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Sample records for additional reversible mechanism

  1. Magnetization reversal mechanisms under oblique magnetic fields

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ntallis, N.; Efthimiadis, K.G., E-mail: kge@auth.gr

    2017-03-01

    In this work finite element micromagnetic simulations were performed in order to study the reversal mechanisms of spherical ferromagnetic particles with uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy, when they are magnetized along an oblique direction with respect to the anisotropy axis. Magnetization loops are taken in different directions of external magnetic field, at different anisotropy constants and particle sizes. In the simulation results, the three reversal mechanisms (coherent, curling and domains) are observed and new phenomena arise due to the action of oblique magnetic fields. Moreover, the dependence of the critical fields with respect to the angle of the external field is presented. - Highlights: • Finite element micromagnetic simulation of the three different reversal mechanisms. • For the curling mechanism, the new phenomenon is the rotation of the vortex. • In the domain reversal mechanism, the formed domain wall is smaller than 180°. • In soft ferromagnetic particles a rearrangement of the magnetic domains is observed.

  2. In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy Studies of the Magnetization Reversal Mechanism in Information Storage Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petford-Long; Portier; Bayle-Guillemaud; Anthony; Brug

    1998-05-01

    : The Foucault and Fresnel modes of Lorentz microscopy, together with a quantitative magnetization mapping technique, summed image differential phase-contrast imaging, were used to study the magnetization reversal mechanism of the sense layer in spin-valve structures exhibiting the giant magnetoresistance effect. In addition to studies of sheet film, lithographically defined spin-valve elements were investigated. A current can be passed through the element during magnetizing so that the effect of the applied current on the giant magnetoresistance and magnetization reversal mechanism can be studied. Results are presented for a number of different spin-valve structures.

  3. Contact mechanics of reverse engineered distal humeral hemiarthroplasty implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willing, Ryan; King, Graham J W; Johnson, James A

    2015-11-26

    Erosion of articular cartilage is a concern following distal humeral hemiarthroplasty, because native cartilage surfaces are placed in contact with stiff metallic implant components, which causes decreases in contact area and increases in contact stresses. Recently, reverse engineered implants have been proposed which are intended to promote more natural contact mechanics by reproducing the native bone or cartilage shape. In this study, finite element modeling is used in order to calculate changes in cartilage contact areas and stresses following distal humeral hemiarthroplasty with commercially available and reverse engineered implant designs. At the ulna, decreases in contact area were -34±3% (p=0.002), -27±1% (pengineered and cartilage reverse engineered designs, respectively. Peak contact stresses increased by 461±57% (p=0.008), 387±127% (p=0.229) and 165±16% (p=0.003). At the radius, decreases in contact area were -21±3% (p=0.013), -13±2% (p0.999), 241±32% (p=0.010) and 61±10% (p=0.021). Between the three different implant designs, the cartilage reverse engineered design yielded the largest contact areas and lowest contact stresses, but was still unable to reproduce the contact mechanics of the native joint. These findings align with a growing body of evidence indicating that although reverse engineered hemiarthroplasty implants can provide small improvements in contact mechanics when compared with commercially available designs, further optimization of shape and material properties is required in order reproduce native joint contact mechanics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. The criterion for time symmetry of probabilistic theories and the reversibility of quantum mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holster, A T

    2003-01-01

    Physicists routinely claim that the fundamental laws of physics are 'time symmetric' or 'time reversal invariant' or 'reversible'. In particular, it is claimed that the theory of quantum mechanics is time symmetric. But it is shown in this paper that the orthodox analysis suffers from a fatal conceptual error, because the logical criterion for judging the time symmetry of probabilistic theories has been incorrectly formulated. The correct criterion requires symmetry between future-directed laws and past-directed laws. This criterion is formulated and proved in detail. The orthodox claim that quantum mechanics is reversible is re-evaluated. The property demonstrated in the orthodox analysis is shown to be quite distinct from time reversal invariance. The view of Satosi Watanabe that quantum mechanics is time asymmetric is verified, as well as his view that this feature does not merely show a de facto or 'contingent' asymmetry, as commonly supposed, but implies a genuine failure of time reversal invariance of the laws of quantum mechanics. The laws of quantum mechanics would be incompatible with a time-reversed version of our universe

  5. A Dynamic Pricing Reverse Auction-Based Resource Allocation Mechanism in Cloud Workflow Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuejun Li

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Market-oriented reverse auction is an efficient and cost-effective method for resource allocation in cloud workflow systems since it can dynamically allocate resources depending on the supply-demand relationship of the cloud market. However, during the auction the price of cloud resource is usually fixed, and the current resource allocation mechanisms cannot adapt to the changeable market properly which results in the low efficiency of resource utilization. To address such a problem, a dynamic pricing reverse auction-based resource allocation mechanism is proposed. During the auction, resource providers can change prices according to the trading situation so that our novel mechanism can increase the chances of making a deal and improve efficiency of resource utilization. In addition, resource providers can improve their competitiveness in the market by lowering prices, and thus users can obtain cheaper resources in shorter time which would decrease monetary cost and completion time for workflow execution. Experiments with different situations and problem sizes are conducted for dynamic pricing-based allocation mechanism (DPAM on resource utilization and the measurement of Time⁎Cost (TC. The results show that our DPAM can outperform its representative in resource utilization, monetary cost, and completion time and also obtain the optimal price reduction rates.

  6. Different mechanisms to explain the reversed effects of mental health on work characteristics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lange, A.H. de; Taris, T.W.; Kompier, M.A.J.; Houtman, I.L.D.; Bongers, P.M.

    2005-01-01

    Objectives: The number of longitudinal studies reporting evidence for reversed effects of strain on work is growing, but evidence regarding the mechanisms underlying such effects is scarce. In this study, earlier longitudinal findings were reviewed, and the following four mechanisms for reversed

  7. The paleomagnetic field and possible mechanisms for the formation of reversed rock magnetization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trukhin, Vladimir I.; Bezaeva, Natalia; Kurochkina, Evgeniya

    2006-01-01

    Investigations of ancient magnetized rocks show that their natural remanent magnetization (NRM) can be oriented in the direction of modern geomagnetic field (GMF) as well as in the opposite direction. It is supposed that reversed NRM is related to reversals of the GMF in the past geological periods. During reversals, the strength of the GMF is near zero and can cause the destruction of living organisms as a result of powerful space and solar radiation, which, in the absence of the GMF, can reach the Earth's surface. That is why the question of reality of the GMF reversals is of global ecological importance. There is also another natural mechanism for the formation of reversed NRM-the self-reversal of magnetization as a result of thermomagnetization of rocks. In the paper, both natural processes for the formation of reversed NRM in rocks are discussed, and the results of experimental research on the physical mechanism of self-reversal of magnetization in continental and oceanic rocks are presented. The results of computer modeling of the self-reversal phenomenon are also presented

  8. The paleomagnetic field and possible mechanisms for the formation of reversed rock magnetization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trukhin, Vladimir I. [Faculty of Physics, Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow (Russian Federation)]. E-mail: trukhin@phys.msu.ru; Bezaeva, Natalia [Faculty of Physics, Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow (Russian Federation); Kurochkina, Evgeniya [Faculty of Physics, Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2006-05-15

    Investigations of ancient magnetized rocks show that their natural remanent magnetization (NRM) can be oriented in the direction of modern geomagnetic field (GMF) as well as in the opposite direction. It is supposed that reversed NRM is related to reversals of the GMF in the past geological periods. During reversals, the strength of the GMF is near zero and can cause the destruction of living organisms as a result of powerful space and solar radiation, which, in the absence of the GMF, can reach the Earth's surface. That is why the question of reality of the GMF reversals is of global ecological importance. There is also another natural mechanism for the formation of reversed NRM-the self-reversal of magnetization as a result of thermomagnetization of rocks. In the paper, both natural processes for the formation of reversed NRM in rocks are discussed, and the results of experimental research on the physical mechanism of self-reversal of magnetization in continental and oceanic rocks are presented. The results of computer modeling of the self-reversal phenomenon are also presented.

  9. Random attractors for stochastic lattice reversible Gray-Scott systems with additive noise

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongyan Li

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available In this article, we prove the existence of a random attractor of the stochastic three-component reversible Gray-Scott system on infinite lattice with additive noise. We use a transformation of addition involved with Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, for proving the pullback absorbing property and the pullback asymptotic compactness of the reaction diffusion system with cubic nonlinearity.

  10. Mechanism design of reverse auction on concession period and generalized quality for PPP projects

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Xianjia WANG; Shiwei WU

    2017-01-01

    Reverse auctions of PPP projects usually require the bid to specify several characteristics of quality and the concession period to be fulfilled.This paper sets up a summary function of generalized quality,which contributes to reducing the dimensions of information.Thus,the multidimensional reverse auction model of a PPP project can be replaced by a two-dimensional direct mechanism based on the concession period and the generalized quality.Based on the theory of the revelation principle,the feasibility conditions,equilibrium solution and generalized quality requirements of such a mechanism,considering the influence of a variable investment structure are described.Moreover,two feasible multidimensional reverse auctions for implementing such a direct mechanism:Adjusting the scoring function and establishing a special reverse auction rule are built.The analysis shows that in these types of reverse auctions,optimal allocation can be achieved,the social benefit under the incomplete information will be maximized,and the private sector with the highest integrated management level wins the bid.In such a direct mechanism,the investment and financial pressure of the public sector can be reduced.

  11. On the record process of time-reversible spectrally-negative Markov additive processes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J. Ivanovs; M.R.H. Mandjes (Michel)

    2009-01-01

    htmlabstractWe study the record process of a spectrally-negative Markov additive process (MAP). Assuming time-reversibility, a number of key quantities can be given explicitly. It is shown how these key quantities can be used when analyzing the distribution of the all-time maximum attained by MAPs

  12. Current reversal in a continuously periodic system driven by an additive noise and a multiplicative noise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Canjun; Chen Shibo; Mei Dongcheng

    2006-01-01

    We study the noise-induce transport and current reversal of Brownian particles in a continuously periodic potential driven by cross correlation between a multiplicative white noise and an additive white noise. We find that directed motion of the Brownian particles can be induced by the correlation between the additive noise and the multiplicative noise. The current reversal and the direction of the current is controlled by the values of the intensity (λ) of the correlated noises and a dimensionless parameter R (R=α/D, D is the intensity of multiplicative noise and α is the intensity of additive noise)

  13. Reversible Guest Exchange Mechanisms in Supramolecular Host-GuestAssemblies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pluth, Michael D.; Raymond, Kenneth N.

    2006-09-01

    Synthetic chemists have provided a wide array of supramolecular assemblies able to encapsulate guest molecules. The scope of this tutorial review focuses on supramolecular host molecules capable of reversibly encapsulating polyatomic guests. Much work has been done to determine the mechanism of guest encapsulation and guest release. This review covers common methods of monitoring and characterizing guest exchange such as NMR, UV-VIS, mass spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and calorimetry and also presents representative examples of guest exchange mechanisms. The guest exchange mechanisms of hemicarcerands, cucurbiturils, hydrogen-bonded assemblies, and metal-ligand assemblies are discussed. Special attention is given to systems which exhibit constrictive binding, a motif common in supramolecular guest exchange systems.

  14. Enhancement of mechanical properties of a TRIP-aided austenitic stainless steel by controlled reversion annealing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hamada, A.S., E-mail: atef.hamada@suezuniv.edu.eg [Centre for Advanced Steels Research, Box 4200, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu (Finland); Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Faculty of Petroleum & Mining Engineering, Suez University, Box 43721, Suez (Egypt); Kisko, A.P. [Centre for Advanced Steels Research, Box 4200, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu (Finland); Sahu, P. [Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032 (India); Karjalainen, L.P. [Centre for Advanced Steels Research, Box 4200, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu (Finland)

    2015-03-25

    Controlled martensitic reversion annealing was applied to a heavily cold-worked metastable austenitic low-Ni Cr–Mn austenitic stainless steel (Type 201) to obtain different ultrafine austenite grain sizes to enhance the mechanical properties, which were then compared with the conventional coarse-grained steel. Characterization of the deformed and reversion annealed microstructures was performed by electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The steel with a reverted grain size ~1.5 μm due to annealing at 800 °C for 10 s showed significant improvements in the mechanical properties with yield stress ~800 MPa and tensile strength ~1100 MPa, while the corresponding properties of its coarse grained counterpart were ~450 MPa and ~900 MPa, respectively. However, the fracture elongation of the reversion annealed steel was ~50% as compared to ~70% in the coarse grained steel. A further advantage is that the anisotropy of mechanical properties present in work-hardened steels also disappears during reversion annealing.

  15. Mechanics of additively manufactured biomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zadpoor, Amir A

    2017-06-01

    Additive manufacturing (3D printing) has found many applications in healthcare including fabrication of biomaterials as well as bioprinting of tissues and organs. Additively manufactured (AM) biomaterials may possess arbitrarily complex micro-architectures that give rise to novel mechanical, physical, and biological properties. The mechanical behavior of such porous biomaterials including their quasi-static mechanical properties and fatigue resistance is not yet well understood. It is particularly important to understand the relationship between the designed micro-architecture (topology) and the resulting mechanical properties. The current special issue is dedicated to understanding the mechanical behavior of AM biomaterials. Although various types of AM biomaterials are represented in the special issue, the primary focus is on AM porous metallic biomaterials. As a prelude to this special issue, this editorial reviews some of the latest findings in the mechanical behavior of AM porous metallic biomaterials so as to describe the current state-of-the-art and set the stage for the other studies appearing in the issue. Some areas that are important for future research are also briefly mentioned. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. effects of sulphur addition on addition on and mechanical properties

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

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    234-8034714355. 8034714355. 1. EFFECTS OF SULPHUR ADDITION ON. ADDITION ON. 2. AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES O. 3. 4. C. W. Onyia. 5. 1DEPT. OF METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS. 6. 2, 4DEPT. OF METALLURGICAL ...

  17. Reverse mechanical after effect during hydrogenation of zone refined iron

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spivak, L.V.; Skryabina, N.E.; Kurmaeva, L.D.; Smirnov, L.V. (Permskij Gosudarstvennyj Univ. (USSR); AN SSSR, Sverdlovsk. Inst. Fiziki Metallov)

    1984-12-01

    The relationship between the process of hydrogenation and the reverse mechanical after effect (RMA) microplastic deformation in the zone refined iron has been studied. Metallographic investigations and mechanical testing of the samples hydrogenated under torsional strain have been performed. It is shown that in the zone refined iron the formation of voids responsible for irreversible hydrogen embrittlement does not occur, but the hydrogen-initiated RMA strain is conserved, i. e. the RMA effects are independent of the presence of discontinuities.

  18. The effect of temperature on the magnetization reversal mechanism in sintered PrFeB

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crew, D. C.; Lewis, L. H.; Welch, D. O.; Pourarian, F.

    2000-01-01

    To understand the effects of nucleation fields and intergranular dipolar interactions on the magnetization reversal mechanism, recoil curves from the major hysteresis loop have been measured on a sample of sintered PrFeB as a function of temperature from 150 to 300 K. At room temperature the reversible magnetization behavior indicates a reversal mechanism of nucleation of domain walls whose motion after nucleation is resisted by dipolar fields. As the temperature is reduced, the coercivity, and hence the nucleation field, is observed to increase while the dipolar fields, dependent on microstructure and saturation magnetization, remain approximately constant. These temperature-dependent changes in the relative magnitudes of the dipolar field and nucleation field cause the reversible magnetization behavior to change from domain wall motion to rotation. This change in behavior is attributed to the supposition that at temperatures where the nucleation field exceeds the dipolar field, once nucleated, domain walls are swept out of the material. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

  19. Inspection Mechanism and Experimental Study of Prestressed Reverse Tension Method under PC Beam Bridge Anchorage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Zhang

    2018-03-01

    the prestress under anchorage is directly related to the structural security and performance of PC beam bridge. The reverse tension method is a kind of inspection which confirms the prestress by exerting reversed tension load on the exposed prestressing tendon of beam bridge anchoring system. The thesis elaborately expounds the inspection mechanism and mechanical effect of reverse tension method, theoretically analyzes the influential elements of inspection like tool anchorage deformation, compression of conjuncture, device glide, friction of anchorage loop mouth and elastic compression of concrete, and then presents the following formula to calculate prestress under anchorage. On the basis of model experiment, the thesis systematically studies some key issues during the reverse tension process of PC beam bridge anchorage system like the formation of stress-elongation curve, influential factors, judgment method of prestress under anchorage, variation trend and compensation scale, verifies the accuracy of mechanism analysis and demonstrates: the prestress under anchorage is less than or equal to 75% of the ultimate strength of prestressing tendon, the error of inspect result is less than 1%, which can meet with the demands of construction. The research result has provided theoretical basis and technical foundation for the promotion and application of reverse tension in bridge construction.

  20. Synthetically chemical-electrical mechanism for controlling large scale reversible deformation of liquid metal objects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jie; Sheng, Lei; Liu, Jing

    2014-11-01

    Reversible deformation of a machine holds enormous promise across many scientific areas ranging from mechanical engineering to applied physics. So far, such capabilities are still hard to achieve through conventional rigid materials or depending mainly on elastomeric materials, which however own rather limited performances and require complicated manipulations. Here, we show a basic strategy which is fundamentally different from the existing ones to realize large scale reversible deformation through controlling the working materials via the synthetically chemical-electrical mechanism (SCHEME). Such activity incorporates an object of liquid metal gallium whose surface area could spread up to five times of its original size and vice versa under low energy consumption. Particularly, the alterable surface tension based on combination of chemical dissolution and electrochemical oxidation is ascribed to the reversible shape transformation, which works much more flexible than many former deformation principles through converting electrical energy into mechanical movement. A series of very unusual phenomena regarding the reversible configurational shifts are disclosed with dominant factors clarified. This study opens a generalized way to combine the liquid metal serving as shape-variable element with the SCHEME to compose functional soft machines, which implies huge potential for developing future smart robots to fulfill various complicated tasks.

  1. Nano/ultrafine grained austenitic stainless steel through the formation and reversion of deformation-induced martensite: Mechanisms, microstructures, mechanical properties, and TRIP effect

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shirdel, M., E-mail: mshirdel1989@ut.ac.ir [School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11155-4563, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mirzadeh, H., E-mail: hmirzadeh@ut.ac.ir [School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11155-4563, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Advanced Metalforming and Thermomechanical Processing Laboratory, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Parsa, M.H., E-mail: mhparsa@ut.ac.ir [School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11155-4563, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Center of Excellence for High Performance Materials, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Advanced Metalforming and Thermomechanical Processing Laboratory, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-05-15

    A comprehensive study was carried out on the strain-induced martensitic transformation, its reversion to austenite, the resultant grain refinement, and the enhancement of strength and strain-hardening ability through the transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effect in a commercial austenitic 304L stainless steel with emphasis on the mechanisms and the microstructural evolution. A straightforward magnetic measurement device, which is based on the measurement of the saturation magnetization, for evaluating the amount of strain-induced martensite after cold rolling and reversion annealing in metastable austenitic stainless steels was used, which its results were in good consistency with those of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. A new parameter called the effective reduction in thickness was introduced, which corresponds to the reasonable upper bound on the obtainable martensite fraction based on the saturation in the martensitic transformation. By means of thermodynamics calculations, the reversion mechanisms were estimated and subsequently validated by experimental results. The signs of thermal martensitic transformation at cooling stage after reversion at 850 °C were found, which was attributed to the rise in the martensite start temperature due to the carbide precipitation. After the reversion treatment, the average grain sizes were around 500 nm and the nanometric grains of the size of ~ 65 nm were also detected. The intense grain refinement led to the enhanced mechanical properties and observation of the change in the work-hardening capacity and TRIP effect behavior. A practical map as a guidance for grain refining and characterizing the stability against grain growth was proposed, which shows the limitation of the reversion mechanism for refinement of grain size. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • Nano/ultrafine grained austenitic stainless steel through martensite treatment • A parameter descriptive of a reasonable upper bound on

  2. Nano/ultrafine grained austenitic stainless steel through the formation and reversion of deformation-induced martensite: Mechanisms, microstructures, mechanical properties, and TRIP effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirdel, M.; Mirzadeh, H.; Parsa, M.H.

    2015-01-01

    A comprehensive study was carried out on the strain-induced martensitic transformation, its reversion to austenite, the resultant grain refinement, and the enhancement of strength and strain-hardening ability through the transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effect in a commercial austenitic 304L stainless steel with emphasis on the mechanisms and the microstructural evolution. A straightforward magnetic measurement device, which is based on the measurement of the saturation magnetization, for evaluating the amount of strain-induced martensite after cold rolling and reversion annealing in metastable austenitic stainless steels was used, which its results were in good consistency with those of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. A new parameter called the effective reduction in thickness was introduced, which corresponds to the reasonable upper bound on the obtainable martensite fraction based on the saturation in the martensitic transformation. By means of thermodynamics calculations, the reversion mechanisms were estimated and subsequently validated by experimental results. The signs of thermal martensitic transformation at cooling stage after reversion at 850 °C were found, which was attributed to the rise in the martensite start temperature due to the carbide precipitation. After the reversion treatment, the average grain sizes were around 500 nm and the nanometric grains of the size of ~ 65 nm were also detected. The intense grain refinement led to the enhanced mechanical properties and observation of the change in the work-hardening capacity and TRIP effect behavior. A practical map as a guidance for grain refining and characterizing the stability against grain growth was proposed, which shows the limitation of the reversion mechanism for refinement of grain size. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • Nano/ultrafine grained austenitic stainless steel through martensite treatment • A parameter descriptive of a reasonable upper bound on

  3. Carprofen-imprinted monolith prepared by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization in room temperature ionic liquids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ban, Lu; Han, Xu; Wang, Xian-Hua; Huang, Yan-Ping; Liu, Zhao-Sheng

    2013-10-01

    To obtain fast separation, ionic liquids were used as porogens first in combination with reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to prepare a new type of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) monolith. The imprinted monolithic column was synthesized using a mixture of carprofen (template), 4-vinylpyridine, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, [BMIM]BF4, and chain transfer agent (CTA). Some polymerization factors, such as template-monomer molar ratio, the degree of crosslinking, the composition of the porogen, and the content of CTA, on the column efficiency and imprinting effect of the resulting MIP monolith were systematically investigated. Affinity screening of structurally similar compounds with the template can be achieved in 200 s on the MIP monolith due to high column efficiency (up to 12,070 plates/m) and good column permeability. Recognition mechanism of the imprinted monolith was also investigated.

  4. Thickness dependence of magnetization reversal mechanism in perpendicularly magnetized L1{sub 0} FePt films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bi, Mei; Wang, Xin, E-mail: xinwang@uestc.edu.cn; Lu, Haipeng; Zhang, Li; Deng, Longjiang; Xie, Jianliang

    2017-04-15

    We have studied the magnetic switching behavior of L1{sub 0}-ordered FePt films with varying thickness. It was found that coercivity is strongly dependent on the film thickness. The obvious variations of the coercivity in the thin films are confirmed by the measurements of structural and magnetic properties. With increasing thickness, the degree of L1{sub 0} chemical ordering increased, while the magnetization reversal process transforms from a pinned two-steps magnetization reversal to a comparatively smooth domain wall motion behavior. Although considering anisotropy, exchange interaction and applied magnetic field, the switching behavior in films is quite complex, the main features of the magnetization reversal mechanism can be understood by performing detailed investigation on the effect of the deposition temperature and the angle of magnetic field. - Highlights: • Series of FePt films with L1{sub 0} phase have been prepared. • We focused on the magnetization reversal mechanism with varying thicknesses. • The angle-dependence of switching process is revealed in the FePt films. • Different switching mechanisms were found by increasing the film thickness.

  5. Neural mechanisms underlying sensitivity to reverse-phi motion in the fly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leonhardt, Aljoscha; Meier, Matthias; Serbe, Etienne; Eichner, Hubert; Borst, Alexander

    2017-01-01

    Optical illusions provide powerful tools for mapping the algorithms and circuits that underlie visual processing, revealing structure through atypical function. Of particular note in the study of motion detection has been the reverse-phi illusion. When contrast reversals accompany discrete movement, detected direction tends to invert. This occurs across a wide range of organisms, spanning humans and invertebrates. Here, we map an algorithmic account of the phenomenon onto neural circuitry in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Through targeted silencing experiments in tethered walking flies as well as electrophysiology and calcium imaging, we demonstrate that ON- or OFF-selective local motion detector cells T4 and T5 are sensitive to certain interactions between ON and OFF. A biologically plausible detector model accounts for subtle features of this particular form of illusory motion reversal, like the re-inversion of turning responses occurring at extreme stimulus velocities. In light of comparable circuit architecture in the mammalian retina, we suggest that similar mechanisms may apply even to human psychophysics.

  6. Reverse Transcriptase Mechanism of Somatic Hypermutation: 60 Years of Clonal Selection Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edward J. Steele

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The evidence for the reverse transcriptase mechanism of somatic hypermutation is substantial and multifactorial. In this 60th anniversary year of the publication of Sir MacFarlane Burnet’s Clonal Selection Theory, the evidence is briefly reviewed and updated.

  7. Asymmetric effect of mechanical stress on the forward and reverse reaction catalyzed by an enzyme.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Collin Joseph

    Full Text Available The concept of modulating enzymatic activity by exerting a mechanical stress on the enzyme has been established in previous work. Mechanical perturbation is also a tool for probing conformational motion accompanying the enzymatic cycle. Here we report measurements of the forward and reverse kinetics of the enzyme Guanylate Kinase from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The enzyme is held in a state of stress using the DNA spring method. The observation that mechanical stress has different effects on the forward and reverse reaction kinetics suggests that forward and reverse reactions follow different paths, on average, in the enzyme's conformational space. Comparing the kinetics of the stressed and unstressed enzyme we also show that the maximum speed of the enzyme is comparable to the predictions of the relaxation model of enzyme action, where we use the independently determined dissipation coefficient [Formula: see text] for the enzyme's conformational motion. The present experiments provide a mean to explore enzyme kinetics beyond the static energy landscape picture of transition state theory.

  8. Microstructural evolution of 316L stainless steels with yttrium addition after mechanical milling and heat treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kotan, Hasan, E-mail: hasankotan@gmail.com

    2015-10-28

    Nanocrystalline 316L stainless steels with yttrium addition were prepared by mechanical milling at cryogenic temperature and subjected to annealing treatments at various temperatures up to 1200 °C. The dependence of hardness on the microstructure was utilized to study the mechanical changes in the steels occurring during annealing. The microstructural evolution of the as-milled and annealed steels was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), focused ion beam microscopy (FIB) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The results have revealed that austenite in as-received powder partially transformed to martensite phase during mechanical milling whereas the annealing induced reverse transformation of martensite-to-austenite. Furthermore, while the austenite-to-martensite phase ratio increased with increasing annealing temperature, the equilibrium structure was not achieved after three hours heat treatments up to 1200 °C resulting in a dual-phased steels with around 10% martensite. The grain size of 316L steel was 19 nm after mechanical milling and remained around 116 nm at 1100 °C with yttrium addition as opposed to micron size grains of plain 316L steel at the same annealing temperature. Such microstructural features facilitate the use of these materials at elevated temperatures, as well as the development of scalable processing routes into a dense nanocrystalline compact.

  9. Neural mechanisms underlying sensitivity to reverse-phi motion in the fly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meier, Matthias; Serbe, Etienne; Eichner, Hubert; Borst, Alexander

    2017-01-01

    Optical illusions provide powerful tools for mapping the algorithms and circuits that underlie visual processing, revealing structure through atypical function. Of particular note in the study of motion detection has been the reverse-phi illusion. When contrast reversals accompany discrete movement, detected direction tends to invert. This occurs across a wide range of organisms, spanning humans and invertebrates. Here, we map an algorithmic account of the phenomenon onto neural circuitry in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Through targeted silencing experiments in tethered walking flies as well as electrophysiology and calcium imaging, we demonstrate that ON- or OFF-selective local motion detector cells T4 and T5 are sensitive to certain interactions between ON and OFF. A biologically plausible detector model accounts for subtle features of this particular form of illusory motion reversal, like the re-inversion of turning responses occurring at extreme stimulus velocities. In light of comparable circuit architecture in the mammalian retina, we suggest that similar mechanisms may apply even to human psychophysics. PMID:29261684

  10. Water Diffusion Mechanism in Carbon Nanotube and Polyamide Nanocomposite Reverse Osmosis Membranes: A Possible Percolation-Hopping Mechanism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araki, Takumi; Cruz-Silva, Rodolfo; Tejima, Syogo; Ortiz-Medina, Josue; Morelos-Gomez, Aaron; Takeuchi, Kenji; Hayashi, Takuya; Terrones, Mauricio; Endo, Morinobu

    2018-02-01

    This paper is a contribution to the Physical Review Applied collection in memory of Mildred S. Dresselhaus. The mechanism of water diffusion across reverse osmosis nanocomposite membranes made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and aromatic polyamide is not completely understood despite its high potential for desalination applications. While most of the groups have proposed that superflow inside the CNT might positively impact the water flow across membranes, here we show theoretical evidence that this is not likely the case in composite membranes because CNTs are usually oriented parallel to the membrane surface, not to mention that sometimes the nanotube cores are occluded. Instead, we propose an oriented diffusion mechanism that explains the high water permeation by decreasing the diffusion path of water molecules across the membranes, even in the presence of CNTs that behave as impermeable objects. Finally, we provide a comprehensive description of the molecular dynamics occurring in water desalination membranes by considering the bond polarizability caused by dynamic charge transfer and explore the use of molecular-dynamics-derived stochastic diffusion simulations. The proposed water diffusion mechanism offers an alternative and most likely explanation for the high permeation phenomena observed in CNTs and PA nanocomposite membranes, and its understanding can be helpful to design the next generation of reverse osmosis desalination membranes.

  11. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying sea urchin reversible adhesion: A quantitative proteomics approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebesgue, Nicolas; da Costa, Gonçalo; Ribeiro, Raquel Mesquita; Ribeiro-Silva, Cristina; Martins, Gabriel G; Matranga, Valeria; Scholten, Arjen; Cordeiro, Carlos; Heck, Albert J R; Santos, Romana

    2016-04-14

    Marine bioadhesives have unmatched performances in wet environments, being an inspiration for biomedical applications. In sea urchins specialized adhesive organs, tube feet, mediate reversible adhesion, being composed by a disc, producing adhesive and de-adhesive secretions, and a motile stem. After tube foot detachment, the secreted adhesive remains bound to the substratum as a footprint. Sea urchin adhesive is composed by proteins and sugars, but so far only one protein, Nectin, was shown to be over-expressed as a transcript in tube feet discs, suggesting its involvement in sea urchin adhesion. Here we use high-resolution quantitative mass-spectrometry to perform the first study combining the analysis of the differential proteome of an adhesive organ, with the proteome of its secreted adhesive. This strategy allowed us to identify 163 highly over-expressed disc proteins, specifically involved in sea urchin reversible adhesion; to find that 70% of the secreted adhesive components fall within five protein groups, involved in exocytosis and microbial protection; and to provide evidences that Nectin is not only highly expressed in tube feet discs but is an actual component of the adhesive. These results give an unprecedented insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying sea urchin adhesion, and opening new doors to develop wet-reliable, reversible, and ecological biomimetic adhesives. Sea urchins attach strongly but in a reversible manner to substratum, being a valuable source of inspiration for industrial and biomedical applications. Yet, the molecular mechanisms governing reversible adhesion are still poorly studied delaying the engineering of biomimetic adhesives. We used the latest mass spectrometry techniques to analyze the differential proteome of an adhesive organ and the proteome of its secreted adhesive, allowing us to uncover the key players in sea urchin reversible adhesion. We demonstrate, that Nectin, a protein previously pointed out as potentially

  12. Olefin copolymerization via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Venkatesh, R.; Staal, B.B.P.; Klumperman, B.

    2004-01-01

    Successful statistical copolymn. of an a-olefin (1-octene) with an acrylate (Bu acrylate, BA) and with a methacrylate (Me methacrylate, MMA), employing reversible addn.-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) mediated polymn. has been accomplished

  13. Geomagnetic polarity reversals as a mechanism for the punctuated equilibrium model of biological evolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Welsh, J.S.; Welsh, A.L.; Welsh, W.F.

    2003-01-01

    In contrast to what is predicted by classical Darwinian theory (phyletic gradualism), the fossil record typically displays a pattern of relatively sudden, dramatic changes as detailed by Eldregde and Gould's model of punctuated equilibrium. Evolutionary biologists have been at a loss to explain the ultimate source of the new mutations that drive evolution. One hypothesis holds that the abrupt speciation seen in the punctuated equilibrium model is secondary to an increased mutation rate resulting from periodically increased levels of ionizing radiation on the Earth's surface. Sporadic geomagnetic pole reversals, occurring every few million years on the average, are accompanied by alterations in the strength of the Earth's magnetic field and magnetosphere. This diminution may allow charged cosmic radiation to bombard Earth with less attenuation, thereby resulting in increased mutation rates. This episodic fluctuation in the magnetosphere is an attractive mechanism for the observed fossil record. Selected periods and epochs of geologic history for which data was available were reviewed for both geomagnetic pole reversal history and fossil record. Anomalies in either were scrutinized in greater depth and correlations were made. A 35 million year span (118-83 Ma) was identified during the Early/Middle Cretaceous period that was devoid of geomagnetic polarity reversals(the Cretaceous normal superchron). Examination of the fossil record (including several invertebrate and vertebrate taxons) during the Cretaceous normal superchron does not reveal any significant gap or slowing of speciation. Although increased terrestrial radiation exposure due to a diminution of the Earth's magnetosphere caused by a reversal of geomagnetic polarity is an attractive explanation for the mechanism of punctuated equilibrium, our investigation suggests that such polarity reversals cannot fully provide the driving force behind biological evolution. Further research is required to determine if

  14. Metal Additive Manufacturing: A Review of Mechanical Properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewandowski, John J.; Seifi, Mohsen

    2016-07-01

    This article reviews published data on the mechanical properties of additively manufactured metallic materials. The additive manufacturing techniques utilized to generate samples covered in this review include powder bed fusion (e.g., EBM, SLM, DMLS) and directed energy deposition (e.g., LENS, EBF3). Although only a limited number of metallic alloy systems are currently available for additive manufacturing (e.g., Ti-6Al-4V, TiAl, stainless steel, Inconel 625/718, and Al-Si-10Mg), the bulk of the published mechanical properties information has been generated on Ti-6Al-4V. However, summary tables for published mechanical properties and/or key figures are included for each of the alloys listed above, grouped by the additive technique used to generate the data. Published values for mechanical properties obtained from hardness, tension/compression, fracture toughness, fatigue crack growth, and high cycle fatigue are included for as-built, heat-treated, and/or HIP conditions, when available. The effects of test orientation/build direction on properties, when available, are also provided, along with discussion of the potential source(s) (e.g., texture, microstructure changes, defects) of anisotropy in properties. Recommendations for additional work are also provided.

  15. effects of sulphur addition on addition on and mechanical properties

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    on the microstructure and mechanical properties of sand cast been investigated ... owed that the addition of sulphur to Al-12wt%Si alloy. 12wt%Si alloy .... 28 materials. 29. Element. Aluminum. Silicon. Al. Si. Ca. Fe. Cu. Zn. Mn. Mg. Cr. B. 99.71.

  16. Poloidal flux loss in a field-reversed theta pinch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoffman, A.L.; Milroy, R.D.; Steinhauer, L.C.

    1981-01-01

    Poloidal flux loss has been measured in field-reversed configurations and related to anomalous resistivity near the magnetic field null. The results indicate that mechanisms in addition to the lower-hybrid drift instability are affecting transport

  17. Isoflurane reversibly destabilizes hippocampal dendritic spines by an actin-dependent mechanism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jimcy Platholi

    Full Text Available General anesthetics produce a reversible coma-like state through modulation of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission. Recent evidence suggests that anesthetic exposure can also lead to sustained cognitive dysfunction. However, the subcellular effects of anesthetics on the structure of established synapses are not known. We investigated effects of the widely used volatile anesthetic isoflurane on the structural stability of hippocampal dendritic spines, a postsynaptic structure critical to excitatory synaptic transmission in learning and memory. Exposure to clinical concentrations of isoflurane induced rapid and non-uniform shrinkage and loss of dendritic spines in mature cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Spine shrinkage was associated with a reduction in spine F-actin concentration. Spine loss was prevented by either jasplakinolide or cytochalasin D, drugs that prevent F-actin disassembly. Isoflurane-induced spine shrinkage and loss were reversible upon isoflurane elimination. Thus, isoflurane destabilizes spine F-actin, resulting in changes to dendritic spine morphology and number. These findings support an actin-based mechanism for isoflurane-induced alterations of synaptic structure in the hippocampus. These reversible alterations in dendritic spine structure have important implications for acute anesthetic effects on excitatory synaptic transmission and synaptic stability in the hippocampus, a locus for anesthetic-induced amnesia, and have important implications for anesthetic effects on synaptic plasticity.

  18. Floral reversion mechanism in longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) revealed by proteomic and anatomic analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Xiangrong; Wang, Lingxia; Liang, Wenyu; Gai, Yonghong; Wang, Xiaoyan; Chen, Wei

    2012-02-02

    Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) was used to analyze the proteins related to floral reversion in Dimocarpus longan Lour. Proteins were extracted from buds undergoing the normal process of flowering and from those undergoing floral reversion in three developing stages in D. longan. Differentially expressed proteins were identified from the gels after 2-DE analysis, which were confirmed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flying-mass spectroscopy and protein database search. A total of 39 proteins, including 18 up-regulated and 21 down-regulated proteins, were classified into different categories, such as energy and substance metabolism, protein translation, secondary metabolism, phytohormone, cytoskeleton structure, regulation, and stress tolerance. Among these, the largest functional class was associated with primary metabolism. Down-regulated proteins were involved in photosynthesis, transcription, and translation, whereas up-regulated proteins were involved in respiration. Decreased flavonoid synthesis and up-regulated GA20ox might be involved in the floral reversion process. Up-regulated 14-3-3 proteins played a role in the regulation of floral reversion in D. longan by responding to abiotic stress. Observations via transmission electron microscopy revealed the ultrastructure changes in shedding buds undergoing floral reversion. Overall, the results provided insights into the molecular basis for the floral reversion mechanism in D. longan. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Biophysical Insights into the Inhibitory Mechanism of Non-Nucleoside HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolas Sluis-Cremer

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT plays a central role in HIV infection. Current United States Federal Drug Administration (USFDA-approved antiretroviral therapies can include one of five approved non-nucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs, which are potent inhibitors of RT activity. Despite their crucial clinical role in treating and preventing HIV-1 infection, their mechanism of action remains elusive. In this review, we introduce RT and highlight major advances from experimental and computational biophysical experiments toward an understanding of RT function and the inhibitory mechanism(s of NNRTIs.

  20. ON THE ANALYSIS OF IMPEDANCE-DRIVEN REVERSE FLOW DYNAMICS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LEE V. C.-C.

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Impedance pump is a simple valve-less pumping mechanism, where an elastic tube is joined to a more rigid tube, at both ends. By inducing a periodic asymmetrical compression on the elastic tube will produce a unidirectional flow within the system. This pumping concept offers a low energy, low noise alternative, which makes it an effective driving mechanism, especially for micro-fluidic systems. In addition, the wave-based mechanism through which pumping occurs infers many benefits in terms of simplicity of design and manufacturing. Adjustment of simple parameters such as the excitation frequencies or compression locations will reverse the direction of flow, providing a very versatile range of flow outputs. This paper describes the experimental analysis of such impedance-driven flow with emphasis on the dynamical study of the reverse flow in open-loop environment. In this study, tapered section with converging steps is introduced at both ends of the elastic tube to amplify the magnitude of reverse flow. Study conducted shows that the reverse peak flow is rather significant with estimate of 23% lower than the forward peak flow. The flow dynamics on the other hand has shown to exhibit different characteristics as per the forward peak flow. The flow characteristics is then studied and showed that the tapered sections altered the impedance within the system and hence induce a higher flow in the reverse direction.

  1. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Thick Honeycombs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Hedayati

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Honeycombs resemble the structure of a number of natural and biological materials such as cancellous bone, wood, and cork. Thick honeycomb could be also used for energy absorption applications. Moreover, studying the mechanical behavior of honeycombs under in-plane loading could help understanding the mechanical behavior of more complex 3D tessellated structures such as porous biomaterials. In this paper, we study the mechanical behavior of thick honeycombs made using additive manufacturing techniques that allow for fabrication of honeycombs with arbitrary and precisely controlled thickness. Thick honeycombs with different wall thicknesses were produced from polylactic acid (PLA using fused deposition modelling, i.e., an additive manufacturing technique. The samples were mechanically tested in-plane under compression to determine their mechanical properties. We also obtained exact analytical solutions for the stiffness matrix of thick hexagonal honeycombs using both Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories. The stiffness matrix was then used to derive analytical relationships that describe the elastic modulus, yield stress, and Poisson’s ratio of thick honeycombs. Finite element models were also built for computational analysis of the mechanical behavior of thick honeycombs under compression. The mechanical properties obtained using our analytical relationships were compared with experimental observations and computational results as well as with analytical solutions available in the literature. It was found that the analytical solutions presented here are in good agreement with experimental and computational results even for very thick honeycombs, whereas the analytical solutions available in the literature show a large deviation from experimental observation, computational results, and our analytical solutions.

  2. Effect of Cu addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of 15%Cr super martensitic stainless steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ye, Dong; Li, Jun; Jiang, Wen; Su, Jie; Zhao, Kunyu

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Cu contributes to refine the grains. ► Cu solutes in matrix under quenching and precipitates as ε-Cu during tempering. ► Cu promotes the kinetics of reversed austenite formation. ► Mechanical properties are significantly influenced by austenite amount. ► Cu alloyed super martensitic stainless steel exhibits greatly improved mechanical properties. -- Abstract: The effect of adding different content of Cu (0 wt.%, 1.5 wt.% and 3 wt.%) to the 15%Cr super martensitic stainless steel (SMSS) was investigated using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Its consequence on mechanical properties was examined to clarify the role of Cu in the tested steels. The experimental results indicate that the microstructures of three tested steels are tempered martensite, retained austenite and reversed austenite; two kinds of austenites are dispersedly distributed among martensite matrix. Cu can solute in matrix under quenching condition and can precipitate as Cu-rich nanometer phase (ε-Cu) during tempering. Cu is helpful for the grain refinement and to promote the formation of reversed austenite during tempering. The maximum volume fraction of austenite is 55.9% in the steel with 3 wt.% Cu, which is responsible for the improvement of ductility. The results of the mechanical properties tests reveal that the mechanical properties are significantly influenced by the volume fraction of austenite. Cu can cause solid solution strengthening, precipitation strengthening and grain refinement strengthening in SMSS. Cu alloyed super martensitic stainless steel exhibits greatly improved mechanical properties.

  3. A guide to the synthesis of block copolymers using reversible-addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keddie, Daniel J

    2014-01-21

    The discovery of reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) has provided an avenue for the synthesis of a vast array of polymers with a rich variety of functionality and architecture. The preparation of block copolymers has received significant focus in this burgeoning research field, due to their diverse properties and potential in a wide range of research environments. This tutorial review will address the important concepts behind the design and synthesis of block copolymers using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. RAFT polymerization is arguably the most versatile of the RDRP methods due to its compatibility with a wide range of functional monomers and reaction media along with its relative ease of use. With an ever increasing array of researchers that possess a variety of backgrounds now turning to RDRP, and RAFT in particular, to prepare their required polymeric materials, it is pertinent to discuss the important points which enable the preparation of high purity functional block copolymers with targeted molar mass and narrow molar mass distribution using RAFT polymerization. The key principles of appropriate RAFT agent selection, the order of monomer addition in block synthesis and potential issues with maintaining high end-group fidelity are addressed. Additionally, techniques which allow block copolymers to be accessed using a combination of RAFT polymerization and complementary techniques are touched upon.

  4. Sex Reversal in Birds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Major, Andrew T; Smith, Craig A

    2016-01-01

    Sexual differentiation in birds is controlled genetically as in mammals, although the sex chromosomes are different. Males have a ZZ sex chromosome constitution, while females are ZW. Gene(s) on the sex chromosomes must initiate gonadal sex differentiation during embryonic life, inducing paired testes in ZZ individuals and unilateral ovaries in ZW individuals. The traditional view of avian sexual differentiation aligns with that expounded for other vertebrates; upon sexual differentiation, the gonads secrete sex steroid hormones that masculinise or feminise the rest of the body. However, recent studies on naturally occurring or experimentally induced avian sex reversal suggest a significant role for direct genetic factors, in addition to sex hormones, in regulating sexual differentiation of the soma in birds. This review will provide an overview of sex determination in birds and both naturally and experimentally induced sex reversal, with emphasis on the key role of oestrogen. We then consider how recent studies on sex reversal and gynandromorphic birds (half male:half female) are shaping our understanding of sexual differentiation in avians and in vertebrates more broadly. Current evidence shows that sexual differentiation in birds is a mix of direct genetic and hormonal mechanisms. Perturbation of either of these components may lead to sex reversal. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  5. Two-Way 4D Printing: A Review on the Reversibility of 3D-Printed Shape Memory Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amelia Yilin Lee

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The rapid development of additive manufacturing and advances in shape memory materials have fueled the progress of four-dimensional (4D printing. With the right external stimulus, the need for human interaction, sensors, and batteries will be eliminated, and by using additive manufacturing, more complex devices and parts can be produced. With the current understanding of shape memory mechanisms and with improved design for additive manufacturing, reversibility in 4D printing has recently been proven to be feasible. Conventional one-way 4D printing requires human interaction in the programming (or shape-setting phase, but reversible 4D printing, or two-way 4D printing, will fully eliminate the need for human interference, as the programming stage is replaced with another stimulus. This allows reversible 4D printed parts to be fully dependent on external stimuli; parts can also be potentially reused after every recovery, or even used in continuous cycles—an aspect that carries industrial appeal. This paper presents a review on the mechanisms of shape memory materials that have led to 4D printing, current findings regarding 4D printing in alloys and polymers, and their respective limitations. The reversibility of shape memory materials and their feasibility to be fabricated using three-dimensional (3D printing are summarized and critically analyzed. For reversible 4D printing, the methods of 3D printing, mechanisms used for actuation, and strategies to achieve reversibility are also highlighted. Finally, prospective future research directions in reversible 4D printing are suggested.

  6. Quantum control of a chiral molecular motor driven by femtosecond laser pulses: Mechanisms of regular and reverse rotations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaki, M.; Hoki, K.; Kono, H.; Fujimura, Y.

    2008-01-01

    Rotational mechanisms of a chiral molecular motor driven by femtosecond laser pulses were investigated on the basis of results of a quantum control simulation. A chiral molecule, (R)-2-methyl-cyclopenta-2,4-dienecarboaldehyde, was treated as a molecular motor within a one-dimensional model. It was assumed that the motor is fixed on a surface and driven in the low temperature limit. Electric fields of femtosecond laser pulses driving both regular rotation of the molecular motor with a plus angular momentum and reverse rotation with a minus one were designed by using a global control method. The mechanism of the regular rotation is similar to that obtained by a conventional pump-dump pulse method: the direction of rotation is the same as that of the initial wave packet propagation on the potential surface of the first singlet (nπ*) excited state S 1 . A new control mechanism has been proposed for the reverse rotation that cannot be driven by a simple pump-dump pulse method. In this mechanism, a coherent Stokes pulse creates a wave packet localized on the ground state potential surface in the right hand side. The wave packet has a negative angular momentum to drive reverse rotation at an early time

  7. Preparation of nanocomposites by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization from the surface of quantum dots in miniemulsion

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Carvalho Esteves, de A.C.; Hodge, P.; Trindade, T.; Barros-Timmons, A.M.M.V.

    2009-01-01

    Herein, we report the synthesis of quantum dots (QDs)/polymer nanocomposites by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization in miniemulsions using a grafting from approach. First, the surfaces of CdS and CdSe QDs were functionalized using a chain transfer agent, a

  8. Mechanical properties of additively manufactured octagonal honeycombs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hedayati, R., E-mail: rezahedayati@gmail.com [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Hafez Ave, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands); Sadighi, M.; Mohammadi-Aghdam, M. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Hafez Ave, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zadpoor, A.A. [Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands)

    2016-12-01

    Honeycomb structures have found numerous applications as structural and biomedical materials due to their favourable properties such as low weight, high stiffness, and porosity. Application of additive manufacturing and 3D printing techniques allows for manufacturing of honeycombs with arbitrary shape and wall thickness, opening the way for optimizing the mechanical and physical properties for specific applications. In this study, the mechanical properties of honeycomb structures with a new geometry, called octagonal honeycomb, were investigated using analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches. An additive manufacturing technique, namely fused deposition modelling, was used to fabricate the honeycomb from polylactic acid (PLA). The honeycombs structures were then mechanically tested under compression and the mechanical properties of the structures were determined. In addition, the Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories were used for deriving analytical relationships for elastic modulus, yield stress, Poisson's ratio, and buckling stress of this new design of honeycomb structures. Finite element models were also created to analyse the mechanical behaviour of the honeycombs computationally. The analytical solutions obtained using Timoshenko beam theory were close to computational results in terms of elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio and yield stress, especially for relative densities smaller than 25%. The analytical solutions based on the Timoshenko analytical solution and the computational results were in good agreement with experimental observations. Finally, the elastic properties of the proposed honeycomb structure were compared to those of other honeycomb structures such as square, triangular, hexagonal, mixed, diamond, and Kagome. The octagonal honeycomb showed yield stress and elastic modulus values very close to those of regular hexagonal honeycombs and lower than the other considered honeycombs. - Highlights: • The octagonal

  9. Mechanism of flow reversal during solidification of an anomalous liquid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Virkeshwar; Kumawat, Mitesh; Srivastava, Atul; Karagadde, Shyamprasad

    2017-12-01

    In a wide variety of fluidic systems involving thermal and compositional gradients, local density changes lead to the onset of natural convection that influences the process itself, for example, during phase-change phenomena and magmatic flows. Accurate knowledge of the flow characteristics is essential to quantify the impact of the flow of the processes. In this work, the first-ever demonstration of flow reversal during bottom-up solidification of water using full-field thermal and flow measurements and its direct impact on the solidifying interface is presented. Based on prior optical interferometric measurements of full-field temperature distribution in water during solidification, we use the particle image velocimetry technique to quantify and reveal the changing natural convection pattern arising solely due to the density anomaly of water between 0 °C and 4 °C. The independently captured thermal and flow fields show striking similarities and clearly elucidate the plausible mechanism explaining the formation of a curved interface at the stagnation point and the subsequent reversal of flow direction due to a changed interface morphology. A control volume analysis is further presented to estimate the energy invested in the formation of a perturbation and the resulting flip in the flow direction caused by this perturbation.

  10. Analysis of reverse gate leakage mechanism of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with N2 plasma surface treatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hui; Zhang, Zongjing; Luo, Weijun

    2018-06-01

    The mechanism of reverse gate leakage current of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with two different surface treatment methods are studied by using C-V, temperature dependent I-V and theoretical analysis. At the lower reverse bias region (VR >- 3.5 V), the dominant leakage current mechanism of the device with N2 plasma surface treatment is the Poole-Frenkel emission current (PF), and Trap-Assisted Tunneling current (TAT) is the principal leakage current of the device which treated by HCl:H2O solution. At the higher reverse bias region (VR current of the device with N2 plasma surface treatment is one order of magnitude smaller than the device which treated by HCl:H2O solution. This is due to the recovery of Ga-N bond in N2 plasma surface treatment together with the reduction of the shallow traps in post-gate annealing (PGA) process. The measured results agree well with the theoretical calculations and demonstrate N2 plasma surface treatment can reduce the reverse leakage current of the AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.

  11. The Reversal Effect and Its Mechanisms of Tetramethylpyrazine on Multidrug Resistance in Human Bladder Cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shanshan Wang

    Full Text Available Chemotherapy is an important strategy for the treatment of bladder cancer. However, the main problem limiting the success of chemotherapy is the development of multidrug resistance (MDR. To improve the management of bladder cancer, it is an urgent matter to search for strategies to reverse MDR. We chose three kinds of herbal medicines including ginsenoside Rh2, (--Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG and Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP to detect their effects on bladder cancer. Reversal effects of these three herbal medicines for drug resistance in adriamycin (ADM-resistant Pumc-91 cells (Pumc-91/ADM were assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8 cell proliferation assay system. The mechanisms of reversal effect for TMP were explored in Pumc-91/ADM and T24/DDP cells. After Pumc-91/ADM and T24/DDP cells were treated with TMP, cell cycle distribution analysis was performed by flow cytometry. The expression of MRP1, GST, BCL-2, LRP and TOPO-II was evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR, immunefluorescence assay and western blot. It was observed that TMP was capable of enhancing the cytotoxicity of anticancer agents on Pumc-91/ADM cells in response to ADM, however Rh2 and EGCG were unable to. The reversal effect of TMP was also demonstrated in T24/DDP cells. Moreover, the treatment with TMP in Pumc-91/ADM and T24/DDP cells led to an increased of G1 phase accompanied with a concomitant decrease of cell numbers in S phase. Compared to the control group, an obvious decrease of MRP1, GST, BCL-2 and an increase of TOPO-II were shown in TMP groups with a dose-dependency in mRNA and protein levels. However, there was no difference on LRP expression between TMP groups and the control group. TMP could effectively reverse MDR of Pumc-91/ADM and T24/DDP cells and its mechanisms might be correlated with the alteration of MRP1, GST, BCL-2 and TOPO-II. TMP might be a potential candidate for reversing drug resistance in bladder cancer

  12. Complete reversal of muscle wasting in experimental cancer cachexia: Additive effects of activin type II receptor inhibition and β-2 agonist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toledo, Míriam; Busquets, Sílvia; Penna, Fabio; Zhou, Xiaolan; Marmonti, Enrica; Betancourt, Angelica; Massa, David; López-Soriano, Francisco J; Han, H Q; Argilés, Josep M

    2016-04-15

    Formoterol is a highly potent β2-adrenoceptor-selective agonist, which is a muscle growth promoter in many animal species. Myostatin/activin inhibition reverses skeletal muscle loss and prolongs survival of tumor-bearing animals. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of a combination of the soluble myostatin receptor ActRIIB (sActRIIB) and the β2-agonist formoterol in the cachectic Lewis lung carcinoma model. The combination of formoterol and sActRIIB was extremely effective in reversing muscle wasting associated with experimental cancer cachexia in mice. Muscle weights from tumor-bearing animals were completely recovered following treatment and this was also reflected in the measured grip strength. This combination increased food intake in both control and tumor-bearing animals. The double treatment also prolonged survival significantly without affecting the weight and growth of the primary tumor. In addition, it significantly reduced the number of metastasis. Concerning the mechanisms for the preservation of muscle mass during cachexia, the effects of formoterol and sActRIIB seemed to be additive, since formoterol reduced the rate of protein degradation (as measured in vitro as tyrosine release, using incubated isolated individual muscles) while sActRIIB only affected protein synthesis (as measured in vivo using tritiated phenylalanine). Formoterol also increased the rate of protein synthesis and this seemed to be favored by the presence of sActRIIB. Combining formoterol and sActRIIB seemed to be a very promising treatment for experimental cancer cachexia. Further studies in human patients are necessary and may lead to a highly effective treatment option for muscle wasting associated with cancer. © 2015 UICC.

  13. Reverse Cholesterol Transport: Molecular Mechanisms and the Non-medical Approach to Enhance HDL Cholesterol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leandro R. Marques

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Dyslipidemia (high concentrations of LDL-c and low concentrations of HDL-c is a major cause of cardiovascular events, which are the leading cause of death in the world. On the other hand, nutrition and regular exercise can be an interesting strategy to modulate lipid profile, acting as prevention or treatment, inhibiting the risk of diseases due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic characteristics. Additionally, the possibility of controlling different training variables, such as type, intensity and recovery interval, can be used to maximize the benefits of exercise in promoting cardiovascular health. However, the mechanisms by which exercise and nutrients act in the regulation of cholesterol and its fractions, such as reverse cholesterol transport, receptors and transcription factors involved, such as PPARs and their role related to exercise, deserve further discussion. Therefore, the objective of this review is to debate about non-medical approaches to increase HDL-c, such as nutritional and training strategies, and to discuss the central mechanisms involved in the modulation of lipid profile during exercise, as well as that can be controlled by physical trainers or sports specialists in attempt to maximize the benefits promoted by exercise. The search for papers was performed in the databases: Medline (Pubmed, Science Direct, Scopus, Sport Discus, Web of Science, Scielo and Lilacs until February 2016.

  14. Mechanisms of reversible photodegradation in disperse orange 11 dye doped in PMMA polymer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Embaye, Natnael B.; Ramini, Shiva K.; Kuzyk, Mark G.

    2008-01-01

    We use amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and linear absorption spectroscopy to study the mechanisms of reversible photodegradation of 1-amino-2-methylanthraquinone (disperse orange 11-DO11) in solid poly(methyl methacrylate). Measurements as a function of intensity, concentration, and time suggest that ASE originates in a state (be it a tautomer or a vibronic level) that can form a dimer or some other aggregate upon relaxation, which through fluorescence quenching leads to degradation of the ASE signal. Whatever the degradation route, a high concentration of DO11 is required and the polymer plays a key role in the process of opening a new reversible degradation pathway that is not available at lower concentrations or in liquid solutions. We construct an energy level diagram that describes all measured quantities in the decay and recovery processes and propose a hypothesis of the nature of the associated states

  15. Additively homomorphic encryption with a double decryption mechanism, revisited

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peter, Andreas; Kronberg, M.; Trei, W.; Katzenbeisser, S.

    We revisit the notion of additively homomorphic encryption with a double decryption mechanism (DD-PKE), which allows for additions in the encrypted domain while having a master decryption procedure that can decrypt all properly formed ciphertexts by using a special master secret. This type of

  16. Magnetic reversals from planetary dynamo waves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheyko, Andrey; Finlay, Christopher C; Jackson, Andrew

    2016-11-24

    A striking feature of many natural dynamos is their ability to undergo polarity reversals. The best documented example is Earth's magnetic field, which has reversed hundreds of times during its history. The origin of geomagnetic polarity reversals lies in a magnetohydrodynamic process that takes place in Earth's core, but the precise mechanism is debated. The majority of numerical geodynamo simulations that exhibit reversals operate in a regime in which the viscosity of the fluid remains important, and in which the dynamo mechanism primarily involves stretching and twisting of field lines by columnar convection. Here we present an example of another class of reversing-geodynamo model, which operates in a regime of comparatively low viscosity and high magnetic diffusivity. This class does not fit into the paradigm of reversal regimes that are dictated by the value of the local Rossby number (the ratio of advection to Coriolis force). Instead, stretching of the magnetic field by a strong shear in the east-west flow near the imaginary cylinder just touching the inner core and parallel to the axis of rotation is crucial to the reversal mechanism in our models, which involves a process akin to kinematic dynamo waves. Because our results are relevant in a regime of low viscosity and high magnetic diffusivity, and with geophysically appropriate boundary conditions, this form of dynamo wave may also be involved in geomagnetic reversals.

  17. Nicotine Prevents and Reverses Paclitaxel-Induced Mechanical Allodynia in a Mouse Model of CIPN.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kyte, S Lauren; Toma, Wisam; Bagdas, Deniz; Meade, Julie A; Schurman, Lesley D; Lichtman, Aron H; Chen, Zhi-Jian; Del Fabbro, Egidio; Fang, Xianjun; Bigbee, John W; Damaj, M Imad; Gewirtz, David A

    2018-01-01

    Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a consequence of peripheral nerve fiber dysfunction or degeneration, continues to be a dose-limiting and debilitating side effect during and/or after cancer chemotherapy. Paclitaxel, a taxane commonly used to treat breast, lung, and ovarian cancers, causes CIPN in 59-78% of cancer patients. Novel interventions are needed due to the current lack of effective CIPN treatments. Our studies were designed to investigate whether nicotine can prevent and/or reverse paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy in a mouse model of CIPN, while ensuring that nicotine will not stimulate lung tumor cell proliferation or interfere with the antitumor properties of paclitaxel. Male C57BL/6J mice received paclitaxel every other day for a total of four injections (8 mg/kg, i.p.). Acute (0.3-0.9 mg/kg, i.p.) and chronic (24 mg/kg per day, s.c.) administration of nicotine respectively reversed and prevented paclitaxel-induced mechanical allodynia. Blockade of the antinociceptive effect of nicotine with mecamylamine and methyllycaconitine suggests that the reversal of paclitaxel-induced mechanical allodynia is primarily mediated by the α 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtype. Chronic nicotine treatment also prevented paclitaxel-induced intraepidermal nerve fiber loss. Notably, nicotine neither promoted proliferation of A549 and H460 non-small cell lung cancer cells nor interfered with paclitaxel-induced antitumor effects, including apoptosis. Most importantly, chronic nicotine administration did not enhance Lewis lung carcinoma tumor growth in C57BL/6J mice. These data suggest that the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-mediated pathways may be promising drug targets for the prevention and treatment of CIPN. Copyright © 2017 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

  18. Impact of drag reducing polymers on the onset of instability in a pipe with reverse flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shashank, H. J.; Sreenivas, K. R.

    2014-11-01

    The objective of this study is to understand the mechanism by which drag reducing polymer (DRP) additives modify turbulent flow, so as to reduce turbulent drag. Reverse flow in a pipe occurs when the fluid close to the wall moves in an opposite direction to that of the core fluid. Reverse flow is established by using a piston-cylinder mechanism, the programmed motion of which imparts a known impulse to the fluid. When the piston is stopped at the end of the stroke, fluid inertia makes the core of the flow to continue in the same direction. In order to conserve mass, reverse flow is established close to the wall. An inflection point is thus formed, leading to flow instability above a critical Reynolds number. Dye and streak flow visualization experiments are performed to highlight the impact of DRP additives (polyethylene oxide, PEO, dissolved in water). The time of onset of the instability and the wavelength of the observed instability are studied in systems with and without DRP additives. This study will provide further insight into the phenomenon of turbulent polymer drag reduction.

  19. Magnetization Reversal Mechanism for CoFeB Ferromagnetic Nanotube Arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hai-Rui, Liu; Qing-Feng, Lu; Shamaila, S.; Jun-Yang, Chen; Sharif, R.; Xiu-Feng, Han

    2009-01-01

    CoFeB nanotube arrays are fabricated in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes and track etched polycarbonate (PCTE) membranes by using an electrochemical method, and their magnetic properties are investigated by vibrating sample magnetometry. The coercivity H c and remanent squareness S Q of these CoFeB nanotube arrays are derived from hysteresis loops as a function of angle between the field and tube axis. The H c (θ) curves for CoFeB nanotube arrays in AAO and PCTE membranes show M-type variation, while they change shape from M to mountain-type as the tube length increases. However, the overall easy axis perpendicular to tube axis does not change with tube length. The different angular dependences are attributed to different magnetization reversal mechanisms. (condensed matter: electronicstructure, electrical, magnetic, and opticalproperties)

  20. Study on the crystallographic orientation relationship and formation mechanism of reversed austenite in economical Cr12 super martensitic stainless steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ye, Dong; Li, Shaohong; Li, Jun; Jiang, Wen; Su, Jie; Zhao, Kunyu

    2015-01-01

    Effect of carbides and crystallographic orientation relationship on the formation mechanism of reversed austenite of economical Cr12 super martensitic stainless steel (SMSS) has been investigated mainly by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The results indicate that the M_2_3C_6 precipitation and the formation of the reversed austenite have the interaction effect during tempering process in SMSS. The reversed austenite forms intensively at the sub-block boundary and the lath boundary within a misorientation range of 0–60°. M_2_3C_6 has the same crystallographic orientation relationship with reversed austenite. There are two different kinds of formation modes for reversed austenite. One is a nondiffusional shear reversion; the other is a diffusion transformation. Both are strictly limited by crystallographic orientation relationship. The austenite variants are limited to two kinds within one packet and five kinds within one prior austenite grain. - Highlights: • Reversed austenite forms at martensite boundaries with misorientation of 0–60° • M_2_3C_6 precipitation and reversed austenite formation have the interaction effect. • Two austenite variants with different orientations can be formed inside a packet. • Two reversed austenite formation modes: shear reversion; diffusion transformation

  1. Study on the crystallographic orientation relationship and formation mechanism of reversed austenite in economical Cr12 super martensitic stainless steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ye, Dong; Li, Shaohong; Li, Jun; Jiang, Wen [Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093 (China); Su, Jie [Institute for Structural Materials, Central Iron and Steel Research Institute, Beijing 100081 (China); Zhao, Kunyu, E-mail: kyzhaoy@sina.com [Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093 (China)

    2015-11-15

    Effect of carbides and crystallographic orientation relationship on the formation mechanism of reversed austenite of economical Cr12 super martensitic stainless steel (SMSS) has been investigated mainly by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The results indicate that the M{sub 23}C{sub 6} precipitation and the formation of the reversed austenite have the interaction effect during tempering process in SMSS. The reversed austenite forms intensively at the sub-block boundary and the lath boundary within a misorientation range of 0–60°. M{sub 23}C{sub 6} has the same crystallographic orientation relationship with reversed austenite. There are two different kinds of formation modes for reversed austenite. One is a nondiffusional shear reversion; the other is a diffusion transformation. Both are strictly limited by crystallographic orientation relationship. The austenite variants are limited to two kinds within one packet and five kinds within one prior austenite grain. - Highlights: • Reversed austenite forms at martensite boundaries with misorientation of 0–60° • M{sub 23}C{sub 6} precipitation and reversed austenite formation have the interaction effect. • Two austenite variants with different orientations can be formed inside a packet. • Two reversed austenite formation modes: shear reversion; diffusion transformation.

  2. Magnetic reversals from planetary dynamo waves

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sheyko, Andrey; Finlay, Chris; Jackson, Andrew

    2016-01-01

    A striking feature of many natural dynamos is their ability to undergo polarity reversals. The best documented example is Earth's magnetic field, which has reversed hundreds of times during its history. The origin of geomagnetic polarity reversals lies in a magnetohydrodynamic process that takes ...... to kinematic dynamo waves. Because our results are relevant in a regime of low viscosity and high magnetic diffusivity, and with geophysically appropriate boundary conditions, this form of dynamo wave may also be involved in geomagnetic reversals.......A striking feature of many natural dynamos is their ability to undergo polarity reversals. The best documented example is Earth's magnetic field, which has reversed hundreds of times during its history. The origin of geomagnetic polarity reversals lies in a magnetohydrodynamic process that takes...... place in Earth's core, but the precise mechanism is debated. The majority of numerical geodynamo simulations that exhibit reversals operate in a regime in which the viscosity of the fluid remains important, and in which the dynamo mechanism primarily involves stretching and twisting of field lines...

  3. Mechanical Properties of Austenitic Stainless Steel Made by Additive Manufacturing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luecke, William E; Slotwinski, John A

    2014-01-01

    Using uniaxial tensile and hardness testing, we evaluated the variability and anisotropy of the mechanical properties of an austenitic stainless steel, UNS S17400, manufactured by an additive process, selective laser melting. Like wrought materials, the mechanical properties depend on the orientation introduced by the processing. The recommended stress-relief heat treatment increases the tensile strength, reduces the yield strength, and decreases the extent of the discontinuous yielding. The mechanical properties, assessed by hardness, are very uniform across the build plate, but the stress-relief heat treatment introduced a small non-uniformity that had no correlation to position on the build plate. Analysis of the mechanical property behavior resulted in four conclusions. (1) The within-build and build-to-build tensile properties of the UNS S17400 stainless steel are less repeatable than mature engineering structural alloys, but similar to other structural alloys made by additive manufacturing. (2) The anisotropy of the mechanical properties of the UNS S17400 material of this study is larger than that of mature structural alloys, but is similar to other structural alloys made by additive manufacturing. (3) The tensile mechanical properties of the UNS S17400 material fabricated by selective laser melting are very different from those of wrought, heat-treated 17-4PH stainless steel. (4) The large discontinuous yielding strain in all tests resulted from the formation and propagation of Lüders bands.

  4. Introduction to time reversal theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henley, E.M.

    1987-01-01

    Theory and reaction mechanisms relevant to time reversal invariance are reviewed. Consequences of time reversal invariance are presented under the headings of CP tests, electromagnetic moments, weak emissions or absorptions, and scattering reactions. 8 refs., 4 figs

  5. Damage evolution and failure mechanisms in additively manufactured stainless steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carlton, Holly D., E-mail: carlton4@llnl.gov [Materials Engineering Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Haboub, Abdel [Lincoln University, Life and Physical Sciences Department, 820 Chestnut St, Jefferson City, MO 65101 (United States); Gallegos, Gilbert F. [Materials Engineering Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Parkinson, Dilworth Y.; MacDowell, Alastair A. [Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

    2016-01-10

    In situ tensile tests were performed on additively manufactured austenitic stainless steel to track damage evolution within the material. For these experiments Synchrotron Radiation micro-Tomography was used to measure three-dimensional pore volume, distribution, and morphology in stainless steel at the micrometer length-scale while tensile loading was applied. The results showed that porosity distribution played a larger role in affecting the fracture mechanisms than measured bulk density. Specifically, additively manufactured stainless steel specimens with large inhomogeneous void distributions displayed a flaw-dominated failure where cracks were shown to initiate at pre-existing voids, while annealed additively manufactured stainless steel specimens, which contained low porosity and randomly distributed pores, displayed fracture mechanisms that closely resembled wrought metal.

  6. Effects of sulphur addition on modification and mechanical ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    CW Onyia, BA Okorie, NI Amalu, SI Neife ... The results showed that the addition of sulphur to Al-12wt%Si alloy modified the Al-Si eutectic ... of the eutectic silicon structure with significant decrease in mechanical properties of the alloy and this ...

  7. Thermodynamic restrictions on linear reversible and irreversible thermo-electro-magneto-mechanical processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sushma Santapuri

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available A unified thermodynamic framework for the characterization of functional materials is developed. This framework encompasses linear reversible and irreversible processes with thermal, electrical, magnetic, and/or mechanical effects coupled. The comprehensive framework combines the principles of classical equilibrium and non-equilibrium thermodynamics with electrodynamics of continua in the infinitesimal strain regime.In the first part of this paper, linear Thermo-Electro-Magneto-Mechanical (TEMM quasistatic processes are characterized. Thermodynamic stability conditions are further imposed on the linear constitutive model and restrictions on the corresponding material constants are derived. The framework is then extended to irreversible transport phenomena including thermoelectric, thermomagnetic and the state-of-the-art spintronic and spin caloritronic effects. Using Onsager's reciprocity relationships and the dissipation inequality, restrictions on the kinetic coefficients corresponding to charge, heat and spin transport processes are derived. All the constitutive models are accompanied by multiphysics interaction diagrams that highlight the various processes that can be characterized using this framework. Keywords: Applied mathematics, Materials science, Thermodynamics

  8. Reverse genetics with animal viruses. NSV reverse genetics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mebatsion, T.

    2005-01-01

    New strategies to genetically manipulate the genomes of several important animal pathogens have been established in recent years. This article focuses on the reverse genetics techniques, which enables genetic manipulation of the genomes of non-segmented negative-sense RNA viruses. Recovery of a negative-sense RNA virus entirely from cDNA was first achieved for rabies virus in 1994. Since then, reverse genetic systems have been established for several pathogens of medical and veterinary importance. Based on the reverse genetics technique, it is now possible to design safe and more effective live attenuated vaccines against important viral agents. In addition, genetically tagged recombinant viruses can be designed to facilitate serological differentiation of vaccinated animals from infected animals. The approach of delivering protective immunogens of different pathogens using a single vector was made possible with the introduction of the reverse genetics system, and these novel broad-spectrum vaccine vectors have potential applications in improving animal health in developing countries. (author)

  9. Reversal modes in asymmetric Ni nanowires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leighton, B.; Pereira, A. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Avda. Ecuador 3493, 917-0124 Santiago (Chile); Escrig, J., E-mail: jescrigm@gmail.com [Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Avda. Ecuador 3493, 917-0124 Santiago (Chile); Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CEDENNA), Avda. Ecuador 3493, 917-0124 Santiago (Chile)

    2012-11-15

    We have investigated the evolution of the magnetization reversal mechanism in asymmetric Ni nanowires as a function of their geometry. Circular nanowires are found to reverse their magnetization by the propagation of a vortex domain wall, while in very asymmetric nanowires the reversal is driven by the propagation of a transverse domain wall. The effect of shape asymmetry of the wire on coercivity and remanence is also studied. Angular dependence of the remanence and coercivity is also addressed. Tailoring the magnetization reversal mechanism in asymmetric nanowires can be useful for magnetic logic and race-track memory, both of which are based on the displacement of magnetic domain walls. Finally, an alternative method to detect the presence of magnetic drops is proposed. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Asymmetry strongly modifies the magnetic behavior of a wire. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Very asymmetric nanowires reverse their magnetization by a transverse domain wall. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An alternative method to detect the presence of magnetic drops is proposed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tailoring the reversal mode in asymmetric nanowires can be useful for potential applications.

  10. Synthesis of butyl acrylate-styrene block copolymers in emulsion by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer : effect of surfactant migration upon film formation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Monteiro, M.J.; Sjöberg, M.; Göttgens, C.M.; Vlist, van der J.

    2000-01-01

    The synthesis of block copolymers in an environmentally friendly medium was carried out in emulsion polymerizations through the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer process, using a transfer active xanthate (MADIX) agent, under batch and starved-feed conditions. First, ab initio

  11. PAH growth initiated by propargyl addition: Mechanism development and computational kinetics

    KAUST Repository

    Raj, Abhijeet Dhayal

    2014-04-24

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) growth is known to be the principal pathway to soot formation during fuel combustion, as such, a physical understanding of the PAH growth mechanism is needed to effectively assess, predict, and control soot formation in flames. Although the hydrogen abstraction C2H2 addition (HACA) mechanism is believed to be the main contributor to PAH growth, it has been shown to under-predict some of the experimental data on PAHs and soot concentrations in flames. This article presents a submechanism of PAH growth that is initiated by propargyl (C 3H3) addition onto naphthalene (A2) and the naphthyl radical. C3H3 has been chosen since it is known to be a precursor of benzene in combustion and has appreciable concentrations in flames. This mechanism has been developed up to the formation of pyrene (A4), and the temperature-dependent kinetics of each elementary reaction has been determined using density functional theory (DFT) computations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory and transition state theory (TST). H-abstraction, H-addition, H-migration, β-scission, and intramolecular addition reactions have been taken into account. The energy barriers of the two main pathways (H-abstraction and H-addition) were found to be relatively small if not negative, whereas the energy barriers of the other pathways were in the range of (6-89 kcal·mol-1). The rates reported in this study may be extrapolated to larger PAH molecules that have a zigzag site similar to that in naphthalene, and the mechanism presented herein may be used as a complement to the HACA mechanism to improve prediction of PAH and soot formation. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  12. Mirror reversal and visual rotation are learned and consolidated via separate mechanisms: recalibrating or learning de novo?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telgen, Sebastian; Parvin, Darius; Diedrichsen, Jörn

    2014-10-08

    Motor learning tasks are often classified into adaptation tasks, which involve the recalibration of an existing control policy (the mapping that determines both feedforward and feedback commands), and skill-learning tasks, requiring the acquisition of new control policies. We show here that this distinction also applies to two different visuomotor transformations during reaching in humans: Mirror-reversal (left-right reversal over a mid-sagittal axis) of visual feedback versus rotation of visual feedback around the movement origin. During mirror-reversal learning, correct movement initiation (feedforward commands) and online corrections (feedback responses) were only generated at longer latencies. The earliest responses were directed into a nonmirrored direction, even after two training sessions. In contrast, for visual rotation learning, no dependency of directional error on reaction time emerged, and fast feedback responses to visual displacements of the cursor were immediately adapted. These results suggest that the motor system acquires a new control policy for mirror reversal, which initially requires extra processing time, while it recalibrates an existing control policy for visual rotations, exploiting established fast computational processes. Importantly, memory for visual rotation decayed between sessions, whereas memory for mirror reversals showed offline gains, leading to better performance at the beginning of the second session than in the end of the first. With shifts in time-accuracy tradeoff and offline gains, mirror-reversal learning shares common features with other skill-learning tasks. We suggest that different neuronal mechanisms underlie the recalibration of an existing versus acquisition of a new control policy and that offline gains between sessions are a characteristic of latter. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3413768-12$15.00/0.

  13. The RNA binding protein HuR does not interact directly with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and does not affect reverse transcription in vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gronenborn Angela M

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Lemay et al recently reported that the RNA binding protein HuR directly interacts with the ribonuclease H (RNase H domain of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT and influences the efficiency of viral reverse transcription (Lemay et al., 2008, Retrovirology 5:47. HuR is a member of the embryonic lethal abnormal vision protein family and contains 3 RNA recognition motifs (RRMs that bind AU-rich elements (AREs. To define the structural determinants of the HuR-RT interaction and to elucidate the mechanism(s by which HuR influences HIV-1 reverse transcription activity in vitro, we cloned and purified full-length HuR as well as three additional protein constructs that contained the N-terminal and internal RRMs, the internal and C-terminal RRMs, or the C-terminal RRM only. Results All four HuR proteins were purified and characterized by biophysical methods. They are well structured and exist as monomers in solution. No direct protein-protein interaction between HuR and HIV-1 RT was detected using NMR titrations with 15N labeled HuR variants or the 15N labeled RNase H domain of HIV-1 RT. Furthermore, HuR did not significantly affect the kinetics of HIV-1 reverse transcription in vitro, even on RNA templates that contain AREs. Conclusions Our results suggest that HuR does not impact HIV-1 replication through a direct protein-protein interaction with the viral RT.

  14. Reversible and non-reversible enlargement of cerebral spinal fluid spaces in anorexia nervosa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Artmann, H.; Grau, H.; Adelmann, M.; Schleiffer, R.

    1985-01-01

    Brain CT studies of 35 patients with anoxia nervosa confirmed the observations of other authors: cerebral dystrophic changes correlate with weight loss and the reversibility of these changes also correlates with the normalization of body weight. Other corroborated facts are: the most numerous and most pronounced enlargements are of the cortical sulci and the interhemispheric fissure, moderate widening affects the ventricles and the rarest and most insignificant changes are those of the cerebellum. The reversibility of the changes showed a parallel to the extent of the changes themselves and to the duration of improvement of the body weight. The reversibility of the enlargement of the cortical sulci and of the distances between the frontal horns of the lateral ventricles was more often significant than that of the abnormal measurements of the cella media. This difference is based on minimal early acquired brain damage which occurs in 60% of our patients. This high incidence of early acquired minimal brain disease in patients with anorexia nervosa is here discussed as a nonspecific predisposing factor. Although there is no exact explanation of the etiology of the reversible enlargement of cerenral spinal fluid (CSF) spaces in anorexia nervosa, the changes resemble those in alcoholics. The mechanisms of brain changes in alcoholism, as shown experimentally, seem to us to throw light on the probable mechanism of reversible dystrophic brain changes in anorexia nervosa. (orig.)

  15. Reversible and non-reversible enlargement of cerebral spinal fluid spaces in anorexia nervosa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Artmann, H.; Grau, H.; Adelmann, M.; Schleiffer, R.

    1985-07-01

    Brain CT studies of 35 patients with anoxia nervosa confirmed the observations of other authors: cerebral dystrophic changes correlate with weight loss and the reversibility of these changes also correlates with the normalization of body weight. Other corroborated facts are: the most numerous and most pronounced enlargements are of the cortical sulci and the interhemispheric fissure, moderate widening affects the ventricles and the rarest and most insignificant changes are those of the cerebellum. The reversibility of the changes showed a parallel to the extent of the changes themselves and to the duration of improvement of the body weight. The reversibility of the enlargement of the cortical sulci and of the distances between the frontal horns of the lateral ventricles was more often significant than that of the abnormal measurements of the cella media. This difference is based on minimal early acquired brain damage which occurs in 60% of our patients. This high incidence of early acquired minimal brain disease in patients with anorexia nervosa is here discussed as a nonspecific predisposing factor. Although there is no exact explanation of the etiology of the reversible enlargement of cerenral spinal fluid (CSF) spaces in anorexia nervosa, the changes resemble those in alcoholics. The mechanisms of brain changes in alcoholism, as shown experimentally, seem to us to throw light on the probable mechanism of reversible dystrophic brain changes in anorexia nervosa.

  16. Reverse engineering the mechanical and molecular pathways in stem cell morphogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Kai; Gordon, Richard; Cao, Tong

    2015-03-01

    The formation of relevant biological structures poses a challenge for regenerative medicine. During embryogenesis, embryonic cells differentiate into somatic tissues and undergo morphogenesis to produce three-dimensional organs. Using stem cells, we can recapitulate this process and create biological constructs for therapeutic transplantation. However, imperfect imitation of nature sometimes results in in vitro artifacts that fail to recapitulate the function of native organs. It has been hypothesized that developing cells may self-organize into tissue-specific structures given a correct in vitro environment. This proposition is supported by the generation of neo-organoids from stem cells. We suggest that morphogenesis may be reverse engineered to uncover its interacting mechanical pathway and molecular circuitry. By harnessing the latent architecture of stem cells, novel tissue-engineering strategies may be conceptualized for generating self-organizing transplants. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Mechanisms of rapid sympatric speciation by sex reversal and sexual selection in cichlid fish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lande, R; Seehausen, O; van Alphen, J J

    2001-01-01

    Mechanisms of speciation in cichlid fish were investigated by analyzing population genetic models of sexual selection on sex-determining genes associated with color polymorphisms. The models are based on a combination of laboratory experiments and field observations on the ecology, male and female mating behavior, and inheritance of sex-determination and color polymorphisms. The models explain why sex-reversal genes that change males into females tend to be X-linked and associated with novel colors, using the hypothesis of restricted recombination on the sex chromosomes, as suggested by previous theory on the evolution of recombination. The models reveal multiple pathways for rapid sympatric speciation through the origin of novel color morphs with strong assortative mating that incorporate both sex-reversal and suppressor genes. Despite the lack of geographic isolation or ecological differentiation, the new species coexists with the ancestral species either temporarily or indefinitely. These results may help to explain different patterns and rates of speciation among groups of cichlids, in particular the explosive diversification of rock-dwelling haplochromine cichlids.

  18. The Two-Time Interpretation and Macroscopic Time-Reversibility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yakir Aharonov

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The two-state vector formalism motivates a time-symmetric interpretation of quantum mechanics that entails a resolution of the measurement problem. We revisit a post-selection-assisted collapse model previously suggested by us, claiming that unlike the thermodynamic arrow of time, it can lead to reversible dynamics at the macroscopic level. In addition, the proposed scheme enables us to characterize the classical-quantum boundary. We discuss the limitations of this approach and its broad implications for other areas of physics.

  19. Design and Experiment of 1LFQ-325 Pneumatic Reversible Plough

    OpenAIRE

    Zheng, Xuan; Chen, Xuefeng; Qin, Chaomin; Jia, Libo

    2013-01-01

    A pneumatic reversible plough is developed, which complements to the tractor of 25.7-36.8 kW. The plough adopts the cylinder as reversing mechanism between the right and left plough bodies, and the cylinder can substitute the mechanical reversing mechanism. The pneumatic turnover allows the plough to be operated easily and turned over flexibly. Field experiment results show that indicators of plough performance meet the requirements of the relevant national standards.

  20. Tyrosinase inhibition due to interaction of homocyst(e)ine with copper: the mechanism for reversible hypopigmentation in homocystinuria due to cystathionine beta-synthase deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reish, O; Townsend, D; Berry, S A; Tsai, M Y; King, R A

    1995-01-01

    Deficiency of cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) is a genetic disorder of transsulfuration resulting in elevated plasma homocyst(e)ine and methionine and decreased cysteine. Affected patients have multisystem involvement, which may include light skin and hair. Reversible hypopigmentation in treated homocystinuric patients has been infrequently reported, and the mechanism is undefined. Two CBS-deficient homocystinuric patients manifested darkening of their hypopigmented hair following treatment that decreased plasma homocyst(e)ine. We hypothesized that homocyst(e)ine inhibits tyrosinase, the major pigment enzyme. The activity of tyrosinase extracted from pigmented human melanoma cells (MNT-1) that were grown in the presence of homocysteine was reduced in comparison to that extracted from cells grown without homocysteine. Copper sulfate restored homocyst(e)ine-inhibited tyrosinase activity when added to the culture cell media at a proportion of 1.25 mol of copper sulfate per 1 mol of DL-homocysteine. Holo-tyrosinase activity was inhibited by adding DL-homocysteine to the assay reaction mixture, and the addition of copper sulfate to the reaction mixture prevented this inhibition. Other tested compounds, L-cystine and betaine did not affect tyrosinase activity. Our data suggest that reversible hypopigmentation in homocystinuria is the result of tyrosinase inhibition by homocyst(e)ine and that the probable mechanism of this inhibition is the interaction of homocyst(e)ine with copper at the active site of tyrosinase. Images Figure 1 PMID:7611281

  1. Ammonium nitrate: combustion mechanism and the role of additives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sinditskii, Valery P.; Egorshev, Viacheslav Yu.; Levshenkov, Anton I.; Serushkin, Valery V. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology, 9 Miusskaya Sq., 125047, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2005-09-01

    This paper presents an analysis of the observed combustion behavior of AN mixtures with different additives, fuels, and energetic materials. It has been determined on the basis of flame structure investigation by fine tungsten-rhenium thermocouples that the surface temperature of AN is controlled by the dissociation reaction of the salt occurring at the surface. Results obtained have indicated that the leading reaction of combustion of AN doped with additives proceeds in the condensed phase up to pressures of 20-30 MPa. A reason for the inability of pure AN to burn is suggested and the role of additives in the combustion mechanism is discussed. (Abstract Copyright [2005], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  2. Periodicity and Immortality in Reversible Computing

    OpenAIRE

    Kari , Jarkko; Ollinger , Nicolas

    2008-01-01

    Additional material available on the web at http://www.lif.univ-mrs.fr/~nollinge/rec/gnirut/; We investigate the decidability of the periodicity and the immortality problems in three models of reversible computation: reversible counter machines, reversible Turing machines and reversible one-dimensional cellular automata. Immortality and periodicity are properties that describe the behavior of the model starting from arbitrary initial configurations: immortality is the property of having at le...

  3. Sliding-induced non-uniform pre-tension governs robust and reversible adhesion: a revisit of adhesion mechanisms of geckos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Q H; Chen, B; Gao, H J; Zhang, Y W

    2012-02-07

    Several mechanisms have been proposed in the literature to explain the robust attachment and rapid, controllable detachment of geckos' feet on vertical walls or ceilings, yet, it is still debatable, which one is ultimately responsible for geckos' extraordinary capabilities for robust and reversible adhesion. In this paper, we re-examine some of the key movements of geckos' spatula pads and seta hairs during attachment and detachment, and propose a sequence of simple mechanical steps that would lead to the extraordinary properties of geckos observed in experiments. The central subject under study here is a linear distribution of pre-tension along the spatula pad induced by its sliding motion with respect to a surface. The resulting pre-tension, together with a control of setae's pulling force and angle, not only allows for robust and strong attachment, but also enables rapid and controllable detachment. We perform computational modelling and simulations to validate the following key steps of geckos' adhesion: (i) creation of a linear distribution of pre-tension in spatula through sliding, (ii) operation of an instability envelope controlled by setae's pulling force and angle, (iii) triggering of an adhesion instability leading to partial decohesion along the interface, and (iv) complete detachment of spatula through post-instability peeling. The present work not only reveals novel insights into the adhesion mechanism of geckos, but also develops a powerful numerical simulation approach as well as additional guidelines for bioinspired materials and devices.

  4. Elements of a Reversible Object-Oriented Language

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schultz, Ulrik Pagh; Axelsen, Holger Bock

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents initial ideas for the design and implementation of a reversible object-oriented language based on extending Janus with object-oriented concepts such as classes that encapsulate behavior and state, inheritance, virtual dispatching, as well as constructors. We show that virtual...... dispatching is a reversible decision mechanism easily translatable to a standard reversible programming model such as Janus, and we argue that reversible management of state can be accomplished using reversible constructors. The language is implemented in terms of translation to standard Janus programs....

  5. Mechanical and Fatigue Properties of Additively Manufactured Metallic Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadollahi, Aref

    This study aims to investigate the mechanical and fatigue behavior of additively manufactured metallic materials. Several challenges associated with different metal additive manufacturing (AM) techniques (i.e. laser-powder bed fusion and direct laser deposition) have been addressed experimentally and numerically. Experiments have been carried out to study the effects of process inter-layer time interval--i.e. either building the samples one-at-a-time or multi-at-a-time (in-parallel)--on the microstructural features and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel samples, fabricated via a direct laser deposition (DLD). Next, the effect of building orientation--i.e. the orientation in which AM parts are built--on microstructure, tensile, and fatigue behaviors of 17-4 PH stainless steel, fabricated via a laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) method was investigated. Afterwards, the effect of surface finishing--here, as-built versus machined--on uniaxial fatigue behavior and failure mechanisms of Inconel 718 fabricated via a laser-powder bed fusion technique was sought. The numerical studies, as part of this dissertation, aimed to model the mechanical behavior of AM materials, under monotonic and cyclic loading, based on the observations and findings from the experiments. Despite significant research efforts for optimizing process parameters, achieving a homogenous, defect-free AM product--immediately after fabrication--has not yet been fully demonstrated. Thus, one solution for ensuring the adoption of AM materials for application should center on predicting the variations in mechanical behavior of AM parts based on their resultant microstructure. In this regard, an internal state variable (ISV) plasticity-damage model was employed to quantify the damage evolution in DLD 316L SS, under tensile loading, using the microstructural features associated with the manufacturing process. Finally, fatigue behavior of AM parts has been modeled based on the crack-growth concept

  6. Martensite phase reversion-induced nano/ ultrafine grained AISI 304L stainless steel with magnificent mechanical properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Shirdel

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Austenitic stainless steels are extensively used in various applications requiring good corrosion resistance and formability. In the current study, the formation of nano/ ultrafine grained austenitic microstructure in a microalloyed AISI 304L stainless steel was investigated by the advanced thermomechanical process of reversion of strain-induced martensite. For this purpose, samples were subjected to heavy cold rolling to produce a nearly complete martensitic structure. Subsequently, a wide range of annealing temperatures (600 to 800°C and times (1 to 240 min were employed to assess the reversion behavior and to find the best annealing condition for the production of the nano/ultrafine grained austenitic microstructure. Microstructural characterizations have been performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and magnetic measurement, whereas the mechanical properties were assessed by tensile and hardness tests. After thermomechanical treatment, a very fine austenitic structure was obtained, which was composed of nano sized grains of ~ 85 nm in an ultrafine grained matrix with an average grain size of 480 nm. This microstructure exhibited superior mechanical properties: high tensile strength of about 1280 MPa with a desirable elongation of about 41%, which can pave the way for the application of these sheets in the automotive industry.

  7. Geomagnetic reversal rates following Palaeozoic superchrons have a fast restart mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hounslow, Mark W

    2016-08-30

    Long intervals of single geomagnetic polarity (superchrons) reflect geodynamo processes, driven by core-mantle boundary interactions; however, it is not clear what initiates the start and end of superchrons, other than superchrons probably reflect lower heat flow across the core-mantle boundary compared with adjacent intervals. Here geomagnetic polarity timescales, with confidence intervals, are constructed before and following the reverse polarity Kiaman (Carboniferous-Permian) and Moyero (Ordovician) superchrons, providing a window into the geodynamo processes. Similar to the Cretaceous, asymmetry in reversal rates is seen in the Palaeozoic superchrons, but the higher reversal rates imply higher heatflow thresholds for entering the superchron state. Similar to the Cretaceous superchron, unusually long-duration chrons characterize the ∼10 Myr interval adjacent to the superchrons, indicating a transitional reversing state to the superchrons. This may relate to a weak pattern in the clustering of chron durations superimposed on the dominant random arrangement of chron durations.

  8. Thermodynamic reversibility and irreversibility of the reverse transformation in stabilized Cu-Zn-Al martensite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kustov, S.; Corro, M.; Pons, J.; Cesari, E.; Van Humbeeck, J.

    2006-01-01

    It has been shown that both pinning- (mechanical) and reordering-induced (chemical) stabilization components contribute to the overall stabilization effect. An algorithm has been developed for quantitative analysis of the chemical and mechanical stabilization components, using routine calorimetry results. The basic idea underlying this algorithm is that chemical and mechanical stabilization components stem, respectively, from the factors, affecting thermodynamically reversible and irreversible factors during the first reverse transformation of the stabilized martensite. On a thermodynamical level, application of the suggested algorithm has been illustrated using experimental calorimetry results for a Cu-Zn-Al alloy. Here we report analysis of pinning and reordering processes on a microscopic scale, using experimental data on non-linear anelasticity in the same Cu-Zn-Al alloy to track different spatial and temporal localization of these processes during martensite ageing

  9. Effect of addition of organo clay on mechanical properties and dynamic-mechanical based TPV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Honorato, Luciana R.; Silva, Adriana A.; Soares, Bluma G.; Soares, Ketly P.

    2011-01-01

    The effect of organophilic clay on the mechanical and dynamical-mechanical properties of thermoplastic elastomers based on polypropylene (PP) and nitrile rubber (NBR) was investigated. The addition of clay was performed from a master batch prepared by a solution intercalation of NBR inside the clay galleries. Since the PP/NBR blend is highly incompatible, PP functionalized with maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA) and carboxylated NBR (XNBR) were employed as compatibilizing system together with triethylene-tetramine (TETA) used as coupling agent. The addition of Clay inside the elastomeric phase of the TPV resulted in a significant decrease of the elongation at break without changes on the tensile strength. The presence of clay also promoted a slight increase of the storage modulus and the glass transition temperature. The small angle X ray scattering confirmed the high dispersion of clay inside the TPV. Analysis of light scattering small angle (SAXS) confirmed the high dispersion of clay in the matrix of the TPV. (author)

  10. Nucleophilic addition to olefins. 7. Kinetic deuterium isotope effects as criterion for an enforced preassociation mechanism in the hydrolysis of substituted benzylidene Meldrum's acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernasconi, C.F.; Leonarduzzi, G.D.

    1982-01-01

    The hydrolysis of the title compounds occurs in four steps: (1) nucleophilic attack by water or hydroxide ion to form the addition complex T/sub OH/ - ; (2) carbon protonation of T/sub OH/ - to form T/sub OH/ 0 ; (3) oxygen deprotonation of T/sub OH/ 0 to form T/sub OH/ 0 - ; (4) collapse of the tetrahedral intermediate T/sub OH/ - into the respective benzaldehyde and Meldrum's acid anion. There is also a water-catalyzed collapse of T/sub OH/ 0 which becomes dominant in strongly acidic solution. In basic solution carbon protonation of T/sub OH/ - (step 2) is rate limiting; in strongly acidic media the water-catalyzed collapse of T/sub OH/ 0 is rate limiting for all substrates. In moderatly acidic solution two types of behavior were observed. With the p-nitro derivative step 4 is rate limiting at high, step 3 at low buffer concentrations. The latter situation is equivalent to a diffusion-controlled trapping mechanism in the reverse direction. With the parent and the p-methoxy derivative, collapse of T/sub OH/ 0 - occurs before the protonated base catalyst generated in step 3 can diffuse away; this is equivalent to an enforced preassociation mechanism in the reverse direction and is analogous to the reaction of thiol anions with acetaldehyde studied by Gilbert and Jencks. Our interpretation is strongly supported by (1) α secondary kinetic deuterium isotope effects which are large for the preassociation mechanism but essentially nil for the trapping mechanism and (2) by Bronsted #betta# values around 0.8 in the case of the preassociation mechanism and 1.0 for the trapping mechanism. The mechanism for the water-catalyzed collapse of T/sub OH/ 0 - is probably concerted, a conclusion which is supported by a large positive deviation from the Bronsted plot for base catalysis and by a large α secondary kinetic deuterium isotope effect

  11. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (pres) in two clinical cases of eclampsia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasbun H, Jorge; Rodriguez G, Marcelo; Miranda G, Gonzalo

    2012-01-01

    The Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome is a neurological condition described on 1996, developed in patients with complex systemic conditions, especially pregnant women with pre eclampsia that at the same time presented neurological signs as seizures, headache, visual loss, and vomiting in addition to posterior brain edema, visible on neuroimaging and located in parietal and occipital lobes, that usually reverses completely. We present two clinical cases with Pres and eclampsia, antenatal and post-partum, both with seizure and confirmed brain edema with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Both had a favorable evolution after the anticonvulsant and anti-hypertensive therapy were done. We discuss the controversy over pathophysiological mechanisms, the new methods for diagnosis and management and the importance of multidisciplinary approach

  12. Constraining the reversing and non-reversing modes of the geodynamo. New insights from magnetostratigraphy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallet, Y.; Pavlov, V.; Shatsillo, A.; Hulot, G.

    2015-12-01

    Constraining the evolution in the geomagnetic reversal frequency over hundreds of million years is not a trivial matter. Beyond the fact that there are long periods without reversals, known as superchrons, and periods with many reversals, the way the reversal frequency changes through time during reversing periods is still debated. A smooth evolution or a succession of stationary segments have both been suggested to account for the geomagnetic polarity time scale since the Middle-Late Jurassic. Sudden changes from a reversing mode to a non-reversing mode of the geodynamo may also well have happened, the switch between the two modes having then possibly been controlled by the thermal conditions at the core-mantle boundary. There is, nevertheless, a growing set of magnetostratigraphic data, which could help decipher a proper interpretation of the reversal history, in particular in the early Paleozoic and even during the Precambrian. Although yielding a fragmentary record, these data reveal the occurrence of both additional superchrons and periods characterized by extremely high, not to say extraordinary, magnetic reversal frequencies. In this talk, we will present a synthesis of these data, mainly obtained from Siberia, and discuss their implication for the magnetic reversal behavior over the past billion years.

  13. Mechanism of improving forward and reverse blocking voltages in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs by using Schottky drain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Sheng-Lei; Mi Min-Han; Luo Jun; Wang Yi; Dai Yang; Zhang Jin-Cheng; Ma Xiao-Hua; Hao Yue; Hou Bin

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we demonstrate that a Schottky drain can improve the forward and reverse blocking voltages (BVs) simultaneously in AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). The mechanism of improving the two BVs is investigated by analysing the leakage current components and by software simulation. The forward BV increases from 72 V to 149 V due to the good Schottky contact morphology. During the reverse bias, the buffer leakage in the Ohmicdrain HEMT increases significantly with the increase of the negative drain bias. For the Schottky-drain HEMT, the buffer leakage is suppressed effectively by the formation of the depletion region at the drain terminal. As a result, the reverse BV is enhanced from −5 V to −49 V by using a Schottky drain. Experiments and the simulation indicate that a Schottky drain is desirable for power electronic applications. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

  14. [Molecular mechanism of cisplatin to enhance the ability of TRAIL in reversing multidrug resistance in gastric cancer cells].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xingchao; Zhang, Kaiguang; Wang, Qiaomin; Chen, Si; Gou, Yawen; Cui, Yufang; Li, Qin

    2015-06-01

    To study the molecular mechanism of cisplatin to enhance the ability of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in reversing multidrug resistance in vincristine-resistant human gastric cancer SGC7901/VCR cells. MTT assay was used to measure the 50% inhibiting concentration (IC₅₀) and cell survival in SGC7901 and SGC7901/VCR cells after different treatments. SGC7901/VCR cells were treated with different concentrations of DDP, different concentrations of TRAIL alone or in combination, and then the mRNA and protein levels of several genes were determined by RT-PCR, RT-qPCR and Western-blot analysis. After targeted silencing with specific siRNA and transfection of recombinant plasmid c-myc into the SGC7901/VCR cells, the mRNA and protein levels of DR4, DR5 and c-myc were determined by RT-PCR and Western-blot analysis. After combined treatment with TRAIL and DDP of the SGC7901/VCR cells, the IC₅₀ of VCR, DDP, ADM, and 5-Fu treatment was significantly decreased compared with the control group or TRAIL-treated group (P mechanism of DDP-induced sensitization of TRAIL to reverse the multidrug resistancein SGC7901/VCR cells.

  15. A study on the mechanical properties of additive manufactured polymer materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Dong Bum; Lee, In Hwan; Cho, Hae Yong [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-08-15

    Traditionally, additive manufacturing (AM) technology has been used to fabricate prototypes in the early development phase of a product. This technology is being applied to release manufacturing of a product because of its low cost and fast fabrication. AM technology is a process of joining materials to fabricate a product from the 3D CAD data in a layer-by-layer manner. The orientation of a layer during manufacturing can affect the mechanical properties of the product because of its anisotropy. In this paper, tensile testing of polymer-based specimens were built with a typical AM process (FDM, PolyJet and SLA) to study the mechanical properties of the AM materials. The ASTM D 638 tensile testing standard was followed for building the specimens. The mechanical properties of the specimens were determined on the basis of stress-strain curves formed by tensile tests. In addition, the fracture surfaces of the specimens were observed by SEM to analyze the results.

  16. Reversible infantile mitochondrial diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boczonadi, Veronika; Bansagi, Boglarka; Horvath, Rita

    2015-05-01

    Mitochondrial diseases are usually severe and progressive conditions; however, there are rare forms that show remarkable spontaneous recoveries. Two homoplasmic mitochondrial tRNA mutations (m.14674T>C/G in mt-tRNA(Glu)) have been reported to cause severe infantile mitochondrial myopathy in the first months of life. If these patients survive the first year of life by extensive life-sustaining measures they usually recover and develop normally. Another mitochondrial disease due to deficiency of the 5-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridylate methyltransferase (TRMU) causes severe liver failure in infancy, but similar to the reversible mitochondrial myopathy, within the first year of life these infants may also recover completely. Partial recovery has been noted in some other rare forms of mitochondrial disease due to deficiency of mitochondrial tRNA synthetases and mitochondrial tRNA modifying enzymes. Here we summarize the clinical presentation of these unique reversible mitochondrial diseases and discuss potential molecular mechanisms behind the reversibility. Understanding these mechanisms may provide the key to treatments of potential broader relevance in mitochondrial disease, where for the majority of the patients no effective treatment is currently available.

  17. Build platform that provides mechanical engagement with additive manufacturing prints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, Amelia M.

    2018-03-06

    A build platform and methods of fabricating an article with such a platform in an extrusion-type additive manufacturing machine are provided. A platform body 202 includes features 204 that extend outward from the body 202. The features 204 define protrusive areas 206 and recessive areas 208 that cooperate to mechanically engage the extruded material that forms the initial layers 220 of an article when the article is being fabricated by a nozzle 12 of the additive manufacturing machine 10.

  18. Reverse preferential spread in complex networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toyoizumi, Hiroshi; Tani, Seiichi; Miyoshi, Naoto; Okamoto, Yoshio

    2012-08-01

    Large-degree nodes may have a larger influence on the network, but they can be bottlenecks for spreading information since spreading attempts tend to concentrate on these nodes and become redundant. We discuss that the reverse preferential spread (distributing information inversely proportional to the degree of the receiving node) has an advantage over other spread mechanisms. In large uncorrelated networks, we show that the mean number of nodes that receive information under the reverse preferential spread is an upper bound among any other weight-based spread mechanisms, and this upper bound is indeed a logistic growth independent of the degree distribution.

  19. Drift reversal capability in helical systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yokoyama, M.; Itoh, K.; Okamura, S.

    2002-10-01

    The maximum-J (J is the second adiabatic invariant) capability, i.e., the drift reversal capability, is examined in quasi-axisymmetric (QAS) stellarators and quasi-poloidally symmetric (QPS) stellarators as a possible mechanism for turbulent transport suppression. Due to the existence of non-axisymmetry of the magnetic field strength in QAS configurations, a local maximum of J is created to cause the drift reversal. The increase of magnetic shear in finite beta equilibria also has favorable effect in realizing the drift reversal. The radial variation of the uniform magnetic field component plays a crucial role for the drift reversal in a QPS configuration. Thus, the drift reversal capability and its external controllability are demonstrated for QAS and QPS stellarators, by which the impact of magnetic configuration on turbulent transport can be studied in experiments. (author)

  20. Drift reversal capability in helical systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yokoyama, M.; Itoh, K.; Okamura, S.; Matsuoka, K.; Nakajima, N.; Itoh, S.-I.; Neilson, G.H.; Zarnstorff, M.C.; Rewoldt, G.

    2003-01-01

    The maximum-J (J is the second adiabatic invariant) capability, i.e., the drift reversal capability, is examined in quasi-axisymmetric (QAS) stellarators and quasi-poloidally symmetric (QPS) stellarators as a possible mechanism for turbulent transport suppression. Due to the existence of non-axisymmetry of the magnetic field strength in QAS configurations, a local maximum of J is created to cause the drift reversal. The increase of magnetic shear in finite beta equilibria also has favorable effect in realizing the drift reversal. The radial variation of the uniform magnetic field component plays a crucial role for the drift reversal in a QPS configuration. Thus, the drift reversal capability and its external controllability are demonstrated for QAS and QPS stellarators, by which the impact of magnetic configuration on turbulent transport can be studied in experiments. (author)

  1. Convergent and divergent pathways decoding hierarchical additive mechanisms in treating cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ying-Ying; Li, Hai-Xia; Chen, Yin-Ying; Fang, Hong; Yu, Ya-Nan; Liu, Jun; Jing, Zhi-Wei; Wang, Zhong; Wang, Yong-Yan

    2014-03-01

    Cerebral ischemia is considered to be a highly complex disease resulting from the complicated interplay of multiple pathways. Disappointedly, most of the previous studies were limited to a single gene or a single pathway. The extent to which all involved pathways are translated into fusing mechanisms of a combination therapy is of fundamental importance. We report an integrative strategy to reveal the additive mechanism that a combination (BJ) of compound baicalin (BA) and jasminoidin (JA) fights against cerebral ischemia based on variation of pathways and functional communities. We identified six pathways of BJ group that shared diverse additive index from 0.09 to 1, which assembled broad cross talks from seven pathways of BA and 16 pathways of JA both at horizontal and vertical levels. Besides a total of 60 overlapping functions as a robust integration background among the three groups based on significantly differential subnetworks, additive mechanism with strong confidence by networks altered functions. These results provide strong evidence that the additive mechanism is more complex than previously appreciated, and an integrative analysis of pathways may suggest an important paradigm for revealing pharmacological mechanisms underlying drug combinations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Time reversibility in the quantum frame

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Masot-Conde, Fátima [Escuela Superior Ingenieros, Dpt. Física Aplicada III, Universidad de Sevilla Isla Mágica, 41092- Sevilla (Spain)

    2014-12-04

    Classic Mechanics and Electromagnetism, conventionally taken as time-reversible, share the same concept of motion (either of mass or charge) as the basis of the time reversibility in their own fields. This paper focuses on the relationship between mobile geometry and motion reversibility. The goal is to extrapolate the conclusions to the quantum frame, where matter and radiation behave just as elementary mobiles. The possibility that the asymmetry of Time (Time’s arrow) is an effect of a fundamental quantum asymmetry of elementary particles, turns out to be a consequence of the discussion.

  3. Simulation study of self-sustainment mechanism in reversed-field pinch configuration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kusano, Kanya; Sato, Tetsuya.

    1989-09-01

    3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations are carried out in order to reveal the fundamental mechanism of the self-sustainment process in the reversed-field pinch plasma. It is confirmed that the RFP configuration is sustained in a cyclic process, where the MHD relaxation phase and the resistive diffusion phase appear cyclically and alternatively. In the MHD relaxation process, the RFP plasma approaches a Taylor's minimum energy state, but it departs from there in the diffusion process. In other words, since MHD relaxation processes periodically release excess magnetic energy accumulated in the resistive diffusion phase, RFP plasma can stay in the neighborhood of the minimum energy state. The mechanism of this cyclic process is disclosed. Namely, when at least two ideal kink (m = 1) modes becomes unstable, MHD relaxation can take place. This is because the MHD relaxation progresses through nonlinear reconnection of the m = 0 mode, which is driven by nonlinear coupling between the unstable kink modes. Therefore, self-sustainment processes can be achieved by the nonlinear effects of essentially the m = 0 and 1 modes. The quantitative dependence of the relaxation-diffusion cycle on the aspect ratio of the device is considered along with its dependence on the magnetic Reynolds, number. These results are consistent with recent experiments and indicate that a coherent oscillation, which is often observed in experiments, is necessary for self-sustainment. The influence of self-sustainment processes on particle confinement is briefly discussed. (author)

  4. Magnetization reversal mechanism and coercivity enhancement in three-dimensional granular Nd-Fe-B magnets studied by micromagnetic simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jae-Hyeok; Choe, Jinhyeok; Hwang, Shinwon; Kim, Sang-Koog

    2017-08-01

    We studied the mechanism of magnetization reversals and coercivity enhancements in three-dimensional (3D) granular Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets using finite-element micromagnetic simulations. The magnetization reversals in the hard magnets consisting of hard-phase grains separated by relatively soft-phase grain boundaries were analyzed with reference to the simulation results for the magnetic field-dependent distributions of the local magnetizations. The saturation magnetization of the grain-boundary phase plays a crucial role in the transition between nucleation- and domain-wall-propagation-controlled reversal processes. The smaller the saturation magnetization of the grain-boundary phase is, the more preferable is the nucleation-controlled process, which results in a larger coercivity. The exchange stiffness of the grain-boundary phase determines the preferred paths of domain-wall propagations, whether inward into grains or along the grain boundaries for relatively small and large exchange stiffness, respectively. However, the exchange stiffness of the grain-boundary phase alone does not significantly contribute to coercivity enhancement in cases where the size of hard-phase grains is much greater than the exchange length. This work paves the way for the design of high-performance hard magnets of large coercivity and maximum-energy-product values.

  5. Turbulence and Cavitation Suppression by Quaternary Ammonium Salt Additives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naseri, Homa; Trickett, Kieran; Mitroglou, Nicholas; Karathanassis, Ioannis; Koukouvinis, Phoevos; Gavaises, Manolis; Barbour, Robert; Diamond, Dale; Rogers, Sarah E; Santini, Maurizio; Wang, Jin

    2018-05-16

    We identify the physical mechanism through which newly developed quaternary ammonium salt (QAS) deposit control additives (DCAs) affect the rheological properties of cavitating turbulent flows, resulting in an increase in the volumetric efficiency of clean injectors fuelled with diesel or biodiesel fuels. Quaternary ammonium surfactants with appropriate counterions can be very effective in reducing the turbulent drag in aqueous solutions, however, less is known about the effect of such surfactants in oil-based solvents or in cavitating flow conditions. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) investigations show that in traditional DCA fuel compositions only reverse spherical micelles form, whereas reverse cylindrical micelles are detected by blending the fuel with the QAS additive. Moreover, experiments utilising X-ray micro computed tomography (micro-CT) in nozzle replicas, quantify that in cavitation regions the liquid fraction is increased in the presence of the QAS additive. Furthermore, high-flux X-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCI) measurements identify a flow stabilization effect in the region of vortex cavitation by the QAS additive. The effect of the formation of cylindrical micelles is reproduced with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations by including viscoelastic characteristics for the flow. It is demonstrated that viscoelasticity can reduce turbulence and suppress cavitation, and subsequently increase the injector's volumetric efficiency.

  6. Reverse remodeling and the mechanism of mitral regurgitation improvement in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuperstein, Rafael; Blechman, Ido; Ben Zekry, Sagit; Klempfner, Robert; Freimark, Dov; Arad, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Functional mitral regurgitation (MR) is a common finding in dilated cardiomyopathy. Left ventricular (LV) reverse remodeling with LV size reduction and improvement in LV function is a well recognized phenomenon. We aimed to evaluate the impact of LV remodeling on the mechanism leading to functional MR. Among 188 patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, 10 patients significantly improved their LV function, reduced LV size and MR severity during follow-up (RRMR). A comparison was made between their baseline and follow-up echocardiographic examinations and to a matched-control group of patients who did not improve (no RRMR). LV and left atrium (LA) dimensions and volumes, LV mass (LVM), LV ejection fraction (LVEF) (Simpsons), sphericity index (SI), mitral valve tenting area (TA) coaptation distance (CD), effective regurgitant orifice (ERO), and regurgitant volume were calculated. Multivariable analysis was performed in order to evaluate which echocardiographic parameters related to MR improvement in reverse remodeling. LV and LA dimensions and volumes, LVM, SI, TA, CD, ERO and right ventricle, in the RRMR group significantly decreased at follow-up (p < 0.04 for all). When compared to no RRMR, despite a similar ERO (0.2 ± 0.05 vs. 0.2 ± 0.08, p = 0.13) and a larger regurgitant volume (38 ± 9 vs. 29 ± 8 mL, p = 0.05) and despite similar clinical characteristics and medical treatment we found significantly higher LVEF, smaller LV dimensions and volumes, smaller LVM and SI in the RRMR group (p < 0.05 for all). On multivariable analysis the SI was the sole predictor of RRMR (p = 0.04, OR = 0.76, CI 0.58-0.99). Reverse remodeling characterized by improvement in LV function, reduction in LV size and an associated reduction in MR severity is related to LV SI at baseline.

  7. Microstructure and mechanical properties of molybdenum silicides with Al additions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosales, I.; Bahena, D.; Colin, J.

    2007-01-01

    Several molybdenum silicides alloys with different aluminum additions were produced by the arc-cast method. Microstructure observed in the alloys presented a variation of the precipitated second phase respect to the aluminum content. Evaluation of the compressive behavior at high temperature of the alloys shows an important improvement in its ductility, approximately of 20%. Fracture toughness was increased proportionally with Al content. In addition at room temperature the alloys show a better mechanical behavior in comparison with the sample unalloyed. In general, Al additions result to be a good alternative to improve the resistance of these intermetallic alloys. The results are interpreted on the base of the analysis of second phase strengthening

  8. Functionalization of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes with polystyrene via surface initiated reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Macdonald, Thomas; Gibson, Christopher T.; Constantopoulos, Kristina; Shapter, Joseph G. [Flinders Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001 (Australia); Ellis, Amanda V., E-mail: amanda.ellis@flinders.edu.au [Flinders Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001 (Australia)

    2012-01-15

    Here we demonstrate the covalent attachment of vertically aligned (VA) acid treated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) onto a silicon substrate via dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) coupling chemistry. Subsequently, the pendant carboxyl moieties on the sidewalls of the VA-SWCNTs were derivatized to acyl chlorides, and then finally to bis(dithioester) moieties using a magnesium chloride dithiobenzoate salt. The bis(dithioester) moieties were then successfully shown to act as a chain transfer agent (CTA) in the reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of styrene in a surface initiated 'grafting-from' process from the VA-SWCNT surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) verified vertical alignment of the SWCNTs and the maintenance thereof throughout the synthesis process. Finally, Raman scattering spectroscopy and AFM confirmed polystyrene functionalization.

  9. Functionalization of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes with polystyrene via surface initiated reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macdonald, Thomas; Gibson, Christopher T.; Constantopoulos, Kristina; Shapter, Joseph G.; Ellis, Amanda V.

    2012-01-01

    Here we demonstrate the covalent attachment of vertically aligned (VA) acid treated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) onto a silicon substrate via dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) coupling chemistry. Subsequently, the pendant carboxyl moieties on the sidewalls of the VA-SWCNTs were derivatized to acyl chlorides, and then finally to bis(dithioester) moieties using a magnesium chloride dithiobenzoate salt. The bis(dithioester) moieties were then successfully shown to act as a chain transfer agent (CTA) in the reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of styrene in a surface initiated “grafting-from” process from the VA-SWCNT surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) verified vertical alignment of the SWCNTs and the maintenance thereof throughout the synthesis process. Finally, Raman scattering spectroscopy and AFM confirmed polystyrene functionalization.

  10. Kinetic Line Voronoi Operations and Their Reversibility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mioc, Darka; Anton, François; Gold, Christopher

    2010-01-01

    In Geographic Information Systems the reversibility of map update operations has not been explored yet. In this paper we are using the Voronoi based Quad-edge data structure to define reversible map update operations. The reversibility of the map operations has been formalised at the lowest level...... mechanisms and dynamic map visualisations. In order to use the reversibility within the kinetic Voronoi diagram of points and open oriented line segments, we need to assure that reversing the map commands will produce exactly the changes in the map equivalent to the previous map states. To prove...... that reversing the map update operations produces the exact reverse changes, we show an isomorphism between the set of complex operations on the kinetic Voronoi diagram of points and open oriented line segments and the sets of numbers of new / deleted Voronoi regions induced by these operations, and its...

  11. ECOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SEX REVERSAL OF FISH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcnair, Alistair; Lokman, P Mark; Closs, Gerard P; Nakagawa, Shinichi

    2015-03-01

    Environmental sex reversal (ESR), which results in a mismatch between genotypic and phenotypic sex, is well documented in numerous fish species and may be induced by chemical exposure. Historically, research involving piscine ESR has been carried out with a view to improving profitability in aquaculture or to elucidate the processes governing sex determination and sexual differentiation. However, recent studies in evolution and ecology suggest research on ESR now has much wider applications and ramifications. We begin with an overview of ESR in fish and a brief review of the traditional applications thereof. We then discuss ESR and its potential demographic consequences in wild populations. Theory even suggests sex-reversed fish may be purposefully released to manipulate population dynamics. We suggest new research directions that may prove fruitful in understanding how ESR at the individual level translates to population-level processes. In the latter portion of the review we focus on evolutionary applications of ESR. Sex-reversal studies from the aquaculture literature provide insight in to the evolvability of determinants of sexual phenotype. Additionally, induced sex reversal can provide information about the evolution of sex chromosomes and sex-linked traits. Recently, naturally occurring ESR has been implicated as a mechanism contributing to the evolution of sex chromosomes.

  12. Magnetization reversal mechanisms in hybrid resin-bonded Nd Fe B magnets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plusa, D.; Dospial, M.; Slusarek, B.; Kotlarczyk, U.

    2006-11-01

    The magnetic properties of isotropic epoxy resin-bonded magnets prepared by mixing a hard magnetic powder made from melt quenched Nd-Fe-Co-B ribbons and a soft magnetic iron powder have been examined. The magnetization reversal processes and the magnetic parameters have been studied by the measurement of the virgin magnetization curves, the major and minor hysteresis loops and sets of recoil curves. From these recoil curves the field dependence of the reversible and irreversible magnetization components during the magnetization and demagnetization processes has been derived. The remanence relationship was used to study the nature of magnetic interaction between the grains. A study of interaction domains was conducted using optical microscopy. Groups of domains, each over several grains, were observed. It was found that the reversal process in the samples investigated involves the rotation of magnetization vectors in the iron powder grains and pinning of domain walls at the MQP-B grain boundaries.

  13. Magnetization reversal mechanisms in hybrid resin-bonded Nd-Fe-B magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plusa, D.; Dospial, M.; Slusarek, B.; Kotlarczyk, U.

    2006-01-01

    The magnetic properties of isotropic epoxy resin-bonded magnets prepared by mixing a hard magnetic powder made from melt quenched Nd-Fe-Co-B ribbons and a soft magnetic iron powder have been examined. The magnetization reversal processes and the magnetic parameters have been studied by the measurement of the virgin magnetization curves, the major and minor hysteresis loops and sets of recoil curves. From these recoil curves the field dependence of the reversible and irreversible magnetization components during the magnetization and demagnetization processes has been derived. The remanence relationship was used to study the nature of magnetic interaction between the grains. A study of interaction domains was conducted using optical microscopy. Groups of domains, each over several grains, were observed. It was found that the reversal process in the samples investigated involves the rotation of magnetization vectors in the iron powder grains and pinning of domain walls at the MQP-B grain boundaries

  14. Reversal mechanisms and interactions in magnetic systems: coercivity versus switching field and thermally assisted demagnetization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cebollada, F.

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we present a comparative analysis of the magnetic interactions and reversal mechanisms of two different systems: NdFeB-type alloys with grain sizes in the single domain range and Fe-SiO2 nanocomposites with Fe concentrations above and below the percolation threshold. We evidence that the use of the coercivity as the main parameter to analyse them might be misleading due to the convolution of both reversible and irreversible magnetization variations. We show that the switching field and thermally assisted demagnetization allow a better understanding of these mechanisms since they involve just irreversible magnetization changes. Specifically, the experimental analysis of the coercivity adquisition process for the NdFeB-type system suggests that the magnetization reversal is nucleated at the spin misalignments present due to intergranular exchange interactions. On the other hand, the study of the magnetic viscosity and of the isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM and direct field demagnetization (DCD remanence curves indicates that the dipolar interactions are responsible for the propagation of the switching started at individual particles.

    En este artículo presentamos un análisis comparativo de la influencia de la microestructura a través de las interacciones magnéticas en los mecanismos de inversión de la magnetización en dos sistemas diferentes: aleaciones tipo NdFeB con tamaños de grano en el rango de monodominio y nanocompuestos de Fe-SiO2 con concentraciones de Fe tanto por encima como por debajo del umbral de percolación. Ponemos de manifiesto que el uso del campo coercitivo como parámetro de análisis puede llevar a equívocos debido a la coexistencia de variaciones reversibles e irreversibles de la magnetización. También mostramos que el campo de conmutación y la desimanación térmicamente asistida permiten una mejor comprensión de dichos mecanismos ya que reflejan exclusivamente cambios irreversibles de

  15. Reversible perspective and splitting in time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hart, Helen Schoenhals

    2012-01-01

    The element of time--the experience of it and the defensive use of it--is explored in conjunction with the use of reversible perspective as a psychotic defense. Clinical material from a long analysis illustrates how a psychotic patient used the reversible perspective, with its static splitting, to abolish the experience of time. When he improved and the reversible perspective became less effective for him, he replaced it with a more dynamic splitting mechanism using time gaps. With further improvement, the patient began to experience the passage of time, and along with it the excruciating pain of separation, envy, and loss.

  16. Influence of prior cold rolling reduction on microstructure and mechanical properties of a reversion annealed high-Mn austenitic steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Behjati, P., E-mail: p.behjatipournaki@ma.iut.ac.ir [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Kermanpur, A. [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Karjalainen, L.P.; Järvenpää, A.; Jaskari, M. [Centre for Advanced Steels Research, University of Oulu, FIN-90014 Oulu (Finland); Samaei Baghbadorani, H. [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Najafizadeh, A. [Foulad Institute of Technology, Fouladshahr, Isfahan 84916-63763 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Hamada, A. [Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, Suez University, Suez 43721 (Egypt)

    2016-01-05

    The martensitic reversion is known to be effective in refining the grain size of metastable austenitic stainless steels. However, severe cold rolling reductions are generally required for this process. In this study, the influence of the degree of prior cold rolling and subsequent annealing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a metastable high-Mn austenitic steel was investigated. Three cold rolling reductions of 20%, 35% and 50% were applied at ambient temperature before the annealing at 700 °C for the durations of 10, 100 and 1000 s. Microstructures were examined by optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopes. Mechanical properties were measured by hardness and tensile tests. The microstructure changes were followed by magnetic measurements and X-ray diffraction. It was shown that a relatively small reduction of 35% and 100 s annealing could provide efficient grain refinement (the average size of 0.5 µm) and accordingly an outstanding combination of strength-ductility properties with the yield strength 890 MPa, tensile strength 1340 MPa and elongation 41% was achieved. The occurrence of martensite reversion and recrystallization processes with different contributions in dependence on degree of prior deformation before annealing was discussed.

  17. An easily reversible structural change underlies mechanisms enabling desert crust cyanobacteria to survive desiccation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bar-Eyal, Leeat; Eisenberg, Ido; Faust, Adam; Raanan, Hagai; Nevo, Reinat; Rappaport, Fabrice; Krieger-Liszkay, Anja; Sétif, Pierre; Thurotte, Adrien; Reich, Ziv; Kaplan, Aaron; Ohad, Itzhak; Paltiel, Yossi; Keren, Nir

    2015-10-01

    Biological desert sand crusts are the foundation of desert ecosystems, stabilizing the sands and allowing colonization by higher order organisms. The first colonizers of the desert sands are cyanobacteria. Facing the harsh conditions of the desert, these organisms must withstand frequent desiccation-hydration cycles, combined with high light intensities. Here, we characterize structural and functional modifications to the photosynthetic apparatus that enable a cyanobacterium, Leptolyngbya sp., to thrive under these conditions. Using multiple in vivo spectroscopic and imaging techniques, we identified two complementary mechanisms for dissipating absorbed energy in the desiccated state. The first mechanism involves the reorganization of the phycobilisome antenna system, increasing excitonic coupling between antenna components. This provides better energy dissipation in the antenna rather than directed exciton transfer to the reaction center. The second mechanism is driven by constriction of the thylakoid lumen which limits diffusion of plastocyanin to P700. The accumulation of P700(+) not only prevents light-induced charge separation but also efficiently quenches excitation energy. These protection mechanisms employ existing components of the photosynthetic apparatus, forming two distinct functional modes. Small changes in the structure of the thylakoid membranes are sufficient for quenching of all absorbed energy in the desiccated state, protecting the photosynthetic apparatus from photoinhibitory damage. These changes can be easily reversed upon rehydration, returning the system to its high photosynthetic quantum efficiency. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Rapid and reversible impairments of short- and long-term social recognition memory are caused by acute isolation of adult rats via distinct mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahar-Gold, Hadar; Gur, Rotem; Wagner, Shlomo

    2013-01-01

    Mammalian social organizations require the ability to recognize and remember individual conspecifics. This social recognition memory (SRM) can be examined in rodents using their innate tendency to investigate novel conspecifics more persistently than familiar ones. Here we used the SRM paradigm to examine the influence of housing conditions on the social memory of adult rats. We found that acute social isolation caused within few days a significant impairment in acquisition of short-term SRM of male and female rats. Moreover, SRM consolidation into long-term memory was blocked following only one day of social isolation. Both impairments were reversible, but with different time courses. Furthermore, only the impairment in SRM consolidation was reversed by systemic administration of arginine-vasopressin (AVP). In contrast to SRM, object recognition memory was not affected by social isolation. We conclude that acute social isolation rapidly induces reversible changes in the brain neuronal and molecular mechanisms underlying SRM, which hamper its acquisition and completely block its consolidation. These changes occur via distinct, AVP sensitive and insensitive mechanisms. Thus, acute social isolation of rats swiftly causes changes in their brain and interferes with their normal social behavior.

  19. Rapid and reversible impairments of short- and long-term social recognition memory are caused by acute isolation of adult rats via distinct mechanisms.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hadar Shahar-Gold

    Full Text Available Mammalian social organizations require the ability to recognize and remember individual conspecifics. This social recognition memory (SRM can be examined in rodents using their innate tendency to investigate novel conspecifics more persistently than familiar ones. Here we used the SRM paradigm to examine the influence of housing conditions on the social memory of adult rats. We found that acute social isolation caused within few days a significant impairment in acquisition of short-term SRM of male and female rats. Moreover, SRM consolidation into long-term memory was blocked following only one day of social isolation. Both impairments were reversible, but with different time courses. Furthermore, only the impairment in SRM consolidation was reversed by systemic administration of arginine-vasopressin (AVP. In contrast to SRM, object recognition memory was not affected by social isolation. We conclude that acute social isolation rapidly induces reversible changes in the brain neuronal and molecular mechanisms underlying SRM, which hamper its acquisition and completely block its consolidation. These changes occur via distinct, AVP sensitive and insensitive mechanisms. Thus, acute social isolation of rats swiftly causes changes in their brain and interferes with their normal social behavior.

  20. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene

    OpenAIRE

    Pullan, Nikki; Liu, Max; Topham, Paul D.

    2013-01-01

    Controlled polymerization of 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene using reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization has been demonstrated for the first time. 2-Chloro-1,3-butadiene, more commonly known as chloroprene, has significant industrial relevance as a crosslinked rubber, with uses ranging from adhesives to integral automotive components. However, problems surrounding the inherent toxicity of the lifecycle of the thiourea-vulcanized rubber have led to the need for control ...

  1. Compound nucleus studies withy reverse kinematics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moretto, L.G.

    1985-06-01

    Reverse kinematics reactions are used to demonstrate the compound nucleus origin of intermediate mass particles at low energies and the extension of the same mechanism at higher energies. No evidence has appeared in our energy range for liquid-vapor equilibrium or cold fragmentation mechanisms. 11 refs., 12 figs

  2. Reversal learning as a measure of impulsive and compulsive behavior in addictions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izquierdo, Alicia; Jentsch, J David

    2012-01-01

    Our ability to measure the cognitive components of complex decision-making across species has greatly facilitated our understanding of its neurobiological mechanisms. One task in particular, reversal learning, has proven valuable in assessing the inhibitory processes that are central to executive control. Reversal learning measures the ability to actively suppress reward-related responding and to disengage from ongoing behavior, phenomena that are biologically and descriptively related to impulsivity and compulsivity. Consequently, reversal learning could index vulnerability for disorders characterized by impulsivity such as proclivity for initial substance abuse as well as the compulsive aspects of dependence. Though we describe common variants and similar tasks, we pay particular attention to discrimination reversal learning, its supporting neural circuitry, neuropharmacology and genetic determinants. We also review the utility of this task in measuring impulsivity and compulsivity in addictions. We restrict our review to instrumental, reward-related reversal learning studies as they are most germane to addiction. The research reviewed here suggests that discrimination reversal learning may be used as a diagnostic tool for investigating the neural mechanisms that mediate impulsive and compulsive aspects of pathological reward-seeking and -taking behaviors. Two interrelated mechanisms are posited for the neuroadaptations in addiction that often translate to poor reversal learning: frontocorticostriatal circuitry dysregulation and poor dopamine (D2 receptor) modulation of this circuitry. These data suggest new approaches to targeting inhibitory control mechanisms in addictions.

  3. Minimising reversion, using seawater and magnesium chloride, caused by the dissolution of tricalcium aluminate hexahydrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, Sara J; Frost, Ray L; Smith, Matthew K

    2011-01-15

    The increase in pH and aluminium concentration after the neutralisation of bauxite refinery residues is commonly known as reversion. This investigation reports the extent of reversion in synthetic supernatant liquor and possible methods to reduce reversion. This work is based on bauxite refinery residues produced from alumina refineries, where reversion is a real life situation in neutralised refinery residues. Tricalcium aluminate hexahydrate, a common phase in bauxite refinery residues, has been found to cause reversion. It has been established that reductions in both pH and aluminium from the seawater neutralisation process are due to the formation of 'Bayer' hydrotalcite Mg(7)Al(2)(OH)(18)(CO(3)(2-),SO(4)(2-))·xH(2)O. This is the primary mechanism involved in the removal of aluminium from solution. Increasing the volume of seawater used for the neutralisation process minimises the extent of reversion for both synthetic supernatant liquor and red mud slurry. The addition of MgCl(2)·6H(2)O also showed a reduction in reversion and confirmed that the decrease in aluminium and hydroxyl ions is due to the formation of Bayer hydrotalcite and not simply a dilution effect. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Application of Ionic Liquids in High Performance Reversed-Phase Chromatography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wentao Bi

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Ionic liquids, considered “green” chemicals, are widely used in many areas of analytical chemistry due to their unique properties. Recently, ionic liquids have been used as a kind of novel additive in separation and combined with silica to synthesize new stationary phase as separation media. This review will focus on the properties and mechanisms of ionic liquids and their potential applications as mobile phase modifier and surface-bonded stationary phase in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC. Ionic liquids demonstrate advantages and potential in chromatographic field.

  5. Scale-up of the Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT Polymerization Using Continuous Flow Processing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nenad Micic

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A controlled radical polymerization process using the Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT approach was scaled up by a factor of 100 from a small laboratory scale of 5 mL to a preparative scale of 500 mL, using batch and continuous flow processing. The batch polymerizations were carried out in a series of different glass vessels, using either magnetic or overhead stirring, and different modes of heating: Microwave irradiation or conductive heating in an oil bath. The continuous process was conducted in a prototype tubular flow reactor, consisting of 6 mm ID stainless steel tubing, fitted with static mixers. Both reactor types were tested for polymerizations of the acid functional monomers acrylic acid and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonic acid in water at 80 °C with reaction times of 30 to 40 min. By monitoring the temperature during the exothermic polymerization process, it was observed that the type and size of reactor had a significant influence on the temperature profile of the reaction.

  6. Reversibility of female sterilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegler, A M; Hulka, J; Peretz, A

    1985-04-01

    results of SR according to the original sterilization procedure. The most commonly performed sterilization (Pomeroy) was the most frequently reported to have undergone a reversal attempt, with a 50% success rate based on term or intrauterine pregnancies. Electrocoagulation was the next most frequent technique for reversal, with a 41% success rate. The less destrictive mechanical tehcniques, clip and band, had a reversal rate of 84% and 72%, respectively. A table summarizes sterilization procedures devised for reversibility in women. A women seeking sterilization should be advised that sterilization is permanent if no further tubal surgery is performed and that reversal is possible but involves a major and expensive operation.

  7. The Reverse Supply Chain: Configuration, Integration and Profitability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gobbi, Chiara

    2008-01-01

    This thesis presents the results of a qualitative investigation that has been conducted in order to enhance knowledge of the reverse supply chain management field. Two aspects of the reverse flow need to be taken into consideration: the importance of introducing mechanisms that promote the circui......This thesis presents the results of a qualitative investigation that has been conducted in order to enhance knowledge of the reverse supply chain management field. Two aspects of the reverse flow need to be taken into consideration: the importance of introducing mechanisms that promote...... the circuitry of resources in order to protect the environment, and the increasing awareness that if strategically managed, the reverse chain represents an opportunity for profit generation and for improving the competitive position of a firm. In the first case, the main stakeholders are represented...... within the 27 Member States, reaching approximately 14-24 Kg. per inhabitant in Western Europe and the 6-12 Kg. per inhabitant in the New Member States. In the second case, the main stakeholder is the firm, the producer that has the possibility of exploring new opportunities to achieve a competitive...

  8. Reverse logistics: A review of case studies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brito, de M.P.; Dekker, Rommert; Flapper, S.D.P.; Fleischmann, B.; Klose, A.

    2004-01-01

    This paper gives an overview of scientific literature that describes and discusses cases of reverse logistics activities in practice. Over sixty case studies are considered. Based on these studies we are able to indicate critical factors for the practice of reverse logistics. In addition we compare

  9. Effects of Bi Addition on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Nanocrystalline Ag Coatings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuxin Wang

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available In this study we investigated the effects of Bi addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ag coating. Microstructural features were investigated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM. The results indicate that the addition of Bi introduced nanometer-scale Ag-Bi solid solution particles and more internal defects to the initial Ag microstructures. The anisotropic elastic-plastic properties of the Ag nanocrystalline coating with and without Bi addition were examined with nanoindentation experiments in conjunction with the recently-developed inverse method. The results indicate that the as-deposited nanocrystalline Ag coating contained high mechanical anisotropy. With the addition of 1 atomic percent (at% Bi, the anisotropy within Ag-Bi coating was very small, and yield strength of the nanocrystalline Ag-Bi alloy in both longitudinal and transverse directions were improved by over 100% compared to that of Ag. On the other hand, the strain-hardening exponent of Ag-Bi was reduced to 0.055 from the original 0.16 of the Ag coating. Furthermore, the addition of Bi only slightly increased the electrical resistivity of the Ag-Bi coating in comparison to Ag. Results of our study indicate that Bi addition is a promising method for improving the mechanical and physical performances of Ag coating for electrical contacts.

  10. Replication-dependent 65R→K reversion in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase double mutant K65R + L74V

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, Prem L.; Nurpeisov, Viktoria; Lee, Kimberly; Skaggs, Sara; Di San Filippo, Christina Amat; Schinazi, Raymond F.

    2004-01-01

    Understanding of the mechanisms of interaction among nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)-selected mutations in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) coding sequence is essential for the design of newer drugs and for enhancing our vision of the structure function relationship among amino acids of the polymerase domain of HIV-1. Although several nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors select RT mutations K65R and L74V, the combination of 65R + 74V is rare in clinics. A novel NRTI (-)-β-D-dioxolane-guanosine (DXG) is known to select in vitro either the 65R or 74V mutant virus (Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 44 (2000) 1783). These mutations were not selected together during repeated passaging of the HIV-1 in the presence of this drug. To analyze the impact of these RT mutations on viral replication, a double mutant containing K65R + L74V was created by site-directed mutagenesis in a pNL4-3 background. Replication kinetic assays revealed that the mutant K65R + L74V is unstable, and 65R→K reversion occurs during replication of virus in phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear (PBM) cells in the absence of selection pressure. Replication kinetic assays in MT-2 cells demonstrated that double mutant 65R + 74V is highly attenuated for replication and the initiation of reversion is related to the increase in RT activity. Additionally, the suppression of viral replication in the presence of DXG or under suboptimal human recombinant interleukin-2 leads to minimal or no 65R→K reversion. These observations provide evidence that 65R→K reversion in the double mutant 65R + 74V is dependent on a specific rate of viral replication in a pNL4-3 background. A similar phenomenon may occur in vivo, which may have implications for treatment management strategies

  11. Effect of Graphene Addition on Mechanical Properties of TiN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shon, In-Jin; Yoon, Jin-Kook; Hong, Kyung-Tae

    2017-01-01

    Despite of many attractive properties of TiN, the current concern about the TiN focuses on its low fracture toughness below the ductile-brittle transition temperature. To improve its mechanical properties, the approach generally utilized has been the addition of a second phase to form composites and to make nanostructured materials. In this respect, highly dense nanostructured TiN and TiN-graphene composites were obtained within two min at 1250 ℃. The grain size of TiN was reduced remarkably by the addition of graphene. The addition of graphene to TiN simultaneously improved the fracture toughness and hardness of TiN-graphene composite due to refinement of TiN and deterring crack propagation by graphene. This study demonstrates that the graphene can be an effective reinforcing agent for improved hardness and fracture toughness of TiN composites.

  12. Effect of Graphene Addition on Mechanical Properties of TiN

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shon, In-Jin [Chonbuk National University, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Jin-Kook; Hong, Kyung-Tae [Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-03-15

    Despite of many attractive properties of TiN, the current concern about the TiN focuses on its low fracture toughness below the ductile-brittle transition temperature. To improve its mechanical properties, the approach generally utilized has been the addition of a second phase to form composites and to make nanostructured materials. In this respect, highly dense nanostructured TiN and TiN-graphene composites were obtained within two min at 1250 ℃. The grain size of TiN was reduced remarkably by the addition of graphene. The addition of graphene to TiN simultaneously improved the fracture toughness and hardness of TiN-graphene composite due to refinement of TiN and deterring crack propagation by graphene. This study demonstrates that the graphene can be an effective reinforcing agent for improved hardness and fracture toughness of TiN composites.

  13. Magnetization reversal modes in fourfold Co nano-wire systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blachowicz, T; Ehrmann, A

    2015-01-01

    Magnetic nano-wire systems are, as well as other patterned magnetic structures, of special interest for novel applications, such as magnetic storage media. In these systems, the coupling between neighbouring magnetic units is most important for the magnetization reversal process of the complete system, leading to a variety of magnetization reversal mechanisms. This article examines the influence of the magnetic material on hysteresis loop shape, coercive field, and magnetization reversal modes. While iron nano-wire systems exhibit flat or one-step hysteresis loops, systems consisting of cobalt nano-wires show hysteresis loops with several longitudinal steps and transverse peaks, correlated to a rich spectrum of magnetization reversal mechanisms. We show that changing the material parameters while the system geometry stays identical can lead to completely different hysteresis loops and reversal modes. Thus, especially for finding magnetic nano-systems which can be used as quaternary or even higher-order storage devices, it is rational to test several materials for the planned systems. Apparently, new materials may lead to novel and unexpected behaviour - and can thus result in novel functionalities. (paper)

  14. Magnetization reversal modes in fourfold Co nano-wire systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blachowicz, T.; Ehrmann, A.

    2015-09-01

    Magnetic nano-wire systems are, as well as other patterned magnetic structures, of special interest for novel applications, such as magnetic storage media. In these systems, the coupling between neighbouring magnetic units is most important for the magnetization reversal process of the complete system, leading to a variety of magnetization reversal mechanisms. This article examines the influence of the magnetic material on hysteresis loop shape, coercive field, and magnetization reversal modes. While iron nano-wire systems exhibit flat or one-step hysteresis loops, systems consisting of cobalt nano-wires show hysteresis loops with several longitudinal steps and transverse peaks, correlated to a rich spectrum of magnetization reversal mechanisms. We show that changing the material parameters while the system geometry stays identical can lead to completely different hysteresis loops and reversal modes. Thus, especially for finding magnetic nano-systems which can be used as quaternary or even higher-order storage devices, it is rational to test several materials for the planned systems. Apparently, new materials may lead to novel and unexpected behaviour - and can thus result in novel functionalities.

  15. Reverse Genetics Approaches for the Development of Influenza Vaccines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nogales, Aitor; Martínez-Sobrido, Luis

    2016-01-01

    Influenza viruses cause annual seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics of human respiratory disease. Influenza virus infections represent a serious public health and economic problem, which are most effectively prevented through vaccination. However, influenza viruses undergo continual antigenic variation, which requires either the annual reformulation of seasonal influenza vaccines or the rapid generation of vaccines against potential pandemic virus strains. The segmented nature of influenza virus allows for the reassortment between two or more viruses within a co-infected cell, and this characteristic has also been harnessed in the laboratory to generate reassortant viruses for their use as either inactivated or live-attenuated influenza vaccines. With the implementation of plasmid-based reverse genetics techniques, it is now possible to engineer recombinant influenza viruses entirely from full-length complementary DNA copies of the viral genome by transfection of susceptible cells. These reverse genetics systems have provided investigators with novel and powerful approaches to answer important questions about the biology of influenza viruses, including the function of viral proteins, their interaction with cellular host factors and the mechanisms of influenza virus transmission and pathogenesis. In addition, reverse genetics techniques have allowed the generation of recombinant influenza viruses, providing a powerful technology to develop both inactivated and live-attenuated influenza vaccines. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge of state-of-the-art, plasmid-based, influenza reverse genetics approaches and their implementation to provide rapid, convenient, safe and more effective influenza inactivated or live-attenuated vaccines. PMID:28025504

  16. Observation austenite memory and significant enhancement of tensile properties during cyclic reverse martensite transformation in a Fe-Ni-C TRIP steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alaei, Aida; Jafarian, Hamidreza, E-mail: jafarian@iust.ac.ir; Eivani, Ali Reza

    2016-10-31

    In this study, the influence of reverse martensite transformation (reverse transformation) on microstructure development and mechanical properties of Fe-24Ni-0.3C metastable austenitic TRIP steel was investigated. Microstructural characterization by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) system proved that large amount of low angle boundaries appeared after 1-cycle of reverse transformation (γ→α→γ). It is also found that the 1-cycle reversely transformed austenite and original austenite exhibited similar shape, size and orientations indicating that austenite memory appeared during reverse transformation. By increasing the number of reverse transformation cycle, fraction of low angle boundaries significantly increased. Uniaxial tensile test exhibited that yield and ultimate tensile strengths significantly improved even by 1-cycle reverse transformation comparing to the starting material. In addition, further continuation of reverse transformation up to 5- or 7-cycle causes gradual increase in yield and ultimate tensile strengths as well. The significant improvement in yield strength should be originated from increasing the dislocation density that are introduced during reverse transformation.

  17. Graphene/phase change material nanocomposites: light-driven, reversible electrical resistivity regulation via form-stable phase transitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yunming; Mi, Hongyi; Zheng, Qifeng; Ma, Zhenqiang; Gong, Shaoqin

    2015-02-04

    Innovative photoresponsive materials are needed to address the complexity of optical control systems. Here, we report a new type of photoresponsive nanomaterial composed of graphene and a form-stable phase change material (PCM) that exhibited a 3 orders of magnitude change in electrical resistivity upon light illumination while retaining its overall original solid form at the macroscopic level. This dramatic change in electrical resistivity also occurred reversibly through the on/off control of light illumination. This was attributed to the reversible phase transition (i.e., melting/recrystallization) behavior of the microscopic crystalline domains present in the form-stable PCM. The reversible phase transition observed in the graphene/PCM nanocomposite was induced by a reversible temperature change through the on/off control of light illumination because graphene can effectively absorb light energy and convert it to thermal energy. In addition, this graphene/PCM nanocomposite also possessed excellent mechanical properties. Such photoresponsive materials have many potential applications, including flexible electronics.

  18. Supramolecular Cross-Links in Poly(alkyl methacrylate) Copolymers and Their Impact on the Mechanical and Reversible Adhesive Properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heinzmann, Christian; Salz, Ulrich; Moszner, Norbert; Fiore, Gina L; Weder, Christoph

    2015-06-24

    Hydrogen-bonded, side-chain-functionalized supramolecular poly(alkyl methacrylate)s were investigated as light- and temperature-responsive reversible adhesives that are useful for bonding and debonding on demand applications. Here, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) was functionalized with 2-ureido-4[1H]pyrimidinone (UPy) via a hexamethylenediisocyanate (HMDI) linker, to create a monomer (UPy-HMDI-HEMA) that serves to form supramolecular cross-links by way of forming quadruple hydrogen bonded dimers. UPy-HMDI-HEMA was copolymerized with either hexyl methacrylate or butyl methacrylate to create copolymers comprising 2.5, 5, or 10 mol % of the cross-linker. The mechanical properties of all (co)polymers were investigated with stress-strain experiments and dynamic mechanical analysis. Furthermore, the adhesive properties were studied at temperatures between 20 and 60 °C by testing single lap joints formed with stainless steel substrates. It was found that increasing the concentration of the UPy-HMDI-HEMA cross-linker leads to improved mechanical and adhesive properties at elevated temperatures. Concurrently, the reversibility of the bond formation remained unaffected, where rebonded samples displayed the same adhesive strength as regularly bonded samples. Debonding on demand abilities were also tested exemplarily for one copolymer, which for light-induced debonding experiments was blended with a UV-absorber that served as light-heat converter. Single lap joints were subjected to a constant force and heated or irradiated with UV light until debonding occurred. The necessary debonding temperature was comparable for direct heating and UV irradiation and varied between 28 and 82 °C, depending on the applied force. The latter also influenced the debonding time, which under the chosen conditions ranged from 30 s to 12 min.

  19. Ice ages and geomagnetic reversals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Patrick

    1992-01-01

    There have been speculations on the relationship between climatic cooling and polarity reversals of the earth's magnetic field during the Pleistocene. Two of the common criticisms on this relationship have been the reality of these short duration geomagnetic events and the accuracy of their dates. Champion et al. (1988) have reviewed recent progress in this area. They identified a total of 10 short-duration polarity events in the last 1 Ma and 6 of these events have been found in volcanic rocks, which also have K-Ar dates. Supposing that the speculated relationship between climatic cooling and geomagnetic reversals actually exist, two mechanisms that assume climatic cooling causes short period magnetic reversals will be investigated. These two methods are core-mantle boundary topography and transfer of the rotational energy to the core.

  20. Improving Student Understanding of Addition of Angular Momentum in Quantum Mechanics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Guangtian; Singh, Chandralekha

    2013-01-01

    We describe the difficulties advanced undergraduate and graduate students have with concepts related to addition of angular momentum in quantum mechanics. We also describe the development and implementation of a research-based learning tool, Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT), to reduce these difficulties. The preliminary evaluation…

  1. Seasonal reversal at Miryang Eoreumgol (Ice Valley), Korea: observation and monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byun, Hi-Ryong; Tanaka, Hiroshi L.; Choi, Pom-Yong; Kim, Do-Woo

    2011-12-01

    We investigate an anomalous phenomenon evident in the Miryang Eoreumgol (Ice Valley), Korea: The wind and water are cold during summer and warm during winter, and ice formation does not occur in winter but in summer. We have initiated observations and investigations into the origin of heat sources particularly with regard to the mechanism of ice formation in summer. Previous theories, e.g., concerning underground gravity currents, water evaporation, diurnal and seasonal respirations of the talus, effects of ground heat, radiation and topography, etc., are considered. After a calculation of heat sources, we propose two new concepts—a repetitious heat separation mechanism and a positive feedback mechanism of cold air generation—to demonstrate that the heat mechanism of the seasonal reversal of the ice valley may be controlled by the use of the phase change between ice and water vapor with only a small amount of additional unknown energy.

  2. Bioinspired Cellular Structures: Additive Manufacturing and Mechanical Properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stampfl, J.; Pettermann, H. E.; Liska, R.

    Biological materials (e.g., wood, trabecular bone, marine skeletons) rely heavily on the use of cellular architecture, which provides several advantages. (1) The resulting structures can bear the variety of "real life" load spectra using a minimum of a given bulk material, featuring engineering lightweight design principles. (2) The inside of the structures is accessible to body fluids which deliver the required nutrients. (3) Furthermore, cellular architectures can grow organically by adding or removing individual struts or by changing the shape of the constituting elements. All these facts make the use of cellular architectures a reasonable choice for nature. Using additive manufacturing technologies (AMT), it is now possible to fabricate such structures for applications in engineering and biomedicine. In this chapter, we present methods that allow the 3D computational analysis of the mechanical properties of cellular structures with open porosity. Various different cellular architectures including disorder are studied. In order to quantify the influence of architecture, the apparent density is always kept constant. Furthermore, it is shown that how new advanced photopolymers can be used to tailor the mechanical and functional properties of the fabricated structures.

  3. Alcohol consumption stimulates early stemps in reverse cholesterol transport

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gaag, van der M.S.; Tol, van A.; Vermunt, S.H.F.; Scheek, L.M.; Schaafsma, G.; Hendriks, H.F.J.

    2001-01-01

    Alcohol consumption is associated with increased HDL cholesterol levels, which may indicate stimulated reverse cholesterol transport. The mechanism is, however, not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of alcohol consumption on the first two steps of the reverse cholesterol

  4. Alcohol consumption stimulates early steps in reverse cholesterol transport

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gaag, M.S. van der; Tol, A. van; Vermunt, S.H.F.; Scheek, L.M.; Schaafsma, G.; Hendriks, H.F.J.

    2001-01-01

    Alcohol consumption is associated with increased HDL cholesterol levels, which may indicate stimulated reverse cholesterol transport. The mechanism is, however, not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of alcohol consumption on the first two steps of the reverse cholesterol

  5. The physics of reversed-field pinch profile sustainment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moses, R.W.

    1985-01-01

    A description of the Reversed-Field Pinch (RFP) is given. There is experimental evidence that indicates that an RFP dynamo effect sustains field reversal in steady state. Three sustainment mechanisms are reviewed: the MHD model, the tangled discharge model, and the kinetic dynamo model. The relationship of these models to each another is discussed briefly

  6. Two-photon fluorescent polysiloxane-based films with thermally responsive self switching properties achieved by a unique reversible spirocyclization mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuo, Yujing; Yang, Tingxin; Zhang, Yu; Gou, Zhiming; Tian, Minggang; Kong, Xiuqi; Lin, Weiying

    2018-03-14

    Responsiveness and reversibility are present in nature, and are ubiquitous in biological systems. The realization of reversibility and responsiveness is of great importance in the development of properties and the design of new materials. However, two-photon fluorescent thermal-responsive materials have not been reported to date. Herein, we engineered thermally responsive polysiloxane materials ( Dns-non ) that exhibited unique two-photon luminescence, and this is the first report about thermally responsive luminescent materials with two-photon fluorescence. The fluorescence of Dns-non could switch from the "on" to "off" state through a facile heating and cooling process, which could be observed by the naked eye. Monitoring the temperature of the CPU in situ was achieved by easily coating D1-non onto the CPU surface, which verified the potential application in devices of Dns-non . A unique alkaline tuned reversible transition mechanism of rhodamine-B from its spirocyclic to its ring-open state was proposed. Furthermore, Dns-non appeared to be a useful cell adhesive for the culture of cells on the surface. We believe that the constructed thermally responsive silicon films which have promising utilization as a new type of functional fluorescent material, may show broad applications in materials chemistry or bioscience.

  7. Nature of unstable insertional mutations and reversions at the cut locus of Drosophila melanogaster: Molecular mechanism for transpositional memory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizrokhi, L.Yu.; Georgieva, S.G.; Obolenkova, L.A.; Priimyagi, A.F.; Gerasimova, T.I.; Il'in, Yu.V.

    1988-01-01

    A segment of the cut locus containing an mdg4 insertion as a result of ct MR and ct MRp10 mutations was cloned. Clones were obtained for the phenotypically different ct MR2 and ct MRpN10 mutants and for stable and unstable revertants. All mutations studied are associated with mdg4 insertion at an identical nucleotide sequence of the cut locus, the same site at which mdg4 is inserted at the ct 6 allele. The ct MRpN line differs from ct MR2 in that the mobile element jockey (3 kbp) is inserted in mdg4. Jockey is represented by about 1,000 copies per genome; it is homogeneous and lacks long terminal repeats (LTRs). In stable ct + reversions, mdg4 is completely excised. In unstable ct + reversions, in which there is a high degree of reverse directed transposition of mdg4 to the cut locus, an LTR of mdg4 is preserved at the site of the mutation. It is a sequence along which new copies of mdg4 or jockey-containing mdg4 are inserted into the genome. The authors discuss a molecular mechanism for transpositional memory involving homologous recombination of the remnant LTR and circular extrachromosomal copies of mdg4

  8. Time reversibility, computer simulation, algorithms, chaos

    CERN Document Server

    Hoover, William Graham

    2012-01-01

    A small army of physicists, chemists, mathematicians, and engineers has joined forces to attack a classic problem, the "reversibility paradox", with modern tools. This book describes their work from the perspective of computer simulation, emphasizing the author's approach to the problem of understanding the compatibility, and even inevitability, of the irreversible second law of thermodynamics with an underlying time-reversible mechanics. Computer simulation has made it possible to probe reversibility from a variety of directions and "chaos theory" or "nonlinear dynamics" has supplied a useful vocabulary and a set of concepts, which allow a fuller explanation of irreversibility than that available to Boltzmann or to Green, Kubo and Onsager. Clear illustration of concepts is emphasized throughout, and reinforced with a glossary of technical terms from the specialized fields which have been combined here to focus on a common theme. The book begins with a discussion, contrasting the idealized reversibility of ba...

  9. Mechanism and kinetics of dithiobenzoate-mediated RAFT polymerization. I. The current situation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Barner-Kowollik, C.; Buback, M.; Charleux, B.; Coote, M.L.; Drache, M.; Fukuda, T.; Goto, A.; Klumperman, B.; Lowe, A.B.; McLeary, J.B.; Moad, G.; Monteiro, M.J.; Sanderson, R.D.; Tonge, M.P.; Vana, P.

    2006-01-01

    Investigations into the kinetics and mechanism of dithiobenzoate-mediated Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) polymerizations, which exhibit nonideal kinetic behavior, such as induction periods and rate retardation, are comprehensively reviewed. The appreciable uncertainty in the

  10. Magnetotransport and magnetization reversal of electrodeposited multilayer nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Xueti

    2007-12-01

    Electrodeposited magnetic multilayer nanowires are ideal materials to study nanoscale magnetism and the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in the current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) geometry. This is because the diameter of each nanowire is uniform, the surface of the nanowire is smooth, and the thickness of both the magnetic and non-magnetic layers can be varied to either larger or smaller than the spin diffusion length which is an important parameter in magnetotransport study. In addition, the aspect ratio (layer-thickness/diameter) that is related to shape anisotropy can be varied for magnetization reversal study. There has been little understanding in the magnetization reversal mechanism of multilayer nanowires, which is complicated due to the dipolar interactions between magnetic layers in each nanowire and between nanowires. The objective of this work is to study the magnetization reversal mechanism of multilayer nanowires using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), where various dipolar interactions are taken into account. Although multilayer nanowires are ideal for the study of the CPP-GMR effect, there remains technical difficulty in making an electrical contact with individual nanowires for the CPP-GMR measurements. In this work, a point-contact method using a conductive plunger tip was developed in-house, that enabled us to measure the CPP-GMR of selected multilayer nanowires in an array of vertically aligned nanowires in each sample. To examine the CPP-GMR and compare the results with theoretical models, the CPP-GMR data were systematically obtained from samples with various magnetic and non-magnetic layer thicknesses. It was found from VSM measurement that the magnetization reversal mode in electrodeposited CoNi/Cu multilayer nanowires depends on the shape and thickness of the CoNi layers where the mode in rod-shaped thick CoNi layers is different from that in disk-shaped thin CoNi layers. The reversal mode in coherent rotation or curling was determined

  11. Elastic least-squares reverse time migration

    KAUST Repository

    Feng, Zongcai; Schuster, Gerard T.

    2016-01-01

    Elastic least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) is used to invert synthetic particle-velocity data and crosswell pressure field data. The migration images consist of both the P- and Svelocity perturbation images. Numerical tests on synthetic and field data illustrate the advantages of elastic LSRTM over elastic reverse time migration (RTM). In addition, elastic LSRTM images are better focused and have better reflector continuity than do the acoustic LSRTM images.

  12. Elastic least-squares reverse time migration

    KAUST Repository

    Feng, Zongcai

    2016-09-06

    Elastic least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) is used to invert synthetic particle-velocity data and crosswell pressure field data. The migration images consist of both the P- and Svelocity perturbation images. Numerical tests on synthetic and field data illustrate the advantages of elastic LSRTM over elastic reverse time migration (RTM). In addition, elastic LSRTM images are better focused and have better reflector continuity than do the acoustic LSRTM images.

  13. Effect of V or Zr addition on the mechanical properties of the mechanically alloyed Al-8wt%Ti alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moon, I.H.; Lee, J.H.; Lee, K.M.; Kim, Y.D.

    1995-01-01

    Mechanical alloying (MA) of Al-Ti alloy, being a solid state process, offers the unique advantage of producing homogeneous and fine dispersions of thermally stable Al 3 Ti phase, where the formation of the fine Al 3 Ti phase by the other method is restricted from the thermodynamic viewpoint. The MA Al-Ti alloys show substantially higher strength than the conventional Al alloys at the elevated temperature due to the presence of Al 3 Ti as well as Al 4 C 3 and Al 2 O 3 , of which the last two phases were introduced during MA process. The addition of V or Zr to Al-Ti alloy was known to decrease the lattice mismatch between the intermetallic compound and the aluminum matrix, and such decrease in lattice mismatching can influence positively the high temperature mechanical strength of the MA Al-Ti by increasing the resistance to dispersoid coarsening at the elevated temperature. In the present study, therefore, the mechanical behavior of the MA Al-Ti-V and Al-Ti-Zr alloys were investigated in order to evaluate the effect of V or Zr addition on the mechanical properties of the MA Al-8Ti alloy at high temperature

  14. Proteome and Transcriptome Analysis of Ovary, Intersex Gonads, and Testis Reveals Potential Key Sex Reversal/Differentiation Genes and Mechanism in Scallop Chlamys nobilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Yu; Liu, Wenguang; He, Maoxian

    2018-04-01

    Bivalve mollusks exhibit hermaphroditism and sex reversal/differentiation. Studies generally focus on transcriptional profiling and specific genes related to sex determination and differentiation. Few studies on sex reversal/differentiation have been reported. A combination analysis of gonad proteomics and transcriptomics was conducted on Chlamys nobilis to provide a systematic understanding of sex reversal/differentiation in bivalves. We obtained 4258 unique peptides and 93,731 unigenes with good correlation between messenger RNA and protein levels. Candidate genes in sex reversal/differentiation were found: 15 genes differentially expressed between sexes were identified and 12 had obvious sexual functions. Three novel genes (foxl2, β-catenin, and sry) were expressed highly in intersex individuals and were likely involved in the control of gonadal sex in C. nobilis. High expression of foxl2 or β-catenin may inhibit sry and activate 5-HT receptor and vitellogenin to maintain female development. High expression of sry may inhibit foxl2 and β-catenin and activate dmrt2, fem-1, sfp2, sa6, Amy-1, APCP4, and PLK to maintain male function. High expression of sry, foxl2, and β-catenin in C. nobilis may be involved in promoting and maintaining sex reversal/differentiation. The downstream regulator may not be dimorphic expressed genes, but genes expressed in intersex individuals, males and females. Different expression patterns of sex-related genes and gonadal histological characteristics suggested that C. nobilis may change its sex from male to female. These findings suggest highly conserved sex reversal/differentiation with diverged regulatory pathways during C. nobilis evolution. This study provides valuable genetic resources for understanding sex reversal/differentiation (intersex) mechanisms and pathways underlying bivalve reproductive regulation.

  15. Mechanical behavior of polymer-matrix biocomposites modified by nano/micro additives

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Suchý, Tomáš; Balík, Karel; Sucharda, Zbyněk; Černý, Martin; Sochor, M.

    -, 77-78 (2008), s. 8-10 ISSN 1429-7248. [Conference Biomaterials in Medicine and Veterinary Medicine /18./. Rytro, 13.11.2008-16.11.2008] R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA106/06/1576 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30460519 Keywords : additives * calcium phosphates * mechanical properties Subject RIV: JI - Composite Materials

  16. Modelling the role of intrinsic electric fields in microtubules as an additional control mechanism of bi-directional intracellular transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sataric, M V; Budinski-Petkovic, L; Loncarevic, I; Tuszynski, J A

    2008-01-01

    Active transport is essential for cellular function, while impaired transport has been linked to diseases such as neuronal degeneration. Much long distance transport in cells uses opposite polarity molecular motors of the kinesin and dynein families to move cargos along microtubules. It is clear that many types of cargo are moved by both sets of motors, and frequently in a reverse direction. The general question of how the direction of transport is regulated is still open. The mechanism of the cell's differential control of diverse cargos within the same cytoplasmic background is still unclear as is the answer to the question how endosomes and mitochondria move to different locations within the same cell. To answer these questions we postulate the existence of a local signaling mechanism used by the cell to specifically control different cargos. In particular, we propose an additional physical mechanism that works through the use of constant and alternating intrinsic (endogenous) electric fields as a means of controlling the speed and direction of microtubule-based transport. A specific model is proposed and analyzed in this paper. The model involves the rotational degrees of freedom of the C-termini of tubulin, their interactions and the coupling between elastic and dielectric degrees of freedom. Viscosity of the solution is also included and the resultant equation of motion is found as a nonlinear elliptic equation with dissipation. A particular analytical solution of this equation is obtained in the form of a kink whose properties are analyzed. It is concluded that this solution can be modulated by the presence of electric fields and hence may correspond to the observed behavior of motor protein transport along microtubules.

  17. Detailed Jaramillo field reversals recorded in lake sediments from Armenia - Lower mantle influence on the magnetic field revisited

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirscher, U.; Winklhofer, M.; Hackl, M.; Bachtadse, V.

    2018-02-01

    While it is well established that the Earth's magnetic field is generated by a self sustaining dynamo that reversed its polarity at irregular intervals in the geological past, the very mechanisms causing field reversals remain obscure. Paleomagnetic reconstructions of polarity transitions have been essential for physically constraining the underlying mechanisms in terms of time scale, but thus far remain ambiguous with regard to the transitional field geometry. Here we present new paleomagnetic records from a rapidly deposited lacustrine sediment sequence with extraordinarily stable paleomagnetic signals, which has captured in unprecedented detail the bottom (reverse to normal: R-N) and top (normal to reverse: N-R) transitions of the Jaramillo subchron (at 1.072 Ma and at 0.988 Ma). The obtained virtual geomagnetic pole (VGP) path indicates an oscillatory transitional field behavior with four abrupt transequatorial precursory jumps across the Pacific. The distribution of VGP positions indicates regions of preferred occurrence. Our results are in agreement with previously proposed bands of transitional VGP occurrence over the Americas and Australia/northwest Pacific. Additionally, our VGP positions seem to avoid large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) above the core mantle boundary (CMB). Thus, our data supports the idea that the transitional field geometry is controlled by heat flux heterogeneities at the CMB linked to LLSVPs.

  18. Reverse blocking characteristics and mechanisms in Schottky-drain AlGaN/GaN HEMT with a drain field plate and floating field plates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mao Wei; She Wei-Bo; Zhang Jin-Feng; Zheng Xue-Feng; Wang Chong; Hao Yue; Yang Cui

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, a novel AlGaN/GaN HEMT with a Schottky drain and a compound field plate (SD-CFP HEMT) is presented for the purpose of better reverse blocking capability. The compound field plate (CFP) consists of a drain field plate (DFP) and several floating field plates (FFPs). The physical mechanisms of the CFP to improve the reverse breakdown voltage and to modulate the distributions of channel electric field and potential are investigated by two-dimensional numerical simulations with Silvaco-ATLAS. Compared with the HEMT with a Schottky drain (SD HEMT) and the HEMT with a Schottky drain and a DFP (SD-FP HEMT), the superiorities of SD-CFP HEMT lie in the continuous improvement of the reverse breakdown voltage by increasing the number of FFPs and in the same fabrication procedure as the SD-FP HEMT. Two useful optimization laws for the SD-CFP HEMTs are found and extracted from simulation results. The relationship between the number of the FFPs and the reverse breakdown voltage as well as the FP efficiency in SD-CFP HEMTs are discussed. The results in this paper demonstrate a great potential of CFP for enhancing the reverse blocking ability in AlGaN/GaN HEMT and may be of great value and significance in the design and actual manufacture of SD-CFP HEMTs. (paper)

  19. Effect of reinforcement nanoparticles addition on mechanical properties of SBS/curaua fiber composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borba, Patricia M. [Servico Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial (CETEPO/SENAI/RS), Sao Leopoldo, RS (Brazil). Centro Tecnologico de Polimeros; Tedesco, Adriana [Braskem S. A., III Polo Petroquimico, Triunfo, RS (Brazil); Lenz, Denise M., E-mail: denise.lenz@gmail.com [Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), Canoas, RS (Brazil). Programa de Pos-graduacao em Engenharia de Materiais e Processos Sustentaveis

    2014-03-15

    Composites of styrene-butadiene-styrene triblock copolymer (SBS) matrix with curauá fiber and/or a nanoparticulated mineral (montmorillonite clay - MMT) used as reinforcing agents were prepared by melt-mixing. The influence of clay addition on properties like tensile and tear strength, rebound resilience, flex fatigue life, abrasion loss, hardness and water absorption of composites with 5, 10 and 20 wt% of curauá fiber was evaluated in presence of maleic anhydride grafted styrene-(ethylene-co-butylene)-styrene triblock copolymer (MA-g-SEBS) coupling agent. Furthermore, the effect of mineral plasticizer loading on tensile strength of selected composites was investigated. The hybrid SBS composite that showed the best overall mechanical performance was composed by 2 wt% of MMT and 5 wt% of curauá fiber. Increasing fiber content up to 20 wt% resulted in a general decrease in all mechanical properties as well as incorporation of 5 wt% MMT caused a decrease in the tensile strength in all fiber contents. The hybrid composites showed clay agglomerates (tactoids) poorly dispersed that could explain the poor mechanical performance of composites at higher concentrations of curauá fiber and MMT nanoparticles. The addition of plasticizer further decreased the tensile strength while the addition of MMT nanoparticles decreased water absorption for all SBS composites. (author)

  20. SLE local martingales, reversibility and duality

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kytoelae, Kalle; Kemppainen, Antti [Department of Mathematics and Statistics, PO Box 68, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki (Finland)

    2006-11-17

    We study Schramm-Loewner evolutions (SLEs) reversibility and duality using the Virasoro structure of the space of local martingales. For both problems we formulate a setup where the questions boil down to comparing two processes at a stopping time. We state algebraic results showing that local martingales for the processes have enough in common. When one has in addition integrability, the method gives reversibility and duality for any polynomial expected value. (letter to the editor)

  1. SLE local martingales, reversibility and duality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kytoelae, Kalle; Kemppainen, Antti

    2006-01-01

    We study Schramm-Loewner evolutions (SLEs) reversibility and duality using the Virasoro structure of the space of local martingales. For both problems we formulate a setup where the questions boil down to comparing two processes at a stopping time. We state algebraic results showing that local martingales for the processes have enough in common. When one has in addition integrability, the method gives reversibility and duality for any polynomial expected value. (letter to the editor)

  2. Martensite shear phase reversion-induced nanograined/ultrafine-grained Fe-16Cr-10Ni alloy: The effect of interstitial alloying elements and degree of austenite stability on phase reversion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Misra, R.D.K., E-mail: dmisra@louisiana.edu [Center for Structural and Functional Materials, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Madison Hall Room 217, P.O. Box 44130, Lafayette, LA 70504-1430 (United States); Zhang, Z.; Venkatasurya, P.K.C. [Center for Structural and Functional Materials, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Madison Hall Room 217, P.O. Box 44130, Lafayette, LA 70504-1430 (United States); Somani, M.C.; Karjalainen, L.P. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4200, Oulu 90014 (Finland)

    2010-11-15

    Research highlights: {yields} Development of a novel process involving phase-reversion annealing process. {yields} Austensite stability strongly influences development of nanograined structure. {yields} Interstitial elements influence microstructural evolution during annealing. - Abstract: We describe here an electron microscopy study of microstructural evolution associated with martensitic shear phase reversion-induced nanograined/ultrafine-grained (NG/UFG) structure in an experimental Fe-16Cr-10Ni alloy with very low interstitial content. The primary objective is to understand and obtain fundamental insights on the influence of degree of austenite stability (Fe-16Cr-10Ni, 301LN, and 301 have different austenite stability index) and interstitial elements (carbon and nitrogen) in terms of phase reversion process, microstructural evolution during reversion annealing, and temperature-time annealing sequence. A relative comparison of Fe-16Cr-10Ni alloy with 301LN and 301 austenitic stainless steels indicated that phase reversion in Fe-16Cr-10Ni occurred by shear mechanism, which is similar to that observed for 301, but is different from the diffusional mechanism in 301LN steel. While the phase reversion in the experimental Fe-16Cr-10Ni alloy and 301 austenitic stainless steel occurred by shear mechanism, there were fundamental differences between these two alloys. The reversed strain-free austenite grains in Fe-16Cr-10Ni alloy were characterized by nearly same crystallographic orientation, where as in 301 steel there was evidence of break-up of martensite laths during reversion annealing resulting in several regions of misoriented austenite grains in 301 steel. Furthermore, a higher phase reversion annealing temperature range (800-900 deg. C) was required to obtain a fully NG/UFG structure of grain size 200-600 nm. The difference in the phase reversion and the temperature-time sequence in the three stages is explained in terms of Gibbs free energy change that

  3. Mechanical properties of sheet metal components with local reinforcement produced by additive manufacturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ünsal, Ismail; Hama-Saleh, R.; Sviridov, Alexander; Bambach, Markus; Weisheit, A.; Schleifenbaum, J. H.

    2018-05-01

    New technological challenges like electro-mobility pose an increasing demand for cost-efficient processes for the production of product variants. This demand opens the possibility to combine established die-based manufacturing methods and innovative, dieless technologies like additive manufacturing [1, 2]. In this context, additive manufacturing technologies allow for the weight-efficient local reinforcement of parts before and after forming, enabling manufacturers to produce product variants from series parts [3]. Previous work by the authors shows that the optimal shape of the reinforcing structure can be determined using sizing optimization. Sheet metal parts can then be reinforced using laser metal deposition. The material used is a pearlite-reduced, micro-alloyed steel (ZE 630). The aim of this paper is to determine the effect of the additive manufacturing process on the material behavior and the mechanical properties of the base material and the resulting composite material. The parameters of the AM process are optimized to reach similar material properties in the base material and the build-up volume. A metallographic analysis of the parts is presented, where the additive layers, the base material and also the bonding between the additive layers and the base material are analyzed. The paper shows the feasibility of the approach and details the resulting mechanical properties and performance.

  4. [Influences of ion-suppressors on retention behaviors of nine food additives in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic separation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yonggang; Chen, Xiaohong; Li, Xiaoping; Yao, Shanshan; Jin, Micong

    2011-10-01

    The influences of ion-suppressors on retention behaviors of nine food additives, i.e., acesulfame, saccharin, caffeine, aspartame, benzoic acid, sorbic acid, stevioside, dehydroacetic acid and neotame in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) separation were investigated. The organic modification effects of acids, i. e. , trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and buffer salts, i. e. , TFA-ammonium acetate (AmAc) were studied emphatically. The relationships between retention factors of solutes and volume percentages of ion-suppressors in the mobile phase systems of acetonitrile-TFA aqueous solution and acetonitrile-TFA-AmAc aqueous solution were quantitatively established, separately. The separation of nine food additives was completed by a gradient elution with acetonitrile-TFA (0.01%, v/v)-AmAc (2. 5 mmol/L) aqueous solution as the mobile phases. An RP-HPLC method was established for the simultaneous determination of nine food additives in red wine. In the range of 10. 0 - 100. 0 mg/L, nine food additives showed good linearity with the correlation coefficients ( r2 ) larger than 0. 999 1. The limits of detection (LODs) were in the range of 0. 33 - 2. 36 mg/L and the limits of quantification (LOQs) were in the range of 1. 11 - 7. 80 mg/L. The spiked recoveries were between 87. 61% and 108. 4% with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 2. 2% -9. 4%. These results are of referential significance for the rapid establishment and accu- rate optimization of RP-HPLC separation for the simultaneous determination of food additives in other foods.

  5. Vinclozolin exposure in utero induces postpubertal prostatitis and reduces sperm production via a reversible hormone-regulated mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowin, Prue A; Gold, Elspeth; Aleksova, Jasna; O'Bryan, Moira K; Foster, Paul M D; Scott, Hamish S; Risbridger, Gail P

    2010-02-01

    Vinclozolin is an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) that binds with high affinity to the androgen receptor (AR) and blocks the action of gonadal hormones on male reproductive organs. An alternative mechanism of action of Vinclozolin involves transgenerational effects on the male reproductive tract. We previously reported in utero Vinclozolin exposure-induced prostatitis (prostate inflammation) in postpubertal rats concurrent with down-regulation of AR and increased nuclear factor-kappaB activation. We postulated the male reproductive abnormalities induced by in utero Vinclozolin exposure could be reversed by testosterone supplementation, in contrast to the permanent modifications involving DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts) described by others. To test this hypothesis, we administered high-dose testosterone at puberty to Vinclozolin-treated rats and determined the effect on anogenital distance (AGD); testicular germ cell apoptosis, concentration of elongated spermatids, and the onset of prostatitis. Concurrently we examined Dnmt1, -3A, -3B, and -3L mRNA expression. Consistent with previous reports, in utero exposure to Vinclozolin significantly reduced AGD, increased testicular germ cell apoptosis 3-fold, reduced elongated spermatid number by 40%, and induced postpubertal prostatitis in 100% of exposed males. Administration of high-dose testosterone (25 mg/kg) at puberty normalized AGD, reduced germ cell apoptosis, and restored elongated spermatid number. Testosterone restored AR and nuclear factor-kappaB expression in the prostate and abolished Vinclozolin-induced prostatitis. Altered Dnmt expression was evident with in utero Vinclozolin exposure and was not normalized after testosterone treatment. These data demonstrate in utero Vinclozolin-induced male reproductive tract abnormalities are AR mediated and reversible and involve a mechanism independent of Dnmt expression.

  6. Influence of boron addition on the grain refinement and mechanical properties of AZ91 Mg alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suresh, M.; Srinivasan, A.; Ravi, K.R.; Pillai, U.T.S.; Pai, B.C.

    2009-01-01

    This article reports the effect of boron addition on the grain refinement efficiency and mechanical properties of AZ91 magnesium alloy. The results show that the addition of boron in the form of Al-4B master alloy, significantly refines the grain size of AZ91 alloy. This refinement is due to the presence of AlB 2 particles, which act as potential nucleants for Mg grains. Improved mechanical properties are obtained with the addition of boron due to the finer grains.

  7. Magnetic reversal spurts: Rain gauges for comet showers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lutz, T.M.

    1988-01-01

    Abrupt increases in the rate of magnetic reversals (magnetic reversal spurts) were first studied by many others. They hypothesized that spurts result from increased turbulence in the earth's core dynamo during episodes of intense bolide bombardment of the earth. Mechanisms for creating episodes of intense bombardment of the earth involve gravitational perturbation of the Oort cloud of comets, either by a hidden planet, a solar companion, or massive matter in the galactic plane. Herein, the time variation in reversal rate is analyzed using methods of statistical density estimation. A smooth, continuous estimate of reversal rate is obtained using an adaptive kernel method, in which the kernel width is adjusted as a function of reversal rate. The estimates near the ends of the data series (at 165 my ago and the present) are obtained by extending the data by reflection. The results show that the reversal spurts are not associated demonstrably with extinctions or well-dated impacts. If the spurts do record episodes of intense bombardment of the earth, then the mass extinctions do not, in general, occur at times of impacts. Furthermore, the large impact craters seen are not obviously related to the spurts, suggesting that the craters may have been caused by bolides of a different nature and with a different temporal pattern. However, the most simple explanation seems to be that the spurts do not record comet showers, either because the recording mechanism suggested by Muller and Morris is not effective or because comet showers are not triggered in the ways considered by Hut et al

  8. Reversible flowchart languages and the structured reversible program theorem

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yokoyama, Tetsuo; Axelsen, Holger Bock; Glück, Robert

    2008-01-01

    Many irreversible computation models have reversible counterparts, but these are poorly understood at present. We introduce reversible flowcharts with an assertion operator and show that any reversible flowchart can be simulated by a structured reversible flowchart using only three control flow...... operators. Reversible flowcharts are r- Turing-complete, meaning that they can simuluate reversible Turing machines without garbage data. We also demonstrate the injectivization of classical flowcharts into reversible flowcharts. The reversible flowchart computation model provides a theoretical...

  9. Sand transportation and reverse patterns over leeward face of sand dune

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Hong; Dun, Hongchao; Tong, Ding; Huang, Ning

    2017-04-01

    Sand saltation has complex interactions with turbulent flow and dune form. Most models of wind-blown sand consider ideal circumstances such as steady wind velocity and a flat surface, and the bulk of data on wind flow and sand transport over an individual dune has focused mostly on the influence of dune shape or inter-dune space on the wind flow, neglecting the effect of morphology on sand saltation, particularly airflow and sand transportation over the leeward slope. Wind flow structures over the leeward slope of sand dunes have a fundamental influence on the organization of sand dunes. In order to understand sand dune dynamics, lee face airflow and sediment transportation should be paid more attention. Previous field observations could not measure turbulent flow structure well because of the limited observation points and the influence of experiment structure on wind field. In addition, the reverse sand particles over leeward face could not be collected by sand trap in field. Numerous field observations could not measure turbulent flow structure because of the limited observation points and the influence of experimental structures on the wind field. In addition, the reverse transport of sand particles over leeward face could not be collected by sand traps in field. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the turbulent flow structure and sand transport pattern over the leeward slope. A numerical model of sand saltation over slope terrain is constructed, which also considers the coupling effects between air flow and sand particles. The large eddy simulation method is used to model turbulent flow. Sand transport is simulated by tracking the trajectory of each sand particle. The results show that terrain significantly alters the turbulent air flow structure and wind-blown sand movement, especially over the leeward slope. Here, mass flux increases initially and then decreases with height in the reversed flow region in the direction of wind flow, and the mass flux

  10. Cigarette smoking and schizophrenia independently and reversibly altered intrinsic brain activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Huan; Luo, Qi; Du, Wanyi; Li, Xingbao; Zhang, Zhiwei; Yu, Renqiang; Chen, Xiaolu; Meng, Huaqing; Du, Lian

    2018-01-03

    Schizophrenia patients are at high risk for cigarette smoking, but the neurobiological mechanisms of this comorbid association are relatively unknown. Long-term nicotine intake may impact brain that are independently and additively associated with schizophrenia. We investigated whether altered intrinsic brain activity (iBA) related to schizophrenia pathology is also associated with nicotine addiction. Forty-two schizophrenia patients (21 smokers and 21 nonsmokers) and 21 sex- and age-matched healthy nonsmokers underwent task-free functional MRI. Whole brain iBA was measured by the amplitude of spontaneous low frequency fluctuation. Furthermore, correlation analyses between iBA, symptom severity and nicotine addiction severity were performed. We found that prefrontal cortex, right caudate, and right postcentral gyrus were related to both disease and nicotine addiction effects. More importantly, schizophrenia smokers, compared to schizophrenia nonsmokers showed reversed iBA in the above brain regions. In addition, schizophrenia smokers, relative to nonsmokers, altered iBA in the left striatal and motor cortices. The iBA of the right caudate was negatively correlated with symptom severity. The iBA of the right postcentral gyrus negatively correlated with nicotine addiction severity. The striatal and motor cortices could potentially increase the vulnerability of smoking in schizophrenia. More importantly, smoking reversed iBA in the right striatal and prefrontal cortices, consistent with the self-medication theory in schizophrenia. Smoking altered left striatal and motor cortices activity, suggesting that the nicotine addiction effect was independent of disease. These results provide a local property of intrinsic brain activity mechanism that contributes to cigarette smoking and schizophrenia.

  11. Additional mechanisms conferring genetic susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel eCalero

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Familial Alzheimer's disease (AD, mostly associated with early onset, is caused by mutations in three genes (APP, PSEN1 and PSEN2 involved in the production of the amyloid  peptide. In contrast, the molecular mechanisms that trigger the most common late onset sporadic AD remain largely unknown. With the implementation of an increasing number of case-control studies and the upcoming of large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS there is a mounting list of genetic risk factors associated to common genetic variants that have been associated to sporadic AD. Besides APOE, that presents a strong association with the disease (OR~4, the rest of these genes have moderate or low degrees of association, with OR ranging from 0.88 to 1.23. Taking together, these genes may account only for a fraction of the attributable AD risk and therefore, rare variants and epistastic gene interactions should be taken into account in order to get the full picture of the genetic risks associated to AD. Here, we review recent whole-exome studies looking for rare variants, somatic brain mutations with a strong association to the disease, and several studies dealing with epistasis as additional mechanisms conferring genetic susceptibility to AD. Altogether, recent evidence underlines the importance of defining molecular and genetic pathways and networks rather than the contribution of specific genes.

  12. Structure and mechanical properties of TiZr binary alloy after Al addition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang, X.J.; Jing, R.; Liu, C.Y.; Ma, M.Z.; Liu, R.P.

    2013-01-01

    Microstructure and mechanical properties of hot-rolled TiZrAl alloys were studied. The results showed that the microstructure of all alloys mainly consisted of lamellar α phase. The thickness of the lamellar α phase gradually increased with increasing aluminum content. Moreover, large numbers of stacking faults was observed in Ti–25Zr–15Al (at%) alloy. The aluminum addition strongly affected the mechanical properties of the TiZrAl alloys. With increased aluminum contents, the strength increased evidently, whereas, the elongation decreased. Ti–25Zr–15Al (at%) with the highest aluminum contents in all alloys, possessed the highest tensile strength (σ b =1319 MPa), i.e. strengthened by 41% compared with Ti–25Zr (at%) alloy, and still retained the elongation of 5.5%. According to the classical size and/or modulus misfits model, the effect of aluminum addition was significant in TiZr alloys because of the considerable misfits between aluminum and zirconium

  13. Synergistic effects of the safety factor and shear flows on development of internal transport barriers in reversed shear plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, A.K.; Dong, J.Q.; Qu, W.X.; Qiu, X.M.

    2002-01-01

    A new suppression mechanism of turbulent transport, characteristic of the synergism between safety factor and shear flows, is proposed to explain the internal transport barriers (ITBs) observed in neutral-beam-heated tokamak discharges with reversed magnetic shear. It is shown that the evolution of turbulent transport with the strength of the suppression mechanism reproduces the basic features of the formation and development of ITBs observed in experiments. In addition, the present analyses predict the possibility of global ion and electron heat transport barriers

  14. Light-induced reversible expansion of individual gold nanoplates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinsheng Lu

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Light-induced mechanical response of materials has been extensively investigated and widely utilized to convert light energy into mechanical energy directly. The metallic nanomaterials have excellent photothermal properties and show enormous potential in micromechanical actuators, etc. However, the photo-thermo-mechanical properties of individual metallic nanostructures have yet to be well investigated. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a way to realize light-induced reversible expansion of individual gold nanoplates on optical microfibers. The light-induced thermal expansion coefficient is obtained as 21.4 ± 4.6 ∼ 31.5 ± 4.2 μ·K-1 when the light-induced heating temperature of the gold nanoplates is 240 ∼ 490 °C. The photo-thermo-mechanical response time of the gold nanoplates is about 0.3 ± 0.1 s. This insight into the photo-thermo-mechanical properties of the gold nanoplates could deepen the understanding of the light-induced reversible expansion behavior in nanoscale and pave the way for applications based on this piezoelectric-like response, such as light-driven metallic micromotors.

  15. Reverse blocking characteristics and mechanisms in Schottky-drain AlGaN/GaN HEMT with a drain field plate and floating field plates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Mao; Wei-Bo, She; Cui, Yang; Jin-Feng, Zhang; Xue-Feng, Zheng; Chong, Wang; Yue, Hao

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, a novel AlGaN/GaN HEMT with a Schottky drain and a compound field plate (SD-CFP HEMT) is presented for the purpose of better reverse blocking capability. The compound field plate (CFP) consists of a drain field plate (DFP) and several floating field plates (FFPs). The physical mechanisms of the CFP to improve the reverse breakdown voltage and to modulate the distributions of channel electric field and potential are investigated by two-dimensional numerical simulations with Silvaco-ATLAS. Compared with the HEMT with a Schottky drain (SD HEMT) and the HEMT with a Schottky drain and a DFP (SD-FP HEMT), the superiorities of SD-CFP HEMT lie in the continuous improvement of the reverse breakdown voltage by increasing the number of FFPs and in the same fabrication procedure as the SD-FP HEMT. Two useful optimization laws for the SD-CFP HEMTs are found and extracted from simulation results. The relationship between the number of the FFPs and the reverse breakdown voltage as well as the FP efficiency in SD-CFP HEMTs are discussed. The results in this paper demonstrate a great potential of CFP for enhancing the reverse blocking ability in AlGaN/GaN HEMT and may be of great value and significance in the design and actual manufacture of SD-CFP HEMTs. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61204085, 61334002, 61306017, 61474091, 61574112, and 61574110).

  16. Mechanism of Thermal Reversal of the (Fulvalene)tetracarbonyldiruthenium Photoisomerization: Toward Molecular Solar-Thermal Energy Storage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kanai, Y; Srinivasan, V; Meier, S K; Vollhardt, K P; Grossman, J C

    2010-02-18

    In the currently intensifying quest to harness solar energy for the powering of our planet, most efforts are centered around photoinduced generic charge separation, such as in photovoltaics, water splitting, other small molecule activation, and biologically inspired photosynthetic systems. In contrast, direct collection of heat from sunlight has received much less diversified attention, its bulk devoted to the development of concentrating solar thermal power plants, in which mirrors are used to focus the sun beam on an appropriate heat transfer material. An attractive alternative strategy would be to trap solar energy in the form of chemical bonds, ideally through the photoconversion of a suitable molecule to a higher energy isomer, which, in turn, would release the stored energy by thermal reversal. Such a system would encompass the essential elements of a rechargeable heat battery, with its inherent advantages of storage, transportability, and use on demand. The underlying concept has been explored extensively with organic molecules (such as the norbornadiene-quadricyclane cycle), often in the context of developing photoswitches. On the other hand, organometallic complexes have remained relatively obscure in this capacity, despite a number of advantages, including expanded structural tunability and generally favorable electronic absorption regimes. A highly promising organometallic system is the previously reported, robust photo-thermal fulvalene (Fv) diruthenium couple 1 {l_reversible} 2 (Scheme 1). However, although reversible and moderately efficient, lack of a full, detailed atom-scale understanding of its key conversion and storage mechanisms have limited our ability to improve on its performance or identify optimal variants, such as substituents on the Fv, ligands other than CO, and alternative metals. Here we present a theoretical investigation, in conjunction with corroborating experiments, of the mechanism for the heat releasing step of 2 {yields} 1 and

  17. Reverse Algols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, K. C.

    1989-01-01

    Reverse Algols, binary systems with a semidetached configuration in which the more massive component is in contact with the critical equipotential surface, are examined. Observational evidence for reverse Algols is presented and the parameters of seven reverse Algols are listed. The evolution of Algols and reverse Algols is discussed. It is suggested that, because reverse Algols represent the premass-reversal semidetached phase of close binary evolution, the evolutionary time scale between regular and reverse Algols is the ratio of the number of confirmed systems of these two Algol types.

  18. I2 basal stacking fault as a degradation mechanism in reverse gate-biased AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, A. C.; Hart, J. L.; Wen, J. G.; Miller, D. J.; Meyer, D. J.; Taheri, M. L.

    2016-09-01

    Here, we present the observation of a bias-induced, degradation-enhancing defect process in plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy grown reverse gate-biased AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), which is compatible with the current theoretical framework of HEMT degradation. Specifically, we utilize both conventional transmission electron microscopy and aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy to analyze microstructural changes in not only high strained regions in degraded AlGaN/GaN HEMTs but also the extended gate-drain access region. We find a complex defect structure containing an I2 basal stacking fault and offer a potential mechanism for device degradation based on this defect structure. This work supports the reality of multiple failure mechanisms during device operation and identifies a defect potentially involved with device degradation.

  19. On the lubrication mechanism of detonation-synthesis nanodiamond additives in lubricant composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shepelevskii, A. A.; Esina, A. V.; Voznyakovskii, A. P.; Fadin, Yu. A.

    2017-09-01

    The lubrication of detonation-synthesis diamond additives in lubricant composites has been discussed. The mechanism of interaction between nanodiamonds and friction surface has been shown to depend on the applied load. Two models of the lubrication of nanodiamonds and the conditions for their validity have also been proposed.

  20. Early career: Templating of liquid crystal microstructures by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heinen, Jennifer M. (O' Donnell) [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2014-12-31

    This research has shown that the microstructure of self-assembled copolymers can be decoupled from the polymer chemistry. The simplest polymer architecture, linear block copolymers, is valuable for a broad range of applications, including adhesives and coatings, medical devices, electronics and energy storage, because these block copolymers reproducibly self-assemble into microphase separated nanoscale domains. Unfortunately, the self-assembled microstructure is tuned by polymer composition, thus limiting the potential to simultaneously optimize chemical, mechanical, and transport properties for desired applications. To this end, much work was been put into manipulating block copolymer self-assembly independently of polymer composition. These efforts have included the use of additives or solvents to alter polymer chain conformation, the addition of a third monomer to produce ABC triblock terpolymers, architectures with mixed blocks, such as tapered/gradient polymers, and the synthesis of other nonlinear molecular architectures. This work has shown that the microstructures formed by linear ABC terpolymers can be altered by controlling the architecture of the polymer molecules at a constant monomer composition, so that the microstructure is tuned independently from the chemical properties.

  1. Event-related potential responses to perceptual reversals are modulated by working memory load.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Intaitė, Monika; Koivisto, Mika; Castelo-Branco, Miguel

    2014-04-01

    While viewing ambiguous figures, such as the Necker cube, the available perceptual interpretations alternate with one another. The role of higher level mechanisms in such reversals remains unclear. We tested whether perceptual reversals of discontinuously presented Necker cube pairs depend on working memory resources by manipulating cognitive load while recording event-related potentials (ERPs). The ERPs showed early enhancements of negativity, which were obtained in response to the first cube approximately 500 ms before perceived reversals. We found that working memory load influenced reversal-related brain responses in response to the second cube over occipital areas at the 150-300 ms post-stimulus and over central areas at P3 time window (300-500 ms), suggesting that it modulates intermediate visual processes. Interestingly, reversal rates remained unchanged by the working memory load. We propose that perceptual reversals in discontinuous presentation of ambiguous stimuli are governed by an early (well preceding pending reversals) mechanism, while the effects of load on the reversal related ERPs may reflect general top-down influences on visual processing, possibly mediated by the prefrontal cortex. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Elucidating the mechanism of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: a case of transient blindness after central venous catheterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Neal M; Raychev, Radoslav; Kim, Doojin; Liebeskind, David S

    2012-11-01

    Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a condition characterized by reversible symptoms including headache, visual disturbances, focal neurological deficits, altered mentation, and seizures. It has been associated with circumstances that may affect the cerebrovascular system, such as hypertension, eclampsia, and immunosuppression with calcineurin inhibitors. The underlying etiology of PRES has remained unclear; however, cerebrovascular autoregulatory dysfunction, hyperperfusion, and endothelial activation have been implicated. We describe a case of a young patient with lung transplant, who presented with headache, acute binocular blindness, and seizure immediately after infusion of saline through a peripherally inserted central catheter line, which inadvertently terminated cephalad in the left internal jugular vein, near the jugular foramen. Subsequent brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed vasogenic edematous lesions in a pattern consistent with PRES--a diagnosis supported by his constellation of symptoms, history of lung transplantation on tacrolimus immunosuppression, and relative hypertension. This is the first reported case describing the development of PRES after the insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter line. The development of PRES in a typical high-risk patient immediately after cerebral venous outflow obstruction implicates the role of the cerebral venous system and provides potential insight into the mechanism of this disorder that remains of unclear pathogenesis.

  3. Modified Borohydrides for Reversible Hydrogen Storage (2)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ming Au

    2006-01-01

    This paper reports the results in the effort to destabilize lithium borohydride for reversible hydrogen storage. A number of metals, metal hydrides, metal chlorides and complex hydrides were selected and evaluated as the destabilization agents for reducing de-hydriding temperature and generating de-hydriding-re-hydriding reversibility. It is found that some additives are effective. The Raman spectroscopic analysis shows the change of B-H binding nature. (authors)

  4. Time in Science: Reversibility vs. Irreversibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pomeau, Yves

    To discuss properly the question of irreversibility one needs to make a careful distinction between reversibility of the equations of motion and the choice of the initial conditions. This is also relevant for the rather confuse philosophy of the wave packet reduction in quantum mechanics. The explanation of this reduction requires also to make precise assumptions on what initial data are accessible in our world. Finally I discuss how a given (and long) time record can be shown in an objective way to record an irreversible or reversible process. Or: can a direction of time be derived from its analysis? This leads quite naturally to examine if there is a possible spontaneous breaking of the time reversal symmetry in many body systems, a symmetry breaking that would be put in evidence objectively by looking at certain specific time correlations.

  5. Reverse cope elimination of hydroxylamines and alkenes or alkynes: theoretical investigation of tether length and substituent effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krenske, Elizabeth H; Davison, Edwin C; Forbes, Ian T; Warner, Jacqueline A; Smith, Adrian L; Holmes, Andrew B; Houk, K N

    2012-02-01

    Quantum mechanical calculations have been used to study the intramolecular additions of hydroxylamines to alkenes and alkynes ("reverse Cope eliminations"). In intermolecular reverse Cope eliminations, alkynes are more reactive than alkenes. However, competition experiments have shown that tethering the hydroxylamine to the alkene or alkyne can reverse the reactivity order from that normally observed. The exact outcome depends on the length of the tether. In agreement with experiment, a range of density functional theory methods and CBS-QB3 calculations predict that the activation energies for intramolecular reverse Cope eliminations follow the order 6-exo-dig hydroxylamine and alkyne. Cyclization onto an alkene in the 5-exo-trig fashion incurs slightly less tether strain than a 6-exo-dig alkyne cyclization, but its activation energy is higher because the hydroxylamine fragment must distort more before the TS is reached. If the alkene terminus is substituted with two methyl groups, the barrier becomes so much higher that it is also disfavored compared to the 5- and 7-exo-dig cyclizations. © 2012 American Chemical Society

  6. Mechanical properties of open-cell metallic biomaterials manufactured using additive manufacturing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campoli, G.; Borleffs, M.S.; Amin Yavari, S.; Wauthle, R.; Weinans, H.; Zadpoor, A.A.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Finite element (FE) models were used to predict the mechanical properties of porous biomaterials. ► Porous materials were produced using additive manufacturing techniques. ► Manufacturing irregularities need to be implemented in FE models. ► FE models are more accurate than analytical models in predicting mechanical properties. - Abstract: An important practical problem in application of open-cell porous biomaterials is the prediction of the mechanical properties of the material given its micro-architecture and the properties of its matrix material. Although analytical methods can be used for this purpose, these models are often based on several simplifying assumptions with respect to the complex architecture and cannot provide accurate prediction results. The aim of the current study is to present finite element (FE) models that can predict the mechanical properties of porous titanium produced using selective laser melting or selective electron beam melting. The irregularities caused by the manufacturing process including structural variations of the architecture are implemented in the FE models using statistical models. The predictions of FE models are compared with those of analytical models and are tested against experimental data. It is shown that, as opposed to analytical models, the predictions of FE models are in agreement with experimental observations. It is concluded that manufacturing irregularities significantly affect the mechanical properties of porous biomaterials

  7. Gibbs Free Energy of Hydrolytic Water Molecule in Acyl-Enzyme Intermediates of a Serine Protease: A Potential Application for Computer-Aided Discovery of Mechanism-Based Reversible Covalent Inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masuda, Yosuke; Yamaotsu, Noriyuki; Hirono, Shuichi

    2017-01-01

    In order to predict the potencies of mechanism-based reversible covalent inhibitors, the relationships between calculated Gibbs free energy of hydrolytic water molecule in acyl-trypsin intermediates and experimentally measured catalytic rate constants (k cat ) were investigated. After obtaining representative solution structures by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, hydration thermodynamics analyses using WaterMap™ were conducted. Consequently, we found for the first time that when Gibbs free energy of the hydrolytic water molecule was lower, logarithms of k cat were also lower. The hydrolytic water molecule with favorable Gibbs free energy may hydrolyze acylated serine slowly. Gibbs free energy of hydrolytic water molecule might be a useful descriptor for computer-aided discovery of mechanism-based reversible covalent inhibitors of hydrolytic enzymes.

  8. Corneal graft reversal: Histopathologic report of two cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qahtani, Abdullah A; Alkatan, Hind M

    2014-10-01

    Graft reversal is a rare cause for failed PKP. In this case report we are presenting 2 graft failure cases in which the corneal grafts were reversed unintentionally. The onset of signs of graft failure, however was variable. We have included their clinical course and the histopathologic findings of the removed corneal grafts. A total of 6 cases including ours have been reported so far. The aim of this report is to attract the attention of corneal surgeons to an additional rare cause for failed penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) which is donor graft reversal.

  9. Dynamic evolution and biogenesis of small RNAs during sex reversal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jie; Luo, Majing; Sheng, Yue; Hong, Qiang; Cheng, Hanhua; Zhou, Rongjia

    2015-05-06

    Understanding origin, evolution and functions of small RNA (sRNA) genes has been a great challenge in the past decade. Molecular mechanisms underlying sexual reversal in vertebrates, particularly sRNAs involved in this process, are largely unknown. By deep-sequencing of small RNA transcriptomes in combination with genomic analysis, we identified a large amount of piRNAs and miRNAs including over 1,000 novel miRNAs, which were differentially expressed during gonad reversal from ovary to testis via ovotesis. Biogenesis and expressions of miRNAs were dynamically changed during the reversal. Notably, phylogenetic analysis revealed dynamic expansions of miRNAs in vertebrates and an evolutionary trajectory of conserved miR-17-92 cluster in the Eukarya. We showed that the miR-17-92 cluster in vertebrates was generated through multiple duplications from ancestor miR-92 in invertebrates Tetranychus urticae and Daphnia pulex from the Chelicerata around 580 Mya. Moreover, we identified the sexual regulator Dmrt1 as a direct target of the members miR-19a and -19b in the cluster. These data suggested dynamic biogenesis and expressions of small RNAs during sex reversal and revealed multiple expansions and evolutionary trajectory of miRNAs from invertebrates to vertebrates, which implicate small RNAs in sexual reversal and provide new insight into evolutionary and molecular mechanisms underlying sexual reversal.

  10. Neutrophil Reverse Migration Becomes Transparent with Zebrafish

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taylor W. Starnes

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The precise control of neutrophil-mediated inflammation is critical for both host defense and the prevention of immunopathology. In vivo imaging studies in zebrafish, and more recently in mice, have made the novel observation that neutrophils leave a site of inflammation through a process called neutrophil reverse migration. The application of advanced imaging techniques to the genetically tractable, optically transparent zebrafish larvae was critical for these advances. Still, the mechanisms underlying neutrophil reverse migration and its effects on the resolution or priming of immune responses remain unclear. Here, we review the current knowledge of neutrophil reverse migration, its potential roles in host immunity, and the live imaging tools that make zebrafish a valuable model for increasing our knowledge of neutrophil behavior in vivo.

  11. Reversible Carnot cycle outside a black hole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xi-Hao, Deng; Si-Jie, Gao

    2009-01-01

    A Carnot cycle outside a Schwarzschild black hole is investigated in detail. We propose a reversible Carnot cycle with a black hole being the cold reservoir. In our model, a Carnot engine operates between a hot reservoir with temperature T 1 and a black hole with Hawking temperature T H . By naturally extending the ordinary Carnot cycle to the black hole system, we show that the thermal efficiency for a reversible process can reach the maximal efficiency 1 – T H /T 1 . Consequently, black holes can be used to determine the thermodynamic temperature by means of the Carnot cycle. The role of the atmosphere around the black hole is discussed. We show that the thermal atmosphere provides a necessary mechanism to make the process reversible. (general)

  12. Mechanical Behavior of Additive Manufactured Layered Materials, Part 2: Stainless Steels

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-04-30

    materials. Elsevier, Oxford; 2007: 416 -420. [19] Deng, D., Chen, R., Sun, Q. and Li, X. Microstructural study of 17-4PH stainless steel after plasma...1 Mechanical Behavior of Additive Manufactured Layered Materials, Part 2: Stainless Steels * Todd M. Mower † and Michael J. Long M.I.T. Lincoln... stainless steel alloys produced with Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) was measured and is compared to that of similar conventional materials

  13. Managing Reverse Logistics or Reversing Logistics Management?

    OpenAIRE

    Brito, Marisa

    2004-01-01

    textabstractIn the past, supply chains were busy fine-tuning the logistics from raw material to the end customer. Today an increasing flow of products is going back in the chain. Thus, companies have to manage reverse logistics as well.This thesis contributes to a better understanding of reverse logistics. The thesis brings insights on reverse logistics decision-making and it lays down theoretical principles for reverse logistics as a research field.In particular it puts together a framework ...

  14. Magnetic reversal processes and critical thickness in FePt/α-Fe/FePt trilayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, N.L.; Zhao, G.P.; Zhang, H.W.; Zhou, X.L.; Deng, Y.

    2011-01-01

    Magnetic reversal processes of a FePt/α-Fe/FePt trilayer system with in-plane easy axes have been investigated within a micromagnetic approach. It is found that the magnetic reversal process consists of three steps: nucleation of a prototype of domain wall in the soft phase, the evolution as well as the motion of the domain wall from the soft to the hard phase and finally, the magnetic reversal of the hard phase. For small soft layer thickness L s , the three steps are reduced to one single step, where the magnetizations in the two phases reverses simultaneously and the hysteresis loops are square with nucleation as the coercivity mechanism. As L s increases, both nucleation and pinning fields decrease. In the meantime, the single-step reversal expands to a standard three-step one and the coercivity mechanism changes from nucleation to pinning. The critical thickness where the coercivity mechanism alters, could be derived analytically, which is found to be inversely proportional to the square root of the crystalline anisotropy of the hard phase. Such a scaling law might provide an easy way to test the present theory. Further increase of L s leads to the change of the coercivity mechanism from pinning to nucleation. - Highlights: → Analytical critical thickness scales with square root of anisotropy of hard phase. → Reversal process determined nucleation, motion and depinning of domain walls. → Coercivity mechanism is nucleation and pinning for thin and thick soft layers. → Microscopic and macroscopic hysteresis loops calculated.

  15. XX male sex reversal with genital abnormalities associated with a de novo SOX3 gene duplication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moalem, Sharon; Babul-Hirji, Riyana; Stavropolous, Dmitri J; Wherrett, Diane; Bägli, Darius J; Thomas, Paul; Chitayat, David

    2012-07-01

    Differentiation of the bipotential gonad into testis is initiated by the Y chromosome-linked gene SRY (Sex-determining Region Y) through upregulation of its autosomal direct target gene SOX9 (Sry-related HMG box-containing gene 9). Sequence and chromosome homology studies have shown that SRY most probably evolved from SOX3, which in humans is located at Xq27.1. Mutations causing SOX3 loss-of-function do not affect the sex determination in mice or humans. However, transgenic mouse studies have shown that ectopic expression of Sox3 in the bipotential gonad results in upregulation of Sox9, resulting in testicular induction and XX male sex reversal. However, the mechanism by which these rearrangements cause sex reversal and the frequency with which they are associated with disorders of sex development remains unclear. Rearrangements of the SOX3 locus were identified recently in three cases of human XX male sex reversal. We report on a case of XX male sex reversal associated with a novel de novo duplication of the SOX3 gene. These data provide additional evidence that SOX3 gain-of-function in the XX bipotential gonad causes XX male sex reversal and further support the hypothesis that SOX3 is the evolutionary antecedent of SRY. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Study of tea polyphenol as a reversal agent for carcinoma cell lines' multidrug resistance (study of TP as a MDR reversal agent)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Aizhi; Wang Xiangyun; Guo Zhenquan

    2001-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine MDR1 expression product P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and study the effect and mechanism of tea polyphenol (TP) in reversion of multidrug resistance (MDR) in carcinoma cell lines. Immunocytochemical method was used for qualitative detection of Pgp. A comparative study of cytotoxicity and multidrug resistance reversion effect was made by MTT assay for tea polyphenol and quinidine in MCF-7 and MCF-7/Adr cell lines. The multidrug resistance reversion effect and mechanism were studied by measuring the uptake of 99m Tc-tetrofosmin in the carcinoma cell lines. (1) The Pgp overexpression in MCF-7/Adr cells was found to be strong positive, while the Pgp expression of MCF-7 was negative. (2) Although both tea polyphenol and quinidine could not remarkably change the toxicity of adriamycin to MCF-7, they could improve the sensitivity of MCF-7/Adr to adriamycin. The reversion index of tea polyphenol and quinidine was 3 and 10 respectively. (3) The cellular uptake of 99m Tc-tetrofosmin was remarkably lower in MCF-7/Adr than in MCF-7. The uptake of 99m Tc-tetrofosmin in MCF-7/Adr exhibited a 4, 13, 16 fold increase in the presence of 200, 400 and 500 μg/ml of tea polyphenol respectively. The uptake of 99m Tc-tetrofosmin in MCF-7/Adr exhibited only a 4-fold increase in the presence of 200 μM of quinidine. Immunocytochemistry can detect P-glycoprotein expression level qualitatively. Tea polyphenol is not only an anti-tumor agent, but also a multidrug resistant modulator similar to quinidine. The multidrug resistance reversion mechanism of tea polyphenol seems to be its inhibition of the activity of P-glycoprotein. Tea polyphenol has the advantage of very low toxicity in tumor treatment

  17. Positioning paper on reversibility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    After having recalled the legal framework adopted in 2006 for the deep geological storage of radioactive wastes, and briefly introduced the concept of reversibility, this publication presents the principle of geological storage, presents high and medium level and long life wastes, highlights the ethical necessity to deal with these radioactive wastes, outlines that geological storage is the generally admitted and adopted solution at the international level, and presents additional means implemented for radioactive waste management. It presents the Cigeo project as the technical answer to the issue of radioactive waste storage, describes the Cigeo development process, its current status and its development planning, and justifies the choice of this technical solution, notably from an ethical point of view. It addresses the issue of reversibility and proposes an overview of the various tools and means which aim at guaranteeing this reversibility. Appendices propose figures illustrating the Cigeo project and its development process, and a rather detailed Power Point presentation of the project by the ANDRA (history, object, planning, installations, and so on)

  18. An Additional Method for Analyzing the Reversible Inhibition of an 
Enzyme Using Acid Phosphatase as a Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumhardt, Jordan M; Dorsey, Benjamin M; McLauchlan, Craig C; Jones, Marjorie A

    2015-08-01

    Using wheat germ acid phosphatase and sodium orthovanadate as a competitive inhibitor, a novel method for analyzing reversible inhibition was carried out. Our alternative approach involves plotting the initial velocity at which product is formed as a function of the ratio of substrate concentration to inhibitor concentration at a constant enzyme concentration and constant assay conditions. The concept of initial concentrations driving equilibrium leads to the chosen axes. Three apparent constants can be derived from this plot: K max , K min , and K inflect . K max and K min represent the substrate to inhibitor concentration ratio for complete inhibition and minimal inhibition, respectively. K inflect represents the substrate to inhibitor concentration ratio at which the enzyme-substrate complex is equal to the inhibitory complex. These constants can be interpolated from the graph or calculated using the first and second derivative of the plot. We conclude that a steeper slope and a shift of the line to the right (increased x-axis values) would indicate a better inhibitor. Since initial velocity is not a linear function of the substrate/inhibitor ratio, this means that inhibition changes more quickly with the change in the [S]/ [I] ratio. When preincubating the enzyme with substrate before the addition of inhibitor, preincubating the enzyme with inhibitor before the addition of substrate or with concurrent addition of both substrate and inhibitor, modest changes in the slopes and y-intercepts were obtained. This plot appears useful for known competitive and non-competitive inhibitors and may have general applicability.

  19. Temperature dependent polarization reversal mechanism in 0.94(Bi1/2Na1/2) TiO3-0.06Ba(Zr0.02Ti0.98)O3 relaxor ceramics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Glaum, Julia; Simons, Hugh; Hudspeth, Jessica

    2015-01-01

    and structural investigation of the polarization reversal process in the prototypical lead-free relaxor 0.94(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-0.06Ba(Zr0.02Ti0.98)O3 reveals that an applied electric field can trigger depolarization and onset of relaxor-like behavior well below TF-R. The polarization reversal process can...... as such be described as a combination of (1) ferroelectric domain switching and (2) a reversible phase transition between two polar ferroelectric states mediated by a non-polar relaxor state. Furthermore, the threshold fields of the second, mediated polarization reversal mechanism depend strongly on temperature....... These results are concomitant with a continuous ferroelectric to relaxortransition occurring over a broad temperature range, during which mixed behavior is observed. The nature of polarization reversal can be illustrated in electric-field-temperature (E-T) diagrams showing the electric field amplitudes...

  20. Parity- and time-reversal-violating moments of light nuclei

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vries, Jordy de, E-mail: devries@kvi.nl [KVI, theory group (Netherlands)

    2013-03-15

    I present the calculation of parity- and time-reversal-violating moments of the nucleon and light nuclei, originating from the QCD {theta}-bar term and effective dimension-six operators. By applying chiral effective field theory these calculations are performed in a unified framework. I argue that measurements of a few light-nuclear electric dipole moments would shed light on the mechanism of parity and time-reversal violation.

  1. Analytical relationships for prediction of the mechanical properties of additively manufactured porous biomaterials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zadpoor, A.A.; Hedayati, R.

    2016-01-01

    Recent developments in additive manufacturing techniques have motivated an increasing number of researchers to study regular porous biomaterials that are based on repeating unit cells. The physical and mechanical properties of such porous biomaterials have therefore received increasing attention

  2. Start hard, finish better: further evidence for the reversal of the RAE advantage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCarthy, Neil; Collins, Dave; Court, David

    2016-08-01

    The relative age effect (RAE) has been highlighted extensively within literature as influencing selection and identification within sports. However, this initial bias appears to not be systemic in some talent development systems. Accordingly, we report an investigation into the initial identification, selection and conversion of academy players from professional Rugby Union and Cricket at national level. Reflecting previous studies, data again demonstrated a reversal of RAE advantage whereby relatively young players from both sports were less likely to be selected into their respective national academy systems but were more likely to transition into senior national squads. On the basis of our observations, we further propose a psychological explanation for the mechanism of such a reversal, based on the influence of additional challenge experienced throughout the development journey. As such, we also highlight the need for further qualitative investigation to explore this phenomenon in greater depth.

  3. Influence of niobium addition on the high temperature mechanical properties of a centrifugally cast HP alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrade, A.R.; Bolfarini, C.; Ferreira, L.A.M.; Vilar, A.A.A.; Souza Filho, C.D.; Bonazzi, L.H.C.

    2015-01-01

    The influence of niobium addition on the mechanical properties at high temperature of HP alloy has been investigated. Two HP alloys were centrifugally cast with a similar chemical composition differing only in the niobium content. Low strain rate high temperature tensile tests and creep-rupture tests were performed in the range of 900–1100 °C, and the results compared between the alloys. According to the results, the high temperature mechanical behavior of both alloys is controlled by several factors like solid solution, network of eutectic carbides, intradendritic precipitation and dendrite spacing. A significant increase in the mechanical properties for the HP alloy with niobium addition was found within the temperature range of 900–1050 °C. Beyond this temperature the mechanical behavior of both alloys is basically the same

  4. How does tissue regeneration influence the mechanical behavior of additively manufactured porous biomaterials?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedayati, R; Janbaz, S; Sadighi, M; Mohammadi-Aghdam, M; Zadpoor, A A

    2017-01-01

    Although the initial mechanical properties of additively manufactured porous biomaterials are intensively studied during the last few years, almost no information is available regarding the evolution of the mechanical properties of implant-bone complex as the tissue regeneration progresses. In this paper, we studied the effects of tissue regeneration on the static and fatigue behavior of selective laser melted porous titanium structures with three different porosities (i.e. 77, 81, and 85%). The porous structures were filled with four different polymeric materials with mechanical properties in the range of those observed for de novo bone (0.7GPamanufactured and filled porous structures were then determined. The static mechanical properties and fatigue life (including endurance limit) of the porous structures were found to increase by factors 2-7, even when they were filled with polymeric materials with relatively low mechanical properties. The relative increase in the mechanical properties was much higher for the porous structures with lower porosities. Moreover, the increase in the fatigue life was more notable as compared to the increase in the static mechanical properties. Such large values of increase in the mechanical properties with the progress of bone tissue regeneration have implications in terms of mechanical stimulus for bone tissue regeneration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Effect of boron and carbon addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-15-3 alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarkar, R.; Ghosal, P.; Muraleedharan, K.; Nandy, T.K.; Ray, K.K.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Development of β Ti alloys with B and C addition for improved mechanical properties. → Detailed characterization of microstructural constituents using electron microscopy. → Microstructure-mechanical property correlation in this new class of alloys. → Strengthening mechanism in β Ti alloy in the presence of hard and non-deformable phases. - Abstract: A detailed microstructure-mechanical property correlation was carried out in beta titanium alloys (Ti-15V-3Al-3Sn-3Cr) with boron and carbon additions. The alloys were prepared by non-consumable vacuum arc melting followed by hot rolling. Microstructural characterization was carried out using an optical microscope, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a high resolution TEM (HRTEM). Addition of boron and carbon resulted in the precipitation of TiB and TiC, respectively, and these phases acted as reinforcements. Evaluation of mechanical properties in solution treated and solution treated plus aged condition showed strengthening in the boron and carbon containing alloy with respect to the base. Strengthening in solution treated condition was attributed to a synergistic effect of grain refinement and load transfer in the presence of non-deformable phases. On the other hand, higher strength in boron and carbon containing alloys on aging was ascribed to the presence of finer aged microstructures.

  6. Effects of Zr Addition on Strengthening Mechanisms of Al-Alloyed High-Cr ODS Steels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Jian; Yu, Liming; Liu, Yongchang; Liu, Chenxi; Li, Huijun; Wu, Jiefeng

    2018-01-12

    Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels with different contents of zirconium (denoted as 16Cr ODS, 16Cr-0.3Zr ODS and 16Cr-0.6Zr ODS) were fabricated to investigate the effects of Zr on strengthening mechanism of Al-alloyed 16Cr ODS steel. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) results show that the mean grain size of ODS steels could be decreased by Zr addition. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) results indicate that Zr addition could increase the number density but decrease the mean diameter and inter-particle spacing of oxide particles. Furthermore, it is also found that in addition to Y-Al-O nanoparticles, Y-Zr-O oxides with finer size were observed in 16Cr-0.3Zr ODS and 16Cr-0.6Zr ODS steels. These changes in microstructure significantly increase the yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of ODS steels through mechanisms of grain boundary strengthening and dispersion strengthening.

  7. Charge reversal at a planar boundary between two dielectrics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhi-Yong

    2016-01-01

    Despite the ubiquitous character and relevance of the electric double layer in the entire realm of interface and colloid science, very little is known of the effect that surface heterogeneity exerts on the underlying mechanisms of ion adsorption. Herein, computer simulations offer a perspective that, in sharp contrast to the homogeneously charged surface, discrete groups promote multivalent counterion binding, leading to charge reversal but possibly having not a sign change of the electrophoretic mobility. Counterintuitively, the introduction of dielectric images yields a significantly greater accumulation of counterions, which further facilitates the magnitude of charge reversal. The reported results are very sensitive to both the degree of ion hydration and the representation of surface charges. Our findings shed light on the mechanism for charge reversal over a broad range of coupling regimes operating the adsorption of counterions through surface group bridging attraction with their own images and provide opportunities for experimental studies and theoretical development.

  8. Investigation of mutations in the SRY, SOX9, and DAX1 genes in sex reversal patients from the Sichuan region of China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, L; Ding, X P; Wei, X; Li, L X

    2014-03-12

    We investigated the molecular genetic mechanism of sex reversal by exploring the relationship between mutations in the sex-determining genes SRY, SOX9, and DAX1 with genetic sex reversal disease. Mutations in the three key genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing after karyotype analysis. The mutations detected were then aligned with a random sample of 100 normal sequences and the NCBI sequence database in order to confirm any new mutations. Furthermore, the copy number of SOX9 was measured by fluorescence quantitative PCR. Seven of the 10 male sex reversal patients (46, XX) contained an excess copy of the SRY gene, while one of the eight female sex reversal patients (46, XY) was lacking the SRY gene. Additionally, a new mutation (T-A, Asp24Lys) was detected in one female sex reversal patient (46, XY). No other mutation was detected in the analysis of SOX9 and DAX1, with the exception of an insertion mutation (c.35377791insG) found in the testicular-specific enhancer (TESCO) sequences in an SRY-positive female sex reversal patient (46, XY). Eight of the 18 sex reversal cases (44.4%) showed obvious connections with SRY gene translocations, mutations, or deletions, which was significantly higher than that reported previously (33.3%), indicating a need to further expand the range of sample collection. Overall, these results indicated that the main mechanism of sex reversal are not associated with mutations in the coding regions of SOX9 and DAX1 or copy number variations of SOX9, which is consistent with results of previous studies.

  9. Reversibly Bistable Flexible Electronics

    KAUST Repository

    Alfaraj, Nasir

    2015-05-01

    Introducing the notion of transformational silicon electronics has paved the way for integrating various applications with silicon-based, modern, high-performance electronic circuits that are mechanically flexible and optically semitransparent. While maintaining large-scale production and prototyping rapidity, this flexible and translucent scheme demonstrates the potential to transform conventionally stiff electronic devices into thin and foldable ones without compromising long-term performance and reliability. In this work, we report on the fabrication and characterization of reversibly bistable flexible electronic switches that utilize flexible n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors. The transistors are fabricated initially on rigid (100) silicon substrates before they are peeled off. They can be used to control flexible batches of light-emitting diodes, demonstrating both the relative ease of scaling at minimum cost and maximum reliability and the feasibility of integration. The peeled-off silicon fabric is about 25 µm thick. The fabricated devices are transferred to a reversibly bistable flexible platform through which, for example, a flexible smartphone can be wrapped around a user’s wrist and can also be set back to its original mechanical position. Buckling and cyclic bending of such host platforms brings a completely new dimension to the development of flexible electronics, especially rollable displays.

  10. Effect of Trace Be and Sc Additions on the Mechanical Properties of A357 Alloys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Chih Tzeng

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The effect of the addition of Be and Sc on the microstructure and mechanical properties of A357 alloy were systematically investigated. The results show that the addition of small amounts of Be and Sc could change the acicular structure of iron-bearing intermetallic compounds to harmless compact Al-Fe-Si and Sc-Fe iron-bearing intermetallic compounds. Compact iron-bearing intermetallic compounds could improve fluidity, causing a reduction in interdendritic shrinkage during solidification. The addition of 0.05 wt % Be enhanced the quality index of the A357 alloy by 11% and increased the notch-yield ratio of fracture toughness by 4.5%. In contrast, the addition of 0.05 wt % Sc increased the quality index and the notch to yield ratio of fracture toughness up to 17% and 9%, respectively. Therefore, the microstructure and mechanical properties of the A357 alloy could be improved by substituting Be with Sc.

  11. Mechanical characterization of the 3Y-TZP co-doped with yttria and niobia Equimolar addition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Assis, Joao Marcos Kruszynski de; Nono, Maria do Carmo de Andrade; Dorat, Daniele Ramos; Fonseca, Flavia Baccaro; Reis, Danieli Aparecida

    2010-01-01

    The main goal of this work is to study the effect of the yttria and niobia equimolar addition in the 3Y-TZP on the mechanical properties (hardness, fracture toughness and four point bending strength) aiming to get a stable tetragonal phase (t´) under applied stress, to use as TBC´s. Four compositions with equimolar addition of yttria and niobia in the 3Y-TZP were produced, 13%, 14.5%, 16% and 17.5%. The mixtures were prepared in high energy ball milling for 10 minutes and the samples prepared on uniaxial and isostatic pressing. The selected temperature sintering was 1.550 deg C for 1 hour. Analyses of X-Ray Diffraction, hardness, fracture toughness and four point bending strength were performed. An increase on the mechanical properties analyzed was expected with yttria and niobia addition in comparison to 3Y-TZP, but instead a decrease was observed after these additions. (author)

  12. The Reverse Cope Elimination of Hydroxylamines and Alkenes or Alkynes: Theoretical Investigation of Tether Length and Substituent Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krenske, Elizabeth H.; Davison, Edwin C.; Forbes, Ian T.; Warner, Jacqueline A.; Smith, Adrian L.; Holmes, Andrew B.; Houk, K. N.

    2012-01-01

    Quantum mechanical calculations have been used to study the intramolecular additions of hydroxylamines to alkenes and alkynes (“reverse Cope eliminations”). In intermolecular reverse Cope eliminations, alkynes are more reactive than alkenes. However, competition experiments have shown that tethering the hydroxylamine to the alkene or alkyne can reverse the reactivity order from that normally observed. The exact outcome depends on the length of the tether. In agreement with experiment, a range of density functional theory methods and CBS-QB3 calculations predict that the activation energies for intramolecular reverse Cope eliminations follow the order 6-exo-dig hydroxylamine and alkyne. Cyclization onto an alkene in the 5-exo-trig fashion incurs slightly less tether strain than a 6-exo-dig alkyne cyclization, but its activation energy is higher because the hydroxylamine fragment must distort more before the TS is reached. If the alkene terminus is substituted with two methyl groups, the barrier becomes so much higher that it is also disfavored compared to the 5- and 7-exo-dig cyclizations. PMID:22280245

  13. Thermally activated magnetization reversal in magnetic tunnel junctions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guang-Hong, Zhou; Yin-Gang, Wang; Xian-Jin, Qi; Zi-Quan, Li; Jian-Kang, Chen

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, the magnetization reversal of the ferromagnetic layers in the IrMn/CoFe/AlO x /CoFe magnetic tunnel junction has been investigated using bulk magnetometry. The films exhibit very complex magnetization processes and reversal mechanism. Thermal activation phenomena such as the training effect, the asymmetry of reversal, the loop broadening and the decrease of exchange field while holding the film at negative saturation have been observed on the hysteresis loops of the pinned ferromagnetic layer while not on those of the free ferromagnetic layer. The thermal activation phenomena observed can be explained by the model of two energy barrier distributions with different time constants. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

  14. Mechanical Properties of a Newly Additive Manufactured Implant Material Based on Ti-42Nb.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulze, Christian; Weinmann, Markus; Schweigel, Christoph; Keßler, Olaf; Bader, Rainer

    2018-01-13

    The application of Ti-6Al-4V alloy or commercially pure titanium for additive manufacturing enables the fabrication of complex structural implants and patient-specific implant geometries. However, the difference in Young's modulus of α + β-phase Ti alloys compared to the human bone promotes stress-shielding effects in the implant-bone interphase. The aim of the present study is the mechanical characterization of a new pre-alloyed β-phase Ti-42Nb alloy for application in additive manufacturing. The present investigation focuses on the mechanical properties of SLM-printed Ti-42Nb alloy in tensile and compression tests. In addition, the raw Ti-42Nb powder, the microstructure of the specimens prior to and after compression tests, as well as the fracture occurring in tensile tests are characterized by means of the SEM/EDX analysis. The Ti-42Nb raw powder exhibits a dendrite-like Ti-structure, which is melted layer-by-layer into a microstructure with a very homogeneous distribution of Nb and Ti during the SLM process. Tensile tests display Young's modulus of 60.51 ± 3.92 GPa and an ultimate tensile strength of 683.17 ± 16.67 MPa, whereas, under a compressive load, a compressive strength of 1330.74 ± 53.45 MPa is observed. The combination of high mechanical strength and low elastic modulus makes Ti-42Nb an interesting material for orthopedic and dental implants. The spherical shape of the pre-alloyed material additionally allows for application in metal 3D printing, enabling the fabrication of patient-specific structural implants.

  15. Reverse Logistics

    OpenAIRE

    Kulikova, Olga

    2016-01-01

    This thesis was focused on the analysis of the concept of reverse logistics and actual reverse processes which are implemented in mining industry and finding solutions for the optimization of reverse logistics in this sphere. The objective of this paper was the assessment of the development of reverse logistics in mining industry on the example of potash production. The theoretical part was based on reverse logistics and mining waste related literature and provided foundations for further...

  16. Investigating the Retention Mechanisms of Liquid Chromatography Using Solid-Phase Extraction Cartridges

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Donnell, Mary E.; Musial, Beata A.; Bretz, Stacey Lowery; Danielson, Neil D.; Ca, Diep

    2009-01-01

    Liquid chromatography (LC) experiments for the undergraduate analytical laboratory course often illustrate the application of reversed-phase LC to solve a separation problem, but rarely compare LC retention mechanisms. In addition, a high-performance liquid chromatography instrument may be beyond what some small colleges can purchase. Solid-phase…

  17. Boiler feedwater treatment using reverse osmosis at Suncor OSG

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, T.

    1997-01-01

    The installation of a new 1000 cu m/hr reverse osmosis water treatment system for boiler feedwater at a Suncor plant was discussed. The selection process began in 1993 when Suncor identified a need to increase its boiler feedwater capacity. The company reviewed many options available to increase the treated water capacity. These included: contracting the supply of treated water, adding additional capacity, replacing the entire plant, reverse osmosis, and demineralization. The eventual decision was to build a new 1000 cu m/hr reverse osmosis water treatment plant with the following key components: a Degremont Infilco Ultra Pulsator Clarifier and a Glegg Water Conditioning multimedia filter, Amberpack softeners and reverse osmosis arrays. The reverse osmosis plant was environmentally favourable over an equivalent demineralization plant. A technical comparison was provided between demineralization and reverse osmosis. The system has proven to be successful and economical in meeting the plants needs. 5 figs

  18. Effect of SiC whisker addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties of Ti(C, N)-based cermets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Peng; Zheng, Yong; Zhao, Yongle; Yu, Haizhou

    2011-01-01

    Ti(C, N)-based cermets with addition of SiC whisker (SiC w ) were prepared by vacuum sintering. The microstructures of the prepared cermets were investigated by using X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mechanical properties such as transverse rupture strength (TRS), fracture toughness (K IC ) and hardness (HRA) were also measured. It was found that the grain size of the cermets was affected by the SiC whisker addition. The cermets with 1.0 wt.% SiC whisker addition exhibited the smallest grain size. The porosities of the cermets increased with increasing SiC whisker additions. The addition of the SiC whisker had no influence on the phase constituents of the cermets. Compared with the cermets with no whisker addition, the highest TRS and fracture toughness for cermets with 1.0 wt.% SiC whisker addition increased by about 24% and 29%, respectively. The strengthening mechanisms were attributed to finer grain size, homogeneous microstructure and moderate thickness of rim phase. The toughening mechanisms were characterized by crack deflection, whisker bridging and whisker pulling-out.

  19. Effect of CeLa addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mn-Mg-Fe alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du, Jiandi; Ding, Dongyan; Xu, Zhou; Zhang, Junchao; Zhang, Wenlong; Gao, Yongjin; Chen, Guozhen; Chen, Weigao; You, Xiaohua; Chen, Renzong; Huang, Yuanwei; Tang, Jinsong

    2017-01-01

    Development of high strength lithium battery shell alloy is highly desired for new energy automobile industry. The microstructures and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mn-Mg-Fe alloy with different CeLa additions were investigated through optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Rietveld refinement and tensile testing. Experimental results indicate that Al 8 Cu 4 Ce and Al 6 Cu 6 La phases formed due to CeLa addition. Addition of 0.25 wt.% CeLa could promote the formation of denser precipitation of Al 20 Cu 2 Mn 3 and Al 6 (Mn, Fe) phases, which improved the mechanical properties of the alloy at room temperature. However, up to 0.50 wt.% CeLa addition could promote the formation of coarse Al 8 Cu 4 Ce phase, Al 6 Cu 6 La phase and Al 6 (Mn, Fe) phase, which resulted in weakened mechanical properties. - Highlights: •Al-Cu-Mn-Mg-Fe alloys with different CeLa addition were fabricated through casting and rolling. •Al 8 Cu 4 Ce and Al 6 Cu 6 La phases formed after CeLa addition. •Addition of 0.25 wt.% CeLa promoted formation of denser precipitates of Al 20 Cu 2 Mn 3 and Al 6 (Mn, Fe). •Mechanical properties of the alloy was improved after 0.25 wt.% CeLa addition.

  20. Stimuli-responsive Materials and Structures with Electrically Tunable Mechanical Properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auletta, Jeffrey Thomas

    Electricity, a convenient stimulus, was used to manipulate the mechanical properties of two classes of materials, each with a different mechanism. In the first system, macroscale electroplastic elastomer hydrogels (EPEs) were reversibly cycled through soft and hard states by sequential application of oxidative and reductive potentials. Electrochemically reversible crosslinks were switched between strongly binding Fe3+ and weak to non-binding Fe2+, as determined by potentiometric titration.With the incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) into the EPE, a significant enhancement in modulus and toughness was observed, allowing for the preparation of thinner EPE samples, which could be reversibly cycled between soft and hard states over 30 minutes. Further characterization of this EPE by magnetic susceptibility measurements suggested the formation of multinuclear iron clusters within the gel. Copper-derived EPEs which exploited the same redox-controlled mechanism for switching between hard and soft states were also prepared. Here, the density of temporary crosslinks and the mechanical properties were controlled by reversibly switching between the +1 and +2 oxidation states, using a combination of electrochemical/air oxidation and chemical reduction. In addition to undergoing redox-controlled changes in modulus, these EPEs exhibited shape memory. In the second system, electroadhesion between ionomer layers was exploited to create laminate structures whose rigidity depended on the reversible polarization of the dielectric polymers. The role of the counter-ion in determining the intrinsic and electroadhesive properties of poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) ionomers in bi- and tri-layered laminate structures was examined. PEAA ionomers were prepared with three tetraalkylammonium cations (NR4 +, R = methyl, TMA+; ethyl, TEA+; and propyl, TPA+). Reflecting the increasing hydrophobicity of the longer alkyl chains, water uptake changed as a function of counterion with TMA+ > TEA

  1. Elastocaloric cooling of additive manufactured shape memory alloys with large latent heat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hou, Huilong; Stasak, Drew; Hasan, Naila Al; Takeuchi, Ichiro; Simsek, Emrah; Ott, Ryan; Cui, Jun; Qian, Suxin

    2017-01-01

    The stress-induced martensitic phase transformation of shape memory alloys (SMAs) is the basis for elastocaloric cooling. Here we employ additive manufacturing to fabricate TiNi SMAs, and demonstrate compressive elastocaloric cooling in the TiNi rods with transformation latent heat as large as 20 J g −1 . Adiabatic compression on as-fabricated TiNi displays cooling Δ T as high as  −7.5 °C with recoverable superelastic strain up to 5%. Unlike conventional SMAs, additive manufactured TiNi SMAs exhibit linear superelasticity with narrow hysteresis in stress–strain curves under both adiabatic and isothermal conditions. Microstructurally, we find that there are Ti 2 Ni precipitates typically one micron in size with a large aspect ratio enclosing the TiNi matrix. A stress transfer mechanism between reversible phase transformation in the TiNi matrix and mechanical deformation in Ti 2 Ni precipitates is believed to be the origin of the unique superelasticity behavior. (paper)

  2. Effects of nano TiN addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of TiC based steel bonded carbides

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    WANG Zhi'an; DAI Haiyang; ZOU Yu

    2008-01-01

    TiC based steel bonded carbides with the addition of nano TiN were prepared by vicuum sintering techniques.The microstructure was investigated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and transmission electron microscopy (TEM),and the mechanical properties,such as bending strength,impact toughness,hardness,and density,were measured.The results indicate that the grain size becomes small and there is uniformity in the steel bonded carbide with nano addition;several smaller carbide particles are also found to be inlaid in the rim of the larger carbide grains and prevent the coalescence of TiC grains.The smaller and larger carbide grains joint firmly,and then the reduction of the average size of the grains leads to the increase in the mechanical properties of the steel bonded carbides with nano addition.But the mechanical properties do not increase monotonously with an increase in nano addition.When the nano TiN addition accounts for 6-8 wt.% of the amount of steel bonded carbides.the mechanical properties reach the maximum values and then decrease with further increase in nano TiN addition.

  3. Synthesis of Thermally Switchable Chromatographic Materials with Immobilized Ti4+ for Enrichment of Phosphopeptides by Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Di; Cao, Zhihan; Pang, Xinzhu; Deng, Yulin; Li, Bo; Dai, Rongji

    2018-01-01

    Reversible phosphorylation of proteins is one of the most crucial types of post-translational modifications (PTMs). And it shows significant work in diversified biological processes. However, the separation technology of phosphorylated peptides is still an analytical challenge in phosphoproteomics, because phosphopeptides are alway in low stoichiometry. Thus, enrichment of phosphopeptides before detection is indispensable. In this study, a novel temperature regulated separation protocol was developed. Silica@p (NIPAAm-co-IPPA)-Ti4+, a new Ti(IV)-IMAC (Immobilized Metal Affinity chromatography) materials was synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT). By the unique thermally responsive properties of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), the captured phosphorylated peptides could be released by changing temperature only without applying any other eluant which could damage the phosphopeptides. We employed isopropanol phosphonic acid (IPPA) as an IMAC ligand for the immobilization of Ti(IV) which could increase the specific adsorption of phosphopeptides. The enrichment and release properties were examined by treatment with pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP) and casein phosphopeptides (CPP). Two phosphorylated compounds above have temperature-stimulated binding to Ti4+. Finally, silica@p (NIPAAm-co-IPPA)-Ti4+ was successfully employed in pretreatment of phosphopeptides in a tryptic digest of a-casein and human serum albumin (HSA). The results indicated a great potential of this new temperature-responsive material in phosphoproteomics study.

  4. Effect of Temperature Reversion on Hot Ductility and Flow Stress-Strain Curves of C-Mn Continuously Cast Steels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Zhihua; Li, Wei; Long, Mujun; Gui, Lintao; Chen, Dengfu; Huang, Yunwei; Vitos, Levente

    2015-08-01

    The influence of temperature reversion in secondary cooling and its reversion rate on hot ductility and flow stress-strain curve of C-Mn steel has been investigated. Tensile specimens were cooled at various regimes. One cooling regime involved cooling at a constant rate of 100 °C min-1 to the test temperature, while the others involved temperature reversion processes at three different reversion rates before deformation. After hot tensile test, the evolution of mechanical properties of steel was analyzed at various scales by means of microstructure observation, ab initio prediction, and thermodynamic calculation. Results indicated that the temperature reversion in secondary cooling led to hot ductility trough occurring at higher temperature with greater depth. With increasing temperature reversion rate, the low temperature end of ductility trough extended toward lower temperature, leading to wider hot ductility trough with slightly reducing depth. Microstructure examinations indicated that the intergranular fracture related to the thin film-like ferrite and (Fe,Mn)S particles did not changed with varying cooling regimes; however, the Widmanstatten ferrite surrounding austenite grains resulted from the temperature reversion process seriously deteriorated the ductility. In addition, after the temperature reversion in secondary cooling, the peak stress on the flow curve slightly declined and the peak of strain to peak stress occurred at higher temperature. With increasing temperature reversion rate, the strain to peak stress slightly increased, while the peak stress showed little variation. The evolution of plastic modulus and strain to peak stress of austenite with varying temperature was in line with the theoretical prediction on Fe.

  5. The retro Grignard addition reaction revisited: the reversible addition of benzyl reagents to ketones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Stig Holden; Holm, Torkil; Madsen, Robert

    2014-01-01

    transformation. The retro benzyl reaction was shown by the addition of benzylmagnesium chloride to di-tert-butyl ketone followed by exchange of both the benzyl and the ketone moiety with another substrate. Similar experiments were performed with phenylmagnesium bromide and tert-butylmagnesium chloride...

  6. Effect of the addition of mixture of plant components on the mechanical properties of wheat bread

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wójcik, Monika; Dziki, Dariusz; Biernacka, Beata; Różyło, Renata; Miś, Antoni; Hassoon, Waleed H.

    2017-10-01

    Instrumental methods of measuring the mechanical properties of bread can be used to determine changes in the properties of it during storage, as well as to determine the effect of various additives on the bread texture. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the mixture of plant components on the physical properties of wheat bread. In particular, the mechanical properties of the crumb and crust were studied. A sensory evaluation of the end product was also performed. The mixture of plant components included: carob fiber, milled grain red quinoa and black oat (1:2:2) - added at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 % - into wheat flour. The results showed that the increase of the addition of the proposed additive significantly increased the water absorption of flour mixtures. Moreover, the use of the mixture of plant components above 5% resulted in the increase of bread volume and decrease of crumb density. Furthermore, the addition of the mixture of plant components significantly affected the mechanical properties of bread crumb. The hardness of crumb also decreased as a result of the mixture of plant components addition. The highest cohesiveness was obtained for bread with 10% of additive and the lowest for bread with 25% of mixture of plant components. Most importantly, the enrichment of wheat flour with the mixture of plant components significantly reduced the crust failure force and crust failure work. The results of sensory evaluation showed that the addition of the mixture of plant components of up to 10% had little effect on bread quality.

  7. Effect of Zn addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of an Al–Mg–Si alloy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lizhen Yan

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available In the present work, an Al–0.66Mg–0.85Si–0.2Cu alloy with Zn addition was investigated by electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD, high resolution electron microscopy (HREM, tensile and Erichsen tests. The mechanical properties of the alloy after pre-aging met the standards of sheet forming. After paint baking, the yield strength of the alloy was improved apparently. GP(II zones and ηʹ phases were formed during aging process due to Zn addition. With the precipitation of GP zones, β″ phases, GP(II zones and ηʹ phases, the alloys displayed excellent mechanical properties.

  8. Reversible aqueous zinc/manganese oxide energy storage from conversion reactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pan, Huilin; Shao, Yuyan; Yan, Pengfei; Cheng, Yingwen; Han, Kee Sung; Nie, Zimin; Wang, Chongmin; Yang, Jihui; Li, Xiaolin; Bhattacharya, Priyanka; Mueller, Karl T.; Liu, Jun

    2016-04-18

    Rechargeable aqueous batteries are attracting growing interest for energy storage due to their low cost and high safety. Fundamental understanding of highly reversible aqueous reactions is critical for building high-performance batteries. Herein, we studied the reversibility of Zn/MnO2 battery chemistry in mild aqueous MnSO4 electrolytes. α-MnO2 nanofibers were used as a high performance cathode. Our study provides good evidence for a conversion reaction mechanism through reversible formation of short nanorods and nanoparticle aggregates. This reversible conversion reaction provides an operating voltage of 1.44 V, high capacity of 285 mAh g-1, excellent rate and capacity retention of 92% after 5000 cycles. Zn metal anode also shows high reversibility in the mild aqueous MnSO4 electrolytes. The highly reversible and stable chemistries in aqueous Zn/MnO2 batteries open new opportunity for energy storage technologies with potentially high energy density, high safety, and low cost.

  9. Microstructures and mechanical behavior of Inconel 625 fabricated by solid-state additive manufacturing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rivera, O.G.; Allison, P.G.; Jordon, J.B.; Rodriguez, O.L.; Brewer, L.N.; McClelland, Z.; Whittington, W.R.; Francis, D.; Su, J.; Martens, R.L.; Hardwick, N.

    2017-01-01

    Here we introduce a novel thermo-mechanical Solid State Additive Manufacturing (SSAM) process referred to as Additive Friction Stir (AFS) manufacturing that provides a new and alternative path to fusion-based additive manufacturing processes for developing fully-dense, near-net shape components with a refined-equiaxed grain morphology. This study is the first to investigate the beneficial grain refinement and densification produced by AFS in IN625 that results in advantageous mechanical properties (YS, UTS, εf) at both quasi-static and high strain rate. Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) observed grain refinement during the layer deposition in the AFS specimens, where the results identified fine equiaxed grain structures with even finer grain structures forming at the layer interfaces. The EBSD quantified grains as fine as 0.27 µm in these interface regions while the average grain size was approximately 1 µm. Additionally, this is the first study to report on the strain rate dependence of AFS IN625 through quasi-static (QS) (0.001/s) and high strain rate (HR) (1500/s) tensile experiments using a servo hydraulic frame and a direct tension-Kolsky bar, respectively, which captured both yield and ultimate tensile strengths increasing as strain rate increased. The HS results exhibited an approximately 200 MPa increase in engineering strength over the QS results, with the fracture surfaces at both strain rates aligned with the maximum shear plane and exhibiting localized microvoids.

  10. Microstructures and mechanical behavior of Inconel 625 fabricated by solid-state additive manufacturing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rivera, O.G. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (United States); Allison, P.G., E-mail: pallison@eng.ua.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (United States); Jordon, J.B.; Rodriguez, O.L. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (United States); Brewer, L.N. [Department of Metallurgical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (United States); McClelland, Z. [US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS (United States); Whittington, W.R.; Francis, D. [Center of Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS (United States); Su, J. [Aeroprobe Corporation, Christiansburg, VA (United States); Martens, R.L. [Central Analytical Facility, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (United States); Hardwick, N. [Aeroprobe Corporation, Christiansburg, VA (United States)

    2017-05-10

    Here we introduce a novel thermo-mechanical Solid State Additive Manufacturing (SSAM) process referred to as Additive Friction Stir (AFS) manufacturing that provides a new and alternative path to fusion-based additive manufacturing processes for developing fully-dense, near-net shape components with a refined-equiaxed grain morphology. This study is the first to investigate the beneficial grain refinement and densification produced by AFS in IN625 that results in advantageous mechanical properties (YS, UTS, εf) at both quasi-static and high strain rate. Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) observed grain refinement during the layer deposition in the AFS specimens, where the results identified fine equiaxed grain structures with even finer grain structures forming at the layer interfaces. The EBSD quantified grains as fine as 0.27 µm in these interface regions while the average grain size was approximately 1 µm. Additionally, this is the first study to report on the strain rate dependence of AFS IN625 through quasi-static (QS) (0.001/s) and high strain rate (HR) (1500/s) tensile experiments using a servo hydraulic frame and a direct tension-Kolsky bar, respectively, which captured both yield and ultimate tensile strengths increasing as strain rate increased. The HS results exhibited an approximately 200 MPa increase in engineering strength over the QS results, with the fracture surfaces at both strain rates aligned with the maximum shear plane and exhibiting localized microvoids.

  11. Reverse logistics system and recycling potential at a landfill: A case study from Kampala City

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kinobe, J.R.; Gebresenbet, G.; Niwagaba, C.B.; Vinnerås, B.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Quantifies the different waste streams delivered at the landfill. • Evaluates the amount of potential waste products that enters into the reverse cycle. • Drawing out the reverse logistics activities from Kampala City to Kiteezi landfill. • Identify the storage, collection and transportation mechanisms of products to the various destinations; and finally. • The study suggests efficient measures to improve reverse logistics system. - Abstract: The rapid growing population and high urbanisation rates in Sub-Saharan Africa has caused enormous pressure on collection services of the generated waste in the urban areas. This has put a burden on landfilling, which is the major waste disposal method. Waste reduction, re-use and recycling opportunities exist but are not fully utilized. The common items that are re-used and re-cycled are plastics, paper, aluminum, glass, steel, cardboard, and yard waste. This paper develops an overview of reverse logistics at Kiteezi landfill, the only officially recognised waste disposal facility for Kampala City. The paper analyses, in details the collection, re-processing, re-distribution and final markets of these products into a reversed supply chain network. Only 14% of the products at Kiteezi landfill are channeled into the reverse chain while 63% could be included in the distribution chain but are left out and disposed of while the remaining 23% is buried. This is because of the low processing power available, lack of market value, lack of knowledge and limited value addition activities to the products. This paper proposes possible strategies of efficient and effective reverse logistics development, applicable to Kampala City and other similar cities

  12. Reverse logistics system and recycling potential at a landfill: A case study from Kampala City

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kinobe, J.R., E-mail: joel.kinobe@slu.se [Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7032, SE-750 07 Uppsala (Sweden); Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Makerere University College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), P.O. Box 7062, Kampala (Uganda); Gebresenbet, G. [Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7032, SE-750 07 Uppsala (Sweden); Niwagaba, C.B. [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Makerere University College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), P.O. Box 7062, Kampala (Uganda); Vinnerås, B. [Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7032, SE-750 07 Uppsala (Sweden)

    2015-08-15

    Highlights: • Quantifies the different waste streams delivered at the landfill. • Evaluates the amount of potential waste products that enters into the reverse cycle. • Drawing out the reverse logistics activities from Kampala City to Kiteezi landfill. • Identify the storage, collection and transportation mechanisms of products to the various destinations; and finally. • The study suggests efficient measures to improve reverse logistics system. - Abstract: The rapid growing population and high urbanisation rates in Sub-Saharan Africa has caused enormous pressure on collection services of the generated waste in the urban areas. This has put a burden on landfilling, which is the major waste disposal method. Waste reduction, re-use and recycling opportunities exist but are not fully utilized. The common items that are re-used and re-cycled are plastics, paper, aluminum, glass, steel, cardboard, and yard waste. This paper develops an overview of reverse logistics at Kiteezi landfill, the only officially recognised waste disposal facility for Kampala City. The paper analyses, in details the collection, re-processing, re-distribution and final markets of these products into a reversed supply chain network. Only 14% of the products at Kiteezi landfill are channeled into the reverse chain while 63% could be included in the distribution chain but are left out and disposed of while the remaining 23% is buried. This is because of the low processing power available, lack of market value, lack of knowledge and limited value addition activities to the products. This paper proposes possible strategies of efficient and effective reverse logistics development, applicable to Kampala City and other similar cities.

  13. Reversion of hyperhydricity in pink (Dianthus chinensis L.) plantlets by AgNO3 and its associated mechanism during in vitro culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Hongyang; Xia, Xiuying; An, Lijia; Xin, Xin; Liang, Yuan

    2017-01-01

    Hyperhydricity occurs frequently in plant tissue culture and can severely affect commercial micropropagation and genetic improvement of the cultured plantlets. Hyperhydric shoots are charaterzized by high water content, but how this occurs is still a subject of investigation. Silver ion (Ag + ) can reduce the extent of hyperhydricity in plants, but its effect on the reversion of hyperhydric plantlets and the underlying mechanism of reversion has not been clarified. In this study, about 67% of the hyperhydric Dianthus chinensis L. plantlets were found to revert to normal condition when the plantlets were cultured in medium supplemented with 29.4μmolL -1 AgNO 3 . Water content and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) content in the guard cells of these plantlets were reduced, while stomatal aperture and water loss rate were increased. AgNO 3 also reduced the content of endogenous ethylene and expression of ethylene synthesis and ethylene signal transduction-associated genes. Reduced accumulation of ethylene consequently led to an increase in stomatal aperture mediated by decreased H 2 O 2 content in the guard cells. These results adequately verified the role of AgNO 3 in the reversion of hyperhydricity in D. chinensis L. and also provided clues for exploring the cause of excessive water accumulation in hyperhydric plants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Influence of additives on microstructures, mechanical properties and shock-induced reaction characteristics of Al/Ni composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiong, Wei; Zhang, Xianfeng, E-mail: lynx@mail.njust.edu.cn; Wu, Yang; He, Yong; Wang, Chuanting; Guo, Lei

    2015-11-05

    Granular composites containing aluminum (Al) and nickel (Ni) are typical structural energetic materials, which possess ideal combination of both mechanical properties and energy release capability. The influence of two additives, namely Teflon (PTFE) and copper (Cu), on mechanical properties and shock-induced chemical reaction (SICR) characteristics of Al/Ni material system has been investigated. Three composites, namely Al/Ni, Al/Ni/PTFE and Al/Ni/Cu with same volumetric ratio of Al powder to Ni powder, were processed by means of static pressing. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the microstructure of the mentioned three composites. Quasi static compression tests were also conducted to determine the mechanical properties and fracture behavior of the mentioned three composites. It was shown that the additives affected both compressive strength and fracture mode of the three composites. Impact initiation experiments on the mentioned three composites were performed to determine their shock-induced chemical reaction characteristics by considering pressure histories measured in the test chamber. The experimental results showed that the additives had significant effects on critical initiation velocity, reaction rate, reaction efficiency and post-reaction behavior. - Highlights: • .Al/Ni, Al/Ni/PTFE and Al/Ni/Cu were processed by means of static pressing. • .Microstructures, mechanical properties and shock-induced reactions were studied. • .Microstructures affect both compressive strength and fracture mode. • .Impact velocity is an important factor in shock-induced chemical characteristics. • .Each additive has significant effects on energy release behavior.

  15. Influence of additives on microstructures, mechanical properties and shock-induced reaction characteristics of Al/Ni composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiong, Wei; Zhang, Xianfeng; Wu, Yang; He, Yong; Wang, Chuanting; Guo, Lei

    2015-01-01

    Granular composites containing aluminum (Al) and nickel (Ni) are typical structural energetic materials, which possess ideal combination of both mechanical properties and energy release capability. The influence of two additives, namely Teflon (PTFE) and copper (Cu), on mechanical properties and shock-induced chemical reaction (SICR) characteristics of Al/Ni material system has been investigated. Three composites, namely Al/Ni, Al/Ni/PTFE and Al/Ni/Cu with same volumetric ratio of Al powder to Ni powder, were processed by means of static pressing. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the microstructure of the mentioned three composites. Quasi static compression tests were also conducted to determine the mechanical properties and fracture behavior of the mentioned three composites. It was shown that the additives affected both compressive strength and fracture mode of the three composites. Impact initiation experiments on the mentioned three composites were performed to determine their shock-induced chemical reaction characteristics by considering pressure histories measured in the test chamber. The experimental results showed that the additives had significant effects on critical initiation velocity, reaction rate, reaction efficiency and post-reaction behavior. - Highlights: • .Al/Ni, Al/Ni/PTFE and Al/Ni/Cu were processed by means of static pressing. • .Microstructures, mechanical properties and shock-induced reactions were studied. • .Microstructures affect both compressive strength and fracture mode. • .Impact velocity is an important factor in shock-induced chemical characteristics. • .Each additive has significant effects on energy release behavior

  16. Mechanical Properties of a Newly Additive Manufactured Implant Material Based on Ti-42Nb

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Schulze

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The application of Ti-6Al-4V alloy or commercially pure titanium for additive manufacturing enables the fabrication of complex structural implants and patient-specific implant geometries. However, the difference in Young’s modulus of α + β-phase Ti alloys compared to the human bone promotes stress-shielding effects in the implant–bone interphase. The aim of the present study is the mechanical characterization of a new pre-alloyed β-phase Ti-42Nb alloy for application in additive manufacturing. The present investigation focuses on the mechanical properties of SLM-printed Ti-42Nb alloy in tensile and compression tests. In addition, the raw Ti-42Nb powder, the microstructure of the specimens prior to and after compression tests, as well as the fracture occurring in tensile tests are characterized by means of the SEM/EDX analysis. The Ti-42Nb raw powder exhibits a dendrite-like Ti-structure, which is melted layer-by-layer into a microstructure with a very homogeneous distribution of Nb and Ti during the SLM process. Tensile tests display Young’s modulus of 60.51 ± 3.92 GPa and an ultimate tensile strength of 683.17 ± 16.67 MPa, whereas, under a compressive load, a compressive strength of 1330.74 ± 53.45 MPa is observed. The combination of high mechanical strength and low elastic modulus makes Ti-42Nb an interesting material for orthopedic and dental implants. The spherical shape of the pre-alloyed material additionally allows for application in metal 3D printing, enabling the fabrication of patient-specific structural implants.

  17. Effect of Reverse Bias Stress on Leakage Currents and Breakdown Voltages of Solid Tantalum Capacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teverovsky, Alexander A.

    2011-01-01

    The majority of solid tantalum capacitors are produced by high-temperature sintering of a fine tantalum powder around a tantalum wire followed by electrolytic anodization that forms a thin amorphous Ta2O5 dielectric layer and pyrolysis of manganese nitrite on the oxide to create a conductive manganese dioxide electrode. A contact to tantalum wire is used as anode terminal and to the manganese layer as a cathode terminal of the device. This process results in formation of an asymmetric Ta -- Ta2O5 -- MnO2 capacitor that has different characteristics at forward (positive bias applied to tantalum) and reverse (positive bias applied to manganese cathode) voltages. Reverse bias currents might be several orders of magnitude larger than forward leakage currents so I-V characteristics of tantalum capacitors resemble characteristics of semiconductor rectifiers. Asymmetric I-V characteristics of Ta -- anodic Ta2O5 systems have been observed at different top electrode materials including metals, electrolytes, conductive polymers, and manganese oxide thus indicating that this phenomenon is likely related to the specifics of the Ta -- Ta2O5 interface. There have been multiple attempts to explain rectifying characteristics of capacitors employing anodic tantalum pentoxide dielectrics. A brief review of works related to reverse bias (RB) behavior of tantalum capacitors shows that the mechanism of conduction in Ta -- Ta2O5 systems is still not clear and more testing and analysis is necessary to understand the processes involved. If tantalum capacitors behave just as rectifiers, then the assessment of the safe reverse bias operating conditions would be a relatively simple task. Unfortunately, these parts can degrade with time under reverse bias significantly, and this further complicates analysis of the I-V characteristics and establishing safe operating areas of the parts. On other hand, time dependence of reverse currents might provide additional information for investigation of

  18. Diffusion properties of active particles with directional reversal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Großmann, R; Bär, M; Peruani, F

    2016-01-01

    The diffusion properties of self-propelled particles which move at constant speed and, in addition, reverse their direction of motion repeatedly are investigated. The internal dynamics of particles triggering these reversal processes is modeled by a stochastic clock. The velocity correlation function as well as the mean squared displacement is investigated and, furthermore, a general expression for the diffusion coefficient for self-propelled particles with directional reversal is derived. Our analysis reveals the existence of an optimal, finite rotational noise amplitude which maximizes the diffusion coefficient. We comment on the relevance of these results with regard to biological systems and suggest further experiments in this context. (paper)

  19. Effect of CeLa addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mn-Mg-Fe alloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Du, Jiandi [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Ding, Dongyan, E-mail: dyding@sjtu.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Xu, Zhou; Zhang, Junchao; Zhang, Wenlong [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Gao, Yongjin; Chen, Guozhen; Chen, Weigao; You, Xiaohua [Huafon NLM Al Co., Ltd, Shanghai 201506 (China); Chen, Renzong; Huang, Yuanwei; Tang, Jinsong [Shanghai Huafon Materials Technology Institute, Shanghai 201203 (China)

    2017-01-15

    Development of high strength lithium battery shell alloy is highly desired for new energy automobile industry. The microstructures and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mn-Mg-Fe alloy with different CeLa additions were investigated through optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Rietveld refinement and tensile testing. Experimental results indicate that Al{sub 8}Cu{sub 4}Ce and Al{sub 6}Cu{sub 6}La phases formed due to CeLa addition. Addition of 0.25 wt.% CeLa could promote the formation of denser precipitation of Al{sub 20}Cu{sub 2}Mn{sub 3} and Al{sub 6}(Mn, Fe) phases, which improved the mechanical properties of the alloy at room temperature. However, up to 0.50 wt.% CeLa addition could promote the formation of coarse Al{sub 8}Cu{sub 4}Ce phase, Al{sub 6}Cu{sub 6}La phase and Al{sub 6}(Mn, Fe) phase, which resulted in weakened mechanical properties. - Highlights: •Al-Cu-Mn-Mg-Fe alloys with different CeLa addition were fabricated through casting and rolling. •Al{sub 8}Cu{sub 4}Ce and Al{sub 6}Cu{sub 6}La phases formed after CeLa addition. •Addition of 0.25 wt.% CeLa promoted formation of denser precipitates of Al{sub 20}Cu{sub 2}Mn{sub 3} and Al{sub 6}(Mn, Fe). •Mechanical properties of the alloy was improved after 0.25 wt.% CeLa addition.

  20. Clean development mechanism and off-grid small-scale hydropower projects: Evaluation of additionality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanwar, Nitin

    2007-01-01

    The global climate change mitigation policies and their stress on sustainable development have made electrification of rural mountainous villages, using small hydro, an attractive destination for potential clean development mechanism (CDM) projects. This invariably involves judging the additionality of such projects. The paper suggests a new approach to judge the additionality of such stand-alone small hydropower projects. This has been done by breaking up additionality into two components: external and local. The external additionality is project developer dependent. For determining the local additionality, the paper takes into account the probability of a village getting electrified over a period of time, which is kept equal to the possible crediting period. This is done by defining an electrification factor (EF) whose value depends on the degree of isolation, financial constraints and institutional constraints encountered while electrifying a mountainous village. Using this EF, the additionality of a CDM project can be judged in a much easier and accurate way. The paper is based on the data and inputs gathered during site visits to many isolated villages located in the eastern Indian Himalayas

  1. Research on the Environmental Performance Evaluation of Electronic Waste Reverse Logistics Enterprise

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yu-Xiang; Chen, Fei-Yang; Tong, Tong

    According to the characteristic of e-waste reverse logistics, environmental performance evaluation system of electronic waste reverse logistics enterprise is proposed. We use fuzzy analytic hierarchy process method to evaluate the system. In addition, this paper analyzes the enterprise X, as an example, to discuss the evaluation method. It's important to point out attributes and indexes which should be strengthen during the process of ewaste reverse logistics and provide guidance suggestions to domestic e-waste reverse logistics enterprises.

  2. Study on the coherence degree of magnetization reversal in Permalloy single-domain nano-ellipses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Júnior, D.S. Vieira [Departamento Acadêmico de Matemática, Física, e Estatística, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sudeste de Minas Gerais – Campus Rio Pomba, Rio Pomba, Minas Gerais 36180-000 (Brazil); Leonel, S.A. [Departamento de Física, Laboratório de Simulação Computacional, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais 36036-330 (Brazil); Toscano, D., E-mail: danilotoscano@fisica.ufjf.br [Departamento de Física, Laboratório de Simulação Computacional, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais 36036-330 (Brazil); Sato, F.; Coura, P.Z.; Dias, R.A. [Departamento de Física, Laboratório de Simulação Computacional, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais 36036-330 (Brazil)

    2017-03-15

    Numerical simulations have been performed to study the magnetization reversal in Permalloy nano-ellipses, under combined in-plane magnetic fields along the longitudinal and the transverse directions. We have considered nano-ellipses with two different aspect ratios and five thicknesses: 220×80×t nm{sup 3} and 70×50×t nm{sup 3}, where t ranging from 5 to 25 nm in steps of 5 nm. We found that the mechanism of magnetization reversal is not only dependent on the parameters of the magnetic field pulse but also related to the ellipse dimensions. It is known that the reversal time is related to the mechanism behind the magnetization reversal. In particular, ultrafast magnetization reversals occur by coherent rotation, when applying a field oriented mainly perpendicular to the initial magnetization. In order to evaluate the degree of coherence of the magnetization reversal we have introduced a quantity called “coherence index”. Besides complementing the previous studies by including the effect of the thickness on the magnetization reversal, our results indicate that it is possible to obtain magnetization reversals with high degree of coherence in small nano-ellipses by adjusting the geometric factors of the ellipse and the parameters of the magnetic field pulse simultaneously. - Highlights: • Magnetization reversals in single-domain nano-ellipses were investigated. • A parameter to evaluate the degree of coherence of the magnetization reversal was proposed. • A higher coherence index indicates a complete, coherent, rotation of the magnetization.

  3. The Influence of Cu Addition on Dispersoid Formation and Mechanical Properties of Al-Mn-Mg 3004 Alloy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhen Li

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The effect of Cu addition on dispersoid precipitation, mechanical properties and creep resistance was investigated in an Al-Mn-Mg 3004 alloy. The addition of Cu promoted dispersoid precipitation by increasing the number density and decreasing the size of dispersoids. Metastable β′-Mg2Si and Q-AlCuMgSi precipitates were observed during the heating process and both could provide favorable nucleation sites for dispersoid precipitation. The addition of Cu improved the thermal stability of dispersoids during a long-term thermal holding at 350 °C for 500 h. Results of mechanical testing show that the addition of Cu remarkably improved the hardness at room temperature, as well as the yield strength and creep resistance at 300 °C, which was mainly attributed to dispersoid strengthening and Cu solid solution strengthening. The yield strength contribution at 300 °C was quantitatively evaluated based on the dispersoid, solid solution and matrix contributions. It was confirmed that dispersoid strengthening is the main strengthening mechanism in the experimental alloys.

  4. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF PARTS OF MEDICAL PRODUCTS PRODUCED USING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Filip Górski

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents results of tests conducted on the elements of medical devices - slings used with medical lifts - manufactured using additive technologies. Project assumptions were: to produce 100 samples of clips with varying design, material and orientation parameter. Samples were manufactured using FDM and SLA processes and then tested for mechanical strength, load transmission and functionality, using certified equipment. Paper shows full methodology and obtained test results.

  5. Encoding changes in orbitofrontal cortex in reversal-impaired aged rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoenbaum, Geoffrey; Setlow, Barry; Saddoris, Michael P; Gallagher, Michela

    2006-03-01

    Previous work in rats and primates has shown that normal aging can be associated with a decline in cognitive flexibility mediated by prefrontal circuits. For example, aged rats are impaired in rapid reversal learning, which in young rats depends critically on the orbitofrontal cortex. To assess whether aging-related reversal impairments reflect orbitofrontal dysfunction, we identified aged rats with reversal learning deficits and then recorded single units as these rats, along with unimpaired aged cohorts and young control rats, learned and reversed a series of odor discrimination problems. We found that the flexibility of neural correlates in orbitofrontal cortex was markedly diminished in aged rats characterized as reversal-impaired in initial training. In particular, although many cue-selective neurons in young and aged-unimpaired rats reversed odor preference when the odor-outcome associations were reversed, cue-selective neurons in reversal-impaired aged rats did not. In addition, outcome-expectant neurons in aged-impaired rats failed to become active during cue sampling after learning. These altered features of neural encoding could provide a basis for cognitive inflexibility associated with normal aging.

  6. Origin of reverse annealing effect in hydrogen-implanted silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Di, Zengfeng [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Nastasi, Michael A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Wang, Yongqiang [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2009-01-01

    In contradiction to conventional damage annealing, thermally annealed H-implanted Si exhibits an increase in damage or reverse annealing behavior, whose mechanism has remained elusive. On the basis of quantitative high resolution transmission electron microscopy combined with channeling Rutherford backscattering analysis, we conclusively elucidate that the reverse annealing effect is due to the nucleation and growth of hydrogen-induce platelets. Platelets are responsible for an increase in the height and width the channeling damage peak following increased isochronal anneals.

  7. Monoamines stimulate sex reversal in the saddleback wrasse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Earl T; Norris, David O; Gordon Grau, E; Summers, Cliff H

    2003-02-15

    Monoamine neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin) play an important role in reproduction and sexual behavior throughout the vertebrates. They are the first endogenous chemical signals in the regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. In teleosts with behavioral sex determination, much is known about behavioral cues that induce sex reversal. The cues are social, processed via the visual system and depend on the ratio of females to males in the population. The mechanisms by which these external behavioral cues are converted to an internal chemical regulatory process are largely unknown. The protogynous Hawaiian saddleback wrasse, Thalassoma duperrey, was used to investigate the biological pathway mediating the conversion of a social cue into neuroendocrine events regulating sex reversal. Because monoamines play an important role in the regulation of the HPG axis, they were selected as likely candidates for such a conversion. To determine if monoamines could affect sex reversal, drugs affecting monoamines were used in an attempt to either induce sex reversal under non-permissive conditions, or prevent sex reversal under permissive conditions. Increasing norepinephrine or blocking dopamine or serotonin lead to sex reversal in experimental animals under non-permissive conditions. Increasing serotonin blocked sex reversal under permissive conditions, while blocking dopamine or norepinephrine retarded the process. The results presented here demonstrate that monoamines contribute significantly to the control sex reversal. Norepinephrine stimulates initiation and completion of gonadal sex of reversal as well as color change perhaps directly via its effects on the HPG axis. Dopamine exercises inhibitory action on the initiation of sex reversal while 5-HT inhibits both initiation and completion of sex reversal. The serotonergic system appears to be an integral part of the pathway mediating the conversion of a social cue into a

  8. Spin-orbit torque induced magnetic vortex polarity reversal utilizing spin-Hall effect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Cheng; Cai, Li; Liu, Baojun; Yang, Xiaokuo; Cui, Huanqing; Wang, Sen; Wei, Bo

    2018-05-01

    We propose an effective magnetic vortex polarity reversal scheme that makes use of spin-orbit torque introduced by spin-Hall effect in heavy-metal/ferromagnet multilayers structure, which can result in subnanosecond polarity reversal without endangering the structural stability. Micromagnetic simulations are performed to investigate the spin-Hall effect driven dynamics evolution of magnetic vortex. The mechanism of magnetic vortex polarity reversal is uncovered by a quantitative analysis of exchange energy density, magnetostatic energy density, and their total energy density. The simulation results indicate that the magnetic vortex polarity is reversed through the nucleation-annihilation process of topological vortex-antivortex pair. This scheme is an attractive option for ultra-fast magnetic vortex polarity reversal, which can be used as the guidelines for the choice of polarity reversal scheme in vortex-based random access memory.

  9. Reversible Splenial Lesion Syndrome (RESLES) Following Glufosinate Ammonium Poisoning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Tae Oh; Yoon, Jae Chol; Lee, Jae Baek; Jin, Young Ho; Hwang, Seung Bae

    2015-01-01

    Isolated and reversible lesion restricted to the splenium of the corpus callosum, known as reversible splenial lesion syndrome, have been reported in patients with infection, high-altitude cerebral edema, seizures, antiepileptic drug withdrawal, or metabolic disturbances. Here, we report a 39-year-old female patient with glufosinate ammonium (GLA) poisoning who presented with confusion and amnesia. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed cytotoxic edema of the splenium of the corpus callosum. The lesion was not present on follow-up MR imaging performed 9 months later. We postulate that a GLA-induced excitotoxic mechanism was the cause of this reversible splenial lesion. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

  10. Effects of cooling rate on particle rearrangement statistics: Rapidly cooled glasses are more ductile and less reversible.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Meng; Wang, Minglei; Zhang, Kai; Liu, Yanhui; Schroers, Jan; Shattuck, Mark D; O'Hern, Corey S

    2017-02-01

    Amorphous solids, such as metallic, polymeric, and colloidal glasses, display complex spatiotemporal response to applied deformations. In contrast to crystalline solids, during loading, amorphous solids exhibit a smooth crossover from elastic response to plastic flow. In this study, we investigate the mechanical response of binary Lennard-Jones glasses to athermal, quasistatic pure shear as a function of the cooling rate used to prepare them. We find several key results concerning the connection between strain-induced particle rearrangements and mechanical response. We show that the energy loss per strain dU_{loss}/dγ caused by particle rearrangements for more rapidly cooled glasses is larger than that for slowly cooled glasses. We also find that the cumulative energy loss U_{loss} can be used to predict the ductility of glasses even in the putative linear regime of stress versus strain. U_{loss} increases (and the ratio of shear to bulk moduli decreases) with increasing cooling rate, indicating enhanced ductility. In addition, we characterized the degree of reversibility of particle motion during a single shear cycle. We find that irreversible particle motion occurs even in the linear regime of stress versus strain. However, slowly cooled glasses, which undergo smaller rearrangements, are more reversible during a single shear cycle than rapidly cooled glasses. Thus, we show that more ductile glasses are also less reversible.

  11. Trend towards reverse leach process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1975-01-01

    The South African gold mining industry is making notable strides in improving recovery methods for both gold and uranium with significant additions to profits because of higher efficiencies and reductions in costs in the recovery processes. The most notable step on the gold side recently is the adoption of the reverse leach process at Buffelsfontein and Western Deep Levels. This process was pioneered at Hartebeesfontein as far back as 1975 and when introduced there resulted in a two and a half per cent improvement in recovery efficiencies. The essence of reverse leaching under which the uranium is recovered before the gold is the fact that the gold partly coated with iron oxide or locked in uranite, is exposed to be recovered later by cyanidation

  12. Effect of Pr addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ61 magnesium alloy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    You Zhiyong

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available To improve the strength, hardness and heat resistance of Mg-6Al-1Zn (AZ61 alloy, the effects of Pr addition on the as-cast microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ61 alloy were investigated at room and elevated temperatures by means of Brinell hardness measurement, optical microscope (OM, scanning electron microscope (SEM, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS, X-ray diffractometer (XRD and DNS100 electronic universal testing machine. The results show that the microstructures of Pr-containing AZ61 alloys were refined, with primary β-Mg17Al12 phase distributed homogeneously. When the addition of Pr is up to 1.2wt.%, the β phase becomes finer, and new needle-like or short-rod shaped Al11Pr3 phase and blocky AlPr phase appear. As a result, optimal tensile properties are obtained. However, greater than 1.2wt.% Pr addition leads to poorer mechanical properties due to the aggregation of the needle-like phase and large size of grains. The present research findings provide a new way for strengthening of magnesium alloys at room and elevated temperatures, and a method of producing thermally-stable AZ61 magnesium alloy.

  13. Reversible a-Fe2O3 to Fe3O4 transformation during ball milling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Linderoth, Søren; Jiang, Jianzhong; Mørup, Steen

    1997-01-01

    The transformation of hematite to magnetite by high-energy ball milling in a sealed container has been studied by Mossbauer spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. Mechanisms for this transformation are critically discussed. The dominant mechanism is concluded to be due to bond breaking during the high...... energy ball milling followed by release of the oxygen from the vial. The reverse transformation, magnetite to hematite, is demonstrated to occur by ball milling in air. Mechanisms for this reverse transformation are also put forward....

  14. Influence of Zr addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties of 14Cr ODS steels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Liye [State Key Lab of Hydraulic Engineering Simulation and Safety, Tianjin key Lab of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Yu, Liming, E-mail: lmyu@tju.edu.cn [State Key Lab of Hydraulic Engineering Simulation and Safety, Tianjin key Lab of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Liu, Yongchang; Liu, Chenxi; Li, Huijun [State Key Lab of Hydraulic Engineering Simulation and Safety, Tianjin key Lab of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Wu, Jiefeng [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China)

    2017-05-17

    Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel is one of the most promising candidate structural materials for the high-temperature nuclear reactor application. In this study, two compositions of ODS steels (14Cr-ODS and 14Cr-Zr-ODS) were prepared to investigate the influence of Zr addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties of ODS steels. The microstructures, including dispersion morphology and crystal structures of oxide particles, particle-matrix interface coherency and particle-dislocation interactions, were characterized using TEM, HRTEM, and SEM, and the mechanical properties at room and high temperatures were measured using uniaxial tensile tests. Results show that Zr addition leads to the formation of finer precipitated particles, which was identified as rhombohedral Y{sub 4}Zr{sub 3}O{sub 12}, with denser dispersion in the matrix. The calculation results reveal that the lattice misfit, δ, at the interface between particle and matrix increases as the particle size increases. In addition, the strength and elongation of ODS steels are improved with Zr addition due to the stronger interface bonding force between fine particles and matrix as well as the larger pinning effect of small particles to dislocation movements.

  15. Inherited XX sex reversal originating from wild medaka populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinomiya, A; Otake, H; Hamaguchi, S; Sakaizumi, M

    2010-11-01

    The teleost fish, medaka (Oryzias latipes), has an XX/XY sex-determining mechanism. A Y-linked DM domain gene, DMY, has been isolated by positional cloning as the sex-determining gene in this species. Previously, we conducted a field survey of genotypic sex and found that approximately 1% of wild medaka are sex-reversed (XX males and XY females). Here, we performed genetic analyses of nine spontaneous XX sex-reversed males to elucidate its genetic basis. In all cases, the F(1) progeny were all females, whereas XX males reappeared in the backcross (BC) progeny, suggesting that XX sex reversal is a recessive trait. Although the incidences of sex reversal in the BC progeny were mostly low, 40% were males derived from one XX male. We performed linkage analysis using 55 BC males and located a single major factor, sda-1 (sex-determining autosomal factor-1), controlling sex reversal in an autosomal linkage group. Thus, genes involved in the sex-determining pathway can be isolated from spontaneous mutants in wild populations.

  16. The GABAergic Anterior Paired Lateral Neurons Facilitate Olfactory Reversal Learning in "Drosophila"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yanying; Ren, Qingzhong; Li, Hao; Guo, Aike

    2012-01-01

    Reversal learning has been widely used to probe the implementation of cognitive flexibility in the brain. Previous studies in monkeys identified an essential role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in reversal learning. However, the underlying circuits and molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we use the T-maze to investigate the neural…

  17. Reversible adaptive plasticity: A mechanism for neuroblastoma cell heterogeneity and chemo-resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lina eChakrabarti

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available We describe a novel form of tumor cell plasticity characterized by reversible adaptive plasticity in murine and human neuroblastoma. Two cellular phenotypes were defined by their ability to exhibit adhered, anchorage dependent (AD or sphere forming, anchorage independent (AI growth. The tumor cells could transition back and forth between the two phenotypes and the transition was dependent on the culture conditions. Both cell phenotypes exhibited stem-like features such as expression of nestin, self-renewal capacity and mesenchymal differentiation potential. The AI tumorspheres were found to be more resistant to chemotherapy and proliferated slower in vitro compared to the AD cells. Identification of specific molecular markers like MAP2, β-catenin and PDGFRβ enabled us to characterize and observe both phenotypes in established mouse tumors. Irrespective of the phenotype originally implanted in mice, tumors grown in vivo show phenotypic heterogeneity in molecular marker signatures and are indistinguishable in growth or histologic appearance. Similar molecular marker heterogeneity was demonstrated in primary human tumor specimens. Chemotherapy or growth factor receptor inhibition slowed tumor growth in mice and promoted initial loss of AD or AI heterogeneity, respectively. Simultaneous targeting of both phenotypes led to further tumor growth delay with emergence of new unique phenotypes. Our results demonstrate that neuroblastoma cells are plastic, dynamic and may optimize their ability to survive by changing their phenotype. Phenotypic switching appears to be an adaptive mechanism to unfavorable selection pressure and could explain the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of neuroblastoma.

  18. Reversible Adaptive Plasticity: A Mechanism for Neuroblastoma Cell Heterogeneity and Chemo-Resistance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chakrabarti, Lina; Abou-Antoun, Thamara; Vukmanovic, Stanislav; Sandler, Anthony D., E-mail: asandler@childrensnational.org [The Joseph E. Robert Center for Surgical Care, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC (United States); The Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC (United States)

    2012-08-02

    We describe a novel form of tumor cell plasticity characterized by reversible adaptive plasticity in murine and human neuroblastoma. Two cellular phenotypes were defined by their ability to exhibit adhered, anchorage dependent (AD) or sphere forming, anchorage independent (AI) growth. The tumor cells could transition back and forth between the two phenotypes and the transition was dependent on the culture conditions. Both cell phenotypes exhibited stem-like features such as expression of nestin, self-renewal capacity, and mesenchymal differentiation potential. The AI tumorspheres were found to be more resistant to chemotherapy and proliferated slower in vitro compared to the AD cells. Identification of specific molecular markers like MAP2, β-catenin, and PDGFRβ enabled us to characterize and observe both phenotypes in established mouse tumors. Irrespective of the phenotype originally implanted in mice, tumors grown in vivo show phenotypic heterogeneity in molecular marker signatures and are indistinguishable in growth or histologic appearance. Similar molecular marker heterogeneity was demonstrated in primary human tumor specimens. Chemotherapy or growth factor receptor inhibition slowed tumor growth in mice and promoted initial loss of AD or AI heterogeneity, respectively. Simultaneous targeting of both phenotypes led to further tumor growth delay with emergence of new unique phenotypes. Our results demonstrate that neuroblastoma cells are plastic, dynamic, and may optimize their ability to survive by changing their phenotype. Phenotypic switching appears to be an adaptive mechanism to unfavorable selection pressure and could explain the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of neuroblastoma.

  19. Measurement of variable magnetic reversal paths in electrically contacted pseudo-spin-valve rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayward, T J; Llandro, J; Schackert, F D O; Morecroft, D; Balsod, R B; Bland, J A C; Castano, F J; Ross, C A

    2007-01-01

    In this work we show that the measurement of single magnetic reversal events is of critical importance in order to correctly characterize the switching of magnetic microstructures. Magnetoresistance measurements are performed on two pseudo-spin-valve ring structures with high enough signal to noise to allow the probing of single reversal events. Using this technique we acquire 'switching spectra' which demonstrate that the rings exhibit a range of variable reversal paths, including a bistable reversal mechanism of the hard layer, where the two switching routes have substantially different switching fields. The signature of the variable reversal paths would have been obscured in field cycle averaged data and in the bistable case would cause a fundamental misinterpretation of the reversal behaviour

  20. Reversible Thermoset Adhesives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mac Murray, Benjamin C. (Inventor); Tong, Tat H. (Inventor); Hreha, Richard D. (Inventor)

    2016-01-01

    Embodiments of a reversible thermoset adhesive formed by incorporating thermally-reversible cross-linking units and a method for making the reversible thermoset adhesive are provided. One approach to formulating reversible thermoset adhesives includes incorporating dienes, such as furans, and dienophiles, such as maleimides, into a polymer network as reversible covalent cross-links using Diels Alder cross-link formation between the diene and dienophile. The chemical components may be selected based on their compatibility with adhesive chemistry as well as their ability to undergo controlled, reversible cross-linking chemistry.

  1. The role of the reversed oblique radiograph in trauma of the foot and ankle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geusens, E.; Geyskens, W.; Brys, P.; Janzing, H.

    2000-01-01

    The objective of this study was to demonstrate the statistical significance of a reversed oblique radiograph of the foot in patients with ankle or foot trauma. In 100 consecutive patients a reversed oblique radiograph of the foot was taken in addition to the conventional plain films. Ten of 29 fractures were not visualised on the conventional films of foot and ankle and could only be diagnosed on the reversed oblique film. In 7 of these 10 cases an avulsion fracture at the anterolateral aspect of the calcaneus was present. This additional reversed oblique film of the foot seems to be of considerable importance, especially when an anterolateral avulsion fracture of the calcaneus is clinically suspected. (orig.)

  2. The role of the reversed oblique radiograph in trauma of the foot and ankle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geusens, E.; Geyskens, W.; Brys, P. [Dept. of Radiology, University Hospitals, Leuven (Belgium); Janzing, H. [Dept. of Traumatology, University Hospitals, Leuven (Belgium)

    2000-03-01

    The objective of this study was to demonstrate the statistical significance of a reversed oblique radiograph of the foot in patients with ankle or foot trauma. In 100 consecutive patients a reversed oblique radiograph of the foot was taken in addition to the conventional plain films. Ten of 29 fractures were not visualised on the conventional films of foot and ankle and could only be diagnosed on the reversed oblique film. In 7 of these 10 cases an avulsion fracture at the anterolateral aspect of the calcaneus was present. This additional reversed oblique film of the foot seems to be of considerable importance, especially when an anterolateral avulsion fracture of the calcaneus is clinically suspected. (orig.)

  3. Reversible oxidative modification: a key mechanism of Na+-K+ pump regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figtree, Gemma A; Liu, Chia-Chi; Bibert, Stephanie; Hamilton, Elisha J; Garcia, Alvaro; White, Caroline N; Chia, Karin K M; Cornelius, Flemming; Geering, Kaethi; Rasmussen, Helge H

    2009-07-17

    Angiotensin II (Ang II) inhibits the cardiac sarcolemmal Na(+)-K(+) pump via protein kinase (PK)C-dependent activation of NADPH oxidase. We examined whether this is mediated by oxidative modification of the pump subunits. We detected glutathionylation of beta(1), but not alpha(1), subunits in rabbit ventricular myocytes at baseline. beta(1) Subunit glutathionylation was increased by peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)), paraquat, or activation of NADPH oxidase by Ang II. Increased glutathionylation was associated with decreased alpha(1)/beta(1) subunit coimmunoprecipitation. Glutathionylation was reversed after addition of superoxide dismutase. Glutaredoxin 1, which catalyzes deglutathionylation, coimmunoprecipitated with beta(1) subunit and, when included in patch pipette solutions, abolished paraquat-induced inhibition of myocyte Na(+)-K(+) pump current (I(p)). Cysteine (Cys46) of the beta(1) subunit was the likely candidate for glutathionylation. We expressed Na(+)-K(+) pump alpha(1) subunits with wild-type or Cys46-mutated beta(1) subunits in Xenopus oocytes. ONOO(-) induced glutathionylation of beta(1) subunit and a decrease in Na(+)-K(+) pump turnover number. This was eliminated by mutation of Cys46. ONOO(-) also induced glutathionylation of the Na(+)-K(+) ATPase beta(1) subunit from pig kidney. This was associated with a approximately 2-fold decrease in the rate-limiting E(2)-->E(1) conformational change of the pump, as determined by RH421 fluorescence. We propose that kinase-dependent regulation of the Na(+)-K(+) pump occurs via glutathionylation of its beta(1) subunit at Cys46. These findings have implications for pathophysiological conditions characterized by neurohormonal dysregulation, myocardial oxidative stress and raised myocyte Na(+) levels.

  4. Influence of additional coupling agent on the mechanical properties of polyester–agave cantala roxb based composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ubaidillah, E-mail: ubaidillah@uns.ac.id [Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Kentingan, Surakarta, 57126 (Indonesia); Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Raharjo, Wijang W.; Wibowo, A. [Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Kentingan, Surakarta, 57126 (Indonesia); Harjana [Iwany Acoustic Research Group, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Kentingan, Surakarta, 57126 (Indonesia); Mazlan, S. A., E-mail: amri.kl@utm.my [Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

    2016-03-29

    The mechanical and morphological properties of the unsaturated polyester resins (UPRs)-agave cantala roxb based composite are investigated in this paper. The cantala fiber woven in 3D angle interlock was utilized as the composite reinforcement. Surface grafting of the cantala fiber through chemical treatment was performed by introducing silane coupling agent to improving the compatibility with the polymer matrix. The fabrication of the composite specimens was conducted using vacuum bagging technique. The effect of additional coupling agent to the morphological appearance of surface fracture was observed using scanning electron microscopy. Meanwhile, the influence of additional silane to the mechanical properties was examined using tensile, bending and impact test. The photograph of surface fracture on the treated specimens showed the residual matrix left on the fibers in which the phenomenon was not found in the untreated specimens. Based on mechanical tests, the treated specimens were successfully increased their mechanical properties by 55%, 9.67%, and 92.4% for tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength, respectively, at 1.5% silane coupling agent.

  5. Temperature dependent polarization reversal mechanism in 0.94(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-0.06Ba(Zr0.02Ti0.98)O3 relaxor ceramics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glaum, Julia; Simons, Hugh; Hudspeth, Jessica; Acosta, Matias; Daniels, John E.

    2015-12-01

    The temperature at which the electric field induced long-range ordered ferroelectric state undergoes transition into the short-range ordered relaxor state, TF-R, is commonly defined by the onset of strong dispersion of the dielectric permittivity. However, this combined macroscopic property and structural investigation of the polarization reversal process in the prototypical lead-free relaxor 0.94(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-0.06Ba(Zr0.02Ti0.98)O3 reveals that an applied electric field can trigger depolarization and onset of relaxor-like behavior well below TF-R. The polarization reversal process can as such be described as a combination of (1) ferroelectric domain switching and (2) a reversible phase transition between two polar ferroelectric states mediated by a non-polar relaxor state. Furthermore, the threshold fields of the second, mediated polarization reversal mechanism depend strongly on temperature. These results are concomitant with a continuous ferroelectric to relaxor transition occurring over a broad temperature range, during which mixed behavior is observed. The nature of polarization reversal can be illustrated in electric-field-temperature (E-T) diagrams showing the electric field amplitudes associated with different polarization reversal processes. Such diagrams are useful tools for identifying the best operational temperature regimes for a given composition in actuator applications.

  6. Zero field reversal probability in thermally assisted magnetization reversal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasetya, E. B.; Utari; Purnama, B.

    2017-11-01

    This paper discussed about zero field reversal probability in thermally assisted magnetization reversal (TAMR). Appearance of reversal probability in zero field investigated through micromagnetic simulation by solving stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gibert (LLG). The perpendicularly anisotropy magnetic dot of 50×50×20 nm3 is considered as single cell magnetic storage of magnetic random acces memory (MRAM). Thermally assisted magnetization reversal was performed by cooling writing process from near/almost Curie point to room temperature on 20 times runs for different randomly magnetized state. The results show that the probability reversal under zero magnetic field decreased with the increase of the energy barrier. The zero-field probability switching of 55% attained for energy barrier of 60 k B T and the reversal probability become zero noted at energy barrier of 2348 k B T. The higest zero-field switching probability of 55% attained for energy barrier of 60 k B T which corespond to magnetif field of 150 Oe for switching.

  7. Reversible surface binding of cadmium and lead by lactic acid and bifidobacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teemu, Halttunen; Seppo, Salminen; Jussi, Meriluoto; Raija, Tahvonen; Kalle, Lertola

    2008-07-15

    Extensive cadmium and lead contamination of water has been reported to occur locally as a result of human activities. Lactic acid bacteria have been reported to remove cadmium and lead from water. The aim of this work was to clarify the mechanisms of cadmium and lead removal from water. In addition, the effect of other metals, reversibility of binding and recyclability of the biomass was assessed. Based on our earlier data, the two most promising lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus fermentum ME3 and Bifidobacterium longum 46, were selected for these experiments. The results showed that the presence of other cationic metals and blocking of carboxyl and phosphoryl groups reduced cadmium and lead removal. These results suggest involvement of electrostatic interactions in cadmium and lead removal, and support our earlier findings. Transmission electron micrographs showed large deposits of lead on the bacterial surface suggesting formation of metallic lead precipitates. Both cadmium and lead removal were reversible processes established by full recovery of removed metal after desorption with dilute solutions of EDTA and HNO(3). Resorption capacity of both biomasses tested was reduced after regeneration with 10 mM EDTA and 15 mM HNO(3). Taken together, the results suggest involvement of several reversible mechanisms such as ion exchange and precipitation in cadmium and lead binding by lactic acid bacteria. The results show that specific lactic acid bacteria have the potential for removal of cadmium and lead from water although reduction in resorption capacity after regeneration of the biomass may form a problem. Since the studies so far have mainly focused on removal of single metals from pure water, metal removal in conditions of natural waters should be assessed in further experiments.

  8. Dynamical similarity of geomagnetic field reversals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valet, Jean-Pierre; Fournier, Alexandre; Courtillot, Vincent; Herrero-Bervera, Emilio

    2012-10-04

    No consensus has been reached so far on the properties of the geomagnetic field during reversals or on the main features that might reveal its dynamics. A main characteristic of the reversing field is a large decrease in the axial dipole and the dominant role of non-dipole components. Other features strongly depend on whether they are derived from sedimentary or volcanic records. Only thermal remanent magnetization of lava flows can capture faithful records of a rapidly varying non-dipole field, but, because of episodic volcanic activity, sequences of overlying flows yield incomplete records. Here we show that the ten most detailed volcanic records of reversals can be matched in a very satisfactory way, under the assumption of a common duration, revealing common dynamical characteristics. We infer that the reversal process has remained unchanged, with the same time constants and durations, at least since 180 million years ago. We propose that the reversing field is characterized by three successive phases: a precursory event, a 180° polarity switch and a rebound. The first and third phases reflect the emergence of the non-dipole field with large-amplitude secular variation. They are rarely both recorded at the same site owing to the rapidly changing field geometry and last for less than 2,500 years. The actual transit between the two polarities does not last longer than 1,000 years and might therefore result from mechanisms other than those governing normal secular variation. Such changes are too brief to be accurately recorded by most sediments.

  9. Reverse screening methods to search for the protein targets of chemopreventive compounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Hongbin; Zhang, Guigui; Zhou, Yuquan; Lin, Chenru; Chen, Suling; Lin, Yutong; Mai, Shangkang; Huang, Zunnan

    2018-05-01

    This article is a systematic review of reverse screening methods used to search for the protein targets of chemopreventive compounds or drugs. Typical chemopreventive compounds include components of traditional Chinese medicine, natural compounds and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs. Such compounds are somewhat selective but are predisposed to bind multiple protein targets distributed throughout diverse signaling pathways in human cells. In contrast to conventional virtual screening, which identifies the ligands of a targeted protein from a compound database, reverse screening is used to identify the potential targets or unintended targets of a given compound from a large number of receptors by examining their known ligands or crystal structures. This method, also known as in silico or computational target fishing, is highly valuable for discovering the target receptors of query molecules from terrestrial or marine natural products, exploring the molecular mechanisms of chemopreventive compounds, finding alternative indications of existing drugs by drug repositioning, and detecting adverse drug reactions and drug toxicity. Reverse screening can be divided into three major groups: shape screening, pharmacophore screening and reverse docking. Several large software packages, such as Schrödinger and Discovery Studio; typical software/network services such as ChemMapper, PharmMapper, idTarget and INVDOCK; and practical databases of known target ligands and receptor crystal structures, such as ChEMBL, BindingDB and the Protein Data Bank (PDB), are available for use in these computational methods. Different programs, online services and databases have different applications and constraints. Here, we conducted a systematic analysis and multilevel classification of the computational programs, online services and compound libraries available for shape screening, pharmacophore screening and reverse docking to enable non-specialist users to quickly learn and

  10. Analysis of Reverse-Bias Leakage Current Mechanisms in Metal/GaN Schottky Diodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Pipinys

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Temperature-dependent reverse-bias current-voltage characteristics obtained by other researchers for Schottky diodes fabricated on GaN are reinterpreted in terms of phonon-assisted tunneling (PhAT model. Temperature dependence of reverse-bias leakage current is shown could be caused by the temperature dependence of electron tunneling rate from traps in the metal-semiconductor interface to the conduction band of semiconductor. A good fit of experimental data with the theory is received in a wide temperature range (from 80 K to 500 K using for calculation the effective mass of 0.222 me. and for the phonon energy the value of 70 meV. The temperature and bias voltages dependences of an apparent barrier height (activation energy are also explicable in the framework of the PhAT model.

  11. Reversible temper brittleness on tensile tests at room temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quadros, N.F. de; Cabral, U.Q.

    1976-01-01

    Tensile tests were carried out on unnotched test pieces at room temperature and three strain rates: 2,5x10 -4 , 2,5x10 -3 and 1,0x10 -2 s -1 in a low alloy No-Cr-Mo steel to observe the variation in its mechanical properties with the occurrence of reversible temper brittleness. The brittle samples showed a sensitivity of 50 0 C in a 48 hour heat treatment at 500 0 C. The tests showed that at the strain rate of 2,5x10 -4 s -1 there are statistically significant differences between the elongations of the material in the brittle and the nonbrittle and regenerated states. A short review of reversible temper brittleness is given and a theory suggested for the mechanism [pt

  12. Reversal of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Murine Schistosomiasis ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    NO Al-Harbi, SA Bahashwan, MS Aboonq, MA Ramadan, AA Bahashwan. Abstract. Purpose: To evaluate the safety, pharmacological effect and mechanism of action of an antifibrotic compound, safironil (SAF)/praziquantel (PZQ) combination on reversal of liver fibrogenesis in chronic murine Schistosomiasis mansoni.

  13. Ergodic properties and thermodynamic behavior of elementary reversible cellular automata. I. Basic properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takesue, Shinji

    1989-01-01

    This is the first part of a series devoted to the study of thermodynamic behavior of large dynamical systems with the use of a family of full-discrete and conservative models named elementary reversible cellular automata (ERCAs). In this paper, basic properties such as conservation laws and phase space structure are investigated in preparation for the later studies. ERCAs are a family of one-dimensional reversible cellular automata having two Boolean variables on each site. Reflection and Boolean conjugation symmetries divide them into 88 equivalence classes. For each rule, additive conserved quantities written in a certain form are regarded as a kind of energy, if they exist. By the aid of the discreteness of the variables, every ERCA satisfies the Liouville theorem or the preservation of phase space volume. Thus, if an energy exists in the above sense, statistical mechanics of the model can formally be constructed. If a locally defined quantity is conserved, however, it prevents the realization of statistical mechanics. The existence of such a quantity is examined for each class and a number of rules which have at least one energy but no local conservation laws are selected as hopeful candidates for the realization of thermodynamic behavior. In addition, the phase space structure of ERCAs is analyzed by enumerating cycles exactly in the phase space for systems of comparatively small sizes. As a result, it is revealed that a finite ERCA is not ergodic, that is, a large number of orbits coexist on an energy surface. It is argued that this fact does not necessarily mean the failure of thermodynamic behavior on the basis of an analogy with the ergodic nature of infinite systems

  14. THE INFLUENCE OF NANO-ADDITIVES ON THE PHYSICO-MECHANICAL PROPERTIES FIBER REINFORCED CONCRETE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Евгений Петрович Матус

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The paper discusses the current state of research of the effect of nanodispersed additives on the properties of fiber reinforced portland cement composites. The results of tests on the strength and viscosity of solutions and samples of fine-grained concrete based on cement binder and cement steel and basalt fiber, carbon nanotubes, silicates, nanosized powder of CaО and degidrol. The effect of methods of introduction of the mixture of nano-additives on the clutch fibers with the matrix. Analysis of experimental data showed the absence of a systematic positive effect of increasing the mechanical strength of the composites due to the introduction of carbon nanotubes.

  15. Reverse Osmosis

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    many applications, one of which is desalination of seawater. The inaugural Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded in 1901 to van 't Hoff for his seminal work in this area. The present article explains the principle of osmosis and reverse osmosis. Osmosis and Reverse Osmosis. As the name suggests, reverse osmosis is the ...

  16. Reverse Engineering Applied to Red Human Hair Pheomelanin Reveals Redox-Buffering as a Pro-Oxidant Mechanism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Eunkyoung; Panzella, Lucia; Micillo, Raffaella; Bentley, William E.; Napolitano, Alessandra; Payne, Gregory F.

    2015-01-01

    Pheomelanin has been implicated in the increased susceptibility to UV-induced melanoma for people with light skin and red hair. Recent studies identified a UV-independent pathway to melanoma carcinogenesis and implicated pheomelanin’s pro-oxidant properties that act through the generation of reactive oxygen species and/or the depletion of cellular antioxidants. Here, we applied an electrochemically-based reverse engineering methodology to compare the redox properties of human hair pheomelanin with model synthetic pigments and natural eumelanin. This methodology exposes the insoluble melanin samples to complex potential (voltage) inputs and measures output response characteristics to assess redox activities. The results demonstrate that both eumelanin and pheomelanin are redox-active, they can rapidly (sec-min) and repeatedly redox-cycle between oxidized and reduced states, and pheomelanin possesses a more oxidative redox potential. This study suggests that pheomelanin’s redox-based pro-oxidant activity may contribute to sustaining a chronic oxidative stress condition through a redox-buffering mechanism. PMID:26669666

  17. Additive Manufacturing and Casting Technology Comparison: Mechanical Properties, Productivity and Cost Benchmark

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vevers, A.; Kromanis, A.; Gerins, E.; Ozolins, J.

    2018-04-01

    The casting technology is one of the oldest production technologies in the world but in the recent years metal additive manufacturing also known as metal 3D printing has been evolving with huge steps. Both technologies have capabilities to produce parts with internal holes and at first glance surface roughness is similar for both technologies, which means that for precise dimensions parts have to be machined in places where precise fit is necessary. Benchmark tests have been made to find out if parts which are produced with metal additive manufacturing can be used to replace parts which are produced with casting technology. Most of the comparative tests have been made with GJS-400-15 grade which is one of the most popular cast iron grades. To compare mechanical properties samples have been produced using additive manufacturing and tested for tensile strength, hardness, surface roughness and microstructure and then the results have been compared with the samples produced with casting technology. In addition, both technologies have been compared in terms of the production time and production costs to see if additive manufacturing is competitive with the casting technology. The original paper has been written in the Latvian language as part of the Master Thesis within the framework of the production technology study programme at Riga Technical University.

  18. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome mimicking a left middle cerebral artery stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terranova, Santo; Kumar, Jai Dev; Libman, Richard B

    2012-01-01

    Certain Acute Clinical presentations are highly suggestive of stroke caused by specific mechanisms. One example of this would be the sudden onset of aphasia without hemiparesis often reflecting cerebral embolism, frequently from a cardiac source. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) describes a usually reversible neurologic syndrome with a variety of presenting symptoms from headache, altered mental status, seizures, vomiting, diminished spontaneity and speech, abnormalities of visual perception and visual loss. We report a patient presenting with elevated blood pressure, CT characteristics of PRES but a highly circumscribed neurologic syndrome (Wernicke's Aphasia without hemiparesis) suggestive of a cardioembolic stroke affecting the left MCA territory. That is, PRES mimicked a focal stroke syndrome. The importance of recognizing this possibility is that his deficits resolved with blood pressure control, while other treatments, such as intensifying his anticoagulation would have been inappropriate. In addition, allowing his blood pressure to remain elevated as is often done in the setting of an acute stroke might have perpetuated the underlying pathophysiology of PRES leading to a worse clinical outcome. For this reason PRES needs to be recognized quickly and treated appropriately.

  19. Early reversal cells in adult human bone remodeling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abdelgawad, Mohamed Essameldin; Delaissé, Jean-Marie; Hinge, Maja

    2016-01-01

    The mechanism coupling bone resorption and formation is a burning question that remains incompletely answered through the current investigations on osteoclasts and osteoblasts. An attractive hypothesis is that the reversal cells are likely mediators of this coupling. Their nature is a big matter...... of debate. The present study performed on human cancellous bone is the first one combining in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to demonstrate their osteoblastic nature. It shows that the Runx2 and CD56 immunoreactive reversal cells appear to take up TRAcP released by neighboring osteoclasts....... Earlier preclinical studies indicate that reversal cells degrade the organic matrix left behind by the osteoclasts and that this degradation is crucial for the initiation of the subsequent bone formation. To our knowledge, this study is the first addressing these catabolic activities in adult human bone...

  20. Development of zero conditioning procedure for coal reverse flotation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D.P. Patil; J.S. Laskowski [University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada). Mining Engineering Department

    2008-04-15

    The zero conditioning method was developed to facilitate the flotation of gangue minerals in the reverse coal flotation process. Batch and continuous methods were developed to maintain the zero conditioning principle during reverse flotation. Batch zero conditioning was achieved by adding the required amount of DTAB in one step, as soon as the air was introduced into the system. The continuous zero conditioning method involves uninterrupted addition of DTAB through a specially built sparger in the form of aerosol during the flotation experiment. This produces active bubbles that carry collector. The addition of DTAB in the form of aerosol during reverse flotation proved to be better in reducing the ash of a sub-bituminous (LS-26) coal from 34.7% to 22.9% with a froth product (gangue) yield of 36.8% without any depressant. In the presence of coal depressant (dextrin, 0.5 kg/t), the ash content of LS-26 coal was reduced from 34.7% to 16.5% at a clean coal yield of 55%, whereas the conventional (forward) flotation with fuel oil provided a clean coal containing 16.5% ash with only 29.2% yield. These results prove that flotation of gangue minerals is very much improved by maintaining zero conditioning time conditions in a coal reverse flotation process.

  1. Does the planetary dynamo go cycling on? Re-examining the evidence for cycles in magnetic reversal rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melott, Adrian L.; Pivarunas, Anthony; Meert, Joseph G.; Lieberman, Bruce S.

    2018-01-01

    The record of reversals of the geomagnetic field has played an integral role in the development of plate tectonic theory. Statistical analyses of the reversal record are aimed at detailing patterns and linking those patterns to core-mantle processes. The geomagnetic polarity timescale is a dynamic record and new paleomagnetic and geochronologic data provide additional detail. In this paper, we examine the periodicity revealed in the reversal record back to 375 million years ago (Ma) using Fourier analysis. Four significant peaks were found in the reversal power spectra within the 16-40-million-year range (Myr). Plotting the function constructed from the sum of the frequencies of the proximal peaks yield a transient 26 Myr periodicity, suggesting chaotic motion with a periodic attractor. The possible 16 Myr periodicity, a previously recognized result, may be correlated with `pulsation' of mantle plumes and perhaps; more tentatively, with core-mantle dynamics originating near the large low shear velocity layers in the Pacific and Africa. Planetary magnetic fields shield against charged particles, which can give rise to radiation at the surface and ionize the atmosphere, which is a loss mechanism particularly relevant to M stars. Understanding the origin and development of planetary magnetic fields can shed light on the habitable zone.

  2. Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics modeling of covalent addition between EGFR-cysteine 797 and N-(4-anilinoquinazolin-6-yl) acrylamide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capoferri, Luigi; Lodola, Alessio; Rivara, Silvia; Mor, Marco

    2015-03-23

    Irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors can circumvent resistance to first-generation ATP-competitive inhibitors in the treatment of nonsmall-cell lung cancer. They covalently bind a noncatalytic cysteine (Cys797) at the surface of EGFR active site by an acrylamide warhead. Herein, we used a hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) potential in combination with umbrella sampling in the path-collective variable space to investigate the mechanism of alkylation of Cys797 by the prototypical covalent inhibitor N-(4-anilinoquinazolin-6-yl) acrylamide. Calculations show that Cys797 reacts with the acrylamide group of the inhibitor through a direct addition mechanism, with Asp800 acting as a general base/general acid in distinct steps of the reaction. The obtained reaction free energy is negative (ΔA = -12 kcal/mol) consistent with the spontaneous and irreversible alkylation of Cys797 by N-(4-anilinoquinazolin-6-yl) acrylamide. Our calculations identify desolvation of Cys797 thiolate anion as a key step of the alkylation process, indicating that changes in the intrinsic reactivity of the acrylamide would have only a minor impact on the inhibitor potency.

  3. Optomechanical transistor with mechanical gain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, X. Z.; Tian, Lin; Li, Yong

    2018-04-01

    We study an optomechanical transistor, where an input field can be transferred and amplified unidirectionally in a cyclic three-mode optomechanical system. In this system, the mechanical resonator is coupled simultaneously to two cavity modes. We show that it only requires a finite mechanical gain to achieve the nonreciprocal amplification. Here the nonreciprocity is caused by the phase difference between the linearized optomechanical couplings that breaks the time-reversal symmetry of this system. The amplification arises from the mechanical gain, which provides an effective phonon bath that pumps the mechanical mode coherently. This effect is analogous to the stimulated emission of atoms, where the probe field can be amplified when its frequency is in resonance with that of the anti-Stokes transition. We show that by choosing optimal parameters, this optomechanical transistor can reach perfect unidirectionality accompanied with strong amplification. In addition, the presence of the mechanical gain can result in ultralong delay in the phase of the probe field, which provides an alternative to controlling light transport in optomechanical systems.

  4. PARAMETER DETERMINATION FOR ADDITIONAL OPERATING FORCE MECHANISM IN DEVICE FOR PNEUMO-CENTRIFUGAL MACHINING OF BALL-SHAPED WORKPIECES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Sukhotsky

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes development of the methodology for optimization of parameters for an additional operating force mechanism in a device for pneumo-centrifugal machining of glass balls. Specific feature in manufacturing glass balls for micro-optics in accordance with technological process for obtaining ball-shaped workpieces is grinding and polishing of spherical surface in a free state. In this case component billets of future balls are made in the form of cubes and the billets are given preliminary a form of ball with the help of rough grinding. An advanced method for obtaining ball-shaped work-pieces from brittle materials is a pneumocentrifugal machining. This method presupposes an application of two conic rings with abrasive working surfaces which are set coaxially with large diameters to each other and the billets are rolled along these rings. Rotation of the billets is conveyed by means of pressure medium.The present devices for pneumo-centrifugal machining are suitable for obtaining balls up to 6 mm. Machining of the work-pieces with full spherical surfaces and large diameter is non-productive due to impossibility to ensure a sufficient force on the billet in the working zone. For this reason the paper proposes a modified device where an additional force on the machined billet is created by upper working disc that is making a reciprocating motion along an axis of abrasive conic rings. The motion is realized with the help of a cylindrical camshaft mechanism in the form of a ring with a profile working end face and the purpose of present paper is to optimize parameters of the proposed device.The paper presents expressions for calculation of constitutive parameters of the additional operating force mechanism including parameters of loading element motion, main dimensions of the additional operating force mechanism and parameters of a profile element in the additional operating force mechanism.Investigation method is a mathematical

  5. Modification of encapsulation pressure of reverse micelles in liquid ethane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Ronald W; Nucci, Nathaniel V; Wand, A Joshua

    2011-09-01

    Encapsulation within reverse micelles dissolved in low viscosity fluids offers a potential solution to the slow tumbling problem presented by large soluble macromolecules to solution NMR spectroscopy. The reduction in effective macromolecular tumbling is directly dependent upon the viscosity of the solvent. Liquid ethane is of sufficiently low viscosity at pressures below 5000 psi to offer a significant advantage. Unfortunately, the viscosity of liquid ethane shows appreciable pressure dependence. Reverse micelle encapsulation in liquid ethane often requires significantly higher pressures, which obviates the potential advantages offered by liquid ethane over liquid propane. Addition of co-surfactants or co-solvents can be used to manipulate the minimum pressure required to obtain stable, well-behaved solutions of reverse micelles prepared in liquid ethane. A library of potential additives is examined and several candidates suitable for use with encapsulated proteins are described. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. EFFECTS OF MO ADDITION ON THE MICROSTRUCTURE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CAST MICROALLOYED STEEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Torkamani

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available In industry, the cost of production is an important factor and it is preferred to use conventional and low cost procedures for producing the parts. Heat treatment cycles and alloying additions are the key factors affecting the microstructure and mechanical properties of the cast steels. In this study an attempt was made to evaluate the influence of minor Mo addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of conventionally heat treated cast micro-alloyed steels. The results of Jominy and dilatometry tests and also microstructural examinations revealed that Mo could effectively increase the hardenability of the investigated steel and change the microstructure features of the air-cooled samples. Acicular microstructure was the consequence of increasing the hardenability in Mo-added steel. Besides, it was found that Mo could greatly affect the isothermal bainitic transformation and higher fraction of martensite after cooling (from isothermal temperature was due to the Mo addition. The results of impact test indicated that the microstructure obtained in air-cooled Mo-added steel led to better impact toughness (28J in comparison with the base steel (23J. Moreover, Mo-added steel possessed higher hardness (291HV, yield (524MPa and tensile (1108MPa strengths compared to the base one.

  7. The role of additives in the recombination luminescence mechanism of irradiated 2-methyltetrahydrofuran glasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krauss, K.H.; Boes, J.

    1981-01-01

    The radiothermoluminescence (RTL) of γ-irradiated pure glassy 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF) and of 2-MTHF glasses containing additives was measured. For pure 2-MTHF a very weak luminescence peak at 93 K (heating rate 0,05 K/s) was found which in the presence of certain additives was enhanced by several orders of magnitude. Using data of radiothermoluminescence, absorption and phosphorescence measurements and bleaching experiments an attempt was made to derive a reaction mechanism. It was found to exist different possibilities for activation the ionic species to give recombination luminescence. (author)

  8. Influence of compatibilizer and/or montmorillonite addition on the mechanical properties and morphology of PP/recycled PET blends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Murilo S.; Souza, Adriana M.C.

    2011-01-01

    In this work, the mechanical properties and morphology PP/recycled PET blends with addition of P(E-co-MA-co-GMA) copolymer and/or montmorillonite clay (MMT) was investigated. The blends were obtained by extrusion and their morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile and impact tests. Thin films of nanocomposites were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD). The addition of P (E-co-MA-co-GMA) or MMT clay separately promoted a decrease of the dispersed phase size. XRD analysis indicated that there was incorporation of polymer in clay galleries. The addition of clay in PP / PET blend resulted in an increase of apparent elastic modulus, impact resistance and HDT and a decrease of tensile strength and elongation at break. The addition of P (E-co-MA-co-GMA) resulted in an increased impact strength and reduction of other properties. There were no significant changes on mechanical properties when the clay and P (E-co-MA-co-GMA) are added simultaneously. (author)

  9. Corneal graft reversal: Histopathologic report of two cases

    OpenAIRE

    Qahtani, Abdullah A.; Alkatan, Hind M.

    2014-01-01

    Graft reversal is a rare cause for failed PKP. In this case report we are presenting 2 graft failure cases in which the corneal grafts were reversed unintentionally. The onset of signs of graft failure, however was variable. We have included their clinical course and the histopathologic findings of the removed corneal grafts. A total of 6 cases including ours have been reported so far. The aim of this report is to attract the attention of corneal surgeons to an additional rare cause for faile...

  10. Epigenetic modification and inheritance in sexual reversal of fish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao, Changwei; Li, Qiye; Chen, Songlin; Zhang, Pei; Lian, Jinmin; Hu, Qiaomu; Sun, Bing; Jin, Lijun; Liu, Shanshan; Wang, Zongji; Zhao, Hongmei; Jin, Zonghui; Liang, Zhuo; Li, Yangzhen; Zheng, Qiumei; Zhang, Yong; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Guojie

    2014-04-01

    Environmental sex determination (ESD) occurs in divergent, phylogenetically unrelated taxa, and in some species, co-occurs with genetic sex determination (GSD) mechanisms. Although epigenetic regulation in response to environmental effects has long been proposed to be associated with ESD, a systemic analysis on epigenetic regulation of ESD is still lacking. Using half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) as a model-a marine fish that has both ZW chromosomal GSD and temperature-dependent ESD-we investigated the role of DNA methylation in transition from GSD to ESD. Comparative analysis of the gonadal DNA methylomes of pseudomale, female, and normal male fish revealed that genes in the sex determination pathways are the major targets of substantial methylation modification during sexual reversal. Methylation modification in pseudomales is globally inherited in their ZW offspring, which can naturally develop into pseudomales without temperature incubation. Transcriptome analysis revealed that dosage compensation occurs in a restricted, methylated cytosine enriched Z chromosomal region in pseudomale testes, achieving equal expression level in normal male testes. In contrast, female-specific W chromosomal genes are suppressed in pseudomales by methylation regulation. We conclude that epigenetic regulation plays multiple crucial roles in sexual reversal of tongue sole fish. We also offer the first clues on the mechanisms behind gene dosage balancing in an organism that undergoes sexual reversal. Finally, we suggest a causal link between the bias sex chromosome assortment in the offspring of a pseudomale family and the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of sexual reversal in tongue sole fish.

  11. Physics of reversed-field pinch profile sustainment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moses, R.W.

    1984-01-01

    A description of the Reversed-Field Pinch (RFP) is given, emphasizing the necessity of a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) or kinetic process to sustain field reversal. Three sustainment mechanisms are reviewed: the MHD dynamo, the tangled discharge model, and nonlocal resistivity. A slab model of steady (ohmic) states is described. A relationship between ohmic state wave numbers and the minimum amplitude of nonsymmetric field components is given. If ohmic states are the sole source of the sustainment process, their wave lengths are probably much longer than the minor diameter of the plasma. Otherwise field asymmetries would exceed those observed in experiments. It is noted that internal field data are still limited, restricting the generality of our comments

  12. Reversible brazing process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pierce, Jim D.; Stephens, John J.; Walker, Charles A.

    1999-01-01

    A method of reversibly brazing surfaces together. An interface is affixed to each surface. The interfaces can be affixed by processes such as mechanical joining, welding, or brazing. The two interfaces are then brazed together using a brazing process that does not defeat the surface to interface joint. Interfaces of materials such as Ni-200 can be affixed to metallic surfaces by welding or by brazing with a first braze alloy. The Ni-200 interfaces can then be brazed together using a second braze alloy. The second braze alloy can be chosen so that it minimally alters the properties of the interfaces to allow multiple braze, heat and disassemble, rebraze cycles.

  13. Dynamic evolution and biogenesis of small RNAs during sex reversal

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Jie; Luo, Majing; Sheng, Yue; Hong, Qiang; Cheng, Hanhua; Zhou, Rongjia

    2015-01-01

    Understanding origin, evolution and functions of small RNA (sRNA) genes has been a great challenge in the past decade. Molecular mechanisms underlying sexual reversal in vertebrates, particularly sRNAs involved in this process, are largely unknown. By deep-sequencing of small RNA transcriptomes in combination with genomic analysis, we identified a large amount of piRNAs and miRNAs including over 1,000 novel miRNAs, which were differentially expressed during gonad reversal from ovary to testis...

  14. Inorganic fouling mitigation by salinity cycling in batch reverse osmosis

    OpenAIRE

    Maswadeh, Laith A.; Warsinger, David Elan Martin; Tow, Emily W.; Connors, Grace B.; Swaminathan, Jaichander; Lienhard, John H

    2018-01-01

    Enhanced fouling resistance has been observed in recent variants of reverse osmosis (RO) desalination which use time-varying batch or semi-batch processes, such as closed-circuit RO (CCRO) and pulse flow RO (PFRO). However, the mechanisms of batch processes' fouling resistance are not well-understood, and models have not been developed for prediction of their fouling performance. Here, a framework for predicting reverse osmosis fouling is developed by comparing the fluid residence time in bat...

  15. Microstructure and mechanical properties of 304L steel fabricated by arc additive manufacturing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji Lei

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available For 304L large structural parts used in nuclear power, it is hard and costly to fabricate and machine traditionally. Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM has low cost and high material utilization, which provides an efficient way to fabricate the large structural parts. So in this study, WAAM is used to fabricate the parts of 304L stainless steel. Through the tensile test and metallographic analysis, the mechanical properties and microstructure of the 304L stainless steel fabricated by WAAM were explored. The results indicate that with the layers depositing, the cooling rate becomes slower, the dendrites become thicker and the morphology becomes more stable. Due to the existence of dendrites, the grain boundary strengthening effect is different between the transverse direction and longitudinal direction, and resulting in anisotropy of mechanical properties. However, the mechanical properties of the parts correspond to the forged piece, which lays the foundation for future applications.

  16. Development of wet-dry reversible reverse osmosis membrane with high performance from cellulose acetate and cellulose triactate blend

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vasarhelyi, K.; Ronner, J.A.; Mulder, M.H.V.; Smolders, C.A.

    1987-01-01

    Wet-dry reversible membrane were prepared bt a two-step coagulation procedure. A cast film containing a blend of cellulose triacetate as polymers, dioxane and acetone as solvents and maleic acid and methanol as additives was immersed consecutively in two aqueous coagulation baths, the first bath

  17. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying sea urchin reversible adhesion : A quantitative proteomics approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lebesgue, Nicolas; da Costa, Gonçalo; Ribeiro, Raquel Mesquita; Ribeiro-Silva, Cristina; Martins, Gabriel G; Matranga, Valeria; Scholten, Arjen|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/313939780; Cordeiro, Carlos; Heck, Albert J R|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/105189332; Santos, Romana

    2016-01-01

    Marine bioadhesives have unmatched performances in wet environments, being an inspiration for biomedical applications. In sea urchins specialized adhesive organs, tube feet, mediate reversible adhesion, being composed by a disc, producing adhesive and de-adhesive secretions, and a motile stem. After

  18. Managing Reverse Logistics or Reversing Logistics Management?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M.P. de Brito (Marisa)

    2004-01-01

    textabstractIn the past, supply chains were busy fine-tuning the logistics from raw material to the end customer. Today an increasing flow of products is going back in the chain. Thus, companies have to manage reverse logistics as well.This thesis contributes to a better understanding of reverse

  19. Stainless austenitic steels strengthened due to reversible phase transformations and by ageing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sagaradze, V.V.; Kositsyna, I.I.; Ozhiganov, A.V.

    1981-01-01

    The effect of the reversible phase transformations, consisting in the conduction of the direct and reverse martensite transformations and aging, during which the intermetallide γ'-phase of the composition Ni 3 Ti is formed, on the streng-thening of alloys in the Fe-Cr-Ni-Ti system is considered. Stainless austenitic steels Kh12N12T3 and Kh12N14T3, which acquire high mechanical properties: σsub(0.2)=685-785 MPa, σsub(B)=1275 MPa, delta >= 20%, as a result of reversible phase transformations and aging, are suggested. After the reversible phase transformations and ageing the steels possess a high resistance to γ-α-transformation during cold treatment [ru

  20. Synthesis of Porous and Mechanically Compliant Carbon Aerogels Using Conductive and Structural Additives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Macias

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We report the synthesis of conductive and mechanically compliant monolithic carbon aerogels prepared by sol-gel polycondensation of melamine-resorcinol-formaldehyde (MRF mixtures by incorporating diatomite and carbon black additives. The resulting aerogels composites displayed a well-developed porous structure, confirming that the polymerization of the precursors is not impeded in the presence of either additive. The aerogels retained the porous structure after etching off the siliceous additive, indicating adequate cross-linking of the MRF reactants. However, the presence of diatomite caused a significant fall in the pore volumes, accompanied by coarsening of the average pore size (predominance of large mesopores and macropores. The diatomite also prevented structural shrinkage and deformation of the as-prepared monoliths upon densification by carbonization, even after removal of the siliceous framework. The rigid pristine aerogels became more flexible upon incorporation of the diatomite, favoring implementation of binderless monolithic aerogel electrodes.

  1. Electrochemical transformation of trichloroethylene in aqueous solution by electrode polarity reversal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajic, Ljiljana; Fallahpour, Noushin; Yuan, Songhu; Alshawabkeh, Akram N

    2014-12-15

    Electrode polarity reversal is evaluated for electrochemical transformation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in aqueous solution using flow-through reactors with mixed metal oxide electrodes and Pd catalyst. The study tests the hypothesis that optimizing electrode polarity reversal will generate H2O2 in Pd presence in the system. The effect of polarity reversal frequency, duration of the polarity reversal intervals, current intensity and TCE concentration on TCE removal rate and removal mechanism were evaluated. TCE removal efficiencies under 6 cycles h(-1) were similar in the presence of Pd catalyst (50.3%) and without Pd catalyst (49.8%), indicating that Pd has limited impact on TCE degradation under these conditions. The overall removal efficacies after 60 min treatment under polarity reversal frequencies of 6, 10, 15, 30 and 90 cycles h(-1) were 50.3%, 56.3%, 69.3%, 34.7% and 23.4%, respectively. Increasing the frequency of polarity reversal increases TCE removal as long as sufficient charge is produced during each cycle for the reaction at the electrode. Electrode polarity reversal shifts oxidation/reduction and reduction/oxidation sequences in the system. The optimized polarity reversal frequency (15 cycles h(-1) at 60 mA) enables two reaction zones formation where reduction/oxidation occurs at each electrode surface. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. "ALS reversals": demographics, disease characteristics, treatments, and co-morbidities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, Daniel; Mehta, Paul; van Es, Michael A; Stommel, Elijah; Drory, Vivian E; Nefussy, Beatrice; van den Berg, Leonard H; Crayle, Jesse; Bedlack, Richard

    2018-04-02

    To identify differences in demographics, disease characteristics, treatments, and co-morbidities between patients with "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) reversals" and those with typically progressive ALS. Cases of possible ALS reversals were found in prior publications, in the Duke ALS clinic, through self-referral or referral from other Neurologists, and on the internet. Of 89 possible reversals identified, 36 cases were included because chart or literature review confirmed their diagnosis and a robust, sustained improvement in at least one objective measure. Controls were participants in the Pooled Resource Open-Access ALS Clinical Trials database and the National ALS Registry. Cases and controls were compared using descriptive statistics. ALS reversals were more likely to be male, have limb onset disease, and initially progress faster. The prevalences of myasthenia gravis (MG) and purely lower motor neuron disease in cases were higher than estimates of these prevalences in the general population. The odds of taking curcumin, luteolin, cannabidiol, azathioprine, copper, glutathione, vitamin D, and fish oil were greater for cases than controls. When compared to patients with typically progressive ALS, patients with reversals differed in their demographics, disease characteristics, and treatments. While some of these patients may have had a rare antibody-mediated ALS mimicker, such as atypical myasthenia gravis, details of their exams, EMGs and family histories argue that this was unlikely. Instead, our data suggest that ALS reversals warrant evaluation for mechanisms of disease resistance and that treatments associated with multiple ALS reversals deserve further study.

  3. Quinolone Resistance Reversion by Targeting the SOS Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Recacha, E; Machuca, J; Díaz de Alba, P; Ramos-Güelfo, M; Docobo-Pérez, F; Rodriguez-Beltrán, J; Blázquez, J; Pascual, A; Rodríguez-Martínez, J M

    2017-10-10

    Suppression of the SOS response has been postulated as a therapeutic strategy for potentiating antimicrobial agents. We aimed to evaluate the impact of its suppression on reversing resistance using a model of isogenic strains of Escherichia coli representing multiple levels of quinolone resistance. E. coli mutants exhibiting a spectrum of SOS activity were constructed from isogenic strains carrying quinolone resistance mechanisms with susceptible and resistant phenotypes. Changes in susceptibility were evaluated by static (MICs) and dynamic (killing curves or flow cytometry) methodologies. A peritoneal sepsis murine model was used to evaluate in vivo impact. Suppression of the SOS response was capable of resensitizing mutant strains with genes encoding three or four different resistance mechanisms (up to 15-fold reductions in MICs). Killing curve assays showed a clear disadvantage for survival (Δlog 10 CFU per milliliter [CFU/ml] of 8 log units after 24 h), and the in vivo efficacy of ciprofloxacin was significantly enhanced (Δlog 10 CFU/g of 1.76 log units) in resistant strains with a suppressed SOS response. This effect was evident even after short periods (60 min) of exposure. Suppression of the SOS response reverses antimicrobial resistance across a range of E. coli phenotypes from reduced susceptibility to highly resistant, playing a significant role in increasing the in vivo efficacy. IMPORTANCE The rapid rise of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens is now considered a major global health crisis. New strategies are needed to block the development of resistance and to extend the life of antibiotics. The SOS response is a promising target for developing therapeutics to reduce the acquisition of antibiotic resistance and enhance the bactericidal activity of antimicrobial agents such as quinolones. Significant questions remain regarding its impact as a strategy for the reversion or resensitization of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To address this

  4. Physico-mechanical and dissolution behaviours of ibuprofen crystals crystallized in the presence of various additives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A Nokhodchi

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available "n  "n Background and the purpose of the study: The success of any direct-tableting procedure is strongly affected by the quality of the crystals used in the process. Ibuprofen is a poorly compactible drug with a high tendency for capping. In order to use ibuprofen in direct compression formulations, physico-mechanical properties of ibuprofen should be improved considerably. The aim of the present investigation was to employ crystallization techniques in order to improve the physico-mechanical properties of ibuprofen for direct compression. "nMethods:The experimental methods involved the preparation of ibuprofen crystals by solvent change technique. Ibuprofen was dissolved in ethanol and crystallized out with water in the absence or presence of various hydrophilic additives (PEG 6000, 8000, Brij 98P and polyvinyl alcohol 22000, PVA 22000 with different concentrations. The physico-mechanical properties of the ibuprofen crystals were studied in terms of flow, density, tensile strength and dissolution behaviour. Morphology of ibuprofen crystals was studied by scanning electron microscopic (SEM. Solid state of the recrystallized particles was also investigated using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC and FT-IR. "nResults:Ibuprofen samples crystallized in the presence of PEG 6000 and 8000 and PVA showed remarkable increase in the tensile strengths of the directly compressed tablets, while some other additives, i.e. Brij 98P did not produce improved ibuprofen crystals. Ibuprofen powders made from particles obtained in the presence of PVA and Brij 98P showed similar dissolution profiles to the commercial ibuprofen particles. DSC and FT-IR results ruled out any significant interaction between ibuprofen and additives except for the samples crystallized in the presence of PEG 8000. Conclusion:The crystal habit of ibuprofen can be altered successfully by the crystallization technique which was developed in this study. The crystals developed in the

  5. Magnetization reversal in single molecule magnets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bokacheva, Louisa

    2002-09-01

    I have studied the magnetization reversal in single molecule magnets (SMMs). SMMs are Van der Waals crystals, consisting of identical molecules containing transition metal ions, with high spin and large uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. They can be considered as ensembles of identical, iso-oriented nanomagnets. At high temperature, these materials behave as superparamagnets and their magnetization reversal occurs by thermal activation. At low temperature they become blocked, and their magnetic relaxation occurs via thermally assisted tunneling or pure quantum tunneling through the anisotropy barrier. We have conducted detailed experimental studies of the magnetization reversal in SMM material Mn12-acetate (Mn12) with S = 10. Low temperature measurements were conducted using micro-Hall effect magnetometry. We performed hysteresis and relaxation studies as a function of temperature, transverse field, and magnetization state of the sample. We identified magnetic sublevels that dominate the tunneling at a given field, temperature and magnetization. We observed a crossover between thermally assisted and pure quantum tunneling. The form of this crossover depends on the magnitude and direction of the applied field. This crossover is abrupt (first-order) and occurs in a narrow temperature interval (tunneling mechanisms in Mn12.

  6. Structural and mechanical characterization of custom design cranial implant created using additive manufacturing

    OpenAIRE

    Khaja Moiduddin; Saied Darwish; Abdulrahman Al-Ahmari; Sherif ElWatidy; Ashfaq Mohammad; Wadea Ameen

    2017-01-01

    Background: Reconstruction of customized cranial implants with a mesh structure using computer-assisted design and additive manufacturing improves the implant design, surgical planning, defect evaluation, implant-tissue interaction and surgeon's accuracy. The objective of this study is to design, develop and fabricate cranial implant with mechanical properties closer to that of bone and drastically decreases the implant failure and to improve the esthetic outcome in cranial surgery with preci...

  7. Facile synthesis, growth mechanism and reversible superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic properties of non-flaking CuO nanowires grown from porous copper substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Qiaobao; Xu Daguo; Zhang Kaili; Hung, Tak Fu

    2013-01-01

    Reversible superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces based on porous substrates covered with CuO nanowires are developed in this study. A facile thermal oxidation method is used to synthesize non-flaking bicrystalline CuO nanowires on porous copper substrates in static air. The effects of thermal oxidation temperature and duration are systemically studied. The growth mechanism of the obtained non-flaking CuO nanowires is presented and the compression stress is believed to be the key driving force. The wettability of the CuO nanowires after chemical modification with trichloro(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl)silane is systemically investigated. The porous substrates covered with CuO nanowires exhibit excellent superhydrophobic performance with almost no water adhesion and no apparent drag resistance, and a maximum static water contact angle of 162 ± 2° is observed. Moreover, a rapid reversibly switchable wettability between superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic states is realized by the alternation of air–plasma treatment and surface fluorination. The porous substrates covered with CuO nanowires will find promising applications in surface and corrosion protection, liquid transportation, oil–water separation, and self-cleaning surfaces. (paper)

  8. Adiabatic process reversibility: microscopic and macroscopic views

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anacleto, Joaquim; Pereira, Mario G

    2009-01-01

    The reversibility of adiabatic processes was recently addressed by two publications. In the first (Miranda 2008 Eur. J. Phys. 29 937-43), an equation was derived relating the initial and final volumes and temperatures for adiabatic expansions of an ideal gas, using a microscopic approach. In that relation the parameter r accounts for the process reversibility, ranging between 0 and 1, which corresponds to the free and reversible expansion, respectively. In the second (Anacleto and Pereira 2009 Eur. J. Phys. 30 177-83), the authors have shown that thermodynamics can effectively and efficiently be used to obtain the general law for adiabatic processes carried out by an ideal gas, including compressions, for which r≥1. The present work integrates and extends the aforementioned studies, providing thus further insights into the analysis of the adiabatic process. It is shown that Miranda's work is wholly valid for compressions. In addition, it is demonstrated that the adiabatic reversibility coefficient given in terms of the piston velocity and the root mean square velocity of the gas particles is equivalent to the macroscopic description, given just by the quotient between surroundings and system pressure values. (letters and comments)

  9. Similarities between long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) reverse transcriptase and telomerase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopera, Huira C; Moldovan, John B; Morrish, Tammy A; Garcia-Perez, Jose Luis; Moran, John V

    2011-12-20

    Long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) retrotransposons encode two proteins (ORF1p and ORF2p) that contain activities required for conventional retrotransposition by a mechanism termed target-site primed reverse transcription. Previous experiments in XRCC4 or DNA protein kinase catalytic subunit-deficient CHO cell lines, which are defective for the nonhomologous end-joining DNA repair pathway, revealed an alternative endonuclease-independent (ENi) pathway for L1 retrotransposition. Interestingly, some ENi retrotransposition events in DNA protein kinase catalytic subunit-deficient cells are targeted to dysfunctional telomeres. Here we used an in vitro assay to detect L1 reverse transcriptase activity to demonstrate that wild-type or endonuclease-defective L1 ribonucleoprotein particles can use oligonucleotide adapters that mimic telomeric ends as primers to initiate the reverse transcription of L1 mRNA. Importantly, these ribonucleoprotein particles also contain a nuclease activity that can process the oligonucleotide adapters before the initiation of reverse transcription. Finally, we demonstrate that ORF1p is not strictly required for ENi retrotransposition at dysfunctional telomeres. Thus, these data further highlight similarities between the mechanism of ENi L1 retrotransposition and telomerase.

  10. Reverse leakage current characteristics of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well ultraviolet/blue/green light-emitting diodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Shengjun; Lv, Jiajiang; Wu, Yini; Zhang, Yuan; Zheng, Chenju; Liu, Sheng

    2018-05-01

    We investigated the reverse leakage current characteristics of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) near-ultraviolet (NUV)/blue/green light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Experimental results showed that the NUV LED has the smallest reverse leakage current whereas the green LED has the largest. The reason is that the number of defects increases with increasing nominal indium content in InGaN/GaN MQWs. The mechanism of the reverse leakage current was analyzed by temperature-dependent current–voltage measurement and capacitance–voltage measurement. The reverse leakage currents of NUV/blue/green LEDs show similar conduction mechanisms: at low temperatures, the reverse leakage current of these LEDs is attributed to variable-range hopping (VRH) conduction; at high temperatures, the reverse leakage current of these LEDs is attributed to nearest-neighbor hopping (NNH) conduction, which is enhanced by the Poole–Frenkel effect.

  11. Nonlinear Time-Reversal in a Wave Chaotic System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frazier, Matthew; Taddese, Biniyam; Ott, Edward; Antonsen, Thomas; Anlage, Steven

    2012-02-01

    Time reversal mirrors are particularly simple to implement in wave chaotic systems and form the basis for a new class of sensors [1-3]. These sensors work by applying the quantum mechanical concepts of Loschmidt echo and fidelity decay to classical waves. The sensors make explicit use of time-reversal invariance and spatial reciprocity in a wave chaotic system to remotely measure the presence of small perturbations to the system. The underlying ray chaos increases the sensitivity to small perturbations throughout the volume explored by the waves. We extend our time-reversal mirror to include a discrete element with a nonlinear dynamical response. The initially injected pulse interacts with the nonlinear element, generating new frequency components originating at the element. By selectively filtering for and applying the time-reversal mirror to the new frequency components, we focus a pulse only onto the element, without knowledge of its location. Furthermore, we demonstrate transmission of arbitrary patterns of pulses to the element, creating a targeted communication channel to the exclusion of 'eavesdroppers' at other locations in the system. [1] Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 114103 (2009) [2] J. Appl. Phys. 108, 1 (2010) [3] Acta Physica Polonica A 112, 569 (2007)

  12. Aortic Blood Flow Reversal Determines Renal Function: Potential Explanation for Renal Dysfunction Caused by Aortic Stiffening in Hypertension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashimoto, Junichiro; Ito, Sadayoshi

    2015-07-01

    Aortic stiffness determines the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and predicts the progressive decline of the GFR. However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanism remains obscure. Recent evidence has shown a close link between aortic stiffness and the bidirectional (systolic forward and early diastolic reverse) flow characteristics. We hypothesized that the aortic stiffening-induced renal dysfunction is attributable to altered central flow dynamics. In 222 patients with hypertension, Doppler velocity waveforms were recorded at the proximal descending aorta to calculate the reverse/forward flow ratio. Tonometric waveforms were recorded to measure the carotid-femoral (aortic) and carotid-radial (peripheral) pulse wave velocities, to estimate the aortic pressure from the radial waveforms, and to compute the aortic characteristic impedance. In addition, renal hemodynamics was evaluated by duplex ultrasound. The estimated GFR was inversely correlated with the aortic pulse wave velocity, reverse/forward flow ratio, pulse pressure, and characteristic impedance, whereas it was not correlated with the peripheral pulse wave velocity or mean arterial pressure. The association between aortic pulse wave velocity and estimated GFR was independent of age, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and antihypertensive medication. However, further adjustment for the aortic reverse/forward flow ratio and pulse pressure substantially weakened this association, and instead, the reverse/forward flow ratio emerged as the strongest determinant of estimated GFR (P=0.001). A higher aortic reverse/forward flow ratio was also associated with lower intrarenal forward flow velocities. These results suggest that an increase in aortic flow reversal (ie, retrograde flow from the descending thoracic aorta toward the aortic arch), caused by aortic stiffening and impedance mismatch, reduces antegrade flow into the kidney and thereby deteriorates renal function. © 2015 American Heart Association

  13. Mechanical properties of potato starch modified by moisture content and addition of lubricant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stasiak, Mateusz; Molenda, Marek; Horabik, Józef; Mueller, Peter; Opaliński, Ireneusz

    2014-10-01

    Laboratory testing was conducted to deliver a set of characteristics of structure and mechanical properties of pure starch and starch with an addition of a lubricant - magnesium stearate. Considerable influence of moisture content of potato starch was found in the case of density, parameters of internal friction, coefficients of wall friction and flowability. Elasticity was found to be strongly influenced by water content of the material. Addition of magnesium stearate affected density and parameters of flowability, internal friction and elasticity. Bulk density increased from 604 to 774 kg m-3 with decrease in moisture content of potato starch from 17 to for 6%. Addition of magnesium stearate resulted in approximately 10% decrease in bulk density. Angle of internal friction obtained for 10 kPa of consolidation stress decreased from 33 to 24º with increase in moisture content, and to approximately 22º with addition of the lubricant. With an increase of moisture content from 6 to 18% and with addition of the lubricant, the modulus of elasticity during loading decreased from approximately 1.0 to 0.1 MPa. Modulus of elasticity during unloading was found in the range from 19 to 42 MPa and increased with increase of moisture content and amount of lubricant.

  14. Biaxially mechanical tuning of 2-D reversible and irreversible surface topologies through simultaneous and sequential wrinkling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Jie; Yagüe, Jose Luis; Boyce, Mary C; Gleason, Karen K

    2014-02-26

    Controlled buckling is a facile means of structuring surfaces. The resulting ordered wrinkling topologies provide surface properties and features desired for multifunctional applications. Here, we study the biaxially dynamic tuning of two-dimensional wrinkled micropatterns under cyclic mechanical stretching/releasing/restretching simultaneously or sequentially. A biaxially prestretched PDMS substrate is coated with a stiff polymer deposited by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). Applying a mechanical release/restretch cycle in two directions loaded simultaneously or sequentially to the wrinkled system results in a variety of dynamic and tunable wrinkled geometries, the evolution of which is investigated using in situ optical profilometry, numerical simulations, and theoretical modeling. Results show that restretching ordered herringbone micropatterns, created through sequential release of biaxial prestrain, leads to reversible and repeatable surface topography. The initial flat surface and the same wrinkled herringbone pattern are obtained alternatively after cyclic release/restretch processes, owing to the highly ordered structure leaving no avenue for trapping irregular topological regions during cycling as further evidenced by the uniformity of strains distributions and negligible residual strain. Conversely, restretching disordered labyrinth micropatterns created through simultaneous release shows an irreversible surface topology whether after sequential or simultaneous restretching due to creation of irregular surface topologies with regions of highly concentrated strain upon formation of the labyrinth which then lead to residual strains and trapped topologies upon cycling; furthermore, these trapped topologies depend upon the subsequent strain histories as well as the cycle. The disordered labyrinth pattern varies after each cyclic release/restretch process, presenting residual shallow patterns instead of achieving a flat state. The ability to

  15. Experiment-based thermal micromagnetic simulations of the magnetization reversal for ns-range clocked nanomagnetic logic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziemys, Grazvydas; Breitkreutz-v. Gamm, Stephan; Csaba, Gyorgy; Schmitt-Landsiedel, Doris; Becherer, Markus

    2017-05-01

    Extensive thermal micromagnetic simulations, based on experimental data and parameters, were performed to investigate the magnetization reversal in Co/Pt nanomagnets with locally reduced perpendicular anisotropy on the nanosecond range. The simulations were supported by experimental data gained on manufactured Co/Pt nanomagnets, as used in nanomagnetic logic. It is known that magnetization reversal is governed by two mechanisms. At pulse lengths longer than 100 ns, thermal activation dominates the magnetization reversal processes and follows the common accepted Arrhenius law. For pulse lengths shorter than 100 ns, the dynamic reversal dominates. With the help of thermal micro-magnetic simulations we found out that the point where the both mechanisms meet is determined by the damping constant α of the multilayer film stack. The optimization of ferromagnetic multilayer film stacks enables higher clocking rates with lower power consumption and, therefore, further improve the performance of pNML.

  16. SMA bellows as reversible thermal sensors/actuators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damanpack, A R; Bodaghi, M; Liao, W H

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, the feasibility of reversible bellows made of shape memory alloys (SMAs) in sensory and actuated applications to transfer pressure and/or temperature into a linear motion is investigated. An analytical three-dimensional model is developed to simulate key features of SMAs including martensitic transformation, reorientation of martensite variants, the shape memory effect, and pseudo-elasticity. Axisymmetric two-dimensional theory of thermo-inelasticity based on the non-linear Green–Lagrange strain tensor is employed to derive the equilibrium equations. A finite element method along with an iterative incremental elastic-predictor–inelastic-corrector procedure is developed to solve the governing equations with both material and geometrical non-linearities. The feasibility of reversible SMA bellows in transferring pressure and/or temperature into a linear motion is numerically demonstrated. In this respect, the effects of geometric parameters, magnitude of thermo-mechanical loadings and end conditions on the performances of SMA bellows are evaluated and discussed in depth. This study provides pertinent results toward an efficient and reliable design of reversible thermally-driven SMA bellows. (paper)

  17. Kinetics and mechanism of the cutinase-catalyzed transesterification of oils in AOT reversed micellar system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badenes, Sara M; Lemos, Francisco; Cabral, Joaquim M S

    2011-11-01

    The kinetics of the enzymatic transesterification between a mixture of triglycerides (oils) and methanol for biodiesel production in a bis(2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT)/isooctane reversed micellar system, using recombinant cutinase from Fusarium solani pisi as a catalyst, was investigated. In order to describe the results that were obtained, a mechanistic scheme was proposed, based on the literature and on the experimental data. This scheme includes the following reaction steps: the formation of the active enzyme-substrate complex, the addition of an alcohol molecule to the complex followed by the separation of a molecule of the fatty acid alkyl ester and a glycerol moiety, and release of the active enzyme. Enzyme inhibition and deactivation effects due to methanol and glycerol were incorporated in the model. This kinetic model was fitted to the concentration profiles of the fatty acid methyl esters (the components of biodiesel), tri-, di- and monoglycerides, obtained for a 24 h transesterification reaction performed in a stirred batch reactor under different reaction conditions of enzyme and initial substrates concentration.

  18. Reversible martensitic ω-α transformation in Ti and Zr

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al'shevskij, Yu.L.; Kul'nitskij, B.A.; Konyaev, Yu.S.; Rojtburt, A.L.

    1985-01-01

    The mechanism of phase transformation in pure Ti and Zr in samples with initial ω-structure, produced as a result of heating to 1400 K with subsequent increase in pressure up to 8 GPa and a sharp decrease in temperature and pressure to normal values, has been studies. As a result of α → β → ω transformation, occurring in the process of the above-mentioned treatment, grains of ω-phase with perfect rystal structure are formed. With ω-phase heating to 650 K formation of α-phase takes place, and it is accompanied by the appearance of characteristic martensitic relief on the sample surface. Subsequent application of high pressure results in the reverse α → ω transformation with the disappearance of surface relief.The data suggest that direct ω → α transformation while heating and reverse α → ω transformation under pressure are realized according to martensitic mechanism

  19. Time reversal imaging, Inverse problems and Adjoint Tomography}

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montagner, J.; Larmat, C. S.; Capdeville, Y.; Kawakatsu, H.; Fink, M.

    2010-12-01

    With the increasing power of computers and numerical techniques (such as spectral element methods), it is possible to address a new class of seismological problems. The propagation of seismic waves in heterogeneous media is simulated more and more accurately and new applications developed, in particular time reversal methods and adjoint tomography in the three-dimensional Earth. Since the pioneering work of J. Claerbout, theorized by A. Tarantola, many similarities were found between time-reversal methods, cross-correlations techniques, inverse problems and adjoint tomography. By using normal mode theory, we generalize the scalar approach of Draeger and Fink (1999) and Lobkis and Weaver (2001) to the 3D- elastic Earth, for theoretically understanding time-reversal method on global scale. It is shown how to relate time-reversal methods on one hand, with auto-correlations of seismograms for source imaging and on the other hand, with cross-correlations between receivers for structural imaging and retrieving Green function. Time-reversal methods were successfully applied in the past to acoustic waves in many fields such as medical imaging, underwater acoustics, non destructive testing and to seismic waves in seismology for earthquake imaging. In the case of source imaging, time reversal techniques make it possible an automatic location in time and space as well as the retrieval of focal mechanism of earthquakes or unknown environmental sources . We present here some applications at the global scale of these techniques on synthetic tests and on real data, such as Sumatra-Andaman (Dec. 2004), Haiti (Jan. 2010), as well as glacial earthquakes and seismic hum.

  20. Review on effect of chemical, thermal, additive treatment on mechanical properties of basalt fiber and their composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Naman; Singh, Vinay Kumar; Chauhan, Sakshi

    2017-12-01

    Basalt fiber is emerging out the new reinforcing material for composites. To overcome some of the disadvantages of fibers such as poor bonding to polymers, low thermal stability and high moisture absorption fiber characteristics are modified with chemical, thermal and additive treatments. Chemical treatment corrosive resistance to alkali and acid were investigated which were used to clean and modify the surface of fiber for higher bonding with resins. To improve the thermal stability and reduce moisture uptake thermal treatment such as plasma and non thermal plasma were used which increased the surface roughness and change the chemical composition of surface of basalt fiber. Additive treatment is used to improve the mechanical properties of fibers, in basalt fiber additive treatment was done with SiO2 additive because of its chemical composition which contains major content of SiO2. In present investigation review on the effect of different treatment such as chemical, thermal and additive were studied. Effect of these treatment on chemical composition of the surface of basalt fiber and corrosion to acidic and alkali solution were studied with their effect on mechanical properties of basalt fiber and their composite.

  1. Thermodynamic advantages of nuclear desalination through reverse osmosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhattacharyya, K.P.; Prabhakar, S.; Tewari, P.K.

    2009-01-01

    Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) integrated with nuclear power station has significant thermodynamic advantages since it can utilize the waste heat available in the condenser cooling circuit and electrical power from the nuclear power plant with provision for using grid power in case of exigencies and shared infrastructure. Coupling of RO plants to the reactor is simple and straightforward and power loss due to RO unit, resulting in the loss of load, does not impact reactor turbine. Product water contamination probability is also very less since it has in-built mechanical barrier. Preheat reverse osmosis desalination has many thermodynamic advantages and studies have indicated improved performance characteristics thereby leading to savings in operational cost. The significant advantages include the operational flexibility of the desalination systems even while power plant is non-operational and non-requirement of safety systems for resource utilization. This paper brings out a comprehensive assessment of reverse osmosis process as a stand-alone nuclear desalination system. (author)

  2. Reversal of liver fibrosis: From fiction to reality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zoubek, Miguel Eugenio; Trautwein, Christian; Strnad, Pavel

    2017-04-01

    In chronic liver diseases, an ongoing hepatocellular injury together with inflammatory reaction results in activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and increased deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) termed as liver fibrosis. It can progress to cirrhosis that is characterized by parenchymal and vascular architectural changes together with the presence of regenerative nodules. Even at late stage, liver fibrosis is reversible and the underlying mechanisms include a switch in the inflammatory environment, elimination or regression of activated HSCs and degradation of ECM. While animal models have been indispensable for our understanding of liver fibrosis, they possess several important limitations and need to be further refined. A better insight into the liver fibrogenesis resulted in a large number of clinical trials aiming at reversing liver fibrosis, particularly in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Collectively, the current developments demonstrate that reversal of liver fibrosis is turning from fiction to reality. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  3. Mechanism of wear and tribofilm formation with ionic liquids and ashless antiwear additives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Vibhu

    Increasingly stringent government regulation on emissions (EPA Emissions Standard Reference Guide and latest CAFE standards requiring an average fuel economy of 54.5 mpg (combined cars and trucks) by 2025) impose significant challenges to the automotive and lubricant industries calling for the development and implementation of lower viscosity ILSAC GF-5&6 and API-CJ4&5 oils which further limit the amount of SAPS and deposits in engines. Development of additives that result in lower ash content, volatility and anti-wear property plays a crucial role in being able to reach these standards. The current industrial additive technology i.e. zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) forms harmful deposits on catalytic convertor due to the volatility of Zn, S and P which, impairs its functionality and consequently results in higher emission from vehicles. In this research work, ionic liquids (IL's) that are non-volatile have been studied as new generation environment friendly antiwear additives along with other ashless anti-wear additives including boron based additives to overcome the current challenges of improving the fuel efficiency and reducing the amount of hazardous emissions. The goal of this thesis work is to study the tribological performance of selected IL's and develop a comprehensive understating of IL's chemistry and its consequences to their friction and wear outcomes. As first approach, various P, S and F based ionic liquids are studied for their tribological properties by analyzing the friction and wear results generated using standard tribological experiments. Following this, advanced surface characterization techniques such as X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, SEM, Nano-indentation, SPM techniques are used to investigate the chemical-mechanical properties of the antiwear films. Results indicate that the tribological properties of ionic liquids depend on their solubility in base oil (BO) as well as their chemical interaction with the

  4. Effect of Cu addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–30 wt% Zn alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abd El-Rehim, A.F.; Sakr, M.S.; El-Sayed, M.M.; Abd El-Hafez, M.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • This paper describes a novel work on the effect of Cu addition on the Al–30 wt% Zn alloy. • The 1 wt% Cu alloy revealed the best hardness of the alloys. • The results indicated two deformation temperature regions (below and above 548 K). - Abstract: The effect of 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 wt% Cu addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–30 wt% Zn alloy has been investigated by stress–strain tests carried out in the temperature range from 508 to 608 K. The work-hardening parameters of the test alloys decreased with increasing the deformation temperature and exhibited discontinuity at 548 K, resulting two deformation temperature regions, the low-temperature region (below 548 K) and high-temperature region (above 548 K). The activation energy of fracture mechanisms has been calculated and found to be 19.6 and 33.2 kJ/mol at the low and high temperature regions respectively. The operating mechanisms of work-hardening of the test alloys were confirmed by the analysis of X-ray diffraction patterns

  5. [Effect of silencing Bmi-1 expression in reversing cisplatin resistance in lung cancer cells and its mechanism].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Nan; He, Guansheng; Rao, Jinjun; Lv, Lin

    2014-06-01

    To investigate the effect of silencing Bmi-1 expression in reversing cisplatin resistance in human lung cancer cells and explore the possible mechanisms. Cisplatin-resistant A549/DDP cells with small interference RNA (siRNA)-mediated Bmi-1 expression silencing were examined for cisplatin sensitivity using MTT assay and alterations in cell cycle distribution and apoptosis with flow cytometry, and the changes in cell senescence was assessed using β-galactosidase staining. The protein expressions of Bmi-1, P14(ARF), P16(INK4a), P53, P21, Rb and ubi-H2AK119 in the cells were determined with Western blotting. A549/DDP cells showed significantly higher Bmi-1 expression than A549 cells. After siRNA-mediated Bmi-1 silencing, A549/DDP cells showed significantly enhanced cisplatin sensitivity with an increased IC50 from 40.3±4.1 µmol/L to 18.3±2.8 µmol/L (Pcisplatin possibly by regulating INK4a/ARF/Rb senescence pathway.

  6. Effect of Dy addition on mechanical and magnetic properties of Mn-rich Ni–Mn–Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao, L.; Dong, G.F.; Gao, Z.Y.; Cai, W.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The Dy addition significantly improves the compressive properties of Ni–Mn–Ga alloy. ► The mechanism of the improved mechanical properties by adding Dy is discussed. ► Dy doping results in a change of the fracture type of Ni–Mn–Ga alloy. ► Curie temperature almost remained unchanged at low Dy content and then decreases. - Abstract: The effects of partial substitution of rare earth Dy for Ga on the mechanical and magnetic properties of Mn-rich Ni 50 Mn 29 Ga 21−x Dy x (0 ≤ x ≤ 5) ferromagnetic shape memory alloys were investigated in detail. The results show that an appropriate amount of Dy addition significantly improves the mechanical properties of Ni–Mn–Ga alloy. With an increase in Dy content, the compressive strength enhances rapidly at first and then becomes stable when the Dy content is more than 1 at.%. However, the compressive strain increases dramatically and reaches a maximum value with 1 at.% Dy addition. Further increase in Dy content makes the compressive strain of the alloys decrease gradually. The mechanism of the improved mechanical properties is also discussed. Moreover, Dy doping changes the fracture type from intergranular fracture of Ni–Mn–Ga alloy to transgranular cleavage fracture of Ni–Mn–Ga–Dy alloys. The Curie temperature remains almost unchanged at low Dy content and subsequently decreases.

  7. Self-assembly of block copolymer micelles: synthesis via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization and aqueous solution properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mya, Khine Y; Lin, Esther M J; Gudipati, Chakravarthy S; Gose, Halima B A S; He, Chaobin

    2010-07-22

    Poly(hexafluorobutyl methacrylate) (PHFBMA) homopolymer was synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated living radical polymerization in the presence of cyano-2-propyl dithiobenzoate (CPDB) RAFT agent. A block copolymer of PHFBMA-poly(propylene glycol acrylate) (PHFBMA-b-PPGA) with dangling poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) side chains was then synthesized by using CPDB-terminated PHFBMA as a macro-RAFT agent. The amphiphilic properties and self-assembly of PHFBMA-b-PPGA block copolymer in aqueous solution were investigated by dynamic and static light scattering (DLS and SLS) studies, in combination with fluorescence spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Although PPG shows moderately hydrophilic character, the formation of nanosize polymeric micelles was confirmed by fluorescence and TEM studies. The low value of the critical aggregation concentration exhibited that the tendency for the formation of copolymer aggregates in aqueous solution was very high due to the strong hydrophobicity of the PHFBMA(145)-b-PPGA(33) block copolymer. The combination of DLS and SLS measurements revealed the existence of micellar aggregates in aqueous solution with an association number of approximately 40 +/- 7 for block copolymer micelles. It was also found in TEM observation that there are 40-50 micelles accumulated into one aggregate and these micelles are loosely packed inside the aggregate.

  8. Identifying Key Drivers of Return Reversal with Dynamical Bayesian Factor Graph.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuai Zhao

    Full Text Available In the stock market, return reversal occurs when investors sell overbought stocks and buy oversold stocks, reversing the stocks' price trends. In this paper, we develop a new method to identify key drivers of return reversal by incorporating a comprehensive set of factors derived from different economic theories into one unified dynamical Bayesian factor graph. We then use the model to depict factor relationships and their dynamics, from which we make some interesting discoveries about the mechanism behind return reversals. Through extensive experiments on the US stock market, we conclude that among the various factors, the liquidity factors consistently emerge as key drivers of return reversal, which is in support of the theory of liquidity effect. Specifically, we find that stocks with high turnover rates or high Amihud illiquidity measures have a greater probability of experiencing return reversals. Apart from the consistent drivers, we find other drivers of return reversal that generally change from year to year, and they serve as important characteristics for evaluating the trends of stock returns. Besides, we also identify some seldom discussed yet enlightening inter-factor relationships, one of which shows that stocks in Finance and Insurance industry are more likely to have high Amihud illiquidity measures in comparison with those in other industries. These conclusions are robust for return reversals under different thresholds.

  9. Effect of addition of tantalum and zirconium on the mechanical behavior of aluminum grain refined by Ti+ B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaid, A.I.O.

    2003-01-01

    Aluminum and its alloys normally solidify in a columnar structure with coarse grains. Therefore, they are normally grain refined by adding either titanium or titanium + boron to their melts to obtain finer grain size and better surface quality. Other elements may be added beside the grain refiners to enhance their grain refinement efficiency and improve the mechanical behavior. Some elements were found to improve the grain refining efficiency of the master alloys e.g., vanadium, molybdenum, while others were found to deteriorate the grain refining efficiency e.g., zirconium and tantalum. The literature reveals that in general, only one element is added in the presence of the binary AI-Ti or the ternary AI-Ti-B grain refining master alloy. It is, therefore, anticipated that the addition of Ta and Zr may have different effect when added together from that if each element is added alone. This formed the main objective of this paper. In this paper, the effect of addition of either Zr, Ta or both of them together, with a percentage of 0.1 %wt each, on the grain size, hardness and mechanical behavior of AI and AI grain refined by Ti+B is investigated. It was found that adding Zr or Ta to commercially pure aluminum resulted in grain refinement of its structure and resulted in slight improvement of its hardness. However, a pronounced improvement was obtained in its mechanical strength and formability. On the other hand, addition of either Zr or Ta to Al grain refined by Ti+B resulted in poisoning effect i.e. reducing the grain refining efficiency of the AI- Ti-B master alloy. Practically, addition of either Zr or Ta has no effect on its hardness but resulted in a pronounced improvement of its mechanical strength. Finally, the addition of Zr + Ta to commercially pure aluminum or to aluminum grain refined by Ti+B resulted in reduction of grain size, little improvement in hardness and pronounced improvement in mechanical strength than when each element was added alone

  10. Mechanical and wear properties of pre-alloyed molybdenum P/M steels with nickel addition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yamanoglu R.

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to understand the effect of nickel addition on mechanical and wear properties of molybdenum and copper alloyed P/M steel. Specimens with three different nickel contents were pressed under 400 MPa and sintered at 1120ºC for 30 minutes then rapidly cooled. Microstructures and mechanical properties (bending strength, hardness and wear properties of the sintered specimens were investigated in detail. Metallographical investigations showed that the microstructures of consolidated specimens consist of tempered martensite, bainite, retained austenite and pores. It is also reported that the amount of pores varies depending on the nickel concentration of the alloys. Hardness of the alloys increases with increasing nickel content. Specimens containing 2% nickel showed minimum pore quantity and maximum wear resistance. The wear mechanism changed from abrasive wear at low nickel content to adhesive wear at higher nickel content.

  11. The Organization of Behavior Over Time: Insights from Mid-Session Reversal

    OpenAIRE

    Rayburn-Reeves, Rebecca M.; Cook, Robert G.

    2016-01-01

    What are the mechanisms by which behavior is organized sequentially over time? The recently developed mid-session reversal (MSR) task offers new insights into this fundamental question. The typical MSR task is arranged to have a single reversed discrimination occurring in a consistent location within each session and across sessions. In this task, we examine the relevance of time, reinforcement, and other factors as the switching cue in the sequential modulation of control in MSR. New analyse...

  12. Resolution of Loschmidt's paradox: The origin of irreversible behavior in reversible atomistic dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holian, B.L.; Hoover, W.G.; Posch, H.A.

    1987-01-01

    We show that Nosromane-bar mechanics provides a link between computer simulations of nonequilibrium processes and real-world experiments. Reversible Nose-bar equations of motion, when used to constrain non- equilibrium boundary regions, generate stable dissipative behavior within an adjoining bulk sample governed by Newton's equations of motion. Thus, irreversible behavior consistent with the second law of thermodynamics arises from completely reversible microscopic motion. Loschmidt's reversibility paradox is surmounted by this Nose-bar-Newton system, because the steady-state nonequilibrium probability density in the many-body phase space is confined to a zero-volume attractor

  13. Reverse capillary flow of condensed water through aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yun, Jongju; Jeon, Wonjae; Alam Khan, Fakhre; Lee, Jinkee; Baik, Seunghyun

    2015-01-01

    Molecular transport through nanopores has recently received considerable attention as a result of advances in nanofabrication and nanomaterial synthesis technologies. Surprisingly, water transport investigations through carbon nanochannels resulted in two contradicting observations: extremely fast transport or rejection of water molecules. In this paper, we elucidate the mechanism of impeded water vapor transport through the interstitial space of aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (aligned-MWCNTs)—capillary condensation, agglomeration, reverse capillary flow, and removal by superhydrophobicity at the tip of the nanotubes. The origin of separation comes from the water’s phase change from gas to liquid, followed by reverse capillary flow. First, the saturation water vapor pressure is decreased in a confined space, which is favorable for the phase change of incoming water vapor into liquid drops. Once continuous water meniscus is formed between the nanotubes by the adsoprtion and agglomeration of water molecules, a high reverse Laplace pressure is induced in the mushroom-shaped liquid meniscus at the entry region of the aligned-MWCNTs. The reverse Laplace pressure can be significantly enhanced by decreasing the pore size. Finally, the droplets pushed backward by the reverse Laplace pressure can be removed by superhydrophobicity at the tip of the aligned-MWCNTs. The analytical analysis was also supported by experiments carried out using 4 mm-long aligned-MWCNTs with different intertube distances. The water rejection rate and the separation factor increased as the intertube distance decreased, resulting in 90% and 10, respectively, at an intertube distance of 4 nm. This mechanism and nanotube membrane may be useful for energy-efficient water vapor separation and dehumidification. (paper)

  14. Thermo-mechanical properties of poly ε-caprolactone/poly L-lactic acid blends: addition of nalidixic acid and polyethylene glycol additives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douglas, P; Albadarin, Ahmad B; Al-Muhtaseb, Ala'a H; Mangwandi, Chirangano; Walker, G M

    2015-05-01

    The search for ideal biomaterials is still on-going for tissue regeneration. In this study, blends of poly ε-caprolactone (PCL) with poly l-lactic acid (PLLA), nalidixic acid (NA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were prepared. Mechanical and thermal properties of the blends were investigated by tensile and flexural analysis, DSC, TGA, WXRD, MFI, BET, SEM and hot stage optical microscopy. Results showed that the loading of PLLA caused a significant decrease in tensile strength and almost total eradication of the elongation at break of PCL matrix, especially after PEG and NA addition. Increased stiffness was also noted with additional NA, PEG and PLLA, resulting in an increase in the flexural modulus of the blends. Isothermal degradation indicated that bulk PCL, PLLA and the blends were thermally stable at 200°C for the duration of 2h making extrusion of the blends at this temperature viable. Morphological study showed that increasing the PLLA content and addition of the very low viscosity PEG and powder NA decreased the Melt Flow Indexer and increased the viscosity. At the higher temperature, the PLLA begins to soften and eventually melts allowing for increased flow and, coupling this with, the natural increase in MFI caused by temperature is enhanced further. The PEG and NA addition increased dramatically the pore volume which is important for cell growth and flow transport of nutrients and metabolic waste. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Investigation of mechanical properties of masterbatches and composites with small additions of CNTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burmistrov, I N; Yudintseva, T I; Ilinykh, I A; Khaydarov, B B; Mazov, I N; Anshin, S M; Kuznetsov, D V

    2016-01-01

    The present paper investigated physical and mechanical properties of the nanotube masterbatches and the polymer composites with low contents of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which were obtained by diluting masterbatches. Ethylene-octene copolymer was used as the binder for the masterbatches, which provides the elasticity of the material at a content 20 wt% of CNT. Masterbatches were obtained with a 2-roller mixer, and their additive to polypropylene was carried out on a single screw injection molding machine. Strength properties of ethylene-octene copolymer increased when additing CNTs in an amount of 5-20 wt%. When the concentration of CNT in masterbatches is reduced to 0.01-0.1 wt% its strength characteristics increased up to 4-18%. The most effective strengthening of polypropylene was observed with the content of CNTs 0.1 wt%. (paper)

  16. The effect of silver (Ag) addition to mechanical and electrical properties of copper alloy (Cu) casting product

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felicia, Dian M.; Rochiem, R.; Laia, Standley M.

    2018-04-01

    Copper have good mechanical properties and good electrical conductivities. Therefore, copper usually used as electrical components. Silver have better electrical conductivities than copper. Female contact resistor is one of the electrical component used in circuit breaker. This study aims to analyze the effect of silver addition to hardness, strength, and electric conductivity properties of copper alloy. This study uses variation of 0; 0.035; 0.07; 0.1 wt. % Ag (silver) addition to determine the effect on mechanical properties and electrical properties of copper alloy through sand casting process. Modelling of thermal analysis and structural analysis was calculated to find the best design for the sand casting experiments. The result of Cu-Ag alloy as cast will be characterized by OES test, metallography test, Brinell hardness test, tensile test, and LCR meter test. The result of this study showed that the addition of silver increase mechanical properties of Cu-Ag. The maximum hardness value of this alloy is 83.1 HRB which is Cu-0.01 Ag and the lowest is 52.26 HRB which is pure Cu. The maximum strength value is 153.2 MPa which is Cu-0.07 Ag and the lowest is 94.6 MPa which is pure Cu. Silver addition decrease electrical properties of this alloy. The highest electric conductivity is 438.98 S/m which is pure Cu and the lowest is 52.61 S.m which is Cu-0.1 Ag.

  17. Effect of carbon nanofiber addition in the mechanical properties and durability of cementitious materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Galao, O.

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports on recent work that is directed at studying the changes in the mechanical properties of Portland cement based mortars due to the addition of carbon nanofiber (CNF. Both flexural and compression strength has been determined and related to the CNF addition to the mix, to the curing time and to the porosity and density of the matrix. Also, corrosion of embedded steel rebars in CNF cement pastes exposed to carbonation and chloride attacks has been investigated. The increase in CNF addition implies higher corrosion intensity and higher levels of mechanical properties.En este artículo se han estudiado los cambios en las propiedades mecánicas de los morteros de cemento Portland debido a la adición de nanofibras de carbono (NFC. Se han determinado las resistencias a flexotracción y a compresión de los morteros en relación a la cantidad de NFC añadidas a la mezcla, al tiempo de curado y a la porosidad y densidad de los mismos. Además se han investigado los niveles de corrosión de barras de acero embebidas en pastas de cemento con NFC expuestos al ataque por carbonatación y por ingreso de cloruros. El aumento en el porcentaje de NFC añadido se traduce en un aumento la intensidad de corrosión registrada y una mejora de las propiedades mecánicas.

  18. Validation of Reverse-Engineered and Additive-Manufactured Microsurgical Instrument Prototype.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Ramandeep; Suri, Ashish; Anand, Sneh; Baby, Britty

    2016-12-01

    With advancements in imaging techniques, neurosurgical procedures are becoming highly precise and minimally invasive, thus demanding development of new ergonomically aesthetic instruments. Conventionally, neurosurgical instruments are manufactured using subtractive manufacturing methods. Such a process is complex, time-consuming, and impractical for prototype development and validation of new designs. Therefore, an alternative design process has been used utilizing blue light scanning, computer-aided designing, and additive manufacturing direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) for microsurgical instrument prototype development. Deviations of DMLS-fabricated instrument were studied by superimposing scan data of fabricated instrument with the computer-aided designing model. Content and concurrent validity of the fabricated prototypes was done by a group of 15 neurosurgeons by performing sciatic nerve anastomosis in small laboratory animals. Comparative scoring was obtained for the control and study instrument. T test was applied to the individual parameters and P values for force (P direct application of these additive-manufactured instruments in the operating room requires further validation. © The Author(s) 2016.

  19. Reversal Learning in Humans and Gerbils: Dynamic Control Network Facilitates Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarvers, Christian; Brosch, Tobias; Brechmann, André; Woldeit, Marie L; Schulz, Andreas L; Ohl, Frank W; Lommerzheim, Marcel; Neumann, Heiko

    2016-01-01

    Biologically plausible modeling of behavioral reinforcement learning tasks has seen great improvements over the past decades. Less work has been dedicated to tasks involving contingency reversals, i.e., tasks in which the original behavioral goal is reversed one or multiple times. The ability to adjust to such reversals is a key element of behavioral flexibility. Here, we investigate the neural mechanisms underlying contingency-reversal tasks. We first conduct experiments with humans and gerbils to demonstrate memory effects, including multiple reversals in which subjects (humans and animals) show a faster learning rate when a previously learned contingency re-appears. Motivated by recurrent mechanisms of learning and memory for object categories, we propose a network architecture which involves reinforcement learning to steer an orienting system that monitors the success in reward acquisition. We suggest that a model sensory system provides feature representations which are further processed by category-related subnetworks which constitute a neural analog of expert networks. Categories are selected dynamically in a competitive field and predict the expected reward. Learning occurs in sequentialized phases to selectively focus the weight adaptation to synapses in the hierarchical network and modulate their weight changes by a global modulator signal. The orienting subsystem itself learns to bias the competition in the presence of continuous monotonic reward accumulation. In case of sudden changes in the discrepancy of predicted and acquired reward the activated motor category can be switched. We suggest that this subsystem is composed of a hierarchically organized network of dis-inhibitory mechanisms, dubbed a dynamic control network (DCN), which resembles components of the basal ganglia. The DCN selectively activates an expert network, corresponding to the current behavioral strategy. The trace of the accumulated reward is monitored such that large sudden

  20. Simulation of the inhibition of water α-radiolysis via H2 addition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lertnaisat, Phantira; Katsumura, Yosuke; Mukai, Satoru; Umehara, Ryuji; Shimizu, Yuichi; Suzuki, Masashi

    2014-01-01

    The continuous formation of H 2 , O 2 , and H 2 O 2 observed in water during α-radiolysis may be suppressed by the addition of H 2 above the threshold hydrogen concentration (THC). Using the FACSIMILE simulation code, water radiolysis was reproduced in order to determine the THC and clarify the mechanism at room temperature. Using the reaction set and rate constants reported by Ershov and Gordeev together with the primary yields for water decomposition products generated using 12 MeV α-particles, the THC was found to be 165 μM. Further simulation results clearly showed that the value of THC is strongly dependent on the reaction set and rate constants. In addition, a possible mechanism involving a chain reaction governed by the two reactions OH + H 2 → H + H 2 O and H + H 2 O 2 → OH + H 2 O was proposed. Furthermore, the same inhibition effect was found when a high-temperature simulation (300degC) was performed, but the concentration range and THC were much smaller than the values obtained at room temperature. The importance of the reverse reaction OH + H 2 → H + H 2 O was also investigated. (author)

  1. Highly reversible lead-carbon battery anode with lead grafting on the carbon surface

    KAUST Repository

    Yin, Jian; Lin, Nan; Zhang, Wenli; Lin, Zheqi; Zhang, Ziqing; Wang, Yue; Shi, Jun; Bao, Jinpeng; Lin, Haibo

    2018-01-01

    A novel C/Pb composite has been successfully prepared by electroless plating to reduce the hydrogen evolution and achieve the high reversibility of the anode of lead-carbon battery (LCB). The deposited lead on the surface of C/Pb composite was found to be uniform and adherent to carbon surface. Because lead has been stuck on the surface of C/Pb composite, the embedded structure suppresses the hydrogen evolution of lead-carbon anode and strengthens the connection between carbon additive and sponge lead. Compared with the blank anode, the lead-carbon anode with C/Pb composite displays excellent charge–discharge reversibility, which is attributed to the good connection between carbon additives and lead that has been stuck on the surface of C/Pb composite during the preparation process. The addition of C/Pb composite maintains a solid anode structure with high specific surface area and power volume, and thereby, it plays a significant role in the highly reversible lead-carbon anode.

  2. Highly reversible lead-carbon battery anode with lead grafting on the carbon surface

    KAUST Repository

    Yin, Jian

    2018-03-27

    A novel C/Pb composite has been successfully prepared by electroless plating to reduce the hydrogen evolution and achieve the high reversibility of the anode of lead-carbon battery (LCB). The deposited lead on the surface of C/Pb composite was found to be uniform and adherent to carbon surface. Because lead has been stuck on the surface of C/Pb composite, the embedded structure suppresses the hydrogen evolution of lead-carbon anode and strengthens the connection between carbon additive and sponge lead. Compared with the blank anode, the lead-carbon anode with C/Pb composite displays excellent charge–discharge reversibility, which is attributed to the good connection between carbon additives and lead that has been stuck on the surface of C/Pb composite during the preparation process. The addition of C/Pb composite maintains a solid anode structure with high specific surface area and power volume, and thereby, it plays a significant role in the highly reversible lead-carbon anode.

  3. Sex Reversal in Reptiles: Reproductive Oddity or Powerful Driver of Evolutionary Change?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holleley, Clare E; Sarre, Stephen D; O'Meally, Denis; Georges, Arthur

    2016-01-01

    Is sex a product of genes, the environment, or both? In this review, we describe the diversity of sex-determining mechanisms in reptiles, with a focus on systems that display gene-environment interactions. We summarise the field and laboratory-based evidence for the occurrence of environmental sex reversal in reptiles and ask whether this is a widespread evolutionary mechanism affecting the evolution of sex chromosomes and speciation in vertebrates. Sex determination systems exist across a continuum of genetic and environmental influences, blurring the lines between what was once considered a strict dichotomy between genetic sex determination and temperature-dependent sex determination. Across this spectrum, we identify the potential for sex reversal in species with clearly differentiated heteromorphic sex chromosomes (Pogona vitticeps, Bassiana duperreyi, Eremias multiocellata, Gekko japonicus), weakly differentiated homomorphic sex chromosomes (Niveoscincus ocellatus), and species with only a weak heritable predisposition for sex (Emys orbicularis, Trachemys scripta). We argue that sex reversal is widespread in reptiles (Testudines, Lacertidae, Agamidae, Scincidae, Gekkonidae) and has the potential to have an impact on individual fitness, resulting in reproductively, morphologically, and behaviourally unique phenotypes. Sex reversal is likely to be a powerful evolutionary force responsible for generating and maintaining lability and diversity in reptile sex-determining modes. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. Metal and pharmaceutical mixtures: Is ion loss the mechanism underlying acute toxicity and widespread additive toxicity in zebrafish?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alsop, Derek, E-mail: alsopde@mcmaster.ca; Wood, Chris M.

    2013-09-15

    Highlights: •Zebrafish larvae were used to test the acute toxicity of contaminant mixtures. •Interactions were observed between metals, ammonia and pharmaceuticals. •Larval Na{sup +} loss was observed with exposure to all acutely toxic contaminants tested. •Water quality criteria should recognize the toxic interactions between contaminants. -- Abstract: The acute toxicities and mechanisms of action of a variety of environmental contaminants were examined using zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio; 4–8 days post fertilization). Toxic interactions were observed between metals. For example, the addition of a sublethal level of nickel (15% of the LC{sub 50}, one third of the LC{sub 01}) to all copper treatments decreased the copper 96 h LC{sub 50} by 58%, while sublethal copper exposure (6% of the copper LC{sub 50}, 13% of the LC{sub 01}) decreased the cadmium 96 h LC{sub 50} by 47%. Two predictive models were assessed, the concentration addition (CA) model, which assumes similar mechanisms of action, and the independent action (IA) model, which assumes different mechanisms of action. Quantitative comparisons indicated the CA model performed better than the IA model; the latter tended to underestimate combined toxicity to a greater extent. The effects of mixtures with nickel or ammonia were typically additive, while mixtures with copper or cadmium were typically greater than additive. Larvae exposed to cadmium, copper or nickel experienced whole body ion loss. Decreases were greatest for Na{sup +} followed by K{sup +} (as high as 19% and 9%, respectively, in 24 h). Additive toxicity between copper and other pharmaceutical compounds such as fluoxetine (Prozac™), β-naphthoflavone, estrogen and 17α-ethinylestradiol were also observed. Similar to metals, acutely toxic concentrations of fluoxetine, β-naphthoflavone and ammonia all decreased whole body Na{sup +} and K{sup +}. Overall, whole body Na{sup +} loss showed the greatest correlation with mortality across a

  5. Metal and pharmaceutical mixtures: Is ion loss the mechanism underlying acute toxicity and widespread additive toxicity in zebrafish?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alsop, Derek; Wood, Chris M.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Zebrafish larvae were used to test the acute toxicity of contaminant mixtures. •Interactions were observed between metals, ammonia and pharmaceuticals. •Larval Na + loss was observed with exposure to all acutely toxic contaminants tested. •Water quality criteria should recognize the toxic interactions between contaminants. -- Abstract: The acute toxicities and mechanisms of action of a variety of environmental contaminants were examined using zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio; 4–8 days post fertilization). Toxic interactions were observed between metals. For example, the addition of a sublethal level of nickel (15% of the LC 50 , one third of the LC 01 ) to all copper treatments decreased the copper 96 h LC 50 by 58%, while sublethal copper exposure (6% of the copper LC 50 , 13% of the LC 01 ) decreased the cadmium 96 h LC 50 by 47%. Two predictive models were assessed, the concentration addition (CA) model, which assumes similar mechanisms of action, and the independent action (IA) model, which assumes different mechanisms of action. Quantitative comparisons indicated the CA model performed better than the IA model; the latter tended to underestimate combined toxicity to a greater extent. The effects of mixtures with nickel or ammonia were typically additive, while mixtures with copper or cadmium were typically greater than additive. Larvae exposed to cadmium, copper or nickel experienced whole body ion loss. Decreases were greatest for Na + followed by K + (as high as 19% and 9%, respectively, in 24 h). Additive toxicity between copper and other pharmaceutical compounds such as fluoxetine (Prozac™), β-naphthoflavone, estrogen and 17α-ethinylestradiol were also observed. Similar to metals, acutely toxic concentrations of fluoxetine, β-naphthoflavone and ammonia all decreased whole body Na + and K + . Overall, whole body Na + loss showed the greatest correlation with mortality across a variety of toxicants. We theorize that a disruption of

  6. The mechanical problems on additive manufacturing of viscoelastic solids with integral conditions on a surface increasing in the growth process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parshin, D. A.; Manzhirov, A. V.

    2018-04-01

    Quasistatic mechanical problems on additive manufacturing aging viscoelastic solids are investigated. The processes of piecewise-continuous accretion of such solids are considered. The consideration is carried out in the framework of linear mechanics of growing solids. A theorem about commutativity of the integration over an arbitrary surface increasing in the solid growing process and the time-derived integral operator of viscoelasticity with a limit depending on the solid point is proved. This theorem provides an efficient way to construct on the basis of Saint-Venant principle solutions of nonclassical boundary-value problems for describing the mechanical behaviour of additively formed solids with integral satisfaction of boundary conditions on the surfaces expanding due to the additional material influx to the formed solid. The constructed solutions will retrace the evolution of the stress-strain state of the solids under consideration during and after the processes of their additive formation. An example of applying the proved theorem is given.

  7. Reversing flow causes passive shark scale actuation in a separating turbulent boundary layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, Amy; Gemmell, Bradford; Motta, Phil; Habegger, Laura; Du Clos, Kevin; Devey, Sean; Stanley, Caleb; Santos, Leo

    2017-11-01

    Control of flow separation by shortfin mako skin in experiments has been demonstrated, but the mechanism is still poorly understood yet must be to some extent Re independent. The hypothesized mechanisms inherent in the shark skin for controlling flow separation are: (1) the scales, which are capable of being bristled only by reversing flow, inhibit flow reversal events from further development into larger-scale separation and (2) the cavities formed when scales bristle induces mixing of high momentum flow towards the wall thus energizing the flow close to the surface. Two studies were carried out to measure passive scale actuation caused by reversing flow. A small flow channel induced an unsteady, wake flow over the scales prompting reversing flow events and scale actuation. To resolve the flow and scale movements simultaneously we used specialized optics at high magnification (1 mm field of view) at 50,000 fps. In another study, 3D printed models of shark scales, or microflaps (bristling capability up to 50 degrees), were set into a flat plate. Using a tripped, turbulent boundary layer grown over the long flat plate and a localized adverse pressure gradient, a separation bubble was generated within which the microflaps were placed. Passive flow actuation of both shark scales and microflaps by reversing flow was observed. Funding from Army Research Office and NSF REU site Grant.

  8. Studies on the reverse osmosis treatment of uranyl nitrate solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prabhakar, S.; Panicker, S.T.; Misra, B.M.; Ramani, P.S.

    1992-01-01

    The aqueous effluent generated in uranium processing, particularly in the nuclear fuel fabrication step, contains mainly uranium nitrate. This requires treatment before discharge into the environment to meet stringent standards. This paper presents the performance of cellulose acetate membranes with regard to rejection of uranium under reverse osmotic conditions for feed concentrations up to 200 mg/l of uranium, which corresponds to the levels normally prevalent in the effluents. The use of additives like the disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and sodium sulfate for the improvement of reverse osmosis performance of the above membranes was also investigated. In the light of the experimental results, the suitability of reverse osmosis for the decontamination of uranium effluents is discussed

  9. Effects of Mn addition on microstructures and mechanical properties of 10Cr ODS ferritic/martensitic steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin, Hyun Ju; Kim, Tae Kyu

    2014-01-01

    Ferritic/martensitic (FM) steels are very attractive for the structural materials of fast fission reactors such as a sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR) owing to their excellent irradiation resistance to a void swelling, but are known to reveal an abrupt loss of their creep and tensile strengths at temperatures above 600 .deg. C. Accordingly, high temperature strength should be considerably improved for an application of the FM steel to the structural materials of SFR. Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FM steels are considered to be promising candidate materials for high- temperature components operating in severe environments such as nuclear fusion and fission systems due to their excellent high temperature strength and radiation resistance stemming from the addition of extremely thermally stable oxide particles dispersed in the ferritic/martensitic matrix.. To develop an advanced ODS steel for core structural materials for next generation nuclear reactor system applications, it is important to optimize its compositions to improve the high temperature strength and radiation resistance. This study investigates effects of Mn addition on microstructures and mechanical properties of 10Cr ODS FM steel. For this, two 10 Cr ODS FM steels were prepared by mechanical alloying (MA), hot isostatic pressing (HIP), and hot rolling process. Tensile tests were carried out at room temperature and 700 .deg. C to evaluate the influences of the Mn element on the mechanical properties. The microstructures were observed using SEM, electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). In the present study, the effects of Mn addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ODS FM steels were investigated. The ODS FM steels were manufactured by the MA, HIP and hot-rolling processes

  10. Exploring the mechanical strength of additively manufactured metal structures with embedded electrical materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, J., E-mail: J.Li5@lboro.ac.uk; Monaghan, T.; Masurtschak, S.; Bournias-Varotsis, A.; Friel, R.J.; Harris, R.A.

    2015-07-15

    Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) enables the integration of a wide variety of components into solid metal matrices due to the process induced high degree of metal matrix plastic flow at low bulk temperatures. Exploitation of this phenomenon allows the fabrication of previously unobtainable novel engineered metal matrix components. The feasibility of directly embedding electrical materials within UAM metal matrices was investigated in this work. Three different dielectric materials were embedded into UAM fabricated aluminium metal-matrices with, research derived, optimal processing parameters. The effect of the dielectric material hardness on the final metal matrix mechanical strength after UAM processing was investigated systematically via mechanical peel testing and microscopy. It was found that when the Knoop hardness of the dielectric film was increased from 12.1 HK/0.01 kg to 27.3 HK/0.01 kg, the mechanical peel testing and linear weld density of the bond interface were enhanced by 15% and 16%, respectively, at UAM parameters of 1600 N weld force, 25 µm sonotrode amplitude, and 20 mm/s welding speed. This work uniquely identified that the mechanical strength of dielectric containing UAM metal matrices improved with increasing dielectric material hardness. It was therefore concluded that any UAM metal matrix mechanical strength degradation due to dielectric embedding could be restricted by employing a dielectric material with a suitable hardness (larger than 20 HK/0.01 kg). This result is of great interest and a vital step for realising electronic containing multifunctional smart metal composites for future industrial applications.

  11. Boron Removal from Seawater by Thin-Film Composite Reverse Osmosis Membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Al Sunbul, Yasmeen

    2018-04-01

    Reverse Osmosis membranes have been successfully proven to remove almost 99% of chemicals dissolved in seawater. However, removal of certain trace elements, such as boron is challenging and relatively low for seawater reverse osmosis desalination plants compared to thermal desalination plants. Boron is naturally occurring and is present in seawater at an average concentration of 4.5-5 mg/L. While boron is a vital element, its toxicity has been proven on crops, animals and possibly humans. Additionally, boron should be removed to comply with the current guideline value of 0.5 mg/L, for drinking water, issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is barely attained by a single-pass process seawater reverse osmosis plant. Currently, multipass reverse osmosis membrane operations with pH modifications are the only valid method for boron removal. However, this is not economically efficient as it requires higher energy and chemicals consumptions. The objective of this study was to investigate boron removal by commercial TFC RO membranes in addition to custom-made KAUST-synthesized TFC membrane. Five membrane samples were examined: Toray, Sepro, Koch, and KAUST in-house synthesized membrane. Three different feed pH conditions were used: pH6, pH8, and pH10. Filtration experiments were conducted in two parts. In experiment 1, all five membranes were examined for boron rejection in a dead-end permeation system, whereas in experiment 2 the two membranes with the highest boron rejection from experiment 1 were tested in a cross-flow system. Permeate and feed samples were taken continuously and analyzed for boron concentration, rejection calculation. Membrane surfaces were characterized according to hydrophilicity, roughness and surface charge. The results showed for all the tested membranes that boron rejection increased as the feed pH increased. KAUST, defect-free TFC, showed the highest performance for boron rejection for all pH conditions, although, it shows the

  12. Effect of revert addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of M951 Ni-base superalloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Y.H.; Yu, J.J.; Sun, X.F.; Jin, T.; Guan, H.R.; Hu, Z.Q.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The microstructure is not influenced by the additions of recycled alloy. ► The stress rupture life significantly decreases with addition of recycled alloy. ► The stress rupture life is remarkably dependent on various revert additions. ► The stress rupture life has been significantly improved after filtration. ► The melt filtered through 20 ppi shows the lowest stress rupture life. - Abstract: The effect of recycled alloy proportion on the composition, microstructure and mechanical properties of M951 alloy has been investigated. With the addition of the recycled alloy proportion, the concentrations of boron and carbon obviously decrease. The microstructure is not influenced by the additions of recycled alloy. The stress rupture life significantly decreases with the addition of recycled alloy proportion. Because of the removal of oxide inclusions by filtration, the stress rupture life has been significantly improved, and it also shows a clear dependence upon passage size of the filter. The melt filtered through passage size of 20 ppi shows the lowest stress rupture life.

  13. Effect of nano-additives on microstructure, mechanical properties and wear behaviour of Fe–Cr–B hardfacing alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gou, Junfeng; Lu, Pengpeng; Wang, You; Liu, Saiyue; Zou, Zhiwei

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Wear rate of the hardfacing layers with different nano-additives content and the counterpart GCr15 steel balls under conditions: normal load = 15 N, rotating speed = 400 rpm, total sliding time = 20 min. - Highlights: • Nano-additives remarkably improved the microstructure of hardfacing layers. • The hardness of hardfacing layers increased linearly with the increase of nano-additives. • The wear rate of the hardfacing layer with 0.65 wt.% nano-additives decreased about 88% than that of the hardfacing layer without nano-additives. • According to observation of wear tracks of hardfacing layers, the main wear mechanism was adhesion wear. - Abstract: Fe–Cr–B hardfacing alloys with different nano-additives content were investigated. The effects of nano-additives on the microstructures of hardfacing alloy were studied by using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer. The hardness and the fracture toughness of hardfacing alloys were measured, respectively. The sliding wear tests were carried out using a ball-on-disc tribometer. The experimental results showed that primary carbide of hardfacing alloys was refined and its distribution became uniform with content of nano-additives increased. The hardfacing alloys are composed of Cr_7C_3, Fe_7C_3, α-Fe and Fe_2B according to the results of X-ray diffraction. The hardness of hardfacing alloys increased linearly with the increase of nano-additives. The hardness of the hardfacing alloy with 1.5 wt.% nano-additives increased 54.8% than that of the hardfacing alloy without nano-additives and reached to 1011HV. The K_I_C of the hardfacing alloy with 0.65 wt.% nano-additives was 15.4 MPam"1"/"2, which reached a maximum. The value increased 57.1% than that of the hardfacing alloy without nano-additives. The wear rates of the hardfacing layer with 0.65 wt.% and 1.0 wt.% nano-additives decreased about 88% than that of the hardfacing layer without nano-additives. The main

  14. Design of a mechanical system in gait rehabilitation with progressive addition of weight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braidot, Ariel A. A.; Aleman, Guillermo L.

    2011-12-01

    In this paper we designed and developed a mechanical device for gait rehabilitation based on the application of "partial body weight reduction therapy". An evaluation of the characteristics of devices based on this therapy currently available on the market was carried out obtaining information of the different mechanisms used in it. The device was designed to adapt to different height and weight of patients and to be used with additional equipment in gait rehabilitation, for example, treadmills, elliptical trainers and vertical scalers. It was envisaged to be used by patients with asymmetry in the lower extremities capabilities. We developed a stable structure in steel ASTM A36 which does not depend on the building conditions of the installation site. RamAdvanse software was used to calculate structural stability. A winch with automatic brake mechanism was used to raise/lower the patient, who was tied to a comfortable harness which provided safety to the patient and therapist. It was possible to quantify precisely, using counterweights, the weight borne by the patient during therapy. We obtained a small-sized and ergonomic low-cost prototype, with similar features to those currently considered cutting-edge devices.

  15. Design of a mechanical system in gait rehabilitation with progressive addition of weight

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braidot, Ariel A A; Aleman, Guillermo L

    2011-01-01

    In this paper we designed and developed a mechanical device for gait rehabilitation based on the application of p artial body weight reduction therapy . An evaluation of the characteristics of devices based on this therapy currently available on the market was carried out obtaining information of the different mechanisms used in it. The device was designed to adapt to different height and weight of patients and to be used with additional equipment in gait rehabilitation, for example, treadmills, elliptical trainers and vertical scalers. It was envisaged to be used by patients with asymmetry in the lower extremities capabilities. We developed a stable structure in steel ASTM A36 which does not depend on the building conditions of the installation site. RamAdvanse software was used to calculate structural stability. A winch with automatic brake mechanism was used to raise/lower the patient, who was tied to a comfortable harness which provided safety to the patient and therapist. It was possible to quantify precisely, using counterweights, the weight borne by the patient during therapy. We obtained a small-sized and ergonomic low-cost prototype, with similar features to those currently considered cutting-edge devices.

  16. Now at the Met: fine art of reversible sulfoxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilani, Tal; Fass, Deborah

    2013-08-08

    In this issue, Lee et al. (2013) exhibit methionine sulfoxidation in a new light. By bringing together two antagonistic enzymes affecting methionine redox state, the authors demonstrate that methionine oxidation constitutes a reversible, posttranslational regulatory mechanism, akin to protein phosphorylation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Additional Stress And Fracture Mechanics Analyses Of Pressurized Water Reactor Pressure Vessel Nozzles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walter, Matthew; Yin, Shengjun; Stevens, Gary; Sommerville, Daniel; Palm, Nathan; Heinecke, Carol

    2012-01-01

    In past years, the authors have undertaken various studies of nozzles in both boiling water reactors (BWRs) and pressurized water reactors (PWRs) located in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) adjacent to the core beltline region. Those studies described stress and fracture mechanics analyses performed to assess various RPV nozzle geometries, which were selected based on their proximity to the core beltline region, i.e., those nozzle configurations that are located close enough to the core region such that they may receive sufficient fluence prior to end-of-life (EOL) to require evaluation of embrittlement as part of the RPV analyses associated with pressure-temperature (P-T) limits. In this paper, additional stress and fracture analyses are summarized that were performed for additional PWR nozzles with the following objectives: To expand the population of PWR nozzle configurations evaluated, which was limited in the previous work to just two nozzles (one inlet and one outlet nozzle). To model and understand differences in stress results obtained for an internal pressure load case using a two-dimensional (2-D) axi-symmetric finite element model (FEM) vs. a three-dimensional (3-D) FEM for these PWR nozzles. In particular, the ovalization (stress concentration) effect of two intersecting cylinders, which is typical of RPV nozzle configurations, was investigated. To investigate the applicability of previously recommended linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) hand solutions for calculating the Mode I stress intensity factor for a postulated nozzle corner crack for pressure loading for these PWR nozzles. These analyses were performed to further expand earlier work completed to support potential revision and refinement of Title 10 to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 50, Appendix G, Fracture Toughness Requirements, and are intended to supplement similar evaluation of nozzles presented at the 2008, 2009, and 2011 Pressure Vessels and Piping (PVP

  18. Energy reversible switching from amorphous metal based nanoelectromechanical switch

    KAUST Repository

    Mayet, Abdulilah M.; Smith, Casey; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

    2013-01-01

    We report observation of energy reversible switching from amorphous metal based nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switch. For ultra-low power electronics, NEM switches can be used as a complementary switching element in many nanoelectronic system applications. Its inherent zero power consumption because of mechanical detachment is an attractive feature. However, its operating voltage needs to be in the realm of 1 volt or lower. Appropriate design and lower Young's modulus can contribute achieving lower operating voltage. Therefore, we have developed amorphous metal with low Young's modulus and in this paper reporting the energy reversible switching from a laterally actuated double electrode NEM switch. © 2013 IEEE.

  19. Energy reversible switching from amorphous metal based nanoelectromechanical switch

    KAUST Repository

    Mayet, Abdulilah M.

    2013-08-01

    We report observation of energy reversible switching from amorphous metal based nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switch. For ultra-low power electronics, NEM switches can be used as a complementary switching element in many nanoelectronic system applications. Its inherent zero power consumption because of mechanical detachment is an attractive feature. However, its operating voltage needs to be in the realm of 1 volt or lower. Appropriate design and lower Young\\'s modulus can contribute achieving lower operating voltage. Therefore, we have developed amorphous metal with low Young\\'s modulus and in this paper reporting the energy reversible switching from a laterally actuated double electrode NEM switch. © 2013 IEEE.

  20. Reversal of aflatoxin induced liver damage by turmeric and curcumin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soni, K B; Rajan, A; Kuttan, R

    1992-09-30

    The effect of certain food additives on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus has been studied in vitro. Extracts of turmeric (Curcuma longa), garlic (Allium sativum) and asafoetida (Ferula asafoetida) inhibited the aflatoxin production considerably (more than 90%) at concentrations of 5-10 mg/ml. Similar results were also seen using butylated hydroxytoluene, butylated hydroxyanisole and ellagic acid at concentration 0.1 mM. Curcumin, the antioxidant principle from Curcuma longa did not have any effect on aflatoxin production. Turmeric and curcumin were also found to reverse the aflatoxin induced liver damage produced by feeding aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) (5 micrograms/day per 14 days) to ducklings. Fatty changes, necrosis and biliary hyperplasia produced by AFB1 were considerably reversed by these food additives.

  1. The Organization of Behavior Over Time: Insights from Mid-Session Reversal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rayburn-Reeves, Rebecca M; Cook, Robert G

    2016-01-01

    What are the mechanisms by which behavior is organized sequentially over time? The recently developed mid-session reversal (MSR) task offers new insights into this fundamental question. The typical MSR task is arranged to have a single reversed discrimination occurring in a consistent location within each session and across sessions. In this task, we examine the relevance of time, reinforcement, and other factors as the switching cue in the sequential modulation of control in MSR. New analyses also highlight some of the potential mechanisms underlying this serially organized behavior. MSR provides new evidence and we offer some ideas about how cues interact to compete for the control of behavior within and across sessions. We suggest that MSR is an excellent preparation for studying the competition among psychological states and their resolution toward action.

  2. Enantioselective conjugate addition of hydroxylamines to pyrazolidinone acrylamides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibi, M P; Liu, M

    2001-12-27

    Chiral relay templates provide amplification of selectivity in conjugate addition reactions. Reversal of stereochemistry of the product isoxazolidinones has also been demonstrated by a simple change of the Lewis acid. [reaction: see text

  3. The chemical foundations of nitroalkene fatty acid signaling through addition reactions with thiols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turell, Lucía; Steglich, Martina; Alvarez, Beatriz

    2018-03-22

    Nitroalkene fatty acids can be formed in vivo and administered exogenously. They exert pleiotropic signaling actions with cytoprotective and antiinflammatory effects. The presence of the potent electron withdrawing nitro group confers electrophilicity to the adjacent β-carbon. Thiols (precisely, thiolates) are strong nucleophiles and can react with nitroalkene fatty acids through reversible Michael addition reactions. In addition, nitroalkene fatty acids can undergo several other processes including metabolic oxidation, reduction, esterification, nitric oxide release and partition into hydrophobic compartments. The signaling actions of nitroalkenes are mainly mediated by reactions with critical thiols in regulatory proteins. Thus, the thio-Michael addition reaction provides a framework for understanding the molecular basis of the biological effects of nitroalkene fatty acids at the crossroads of thiol signaling and electrophilic lipid signaling. In this review, we describe the reactions of nitroalkene fatty acids in biological contexts. We focus on the Michael addition-elimination reaction with thiols and its mechanism, and extrapolate kinetic and thermodynamic considerations to in vivo settings. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. 12 CFR 226.33 - Requirements for reverse mortgages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... dwelling; and (2) Any principal, interest, or shared appreciation or equity is due and payable (other than... terms, charges, the age of the youngest borrower and the appraised property value. (4) Explanation of... part of the reverse mortgage transaction. (3) Additional creditor compensation. Any shared appreciation...

  5. Chemical boundary layers in CVD II. Reversible reactions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Croon, de M.H.J.M.; Giling, L.J.

    1990-01-01

    In addition to irreversible reactions, which were treated in part I, reversible reactions in the gas phase have beenstudied using the concept of the chemical boundary layer. The analysis is given for the situations in which either the forwardor the back reaction is dominant. Two conceptual models

  6. Effects of coal and wheat husk additives on the physical, thermal and mechanical properties of clay bricks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmad, S.; Iqbal, Y.; Muhammad, R.

    2017-07-01

    The use of by-products as additives in brick industry is gaining increased research attention due to their effective role in decreasing the total energy needs of industrial furnaces. In addition, these additives leave pores upon burning, causing a decrease in thermal conductivity and affect the mechanical properties of bricks as well. In the present study, various proportions of coal and wheat husk were used as additives in the initial ingredients of clay bricks. Microstructure, thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal diffusivity, water absorption, shrinkage, compressive strength and bulk density of fired clay bricks with and without additives were investigated. Clay bricks containing 5–15wt.% additives were found to be within the permissible limits for most of the recommended standard specifications. (Author)

  7. Removal of radionuclides from liquid streams by reverse osmosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deshmukh, U.A.; Ramachandhran, V.; Misra, B.M.

    1987-01-01

    Separation of radionuclides in trace concentrations by cellulose acetate membranes has been under investigation in this laboratory, and the behaviour of some important radionuclides such as 137 Cs and 90 Sr under reverse osmosis has been reported earlier. The present work deals with a few other typical radionuclides such as 60 Co, 103 Ru and 131 I which are not fully amenable to conventional methods for their removal. Separation of these radionuclides from liquid streams by the reverse osmosis process was studied using a small reverse osmosis test cell. Various parameters like membrane porosity, applied pressure and feed activity levels were investigated. Cellulose acetate membranes offer reasonable separation of 60 Co, 103 Ru and 131 I radionuclides, indicating the potential of reverse osmosis for treatment of effluents containing these radioisotopes. The percent separation is found to be in the order of Co > Ru > I. The percent radioactive separation improves with increases in feed activity. The performance data are explained in terms of solution-diffusion mechanism. It appears that the separation of radionuclides is not governed by diffusion alone, but by the interaction of solutes with the membranes. (author)

  8. Reverse osmosis and its use at the nuclear power plants. Purification of primary circuit coolant by the means of reverse osmosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kus, Pavel; Vonkova, Katerina; Kunesova, Katerina; Bartova, Sarka; Skala, Martin; Moucha, Tomáš

    2014-01-01

    This contribution is focused on the use of membrane technologies (e.g. reverse osmosis) for the primary coolant purification at the nuclear power plants. Currently, boric acid present in the primary coolant is preconcentrated at the evaporators, but their operation is very inefficient and expensive. Therefore, reverse osmosis was proposed as one of promising methods possibly replacing evaporators. The aim of the purification process is to achieve boric acid solution of a defined concentration (40 g/l) in the retentate stream in order to recycle it and reuse it in the primary circuit. Additionally, permeate flow should consist solely of pure water. To study the efficiency of several reverse osmosis modulus in the boric acid removal form the water solutions, experimental apparatus was constructed in our laboratory. It consists of the solution reservoir, pump and reverse osmosis modulus. The arrangement of experiments was batch and the retentate flow was refluxed to the feed solution. Several modulus of commercial reverse osmosis membranes were tested. The feed solution contained various concentrations of H 3 BO 3 , KOH, LiOH and NH 3 in order to simulate real primary coolant composition. Based on the experimental results, mathematical model was developed in order to optimize experimental conditions for the best results in primary coolant purification and boric acid preconcentration. (author)

  9. Effects of Sm addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of a Mg-10Y alloy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Quanan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available To further increase the mechanical properties, 0.5wt.% Sm was introduced to a Mg-10Y alloy in this study. The effects of Sm addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the Mg-10Y alloy, especially the aged Mg-10Y alloy, were investigated. The microstructure observation and tensile tests were performed by using an optical microscopy, a scanning electron microscopy and a universal material testing machine, respectively. The phase analysis was performed using X-ray diffractometer. The results show that the 0.5wt.% Sm addition can not only promote the formation of fine and dispersed Mg24Y5 phases, but also improve their morphology and distribution; it also increases the thermal stability of Mg24Y5 phases. Sm addition is seen to increase the ultimate tensile strength of Mg-10Y alloy at elevated temperatures (200, 250, 300 and 350 ℃, while decrease the elongation. But the elongation is still up to 7.5% even at 350 ℃. In the range of 250 ℃ to 300℃, the ultimate tensile strength of the alloy reaches its maximum (with a range average of 235 MPa and is not sensitive to the temperature change, which is very useful to the application of heat-resistant magnesium alloys. Even at 350 ℃, the ultimate tensile strength of Mg-10Y-0.5Sm is still up to 155 MPa. Considering both of the ultimate tensile strength and elongation, the maximum application temperature of the Mg-10Y-0.5Sm alloy can be up to 300 ℃. The strengthening mechanisms of Mg-10Y-0.5Sm alloy are mainly attributed to dispersion strengthening of Mg24Y5 phase particles with a certain solubility of Sm and grain refinement strengthening of α-Mg matrix.

  10. The effect of boron addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of biomedical Ti35Nb6Ta alloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Málek, Jaroslav, E-mail: malek@ujp.cz [UJP PRAHA a.s., Nad Kamínkou 1345, 156 10 Prague, Zbraslav (Czech Republic); CTU in Prague, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Materials Engineering, Karlovo Namesti 13, 121 35 Praha 2 (Czech Republic); Hnilica, František, E-mail: hnilica@ujp.cz [UJP PRAHA a.s., Nad Kamínkou 1345, 156 10 Prague, Zbraslav (Czech Republic); Veselý, Jaroslav, E-mail: vesely@ujp.cz [UJP PRAHA a.s., Nad Kamínkou 1345, 156 10 Prague, Zbraslav (Czech Republic); Smola, Bohumil, E-mail: smola@met.mff.cuni.cz [Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Ke Karlovu 5, 121 16 Prague 2 (Czech Republic); Březina, Vítězslav, E-mail: brezinavita@gmail.com [Masaryk University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Stomathology, Komenského Náměstí 220/2, 662 43 Brno (Czech Republic); Kolařík, Kamil, E-mail: kamil.kolarik@email.cz [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitní 22, 306 14 Plzeň (Czech Republic)

    2014-10-15

    The beta-titanium alloys are promising materials for bioapplications but their processing via melting is difficult. Coarse grains have been observed in as-cast specimens. Subsequent thermo-mechanical processing seems to be necessary in order to obtain fine-grained microstructure with better mechanical properties. The grain size can be decreased significantly by addition of small boron amount. In this work Ti–35Nb–6Ta alloy with various B additions (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 wt.%) has been studied. Even the smallest amount of B leads to significant grain refinement in Ti–35Nb–6Ta alloy (from 1300 to about 350 μm). Slight grain refinement has been observed also after hot forging and solution treatment. TiB particles emerged in specimens due to B addition. These particles contribute to changes in mechanical properties not only in hot forged and solution treated specimens (hardness increase from 140 to 180 HV10), but also in cold swaged specimens (hardness from 230 to 250 HV10, tensile strength from 800 to 920 MPa). The hardness values can be increased up to 370 HV10 during aging at 400 °C (specimen with 0.5 wt.% B). It has been observed that specimens with low boron addition 0.05 wt.% possess no cytotoxicity. On the other hand in specimens with 0.1 wt.% B or more slight adverse effect on cytotoxicity has been observed. - Highlights: • The influence of boron on microstructure and mechanical properties has been studied. • Beta-transus temperature has been determined. • Cytotoxicity depending on boron content has been evaluated. • Possibility of final heat treatment has been determined.

  11. Antitumor Activity and Mechanism of a Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor, Dapivirine, in Glioblastoma

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Weiwen; Song, Xian-lu; Zhao, Shan-chao; He, Minyi; Wang, Hai; Chen, Ziyang; Xiang, Wei; Yi, Guozhong; Qi, Songtao; Liu, Yawei

    2018-01-01

    Ethnopharmacological relevance: Dapivirine is one of reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs). It is the prototype of diarylpyrimidines (DAPY), formerly known as TMC120 or DAPY R147681 (IUPAC name: 4- [[4-(2, 4, 6-trimethylphenyl) amino]-2-pyrimidinyl] amino]-benzonitrile; CAS no.244767-67-7). Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate the antitumor activity of dapivirine, one of the RTIs, on U87 glioblastoma (GBM) cells in vitro and in vivo. Materials and Methods: U87 GBM cells were cul...

  12. Failure mechanisms of additively manufactured porous biomaterials: Effects of porosity and type of unit cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kadkhodapour, J; Montazerian, H; Darabi, A Ch; Anaraki, A P; Ahmadi, S M; Zadpoor, A A; Schmauder, S

    2015-10-01

    Since the advent of additive manufacturing techniques, regular porous biomaterials have emerged as promising candidates for tissue engineering scaffolds owing to their controllable pore architecture and feasibility in producing scaffolds from a variety of biomaterials. The architecture of scaffolds could be designed to achieve similar mechanical properties as in the host bone tissue, thereby avoiding issues such as stress shielding in bone replacement procedure. In this paper, the deformation and failure mechanisms of porous titanium (Ti6Al4V) biomaterials manufactured by selective laser melting from two different types of repeating unit cells, namely cubic and diamond lattice structures, with four different porosities are studied. The mechanical behavior of the above-mentioned porous biomaterials was studied using finite element models. The computational results were compared with the experimental findings from a previous study of ours. The Johnson-Cook plasticity and damage model was implemented in the finite element models to simulate the failure of the additively manufactured scaffolds under compression. The computationally predicted stress-strain curves were compared with the experimental ones. The computational models incorporating the Johnson-Cook damage model could predict the plateau stress and maximum stress at the first peak with less than 18% error. Moreover, the computationally predicted deformation modes were in good agreement with the results of scaling law analysis. A layer-by-layer failure mechanism was found for the stretch-dominated structures, i.e. structures made from the cubic unit cell, while the failure of the bending-dominated structures, i.e. structures made from the diamond unit cells, was accompanied by the shearing bands of 45°. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Effects of plasma electrolytic oxidation process on the mechanical properties of additively manufactured porous biomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorgin Karaji, Zahra; Hedayati, Reza; Pouran, Behdad; Apachitei, Iulian; Zadpoor, Amir A

    2017-07-01

    Metallic porous biomaterials are recently attracting more attention thanks to the additive manufacturing techniques which help produce more complex structures as compared to conventional techniques. On the other hand, bio-functional surfaces on metallic biomaterials such as titanium and its alloys are necessary to enhance the biological interactions with the host tissue. This study discusses the effect of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), as a surface modification technique to produce bio-functional layers, on the mechanical properties of additively manufactured Ti6Al4V scaffolds based on the cubic unit cell. For this purpose, the PEO process with two different oxidation times was applied on scaffolds with four different values of relative density. The effects of the PEO process were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), optical microscopy as well as static and dynamic (fatigue) mechanical testing under compression. SEM results indicated pore formation on the surface of the scaffolds after oxidation with a thickness of 4.85±0.36μm of the oxide layer after 2min and 9.04±2.27μm after 5min oxidation (based on optical images). The static test results showed the high effect of relative density of porous structure on its mechanical properties. However, oxidation did not influence most of the mechanical properties such as maximum stress, yield stress, plateau stress, and energy absorption, although its effect on the elastic modulus was considerable. Under fatigue loading, none of the scaffolds failed even after 10 6 loading cycles at 70% of their yield stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Neutrino helicity reversal and fundamental symmetries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jentschura, U D; Wundt, B J

    2014-01-01

    A rather elusive helicity reversal occurs in a gedanken experiment in which a massive left-handed Dirac neutrino, traveling at a velocity u < c, is overtaken on a highway by a speeding vehicle (traveling at velocity v with u < v < c). Namely, after passing the neutrino, looking back, one would see a right-handed neutrino (which has never been observed in nature). The Lorentz-invariant mass of the right-handed neutrino is still the same as before the passing. The gedanken experiment thus implies the existence of right-handed, light neutrinos, which are not completely sterile. Furthermore, overtaking a bunch of massive right-handed Dirac neutrinos leads to gradual de-sterilization. We discuss the helicity reversal and the concomitant sterilization and de-sterilization mechanisms by way of an illustrative example calculation, with a special emphasis on massive Dirac and Majorana neutrinos. We contrast the formalism with a modified Dirac neutrino described by a Dirac equation with a pseudoscalar mass term proportional to the fifth current. (paper)

  15. Reversible Redox Chemistry of Azo Compounds for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Chao; Xu, Gui-Liang; Ji, Xiao; Hou, Singyuk; Chen, Long; Wang, Fei; Jiang, Jianjun; Chen, Zonghai; Ren, Yang; Amine, Khalil; Wang, Chunsheng

    2018-03-05

    Sustainable sodium-ion batteries (SSIBs) using renewable organic electrodes are promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries for the large-scale renewable energy storage. However, the lack of high-performance anode material impedes the development of SSIBs. Herein, we report a new type of organic anode material based on azo group for SSIBs. Azobenzene-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid sodium salt is used as a model to investigate the electrochemical behaviors and reaction mechanism of azo compound. It exhibits a reversible capacity of 170 mAh g -1 at 0.2C. When current density is increased to 20C, the reversible capacities of 98 mAh g -1 can be retained for 2000 cycles, demonstrating excellent cycling stability and high rate capability. The detailed characterizations reveal that azo group acts as an electrochemical active site to reversibly bond with Na + . The reversible redox chemistry between azo compound and Na ions offer opportunities for developing long-cycle-life and high-rate SSIBs. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Non-reversible evolution of quantum chaotic system. Kinetic description

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chotorlishvili, L.; Skrinnikov, V.

    2008-01-01

    It is well known that the appearance of non-reversibility in classical chaotic systems is connected with a local instability of phase trajectories relatively to a small change of initial conditions and parameters of the system. Classical chaotic systems reveal an exponential sensitivity to these changes. This leads to an exponential growth of initial error with time, and as the result after the statistical averaging over this error, the dynamics of the system becomes non-reversible. In spite of this, the question about the origin of non-reversibility in quantum case remains actual. The point is that the classical notion of instability of phase trajectories loses its sense during quantum consideration. The current work is dedicated to the clarification of the origin of non-reversibility in quantum chaotic systems. For this purpose we study a non-stationary dynamics of the chaotic quantum system. By analogy with classical chaos, we consider an influence of a small unavoidable error of the parameter of the system on the non-reversibility of the dynamics. It is shown in the Letter that due to the peculiarity of chaotic quantum systems, the statistical averaging over the small unavoidable error leads to the non-reversible transition from the pure state into the mixed one. The second part of the Letter is dedicated to the kinematic description of the chaotic quantum-mechanical system. Using the formalism of superoperators, a muster kinematic equation for chaotic quantum system was obtained from Liouville equation under a strict mathematical consideration

  17. Influence of small additions of Sc and Zr on structure and mechanical properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kajgorodova, L.I.; Sel'nikhina, E.I.; Tkachenko, E.A.; Senatorova, O.G.

    1996-01-01

    A study was made into Sc and Zr addition effects on grain structure formation, supersaturated solid solution decomposition and mechanical properties of Al-7%Zn-2%Mg-1.2%Cu alloy. It is shown that grain structure is determined by volume fraction and distribution character of disperse particles of Al 3 Sc and Al 3 (Sc 1-x Zr x ). The reason for additives influence on decomposition kinetics during natural and artificial ageing are revealed. The structural factors responsible for the enhancement of mechanical properties on alloying are discussed. 17 refs.; 5 figs.; 2 tabs

  18. Effect of Rapid Solidification and Addition of Cu3P on the Mechanical Properties of Hypereutectic Al-Si Alloys

    OpenAIRE

    Suárez-Rosales,Miguel Ángel; Pinto-Segura,Raúl; Palacios-Beas,Elia Guadalupe; Hernández-Herrera,Alfredo; Chávez-Alcalá,José Federico

    2016-01-01

    The combined processes; rapid solidification, addition of Cu3P compound and heat treatments to improve the mechanical properties of the hypereutectic Al-13Si, Al-20Si and Al-20Si-1.5Fe-0.7Mn alloys (in wt. %) was studied. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the microstructures. The mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile tests. It was found that the cooling rate (20-50°C/s) used to solidify the alloys plus the addition of Cu3P compound favored...

  19. ZT-P: an advanced air core reversed field pinch prototype

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schoenberg, K.F.; Buchenauer, C.J.; Burkhardt, L.C.

    1986-01-01

    The ZT-P experiment, with a major radius of 0.45 m and a minor radius of 0.07 m, was designed to prototype the next generation of reversed field pinch (RFP) machines at Los Alamos. ZT-P utilizes an air-core poloidal field system, with precisely wound and positioned rigid copper coils, to drive the plasma current and provide plasma equilibrium with intrinsically low magnetic field errors. ZT-P's compact configuration is adaptable to test various first wall and limiter designs at reactor-relevant current densities in the range of 5 to 20 MA/m 2 . In addition, the load assembly design allows for the installation of toroidal field divertors. Design of ZT-P began in October 1983, and assembly was completed in October 1984. This report describes the magnetic, electrical, mechanical, vacuum, diagnostic, data acquisition, and control aspects of the machine design. In addition, preliminary data from initial ZT-P operation are presented. Because of ZT-P's prototypical function, many of its design aspects and experimental results are directly applicable to the design of a next generation RFP. 17 refs., 47 figs

  20. Mechanism of molecular transport in novel reverse-selective nanocomposite membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merkel, T.C.; Freeman, B.D.; Spontak, R.J.; Meakin, P.; Hill, A.J.; Monash University, VIC

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Polymer nanocomposites continue to receive tremendous attention as organic-inorganic hybrid materials exhibiting a wide range of interesting, as well as technologically relevant, properties. This work reports a novel use of polymer nanocomposites as reverse-selective membranes. We have found that physical dispersion of nonporous fumed silica [FS] into glassy poly(4-methyl-2-pentyne) [PMP] simultaneously enhances membrane permeability (by as much as 240%) and selectivity for large organic molecules over small permanent gases. This surprising observation, in stark contrast to conventional filled polymer systems, reflects silica-induced disruption of local polymer chain packing and, as discerned by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy [PALS], a resulting subtle increase in the size of free volume elements through which molecular transport occurs. Such nanoscale hybridization represents an innovative means of tuning the transport properties of glassy polymeric media through control of molecular ordering

  1. Enhancement of the Mechanical Properties of Basalt Fiber-Wood-Plastic Composites via Maleic Anhydride Grafted High-Density Polyethylene (MAPE Addition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun Lu

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated the mechanisms, using microscopy and strength testing approaches, by which the addition of maleic anhydride grafted high-density polyethylene (MAPE enhances the mechanical properties of basalt fiber-wood-plastic composites (BF-WPCs. The maximum values of the specific tensile and flexural strengths are achieved at a MAPE content of 5%–8%. The elongation increases rapidly at first and then continues slowly. The nearly complete integration of the wood fiber with the high-density polyethylene upon MAPE addition to WPC is examined, and two models of interfacial behavior are proposed. We examined the physical significance of both interfacial models and their ability to accurately describe the effects of MAPE addition. The mechanism of formation of the Model I interface and the integrated matrix is outlined based on the chemical reactions that may occur between the various components as a result of hydrogen bond formation or based on the principle of compatibility, resulting from similar polarity. The Model I fracture occurred on the outer surface of the interfacial layer, visually demonstrating the compatibilization effect of MAPE addition.

  2. Enhancement of the Mechanical Properties of Basalt Fiber-Wood-Plastic Composites via Maleic Anhydride Grafted High-Density Polyethylene (MAPE) Addition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jinxiang; Wang, Yong; Gu, Chenglong; Liu, Jianxun; Liu, Yufu; Li, Min; Lu, Yun

    2013-06-18

    This study investigated the mechanisms, using microscopy and strength testing approaches, by which the addition of maleic anhydride grafted high-density polyethylene (MAPE) enhances the mechanical properties of basalt fiber-wood-plastic composites (BF-WPCs). The maximum values of the specific tensile and flexural strengths are achieved at a MAPE content of 5%-8%. The elongation increases rapidly at first and then continues slowly. The nearly complete integration of the wood fiber with the high-density polyethylene upon MAPE addition to WPC is examined, and two models of interfacial behavior are proposed. We examined the physical significance of both interfacial models and their ability to accurately describe the effects of MAPE addition. The mechanism of formation of the Model I interface and the integrated matrix is outlined based on the chemical reactions that may occur between the various components as a result of hydrogen bond formation or based on the principle of compatibility, resulting from similar polarity. The Model I fracture occurred on the outer surface of the interfacial layer, visually demonstrating the compatibilization effect of MAPE addition.

  3. An algebra of reversible computation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yong

    2016-01-01

    We design an axiomatization for reversible computation called reversible ACP (RACP). It has four extendible modules: basic reversible processes algebra, algebra of reversible communicating processes, recursion and abstraction. Just like process algebra ACP in classical computing, RACP can be treated as an axiomatization foundation for reversible computation.

  4. Mechanical properties of Fe3Al-based alloys with addition of carbon, niobium and titanium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Zhengrong; Liu Wenxi

    2006-01-01

    Several Fe 3 Al-based iron aluminides with the addition of alloying elements carbon, niobium and titanium were produced by vacuum induction melting (VIM) and hot spinning forging. Analytic techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used in studying the microstructure and fracture manner of these alloys. The results show that due to the addition of alloying elements, the superlattice dislocations tend towards multiple slipping, leaving behind on their slip plane ribbons of square-shaped slip-induced antiphase boundaries. The elongation of Fe 3 Al in tension at room temperature increased to about 10% by the addition of suitable alloying elements, the usage of thermo-mechanical processing that has the function of refining grains and substructures, and subsequent annealing

  5. On thermodynamic and microscopic reversibility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crooks, Gavin E

    2011-01-01

    The word 'reversible' has two (apparently) distinct applications in statistical thermodynamics. A thermodynamically reversible process indicates an experimental protocol for which the entropy change is zero, whereas the principle of microscopic reversibility asserts that the probability of any trajectory of a system through phase space equals that of the time reversed trajectory. However, these two terms are actually synonymous: a thermodynamically reversible process is microscopically reversible, and vice versa

  6. An Additional Method for Analyzing the Reversible Inhibition of an ?Enzyme Using Acid Phosphatase as a Model

    OpenAIRE

    Baumhardt, Jordan M.; Dorsey, Benjamin M.; McLauchlan, Craig C.; Jones, Marjorie A.

    2015-01-01

    Using wheat germ acid phosphatase and sodium orthovanadate as a competitive inhibitor, a novel method for analyzing reversible inhibition was carried out. Our alternative approach involves plotting the initial velocity at which product is formed as a function of the ratio of substrate concentration to inhibitor concentration at a constant enzyme concentration and constant assay conditions. The concept of initial concentrations driving equilibrium leads to the chosen axes. Three apparent const...

  7. Influence of 2 MeV electrons irradiation on gallium phosphide light-emitting diodes reverse currents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. G. Vorobiov

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Results of reverse electrophysical characteristics study of red and green LEDs, initial and irradiated with 2 MeV electrons were given. It was found that reverse current was predominantly caused by carriers tunneling at Urev ≤ 9 V, and by the avalanche multiplication at Urev ≥ 13 V, in the range U = 9 ÷ 13 V both mechanisms are available. Current increase at high voltage areas (Urev > 19 V is limited by the base resistance of diode. In the case of significant reverse currents (I > 1 mA irradiation of diodes leads to the shift of reverse current-voltage characteristics into the high voltages direction.

  8. Novel Additive Manufacturing Pneumatic Actuators and Mechanisms for Food Handling Grippers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Blanes

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Conventional pneumatic grippers are widely used in industrial pick and place robot processes for rigid objects. They are simple, robust and fast, but their design, motion and features are limited, and they do not fulfil the final purpose. Food products have a wide variety of shapes and textures and are susceptible to damaged. Robot grippers for food handling should adapt to this wide range of dimensions and must be fast, cheap, reasonably reliable, and with cheap and reasonable maintenance costs. They should not damage the product and must meet hygienic conditions. The additive manufacturing (AM process is able to manufacture parts without significant restrictions, and is Polyamide approved as food contact material by FDA. This paper presents that, taking the best of plastic flexibility, AM allows the implementation of novel actuators, original compliant mechanisms and practical grippers that are cheap, light, fast, small and easily adaptable to specific food products. However, if they are not carefully designed, the results can present problems, such as permanent deformations, low deformation limits, and low operation speed. We present possible solutions for the use of AM to design proper robot grippers for food handling. Some successful results, such as AM actuators based on deformable air chambers, AM compliant mechanisms, and grippers developed in a single part will be introduced and discussed.

  9. Formalized Planning and Its Connection With the Development of Reverse Logistics: the Case of Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radoslav Škapa

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The best-in-class companies are able to retrieve 64 per cent of the original value of reverse flows, whereas it is only 12.5 per cent in average companies. Thus, reverse logistics is a challenge that may bring additional benefits. The article analyzes the planning range of reverse logistics in the Czech service companies, and it further notes the relations between planning and other characteristics of a company. Our results indicate that the ability to recognize different connections of reverse flows in business (opportunities, threats as well as strengths and weaknesses is one of the important factors that affect the advancement of reverse logistics in companies.

  10. Effect of additives for higher removal rate in lithium niobate chemical mechanical planarization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Sukhoon; Lee, Hyunseop; Cho, Hanchul; Lee, Sangjik; Kim, Hyoungjae; Kim, Sungryul; Park, Jaehong; Jeong, Haedo

    2010-01-01

    High roughness and a greater number of defects were created by lithium niobate (LN; LiNbO 3 ) processes such as traditional grinding and mechanical polishing (MP), should be decreased for manufacturing LN device. Therefore, an alternative process for gaining defect-free and smooth surface is needed. Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is suitable method in the LN process because it uses a combination approach consisting of chemical and mechanical effects. First of all, we investigated the LN CMP process using commercial slurry by changing various process conditions such as down pressure and relative velocity. However, the LN CMP process time using commercial slurry was long to gain a smooth surface because of lower material removal rate (MRR). So, to improve the material removal rate (MRR), the effects of additives such as oxidizer (hydrogen peroxide; H 2 O 2 ) and complexing agent (citric acid; C 6 H 8 O 7 ) in a potassium hydroxide (KOH) based slurry, were investigated. The manufactured slurry consisting of H 2 O 2 -citric acid in the KOH based slurry shows that the MRR of the H 2 O 2 at 2 wt% and the citric acid at 0.06 M was higher than the MRR for other conditions.

  11. Proteomic analysis of three gonad types of swamp eel reveals genes differentially expressed during sex reversal

    OpenAIRE

    Sheng, Yue; Zhao, Wei; Song, Ying; Li, Zhigang; Luo, Majing; Lei, Quan; Cheng, Hanhua; Zhou, Rongjia

    2015-01-01

    A variety of mechanisms are engaged in sex determination in vertebrates. The teleost fish swamp eel undergoes sex reversal naturally and is an ideal model for vertebrate sexual development. However, the importance of proteome-wide scanning for gonad reversal was not previously determined. We report a 2-D electrophoresis analysis of three gonad types of proteomes during sex reversal. MS/MS analysis revealed a group of differentially expressed proteins during ovary to ovotestis to testis transf...

  12. Octane-Assisted Reverse Micellar Dyeing of Cotton with Reactive Dyes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alan Yiu-lun Tang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we investigated the computer colour matching (CCM of cotton fabrics dyed with reactive dye using the octane-assisted reverse micellar approach. The aim of this study is to evaluate the colour quality and compare the accuracy between CCM forecasting and simulated dyeing produced by conventional water-based dyeing and octane-assisted reverse micellar dyeing. First, the calibration of dyeing databases for both dyeing methods was established. Standard samples were dyed with known dye concentrations. Computer colour matching was conducted by using the colour difference formula of International Commission on Illumination (CIE L*a*b*. Experimental results revealed that the predicted concentrations were nearly the same as the expected known concentrations for both dyeing methods. This indicates that octane-assisted reverse micellar dyeing system can achieve colour matching as good as the conventional water-based dyeing system. In addition, when comparing the colour produced by the conventional water-based dyeing system and the octane-assisted reverse micellar dyeing system, the colour difference (ΔE is ≤1, which indicates that the reverse micellar dyeing system could be applied for industrial dyeing with CCM.

  13. Mechanical properties of additively manufactured thick honeycombs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hedayati, R.; Sadighi, M.; Mohammadi-Aghdam, M; Zadpoor, A.A.

    2016-01-01

    Honeycombs resemble the structure of a number of natural and biological materials such as cancellous bone, wood, and cork. Thick honeycomb could be also used for energy absorption applications. Moreover, studying the mechanical behavior of honeycombs under in-plane loading could help understanding

  14. Thermally conductive, electrically insulating and melt-processable polystyrene/boron nitride nanocomposites prepared by in situ reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Xingyi; Wang, Shen; Zhu, Ming; Yang, Ke; Jiang, Pingkai; Bando, Yoshio; Golberg, Dmitri; Zhi, Chunyi

    2015-01-01

    Thermally conductive and electrically insulating polymer/boron nitride (BN) nanocomposites are highly attractive for various applications in many thermal management fields. However, so far most of the preparation methods for polymer/BN nanocomposites have usually caused difficulties in the material post processing. Here, an in situ grafting approach is designed to fabricate thermally conductive, electrically insulating and post-melt processable polystyrene (PS)/BN nanosphere (BNNS) nanocomposites by initiating styrene (St) on the surface functionalized BNNSs via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The nanocomposites exhibit significantly enhanced thermal conductivity. For example, at a St/BN feeding ratio of 5:1, an enhancement ratio of 1375% is achieved in comparison with pure PS. Moreover, the dielectric properties of the nanocomposites show a desirable weak dependence on frequency, and the dielectric loss tangent of the nanocomposites remains at a very low level. More importantly, the nanocomposites can be subjected to multiple melt processing to form different shapes. Our method can become a universal approach to prepare thermally conductive, electrically insulating and melt-processable polymer nanocomposites with diverse monomers and nanofillers. (paper)

  15. Effect of Sc addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of 1460 alloy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Ma

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The effect of minor addition of Sc on microstructure, age hardening behavior, tensile properties and fracture morphology of 1460 alloy have been studied. It is found that Sc content increase from 0.11 wt% to 0.22 wt% is favorable for grain refinement in as-cast alloy but results in a coarsening of Cu-rich particles. The alloy with 0.11 wt% Sc exhibits enhanced mechanical properties and age hardening effect. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM investigations on the alloy with 0.11 wt% Sc have suggested that a large amount of Al3(Sc, Zr particles precipitated at the earlier aging may inhibit recrystallization effectively.

  16. Stacking faults and mechanisms strain-induced transformations of hcp metals (Ti, Mg) during mechanical activation in liquid hydrocarbons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lubnin, A. N.; Dorofeev, G. A.; Nikonova, R. M.; Mukhgalin, V. V.; Lad'yanov, V. I.

    2017-11-01

    The evolution of the structure and substructure of metals Ti and Mg with hexagonal close-packed (hcp) lattice is studied during their mechanical activation in a planetary ball mill in liquid hydrocarbons (toluene, n-heptane) and with additions of carbon materials (graphite, fullerite, nanotubes) by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and chemical analysis. The temperature behavior and hydrogen-accumulating properties of mechanocomposites are studied. During mechanical activation of Ti and Mg, liquid hydrocarbons decay, metastable nanocrystalline titanium carbohydride Ti(C,H) x and magnesium hydride β-MgH2 are formed, respectively. The Ti(C,H) x and MgH2 formation mechanisms during mechanical activation are deformation ones and are associated with stacking faults accumulation, and the formation of face-centered cubic (fcc) packing of atoms. Metastable Ti(C,H)x decays at a temperature of 550°C, the partial reverse transformation fcc → hcp occurs. The crystalline defect accumulation (nanograin boundaries, stacking faults), hydrocarbon destruction, and mechanocomposite formation leads to the enhancement of subsequent magnesium hydrogenation in the Sieverts reactor.

  17. Influence of time dependent longitudinal magnetic fields on the cooling process, exchange bias and magnetization reversal mechanism in FM core/AFM shell nanoparticles: a Monte Carlo study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yüksel, Yusuf; Akıncı, Ümit

    2016-12-07

    Using Monte Carlo simulations, we have investigated the dynamic phase transition properties of magnetic nanoparticles with ferromagnetic core coated by an antiferromagnetic shell structure. Effects of field amplitude and frequency on the thermal dependence of magnetizations, magnetization reversal mechanisms during hysteresis cycles, as well as on the exchange bias and coercive fields have been examined, and the feasibility of applying dynamic magnetic fields on the particle have been discussed for technological and biomedical purposes.

  18. Mobile phase effects on the retention on polar columns with special attention to the dual hydrophilic interaction-reversed-phase liquid chromatography mechanism, a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jandera, Pavel; Hájek, Tomáš

    2018-01-01

    Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography on polar columns in aqueous-organic mobile phases has become increasingly popular for the separation of many biologically important compounds in chemical, environmental, food, toxicological, and other samples. In spite of many new applications appearing in literature, the retention mechanism is still controversial. This review addresses recent progress in understanding of the retention models in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. The main attention is focused on the role of water, both adsorbed by the column and contained in the bulk mobile phase. Further, the theoretical retention models in the isocratic and gradient elution modes are discussed. The dual hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography reversed-phase retention mechanism on polar columns is treated in detail, especially with respect to the practical use in one- and two-dimensional liquid chromatography separations. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. The double-slit experiment and the time-reversed fire alarm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halabi, T.

    2010-01-01

    When both slits of the double-slit experiment are open, closing one paradoxically increases the detection rate at some points on the detection screen. Feynman famously warned that temptation to understand such a puzzling feature only draws into blind alleys. Nevertheless, we gain insight into this feature by drawing an analogy between the double-slit experiment and a time-reversed fire alarm. Much as closing the slit increases probability of a future detection, ruling out fire drill scenarios, having heard the fire alarm, increases probability of a past fire (using Bayesian inference). Classically, Bayesian inference is associated with computing probabilities of past events. We therefore identify this feature of the double-slit experiment with a time-reversed thermodynamic arrow. We believe that much of the enigma of quantum mechanics is simply due to some variation of time's arrow. In further support of this, we employ a plausible formulation of the thermodynamic arrow to derive an uncertainty in classical mechanics that is reminiscent of quantum uncertainty.

  20. Non-surface activity and micellization behavior of cationic amphiphilic block copolymer synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Arjun; Yusa, Shin-ichi; Matsuoka, Hideki; Saruwatari, Yoshiyuki

    2011-08-02

    Cationic amphiphilic diblock copolymers of poly(n-butylacrylate)-b-poly(3-(methacryloylamino)propyl)trimethylammonium chloride) (PBA-b-PMAPTAC) with various hydrophobic and hydrophilic chain lengths were synthesized by a reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) process. Their molecular characteristics such as surface activity/nonactivity were investigated by surface tension measurements and foam formation observation. Their micelle formation behavior and micelle structure were investigated by fluorescence probe technique, static and dynamic light scattering (SLS and DLS), etc., as a function of hydrophilic and hydrophobic chain lengths. The block copolymers were found to be non-surface active because the surface tension of the aqueous solutions did not change with increasing polymer concentration. Critical micelle concentration (cmc) of the polymers could be determined by fluorescence and SLS measurements, which means that these polymers form micelles in bulk solution, although they were non-surface active. Above the cmc, the large blue shift of the emission maximum of N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine (NPN) probe and the low micropolarity value of the pyrene probe in polymer solution indicate the core of the micelle is nonpolar in nature. Also, the high value of the relative intensity of the NPN probe and the fluorescence anisotropy of the 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) probe indicated that the core of the micelle is highly viscous in nature. DLS was used to measure the average hydrodynamic radii and size distribution of the copolymer micelles. The copolymer with the longest PBA block had the poorest water solubility and consequently formed micelles with larger size while having a lower cmc. The "non-surface activity" was confirmed for cationic amphiphilic diblock copolymers in addition to anionic ones studied previously, indicating the universality of non-surface activity nature.

  1. Room Temperature Mechanical Properties of A356 Alloy with Ni Additions from 0.5 Wt to 2 Wt %

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucia Lattanzi

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, the influence of Ni on high-temperature mechanical properties of casting Al alloys has been extensively examined in the literature. In the present study, room temperature mechanical properties of an A356 alloy with Ni additions from 0.5 to 2 wt % were investigated. The role of Ni-based compounds and eutectic Si particles in reinforcing the Al matrix was studied with image analysis and was then related to tensile properties and microhardness. In the as-cast condition, the formation of the 3D network is not sufficient to determine an increase of mechanical properties of the alloys since fracture propagates by cleavage through eutectic Si particles and Ni aluminides or by the debonding of brittle phases from the aluminum matrix. After T6 heat treatment the increasing amount of Ni aluminides, due to further addition of Ni to the alloy, together with their brittle behavior, leads to a decrease of yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and Vickers microhardness. Despite the fact that Ni addition up to 2 wt % hinders spheroidization of eutectic Si particles during T6 heat treatment, it also promotes the formation of a higher number of brittle Ni-based compounds that easily promote fracture propagation.

  2. A digital matched filter for reverse time chaos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, J Phillip; Beal, Aubrey N; Dean, Robert N; Hamilton, Michael C

    2016-07-01

    The use of reverse time chaos allows the realization of hardware chaotic systems that can operate at speeds equivalent to existing state of the art while requiring significantly less complex circuitry. Matched filter decoding is possible for the reverse time system since it exhibits a closed form solution formed partially by a linear basis pulse. Coefficients have been calculated and are used to realize the matched filter digitally as a finite impulse response filter. Numerical simulations confirm that this correctly implements a matched filter that can be used for detection of the chaotic signal. In addition, the direct form of the filter has been implemented in hardware description language and demonstrates performance in agreement with numerical results.

  3. Effect of molybdenum and chromium additions on the mechanical properties of Fe3Al-based alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Yangshan; Xue Feng; Mei Jianping; Yu Xingquan; Zhang Lining

    1995-01-01

    Iron aluminides based on Fe 3 Al offer excellent oxidation and sulfidation resistance, with lower material cost and density than stainless steels. However, their potential use as structural material has been hindered by limited ductility and a sharp drop in strength above 600 C. Recent development efforts have indicated that adequate engineering ductility of 10--20% and tensile yield strength of as high as 500 MPa can be achieved through control of composition and microstructure. These improved tensile properties make Fe 3 Al-based alloys more competitive against conventional austenic and ferritic steels. The improvement of high temperature mechanical properties has been achieved mainly by alloying processes. Molybdenum has been found to be one of the most important alloying elements for strengthening Fe 3 Al-based alloys at high temperatures. However, the RT(room temperature) ductility decreases with the increase of a molybdenum addition. On the other hand, a chromium addition to Fe 3 Al-based alloys is very efficient for improving RT ductility but not beneficial to yield strength at temperatures to 800 C. The purpose of the present paper is to report the effects of combined additions of molybdenum and chromium on mechanical properties at ambient temperature and high temperature of 600 C

  4. Emulsifier development for high-concentrated reverse emulsions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.L. Kovalenko

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The reverse emulsions have found broad application in ore mining industry as matrixes of emulsion explosive substances and boring washing waters. The defining characteristic of reverse emulsions of industrial explosive substances is the high stability and immunity to crystallization. Aim: The aim of this work is to assess the mechanism of emulsifiers effect like SMO and some PIBSA-derivatives, that are most abundantly used in world practice, and also to develop an effective domestic emulsifier of reverse emulsions. Materials and methods: Using the semi-dynamic method with use of the reverse stalagmometer it was determined the decreasing in interfacial tension on “water / diesel fuel” border in the presence of 0.5 wt % sorbitan monooleate of various producers. Emulsions with use of the chosen emulsifiers using the dynamic mixer on the basis of monosolution of ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel have been produced. The emulsions have the following composition, wt %: ammonium nitrate – 76.8; water – 15.6; diesel fuel – 6.0; emulsifier – 1.6. Results: By the researches results of the interfacial tension “surfactant water / solution in diesel fuel”, the stability of emulsions using monosolution of ammonium nitrate and the IR spectrums of SMO of various producers it is established that presence in product of impurity of oleic acid, di- and trioleates leads to decreasing in interphase activity, increasing of emulsifier oil solubility and decreasing the resistance of emulsions to crystallization. On the basis of the spectral data analysis it is suggested about possibility of specific interaction on the mechanism of “spectral resonance” between emulsifiers of the PIBSA-MEA, LZX type and crystals nucleus of NH4NO3 ammonium nitrate in dispersed phase of emulsion. Amidation of vegetable oils by monoethanol amine is implemented at the reduced temperatures (90…100 °C. It was proved the availability mainly of fatty acids amides in product

  5. Effect of 0.2 and 0.5% Ti on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 13Cr supermartensitic stainless steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lian, Yong; Huang, Jinfeng; Zhang, Jin; Zhang, Cheng; Gao, Wen; Zhao, Chao

    2015-11-01

    The effect that a 0, 0.2, and 0.5 wt.% titanium content has on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 13Cr supermartensitic stainless steel was investigated using an optical microscope, transmission electron microscope, and X-ray diffraction. The resultant microstructures of the three steels were tempered martensite with a reversed austenite dispersed throughout the matrix. Additionally, the formation of Cr-rich carbides was suppressed by stable Ti(C, N), which improved the strength without severely decreasing in the Ti-microalloyed steel toughness. Nano-precipitation of Ni3Ti was found for the 0.5 wt.% Ti steel during tempering, which significantly increased the strength, but decreased the toughness. The reversed austenite volume fraction also significantly influenced the mechanical properties.

  6. Mechanical properties of tungsten alloys with Y2O3 and titanium additions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aguirre, M.V.; Martin, A.; Pastor, J.Y.; LLorca, J.; Monge, M.A.; Pareja, R.

    2011-01-01

    In this research the mechanical behaviour of pure tungsten (W) and its alloys (2 wt.% Ti-0.47 wt.% Y 2 O 3 and 4 wt.% Ti-0.5 wt.% Y 2 O 3 ) is compared. These tungsten alloys, have been obtained by powder metallurgy. The yield strength, fracture toughness and elastic modulus have been studied in the temperature interval of 25 deg. C to 1000 deg. C. The results have shown that the addition of Ti substantially improves the bending strength and toughness of W, but it also dramatically increases the DBTT. On the other hand, the addition of 0.5% Y 2 O 3 , is enough to improve noticeably the oxidation behaviour at the higher temperatures. The grain size, fractography and microstructure are studied in these materials. Titanium is a good grain growth inhibitor and effective precursor of liquid phase in HIP. The simultaneous presence of Y 2 O 3 and Ti permits to obtain materials with low pores presence.

  7. Chemical kinetics and reaction mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, Ou Sik; Park, Youn Yeol

    1996-12-01

    This book is about chemical kinetics and reaction mechanism. It consists of eleven chapters, which deal with reaction and reaction speed on reaction mechanism, simple reaction by rate expression, reversible reaction and simultaneous reaction, successive reaction, complicated reaction mechanism, assumption for reaction mechanism, transition state theory, successive reaction and oscillating reaction, reaction by solution, research method high except kinetics on reaction mechanism, high reaction of kinetics like pulsed radiolysis.

  8. Nanocarbon/elastomer composites: Characterization and applications in photo-mechanical actuation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loomis, Robert James, III

    The magnitude and direction of photo-mechanical actuation responses generated in carbon nanostructure/elastomer composites depend on applied pre-strains. At low levels of pre-strains (3--9%), actuators show reversible photo-induced expansion while at high levels (15--40%), actuators exhibit reversible contraction. Large, light-induced reversible and elastic responses of graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) polymer composites were demonstrated for the first time, with an extraordinary optical-to-mechanical energy conversion factor (etaM) of 7--9 MPa/W. Following this demonstration, similar elastomeric composite were fabricated with a variety of carbon nanostructures. Investigation into photo-actuation properties of these composites revealed both layer-dependent, as well as dimensionally-dependent responses. For a given carbon concentration, both steady-state photo-mechanical stress response and energy conversion efficiency were found to be directly related to dimensional state of carbon nanostructure additive, with one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanotubes demonstrating the highest responses (˜60 kPa stress and ˜5 x 10-3% efficiency at just 1 wt% loading) and three-dimensional (3D) highly ordered pyrolytic graphite demonstrating the lowest responses. Furthermore, development of an advanced dispersion technique (evaporative mixing) resulted in the ability to fabricate conductive composites. Actuation and relaxation kinetics responses were investigated and found to be related not to dimensionality, but rather the percolation threshold of carbon nanostructure additive in the polymer. Establishing a connective network of carbon nanostructure additive allowed for energy transduction responsible for photo-mechanical effect to activate carbon beyond the infrared (IR) illumination point, resulting in enhanced actuation. Additionally, in the conductive samples photo-conductivity as a function of applied pre-strain was also measured. Photo-conductive response was found to be inversely

  9. Mechanical Deformation Behavior of Sn-Ag-Cu Solders with Minor Addition of 0.05 wt.% Ni

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammad, A. E.; El-Taher, A. M.

    2014-11-01

    The aim of the present work is to develop a comparative evaluation of the microstructural and mechanical deformation behavior of Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solders with the minor addition of 0.05 wt.% Ni. Test results showed that, by adding 0.05Ni element into SAC solders, generated mainly small rod-shaped (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 intermetallic compounds (IMCs) inside the β-Sn phase. Moreover, increasing the Ag content and adding Ni could result in the change of the shape and size of the IMC precipitate. Hence, a significant improvement is observed in the mechanical properties of SAC solders with increasing Ag content and Ni addition. On the other hand, the tensile results of Ni-doped SAC solders showed that both the yield stress and ultimate tensile strengths decrease with increasing temperature and with decreasing strain rate. This behavior was attributed to the competing effects of work hardening and dynamic recovery processes. The Sn-2.0Ag-0.5Cu-0.05Ni solder displayed the highest mechanical properties due to the formation of hard (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 IMCs. Based on the obtained stress exponents and activation energies, it is suggested that the dominant deformation mechanism in SAC (205)-, SAC (0505)- and SAC (0505)-0.05Ni solders is pipe diffusion, and lattice self-diffusion in SAC (205)-0.05Ni solder. In view of these results, the Sn-2.0Ag-0.5Cu-0.05Ni alloy is a more reliable solder alloy with improved properties compared with other solder alloys tested in the present work.

  10. Effect of Silicon Addition on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Chromium and Titanium Based Coatings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Carlos Ardila-Téllez

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The changes in the microstructure, mechanical properties and residual stresses of AlTiN, AlTiSiN, AlCrN and AlCrSiN coatings, has been studied before and after annealing at 900 ºC and 1100 ºC, using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, along with nano-indentation and X-ray diffraction techniques. The As-deposited coatings show a columnar structure, with a crystallite size between 18 nm and 28 nm. Despite the silicon addition, no effect on the crystallite size refinement was observed.However, the addition of silicon increases hardness, elastic modulus and compressive residual stresses. After annealing at 900 ºC, the crystallite size growth and the residual stress relaxes; therefore, the coating hardness decreases. At 1100 ºC, the oxide layers formed in AlTiN and AlTiSiN, which act as protective layers enhancing oxidation resistance; meanwhile, a complete oxidation of AlCrN and AlCrSiN coatings take place. The Titanium based coatings present some superior mechanical properties and oxidation resistance than the chromium based coatings at 900 ºC and 1100 ºC.

  11. Quantum vertex model for reversible classical computing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamon, C; Mucciolo, E R; Ruckenstein, A E; Yang, Z-C

    2017-05-12

    Mappings of classical computation onto statistical mechanics models have led to remarkable successes in addressing some complex computational problems. However, such mappings display thermodynamic phase transitions that may prevent reaching solution even for easy problems known to be solvable in polynomial time. Here we map universal reversible classical computations onto a planar vertex model that exhibits no bulk classical thermodynamic phase transition, independent of the computational circuit. Within our approach the solution of the computation is encoded in the ground state of the vertex model and its complexity is reflected in the dynamics of the relaxation of the system to its ground state. We use thermal annealing with and without 'learning' to explore typical computational problems. We also construct a mapping of the vertex model into the Chimera architecture of the D-Wave machine, initiating an approach to reversible classical computation based on state-of-the-art implementations of quantum annealing.

  12. SLM processing-microstructure-mechanical property correlation in an aluminum alloy produced by additive manufacturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alejos, Martin Fernando

    Additive manufacturing has become a highly researched topic in recent years all over the world. The current research evaluates the merits of additive manufacturing based on the mechanical, microstructural, and fracture properties of additive manufactured AlSi10Mg test specimens. The additive manufactured build plates consisted of tensile and fatigue test specimens. They were printed in the 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° orientations relative to the build platform. Tensile and dynamic fatigue tests were conducted followed by microstructural characterization and fracture analysis. A wrought 6061 T6 aluminum alloy was also tested for comparison. Tensile tests revealed similar ultimate tensile strengths for all aluminum tensile specimens (350-380 MPa). Fatigue strength was greatest for wrought 6061 T6 aluminum (175 MPa). The fatigue behavior was a strong function of build orientation for the additive manufactured specimens. The 0°, 30°, and 60° orientations had fatigue strengths close to 104 MPa while the 90° orientation had a fatigue strength of 125 MPa. All test specimens failed primarily in a ductile manner. The effect of laser power, hatch spacing, and scan speed were also studied using microstructural analysis. Increasing laser power decreased grain size and void size. Increasing scan speed led to the formation of columnar grains. Increasing hatch spacing decreased grain size and the amount of voids present in the microstructure.

  13. Differential Binding Models for Direct and Reverse Isothermal Titration Calorimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrera, Isaac; Winnik, Mitchell A

    2016-03-10

    Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is a technique to measure the stoichiometry and thermodynamics from binding experiments. Identifying an appropriate mathematical model to evaluate titration curves of receptors with multiple sites is challenging, particularly when the stoichiometry or binding mechanism is not available. In a recent theoretical study, we presented a differential binding model (DBM) to study calorimetry titrations independently of the interaction among the binding sites (Herrera, I.; Winnik, M. A. J. Phys. Chem. B 2013, 117, 8659-8672). Here, we build upon our DBM and show its practical application to evaluate calorimetry titrations of receptors with multiple sites independently of the titration direction. Specifically, we present a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with the general form d[S]/dV that can be integrated numerically to calculate the equilibrium concentrations of free and bound species S at every injection step and, subsequently, to evaluate the volume-normalized heat signal (δQ(V) = δq/dV) of direct and reverse calorimetry titrations. Additionally, we identify factors that influence the shape of the titration curve and can be used to optimize the initial concentrations of titrant and analyte. We demonstrate the flexibility of our updated DBM by applying these differentials and a global regression analysis to direct and reverse calorimetric titrations of gadolinium ions with multidentate ligands of increasing denticity, namely, diglycolic acid (DGA), citric acid (CIT), and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and use statistical tests to validate the stoichiometries for the metal-ligand pairs studied.

  14. Time reversal invariance for a nonlinear scatterer exhibiting contact acoustic nonlinearity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanloeuil, Philippe; Rose, L. R. Francis; Veidt, Martin; Wang, Chun H.

    2018-03-01

    The time reversal invariance of an ultrasonic plane wave interacting with a contact interface characterized by a unilateral contact law is investigated analytically and numerically. It is shown analytically that despite the contact nonlinearity, the re-emission of a time reversed version of the reflected and transmitted waves can perfectly recover the original pulse shape, thereby demonstrating time reversal invariance for this type of contact acoustic nonlinearity. With the aid of finite element modelling, the time-reversal analysis is extended to finite-size nonlinear scatterers such as closed cracks. The results show that time reversal invariance holds provided that all the additional frequencies generated during the forward propagation, such as higher harmonics, sub-harmonics and zero-frequency component, are fully included in the retro-propagation. If the scattered waves are frequency filtered during receiving or transmitting, such as through the use of narrowband transducers, the recombination of the time-reversed waves will not exactly recover the original incident wave. This discrepancy due to incomplete time invariance can be exploited as a new method for characterizing damage by defining damage indices that quantify the departure from time reversal invariance. The sensitivity of these damage indices for various crack lengths and contact stress levels is investigated computationally, indicating some advantages of this narrowband approach relative to the more conventional measurement of higher harmonic amplitude, which requires broadband transducers.

  15. Quantum-Enhanced Sensing Based on Time Reversal of Nonlinear Dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linnemann, D; Strobel, H; Muessel, W; Schulz, J; Lewis-Swan, R J; Kheruntsyan, K V; Oberthaler, M K

    2016-07-01

    We experimentally demonstrate a nonlinear detection scheme exploiting time-reversal dynamics that disentangles continuous variable entangled states for feasible readout. Spin-exchange dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates is used as the nonlinear mechanism which not only generates entangled states but can also be time reversed by controlled phase imprinting. For demonstration of a quantum-enhanced measurement we construct an active atom SU(1,1) interferometer, where entangled state preparation and nonlinear readout both consist of parametric amplification. This scheme is capable of exhausting the quantum resource by detecting solely mean atom numbers. Controlled nonlinear transformations widen the spectrum of useful entangled states for applied quantum technologies.

  16. Fast switching of bistable magnetic nanowires through collective spin reversal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vindigni, Alessandro; Rettori, Angelo; Bogani, Lapo; Caneschi, Andrea; Gatteschi, Dante; Sessoli, Roberta; Novak, Miguel A.

    2005-08-01

    The use of magnetic nanowires as memory units is made possible by the exponential divergence of the characteristic time for magnetization reversal at low temperature, but the slow relaxation makes the manipulation of the frozen magnetic states difficult. We suggest that finite-size segments can show a fast switching if collective reversal of the spins is taken into account. This mechanism gives rise at low temperatures to a scaling law for the dynamic susceptibility that has been experimentally observed for the dilute molecular chain Co(hfac)2NitPhOMe. These results suggest a possible way of engineering nanowires for fast switching of the magnetization.

  17. Reversal of androgen inhibition of estrogen-activated sexual behavior by cholinergic agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohanich, G P; Cada, D A

    1989-12-01

    Androgens have been found to inhibit lordosis activated by estrogen treatment of ovariectomized female rats. In the present experiments, dihydrotestosterone propionate (200 micrograms for 3 days) inhibited the incidence of lordosis in ovariectomized females treated with estradiol benzoate (1 microgram for 3 days). This inhibition of lordosis was reversed 15 min after bilateral intraventricular infusion of physostigmine (10 micrograms/cannula), an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, or carbachol (0.5 microgram/cannula), a cholinergic receptor agonist. This reversal of inhibition appears to be mediated by cholinergic muscarinic receptors since pretreatment with scopolamine (4 mg/kg, ip), a muscarinic receptor blocker, prevented the reversal of androgen inhibition by physostigmine. These results indicate that androgens may inhibit estrogen-activated lordosis through interference with central cholinergic muscarinic mechanisms.

  18. Reverse logistics - a framework

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M.P. de Brito (Marisa); R. Dekker (Rommert)

    2002-01-01

    textabstractIn this paper we define and compare Reverse Logistics definitions. We start by giving an understanding framework of Reverse Logistics: the why-what-how. By this means, we put in context the driving forces for Reverse Logistics, a typology of return reasons, a classification of

  19. Tubal Ligation Reversal

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... seal off the fallopian tubes, such as the Essure or Adiana systems, generally aren't reversible. Why ... electrocautery). Some types of sterilization, such as the Essure or Adiana systems, aren't considered reversible. Risks ...

  20. Study of the reduction mechanism of ironsands with addition of blast furnace bag dust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xing, Xiangdong; Chen, Yunfei; Liu, Yiran

    2018-02-01

    To improve the reduction properties of ironsands carbon-containing briquettes, the behavior of ironsand during reduction by the addition of blast furnace bag dust (BFBD) is studied using a high temperature resistance furnace, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the reduction mechanism is discussed in this study. The results showed that the reduction level and compressive strength of ironsand carbon-containing briquettes could be promoted by increasing the proportion of BFBD. When the addition rate of BFBD was 31.25%, the metallization rate and compressive strength increased from 82.1% and 21.5 N/a to 91.4% and 172.5 N/a, respectively. Metallic iron reduced from BFBD particles favored the carbon gasification reaction, which enhanced the internal CO concentration, and then promoted the FeTiO3 reduction to Fe in ironsand. Meanwhile, a large amount of the liquid phase generated during the reduction process also favored Fe2+ diffusion, spread of iron joined crystals and the growth of crystals, which resulted in the improvement of the compressive strength of the ironsand carbon-containing briquettes.

  1. Demonstrating the Effect of Precipitation on the Mechanical Stability of Fine-Grained Austenite in Reversion-Treated 301LN Stainless Steel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antti Järvenpää

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available According to recent investigations, a huge difference exists in the mechanical stability of austenite between the grain-refined structure states obtained in reversion annealing at 800–700 °C or at 900 °C, in a 301LN type austenitic stainless steel. Precipitation of chromium nitride occurring at these lower temperatures has been argued to be the factor reducing the stability. To prove this argument, a fine-grained, very stable austenitic structure was created at 900 °C in 1 s, and subsequently annealed at lower temperatures between 850 and 750 °C, up to 1000 s. It was found that the subsequent annealing at 750 and 800 °C resulted in prominent gradual decrease of the mechanical stability under tensile straining, detectable after 10 s annealing duration and continued until 1000 s. Only minimal grain growth occurred, which decreased the stability very marginally. The degree of the stability drop followed the predicted kinetics of the Cr2N precipitation with regards as its dependence on annealing duration and temperature. Further, the tensile yield strength of the fine-grained structure increased slightly due to the annealing. The presence of nano-sized Cr2N particles was verified after 1000 s holding at 750 °C. These observations and predictions yield firm evidence for the imperative contribution of precipitation to the highly reduced mechanical stability of grain-refined austenite in this steel.

  2. Pleotropic effects of leptin to reverse insulin resistance and diabetic ketoacidosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Perry, Rachel J; Petersen, Kitt Falk; Shulman, Gerald I.

    2016-01-01

    In this review we discuss the mechanisms for the pleotropic effects of leptin replacement therapy to reverse liver and muscle insulin resistance in lipodystrophic individuals, as well as insulin-independent effects of leptin replacement therapy to suppress white adipose tissue lipolysis, hepatic...

  3. Magnetization reversal processes of single nanomagnets and their energy barrier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krone, P.; Makarov, D.; Albrecht, M.; Schrefl, T.; Suess, D.

    2010-01-01

    Micromagnetic simulations were performed to investigate the influence of geometry and magnetic anisotropy constant on energy barrier and magnetization reversal mechanism of individual bits important for the bit patterned media concept in magnetic data storage. It is shown that dependency of the energy barrier on magnetic and geometric properties of bits can be described by an analytical approach in the case of quasi-coherent magnetization rotation process. However, when the bit size exceeds a critical size, for which an incoherent magnetization reversal is preferred, the analytical approach becomes invalid and no self-consistent theory is available. By systematically investigating the influence of bit size on the magnetization reversal mode, it was found that the transition from quasi-coherent to incoherent magnetization reversal mode can still be described analytically if an activation volume is considered instead of the bit volume. In this case, the nucleation volume is an important parameter determining thermal stability of the bit. If the volume of the bit is larger than twice the activation volume, the energy barrier stays nearly constant; with further increase in bit size, no gain in thermal stability can be achieved.

  4. Effect of Zirconium Addition on Microstructure and Mechanical Property of TiC/Ti6A14V Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xuliang; Wang, Xiang; Li, Li; Gai, Pengtao; Zhu, Chengwu

    TiC/Ti6A14V composites with different Zr additions were prepared successfully in a consumable vacuum arc furnace equipped with a water-cooled copper crucible and the effect of the Zr content on the microstructure and mechanical property of 15 vol.%TiC/Ti6A14V composites was investigated by XRD, SEM and hardness testing. The results show that when the level of Zr addition is less than 4 wt.%, the morphology of the primary TiC in the composites is dendrite, and the petal-shape, piece-shape or palpus-shape eutectic TiC separates out around the primary TiC. The average size of the primary TiC decreases and the amount of eutectic TiC increases gradually with increasing Zr content. The effects of Zr on morphology of the primary TiC weaken with further addition of Zr. And the hardness (HRC) of composites was obviously increased in the whole range of Zr addition. The refinement mechanism of Zr was attributed to the combined effects of increase in nucleation rate at the constitutionally supercooled zone ahead of the solidification front and reduction in growth rate.

  5. Hardening mechanisms of spray formed Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys with scandium and other elemental additions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, M.M.; Amateau, M.F.; Eden, T.J.

    2006-01-01

    The hardening mechanisms in spray formed Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys with additions of chromium, zinc and scandium were studied. The microstructure of the spray formed alloys was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. A range of tensile strengths were achieved, and varied based on elemental additions, and second phase particle strengthening. To explain the significantly higher strength in one alloy with scandium, theoretical results due to the yield stress of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys as a function of volume fraction and precipitate particle size, were compared to experimental data. Both the possibilities of coherency and order strengthening are examined. The significant additional hardening achieved in the alloy with scandium is attributed to small ordered particles of Al 3 Sc, which precipitated during aging

  6. Information criteria for quantifying loss of reversibility in parallelized KMC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gourgoulias, Konstantinos, E-mail: gourgoul@math.umass.edu; Katsoulakis, Markos A., E-mail: markos@math.umass.edu; Rey-Bellet, Luc, E-mail: luc@math.umass.edu

    2017-01-01

    Parallel Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) is a potent tool to simulate stochastic particle systems efficiently. However, despite literature on quantifying domain decomposition errors of the particle system for this class of algorithms in the short and in the long time regime, no study yet explores and quantifies the loss of time-reversibility in Parallel KMC. Inspired by concepts from non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, we propose the entropy production per unit time, or entropy production rate, given in terms of an observable and a corresponding estimator, as a metric that quantifies the loss of reversibility. Typically, this is a quantity that cannot be computed explicitly for Parallel KMC, which is why we develop a posteriori estimators that have good scaling properties with respect to the size of the system. Through these estimators, we can connect the different parameters of the scheme, such as the communication time step of the parallelization, the choice of the domain decomposition, and the computational schedule, with its performance in controlling the loss of reversibility. From this point of view, the entropy production rate can be seen both as an information criterion to compare the reversibility of different parallel schemes and as a tool to diagnose reversibility issues with a particular scheme. As a demonstration, we use Sandia Lab's SPPARKS software to compare different parallelization schemes and different domain (lattice) decompositions.

  7. The telomerase reverse transcriptase subunit from the dimorphic fungus Ustilago maydis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dolores Bautista-España

    Full Text Available In this study, we investigated the reverse transcriptase subunit of telomerase in the dimorphic fungus Ustilago maydis. This protein (Trt1 contains 1371 amino acids and all of the characteristic TERT motifs. Mutants created by disrupting trt1 had senescent traits, such as delayed growth, low replicative potential, and reduced survival, that were reminiscent of the traits observed in est2 budding yeast mutants. Telomerase activity was observed in wild-type fungus sporidia but not those of the disruption mutant. The introduction of a self-replicating plasmid expressing Trt1 into the mutant strain restored growth proficiency and replicative potential. Analyses of trt1 crosses in planta suggested that Trt1 is necessary for teliospore formation in homozygous disrupted diploids and that telomerase is haploinsufficient in heterozygous diploids. Additionally, terminal restriction fragment analysis in the progeny hinted at alternative survival mechanisms similar to those of budding yeast.

  8. Starch-Glycerol Based Edible Film and Effect of Rosella (Hibiscus Sabdariffa Linn Extract and Surimi Dumbo Catfish (Clarias gariepinus Addition on Its Mechanical Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Endaruji Sedyadi

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Effect of Rosella (Hibiscus Sabdariffa Linn Extract and Surimi Dumbo catfish (Clarias gariepinus addition on Starch-Based Edible Film-Glycerol Mechanical Properties has been done. The purpose of this study is to create an active environment-friendly packaging material. Surimi additions are intended to improve the mechanical properties of bioplastics and additions of Rosella extract intended as a bio-indicator of acidity. The method used was Solvent Casting. An amount of surimi and rosella extract varied to obtain the best mechanical properties. The results shows that the addition of surimi and rosella flower extract significantly effect the elongation of Edible films produced up to 27%.

  9. Reversible axial-strain effect in Y-Ba-Cu-O coated conductors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cheggour, N [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Ekin, J W [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Thieme, C L H [American Superconductor Corporation, Westborough, MA 01581 (United States); Xie, Y-Y [SuperPower Incorporated, Schenectady, NY 12304 (United States); Selvamanickam, V [SuperPower Incorporated, Schenectady, NY 12304 (United States); Feenstra, R [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States)

    2005-12-15

    The recently discovered reversible strain effect in Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) coated conductors contrasts with the general understanding that the effect of strain on the critical-current density J{sub c} in practical high-temperature superconductors is determined only by crack formation in the ceramic component. Instead of having a constant J{sub c} as a function of strain before an irreversible drop when cracks form in the superconductor, J{sub c} in YBCO coated conductors can decrease or increase reversibly with strain over a significant strain range up to an irreversible strain limit. This reversible effect is present in samples fabricated either with rolling-assisted biaxially textured Ni-W substrates or with ion-beam-assisted deposition on Hastalloy substrates. The reversibility of J{sub c} with strain is observed for thin as well as thick YBCO films, and at two very different temperatures (76 and 4 K). The reversible effect is dependent on temperature and magnetic field, thus indicating its intrinsic nature. We also report an enhancement of the irreversible strain limit {epsilon}{sub irr} where the reversible strain effect ends and YBCO cracking starts. The value of {epsilon}{sub irr} increases from about 0.4% to more than 0.5% when YBCO coated conductors are fabricated with an additional Cu protection layer.

  10. Reversible axial-strain effect in Y-Ba-Cu-O coated conductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheggour, N; Ekin, J W; Thieme, C L H; Xie, Y-Y; Selvamanickam, V; Feenstra, R

    2005-01-01

    The recently discovered reversible strain effect in Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) coated conductors contrasts with the general understanding that the effect of strain on the critical-current density J c in practical high-temperature superconductors is determined only by crack formation in the ceramic component. Instead of having a constant J c as a function of strain before an irreversible drop when cracks form in the superconductor, J c in YBCO coated conductors can decrease or increase reversibly with strain over a significant strain range up to an irreversible strain limit. This reversible effect is present in samples fabricated either with rolling-assisted biaxially textured Ni-W substrates or with ion-beam-assisted deposition on Hastalloy substrates. The reversibility of J c with strain is observed for thin as well as thick YBCO films, and at two very different temperatures (76 and 4 K). The reversible effect is dependent on temperature and magnetic field, thus indicating its intrinsic nature. We also report an enhancement of the irreversible strain limit ε irr where the reversible strain effect ends and YBCO cracking starts. The value of ε irr increases from about 0.4% to more than 0.5% when YBCO coated conductors are fabricated with an additional Cu protection layer

  11. INFLUENCE OF COCONUT SHELL ADDITION ON PHYSICO-MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITES1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Éverton Hillig

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT In this study, composites with three types of thermoplastic matrix and cellulosic material in a proportion of 40% were produced. The three thermoplastic matrices were high density polyethylene (HDPE, polypropylene (PP and low density polyethylene (LDPE, and the cellulosic materials were pure wood flour (Pinus taeda L or a mixture of wood flour and coconut shell flour (Cocus nucifera L in equal ratios. The objective was to evaluate the influence of addition of coconut shell on the physico-mechanical properties (density, strength and rigidity and the distribution of the cellulosic material in the thermoplastic matrix of the manufactured composites. It was found that the composites had a satisfactory distribution of wood flour in thermoplastic matrices, but the addition of coconut shell promoted bubble formation in the resulting pieces and, thus, interfered with the material properties. The use of a coupling agent promoted interfacial adhesion (cellulose - thermoplastic matrix, which was better in high density polyethylene composites, followed by polypropylene and low density polyethylene. In general, the coconut shell addition caused a decrease of all properties compared to composites made with Loblolly Pine. In addition, the interactions between thermoplastic type and cellulosic matrix type have been statistically confirmed, which caused variations in the studied properties

  12. Repaglinide-gemfibrozil drug interaction: inhibition of repaglinide glucuronidation as a potential additional contributing mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gan, Jinping; Chen, Weiqi; Shen, Hong; Gao, Ling; Hong, Yang; Tian, Yuan; Li, Wenying; Zhang, Yueping; Tang, Yuwei; Zhang, Hongjian; Humphreys, William Griffith; Rodrigues, A David

    2010-12-01

    To further explore the mechanism underlying the interaction between repaglinide and gemfibrozil, alone or in combination with itraconazole. Repaglinide metabolism was assessed in vitro (human liver subcellular fractions, fresh human hepatocytes, and recombinant enzymes) and the resulting incubates were analyzed, by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and radioactivity counting, to identify and quantify the different metabolites therein. Chemical inhibitors, in addition to a trapping agent, were also employed to elucidate the importance of each metabolic pathway. Finally, a panel of human liver microsomes (genotyped for UGT1A1*28 allele status) was used to determine the importance of UGT1A1 in the direct glucuronidation of repaglinide. The results of the present study demonstrate that repaglinide can undergo direct glucuronidation, a pathway that can possibly contribute to the interaction with gemfibrozil. For example, [³H]-repaglinide formed glucuronide and oxidative metabolites (M2 and M4) when incubated with primary human hepatocytes. Gemfibrozil effectively inhibited (∼78%) both glucuronide and M4 formation, but had a minor effect on M2 formation. Concomitantly, the overall turnover of repaglinide was also inhibited (∼80%), and was completely abolished when gemfibrozil was co-incubated with itraconazole. These observations are in qualitative agreement with the in vivo findings. UGT1A1 plays a significant role in the glucuronidation of repaglinide. In addition, gemfibrozil and its glucuronide inhibit repaglinide glucuronidation and the inhibition by gemfibrozil glucuronide is time-dependent. Inhibition of UGT enzymes, especially UGT1A1, by gemfibrozil and its glucuronide is an additional mechanism to consider when rationalizing the interaction between repaglinide and gemfibrozil. © 2010 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2010 The British Pharmacological Society.

  13. Intractable problems in reversible cellular automata

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vatan, F.

    1988-01-01

    The billiard ball model, a classical mechanical system in which all parameters are real variables, can perform all digital computations. An eight-state, 11-neighbor reversible cellular automaton (an entirely discrete system in which all parameters are integer variables) can simulate this model. One of the natural problems for this system is to determine the shape of a container so that they initial specific distribution of gas molecules eventually leads to a predetermined distribution. This problem if PSPACE-complete. Related intractable and decidable problems are discussed as well

  14. Watermelon-like iron nanoparticles: Cr doping effect on magnetism and magnetization interaction reversal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Maninder; Dai, Qilin; Bowden, Mark; Engelhard, Mark H.; Wu, Yaqiao; Tang, Jinke; Qiang, You

    2013-08-01

    Cr-doped core-shell iron/iron-oxide nanoparticles (NPs) containing 0, 2, 5, and 8 at.% of Cr dopant were synthesized via a nanocluster deposition system and their structural and magnetic properties were investigated. We observed the formation of a σ-FeCr phase in 2 at.% of Cr doping in core-shell NPs. This is unique since it was reported in the past that the σ-phase forms above 20 at.% of Cr. The large coercive field and exchange bias are ascribed to the antiferromagnetic Cr2O3 layer formed with the Fe-oxide shell, which also acts as a passivation layer to decrease the Fe-oxide shell thickness. The additional σ-phase in the core and/or Cr2O3 in the shell cause the hysteresis loop to appear tight waisted near the zero-field axis. The exchange interaction competes with the dipolar interaction with the increase of σ-FeCr grains in the Fe-core. The interaction reversal has been observed in 8 at.% of Cr. The observed reversal mechanism is confirmed from the Henkel plot and delta M value, and is supported by a theoretical watermelon model based on the core-shell nanostructure system.

  15. 49 CFR 230.89 - Reverse gear.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Reverse gear. 230.89 Section 230.89 Transportation... Reversing Gear § 230.89 Reverse gear. (a) General provisions. Reverse gear, reverse levers, and quadrants... quadrant. Proper counterbalance shall be provided for the valve gear. (b) Air-operated power reverse gear...

  16. A photoactivated artificial muscle model unit: reversible, photoinduced sliding of nanosheets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nabetani, Yu; Takamura, Hazuki; Hayasaka, Yuika; Shimada, Tetsuya; Takagi, Shinsuke; Tachibana, Hiroshi; Masui, Dai; Tong, Zhiwei; Inoue, Haruo

    2011-11-02

    A novel photoactivated artificial muscle model unit is reported. Here we show that organic/inorganic hybrid nanosheets reversibly slide horizontally on a giant scale and the interlayer spaces in the layered hybrid structure shrink and expand vertically by photoirradiation. The sliding movement of the system on a giant scale is the first example of an artificial muscle model unit having much similarity with that in natural muscle fibrils. In particular, our layered hybrid molecular system exhibits a macroscopic morphological change on a giant scale (~1500 nm) relative to the molecular size of ~1 nm by means of a reversible sliding mechanism.

  17. Effect of copper addition on mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and antibacterial property of 316L stainless steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xi, Tong [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China); Shahzad, M. Babar [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China); Xu, Dake [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Sun, Ziqing; Zhao, Jinlong [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China); Yang, Chunguang, E-mail: cgyang@imr.ac.cn [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China); Qi, Min [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Yang, Ke, E-mail: kyang@imr.ac.cn [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China)

    2017-02-01

    The effects of addition of different Cu content (0, 2.5 and 3.5 wt%) on mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and antibacterial performance of 316L austenitic stainless steel (SS) after solution and aging treatment were investigated by mechanical test, transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrochemical corrosion, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and antibacterial test. The results showed that the Cu addition and heat treatment had no obvious influence on the microstructure with complete austenite features. The yield strength (YS) after solution treatment was almost similar, whereas the aging treatment obviously increased the YS due to formation of tiny Cu-rich precipitates. The pitting and protective potential of the solution treated Cu-bearing 316L SS in 0.9 wt% NaCl solution increased with increasing Cu content, while gradually declined after aging, owing to the high density Cu-rich precipitation. The antibacterial test proved that higher Cu content and aging were two compulsory processes to exert good antibacterial performance. The XPS results further indicated that aging enhanced the Cu enrichment in passive film, which could effectively stimulate the Cu ions release from the surface of passive film. - Highlights: • Higher Cu addition and aging guaranteed an excellent antibacterial property. • The Cu addition and heat treatment had no obvious influence on the microstructure. • The lower corrosion resistance for aging was attributed to Cu-rich precipitates.

  18. Investigation of variation of additional enthalpy of proteins with respect to pH by statistical mechanical methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oylumoglu, G.

    2005-01-01

    In this study variation of additional enthalpy with respect to pH has been investigated by the statistical mechanical methods.. To bring up the additional effect, the partition function of the proteins are calculated by single protein molecule approximation. From the partition function, free energies of the proteins are obtained and by this way additional free energy has been used in the calculation of the terms in the thermodynamical quantity. Additional enthalpy H D has been obtained by taking effective electric field E and constant dipole moment M as thermodynamical variables and using Maxwell Equations. In the presented semi phenomenological theory, necessary data are taken from the experimental study of P.L. Privalov. The variation in the additional enthalpy H D has been investigated in the pH interval of 1-5 and the results of the calculations are discussed for Lysozyme

  19. Liraglutide, leptin and their combined effects on feeding: additive intake reduction through common intracellular signalling mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanoski, S E; Ong, Z Y; Fortin, S M; Schlessinger, E S; Grill, H J

    2015-03-01

    To investigate the behavioural and intracellular mechanisms by which the glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, liraglutide, and leptin in combination enhance the food intake inhibitory and weight loss effects of either treatment alone. We examined the effects of liraglutide (a long-acting GLP-1 analogue) and leptin co-treatment, delivered in low or moderate doses subcutaneously (s.c.) or to the third ventricle, respectively, on cumulative intake, meal patterns and hypothalamic expression of intracellular signalling proteins [phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (pSTAT3) and protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP1B)] in lean rats. A low-dose combination of liraglutide (25 µg/kg) and leptin (0.75 µg) additively reduced cumulative food intake and body weight, a result mediated predominantly through a significant reduction in meal frequency that was not present with either drug alone. Liraglutide treatment alone also reduced meal size; an effect not enhanced with leptin co-administration. Moderate doses of liraglutide (75 µg/kg) and leptin (4 µg), examined separately, each reduced meal frequency, cumulative food intake and body weight; only liraglutide reduced meal size. In combination these doses did not further enhance the anorexigenic effects of either treatment alone. Ex vivo immunoblot analysis showed elevated pSTAT3 in the hypothalamic tissue after liraglutide-leptin co-treatment, an effect which was greater than that of leptin treatment alone. In addition, s.c. liraglutide reduced the expression of PTP1B (a negative regulator of leptin receptor signalling), revealing a potential mechanism for the enhanced pSTAT3 response after liraglutide-leptin co-administration. Collectively, these results show novel behavioural and molecular mechanisms underlying the additive reduction in food intake and body weight after liraglutide-leptin combination treatment. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Idarucizumab for Reversing Dabigatran-Induced Anticoagulation: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thibault, Nathan; Morrill, Amanda M; Willett, Kristine C

    The approval of the oral direct thrombin inhibitor, dabigatran etexilate, gave patients an alternative to oral anticoagulation with warfarin. Like all anticoagulants, the primary adverse event (AE) associated with dabigatran is bleeding. Until the FDA approval of idarucizumab, there had been no reversal agent for dabigatran-induced anticoagulation in patients with life-threatening or uncontrollable bleeding, or those requiring emergent procedures. The primary purpose of this review is to summarize the safety and efficacy of idarucizumab, a monoclonal antibody fragment, and its use as a reversal agent for dabigatran. A literature search was conducted through MEDLINE (1946 to November week 1 2015) and Embase (1980-2015 week 46) using the search term idarucizumab. Clinicaltrials.gov was consulted for a comprehensive list of ongoing and completed studies. Additional studies were identified through bibliographical citations. Clinical trials in animals and humans published in English evaluating the safety and efficacy of idarucizumab for reversal of anticoagulant treatment with dabigatran were included for review. Idarucizumab has been shown to significantly reverse the anticoagulant effects of dabigatran in both healthy volunteers and patients requiring a reversal agent because of either overt bleeding or an emergency surgery or invasive procedure. The most common AEs were headache, nasopharyngitis, back pain, skin irritation, hypokalemia, delirium, constipation, pyrexia, and pneumonia. Deaths reported in idarucizumab studies were attributed to either the index event or a preexisting comorbidity. Most adverse effects were minor, but 21 serious AEs have been reported in the published data including thrombotic events. Given the increased use of direct oral anticoagulants, such as dabigatran, a need for specific reversal agents exists. Idarucizumab has been shown to be safe and effective in the reversal of dabigatran-induced anticoagulation in patients requiring emergent

  1. Restorative glass: reversible, discreet restoration using structural glass components

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faidra Oikonomopoulou

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The application of structural glass as the principal material in restoration and conservation practices is a distinguishable, yet discreet approach. The transparency of glass allows the simultaneous perception of the monument at both its original and present condition, preserving its historical and aesthetical integrity. Concurrently, the material’s unique mechanical properties enable the structural consolidation of the monument. As a proof of concept, the restoration of Lichtenberg Castle is proposed. Solid cast glass units are suggested to complete the missing parts, in respect to the existing construction technique and aesthetics of the original masonry. Aiming for a reversible system, the glass units are interlocking, ensuring the overall stability without necessitating permanent, adhesive connections. This results in an elegant and reversible intervention.

  2. Reversible Communicating Processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geoffrey Brown

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Reversible distributed programs have the ability to abort unproductive computation paths and backtrack, while unwinding communication that occurred in the aborted paths. While it is natural to assume that reversibility implies full state recovery (as with traditional roll-back recovery protocols, an interesting alternative is to separate backtracking from local state recovery. For example, such a model could be used to create complex transactions out of nested compensable transactions where a programmer-supplied compensation defines the work required to "unwind" a transaction. Reversible distributed computing has received considerable theoretical attention, but little reduction to practice; the few published implementations of languages supporting reversibility depend upon a high degree of central control. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that a practical reversible distributed language can be efficiently implemented in a fully distributed manner. We discuss such a language, supporting CSP-style synchronous communication, embedded in Scala. While this language provided the motivation for the work described in this paper, our focus is upon the distributed implementation. In particular, we demonstrate that a "high-level" semantic model can be implemented using a simple point-to-point protocol.

  3. Magnetisation reversal on surface of Nd-Fe-B magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, H.; Woodward, R.; Street, R.

    1998-01-01

    Full text: Time dependent magnetisation processes on surface of isotropic and anisotropic Nd-Fe-B magnets were measured using a Magneto-Optic Magnetometer (MOM) and the data were analysed by means of the constitutive equation H = H(M, M). The surface magnetic viscosity parameter Λ (or fluctuation field H f ) was obtained. The activation volume v, which represents the volume of a negative magnetisation nuclei during a magnetisation reversal process was calculated from Λ. The results are compared with those of the corresponding bulk properties obtained by analysing the data measured using a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). Similar to bulk materials, Λ for the surface magnetisation is nearly constant over a wide range of magnetisation for both isotropic and anisotropic Nd-Fe-B. However, the surface hysteresis loops are significantly different from the bulk materials, indicating a significant difference in the magnetisation reversal processes between the bulk and surface materials. The surface magnetisation reversal mechanism, its relation and influence to the bulk properties and therefore the performance of permanent magnet are discussed

  4. Reversible storage of lithium in a rambutan-like tin-carbon electrode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Da; Lee, Jim Yang

    2009-01-01

    Fruity electrodes: A simple bottom-up self-assembly method was used to fabricate rambutan-like tin-carbon (Sn@C) nanoarchitecture (see scheme, green Sn) to improve the reversible storage of lithium in tin. The mechanism of the growth of the pear-like hairs is explored.

  5. The origin of Karaj dam basement sill marginal reversal by Soret fractionation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maghdour-Mashhour, Reza; Esmaeily, Dariush

    2010-05-01

    The Karaj dam basement sill (KDBS), located North West of Tehran, northern Iran, is one of the several E-W-trending plutons in the Albourz Mountains. The KDBS consists of a layered series between upper and lower chilled margins. The rocks of the chilled margins are gabbroic in composition and porphyritic, with euhedral to subhedral plagioclase and clinopyroxene megacrysts up to 5 mm long. The rocks become coarse-grained toward the center of the sill and show a gradual transition from porphyritic to equigranular texture. Field and petrographic observations reveal a reverse trend in marginal units crystallization from the eutectic point to the main magma composition; i.e., the olivine-bearing gabbro (porphyritic chilled margin), which has a eutectic composition, crystallized prior to the marginal gabbros, which have a cotectic or near-cotectic composition, as plagioclase laths in the gabbroic unit are embedded in large crystals of clinopyroxene and this phenomenon is believed to result from the cotectic crystallization of plagioclase and clinopyroxene. Four major mechanisms are proposed and discussed in order to find the exact mechanism responsible for marginal reversal formation as following: 1) Crystal settling is a gravity-dependent mechanism and phenocrysts must have settled to form a layer at the bottom of the sill, showing sharp upper boundary which is not observable in KDBS. Besides, the reverse fractionation of inwardly-dipping sequence of mentioned sill occurs in layers with primary dips up to 55°. Consequently capability of marginal reversals to develop along steeply inclined chamber margins, by this mechanism is implausible. 2) Multiple injections of successive magma pulses fails to explain the origin of marginal reversal since the transition along the entire length of marginal reversal is gradual also there is no compositional break or chilled contact between two mentioned units of KDBS margin (Olivine-gabbro and marginal gabbro). 3) The idea of

  6. Calculation of reverse flow in inverted U-Tubes of steam generator during natural circulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Ruichang; Liu Jinggong; Liu Ruolei; Qin Shiwei; Huang Yanping

    2010-01-01

    The mechanism of reverse flow in inverted U-tubes of steam generators of pressurized water reactors during natural circulation is analyzed by using the full range characteristic curve of parallel U-tubes. A lumped-distributed model to calculate the reverse flow occurred in inverted U-tubes of real steam generators with a large number of U-tubes during natural circulation is developed. The model has the advantages of quick calculation and high accuracy for the analysis of reverse flow in inverted U-tubes of real steam generators with natural circulation. This model has been used to calculate the normal and reverse flows occurred in inverted U-tubes of a steam generator with natural circulation. The comparison of calculated results indicates a well agreement with that predicted by the model in which normal or reverse flow in each individual U-tube is analyzed, which verifies the reliability of the model developed in this paper. (authors)

  7. Fluid mechanics of additive manufacturing of metal objects by accretion of droplets - a survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tesař, Václav

    2016-03-01

    Paper presents a survey of principles of additive manufacturing of metal objects by accretion of molten metal droplets, focusing on fluid-mechanical problems that deserve being investigated. The main problem is slowness of manufacturing due to necessarily small size of added droplets. Increase of droplet repetition rate calls for basic research of the phenomena that take place inside and around the droplets: ballistics of their flight, internal flowfield with heat and mass transfer, oscillation of surfaces, and the ways to elimination of satellite droplets.

  8. Reverse osmosis membrane allows in situ regeneration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonhomme, N.; Menjeaud, C.; Poyet, C.

    1989-01-01

    The use of mineral membranes on metallic supports has provided a novel solution to the problem of filtration by the reverse osmosis process. A new reverse osmosis membrane is described which is capable of resisting high operational temperatures (120 0 C), fluctuations in pH(3 to 12) and high pressure (100 bar), as well as significant chlorine concentrations. In addition, the membrane can be regenerated in-situ on the same porous metal support. Numerous membranes can thus be used over the multi-year life of the porous support. Moreover, accidental damage to the membrane is of no great consequence as the membrane itself can be easily replaced. The life of the installation can thus be extended and the overall cost of filtration reduced. The membrane's various applications include water and effluent treatment in the nuclear power industry. (author)

  9. Effect of Hypoeutectic Boron Additions on the Grain Size and Mechanical Properties of Ti-6Al-4V Manufactured with Powder Bed Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahbooba, Zaynab; West, Harvey; Harrysson, Ola; Wojcieszynski, Andrzej; Dehoff, Ryan; Nandwana, Peeyush; Horn, Timothy

    2017-03-01

    In additive manufacturing, microstructural control is feasible via processing parameter alteration. However, the window for parameter variation for certain materials, such as Ti-6Al-4V, is limited, and alternative methods must be employed to customize microstructures. Grain refinement and homogenization in cast titanium alloys has been demonstrated through the addition of hypoeutectic concentrations of boron. This work explores the influence of 0.00 wt.%, 0.25 wt.%, 0.50 wt.%, and 1.0 wt.% boron additions on the microstructure and bulk mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V samples fabricated in an Arcam A2 electron beam melting (EBM) system with commercial processing parameters for Ti-6Al-4V. Analyses of EBM fabricated Ti-6Al-4V + B indicate that the addition of 0.25-1.0 wt.% boron progressively refines the grain structure, and it improves hardness and elastic modulus. Despite a reduction in size, the β grain structure remained columnar as a result of directional heat transfer during EBM fabrication.

  10. Proteomic analysis of three gonad types of swamp eel reveals genes differentially expressed during sex reversal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheng, Yue; Zhao, Wei; Song, Ying; Li, Zhigang; Luo, Majing; Lei, Quan; Cheng, Hanhua; Zhou, Rongjia

    2015-05-18

    A variety of mechanisms are engaged in sex determination in vertebrates. The teleost fish swamp eel undergoes sex reversal naturally and is an ideal model for vertebrate sexual development. However, the importance of proteome-wide scanning for gonad reversal was not previously determined. We report a 2-D electrophoresis analysis of three gonad types of proteomes during sex reversal. MS/MS analysis revealed a group of differentially expressed proteins during ovary to ovotestis to testis transformation. Cbx3 is up-regulated during gonad reversal and is likely to have a role in spermatogenesis. Rab37 is down-regulated during the reversal and is mainly associated with oogenesis. Both Cbx3 and Rab37 are linked up in a protein network. These datasets in gonadal proteomes provide a new resource for further studies in gonadal development.

  11. Reversible S-nitrosylation in an engineered azurin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tian, Shiliang; Liu, Jing; Cowley, Ryan E.; Hosseinzadeh, Parisa; Marshall, Nicholas M.; Yu, Yang; Robinson, Howard; Nilges, Mark J.; Blackburn, Ninian J.; Solomon, Edward I.; Lu, Yi

    2016-04-25

    S-Nitrosothiols are known as reagents for NO storage and transportation and as regulators in many physiological processes. Although the S-nitrosylation catalysed by haem proteins is well known, no direct evidence of S-nitrosylation in copper proteins has been reported. Here, we report reversible insertion of NO into a copper–thiolate bond in an engineered copper centre in Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin by rational design of the primary coordination sphere and tuning its reduction potential by deleting a hydrogen bond in the secondary coordination sphere. The results not only provide the first direct evidence of S-nitrosylation of Cu(II)-bound cysteine in metalloproteins, but also shed light on the reaction mechanism and structural features responsible for stabilizing the elusive Cu(I)–S(Cys)NO species. The fast, efficient and reversible S-nitrosylation reaction is used to demonstrate its ability to prevent NO inhibition of cytochrome bo3 oxidase activity by competing for NO binding with the native enzyme under physiologically relevant conditions.

  12. Reverse Logistics Systems: Persepsi dan Harapan Konsumen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farida Pulansari

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Complaint is a signal that indicates important information directly by customers. Complaint will give valuable information to company to plan recovery strategies to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty. Hence, Electronic Waste (E-waste becomes a hot issue internationally, domestically and locally. There are many kind of regulations, strategy, methods or approach to minimize of E-waste. The goal of this research is design of House of Reverse Logistics (HRL to understanding the customer needs and wants for Reverse Logistics (RL implementation. This research adopted Quality Function Deployment (QFD method to construct the HRL. Differences among them are determination of the customer needs and wants. HRL insert five perspectives i.e. Input, Structure, Process, Output and Social & Organization. In other hand, QFD only inserts consumer perspective. The results showed the highest factors of consumer dissatisfaction comes from: 20% of third-party services mechanism, 10% from collaboration RL system (collection centers, recycling centers, disposal center ,10% comes the standardization of servicing system and 60% of others

  13. Hydrogen Abstraction Acetylene Addition and Diels-Alder Mechanisms of PAH Formation:  A Detailed Study Using First Principles Calculations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kislov, V V; Islamova, N I; Kolker, A M; Lin, S H; Mebel, A M

    2005-09-01

    Extensive ab initio Gaussian-3-type calculations of potential energy surfaces (PES), which are expected to be accurate within 1-2 kcal/mol, combined with statistical theory calculations of reaction rate constants have been applied to study various possible pathways in the hydrogen abstraction acetylene addition (HACA) mechanism of naphthalene and acenaphthalene formation as well as Diels-Alder pathways to acenaphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene. The barrier heights; reaction energies; and molecular parameters of the reactants, products, intermediates, and transition states have been generated for all types of reactions involved in the HACA and Diels-Alder mechanisms, including H abstraction from various aromatic intermediates, acetylene addition to radical sites, ring closures leading to the formation of additional aromatic rings, elimination of hydrogen atoms, H disproportionation, C2H2 cycloaddition, and H2 loss. The reactions participating in various HACA sequences (e.g., Frenklach's, alternative Frenklach's, and Bittner and Howard's routes) are demonstrated to have relatively low barriers and high rate constants under combustion conditions. A comparison of the significance of different HACA mechanisms in PAH growth can be made in the future using PES and molecular parameters obtained in the present work. The results show that the Diels-Alder mechanism cannot compete with the HACA pathways even at high combustion temperatures, because of high barriers and consequently low reaction rate constants. The calculated energetic parameters and rate constants have been compared with experimental and theoretical data available in the literature.

  14. The effect of scandium addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–Si–Mg alloy: A multi-refinement modifier

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Cong, E-mail: xucong55555@gmail.com [Key Laboratory of Aerospace Advanced Materials and Performance of Ministry of Education, School of Material Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Xiao, Wenlong, E-mail: wlxiao@buaa.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Aerospace Advanced Materials and Performance of Ministry of Education, School of Material Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Hanada, Shuji [Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Yamagata, Hiroshi [Center for Advanced Die Engineering and Technology, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu City, Gifu 501-1193 (Japan); Ma, Chaoli [Key Laboratory of Aerospace Advanced Materials and Performance of Ministry of Education, School of Material Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China)

    2015-12-15

    Effect of scandium (Sc) additions on the microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture behavior of Al–Si–Mg casting alloy (F357) were systematically investigated. It was found that Sc addition caused a multi-refining efficiency on the microstructure of as-cast F357 alloy, including refinement of grains and secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS), modification of eutectic Si and harmless disposal of β-Al{sub 5}FeSi phase. Subsequent T6 heat treatment had further induced the complete spheroidization of eutectic Si and precipitation of fine secondary Al{sub 3}Sc dispersoids in the Sc modified alloys. Thus the mechanical properties, especially the ductility, were significantly enhanced by the addition of Sc combined with the heat treatment. The highest ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and elongation were achieved in 0.8 wt.% Sc modified F357 alloy combined with T6 heat treatment. Furthermore, fractographic examinations indicated that the ductile fracture mechanism served as a dominate role in the modified alloys due to the formation of fine, deep and uniformly distributed dimples. - Highlights: • Detailed characterization of the multi-refining microstructure of Sc modified F357 alloy was performed. • The multi-refinement was proposed to refine grain and SDAS, modify eutectic Si and β-phase. • Sc modifier combined with T6 treatment is effective in improving tensile properties. • Modification of eutectic Si in F357 alloy with Sc is consistent with the IIT mechanism.

  15. Mechanical Properties Analysis Of Composite Magnetic Base On hexa ferrite And Polyester Or Epoxy Matrix With Silane Additive Addition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sudirman; Ridwan; Mujamilah; K K, Aloma; Rembulan, Marisa; Fitriyanti

    2003-01-01

    Application of composite magnetic especially hexa ferrite magnet for industry and home industry in Indonesia has been used. Research purposes were making composite magnetic by mixing hexa ferrite powder with polyester or epoxy and studying the effect of coupling agent 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APE) addition on mechanical properties of composite magnetic. The coupling agent may increase bonding properties between magnetic powder and matrix polymer, so that tensile strength of magnetic composite will increase without decreasing the magnetic properties. Magnetic powder (SrM or BaM) wich be coated by coupling agent were added to matrix polyester and mekpo or epoxy and versamid, mixed until homogen then pressing into to the dumbbell form molding. For epoxy matrix, pressing was done in hot press at 70 deg. C and 150 kg/cm 2 following by cooling in cold press, while for polyester matrix pressing was done in hydraulic press and following by curing at 70 deg. C in an oven for 1 hour. The composition of magnetic powder were varied to 30, 40 and 50% volume fraction and coupling agent were varied to 5, 10 and 15 ml for every volume fraction. The result showed that 10 ml added of coupling agent was give best mechanical properties both polyester and epoxy matrix. However generally, increasing of magnetic powder content decreased the tensile strength of magnetic composite. The properties of magnetic composite SrM was better than BaM either in polyester or epoxy matrix

  16. The Geomagnetic Field During a Reversal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heirtzler, James R.

    2003-01-01

    By modifying the IGRF it is possible to learn what may happen to the geomagnetic field during a geomagnetic reversal. If the entire IGRF reverses then the declination and inclination only reverse when the field strength is zero. If only the dipole component of the IGRF reverses a large geomagnetic field remains when the dipole component is zero and he direction of the field at the end of the reversal is not exactly reversed from the directions at the beginning of the reversal.

  17. When global rule reversal meets local task switching: The neural mechanisms of coordinated behavioral adaptation to instructed multi-level demand changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Yiquan; Wolfensteller, Uta; Schubert, Torsten; Ruge, Hannes

    2018-02-01

    Cognitive flexibility is essential to cope with changing task demands and often it is necessary to adapt to combined changes in a coordinated manner. The present fMRI study examined how the brain implements such multi-level adaptation processes. Specifically, on a "local," hierarchically lower level, switching between two tasks was required across trials while the rules of each task remained unchanged for blocks of trials. On a "global" level regarding blocks of twelve trials, the task rules could reverse or remain the same. The current task was cued at the start of each trial while the current task rules were instructed before the start of a new block. We found that partly overlapping and partly segregated neural networks play different roles when coping with the combination of global rule reversal and local task switching. The fronto-parietal control network (FPN) supported the encoding of reversed rules at the time of explicit rule instruction. The same regions subsequently supported local task switching processes during actual implementation trials, irrespective of rule reversal condition. By contrast, a cortico-striatal network (CSN) including supplementary motor area and putamen was increasingly engaged across implementation trials and more so for rule reversal than for nonreversal blocks, irrespective of task switching condition. Together, these findings suggest that the brain accomplishes the coordinated adaptation to multi-level demand changes by distributing processing resources either across time (FPN for reversed rule encoding and later for task switching) or across regions (CSN for reversed rule implementation and FPN for concurrent task switching). © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Corroborating tomographic defect metrics with mechanical response in an additively manufactured precipitation-hardened stainless steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madison, Jonathan D.; Underwood, Olivia D.; Swiler, Laura P.; Boyce, Brad L.; Jared, Bradley H.; Rodelas, Jeff M.; Salzbrenner, Bradley C.

    2018-04-01

    The intrinsic relation between structure and performance is a foundational tenant of most all materials science investigations. While the specific form of this relation is dictated by material system, processing route and performance metric of interest, it is widely agreed that appropriate characterization of a material allows for greater accuracy in understanding and/or predicting material response. However, in the context of additive manufacturing, prior models and expectations of material performance must be revisited as performance often diverges from traditional values, even among well explored material systems. This work utilizes micro-computed tomography to quantify porosity and lack of fusion defects in an additively manufactured stainless steel and relates these metrics to performance across a statistically significant population using high-throughput mechanical testing. The degree to which performance in additively manufactured stainless steel can and cannot be correlated to detectable porosity will be presented and suggestions for performing similar experiments will be provided.

  19. C-Cbl reverses HER2-mediated tamoxifen resistance in human breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wei; Xu, Ling; Che, Xiaofang; Li, Haizhou; Zhang, Ye; Song, Na; Wen, Ti; Hou, Kezuo; Yang, Yi; Zhou, Lu; Xin, Xing; Xu, Lu; Zeng, Xue; Shi, Sha; Liu, Yunpeng; Qu, Xiujuan; Teng, Yuee

    2018-05-02

    Tamoxifen is a frontline therapy for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer in premenopausal women. However, many patients develop resistance to tamoxifen, and the mechanism underlying tamoxifen resistance is not well understood. Here we examined whether ER-c-Src-HER2 complex formation is involved in tamoxifen resistance. MTT and colony formation assays were used to measure cell viability and proliferation. Western blot was used to detect protein expression and protein complex formations were detected by immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence. SiRNA was used to examine the function of HER2 in of BT474 cells. An in vivo xenograft animal model was established to examine the role of c-Cbl in tumor growth. MTT and colony formation assay showed that BT474 cells are resistant to tamoxifen and T47D cells are sensitive to tamoxifen. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed ER-c-Src-HER2 complex formation in BT474 cells but not in T47D cells. However, ER-c-Src-HER2 complex formation was detected after overexpressing HER2 in T47D cells and these cells were more resistant to tamoxifen. HER2 knockdown by siRNA in BT474 cells reduced ER-c-Src-HER2 complex formation and reversed tamoxifen resistance. ER-c-Src-HER2 complex formation was also disrupted and tamoxifen resistance was reversed in BT474 cells by the c-Src inhibitor PP2 and HER2 antibody trastuzumab. Nystatin, a lipid raft inhibitor, reduced ER-c-Src-HER2 complex formation and partially reversed tamoxifen resistance. ER-c-Src-HER2 complex formation was disrupted by overexpression of c-Cbl but not by the c-Cbl ubiquitin ligase mutant. In addition, c-Cbl could reverse tamoxifen resistance in BT474 cells, but the ubiquitin ligase mutant had no effect. The effect of c-Cbl was validated in BT474 tumor-bearing nude mice in vivo. Immunofluorescence also revealed ER-c-Src-HER2 complex formation was reduced in tumor tissues of nude mice with c-Cbl overexpression. Our results suggested that c-Cbl can reverse tamoxifen

  20. Particle-confinement criteria for axisymmetric field-reversed magnetic configurations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsiao, M.Y.; Miley, G.H.

    1984-01-01

    Based on two constants of motion, H and Psub(theta), where H is the total energy of a particle and Psub(theta) is its canonical angular momentum, particle confinement criteria are derived which impose constraints on H and Psub(theta). With no electric field at the ends of field-reversed magnetic configurations, confinement criteria for closed-field and absolute confinements are obtained explicitly, including both lower and upper bounds of Psub(theta)/q, where q is the charge of the species considered, for a class of Hill's vortex field-reversed magnetic configurations. The commonly used criterion for the Hamiltonian, H 0 Psub(theta), where ω 0 is identical to qB 0 /mc, is deduced from a more general form as a special case. In this special case, it is found necessary to impose a new criterion, -B 0 R 2 sub(w)/2c 0 is the vacuum field, which reduces the confinement region in (H,Psub(theta)) space. With the presence of electric fields at the ends of field-reversed magnetic configurations, confinement criteria are obtained for two interesting cases. In addition to lower and upper bounds of H, both lower and upper bounds of Psub(theta)/q are found. For axially confined particles, the lower bound of Psub(theta)/q reduces the confinement region in (H,Psub(theta)) space and represents a new criterion. These results can be applied to calculations for field-reversed mirrors and field-reversed theta pinches. (author)

  1. Effect of the Addition of Carbon Nanomaterials on Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Wood Plastic Composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xingli Zhang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Wood Plastic Composites (WPCs are a new generation of green composites that could optimize the use of harvested trees and increase the entire value chain. In this study, the electrical and mechanical properties of WPCs containing carbon blacks (CB, flake graphite (FG and carbon nanotubes (CNTs have been investigated. The electrical property of WPCs is improved significantly owing to the introduction of these carbon nanomaterial fillers. The volume and surface resistivity values of the investigated composites all obviously decreased with the increase in filler content, especially CNTs, which displayed the most satisfactory results. Based on a series of laboratory experiments carried out to investigate the mechanical performance, it can be concluded that the addition of the carbon nanomaterial fillers decreases the mechanical properties of WPCs slightly with the increase in filler content because of the weak interfacial interactions between the fillers and polymer matrix.

  2. Mechanism and kinetics of addition polymerizations

    CERN Document Server

    Kucera, M

    1991-01-01

    This volume presents an up-to-date survey of knowledge concerning addition type polymerizations. It contains nine chapters, each of which covers a particular basic term. Whenever necessary, the phenomena are discussed from the viewpoint of both stationary and non-stationary state of radical, ionic (i.e. anionic and cationic) and coordination polymerization. Special attention has been paid to the propagation process. It provides not only a general overview but also information on important special cases (theoretical conditions of propagation, influence of external factors, controlled propagatio

  3. Influence of WC addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of NbC-Co cermets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, S.G.; Li, L.; Van der Biest, O.; Vleugels, J.

    2007-01-01

    NbC-24.5 wt.% Co cermets with up to 30 wt.% WC were obtained by solid state hot pressing at 1300 o C under a pressure of 45 MPa for 10 min and pressureless liquid phase sintering at 1360 o C for 60 min. The effect of WC addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of NbC-Co based cermets was investigated. The hot pressed cermets exhibited interconnected and irregular niobium carbide (NbC) or (Nb,W)C grains, whereas the shape of the NbC grains changed from faceted with rounded corners to spherical, as the WC content increased in the pressureless sintered cermets. The undissolved WC increased with increasing WC addition. A clear core/rim structure was observed in the hot pressed cermets with 10-30 wt.% WC additions, whereas this structure was gradually eliminated when pressureless sintering. The hardness remains nearly constant whereas the fracture toughness slightly increases with increasing WC addition. The dissolution of WC in the Co binder and NbC grains, as well as the formation of a solid solution (Nb,W)C phase were supported by thermodynamic calculations

  4. rHDL administration increases reverse cholesterol transport in mice, but is not additive on top of ezetimibe or cholestyramine treatment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Maugeais, Cyrille; Annema, Wijtske; Blum, Denise; Mary, Jean-Luc; Tietge, Uwe J. F.

    Objective: Promoting reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) is a major atheroprotective property of HDL. The present study explored the effect of stimulating the first step of RCT (cholesterol efflux from macrophages) alone or in combination with stimulating the last step of RCT (fecal sterol

  5. Muscular activation during reverse and non-reverse chewing cycles in unilateral posterior crossbite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piancino, Maria Grazia; Farina, Dario; Talpone, Francesca; Merlo, Andrea; Bracco, Pietro

    2009-04-01

    The aim of this study was to characterize the kinematics and masseter muscle activation in unilateral posterior crossbite. Eighty-two children (8.6 +/- 1.3 yr of age) with unilateral posterior crossbite and 12 children (8.9 +/- 0.6 yr of age) with normal occlusion were selected for the study. Electromyography (EMG) and kinematics were concurrently recorded during mastication of a soft bolus and a hard bolus. The percentage of reverse cycles in the group of patients was 59.0 +/- 33.1% (soft bolus) and 69.7 +/- 29.7% (hard bolus) when chewing on the crossbite side. When chewing on the non-affected side, the number of reverse cycles was 16.7 +/- 24.5% (soft bolus) and 16.7 +/- 22.3% (hard bolus). The reverse cycles on the crossbite side were narrower with respect to the cycles on the non-affected side. Although both types of cycles in patients resulted in lower EMG activity of the masseter of the crossbite side than of the contralateral masseter, the activity of the non-affected side was larger for reverse than for non-reverse cycles. It was concluded that when chewing on the crossbite side, the masseter activity is reduced on the mastication side (crossbite) and is unaltered (non-reverse cycles) or increased (reverse) on the non-affected side.

  6. The Causes of Preference Reversal.

    OpenAIRE

    Tversky, Amos; Slovic, Paul; Kahneman, Daniel

    1990-01-01

    Observed preference reversal cannot be adequately explained by violations of independence, the reduction axiom, or transitivity. The primary cause of preference reversal is the failure of procedure invariance, especially the overpricing of low-probability, high-payoff bets. This result violates regret theory and generalized (nonindependent) utility models. Preference reversal and a new reversal involving time preferences are explained by scale compatibility, which implies that payoffs are wei...

  7. Boron Removal in Seawater Reverse Osmosis System

    KAUST Repository

    Rahmawati, Karina

    2011-07-01

    Reverse osmosis successfully proves to remove more than 99% of solute in seawater, providing fresh water supply with satisfied quality. Due to some operational constraints, however, some trace contaminants removal, such as boron, cannot be achieved in one pass system. The stringent criterion for boron from World Health Organization (WHO) and Saudi Arabia local standard (0.5 mg/l) is hardly fulfilled by single pass sea water reverse osmosis (SWRO) plants. Some design processes have been proposed to deal with boron removal, but they are not economically efficient due to high energy and chemical consumption. The objective of this study was to study boron removal by different reverse osmosis membranes in two pH conditions, with and without antiscalant addition. Thus, it was expected to observe the possibility of operating single pass system and necessity to operate two pass system using low energy membrane. Five membrane samples were obtained from two different manufacturers. Three types of feed water pH were used, pH 8, pH 10, and pH 10 with antiscalant addition. Experiment was conducted in parallel to compare membrane performance from two manufacturers. Filtration was run with fully recycle mode for three days. Sample of permeate and feed were taken every 12 hours, and analyzed for their boron and TDS concentration. Membrane samples were also tested for their surface charge. The results showed that boron rejection increases as the feed pH increases. This was caused by dissociation of boric acid to negatively charged borate ion and more negatively charged membrane surface at elevated pH which enhance boron rejection. This study found that single pass reverse osmosis system, with and without elevating the pH, may not be possible to be applied because of two reasons. First, permeate quality in term of boron, does not fulfill WHO and local Saudi Arabia regulations. Second, severe scaling occurs due to operation in alkaline condition, since Ca and Mg concentration are

  8. Voltage manipulation of the magnetization reversal in Fe/n-GaAs/piezoelectric heterostructure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Yuanyuan; Luo, Wengang; Zhu, Lijun; Zhao, Jianhua; Wang, Kaiyou

    2015-01-01

    We carefully investigated the in-plane magnetization reversal and corresponding magnetic domain structures in Fe/n-GaAs/piezoelectric heterostructure using longitudinal magneto-optical Kerr microscopy. The coexistence of the in-plane <100> cubic and [11 ¯ 0] uniaxial magnetic anisotropy was observed in this system at virgin state. The piezo voltages can effectively manipulate the magnetic properties of the Fe/n-GaAs/piezoelectric heterostructure, where the manipulation of two-jump to one-jump magnetization switching during the magnetic reversal was achieved with magnetic field applied in [100] direction. Our findings on manipulation of ferromagnetization in this heterostructure could be important for future metal-semiconductor spintronic applications. The additional uniaxial anisotropy induced by piezo voltages obtained at ±75 V is ±1.4×10 3 J/m 3 . - Highlights: • In this work, we use piezo voltages not only realize the significant change of coercivity but also effectively manipulate the magnetization transition from one step to two steps during magnetic reversal, indicating that the piezo-voltages can be used to effectively control the magnetization reversal. • The additional uniaxial anisotropy induced by piezo voltages at +/−75 V are +/−1.4×10 3 J/m 3 . This work could be very used for future metal-semiconductor spintronic devices

  9. Effect of TaC addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties of Ti(C, N)-based cermets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Peng; Zheng, Yong; Zhao, Yongle; Yu, Haizhou

    2010-01-01

    The microstructures of the prepared Ti(C, N)-based cermets with various TaC additions were studied using X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mechanical properties such as transverse rupture strength (TRS), fracture toughness (K 1C ) and hardness (HRA) were also measured. The results showed that the grain size of the cermets decreased with increasing TaC addition, but too high TaC addition resulted in agglomeration of the grains. An increasing TaC addition increased the dissolution of tungsten, titanium, molybdenum and tantalum in the binder phase. The hardness of the cermets decreased slightly with increasing TaC addition. The transverse rupture strength was the highest for the cermets with 5 wt.% TaC addition, which was characterized by fine grains, homogeneous microstructure and the moderate thickness of rim phase in the binder. The fracture toughness of the cermets with TaC addition from 0 to 5 wt.% decreased obviously, which resulting from decreased grain size. The further decreasing of fracture toughness for the cermets with 7 wt.% TaC addition was due to increased porosity and interfacial tensile stress.

  10. Applications of the solvation parameter model in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poole, Colin F; Lenca, Nicole

    2017-02-24

    The solvation parameter model is widely used to provide insight into the retention mechanism in reversed-phase liquid chromatography, for column characterization, and in the development of surrogate chromatographic models for biopartitioning processes. The properties of the separation system are described by five system constants representing all possible intermolecular interactions for neutral molecules. The general model can be extended to include ions and enantiomers by adding new descriptors to encode the specific properties of these compounds. System maps provide a comprehensive overview of the separation system as a function of mobile phase composition and/or temperature for method development. The solvation parameter model has been applied to gradient elution separations but here theory and practice suggest a cautious approach since the interpretation of system and compound properties derived from its use are approximate. A growing application of the solvation parameter model in reversed-phase liquid chromatography is the screening of surrogate chromatographic systems for estimating biopartitioning properties. Throughout the discussion of the above topics success as well as known and likely deficiencies of the solvation parameter model are described with an emphasis on the role of the heterogeneous properties of the interphase region on the interpretation and understanding of the general retention mechanism in reversed-phase liquid chromatography for porous chemically bonded sorbents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. The effect of CHA-doped Sr addition to the mechanical strength of metakaolin dental implant geopolymer composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sunendar, Bambang; Fathina, Afiya; Harmaji, Andrie; Mardhian, Deby Fajar; Asri, Lia; Widodo, Haris Budi

    2017-09-01

    The prospective material for implant plate required sufficient mechanical properties to maintain fracture fixation and resist physiological stress until bone healing process finished. Various problem implant plate based on metal and polymer materials when used as fixation for bone defect case induced developmental of bioceramic for implant plate materials. Materials that now has been attract a lot of attention is carbonate apatite and strontium as doping which known to have good biocompability along with biointegrity and mechanical charateristics. Other materials that have been known to have good mechanical properties are metakaolin and use of chitosan as coupling agent. Metakaolin and carbonate apatite can be produced by sol-gel methode which simpler, economical and energy-saving procedure furthermore use of chitosan which is widely found in the nature of Indonesia can be used to encourage the utilization of natural resources. The aim fo this paper is to investigated effect of CHA-doped Sr 5 (%) mol addition to the mechanical strength of metakaolin dental implant geoploymer composite. In this paper metakaolin is used as geopolymerization precursors. The test results have shown that addition of filler of apatite carbonate doped 5% mol strontium can be said to increase the value of mechnical properties but high concentration of calcium in the nanocomposite also can complicate the equilibrium of the geopolymerization process and induce alkali aggregate reactivity (AAR). The sample group of nanocomposite of metakaolin and carbonate apatite-doped 5% mol strontium (2: 1% wt) with 2% chitosan as a coupling agent based on geopolymerization for implant plate application has the best mechanical properties among all sample groups but does not qualify as an implant plate on cortical bone but can be used for the application of the implant plate on the trabecular bone specifically and potentially as a bone initiator.

  12. Analysis of reverse flow in inverted U-tubes of steam generator under natural circulation condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Ruichang; Liu Ruolei; Liu Jinggong; Qin Shiwei

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, we report on the analysis of reverse flow in inverted U-tubes of a steam generator under natural circulation condition. The mechanism of reverse flow in inverted U-tubes of the steam generator with natural circulation is graphically analyzed by using the full-range characteristic curve of parallel U-tubes. The mathematical model and numerical calculation method for analyzing the reverse flow in inverted U-tubes of the steam generator with natural circulation have been developed. The reverse flow in an inverted U-tube steam generator of a simulated pressurized water reactor with natural circulation in analyzed. Through the calculation, the mass flow rates of normal and reverse flows in individual U-tubes are obtained. The predicted sharp drop of the fluid temperature in the inlet plenum of the steam generator due to reverse flow agrees very well with the experimental data. This indicates that the developed mathematical model and solution method can be used to correctly predict the reverse flow in the inverted U-tubes of the steam generator with natural circulation. The obtained results also show that in the analysis of natural circulation flow in the primary circuit, the reverse flow in the inverted U-tubes of the steam generator must be taken into account. (author)

  13. Analysis of nine food additives in red wine by ion-suppression reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using trifluoroacetic acid and ammonium acetate as ion-suppressors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yong-Gang; Chen, Xiao-Hong; Yao, Shan-Shan; Pan, Sheng-Dong; Li, Xiao-Ping; Jin, Mi-Cong

    2012-01-01

    A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of nine food additives, i.e., acesulfame, saccharin, caffeine, aspartame, benzoic acid, sorbic acid, stevioside, dehydroacetic acid and neotame in red wine. The effects of ion-suppressors, i.e., trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and ammonium acetate (AmAc) on retention behavior of nine food additives in RP-HPLC separation were discussed in detail. The relationships between retention factors of solutes and volume percent of ion-suppressors in the mobile-phase systems of acetonitrile-TFA aqueous solution and acetonitrile-TFA-AmAc aqueous solution were quantitatively established, respectively. The results showed that the ion suppressors had not only an ion suppression effect, but also an organic modification effect on the acidic analytes. The baseline separation of nine food additives was completed by a gradient elution with acetonitrile-TFA(0.01%, v/v)-AmAc(2.5 mmol L(-1)) aqueous solution as the mobile phase. The recoveries were between 80.2 - 99.5% for all analytes with RSDs in the range of 1.5 - 8.9%. The linearities were in the range of 0.2 - 100.0 mg L(-1) with determination coefficients (r(2)) higher than 0.9991 for all analytes. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were between 0.53 - 0.99 mg L(-1). The applicability of the proposed method to detect and quantify food additives has been demonstrated in the analysis of 30 real samples.

  14. A new digitized reverse correction method for hypoid gears based on a one-dimensional probe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Tianxing; Li, Jubo; Deng, Xiaozhong; Yang, Jianjun; Li, Genggeng; Ma, Wensuo

    2017-12-01

    In order to improve the tooth surface geometric accuracy and transmission quality of hypoid gears, a new digitized reverse correction method is proposed based on the measurement data from a one-dimensional probe. The minimization of tooth surface geometrical deviations is realized from the perspective of mathematical analysis and reverse engineering. Combining the analysis of complex tooth surface generation principles and the measurement mechanism of one-dimensional probes, the mathematical relationship between the theoretical designed tooth surface, the actual machined tooth surface and the deviation tooth surface is established, the mapping relation between machine-tool settings and tooth surface deviations is derived, and the essential connection between the accurate calculation of tooth surface deviations and the reverse correction method of machine-tool settings is revealed. Furthermore, a reverse correction model of machine-tool settings is built, a reverse correction strategy is planned, and the minimization of tooth surface deviations is achieved by means of the method of numerical iterative reverse solution. On this basis, a digitized reverse correction system for hypoid gears is developed by the organic combination of numerical control generation, accurate measurement, computer numerical processing, and digitized correction. Finally, the correctness and practicability of the digitized reverse correction method are proved through a reverse correction experiment. The experimental results show that the tooth surface geometric deviations meet the engineering requirements after two trial cuts and one correction.

  15. Superhydrophobic TiO2-polymer nanocomposite surface with UV-induced reversible wettability and self-cleaning properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Qian Feng; Liu, Yang; Lin, Fang-Ju; Mondal, Bikash; Lyons, Alan M

    2013-09-25

    Multifunctional superhydrophobic nanocomposite surfaces based on photocatalytic materials, such as fluorosilane modified TiO2, have generated significant research interest. However, there are two challenges to forming such multifunctional surfaces with stable superhydrophobic properties: the photocatalytic oxidation of the hydrophobic functional groups, which leads to the permanent loss of superhydrophobicity, as well as the photoinduced reversible hydrolysis of the catalytic particle surface. Herein, we report a simple and inexpensive template lamination method to fabricate multifunctional TiO2-high-density polyethylene (HDPE) nanocomposite surfaces exhibiting superhydrophobicity, UV-induced reversible wettability, and self-cleaning properties. The laminated surface possesses a hierarchical roughness spanning the micro- to nanoscale range. This was achieved by using a wire mesh template to emboss the HDPE surface creating an array of polymeric posts while partially embedding untreated TiO2 nanoparticles selectively into the top surface of these features. The surface exhibits excellent superhydrophobic properties immediately after lamination without any chemical surface modification to the TiO2 nanoparticles. Exposure to UV light causes the surface to become hydrophilic. This change in wettability can be reversed by heating the surface to restore superhydrophobicity. The effect of TiO2 nanoparticle surface coverage and chemical composition on the mechanism and magnitude of wettability changes was studied by EDX and XPS. In addition, the ability of the surface to shed impacting water droplets as well as the ability of such droplets to clean away particulate contaminants was demonstrated.

  16. Strength and reversibility of stereotypes for a rotary control with linear scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Alan H S; Chan, W H

    2008-02-01

    Using real mechanical controls, this experiment studied strength and reversibility of direction-of-motion stereotypes and response times for a rotary control with horizontal and vertical scales. Thirty-eight engineering undergraduates (34 men and 4 women) ages 23 to 47 years (M=29.8, SD=7.7) took part in the experiment voluntarily. The effects of instruction of change of pointer position and control plane on movement compatibility were analyzed with precise quantitative measures of strength and a reversibility index of stereotype. Comparisons of the strength and reversibility values of these two configurations with those of rotary control-circular display, rotary control-digital counter, four-way lever-circular display, and four-way lever-digital counter were made. The results of this study provided significant implications for the industrial design of control panels for improved human performance.

  17. Performance and mechanism of sludge dewaterability enhanced by potassium ferrate pretreatment and calcium chloride addition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yali Liu

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The potential benefits and mechanisms of potassium ferrate pretreatment and calcium chloride addition on sludge dewaterability were investigated in this study. The capillary suction time (CST was used to evaluate sludge dewaterability. Results indicated that potassium ferrate of 0.1 g/g total solids (TS and calcium chloride of 0.4 g/g TS were optimal parameters, and corresponding CST reached 43.7 s. Soluble organics in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS were determined by three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy, which was used to explain the mechanism of sludge dewaterability. The fluorescence intensities of protein-like and humic-like substances in EPS had a negative relationship with the CST. Scanning electron microscopy images indicated that calcium chloride neutralized the surface charge of particles, making the soluble protein-like substances agglomerate and form bigger flocs, consequently enhancing sludge dewaterability.

  18. Mechanical characterization of structurally porous biomaterials built via additive manufacturing: experiments, predictive models, and design maps for load-bearing bone replacement implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melancon, D; Bagheri, Z S; Johnston, R B; Liu, L; Tanzer, M; Pasini, D

    2017-11-01

    Porous biomaterials can be additively manufactured with micro-architecture tailored to satisfy the stringent mechano-biological requirements imposed by bone replacement implants. In a previous investigation, we introduced structurally porous biomaterials, featuring strength five times stronger than commercially available porous materials, and confirmed their bone ingrowth capability in an in vivo canine model. While encouraging, the manufactured biomaterials showed geometric mismatches between their internal porous architecture and that of its as-designed counterpart, as well as discrepancies between predicted and tested mechanical properties, issues not fully elucidated. In this work, we propose a systematic approach integrating computed tomography, mechanical testing, and statistical analysis of geometric imperfections to generate statistical based numerical models of high-strength additively manufactured porous biomaterials. The method is used to develop morphology and mechanical maps that illustrate the role played by pore size, porosity, strut thickness, and topology on the relations governing their elastic modulus and compressive yield strength. Overall, there are mismatches between the mechanical properties of ideal-geometry models and as-manufactured porous biomaterials with average errors of 49% and 41% respectively for compressive elastic modulus and yield strength. The proposed methodology gives more accurate predictions for the compressive stiffness and the compressive strength properties with a reduction of the average error to 11% and 7.6%. The implications of the results and the methodology here introduced are discussed in the relevant biomechanical and clinical context, with insight that highlights promises and limitations of additively manufactured porous biomaterials for load-bearing bone replacement implants. In this work, we perform mechanical characterization of load-bearing porous biomaterials for bone replacement over their entire design

  19. Splitting of the rate matrix as a definition of time reversal in master equation systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Fei; Le, Hong

    2012-01-01

    Motivated by recent progress in nonequilibrium fluctuation relations, we present a generalized time reversal for stochastic master equation systems with discrete states, which is defined as a splitting of the rate matrix into irreversible and reversible parts. An immediate advantage of this definition is that a variety of fluctuation relations can be attributed to different matrix splittings. Additionally, we find that the accustomed total entropy production formula and conditions of the detailed balance must be modified appropriately to account for the reversible rate part, which was previously ignored. (paper)

  20. Robust and Reversible Audio Watermarking by Modifying Statistical Features in Time Domain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shijun Xiang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Robust and reversible watermarking is a potential technique in many sensitive applications, such as lossless audio or medical image systems. This paper presents a novel robust reversible audio watermarking method by modifying the statistic features in time domain in the way that the histogram of these statistical values is shifted for data hiding. Firstly, the original audio is divided into nonoverlapped equal-sized frames. In each frame, the use of three samples as a group generates a prediction error and a statistical feature value is calculated as the sum of all the prediction errors in the frame. The watermark bits are embedded into the frames by shifting the histogram of the statistical features. The watermark is reversible and robust to common signal processing operations. Experimental results have shown that the proposed method not only is reversible but also achieves satisfactory robustness to MP3 compression of 64 kbps and additive Gaussian noise of 35 dB.

  1. Grafting of Polystyrene Chains at the Edge of Graphene Nanolayers by "Grafting Through" Approach Using Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossein Roghani-Mamaqani

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Edge-functionalized graphene nanolayers with polystyrene chains were prepared by a “grafting through” reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT polymerization. For this purpose, double-bond containing modifier (MD was prepared. After edge-functionalization of graphene oxide (GO by two different amounts of MD and preparation of modified graphenes (LFG and HFG, RAFT polymerization of styrene was applied for preparation of functionalized GO with different densities of polystyrene chains. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that MD and polystyrene chains were grafted at the edge of GO. Gas chromatography showed that conversion decreased by the addition of modified GO content and also grafting density of MD. Number-average molecular weight and polydispersity index of polystyrene chains were derived from gel permeation chromatography. Increase of modified graphene content results in a decrease in molecular weight of attached polystyrene chains and also an increase in their PDI value. Increase of grafting density of MD results in decrease of molecular weight of polystyrene chains with no considerable variation in PDI value. Thermogravimetric analysis results showed that char residue is about 45.1 and 46.8% for LFG and HFG, respectively. The content of degradation ascribed to polystyrene increased with increase of grafting density of MD and decreased with increase of modified graphene content. X-ray diffraction results were used for evaluation of interlayer spacing of graphene layers after functionalization process and also study of nanocomposites structure. The results of scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy show that graphene layers with high clarity turned to opaque layers with lots of creases by oxidation and attachment of polystyrene chains.

  2. Floral Reversion in Arabidopsis suecica Is Correlated with the Onset of Flowering and Meristem Transitioning.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amelia Asbe

    Full Text Available Angiosperm flowers are usually determinate structures that may produce seeds. In some species, flowers can revert from committed flower development back to an earlier developmental phase in a process called floral reversion. The allopolyploid Arabidopsis suecica displays photoperiod-dependent floral reversion in a subset of its flowers, yet little is known about the environmental conditions enhancing this phenotype, or the morphological processes leading to reversion. We have used light and electron microscopy to further describe this phenomenon. Additionally, we have further studied the phenology of flowering and floral reversion in A. suecica. In this study we confirm and expand upon our previous findings that floral reversion in the allopolyploid A. suecica is photoperiod-dependent, and show that its frequency is correlated with the timing for the onset of flowering. Our results also suggest that floral reversion in A. suecica displays natural variation in its penetrance between geographic populations of A. suecica.

  3. A survey of structure characterization methods for ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis membranes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smolders, C.A.; Mulder, M.H.V.; van der Velden, P.M.

    1976-01-01

    Asymmetric membranes consist of a thin skin, which is permselective to certain molecules in solution, and a porous support, serving as a mechanical support layer and also as a transport layer for the permeate. Both in ultrafiltration and in hyperfiltration (reverse osmosis) asymmetric membranes are

  4. Remediating biofouling of reverse osmosis membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siler, J.L.

    1991-01-01

    Several potential additives and the use of influent pH adjustment were examined to remediated the biofouling problem of the ETF reverse osmosis (RO) system. Tests were conducted with simulated RO feed containing salt, metal hydroxides and bacteria. The addition of sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP), sodium bisulfite, and adjusting the influent pH to 3 were each successful in reducing the RO biofouling. Little or no benefit was found from the use of a biofilm remover (Filmtec Alkaline Cleaner) or the use of surfactants (Surfynol or sodium lauryl sulfate). In addition, Surfynol use resulted in irreversible fouling and necessitated membrane replacement. At the water recoveries used in the ETF (>90%), sodium bisulfite addition resulted in the recovery of 70--90% of the flux and almost complete restoration of the DF to prefouled conditions. Based on the bench-scale tests completed, IWT would recommend that sodium bisulfite addition be tested at the ETF. This testing would involve optimizing the amount of bisulfite required. In addition, it is recommended that the addition of SHMP or influent pH adjustment be evaluated since the relative differences in labscale tests were small and scale-up effects could be present. The ETF operating permit allows each to be added

  5. Modeling and additive manufacturing of bio-inspired composites with tunable fracture mechanical properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimas, Leon S; Buehler, Markus J

    2014-07-07

    Flaws, imperfections and cracks are ubiquitous in material systems and are commonly the catalysts of catastrophic material failure. As stresses and strains tend to concentrate around cracks and imperfections, structures tend to fail far before large regions of material have ever been subjected to significant loading. Therefore, a major challenge in material design is to engineer systems that perform on par with pristine structures despite the presence of imperfections. In this work we integrate knowledge of biological systems with computational modeling and state of the art additive manufacturing to synthesize advanced composites with tunable fracture mechanical properties. Supported by extensive mesoscale computer simulations, we demonstrate the design and manufacturing of composites that exhibit deformation mechanisms characteristic of pristine systems, featuring flaw-tolerant properties. We analyze the results by directly comparing strain fields for the synthesized composites, obtained through digital image correlation (DIC), and the computationally tested composites. Moreover, we plot Ashby diagrams for the range of simulated and experimental composites. Our findings show good agreement between simulation and experiment, confirming that the proposed mechanisms have a significant potential for vastly improving the fracture response of composite materials. We elucidate the role of stiffness ratio variations of composite constituents as an important feature in determining the composite properties. Moreover, our work validates the predictive ability of our models, presenting them as useful tools for guiding further material design. This work enables the tailored design and manufacturing of composites assembled from inferior building blocks, that obtain optimal combinations of stiffness and toughness.

  6. Tunable reverse-biased graphene/silicon heterojunction Schottky diode sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Amol; Uddin, Ahsan; Sudarshan, Tangali; Koley, Goutam

    2014-04-24

    A new chemical sensor based on reverse-biased graphene/Si heterojunction diode has been developed that exhibits extremely high bias-dependent molecular detection sensitivity and low operating power. The device takes advantage of graphene's atomically thin nature, which enables molecular adsorption on its surface to directly alter graphene/Si interface barrier height, thus affecting the junction current exponentially when operated in reverse bias and resulting in ultrahigh sensitivity. By operating the device in reverse bias, the work function of graphene, and hence the barrier height at the graphene/Si heterointerface, can be controlled by the bias magnitude, leading to a wide tunability of the molecular detection sensitivity. Such sensitivity control is also possible by carefully selecting the graphene/Si heterojunction Schottky barrier height. Compared to a conventional graphene amperometric sensor fabricated on the same chip, the proposed sensor demonstrated 13 times higher sensitivity for NO₂ and 3 times higher for NH₃ in ambient conditions, while consuming ∼500 times less power for same magnitude of applied voltage bias. The sensing mechanism based on heterojunction Schottky barrier height change has been confirmed using capacitance-voltage measurements. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Analysis of cryptographic mechanisms used in ransomware CryptXXX v3

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michał Glet

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The main purpose of this paper was to analysis how malicious software is using cryptographic mechanisms. Reverse engineering were applied in order to discover mechanisms used in ransomware CryptXXX v3. At the end were given some useful advices how to improve CryptXXX.[b]Keyword:[/b] ransomware, software engineering, reverse engineering, RC4, RSA, malicious software

  8. Effects of organic additives on microstructure and mechanical ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China ... porosity are of interest for engineering applications, as gas filters ... Flow diagram for fabricating porous silicon nitride samples.

  9. Reversible anaesthesia of free-ranging lions (Panthera leo in Zimbabwe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Fahlman

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available The combination of medetomidine-zolazepam-tiletamine with subsequent antagonism by atipamezole was evaluated for reversible anaesthesia of free-ranging lions (Panthera leo. Twenty-one anaesthetic events of 17 free-ranging lions (5 males and 12 females, body weight 105-211 kg were studied in Zimbabwe. Medetomidine at 0.027-0.055 mg / kg (total dose 4-11 mg and zolazepam-tiletamine at 0.38-1.32 mg / kg (total dose 50-275 mg were administered i.m. by dart injection. The doses were gradually decreased to improve recovery. Respiratory and heart rates, rectal temperature and relative haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO2 were recorded every 15 min. Arterial blood samples were collected from 5 lions for analysis of blood gases and acid-base status. For anaesthetic reversal, atipamezole was administered i.m. at 2.5 or 5 times the medetomidine dose. Induction was smooth and all lions were anaesthetised with good muscle relaxation within 3.4-9.5 min after darting. The predictable working time was a minimum of 1 h and no additional drug doses were needed. Respiratory and heart rates and SpO2 were stable throughout anaesthesia, whereas rectal temperature changed significantly over time. Atipamezole at 2.5 times the medetomidine dose was sufficient for reversal and recoveries were smooth and calm in all lions independent of the atipamezole dose. First sign of recovery was observed 3-27 min after reversal. The animals were up walking 8-26 min after reversal when zolazepamtiletamine doses <1 mg / kg were used. In practice, a total dose of 6 mg medetomidine and 80 mg zolazepam-tiletamine and reversal with 15 mg atipamezole can be used for either sex of an adult or subadult lion. The drugs and doses used in this study provided a reliable, safe and reversible anaesthesia protocol for free-ranging lions.

  10. Reverse logistics policy – differences between conservative and innovative reverse logistics management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alena Klapalová

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the of the key barriers that hampers effective and efficient management of reverse flows detected within a number of empirical surveys and case studies focused on reverse logistics and/or return management is business (organisational policy, specifically lack of policy, deficiency in existing policy or inferior policy. Despite this fact, there is a gap in literature which would show some evidence from practice that innovative reverse logistics policy both can pay off and is associated with certain aspects of reverse logistics management. Such proof can have several implications. It can support the call for better understanding and more research of the linkages of reverse logistics with other corporate functions, promote the acceptation of strategic character of reverse logistics and stress the role of RL policy within the rest of overall corporate management.The aim of this paper is to contribute and to enrich the existing body of knowledge concerning the above-mentioned gap through presentation of survey results that was realized in 2012 among managers of 244 Czech firms. The results demonstrate the statistically significant association between the innovativeness of RL policy and profitability of firms, quality of RL planning, perception of RL importance, level of RL knowledge and perception of product innovation importance for firms’ competitiveness and frequency of product innovation. They also reveal statistically significant differences between firms with conservative and innovative RL policy and the perceived existence of some barriers to manage RL.

  11. Geomagnetic Field During a Reversal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heirtzler, J. R.

    2003-01-01

    It has frequently been suggested that only the geomagnetic dipole, rather than higher order poles, reverse during a geomagnetic field reversal. Under this assumption the geomagnetic field strength has been calculated for the surface of the Earth for various steps of the reversal process. Even without an eminent a reversal of the field, extrapolation of the present secular change (although problematic) shows that the field strength may become zero in some geographic areas within a few hundred years.

  12. APOBEC3G inhibits elongation of HIV-1 reverse transcripts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kate N Bishop

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available APOBEC3G (A3G is a host cytidine deaminase that, in the absence of Vif, restricts HIV-1 replication and reduces the amount of viral DNA that accumulates in cells. Initial studies determined that A3G induces extensive mutation of nascent HIV-1 cDNA during reverse transcription. It has been proposed that this triggers the degradation of the viral DNA, but there is now mounting evidence that this mechanism may not be correct. Here, we use a natural endogenous reverse transcriptase assay to show that, in cell-free virus particles, A3G is able to inhibit HIV-1 cDNA accumulation not only in the absence of hypermutation but also without the apparent need for any target cell factors. We find that although reverse transcription initiates in the presence of A3G, elongation of the cDNA product is impeded. These data support the model that A3G reduces HIV-1 cDNA levels by inhibiting synthesis rather than by inducing degradation.

  13. Peripheral nerve injury is associated with chronic, reversible changes in global DNA methylation in the mouse prefrontal cortex.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maral Tajerian

    Full Text Available Changes in brain structure and cortical function are associated with many chronic pain conditions including low back pain and fibromyalgia. The magnitude of these changes correlates with the duration and/or the intensity of chronic pain. Most studies report changes in common areas involved in pain modulation, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC, and pain-related pathological changes in the PFC can be reversed with effective treatment. While the mechanisms underlying these changes are unknown, they must be dynamically regulated. Epigenetic modulation of gene expression in response to experience and environment is reversible and dynamic. Epigenetic modulation by DNA methylation is associated with abnormal behavior and pathological gene expression in the central nervous system. DNA methylation might also be involved in mediating the pathologies associated with chronic pain in the brain. We therefore tested a whether alterations in DNA methylation are found in the brain long after chronic neuropathic pain is induced in the periphery using the spared nerve injury modal and b whether these injury-associated changes are reversible by interventions that reverse the pathologies associated with chronic pain. Six months following peripheral nerve injury, abnormal sensory thresholds and increased anxiety were accompanied by decreased global methylation in the PFC and the amygdala but not in the visual cortex or the thalamus. Environmental enrichment attenuated nerve injury-induced hypersensitivity and reversed the changes in global PFC methylation. Furthermore, global PFC methylation correlated with mechanical and thermal sensitivity in neuropathic mice. In summary, induction of chronic pain by peripheral nerve injury is associated with epigenetic changes in the brain. These changes are detected long after the original injury, at a long distance from the site of injury and are reversible with environmental manipulation. Changes in brain structure and

  14. Mechanical and radiation shielding properties of mortars with additive fine aggregate mine waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gallala, Wissem; Hayouni, Yousra; Gaied, Mohamed Essghaier; Fusco, Michael; Alsaied, Jasmin; Bailey, Kathryn; Bourham, Mohamed

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Effectiveness of mine waste as additive fine aggregate has been investigated. • Experimental results are verified by computationally from composition of synthesized samples. • Work focuses on shielding materials for nuclear systems including spent fuel storage and drycasks. - Abstract: Incorporation of barite-fluorspar mine waste (BFMW) as a fine aggregate additive has been investigated for its effect on the mechanical and shielding properties of cement mortar. Several mortar mixtures were prepared with different proportions of BFMW ranging from 0% to 30% as fine aggregate replacement. Cement mortar mixtures were evaluated for density, compressive and tensile strengths, and gamma ray radiation shielding. The results revealed that the mortar mixes containing 25% BFMW reaches the highest compressive strength values, which exceeded 50 MPa. Evaluation of gamma-ray attenuation was both measured by experimental tests and computationally calculated using MicroShield software package, and results have shown that using BFMW aggregates increases attenuation coefficient by about 20%. These findings have demonstrated that the mine waste can be suitably used as partial replacement aggregate to improve radiation shielding as well as to reduce the mortar and concrete costs.

  15. Supercritical fluid reverse micelle separation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulton, J.L.; Smith, R.D.

    1993-11-30

    A method of separating solute material from a polar fluid in a first polar fluid phase is provided. The method comprises combining a polar fluid, a second fluid that is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and has a critical density, and a surfactant. The solute material is dissolved in the polar fluid to define the first polar fluid phase. The combined polar and second fluids, surfactant, and solute material dissolved in the polar fluid is maintained under near critical or supercritical temperature and pressure conditions such that the density of the second fluid exceeds the critical density thereof. In this way, a reverse micelle system defining a reverse micelle solvent is formed which comprises a continuous phase in the second fluid and a plurality of reverse micelles dispersed in the continuous phase. The solute material is dissolved in the polar fluid and is in chemical equilibrium with the reverse micelles. The first polar fluid phase and the continuous phase are immiscible. The reverse micelles each comprise a dynamic aggregate of surfactant molecules surrounding a core of the polar fluid. The reverse micelle solvent has a polar fluid-to-surfactant molar ratio W, which can vary over a range having a maximum ratio W[sub o] that determines the maximum size of the reverse micelles. The maximum ratio W[sub o] of the reverse micelle solvent is then varied, and the solute material from the first polar fluid phase is transported into the reverse micelles in the continuous phase at an extraction efficiency determined by the critical or supercritical conditions. 27 figures.

  16. Mechanical strength of welding zones produced by material extrusion additive manufacturing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Chelsea S; Hillgartner, Kaitlyn E; Han, Seung Hoon; Seppala, Jonathan E

    2017-08-01

    As more manufacturing processes and research institutions adopt customized manufacturing as a key element in their design strategies and finished products, the resulting mechanical properties of parts produced through additive manufacturing (AM) must be characterized and understood. In material extrusion (MatEx), the most recently extruded polymer filament must bond to the previously extruded filament via polymer diffusion to form a "weld". The strength of the weld limits the performance of the manufactured part and is controlled through processing conditions. Under-standing the role of processing conditions, specifically extruder velocity and extruder temperature, on the overall strength of the weld will allow optimization of MatEx-AM parts. Here, the fracture toughness of a single weld is determined through a facile "trouser tear" Mode III fracture experiment. The actual weld thickness is observed directly by optical microscopy characterization of cross sections of MatEx-AM samples. Representative data of weld strength as a function of printing parameters on a commercial 3D printer demonstrates the robustness of the method.

  17. Effect of addition of butyl benzyl phthalate plasticizer and zinc oxide nanoparticles on mechanical properties of cellulose acetate butyrate/organoclay biocomposite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putra, B. A. P.; Juwono, A. L.; Rochman, N. T.

    2017-07-01

    Plastics as packaging materials and coatings undergo increasing demands globally each year. This pose a serious problem to the environment due to its difficulty to degrade. One solution to addressing the problem of plastic wastes is the use of bioplastics. According to the European Organization Bioplastic, one of the biodegradable plastics is derivative of cellulose. To improve mechanical properties of bioplastic, biocomposites are made with the addition of certain additives and fillers. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of butyl benzyl phthalate plasticizer (BBP) and ZnO nanoparticles addition on mechanical properties of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) / organoclay biocomposite. ZnO nanoparticles synthesized from commercial ZnO precursor by using sol-gel size reduction method. ZnO was dissolved in a solution of citric acid in the ratio 1:1 to 1:5 to form zinc citrate. Zinc citrate then decomposed by calcination at temperature of 600oC. ZnO nanoparticles with an average size of 44.4 nm is obtained at a ratio of 1: 2. The addition of ZnO nanoparticles and BBP plasticizer was varied to determine the effect on the mechanical properties of biocomposite. The addition of 10 - 15 %wt ZnO nanoparticles and 30 - 40 %wt BBP plasticizer was studied to determine the effect on the tensile strength, elongation, and modulus elasticity of the biocomposites. Biocomposite films were made by using solution casting method with acetone as solvent. The addition of plasticizer BBP and ZnO nanoparticles by 30% and 10% made biocomposite has a tensile strength of 2.223 MPa.

  18. r-Universal reversible logic gates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vos, A de; Storme, L

    2004-01-01

    Reversible logic plays a fundamental role both in ultra-low power electronics and in quantum computing. It is therefore important to know which reversible logic gates can be used as building block for the reversible implementation of an arbitrary boolean function and which cannot

  19. Molecular mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction following traumatic brain injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Kendall R.; Tesco, Giuseppina

    2013-01-01

    Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in significant disability due to cognitive deficits particularly in attention, learning and memory, and higher-order executive functions. The role of TBI in chronic neurodegeneration and the development of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and most recently chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is of particular importance. However, despite significant effort very few therapeutic options exist to prevent or reverse cognitive impairment following TBI. In this review, we present experimental evidence of the known secondary injury mechanisms which contribute to neuronal cell loss, axonal injury, and synaptic dysfunction and hence cognitive impairment both acutely and chronically following TBI. In particular we focus on the mechanisms linking TBI to the development of two forms of dementia: AD and CTE. We provide evidence of potential molecular mechanisms involved in modulating Aβ and Tau following TBI and provide evidence of the role of these mechanisms in AD pathology. Additionally we propose a mechanism by which Aβ generated as a direct result of TBI is capable of exacerbating secondary injury mechanisms thereby establishing a neurotoxic cascade that leads to chronic neurodegeneration. PMID:23847533

  20. Molecular mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction following traumatic brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Kendall R; Tesco, Giuseppina

    2013-01-01

    Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in significant disability due to cognitive deficits particularly in attention, learning and memory, and higher-order executive functions. The role of TBI in chronic neurodegeneration and the development of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and most recently chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is of particular importance. However, despite significant effort very few therapeutic options exist to prevent or reverse cognitive impairment following TBI. In this review, we present experimental evidence of the known secondary injury mechanisms which contribute to neuronal cell loss, axonal injury, and synaptic dysfunction and hence cognitive impairment both acutely and chronically following TBI. In particular we focus on the mechanisms linking TBI to the development of two forms of dementia: AD and CTE. We provide evidence of potential molecular mechanisms involved in modulating Aβ and Tau following TBI and provide evidence of the role of these mechanisms in AD pathology. Additionally we propose a mechanism by which Aβ generated as a direct result of TBI is capable of exacerbating secondary injury mechanisms thereby establishing a neurotoxic cascade that leads to chronic neurodegeneration.