Presence Of Notch Research Articles

Preliminary Study of Right Ventricular Dyssynchrony Under High-Altitude Exposure: Determinants and Impacts.

The aims of this study were to explore the effect of high-altitude (HA) exposure on the incidence, determinants, and impacts of right ventricular dyssynchrony (RVD). In our study, 108 healthy young men were enrolled, and physiological and echocardiographic variables were recorded at both sea level and 4,100 m. By using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography, RVD was evaluated by calculating the R–R interval-corrected standard deviation of the time-to-peak systolic strain for the four mid-basal RV segments (RVSD4) and defined by RVSD4 > 18.7 ms. After HA exposure, RVSD4 was significantly increased, and the incidence of RVD was approximately 32.4%. Subjects with RVD showed lower oxygen saturation (SaO2) and RV global longitudinal strain and higher systolic pulmonary artery pressure than those without RVD. Moreover, myocardial acceleration during isovolumic contraction was increased in all subjects and those without RVD, but not in those with RVD. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that SaO2 is an independent determinant of RVD at HA (odds ratio: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.56–0.92; P = 0.009). However, the mean pulmonary artery pressure was linearly correlated with the magnitude of RVD in the presence of Notch. No changes were found in RV fractional area change, tricuspid annular motion, or tricuspid s’ velocity between subjects with and without RVD. Collectively, we demonstrated for the first time that HA exposure could induce RVD in healthy subjects, which may be mainly attributed to the decline in SaO2 as well as RV overload; the incidence of RVD was associated with reduced RV regional function and blunted myocardial acceleration.

Tensile Properties of Z-Pin Reinforced Laminates with Circumferentially Notched Z-Pins

This paper describes experimental investigations on the in-plane tensile properties of unidirectional carbon-fibre/epoxy laminates reinforced with circumferentially notched z-pins with different notch designs. From the results it can be concluded that the application of circumferential notches at the z-pin surface with constant notch depth of 20 μm and distance of 100 μm has no significant effect on the in-plane tensile strength values, regardless of the notch designs investigated. For circular and rectangular notch designs, no dependence of the tensile strength from the notch depth could be observed. Only changing the notch distances at a constant notch depth and width leads to small increases in the tensile strength values with increasing notch distance. The determined tensile modulus values indicate that there are no substantial deviations between laminates reinforced with unnotched and circumferentially notched z-pins, no matter which notch design is considered. It can be observed that there are no dependencies of the tensile modulus from notch depth and distance. Therefore, it can be assumed that the microstructural changes influencing the in-plane tensile properties will not be changed, or only to a very small extent, by the presence of notches on the pin surface.

Plant processing experiments and use-wear analysis of Tabon Cave artefacts question the intentional character of denticulates in prehistoric Southeast Asia

The presence of notches on European Palaeolithic flaked stone tools termed ‘denticulates’ has been variously ascribed to cultural, functional and taphonomic factors. In Southeast Asia prehistoric stone tool assemblages are dominated by unretouched flakes, so the rare retouched lithics, including denticulates, can be considered unique testimonies of the intention of the tool makers to control the shape and properties of tool edges. Here we report the results of plant processing experiments with modern unretouched flakes made of red jasper. Splitting plants with the help of a specific hand and arm movement (“twist-of-the-wrist”) resulted in a series of use-wear traces that included large crescent-break micro-scars. These are very similar in shape and appearance to the notches of prehistoric denticulated tools. These results suggest that some denticulated pieces in prehistoric Southeast Asia could be less intentional than previously thought, being instead the result of plant processing activities. We also report here the analysis of 41 denticulates from Tabon Cave, Philippines. While some are clearly intentionally retouch, others exhibit use-wear and nocth micro-morphology characteristic of plant splitting. The notches of others result from utilisation and taphonomy or trampling. Altogether, our observations raise the following question: should the term denticulates be restricted to the tools intentionally retouched or encompass all the tools with adjacent notches whatever the origin of the latter is?

Fatigue of V-notched ZK60 magnesium samples: X-ray damage evolution characterization and failure prediction

Magnesium and its alloys are very attractive lightweight materials and have a potential of applications in different industries. However, their applications as materials for load bearing components are hindered by the limited knowledge of their fatigue behavior, especially in the presence of notches. The goal of this research is to investigate the fatigue behavior of V-notched specimens machined from ZK60-T5 extruded magnesium. V-notched specimens were loaded at different stress amplitudes. One sample was analyzed using x-ray tomographic to evaluate the damage evolution. In addition, the strain energy density approach was used to analyze fatigue of magnesium for the first time.

Predictive model for the diagnosis of benign/malignant small pulmonary nodules.

There is some doubt that all nodules <8 mm are really mainly benign and that simple follow-up is adequate in all cases. The purpose of this study is to create a predictive model for the diagnosis of benign and malignant small pulmonary nodules.This was a retrospective case–control study of patients who had undergone pulmonary nodule resection at the Zhejiang University Jinhua Hospital. Patients with pulmonary nodules of ≤10 mm in size on chest high-resolution computed tomography were included. Patients’ demographic characteristics, clinical features, and high-resolution computed tomography findings were collected. Logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic analysis were used to create a predictive model for malignancy.A total of 216 patients were included: 160 with malignant and 56 with benign nodules. Nodule density (odds ratio [OR] = 0.996, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.993–0.998, P = .001), vascular penetration sign (OR = 3.49, 95% CI: 1.39–8.76, P = .008), nodule type (OR = 4.27, 95% CI: 1.48–12.29, P = .007), and incisure surrounding nodules (OR = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.04–0.84, P = .03) were independently associated with malignant nodules. These factors were used to create a mathematical model that had an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.744. Using a cut-off of 0.762 resulted in 63.1% sensitivity and 75.0% specificity.This study proposes a pulmonary nodule prediction model that can estimate benign/malignant lung nodules with good sensitivity and specificity. Mixed ground-glass nodules, vascular penetration sign, density of lung nodules, and the absence of incisure signs are independently associated with malignant lung nodules.

Calculation of fatigue limits in notches with a micro-mechanical model in a simple way

Many methods have been proposed to predict fatigue failure in the presence of notches, among which is the N-R model. The N-R model is based on short-crack fracture mechanics. Specifically, the model analyses the capacity of the crack, which is formed at the notch root by cyclic loading, to overcome successive microstructural barriers such as grain boundaries. This model provides a fairly reasonable explanation of the crack growth from a notch under cyclic loading. The N-R model has been successfully used for many years to predict the fatigue limit in some notched geometries, as shown in several published works, but this model has a certain mathematical complexity. This work shows a simplified version of the N-R model. The elastic problem of a dislocation near a notch is simplified to that of a dislocation in an infinite medium and the study of the equilibrium at the crack line is simplified by using the elastic stress at the midpoint of the crack line. This simplified N-R model has been applied to a circular hole of variable root radius and provides similar fatigue limit predictions to those of the classic N-R model. It has also been compared with results in the literature, where it provides similar predictions to the experimental fatigue limits.

Hearing loss among cement factory workers in Northwest Nigeria

Background: Exposure to noise has been observed to have deleterious effect on the health status of individuals working within the noisy environment. Continuous exposure to high and unwarranted sound remains a major cause of hearing disorder all over the world. Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) constitutes a worldwide problem in industries and contributes about 16% of hearing loss among adults globally. Aims and Objectives: The aim and objective was to evaluate the impact of occupational noise exposure on the auditory performance of workers at a cement company. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of consenting workers at a cement company (public liability company). A total of 341 respondents were recruited for the study with equal number of controls matched for age and sex. Ear examination was done and based on the exclusion criteria, 23 participants with diseased ears were excluded. There hundred and eighteen participants (616 for both study group and control group) each had an interviewer–administered, semi-structured questionnaire and underwent diagnostic pure-tone audiometry. A digital sound level meter (Type 2 well-calibrated TOMTOP-Model Number H4320) with a range of 30–130 dB was used to map out the sound in the respective departments. Results: One hundred and one (31.8%) noise-exposed workers had mild (23.3%), moderate (7.2%), and severe (1.3%) hearing loss in their right ears as against the 21 (6.6%) in the controls. This was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.000). Seventy-seven (24.2%) noise-exposed workers also had mild (17.9%), moderate (6.0%), to severe (0.3%) sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear with the controls having 6.3%; this was also found to be statistically significant (P = 0.000). The presence of notch at 4 kHz audiometric configuration was 14.5% and 17% in better and worse ears, respectively. Three hundred (94.3%) workers in the noise exposed group worked for

Labor Supply Responses to Learning the Tax and Benefit Schedule

While optimization frictions have been shown to attenuate earnings responses to financial incentives, less is understood about the individual factors shaping the response. The main contribution of this paper is to separately quantify the role of learning the tax and benefit schedule versus other kinds of frictions. A unique combination of notches in the tax and benefit schedule and an information policy in a Norwegian welfare reform facilitate our study. The presence of notches allows us to measure overall frictions. Quasi-random assignment of a letter targeting misperceptions about the slope and locations of benefit phase-out regions allows us to pin down the role of information. Our analysis delivers two main findings. First, about 50% do not behave as predicted by standard labor supply models, and optimization frictions are particularly prevalent when financial incentives change. Without adjusting for these overall frictions, estimated elasticities would be attenuated by at least 70%. Second, the observed elasticity among those who receive the information letter is at least twice as large as among the non-informed, suggesting governments can partly offset the attenuation with information policy. Our calculations suggest misperceptions of the tax and benefit schedule account for two-thirds of the attenuation in earnings responses to financial work incentives. The findings have important implications for the effectiveness of tax and transfer policy.

P3838Evaluation of echocardiographic determinants of interatrial block in patients with essential hypertension

Abstract Introduction Interatrial block (IAB), defined as a conduction delay between the right and left atrium, is manifested on the electrocardiogram as a prolonged P-wave duration. Large number of studies recently have been published regarding the prevalence of IAB and its associations with cardiovascular events. It has been previously reported that myocardial fibrosis may cause conduction delays in hypertensive patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the echocardiographic determinants of IAB in patients with hypertension. Methods This study enrolled a total of 220 patients [male: 93 (42.3%), mean age: 61.8±7.8 years] with hypertension. Patients with atrial fibrillation were excluded. IAB was defined as P wave duration of ≥120 ms with or without presence of notching. Routinely obtained 12-lead electrocardiography recordings were examined, and patients were divided into two groups as those with and without IAB. All patients were evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography. Results Electrocardiography revealed IAB in 70 patients. The baseline demographic characteristics of the patients with and without IAB were similar in both groups. Left atrial diameter (LAD), interventricular septal thickness, posterior wall thickness, left ventricular mass, left ventricular mass index, and the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) were found to be significantly increased in hypertensive patients with IAB. Increased LAD (OR=1.082; 95% CI: 1.006–1.164; p=0.034) and LVH (OR=3.051; 95% CI: 1.164–7.994; p=0.023) were found to be independent predictors of IAB. In the receiver operating characteristic curve analyses, LAD values above 38 mm predicted IAB with a sensitivity of 68%, and a specificity of 58% (AUC= 0.678; 95% CI: 0.601–0.754; p&lt;0.001). Conclusion A significant association exists between the presence of IAB and echocardiographic parameters related to left ventricular hypertrophy and left atrial dilatation in patients with essential hypertension. The presence of IAB may be used as an electrocardiographic marker of cardiac remodelling and myocardial fibrosis in hypertensive patients.

A study on the multi-axial fatigue failure behavior of notched composite laminates

Composite structures must endure a great variety of multi-axial stress states during their lifespan while guaranteeing their structural integrity and functional performance. Understanding the fatigue behavior of these materials, especially in the presence of notches that are ubiquitous in structural design, lies at the hearth of this study which presents a comprehensive investigation of the fracturing behavior of notched quasi-isotropic [+45/90/−45/0]s and cross-ply [0/90]2s laminates under multi-axial quasi-static and fatigue loading.The investigation of the S-N curves and stiffness degradation, and the analysis of the damage mechanisms via micro-computed tomography clarified the effects of the multi-axiality ratio and the notch configuration. Furthermore, it allowed to conclude that damage progression under fatigue loading can be substantially different compared to the quasi-static case.Future efforts in the formulation of efficient fatigue models will need to account for the transition in damaging behavior in the context of the type of applied load, the evolution of the local multiaxiality ratio, the structure size and geometry, and stacking sequence. By providing important data for model calibration and validation, this study represents a first step towards this important goal.

Prediction of pregnancy complications by second-trimester uterine artery Doppler assessment in monochorionic twins.

We aimed to investigate whether transabdominal uterine artery (UtA) pulsatility index (PI) differs between monochorionic (MC) diamniotic and dichorionic (DC) twins and is useful to predict pregnancy complications. A total of 406 uncomplicated twin pregnancies (94 MC, 312 DC) were examined at 22+0 -24+6 weeks and compared for demographic characteristics, mean UtA PI, presence of notch, development of preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction (FGR), placental abruption, intrauterine fetal death and preterm delivery. Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact tests were performed for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and likelihood ratio were calculated for mean PI >95th percentile, presence of notch, and presence of either elevated PI or notch. Median mean UtA PI was 0.68 in DC and 0.75 in MC pregnancies (P = .005). Bilateral notches were observed in one MC pregnancy; unilateral notch was seen in 8 DC (2.6%) and 5 MC diamniotic (5.3%) pregnancies. FGR occurred more frequently in DC twin pregnancies, while intrauterine fetal death in MC. Overall, the sensitivity of the parameters tested was low. Pregnancies with both PI above 95th percentile and presence of notch were all associated with complications, particularly FGR. MC pregnancies have higher mean UtA PI. UtA screening in twins shows lower performances than in singletons for the detection of complications.

Association between fertility treatments and early placentation markers

IntroductionPregnancies resulting from fertility treatments are at higher risk of placenta-mediated complications. Hence, we aimed to estimate the association between fertility treatment and levels of first-trimester markers of placentation. MethodsWe conducted a cohort study in an academic center from 03/2011 to 12/2014. Adult nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies were recruited between 11 + 0 and 13 + 6 weeks of gestation. Data on maternal characteristics, medical history, and pregnancies conceived through fertility treatments (whether ovulation agents, insemination or assisted reproductive technologies) were collected. Maternal serum concentrations of PlGF, sFlt-1, PAPP-A, AFP, and free β-hCG were obtained, and notches and UtA-PI were measured using Doppler ultrasound. Mean Multiple of the Medians (MoM) and frequencies were computed to estimate the mean differences (MD) or risk ratios (RR) comparing fertility treatment to spontaneous pregnancies. Results427 (9%) pregnancies out of 4815 were conceived through fertility treatments, using ovulation agents (n = 233, 5%), insemination (n = 174, 4%) and/or assisted reproductive technologies (n = 85, 2%). The latter were associated with significantly lower log10PAPP-A MoM (adjusted MD: −0.02, 95%CI: −0.04 to −0.01), lower log10PlGF MoM (adjusted MD: −0.04, 95%CI: −0.06 to −0.01) and higher log10free β-hCG MoM (adjusted MD: 0.05, 95%CI: 0.01 to 0.09) compared to spontaneous pregnancies. Ovulation agents and insemination were associated with the presence of notches (adjusted RR: 1.24, 95%CI: 1.14 to 1.35; and 1.27, 95%CI: 1.15 to 1.42, respectively) and higher log10UtA-PI MoM (adjusted MD: 0.16, 95%CI: 0.08 to 0.24; and 0.17, 95%CI: 0.07 to 0.27, respectively) than spontaneous pregnancies. ConclusionFertility treatments are associated with significant variations in markers of placentation.

Second Trimester Uterine Artery Doppler Velocimetry and Serum Lipids for Prediction of Pre-Eclampsia

Background: Reliable markers for prediction and prevention of pre-eclampsia to reduce its associated maternal and perinatal morbidity are lacking. Aim and objectives: To evaluate uterine artery doppler velocimetry and serum lipids in second trimester of pregnancy for prediction of gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Methods: One hundred healthy and normotensive women were enrolled in 2nd trimester of pregnancy. Presence of notching in uterine artery doppler on USG and serum lipid levels were recorded. All women were followed till term/delivery to see development of pre-eclampsia / gestational hypertension later. Results: Absence of diastolic notch in 2nd trimester USG, serum triglycerides levels of &lt;150 mg/dL and serum LDL levels of &lt;100 mg/dL in 2nd trimester of pregnancy were found to have a good negative predictive value of 96.6%, 96.3%, 92.7% for later development of GH/PE. Conclusion: Absent diastolic notch, serum triglycerides &lt;150mg/dL and LDL &lt;100 mg/dL in 2nd trimester of pregnancy can be used to stratify women with low risk pregnancy.

Role of color doppler ultrasound to evaluate preeclampsia

Introduction Worldwide preeclampsia (PE) is the leading cause of maternal death and affects 5 to 10% of pregnant women. PE is characterized by elevated blood pressure and proteinuria. Doppler Ultrasound (US) evaluation has been considered a useful method for prediction of PE. Uterine artery is the most studied vessel in the Doppler evaluation in PE, because it represents the maternal vascular condition, through the presence of early diastolic notch and resistance index(RI). Objective The aims and objective of this study was to evaluate the uterine, umbilical and the middle cerebral arteries using Doppler US parameters [resistive index (RI),),Pre-diastolic notch (N), pulsatility index (PI) and their combinations] in pregnant women to evaluation of hemodynamic repercussion caused by the established PE. Methods and Patients A total of 102 pregnant women (65 PE women and 37 normotensive women) were recruited in a cases and controls study. The cases group consisted by diagnosed PE women according to the guidelines of the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy. Blood velocity waveforms from uterine, umbilical and middle cerebral arteries, in pregnancies from 24 to 37 weeks of gestation were recorded by trans-abdominal examination with a 3.5 MHz convex transducer. Results Out of 102 pregnant women (65 PE women and 37 normotensive women) were recruited in a cases and controls study. Cases group shows 38 mild and 27 severe PE. 56.9% shows PE before 34 GW and the remaining 43.1% shows disease at 34–37 GW. Abnormal Doppler US profile (Presences of Notch and RI of Uterine artery) showed a positive association with PE [odds ratio (OR) = 2.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2 - 7.3, P = 0.021)] and a specificity and positive predictive value of 89.2% and 88.6% respectively. Other parameters like RI and PI of umbilical artery, as well as the PI of middle cerebral artery, showed differences between groups (P values Conclusion General Doppler US result, as well as RI and Notch from uterine artery, RI and PI from umbilical artery and PI middle cerebral arteries in their individual form may be considered as tools to determine hemodynamic repercussion caused by preeclampsia (PE).

Combined second trimester maternal serum α-fetoprotein and uterine artery Doppler in the prediction of pre-eclampsia

Objective The objective was to evaluate the combination of second trimester maternal serum α-fetoprotein (MSAFP) and uterine artery Doppler (UAD) as a tool for the prediction of pre-eclampsia (PE). Background PE is a complex multisystem disease and the main cause of fetomaternal morbidity and mortality. The ultimate aim of antenatal care is to identify women at high risk and provide them with prophylactic treatment. No single test has emerged as a front runner and screening based on risk factors has low sensitivity. This has highlighted the need for an alternative. Patients and methods A prospective study on a total of 297 pregnant women had MSAFP measured between 15 and 19 weeks gestation and UAD measured between 19 and 21 weeks of gestation. Resistance index, pulsatility index (PI), and the presence of notches were measured. Receiver operator characteristic curves were created for MSAFP and UAD alone and in combination and then the outcomes were compared. The study was carried out at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University and Nasr City Police Hospital during a period from June 2016 to June 2017. Result A total of 17 women developed PE. The sensitivity of using UAD (resistance index) was 70.59% and for MSAFP was 52.94%. The combined sensitivity of UAD and MSAFP was 64.7% Conclusion The combination of MSAFP with UAD did not improve the screening efficacy for the prediction of PE and UAD performed significantly better as a stand-alone test.

Acquisition and separation of coherent simultaneous sources: Theory and an application to data acquired in the Sultanate of Oman

In an effort to reduce acquisition costs or increase (source) sampling density, we have developed a coherent simultaneous-source scheme. Different from most existing simultaneous acquisition, our scheme enforces the received signal to remain coherent in all sorting domains, thus even in the common-receiver domain. A major benefit of the enforced signal coherency is that it enables multidomain preprocessing prior to source separation. At the same time, it poses a challenge to the source separation itself. Based on the observation that the proposed coherent simultaneous-source scheme is equivalent to the traditional source array, we have developed a novel source separation method that comprises (1) interpolating the observed signal in the space domain and (2) removing the source-array effect. In practice, the source-array effect cannot perfectly be removed in the presence of notches. This fact can, however, be deliberately leveraged for noise attenuation.

Mixed mode fracture behavior of notched giant magnetostrictive: Mechanical characterization and comparison among failure criteria

The mechanical properties of Terfenol-D, a giant magnetostrictive material used in applications such as actuators and sensors, have been barely studied, in particular in the presence of notches. Thus, the aim of this work is to fill this gap present in literature. Three point bending tests have been carried out on U-notched specimens with a notch radius of 0.15 mm. The load has been applied at different distances from the midpoint in order to obtain different combinations of mode I and mode II, with the fraction of mode I always being predominant. The results show that higher contributions of the mode II lead to higher fracture loads. In addition, the data experimentally obtained have then been compared with the predictions provided by three different failure criteria, i.e. the strain energy density (SED) approach, the U-maximum tangential stress (UMTS) criterion and the theory of critical distances (TCD) method. Finally, the fracture initiation angles obtained experimentally have been compared with those proposed by the three approaches, and their weaknesses and strengths have been reported.

Screen-printed nanocomposite sensors for online in situ structural health monitoring

In this article, we have explored screen printing as a fast and reliable process for the deposition of nanocomposite layer on glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) substrate for in situ structural health monitoring. The screen-printed sensor comprised of a thermoplastic matrix (high density polystyrene) and a dispersed nanofiller (carbon nanoparticles). Notches of different sizes (2.5 mm and 4.0 mm) were introduced to study the response of sensors to an existing damage. Stress concentrations were plotted across the width and the sensor results were correlated with the simulated stress concentrations to evaluate the response of sensors with respect to local stress concentrations. It was found that the screen-printed sensors responded to the stress concentrations since the layers were deposited in the vicinity of notches. The gauge factors altered due to the presence of notches indicating sensor sensitivity to the preexisting damage and resultant stress concentrations.

Fracture behaviour of notched as-built EBM parts: Characterization and interplay between defects and notch strengthening behaviour

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers the potential to economically produce customized components with complex geometries. However, the introduction of complex geometry goes hand in hand with the presence of notches. Thus, the basic understanding of the tensile behaviour of AM fabricated notched components must be substantially improved so that the unique features of this rapidly developing technology can be utilized in critical load bearing applications. This work aims to assess the tensile behaviour of different notched specimens manufactured by means of the Electron Beam Melting (EBM) technology and tested in their as-built conditions in order to reveal the interplay between notch geometry and AM specific processing. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the fracture surface of the broken samples, revealing the presence of process-induced defects, harmfully affecting tensile strength with a reduction of 10% and elongation to failure with 40% with respect to values reported in literature for heat treated AM parts, respectively. Interestingly, the authors have discovered an increase in the tensile strength with the severity of the stress concentrators, quite contrary to what is commonly observed for wrought Ti-6Al-4V. This notch strengthening behaviour particular to AM specimens is related to the influence of defects on the failure driving force. The authors provide a qualitative explanation for this phenomenon using 3D FE analyses together with a theoretical description via the ellipse criterion.

Mechanical response of notched marble beams under bending versus acoustic emissions and electric activity

An experimental protocol, including the combined application of both innovative and traditional sensing techniques, is described aiming to explore the mechanical response of marble and also to check the possibilities of detecting precursor phenomena designating upcoming catastrophic fracture. The protocol consisted of three-point bending tests with notched prismatic beams made of Dionysos marble, the material extensively used for restoration of the Acropolis of Athens monuments. The sensing system improvised included techniques relying on completely different physical foundations, which permit simultaneous detection and recording of the Pressure Stimulated Currents, Acoustic Emissions, three dimensional displacement fields and Notch Mouth Opening Displacements. Analysis of the results revealed interesting features of the mechanical response of Dionysos marble and indicated, also, that classical Continuum Fracture Mechanics fails to describe accurately the response of marble, at least in the presence of notches. In addition, strong correlations between the Pressure Stimulated Currents, the rate of acoustic hits and the rate of change of the opening of the pre-existing notch have been enlightened. Moreover, the onset of catastrophic crack propagation appears following distinguishable changes of the Pressure Stimulated Currents recorded. Therefore (and taking into account the very small size of the respective sensors as well as the simple complementary equipment needed), it is concluded that the specific technique could be considered as a simple and reliable tool for an alternative approach to the in-situ Structural Health Monitoring of classical stone monuments.