generally complementary but that CMOD slitting is favorable in narrow samples.

Brain Stress Mapping in COVID-19 Survivors Using MR Spectroscopy: New Avenue of Mental Health Status Monitoring

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has emerged as a human catastrophe worldwide, and it has impacted human life more detrimentally than the combined effect of World Wars I and II. Various research studies reported that the disease is not confined to the respiratory system but also leads to neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders suggesting that the virus is potent to affect the central nervous system (CNS). Moreover, the damage to CNS may continue to rise even after the COVID-19 infection subsides which may further induce a long-term impact on the brain, resulting in cognitive impairment. Neuroimaging techniques provide the ability to detect and quantify pathological manifestations in the brain of COVID-19 survivors. In this context, a scheme based on structural, spectroscopic, and behavioral studies could be executed to monitor the gradual changes in the brain non-invasively due to COVID-19 which may further help in quantifying the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of the survivors. Extensive research is required in this direction for identifying the mechanism and implications of COVID-19 in the brain. Additionally, longitudinal follow-up studies are also needed to perform for monitoring the effects of this pandemic on individuals over a prolonged period.

Mapping mechanical properties of living cells at nanoscale using intrinsic nanopipette-sample force interaction

Mechanical properties of living cells determined by cytoskeletal elements play a crucial role in a wide range of biological functions. However, low-stress mapping of mechanical properties with nanoscale resolution but...