RESUMEN
Split Hopkinson pressure bar experiments on soils are often carried out using a rigid steel confining ring to provide plane strain conditions, and measurements of the circumferential strain in the ring can be used to infer the radial stress on the surface of the specimen. Previous experiments have shown evidence of irregular electromagnetic interference in measurements of radial stress, which obscures the signals and impedes analysis. The development of robust constitutive models for soils in blast and impact events relies on the accurate characterisation of this behaviour, and so it is necessary to isolate and remove the source of interference. This paper uses an induction coil to identify the source of the anomalous signals, which are found to be due to induced currents in the gauge lead wires from the movement of magnetised pressure bars (martensitic stainless steel, 440C). Comparative experiments on sand and rubber specimens are used to show that the deforming soil specimen does not make a significant contribution to this activity, and recommendations are made on reducing electromagnetic interference to provide reliable radial stress measurements.
RESUMEN
Elastic theory shows that wide spectrum signals in the Hopkinson pressure bar suffer two forms of distortion as they propagate from the loaded bar face. These must be accounted for if accurate determination of the impact load is to be possible. The first form of distortion is the well-known phase velocity dispersion effect. The second form, which can be equally deleterious, is the prediction that at high frequencies, the stress and strain generated in the bar varies with radial position on the cross section, even for a uniformly applied loading. We consider the consequences of these effects on our ability to conduct accurate backward dispersion correction of bar signals, that is, to derive the impact face load from the dispersed signal recorded at some other point on the bar. We conclude that there is an upper limit on the frequency for which the distortion effects can be accurately compensated, and that this can significantly affect the accuracy of experimental results. We propose a combination of experimental studies and detailed numerical modelling of the impact event and wave propagation along the bar to gain better understanding of the frequency content of the impact event, and help assess the accuracy of experimental predictions of impact face load.
RESUMEN
Drug susceptibility testing (DST) is often needed in patients clinically failing tuberculosis (TB) therapy. Most studies of phenotypic direct drug susceptibility tests, such as microscopic observation drug susceptibility (MODS) tests, have been performed in patients not receiving TB treatment. The effect of ongoing TB treatment on the performance of MODS direct DST has not been previously explored, but patients failing such therapy constitute an important target group. The aim of this study was to determine the performance of MODS direct rifampicin and isoniazid DST in patients clinically failing first-line TB treatment, and to compare MODS direct DST with indirect proportion method DST. Sputa from 264 TB patients were cultured in parallel in Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) and MODS assays; strains were tested for rifampicin and isoniazid susceptibility by the proportion method at the national reference laboratory. Ninety-three samples were culture-positive by LJ and MODS (concordance of 96%; kappa 0.92). With conventional MODS plate DST reading (performed on the same day as the sample is classified as culture-positive), the isoniazid DST concordance was 96.8% (kappa 0.89), and the concordance for rifampicin susceptibility testing was 92.6% (kappa 0.80). Reading of MODS DST plates 1 week after cultures had been determined to be culture-positive improved overall performance marginally-the isoniazid DST concordance was 95.7% (kappa 0.85); and the rifampicin DST concordance was 96.8% (kappa 0.91). Sensitivity for detection of multidrug-resistant TB was 95.8%. MODS testing provided reliable rifampicin and isoniazid DST results for samples obtained from patients receiving TB therapy. A modified DST reading schedule for such samples, with a final reading 1 week after a MODS culture turns positive, marginally improves the concordance with reference DST.