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Antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein are produced by the immune system in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, but most available vaccines developed to fight the pandemic spread target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The aim of this study was to improve the detection of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid by providing a simple and robust method applicable to a large population. For this purpose, we developed a DELFIA immunoassay on dried blood spots (DBSs) by converting a commercially available IVD ELISA assay. A total of forty-seven paired plasma and dried blood spots were collected from vaccinated and/or previously SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects. The DBS-DELFIA resulted in a wider dynamic range and higher sensitivity for detecting antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid. Moreover, the DBS-DELFIA showed a good total intra-assay coefficient of variability of 14.6%. Finally, a strong correlation was found between SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibodies detected by the DBS-DELFIA and ELISA immunoassays (r = 0.9). Therefore, the association of dried blood sampling with DELFIA technology may provide an easier, minimally invasive, and accurate measurement of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibodies in previously SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects. In conclusion, these results justify further research to develop a certified IVD DBS-DELFIA assay for detecting SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibodies useful for diagnostics as well as for serosurveillance studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the men who work in the sex market by social media professional experiences effects, relating them to the dismantling of political rights, which was increased by the Covid-19 pandemic. The sex market is not limited to prostitution, and generally, academic research is linked to the sex work made in bars, streets, and steam rooms. Since the Covid-19 pandemic is related to neoliberal policies and linked to work, there was a greater migration of practices to the online context. We carried out a preliminary looking at the sex market online environment and then, 5 sex workers men, who used Twitter and OnlyFans to deal their services. They were interviewed through a narrative approach. We perceived that the labor rights dismantle neoliberal politics and pandemic influences in the way how platform work shows up, rendering vulnerable the labor rights; the work context enables a digital influencer position that seeks for engagement; and transnational sex market has a new shape, but it still keeps racial and colonial intersections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to verify how community participation, family support, and sociodemographic variables relate to community integration. Participants were 201 individuals from the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, residing in the cities of Porto Alegre and Esteio, who benefited from a basic social protection program, PAIF (Proteção e Atendimento Integral à Família). The non-probability sample was mainly composed of low socioeconomic status women with a low educational level who were beneficiaries of social financial support programs. The research protocol comprised the Inventory of Family Support Perception, the Questionnaire of Community Social Support, and questions about sociodemographic characteristics. Correlation of PAIF participation duration with community integration was weak (r = 0.145, p < 0.05). A linear regression model showed that age (ß = 0.323, p < 0.001), the monetary value of the benefit (ß = 0.224, p = 0.002), and community participation (ß = 0.234, p = 0.002) were predictors, accounting for 30.5% of the variance of community integration. Results indicate that, as people age in the community, they increase their integration. The amounts received by each family probably affect community integration because they expand access to community spaces and public services. Individuals with greater community support tools felt more welcome in the community network. Additional studies are needed to provide evidence for the effectiveness of social integration and health promotion interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a comparative study of some of the perceptions of future teachers at the University of Valencia (Valencia-Spain) and Francisco José de Caldas (Bogotá-Colombia) regarding their teaching performance. The sources used for the analysis were their practice reports, prepared after giving class. This study is carried out from a qualitative perspective verging on a case study, which allows us to understand a phenomenon in a detailed way. The initial training of professors in the didactics of social sciences is influenced by their perceptions, which show differences between classroom practice and the theory proposed in universities, forgetting educational practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results discussed in the article are part of the research Epistemic territories and pedagogical practice in the bachelor degrees in biology and social sciences of the Francisco José de Caldas District University, in the line of the research Teaching of sciences, context and cultural diversity of the interinstitutional doctorate in education that is being studied in Colombia. This paper approaches the epistemic territories that set up the students of the bachelor's degree in social sciences, about the pedagogical practice they develop. The category of epistemic territory is adopted to understand the teaching practice, beyond the application in the school of the theory approached in the university, to locate it like an activity that occurs in the intersection between knowledges and actions of the future teacher. The methodological process is based on an interpretative qualitative perspective and adopts the case study as a delimited system of reality to investigate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article takes an ethnographic approach to understand the networks of relations established between taggers in the city of Porto Alegre. The results presented redeem the subject tracking for five years, where through interviews, observations and walk through the city itself was shaped up a framework for a better understanding the phenomenon in question. Starting from a conception of the communicational act as graffiti glimpsed the relationship between these social actors in the city, passersby, to establish among themselves and with graffiti. The "twilight" identity that permeates these experiences indicate nowadays for crossings of belonging / not belonging to their society, the search for ingroup and outgroup recognition and generated tensions over the disputed areas in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Emerging Adulthood is a theory about psychosocial aspects of human development that considers the effects of globalization. According to the theory, there are five main characteristics in the Emerging Adult: Instability; Ambivalence; Autofocus; Experimentation; Age of Possibilities. With the aim of validating this framework with a group of 22 Latin-American young mothers who are immigrant in Spain, the present study used the principles of Content Analysis to qualitatively analyze interviews with the chosen population. Results show that the Emerging Adulthood may be useful to understand the phenomena involved in the contemporary youth even if the contextual issues have a greater impact in the transition to adult life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers are exposed to various occupational stressors which, if persistent, can lead to burnout syndrome. This is a qualitative study realized with eight elementary school teachers in a school in Porto Alegre. The purpose of this study was to verify the knowledge, the symptoms, the process and consequences of burnout syndrome in these professionals. The information was collected through semi-structured interview consisting of six guiding questions and was analyzed by the technique of content analysis. The results reveal that teachers have adequate information about the syndrome and also some distortions and they identify as depression. They point to behavioral symptoms and physical aspects, and as determinants indicate the teacher's personal characteristics, conditions and organization of work and lack of rewards. They refer be a slow process and that culminates in the complete inability to adequately carry out their function. Teachers suggest actions of individual counseling, organizational and social changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to introduce key concepts in the context of what is defined by cultural psychology. Besides presenting a psychology that deals with culture, as the central aspect of its proposal for understanding human phenomena, presents its origins, its authors and their topics of greatest interest, especially in regard to the narrative and the incorporation aspects of linguistics to research and conceptual discussion in contemporary psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are cases in the permanence of the child or adolescent in their family of origin that violate their rights, exposing them to physical and psychological risks. In these contexts, protective measures can be applied, such as removal from the family and, as a last resort, the removal of family power. This article aimed to perform an integrative literature review on studies that describe and analyze evaluative and interventional practices in cases of destitution of family power. The following databases were used to search the articles: Scielo, Lilacs, Pepsic, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus. Nine studies were included for analysis according to the eligibility criteria. It was found that the studies were developed mainly in Brazil and the United States (USA). The five national studies analyzed, predominantly qualitative, highlight generic intervention practices associated with reports of professional experiences. The other studies, of a quantitative nature, present a greater variety of evaluative and interventional exercises that are not extensible to the child welfare network. It was found that the scarcity of studies on the subject denotes an open field for investigations and, in a critical conception, a potential tendency to naturalize the suspension of parental rights, especially in cases involving families financially in need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children and adolescents usually migrate with family members and rarely have an active voice in this process. In view of this situation, the study sought to understand how Haitian children and adolescents form narratives about their migration experience and how these narratives trigger aspects of the socio-school insertions of Haitian migrants in Porto Alegre. A case study was carried out, focused on narratives about the migratory process and local experience. In the narratives, Haitian culture was linked to the possibilities of bonding and experiences of exclusion, indicating the need for institutional care strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examined the association between body satisfaction and sexual identification among lesbian and bisexual women, since these factors help to understand the cultural background of the objectification of female bodies in Latin cultures. Women who identify as lesbian (N = 239) and bisexual (N = 60) completed demographic data and measures of self-esteem, physical appearance perfectionism, lesbian and bisexual identity difficulties, and body satisfaction. We performed a three-stage hierarchical multiple regression to explore how variables relate to body satisfaction. The results suggest that self-esteem plays a key role, explaining 20.4% of the variance in body satisfaction. We discussed the psychosocial and cultural aspects involved in the relationship between the variables, and social and aesthetic pressures on women's bodies. This study contributes to discussions on psychosocial aspects associated with body satisfaction among Brazilian lesbian and bisexual women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the perception of parenting practices before and during the incarceration of men deprived of liberty. Fifty-seven men aged between 22 and 61 years (M = 36.16; SD = 8.44) participated in the study, with family income of one to two minimum wages (31.6%), did not complete elementary school (54.4%), were married (73.7%), and had two or more children (73.7%) aged 4 to 16 years. They answered socio-demographic questions and the Parenting Practices Inventory (PPI) for conditions in liberty and in prison. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, mean comparison tests and Pearson correlation. Regarding their condition of imprisonment, there was a significant reduction in scores of parental practices of "Discipline", "Education" and "Social", but not in "Affection". The scores for "Discipline" for conditions in liberty and in prison showed a strong correlation. The implications of these results are discussed, limitations and future directions are also indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article seeks to answer the question about the perceptions that teachers have in training and in practice on the didactics of the social sciences in Colombia. To this end, a method with an interpretative approach with a mixed design is used to integrate the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data produced on these perceptions in the context of basic and secondary education. The results present from the perceptions of teachers some correlations between the didactics they claim to use and the way in which it is expressed in their pedagogical practice. The conclusions contribute to the design, implementation, and evaluation of educational policies in education, especially those aimed at improving the teaching and learning processes of the social sciences at different educational levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prejudice against Gender and Sexual Diversity (GenSex prejudice) is a significant issue of scientific study. Negative attitudes towards lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and gender nonconforming people are prevalent in many countries. Gender, age, education, income, religion, and military enrolment are associated with higher prejudice levels. The present study measured GenSex prejudice in an all-male military sample of Brazilian soldiers. Participants were 354 recruits of the Brazilian Army between the ages of 18 and 20. Measures included a 5-point Likert scale to assess GenSex prejudice. Data was analyzed using descriptives and ANOVA with post-hoc Bonferroni comparisons. Being religious, having lower income, and being less educated were significantly associated with higher levels of prejudice. Soldiers with elementary education were more prejudiced than those with higher levels of education. Soldiers with a monthly family income of less than USD 530,36 had more GenSex prejudice than those with higher earnings. Also, religious soldiers had more prejudice than the nonreligious ones. Protestant soldiers had significantly more GenSex prejudice than all other religious groups measured. No significant differences were found between ethnic or racial groups. Results are discussed with the literature on human rights, educational practices, racial discrimination, religiosity and prejudice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the psychoanalysis practices employed by public mental health care teams, investigating how psychoanalysts act outside the individualized ambulatory model. An ethnographic research was carried out by monitoring the work routines of two psychoanalysts from a mental health care team. Detailed recordings of the routines in the field diary were used as material for analysis. Hence, this essay proposes the psychoanalytic loom approach to illustrate how psychoanalysis operates in dialogue with other knowledge that make up public mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article sought to understand what displaced women, heads of families assisted by the Social Assistance of Brazil, understand about their displacement process and the State's actions in regards to it. Through Critical Discourse Analysis it was identified that, although there are several causal attributions to displacement - such as environmental risk and violence - what really runs through the experiences of these women is an exclusionary urbanization, lived throughout the history of these families, which led them to occupy inadequate living spaces such as stream banks and unsuitable land, which ended up being risky and displacing the families in the medium term. Participants understood this situation as a process natural to their social condition, but not as a result of negligence on the part of the State. The results further indicate that the forms of forced displacement are articulated and that environmental displacement serves as State rhetoric to justify displacements related to historical violence and negligence on the part of the State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, the result of an ethnographic approach, analyzes psychosocial aspects and political possibilities of agency and negotiation in the functioning of an agroecological fair. In addition to participant observation, nineteen interviews were conducted with producers and consumers that allowed the construction of a network of recurring themes and discursive crossings on the relationships established in the daily life of this form of food trade. The research process made it possible to analyze the relations at the fair from two central dimensions: community and management. These aspects were shown to be linked to environmentalist discourses and forms of resistance to the majority economy and industrialized food practices, tending to ways of elitism consumption and idealizing the rural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using density functional theory quantum methods, total energy values and vibrational properties have been computed, and thermodynamic properties evaluated, for Ti-substituted GaAs and GaP, proposed as candidates for intermediate band photovoltaic cells. The calculations predict that the formation of these materials from the binary compounds implies an increase in total energy (that is ascribed largely to the change in coordination undergone by Ti, from six-fold to four-fold), and thus phase separation rather than mixed compound formation would be favored. However, the mentioned increase is not larger (for the arsenide case it is actually smaller) than that predicted for Mn-substituted GaAs, a material which has been experimentally made, and therefore the obtention of these Ti-substituted materials is expected to be feasible as well. Vibrational and disorder entropy contributions to the formation free energy of the ternary compounds have been also computed; they compensate partially for the total energy increase, and indicate that the thermodynamic feasibility of the materials synthesis improves for low Ti concentrations and high temperature conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the idea of "production of oneself" through content present in Grindr - mobile application for finding sexual partners among men. Grindr was the first tool to combine the search for sex via Internet with the mechanism of satellite geolocation, leading to significant changes in the experience of sexuality and public space for men who have sex with men. We developed a cartography in the application, having as initial focus the profile descriptions found in different regions of the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. The recurrence of masculinity ideals, devaluation of attributes understood as feminine, references to the logic of the application and negotiation of confidentiality was perceived in the formulation of profiles. We discuss Grindr as a space for discursive reorganizations, which are inserted within the app through the ways in which subjects produce meaning about "who they are" and "what they look for" by using the tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glyphosate (GS) inhibits the 5‐enolpyruvyl‐shikimate‐3‐phosphate (EPSP) synthase that is required for aromatic amino acid, folate and quinone biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. The inhibition of the EPSP synthase by GS depletes the cell of these metabolites, resulting in cell death. Here, we show that like the laboratory B. subtilis strains also environmental and undomesticated isolates adapt to GS by reducing herbicide uptake. Although B. subtilis possesses a GS‐insensitive EPSP synthase, the enzyme is strongly inhibited by GS in the native environment. Moreover, the B. subtilis EPSP synthase mutant was only viable in rich medium containing menaquinone, indicating that the bacteria require a catalytically efficient EPSP synthase under nutrient‐poor conditions. The dependency of B. subtilis on the EPSP synthase probably limits its evolvability. In contrast, E. coli rapidly acquires GS resistance by target modification. However, the evolution of a GS‐resistant EPSP synthase under non‐selective growth conditions indicates that GS resistance causes fitness costs. Therefore, in both model organisms, the proper function of the EPSP synthase is critical for the cellular viability. This study also revealed that the uptake systems for folate precursors, phenylalanine and tyrosine need to be identified and characterized in B. subtilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this systematic review was to analyze scientific articles about the Parental Stress (PS) construct associated with people in international migration processes. Searches were carried out in seven databases: Scopus, Web of Science, PsycInfo, VHL Portal, MEDLINE/CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library, considering publications between 2012-2021. Initially, 2193 documents were found and after the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 articles were analyzed according their theoretical-methodological aspects and main Parental Stress results. The critical appraisal of the studies indicates high methodological quality of the articles, since most of them (n = 12) got from 10 to 12 points in the 12 scale-score evaluation criteria. There was a predominance of articles that investigated the relationship between PS and social support, acculturative guidelines, parent-child relationship, mental health of caregivers, and interventions to reduce PS in caregivers. We discuss the dimensions of social support as protective factors for families who are in international migration process. The evidences suggest that government policies and interventions are necessary to mitigate psychosocial impacts on these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a reflection on a recent experience in the development of field trips in a University context, in which has been created a figure named Support Student in order to contribute from different references to the initial process of teaching formation. Thus, it participates in the logistic and academic processes for the preparation development and completion of the fieldwork. Likewise, a systematization of the experience is carried out, assuming an active, participative role which promotes the production of knowledge through a reflective process that, along with the home teacher, implies rethink not only the field trip but also, the scholar knowledge that may play a significant role on it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a narrative review of studies about publications in psychology journals with regard to the presence of psychologists in the Social Assistance field, with emphasis on its relationship with the Social Assistance Reference Centers (CRAS). The research was conducted between the months of August 2014 to May 2015, consulting electronic bibliographic databases from BVS-Psi and CAPES, during the period 2004-2014. We used the keywords «Social Assistance Reference Center», associated with the psychology descriptor – in total 20 selected texts. Development and investment that has been made in recent years is perceived in the area related to this topic. In addition, social assistance has contributed to the expansion and assimilation of the profession, and the development of different traditional practices; however, the traditional clinic responds to the demands that extrapolates the powers of the CRAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to understand the way women diagnosed with breast cancer perceive the social support they receive and how it relates to their self-care. Four participants were selected for biographical narrative interviews: two possessed high levels of social support and two possessed low levels. Axes were created to reflect the content of the interviews, such as history of the illness and the beginning of care, self-care as empowerment and as a way of looking at one's self, care, and social support. Findings suggest that a diagnosis of breast cancer plays a key role in the development of self-care despite the obvious health risks and fragile support networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the role of dialogicity in the construction of a critical and emancipatory Social Psychology from an interactionist or genetic perspective of the Social Representations Theory. For this purpose we establish connections between the Social Representations Theory of Serge Moscovici and the Pedagogy of Liberation of Paulo Freire. In general both theories consider dialogicity an existential condition of human beings, i.e., one that permeates the ontological, epistemological and ethical fields of human praxis. Said category does not deny the tension and conflict of human relations; on the contrary, it comprehends that these characteristics are what make it possible to articulate dialogical strategies for social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is strong interest in employing lightweight metallic foams for automotive and aerospace applications, where weight reduction, and mechanical energy absorption and acoustic damping capacity are required. Knowledge of the mechanical behaviour of these materials, especially under dynamic loadings, is thus necessary. This work presents an extensive study of strain-rate sensitivity of a specific aluminium foam using a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar technique adapted to perform tests on low strength/low impedance materials. All dynamic tests have been performed using an SHPB which adopts a long, pre-stressed steel bar to generate the compressive wave and aluminium tubular bars to load the foam specimen. The advantages of this configuration are that the loading pulse reaches a duration of almost 4 ms and that it allows tests to be carried out on specimens with a sufficiently large representative volume (usually SHPB tests on metallic foams have been performed on less representative specimens due to lower specimen/cell volume ratio). The stress-strain curves of all specimens at different strain-rates have been obtained by adopting the classical SHPB theory and some analytical procedures to compensate for dispersion phenomena. Experimental tests have been performed on aluminium foams with two different densities (approximately 150 kg/m3 and 300 kg/m3) using specimens of diameter 50 mm and a length varying between 15 mm and 50 mm. The influence of loading direction (x, y, z) has also been assessed to check the hypothesis of isotropic behaviour. Because of the oscillatory behaviour of the curves, especially in dynamic tests, to readily compare the experimental results obtained at different strain-rates an average stress operator has been introduced. The results indicate no appreciable effects for strain-rates up to 300/s. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: this study aims to analyze the perception that the users of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) and the healthcare professionals have of the social determinants of health (SDH) in a health district of the city of Porto Alegre. Methodology: the research was conducted with 34 healthcare professionals and 64 users of the SUS. The professionals participated in a semi-structured interview, while the health system users were assessed via focus groups. In both cases we analyzed the perception of users and professionals regarding the SDH. Similarly, we conducted an intersectional content analysis. Results: the results demonstrated that there are five categories that are prominent for both the healthcare professionals and the health system users: food access/quality, community conditions, violence, mental health and healthcare services. In the categories, differences and similarities emerged between the different actors (professionals and users) regarding the healthcare process, the needs of the population and the forms of intervention. Conclusions: the analysis expanded the understanding of the SDH and reinforced the importance of implementing other social policies in those communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study has the goal to identify the prevalence of Burnout Syndrome and its association to psychosocial factors in 63 teachers from special schools in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The instruments used were the Cuestionario para la Evaluación del Síndrome de Quemarse por el Trabajo - CESQT-PE, an adapted version for teachers, the Battery for evaluating psychosocial risks, and a questionnaire for the other variables. Results show a prevalence of 30,6% of teachers who present Profile 1 in Burnout, considered a moderate level of the syndrome, and 14,3% present Profile 2, defined as the most severe form of Burnout. Profile 1 is associated to the increase of role conflict and inequity, while Profile 2 is associated to role conflict, work overload, inequity, work dissatisfaction, and health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To know the perception of nursing professionals inserted in Primary Health Care on the application of the principle of integrality in the care of users with skin lesions. Materials and Methods: This is a study with a qualitative approach. Data collection was performed in different services of Porto Alegre in 2012. The population comprised seven nurses and 14 nursing technicians, who work in health care units that were also the field of practice for a Multi-professional Residency Program in Family and Community Health. For the data collection, a semi-structured interview was conducted. The interviews were previously scheduled according to the availability of the individual professionals, with an average duration of 20 minutes. Results: Integrality in the care of skin lesions were organized around two categories: (1) integrality - knowledge versus distancing; (2) comprehensive care for users with skin lesions - from theory to practice. Conclusion: The participants were active protagonists of integrality in this field of practice, despite the criticisms to the difficulties of the health work process and the challenges encountered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to evaluate the impact of the implementation of counseling and rapid testing of HIV and sexually transmitted infections in a specialized HIV counseling and diagnosis center (CE). Method: analytical study with an intervention group and a control group; a comparison was established between the monthly means of tests and counseling sessions performed in a specialized center that implemented the HIV rapid test for all patients (case CE) and another specialized center which uses the traditional form of the test (diagnosis in thirty days) (control CE). Results: CE (case) had a significant increase in the number of tests performed between the two periods. In the CE (case) there was a decrease in the proportion of people in the general population who were tested and an increase in the people most vulnerable to HIV. Conclusions: the implementation of the rapid test had a positive impact on the number of tests carried out and also on the access provided to people in vulnerable situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the construction of the literary character of Dilma Rousseff - by a monthly Brazilian magazine. We discuss the role of gender relationships in media representation, and the cultural landmark that surrounds this media. The data analyzed come from 17 editions of the magazine column called Diário da Dilma (Dilma's Diary), present in Revista Piauí (Piauí Magazine). The method adopted includes elements from both Critical Discourse Studies and the Narrative Analysis model created by Ives Reuter. We conclude that the media continue to display patterns that undermine female role in politics, particularly by associating women to expressions of futility, irresponsibility, and instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Strength and ductility data at high strain rates for Weldox 460 E steel was obtained from tensile tests with axisymmetric specimens. The tests were performed in a Split Hopkinson Tension Bar and the initial temperature was varied between 100 and 500°C. The combined effect of high strain rate, elevated temperature and stress triaxiality on the behaviour was studied by testing both smooth and pre-notched specimens. It was found that the influence of temperature on the stress–strain behaviour differs at high strain rates compared with quasi-static loading conditions. The true fracture strain depends considerably on the stress triaxiality, which is governed by the notch geometry, while the influence of strain rate and temperature is less clear. Numerical simulations with the explicit finite element code LS-DYNA were performed using a model of elasto-viscoplasticity and ductile damage, which is based on the constitutive relation and fracture criterion of Johnson and Cook. The numerical simulations compare reasonably well with the experiments with respect to strength and ductility for both smooth and notched specimens at elevated temperatures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An investigation of strain rate, temperature and size effects in three nuclear steels has been conducted. The materials are: ferritic steel 20MnMoNi55 (vessel head), austenitic steel X6CrNiNb1810 (upper internal structure), and ferritic steel 26NiCrMo146 (bolting). Smooth cylindrical tensile specimens of three sizes have been tested at strain rates from 0.001 to 300 s−1, at room and elevated temperatures (400–600 °C). Full stress–strain diagrams have been obtained, and additional parameters have been calculated based on them. The results demonstrate a clear influence of temperature, which amounts into reducing substantially mechanical strengths with respect to RT conditions. The effect of strain rate is also shown. It is observed that at RT the strain rate effect causes up shifting of the flow stress curves, whereas at the higher temperatures a mild downshifting of the flow curves is manifested. Size effect tendencies have also been observed. Some implications when assessing the pressure vessel structural integrity under severe accident conditions are considered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]