Surface qualities after chemical-mechanical polishing on thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Wei-En; Lin, Tzeng-Yow; Chen, Meng-Ke; Chen, Chao-Chang A.

2009-01-01

Demands for substrate and film surface planarizations significantly increase as the feature sizes of Integrated Circuit (IC) components continue to shrink. Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP), incorporating chemical and mechanical interactions to planarize chemically modified surface layers, has been one of the major manufacturing processes to provide global and local surface planarizations in IC fabrications. Not only is the material removal rate a concern, the qualities of the CMP produced surface are critical as well, such as surface finish, defects and surface stresses. This paper is to examine the CMP produced surface roughness on tungsten or W thin films based on the CMP process conditions. The W thin films with thickness below 1000 nm on silicon wafer were chemical-mechanical polished at different down pressures and platen speeds to produce different surface roughness. The surface roughness measurements were performed by an atomic force microscope (DI D3100). Results show that the quality of surface finish (R a value) is determined by the combined effects of down pressures and platen speeds. An optimal polishing condition is, then, possible for selecting the down pressures and platen speeds.

Response mechanism for surface acoustic wave gas sensors based on surface-adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jiansheng; Lu, Yanyan

2014-04-16

A theoretical model is established to describe the response mechanism of surface acoustic wave (SAW) gas sensors based on physical adsorption on the detector surface. Wohljent's method is utilized to describe the relationship of sensor output (frequency shift of SAW oscillator) and the mass loaded on the detector surface. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) formula and its improved form are introduced to depict the adsorption behavior of gas on the detector surface. By combining the two methods, we obtain a theoretical model for the response mechanism of SAW gas sensors. By using a commercial SAW gas chromatography (GC) analyzer, an experiment is performed to measure the frequency shifts caused by different concentration of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP). The parameters in the model are given by fitting the experimental results and the theoretical curve agrees well with the experimental data.

Mechanisms involved in the transport of mercuric ions in target tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Bridges, Christy C.; Zalups, Rudolfs K.

2016-01-01

Mercury exists in the environment in various forms, all of which pose a risk to human health. Despite guidelines regulating the industrial release of mercury into the environment, humans continue to be exposed regularly to various forms of this metal via inhalation or ingestion. Following exposure, mercuric ions are taken up by and accumulate in numerous organs, including brain, intestine, kidney, liver, and placenta. In order to understand the toxicological effects of exposure to mercury, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms that facilitate entry of mercuric ions into target cells must first be obtained. A number of mechanisms for the transport of mercuric ions into target cells and organs have been proposed in recent years. However, the ability of these mechanisms to transport mercuric ions and the regulatory features of these carriers have not been characterized completely. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current findings related to the mechanisms that may be involved in the transport of inorganic and organic forms of mercury in target tissues and organs. This review will describe mechanisms known to be involved in the transport of mercury and will also propose additional mechanisms that may potentially be involved in the transport of mercuric ions into target cells. PMID:27422290

Conciliating surface superhydrophobicities and mechanical strength of porous silicon films

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fuguo; Zhao, Kun; Cheng, Jinchun; Zhang, Junyan

2011-01-01

Hydrophobic surfaces on Mechanical stable macroporous silicon films were prepared by electrochemical etching with subsequent octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) modification. The surface morphologies were controlled by current densities and the mechanical properties were adjusted by their corresponding porosities. Contrast with the smooth macroporous silicon films with lower porosities (34.1%) and microporous silicon with higher porosities (97%), the macroporous film with a rough three-dimension (3D) surface and a moderate pore to cross-section area ratio (37.8%, PSi2‧) exhibited both good mechanical strength (Yong' modulus, shear modulus and collapse strength are 64.2, 24.1 and 0.32 GPa, respectively) and surface superhydrophobicity (water contact angle is 158.4 ± 2° and sliding angle is 2.7 ± 1°). This result revealed that the surface hydrophobicities (or the surface roughness) and mechanical strength of porous films could be conciliated by pore to cross-section area ratios control and 3D structures construction. Thus, the superhydrophobic surfaces on mechanical stable porous films could be obtained by 3D structures fabrication on porous film with proper pore to cross-section area ratios.

Overview on the Surface Functionalization Mechanism and Determination of Surface Functional Groups of Plasma Treated Carbon Nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Saka, Cafer

2018-01-02

The use of carbon materials for many applications is due to the unique diversity of structures and properties ranging from chemical bonds between the carbon atoms of the materials to nanostructures, crystallite alignment, and microstructures. Carbon nanotubes and other nanoscale carbonaceous materials draw much attention due to their physical and chemical properties, such as high strength, high resistance to corrosion, electrical and thermal conductivity, stability and a qualified adsorbent. Carbon-based nanomaterials, which have a relatively large specific area and layered structure, can be used as an adsorbent for efficient removal of organic and inorganic contaminants. However, one of the biggest obstacles to the development of carbon-based nanomaterials adsorbents is insolubility and the lack of functional groups on the surface. There are several approaches to introduce functional groups on carbon nanotubes. One of these approaches, plasma applications, now has an important place in the creation of surface functional groups as a flexible, fast, and environmentally friendly method. This review focuses on recent information concerning the surface functionalization and modification of plasma treated carbon nanotube. This review considers the surface properties, advantages, and disadvantages of plasma-applied carbon nanotubes. It also examines the reaction mechanisms involved in the functional groups on the surface.

Mechanical and chemical decontamination of surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kienhoefer, M.

1982-01-01

Decontamination does not mean more than a special technique of cleaning surfaces by methods well known in the industry. The main difference consists in the facts that more than just the visible dirt is to be removed and that radioactive contamination cannot be seen. Especially, intensive mechanical and chemical carry-off methods are applied to attack the surfaces. In order to minimize damages caused to the surfaces, the decontamination method is to adapt to the material and the required degree of decontamination. The various methods, their advantages and disadvantages are described, and the best known chemical solutions are shown. (orig./RW)

Effects of surface atomistic modification on mechanical properties of gold nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Xiao-Yu; Xu, Yuanjie; Wang, Gang-Feng; Gu, Yuantong; Feng, Xi-Qiao

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Molecular dynamics simulations of surface modification effect of Au nanowires. • Surface modification can greatly affect the mechanical properties of nanowires. • Core–shell model is used to elucidate the effect of residual surface stress. - Abstract: Modulation of the physical and mechanical properties of nanowires is a challenging issue for their technological applications. In this paper, we investigate the effects of surface modification on the mechanical properties of gold nanowires by performing molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that by modifying a small density of silver atoms to the surface of a gold nanowire, the residual surface stress state can be altered, rendering a great improvement of its plastic yield strength. This finding is in good agreement with experimental measurements. The underlying physical mechanisms are analyzed by a core–shell nanowire model. The results are helpful for the design and optimization of advanced nanomaterial with superior mechanical properties

Mechanical touch responses of Arabidopsis TCH1-3 mutant roots on inclined hard-agar surface

Science.gov (United States)

Zha, Guodong; Wang, Bochu; Liu, Junyu; Yan, Jie; Zhu, Liqing; Yang, Xingyan

2016-01-01

The gravity-induced mechanical touch stimulus can affect plant root architecture. Mechanical touch responses of plant roots are an important aspect of plant root growth and development. Previous studies have reported that Arabidopsis TCH1-3 genes are involved in mechano-related events, how-ever, the physiological functions of TCH1-3 genes in Arabidopsis root mechanoresponses remain unclear. In the present study, we applied an inclined hard agar plate method to produce mechanical touch stimulus, and provided evidence that altered mechanical environment could influence root growth. Furthermore, tch1-3 Arabidopsis mutants were investigated on inclined agar surfaces to explore the functions of TCH1-3 genes on Arabidopsis root mechanoresponses. The results showed that two tch2 mutants, cml24-2 and cml24-4, exhibited significantly reduced root length, biased skewing, and decreased density of lateral root. In addition, primary root length and density of lateral root of tch3 (cml12-2) was significantly decreased on inclined agar surfaces. This study indicates that the tch2 and tch3 mutants are hypersensitive to mechanical touch stimulus, and TCH2 (CML24-2 and CML24-4) and TCH3 (CML12-2) genes may participate in the mechanical touch response of Arabidopsis roots.

Adsorption and wetting mechanisms at the surface of aqueous hydrocarbon solutions as a possible source of atmospheric pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadiki, M.; Quentel, F.; Elleouet, C.; Olier, R.; Privat, M.

2006-01-01

Hydrocarbons in solutions have been the subject of very few investigations despite their relevance, in particular, in situations where environmental mechanisms are involved. We present, here, a synthesis of several studies conducted within our laboratory about the adsorption, at the water surface, of benzene and cyclohexane from under-saturated solutions. The co-adsorption of lead nitrate is also evidenced, though it does not adsorb in absence of organic molecules in the surface. Most of the data reported here were collected from series of measurements made with a very uncommon method: the bubble column; this technique, though being very time-demanding and lacking of user-friendliness, proved its usefulness and relevance in the study of such weakly adsorbable, surface-tension inactive compounds. The study of mixtures is simple and requires no model, which is precious in environmental research. The gathered data demonstrate that, through mechanical mechanisms such as bubbling, co-adsorption can lead to the passing from water to the atmosphere of harmful non-soluble, poorly surface-active, components. (authors)

Mechanisms for the reflection of light atoms from crystal surfaces at kilovolt energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, M.; Robinson, M.T.

1978-01-01

The computer program MARLOWE was used to investigate the backscattering of protons from the (110) surface of a nickel crystal. Grazing incidence was considered so that anisotropic effects originated mainly from the surface region. The contribution of aligned scattering was studied by comparing the results with similar calculations for an amorphous target. Energy distributions of backscattered particles were investigated for incident energies ranging from 0.1 to 5 keV. The structure of these distributions was explained by making calculations for several target thickness. Specular reflection was found to depend on the structure of the first few atomic planes only. The (110) rows in the surface plane were responsible for focusing into surface semichannels. Focusing in these semichannels was found to be the strongest under total reflection conditions (below about 1.3 keV) while the scattering intensity from surface rows increased with increasing incident energy. The orientation of the plane of incidence was found to have large influence on the relative contributions of the reflection mechanisms involved. (orig.) [de

Metal and metalloid foliar uptake by various plant species exposed to atmospheric industrial fallout: Mechanisms involved for lead

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schreck, E., E-mail: eva.schreck@ensat.fr [Universite de Toulouse (France); INP, UPS (France); EcoLab (Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement) (France); ENSAT, Avenue de l' Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan (France); CNRS (France); EcoLab, 31326 Castanet Tolosan (France); Foucault, Y. [Universite de Toulouse (France); INP, UPS (France); EcoLab (Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement) (France); ENSAT, Avenue de l' Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan (France); CNRS (France); EcoLab, 31326 Castanet Tolosan (France); STCM, Societe de Traitements Chimiques des Metaux, 30 Avenue de Fondeyre 31200 Toulouse (France); Sarret, G. [ISTerre (UMR 5275), Universite J. Fourier and CNRS, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Sobanska, S. [LASIR (UMR CNRS 8516), Universite de Lille 1, Bat. C5, 59655 Villeneuve d' Ascq cedex (France); Cecillon, L. [ISTerre (UMR 5275), Universite J. Fourier and CNRS, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Castrec-Rouelle, M. [Universite Pierre and Marie Curie (UPMC-Paris 6), Bioemco (Biogeochimie et Ecologie des Milieux Continentaux), Site Jussieu, Tour 56, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris cedex 05 (France); Uzu, G. [Laboratoire d' Aerologie (UMR 5560), OMP, UPS 14, Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse (France); GET (UMR 5563), IRD, 14, Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse (France); Dumat, C. [Universite de Toulouse (France); INP, UPS (France); EcoLab (Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement) (France); ENSAT, Avenue de l' Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan (France); CNRS (France); EcoLab, 31326 Castanet Tolosan (France)

2012-06-15

Fine and ultrafine metallic particulate matters (PMs) are emitted from metallurgic activities in peri-urban zones into the atmosphere and can be deposited in terrestrial ecosystems. The foliar transfer of metals and metalloids and their fate in plant leaves remain unclear, although this way of penetration may be a major contributor to the transfer of metals into plants. This study focused on the foliar uptake of various metals and metalloids from enriched PM (Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Sb, As, and especially lead (Pb)) resulting from the emissions of a battery-recycling factory. Metal and metalloid foliar uptake by various vegetable species, exhibiting different morphologies, use (food or fodder) and life-cycle (lettuce, parsley and rye-grass) were studied. The mechanisms involved in foliar metal transfer from atmospheric particulate matter fallout, using lead (Pb) as a model element was also investigated. Several complementary techniques (micro-X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry) were used to investigate the localization and the speciation of lead in their edible parts, i.e. leaves. The results showed lead-enriched PM on the surface of plant leaves. Biogeochemical transformations occurred on the leaf surfaces with the formation of lead secondary species (PbCO{sub 3} and organic Pb). Some compounds were internalized in their primary form (PbSO{sub 4}) underneath an organic layer. Internalization through the cuticle or penetration through stomata openings are proposed as two major mechanisms involved in foliar uptake of particulate matter. - Graphical abstract: Overall picture of performed observations and mechanisms potentially involved in lead foliar uptake. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Foliar uptake of metallic particulate matter (PM) is of environmental and health concerns. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The leaf morphology influences the adsorption

Mechanical and tribological properties of ion beam-processed surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kodali, P.

1998-01-01

The intent of this work was to broaden the applications of well-established surface modification techniques and to elucidate the various wear mechanisms that occur in sliding contact of ion-beam processed surfaces. The investigation included characterization and evaluation of coatings and modified surfaces synthesized by three surface engineering methods; namely, beam-line ion implantation, plasma-source ion implantation, and DC magnetron sputtering. Correlation among measured properties such as surface hardness, fracture toughness, and wear behavior was also examined. This dissertation focused on the following areas of research: (1) investigating the mechanical and tribological properties of mixed implantation of carbon and nitrogen into single crystal silicon by beam-line implantation; (2) characterizing the mechanical and tribological properties of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings processed by plasma source ion implantation; and (3) developing and evaluating metastable boron-carbon-nitrogen (BCN) compound coatings for mechanical and tribological properties. The surface hardness of a mixed carbon-nitrogen implant sample improved significantly compared to the unimplanted sample. However, the enhancement in the wear factor of this sample was found to be less significant than carbon-implanted samples. The presence of nitrogen might be responsible for the degraded wear behavior since nitrogen-implantation alone resulted in no improvement in the wear factor. DLC coatings have low friction, low wear factor, and high hardness. The fracture toughness of DLC coatings has been estimated for the first time. The wear mechanism in DLC coatings investigated with a ruby slider under a contact stress of 1 GPa was determined to be plastic deformation. The preliminary data on metastable BCN compound coatings indicated high friction, low wear factor, and high hardness

Influence of surface topography in the boiling mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moita, A.S.; Teodori, E.; Moreira, A.L.N.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Pool boiling heat transfer. • Use of micro-textured surfaces to enhance heat transfer. • Importance of the bubble dynamics and of the interaction mechanisms in the overall heat transfer efficiency. • Effect of the micro-textures on bubble dynamics as a way to enhance pool boiling heat transfer. - Abstract: The present paper addresses the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the pool boiling heat transfer over micro-structured surfaces. The surfaces are made from silicon chips, in the context of pool boiling heat transfer enhancement of immersion liquid cooling schemes for electronic components. The first part of the analysis deals with the effect of the liquid properties. Then the effect of surface micro-structuring is discussed, covering different configurations, from cavities to pillars being the latter used to infer on the potential profit of a fin-like configuration. The use of rough surfaces to enhance pool boiling mainly stands on the arguments that the surface roughness will increase the liquid–solid contact area, thus enhancing the convection heat transfer coefficient and will promote the generation of nucleation sites. However, one should not disregard bubble dynamics. Indeed, the results show a strong effect of bubble dynamics and particularly of the interaction mechanisms in the overall cooling performance of the pair liquid–surface. The inaccurate control of these mechanisms leads to the formation of large bubbles and strong vertical and horizontal coalescence effects promote the very fast formation of a vapor blanket, which causes a steep decrease of the heat transfer coefficient. This effect can be strong enough to prevail over the benefit of increasing the contact area by roughening the surface. For the micro-patterns used in the present work, the results evidence that one can reasonably determine guiding pattern characteristics to evaluate the intensity of the interaction mechanisms and take out the most of the

Mechanisms regulating osteoblast response to surface microtopography and vitamin D

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Bryan Frederick, Jr.

A comprehensive understanding of the interactions between orthopaedic and dental implant surfaces with the surrounding host tissue is essential in the design of advanced biomaterials that better promote bone growth and osseointegration of implants. Dental implants with roughened surfaces and high surface energy are well known to promote osteoblast differentiation in vitro and promote increased bone-to-implant contact in vivo. In addition, increased surface roughness increases osteoblasts response to the vitamin D metabolite 1alpha,25(OH)2D3. However, the exact mechanisms mediating cell response to surface properties and 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 are still being elucidated. The central aim of the thesis is to investigate whether integrin signaling in response to rough surface microtopography enhances osteoblast differentiation and responsiveness to 1alpha,25(OH)2D3. The hypothesis is that the integrin alpha5beta1 plays a role in osteoblast response to surface microtopography and that 1alpha,25(OH) 2D3 acts through VDR-independent pathways involving caveolae to synergistically enhance osteoblast response to surface roughness and 1alpha,25(OH) 2D3. To test this hypothesis the objectives of the studies performed in this thesis were: (1) to determine if alpha5beta 1 signaling is required for osteoblast response to surface microstructure; (2) to determine if increased responsiveness to 1alpha,25(OH)2D 3 requires the vitamin D receptor, (3) to determine if rough titanium surfaces functionalized with the peptides targeting integrins (RGD) and transmembrane proteoglycans (KRSR) will enhance both osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, and (4) to determine whether caveolae, which are associated with integrin and 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 signaling, are required for enhance osteogenic response to surface microstructure and 1alpha,25(OH)2D 3. The results demonstrate that integrins, VDR, and caveolae play important roles in mediating osteoblast response to surface properties and 1alpha,25

Surface Damage Mechanism of Monocrystalline Si Under Mechanical Loading

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Qingliang; Zhang, Quanli; To, Suet; Guo, Bing

2017-03-01

Single-point diamond scratching and nanoindentation on monocrystalline silicon wafer were performed to investigate the surface damage mechanism of Si under the contact loading. The results showed that three typical stages of material removal appeared during dynamic scratching, and a chemical reaction of Si with the diamond indenter and oxygen occurred under the high temperature. In addition, the Raman spectra of the various points in the scratching groove indicated that the Si-I to β-Sn structure (Si-II) and the following β-Sn structure (Si-II) to amorphous Si transformation appeared under the rapid loading/unloading condition of the diamond grit, and the volume change induced by the phase transformation resulted in a critical depth (ductile-brittle transition) of cut (˜60 nm ± 15 nm) much lower than the theoretical calculated results (˜387 nm). Moreover, it also led to abnormal load-displacement curves in the nanoindentation tests, resulting in the appearance of elbow and pop-out effects (˜270 nm at 20 s, 50 mN), which were highly dependent on the loading/unloading conditions. In summary, phase transformation of Si promoted surface deformation and fracture under both static and dynamic mechanical loading.

Multiresolution molecular mechanics: Surface effects in nanoscale materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Qingcheng, E-mail: qiy9@pitt.edu; To, Albert C., E-mail: albertto@pitt.edu

2017-05-01

Surface effects have been observed to contribute significantly to the mechanical response of nanoscale structures. The newly proposed energy-based coarse-grained atomistic method Multiresolution Molecular Mechanics (MMM) (Yang, To (2015), ) is applied to capture surface effect for nanosized structures by designing a surface summation rule SR{sup S} within the framework of MMM. Combined with previously proposed bulk summation rule SR{sup B}, the MMM summation rule SR{sup MMM} is completed. SR{sup S} and SR{sup B} are consistently formed within SR{sup MMM} for general finite element shape functions. Analogous to quadrature rules in finite element method (FEM), the key idea to the good performance of SR{sup MMM} lies in that the order or distribution of energy for coarse-grained atomistic model is mathematically derived such that the number, position and weight of quadrature-type (sampling) atoms can be determined. Mathematically, the derived energy distribution of surface area is different from that of bulk region. Physically, the difference is due to the fact that surface atoms lack neighboring bonding. As such, SR{sup S} and SR{sup B} are employed for surface and bulk domains, respectively. Two- and three-dimensional numerical examples using the respective 4-node bilinear quadrilateral, 8-node quadratic quadrilateral and 8-node hexahedral meshes are employed to verify and validate the proposed approach. It is shown that MMM with SR{sup MMM} accurately captures corner, edge and surface effects with less 0.3% degrees of freedom of the original atomistic system, compared against full atomistic simulation. The effectiveness of SR{sup MMM} with respect to high order element is also demonstrated by employing the 8-node quadratic quadrilateral to solve a beam bending problem considering surface effect. In addition, the introduced sampling error with SR{sup MMM} that is analogous to numerical integration error with quadrature rule in FEM is very small. - Highlights: �

Fabrication mechanism of friction-induced selective etching on Si(100) surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jian; Song, Chenfei; Li, Xiaoying; Yu, Bingjun; Dong, Hanshan; Qian, Linmao; Zhou, Zhongrong

2012-02-23

As a maskless nanofabrication technique, friction-induced selective etching can easily produce nanopatterns on a Si(100) surface. Experimental results indicated that the height of the nanopatterns increased with the KOH etching time, while their width increased with the scratching load. It has also found that a contact pressure of 6.3 GPa is enough to fabricate a mask layer on the Si(100) surface. To understand the mechanism involved, the cross-sectional microstructure of a scratched area was examined, and the mask ability of the tip-disturbed silicon layer was studied. Transmission electron microscope observation and scanning Auger nanoprobe analysis suggested that the scratched area was covered by a thin superficial oxidation layer followed by a thick distorted (amorphous and deformed) layer in the subsurface. After the surface oxidation layer was removed by HF etching, the residual amorphous and deformed silicon layer on the scratched area can still serve as an etching mask in KOH solution. The results may help to develop a low-destructive, low-cost, and flexible nanofabrication technique suitable for machining of micro-mold and prototype fabrication in micro-systems.

Condensation Enhancement by Surface Porosity: Three-Stage Mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Yarom, Michal; Marmur, Abraham

2015-08-18

Surface defects, such as pores, cracks, and scratches, are naturally occurring and commonly found on solid surfaces. However, the mechanism by which such imperfections promote condensation has not been fully explored. In the current paper we thermodynamically analyze the ability of surface porosity to enhance condensation on a hydrophilic solid. We show that the presence of a surface-embedded pore brings about three distinct stages of condensation. The first is capillary condensation inside the pore until it is full. This provides an ideal hydrophilic surface for continuing the condensation. As a result, spontaneous condensation and wetting can be achieved at lower vapor pressure than on a smooth surface.

Surface effects on the mechanical properties of nanoporous materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Zixing; Zhang Cungang; Liu Qiang; Yang Zhenyu

2011-01-01

In this paper, surface effects on the mechanical behaviour of nanoporous materials are investigated using the theory of surface elasticity and Timoshenko beam theory based on the tetrakaidecahedron (or Kelvin) open-cell foam model. Meanwhile, the influence of surface elasticity and residual surface stress on the mechanical properties of nanoporous materials is discussed. In addition, the results derived from the theory of Euler-Bernoulli beam model are also provided for comparison. Theoretical results show that the effective Young's modulus of the nanoporous materials increases as the diameter of the strut decreases, but in contrast Poisson's ratio and the brittle collapse strength decrease with the diameter of the strut. The contribution of shear deformation to surface effects on elastic properties is more significant, while the surface effects on brittle collapse strength are not sensitive to shear deformation, and it can even be neglected. As the strut size increases, the present results can be reduced to the cases without considering surface effects, which verifies the efficiency of the present model to a certain extent.

Nutrients and Hydrology Indicate the Driving Mechanisms of Peatland Surface Patterning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eppinga, M.B.; Ruiter, de P.C.; Wassen, M.J.; Rietkerk, M.

2009-01-01

Peatland surface patterning motivates studies that identify underlying structuring mechanisms. Theoretical studies so far suggest that different mechanisms may drive similar types of patterning. The long time span associated with peatland surface pattern formation, however, limits possibilities for

Mechanisms of Surface-Mediated DNA Hybridization

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy was employed in conjunction with resonance energy transfer (RET) to observe the dynamic behavior of donor-labeled ssDNA at the interface between aqueous solution and a solid surface decorated with complementary acceptor-labeled ssDNA. At least 100 000 molecular trajectories were determined for both complementary strands and negative control ssDNA. RET was used to identify trajectory segments corresponding to the hybridized state. The vast majority of molecules from solution adsorbed nonspecifically to the surface, where a brief two-dimensional search was performed with a 7% chance of hybridization. Successful hybridization events occurred with a characteristic search time of ∼0.1 s, and unsuccessful searches resulted in desorption from the surface, ultimately repeating the adsorption and search process. Hybridization was reversible, and two distinct modes of melting (i.e., dehybridization) were observed, corresponding to long-lived (∼15 s) and short-lived (∼1.4 s) hybridized time intervals. A strand that melted back onto the surface could rehybridize after a brief search or desorb from the interface. These mechanistic observations provide guidance for technologies that involve DNA interactions in the near-surface region, suggesting a need to design surfaces that both enhance the complex multidimensional search process and stabilize the hybridized state. PMID:24708278

Studies of the mechanisms involved in the laser surface hardening process of aluminum base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Luciana Ventavele da

2011-01-01

The Al-Si alloys are widely used in industry to replace the steel and gray cast iron in high-tech sectors. The commercial importance of these alloys is mainly due to its low weight, excellent wear (abrasion) and corrosion resistance, high resistance at elevated temperatures, low coefficient of thermal expansion and lesser fuel consumption that provide considerable reduction of emission of pollutants. In this work, Al-Si alloy used in the automotive industry to manufacture pistons of internal combustion engines, was undergone to surface treatments using LASER remelting (Nd:YAG, λ = 1.06 μm, pulsed mode). The LASER enables various energy concentrations with accurate transfer to the material without physical contact. The intense energy transfer causes the occurrence of structural changes in the superficial layer of the material. Experiments with single pulses and trails were conducted under various conditions of LASER processing in order to analyze microstructural changes resulting from treatments and their effects on the hardness. For the characterization of hardened layer was utilized the following techniques: optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), x-ray mapping, Vickers microhardness and maximum roughness tests. The high cooling rate caused a change in the alloy structure due to the refinement of the primary eutectic silicon particles, resulting in increase of the mechanical properties (hardness) of the Al-Si alloy. (author)

Different growth mechanisms of Ge by Stranski-Krastanow on Si (111) and (001) surfaces: An STM study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teys, S.A., E-mail: teys@isp.nsc.ru

2017-01-15

Highlights: • Different atomic mechanisms of transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional-layer growth on Sransky-Krastanov observed. • The transition from 2D–3D Ge growth on Si (111) and (001) is very different. • Various changes in morphology, surface structures and sequence Ge redistribution during the growth shown. • The sequence of appearance of different incorporation places of Ge atoms was shown. - Abstract: Structural and morphological features of the wetting layer formation and the transition to the three-dimensional Ge growth on (111) and (100) Si surfaces under quasi-equilibrium growth conditions were studied by means of scanning tunneling microscopy. The mechanism of the transition from the wetting layer to the three-dimensional Ge growth on Si was demonstrated. The principal differences and general trends of the atomic processes involved in the wetting layers formation on substrates with different orientations were demonstrated. The Ge growth is accompanied by the Ge atom redistribution and partial strain relaxation due to the formation of new surfaces, vacancies and surface structures of a decreased density. The analysis of three-dimensional Ge islands sites nucleation of after the wetting layer formation was carried out on the (111) surface. The transition to the three-dimensional growth at the Si(100) surface begins with single {105} facets nucleation on the rough Ge(100) surface.

Different growth mechanisms of Ge by Stranski-Krastanow on Si (111) and (001) surfaces: An STM study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teys, S.A.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Different atomic mechanisms of transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional-layer growth on Sransky-Krastanov observed. • The transition from 2D–3D Ge growth on Si (111) and (001) is very different. • Various changes in morphology, surface structures and sequence Ge redistribution during the growth shown. • The sequence of appearance of different incorporation places of Ge atoms was shown. - Abstract: Structural and morphological features of the wetting layer formation and the transition to the three-dimensional Ge growth on (111) and (100) Si surfaces under quasi-equilibrium growth conditions were studied by means of scanning tunneling microscopy. The mechanism of the transition from the wetting layer to the three-dimensional Ge growth on Si was demonstrated. The principal differences and general trends of the atomic processes involved in the wetting layers formation on substrates with different orientations were demonstrated. The Ge growth is accompanied by the Ge atom redistribution and partial strain relaxation due to the formation of new surfaces, vacancies and surface structures of a decreased density. The analysis of three-dimensional Ge islands sites nucleation of after the wetting layer formation was carried out on the (111) surface. The transition to the three-dimensional growth at the Si(100) surface begins with single {105} facets nucleation on the rough Ge(100) surface.

Mechanism of supercooled droplet freezing on surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Stefan; Tiwari, Manish K; Doan, N Vuong; Poulikakos, Dimos

2012-01-10

Understanding ice formation from supercooled water on surfaces is a problem of fundamental importance and general utility. Superhydrophobic surfaces promise to have remarkable 'icephobicity' and low ice adhesion. Here we show that their icephobicity can be rendered ineffective by simple changes in environmental conditions. Through experiments, nucleation theory and heat transfer physics, we establish that humidity and/or the flow of a surrounding gas can fundamentally switch the ice crystallization mechanism, drastically affecting surface icephobicity. Evaporative cooling of the supercooled liquid can engender ice crystallization by homogeneous nucleation at the droplet-free surface as opposed to the expected heterogeneous nucleation at the substrate. The related interplay between droplet roll-off and rapid crystallization is also studied. Overall, we bring a novel perspective to icing and icephobicity, unveiling the strong influence of environmental conditions in addition to the accepted effects of the surface conditions and hydrophobicity.

Mechanical response of wall-patterned GaAs surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Bourhis, E.; Patriarche, G.

2005-01-01

Wall-patterned GaAs surfaces have been elaborated by photolithography and dry etching. Different surfaces were produced in order to change the aspect ratio of the walls formed at the substrate surface. The mechanical behaviour of individual walls was investigated by nanoindentation and the responses were compared to that of a standard bulk reference (flat surface). Deviation from the bulk response is detected in a load range of 1-25 mN depending on the aspect ratio of the walls. A central plastic zone criterion is proposed in view of transmission electron microscopy images of indented walls and allows the prediction of the response deviation of a given wall if its width is known. The mechanical response of the different types of walls is further investigated in terms of stiffness, total penetration of indenter and apparent hardness, and is scanned in relation to the proximity of a wall side. Overall results show that contact stiffness remains almost unaffected by aspect ratio, while penetration drastically increases because of the free sides of the wall as compared to a flat surface (bulk substrate). The application of substrate patterning for optoelectronic devices is discussed in the perspective of eliminating residual dislocations appearing in mismatched structures

Involvement of midbrain tectum neurokinin-mediated mechanisms in fear and anxiety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenes, J.C.; Broiz, A.C.; Bassi, G.S.; Schwarting, R.K.W.; Brandão, M.L.

2012-01-01

Electrical stimulation of midbrain tectum structures, particularly the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) and inferior colliculus (IC), produces defensive responses, such as freezing and escape behavior. Freezing also ensues after termination of dPAG stimulation (post-stimulation freezing). These defensive reaction responses are critically mediated by Y -aminobutyric acid and 5-hydroxytryptamine mechanisms in the midbrain tectum. Neurokinins (NKs) also play a role in the mediation of dPAG stimulation-evoked fear, but how NK receptors are involved in the global processing and expression of fear at the level of the midbrain tectum is yet unclear. The present study investigated the role of NK-1 receptors in unconditioned defensive behavior induced by electrical stimulation of the dPAG and IC of male Wistar rats. Spantide (100 pmol/0.2 µL), a selective NK-1 antagonist, injected into these midbrain structures had anti-aversive effects on defensive responses and distress ultrasonic vocalizations induced by stimulation of the dPAG but not of the IC. Moreover, intra-dPAG injections of spantide did not influence post-stimulation freezing or alter exploratory behavior in rats subjected to the elevated plus maze. These results suggest that NK-1 receptors are mainly involved in the mediation of defensive behavior organized in the dPAG. Dorsal periaqueductal gray-evoked post-stimulation freezing was not affected by intra-dPAG injections of spantide, suggesting that NK-1-mediated mechanisms are only involved in the output mechanisms of defensive behavior and not involved in the processing of ascending aversive information from the dPAG

Involvement of midbrain tectum neurokinin-mediated mechanisms in fear and anxiety

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brenes, J.C. [Experimental and Physiological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg (Germany); Broiz, A.C.; Bassi, G.S. [Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento, Campus USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Laboratório de Psicobiologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Schwarting, R.K.W. [Experimental and Physiological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg (Germany); Brandão, M.L. [Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento, Campus USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Laboratório de Psicobiologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil)

2012-03-09

Electrical stimulation of midbrain tectum structures, particularly the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) and inferior colliculus (IC), produces defensive responses, such as freezing and escape behavior. Freezing also ensues after termination of dPAG stimulation (post-stimulation freezing). These defensive reaction responses are critically mediated by {sub Y}-aminobutyric acid and 5-hydroxytryptamine mechanisms in the midbrain tectum. Neurokinins (NKs) also play a role in the mediation of dPAG stimulation-evoked fear, but how NK receptors are involved in the global processing and expression of fear at the level of the midbrain tectum is yet unclear. The present study investigated the role of NK-1 receptors in unconditioned defensive behavior induced by electrical stimulation of the dPAG and IC of male Wistar rats. Spantide (100 pmol/0.2 µL), a selective NK-1 antagonist, injected into these midbrain structures had anti-aversive effects on defensive responses and distress ultrasonic vocalizations induced by stimulation of the dPAG but not of the IC. Moreover, intra-dPAG injections of spantide did not influence post-stimulation freezing or alter exploratory behavior in rats subjected to the elevated plus maze. These results suggest that NK-1 receptors are mainly involved in the mediation of defensive behavior organized in the dPAG. Dorsal periaqueductal gray-evoked post-stimulation freezing was not affected by intra-dPAG injections of spantide, suggesting that NK-1-mediated mechanisms are only involved in the output mechanisms of defensive behavior and not involved in the processing of ascending aversive information from the dPAG.

Mechanisms Involved in Exercise-Induced Cardioprotection: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Juliana Pereira; Lessa, Marcos Adriano

2015-01-01

Background Acute myocardial infarction is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Furthermore, research has shown that exercise, in addition to reducing cardiovascular risk factors, can also protect the heart against injury due to ischemia and reperfusion through a direct effect on the myocardium. However, the specific mechanism involved in exerciseinduced cardiac preconditioning is still under debate. Objective To perform a systematic review of the studies that have addressed the mechanisms by which aerobic exercise promotes direct cardioprotection against ischemia and reperfusion injury. Methods A search was conducted using MEDLINE, Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe de Informação em Ciências da Saúde, and Scientific Electronic Library Online databases. Data were extracted in a standardized manner by two independent researchers, who were responsible for assessing the methodological quality of the studies. Results The search retrieved 78 studies; after evaluating the abstracts, 30 studies were excluded. The manuscripts of the remaining 48 studies were completely read and, of these, 20 were excluded. Finally, 28 studies were included in this systematic review. Conclusion On the basis of the selected studies, the following are potentially involved in the cardioprotective response to exercise: increased heat shock protein production, nitric oxide pathway involvement, increased cardiac antioxidant capacity, improvement in ATP-dependent potassium channel function, and opioid system activation. Despite all the previous investigations, further research is still necessary to obtain more consistent conclusions. PMID:25830711

Education on invasive mechanical ventilation involving intensive care nurses: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Guilhermino, Michelle C; Inder, Kerry J; Sundin, Deborah

2018-03-26

Intensive care unit nurses are critical for managing mechanical ventilation. Continuing education is essential in building and maintaining nurses' knowledge and skills, potentially improving patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine whether continuing education programmes on invasive mechanical ventilation involving intensive care unit nurses are effective in improving patient outcomes. Five electronic databases were searched from 2001 to 2016 using keywords such as mechanical ventilation, nursing and education. Inclusion criteria were invasive mechanical ventilation continuing education programmes that involved nurses and measured patient outcomes. Primary outcomes were intensive care unit mortality and in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included hospital and intensive care unit length of stay, length of intubation, failed weaning trials, re-intubation incidence, ventilation-associated pneumonia rate and lung-protective ventilator strategies. Studies were excluded if they excluded nurses, patients were ventilated for less than 24 h, the education content focused on protocol implementation or oral care exclusively or the outcomes were participant satisfaction. Quality was assessed by two reviewers using an education intervention critical appraisal worksheet and a risk of bias assessment tool. Data were extracted independently by two reviewers and analysed narratively due to heterogeneity. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria for full review: 11 pre- and post-intervention observational and 1 quasi-experimental design. Studies reported statistically significant reductions in hospital length of stay, length of intubation, ventilator-associated pneumonia rates, failed weaning trials and improvements in lung-protective ventilation compliance. Non-statistically significant results were reported for in-hospital and intensive care unit mortality, re-intubation and intensive care unit length of stay. Limited evidence of the effectiveness of

Breakage mechanics for granular materials in surface-reactive environments

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yida; Buscarnera, Giuseppe

2018-03-01

It is known that the crushing behaviour of granular materials is sensitive to the state of the fluids occupying the pore space. Here, a thermomechanical theory is developed to link such macroscopic observations with the physico-chemical processes operating at the microcracks of individual grains. The theory relies on the hypothesis that subcritical fracture propagation at intra-particle scale is the controlling mechanism for the rate-dependent, water-sensitive compression of granular specimens. First, the fracture of uniaxially compressed particles in surface-reactive environments is studied in light of irreversible thermodynamics. Such analysis recovers the Gibbs adsorption isotherm as a central component linking the reduction of the fracture toughness of a solid to the increase of vapour concentration. The same methodology is then extended to assemblies immersed in wet air, for which solid-fluid interfaces have been treated as a separate phase. It is shown that this choice brings the solid surface energy into the dissipation equations of the granular matrix, thus providing a pathway to (i) integrate the Gibbs isotherm with the continuum description of particle assemblies and (ii) reproduce the reduction of their yield strength in presence of high relative humidity. The rate-effects involved in the propagation of cracks and the evolution of breakage have been recovered by considering non-homogenous dissipation potentials associated with the creation of surface area at both scales. It is shown that the proposed model captures satisfactorily the compression response of different types of granular materials subjected to varying relative humidity. This result was achieved simply by using parameters based on the actual adsorption characteristics of the constituting minerals. The theory therefore provides a physically sound and thermodynamically consistent framework to study the behaviour of granular solids in surface-reactive environments.

Ab initio R1 mechanism of photostimulated oxygen isotope exchange reaction on a defect TiO{sub 2} surface: The case of terminal oxygen atom exchange

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kevorkyants, Ruslan, E-mail: ruslan.kevorkyants@gmail.com; Sboev, Mikhail N.; Chizhov, Yuri V.

2017-05-01

Highlights: • DFT R1 mechanism of photostimulated oxygen isotope exchange between {sup 16}O{sup 18}O and terminal oxygen atom of a defect surface of nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} is proposed. • The mechanism involves four adsorption intermediates and five transition states. • Activation energy of the reaction is 0.24 eV. • G-tensors of O{sub 3}{sup −} intermediates match EPR data on O{sub 2} adsorbed on UV-irradiated TiO{sub 2} surface. - Abstract: Based on density functional theory we propose R1 mechanism of photostimulated oxygen isotope exchange (POIEx) reaction between {sup 16}O{sup 18}O and terminal oxygen atom of a defect TiO{sub 2} surface, which is modeled by amorphous Ti{sub 8}O{sub 16} nanocluster in excited S{sup 1} electronic state. The proposed mechanism involves four adsorption intermediates and five transition states. The computed activation energy of the POIEx equals 0.24 eV. The computed g-tensors of the predicted ozonide O{sub 3}{sup −} chemisorption species match well EPR data on O{sub 2} adsorption on UV-irradiated nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2}. This match serves a mean of justification of the proposed R1 mechanism of the POIEx reaction. In addition, it is found that the proposed R1 POIEx reaction’s mechanism differs from R1 mechanism of thermo-assisted OIEx reaction on a surface of supported vanadium oxide catalyst VO{sub x}/TiO{sub 2} reported earlier.

Micropatterned Azopolymer Surfaces Modulate Cell Mechanics and Cytoskeleton Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Rianna, Carmela; Ventre, Maurizio; Cavalli, Silvia; Radmacher, Manfred; Netti, Paolo A

2015-09-30

Physical and chemical characteristics of materials are important regulators of cell behavior. In particular, cell elasticity is a fundamental parameter that reflects the state of a cell. Surface topography finely modulates cell fate and function via adhesion mediated signaling and cytoskeleton generated forces. However, how topographies alter cell mechanics is still unclear. In this work we have analyzed the mechanical properties of peripheral and nuclear regions of NIH-3T3 cells on azopolymer substrates with different topographic patterns. Micrometer scale patterns in the form of parallel ridges or square lattices of surface elevations were encoded on light responsive azopolymer films by means of contactless optical methods. Cell mechanics was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cells and consequently the cell cytoskeleton were oriented along the linear patterns affecting cytoskeletal structures, e.g., formation of actin stress fibers. Our data demonstrate that topographic substrate patterns are recognized by cells and mechanical information is transferred by the cytoskeleton. Furthermore, cytoskeleton generated forces deform the nucleus, changing its morphology that appears to be related to different mechanical properties in the nuclear region.

Surface interactions involved in flashover with high density electronegative gases.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hodge, Keith Conquest; Warne, Larry Kevin; Jorgenson, Roy Eberhardt; Wallace, Zachariah Red; Lehr, Jane Marie

2010-01-01

This report examines the interactions involved with flashover along a surface in high density electronegative gases. The focus is on fast ionization processes rather than the later time ionic drift or thermalization of the discharge. A kinetic simulation of the gas and surface is used to examine electron multiplication and includes gas collision, excitation and ionization, and attachment processes, gas photoionization and surface photoemission processes, as well as surface attachment. These rates are then used in a 1.5D fluid ionization wave (streamer) model to study streamer propagation with and without the surface in air and in SF6. The 1.5D model therefore includes rates for all these processes. To get a better estimate for the behavior of the radius we have studied radial expansion of the streamer in air and in SF6. The focus of the modeling is on voltage and field level changes (with and without a surface) rather than secondary effects, such as, velocities or changes in discharge path. An experiment has been set up to carry out measurements of threshold voltages, streamer velocities, and other discharge characteristics. This setup includes both electrical and photographic diagnostics (streak and framing cameras). We have observed little change in critical field levels (where avalanche multiplication sets in) in the gas alone versus with the surface. Comparisons between model calculations and experimental measurements are in agreement with this. We have examined streamer sustaining fields (field which maintains ionization wave propagation) in the gas and on the surface. Agreement of the gas levels with available literature is good and agreement between experiment and calculation is good also. Model calculations do not indicate much difference between the gas alone versus the surface levels. Experiments have identified differences in velocity between streamers on the surface and in the gas alone (the surface values being larger).

Novel exchange mechanisms in the surface diffusion of oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, Duncan J; Lavrentiev, Mikhail Yu; Harding, John H; Allan, Neil L; Purton, John A

2004-01-01

We use temperature-accelerated dynamics to show the importance of exchange mechanisms in surface diffusion and growth of simple oxides. Such mechanisms can dominate transport processes both on terraces and steps for both homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial growth. We suggest that the mixing inevitable when an exchange mechanism is present must be considered when attempts are made to grow sharp interfaces in oxide nanostructures. (letter to the editor)

Surface Spectroscopic Signatures of Mechanical Deformation in HDPE.

Science.gov (United States)

Averett, Shawn C; Stanley, Steven K; Hanson, Joshua J; Smith, Stacey J; Patterson, James E

2018-01-01

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) has been extensively studied, both as a model for semi-crystalline polymers and because of its own industrial utility. During cold drawing, crystalline regions of HDPE are known to break up and align with the direction of tensile load. Structural changes due to deformation should also manifest at the surface of the polymer, but until now, a detailed molecular understanding of how the surface responds to mechanical deformation has been lacking. This work establishes a precedent for using vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy to investigate changes in the molecular-level structure of the surface of HDPE after cold drawing. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to confirm that the observed surface behavior corresponds to the expected bulk response. Before tensile loading, the VSFG spectra indicate that there is significant variability in the surface structure and tilt of the methylene groups away from the surface normal. After deformation, the VSFG spectroscopic signatures are notably different. These changes suggest that hydrocarbon chains at the surface of visibly necked HDPE are aligned with the direction of loading, while the associated methylene groups are oriented with the local C 2 v symmetry axis roughly parallel to the surface normal. Small amounts of unaltered material are also found at the surface of necked HDPE, with the relative amount of unaltered material decreasing as the amount of deformation increases. Aspects of the nonresonant SFG response in the transition zone between necked and undeformed polymer provide additional insight into the deformation process and may provide the first indication of mechanical deformation. Nonlinear surface spectroscopy can thus be used as a noninvasive and nondestructive tool to probe the stress history of a HPDE sample in situations where X-ray techniques are not available or not applicable. Vibrational sum-frequency generation thus has great potential as a platform for

Topological Fluid Mechanics with Applications to Free Surfaces and Axisymmetric Flows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brøns, Morten

1996-01-01

Topological fluid mechanics is the study of qualitative features of fluid patterns. We discuss applications to the flow beneath a stagnant surface film, and to patterns in axisymmetric flow.......Topological fluid mechanics is the study of qualitative features of fluid patterns. We discuss applications to the flow beneath a stagnant surface film, and to patterns in axisymmetric flow....

Influence of Workpiece Surface Topography on the Mechanisms of Liquid Lubrication in Strip Drawing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shimizu, I; Andreasen, Jan Lasson; Bech, Jakob Ilsted

2001-01-01

The workpiece surface topography is an important factor controlling the mechanisms of lubrication in metal forming processes. In the present work, the microscopic lubrication mechanisms induced by lubricant trapped in pockets of the surface in strip drawing are studied. The experiments are perfor......The workpiece surface topography is an important factor controlling the mechanisms of lubrication in metal forming processes. In the present work, the microscopic lubrication mechanisms induced by lubricant trapped in pockets of the surface in strip drawing are studied. The experiments...

Near surface mechanical properties of optical single crystals and surface response to deterministic microgrinding

Science.gov (United States)

Randi, Joseph A., III

2005-12-01

This thesis makes use of microindentation, nanoindentation and nanoscratching methods to better understand the mechanical properties of single crystalline silicon, calcium fluoride, and magnesium fluoride. These properties are measured and are used to predict the material's response to material removal, specifically by grinding and polishing, which is a combination of elastic, plastic and fracture processes. The hardness anisotropy during Knoop microindentation, hardness from nanoindentation, and scratch morphology from nanoscratching are reported. This information is related to the surface microroughness from grinding. We show that mechanical property relationships that predict the surface roughness from lapping and deterministic microgrinding of optical glasses are applicable to single crystals. We show the range of hardness from some of the more common crystallographic faces. Magnesium fluoride, having a tetragonal structure, has 2-fold hardness anisotropy. Nanoindentation, as expected provides higher hardness than microindentation, but anisotropy is not observed. Nanoscratching provides the scratch profile during loading, after the load has been removed, and the coefficient of friction during the loading. Ductile and brittle mode scratching is present with brittle mode cracking being orientation specific. Subsurface damage (SSD) measurements are made using a novel process known as the MRF technique. Magnetorheological finishing is used to polish spots into the ground surface where SSD can be viewed. SSD is measured using an optical microscope and knowledge of the spot profile. This technique is calibrated with a previous technique and implemented to accurately measure SSD in single crystals. The data collected are compared to the surface microroughness of the ground surface, resulting in an upper bound relationship. The results indicate that SSD is always less than 1.4 times the peak-to-valley surface microroughness for single crystals regardless of the

Mechanical torques generated by optically pumped atomic spin relaxation at surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herman, R.M.

1982-01-01

It is argued that a valuable method of observing certain types of surface-atom interactions may lie in mechanical torques generated through the spin-orbit relaxation of valence electronic spins of optically pumped atoms at surfaces. The unusual feature of this phenomenon is that the less probable spin-orbit relaxation becomes highly visible as compared with the much more rapid paramagnetic relaxation, because of an enhancement, typically by as much as a factor 10 9 , in the torques delivered to mechanical structures, by virtue of a very large effective moment arm. Spin-orbit relaxation operates through an exchange of translational momentum which, in turn, can be identified with the delivery of a gigantic angular momentum (in units of h) relative to a distant axis about which mechanical motion is referred. The spin-orbit relaxation strongly depends upon the atomic number of the surface atoms and the strength of interaction with the optically pumped atoms. Being dominated by high-atomic-number surface atoms, spin-orbit relaxation rates may not be too strongly influenced by minor surface contamination of lighter-weight optically active atoms

Mechanical torques generated by optically pumped atomic spin relaxation at surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, R. M.

1982-03-01

It is argued that a valuable method of observing certain types of surface-atom interactions may lie in mechanical torques generated through the spin-orbit relaxation of valence electronic spins of optically pumped atoms at surfaces. The unusual feature of this phenomenon is that the less probable spin-orbit relaxation becomes highly visible as compared with the much more rapid paramagnetic relaxation, because of an enhancement, typically by as much as a factor 109, in the torques delivered to mechanical structures, by virtue of a very large effective moment arm. Spin-orbit relaxation operates through an exchange of translational momentum which, in turn, can be identified with the delivery of a gigantic angular momentum (in units of ℏ) relative to a distant axis about which mechanical motion is referred. The spin-orbit relaxation strongly depends upon the atomic number of the surface atoms and the strength of interaction with the optically pumped atoms. Being dominated by high-atomic-number surface atoms, spin-orbit-relaxation rates may not be too strongly influenced by minor surface contamination of lighter-weight optically active atoms.

Generation Mechanism of Work Hardened Surface Layer in Metal Cutting

Science.gov (United States)

Hikiji, Rikio; Kondo, Eiji; Kawagoishi, Norio; Arai, Minoru

Finish machining used to be carried out in grinding, but it is being replaced by cutting with very small undeformed chip thickness. In ultra precision process, the effects of the cutting conditions and the complicated factors on the machined surface integrity are the serious problems. In this research, work hardened surface layer was dealt with as an evaluation of the machined surface integrity and the effect of the mechanical factors on work hardening was investigated experimentally in orthogonal cutting. As a result, it was found that work hardened surface layer was affected not only by the shear angle varied under the cutting conditions and the thrust force of cutting resistance, but also by the thrust force acting point, the coefficient of the thrust force and the compressive stress equivalent to the bulk hardness. Furthermore, these mechanical factors acting on the depth of the work hardened surface layer were investigated with the calculation model.

Mechanical stability of surface architecture--consequences for superhydrophobicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Dyett, Brendan P; Wu, Alex H; Lamb, Robert N

2014-11-12

Wet chemistry methods such as sol-gel provide a facile means of preparing coatings with controlled surface chemistry and architecture. The manipulation of colloidal "building blocks," film constituents, and reaction conditions makes it a promising method for simple, scalable, and routine production of superhydrophobic coatings. Despite all of this, the practical application of superhydrophobic coatings remains limited by low mechanical durability. The translation of chemistry to mechanical strength within superhydrophobic films is severely hindered by the requisite physical structure. More specifically, porosity and the surface architecture of roughness in sol-gel-derived films contribute significantly to poor mechanical properties. These physical effects emphasize that collective structure and chemistry-based strategies are required. This challenge is not unique to superhydrophobics, and there are many principles that can be drawn upon to greatly improve performance. The delicate interplay between chemistry and physical structure has been highlighted through theory and characterization of porous and rough interfaces within and outside the framework of superhydrophobics. Insights can further be drawn from biology. Nature's capacity for self-repair remains extremely challenging to mimic in materials. However, nature does demonstrate strategies for structuring nano- and microbuilding blocks to achieve generally mutually exclusive properties. Difficulties with characterization and example mechanical characterization methods have also been emphasized.

Experimental study of microstructure changes due to low cycle fatigue of a steel nanocrystallised by Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment (SMAT)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Z. [ICD, P2MN, LASMIS, University of Technology of Troyes, UMR 6281, CNRS, Troyes (France); Retraint, D., E-mail: delphine.retraint@utt.fr [ICD, P2MN, LASMIS, University of Technology of Troyes, UMR 6281, CNRS, Troyes (France); Baudin, T.; Helbert, A.L.; Brisset, F. [ICMMO, Univ Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, UMR CNRS 8182, 91405 Orsay Cedex (France); Chemkhi, M.; Zhou, J. [ICD, P2MN, LASMIS, University of Technology of Troyes, UMR 6281, CNRS, Troyes (France); Kanouté, P. [ICD, P2MN, LASMIS, University of Technology of Troyes, UMR 6281, CNRS, Troyes (France); ONERA, The French Aerospace Lab, 29 avenue de la Division Leclerc, 92322 Chatillon Cedex (France)

2017-02-15

Electron Backscatter Diffraction technique is used to characterize the microstructure of 316L steel generated by Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment (SMAT) before and after low cycle fatigue tests. A grain size gradient is generated from the top surface to the interior of the samples after SMAT so that three main regions can be distinguished below the treated surface: (i) the ultra-fine grain area within 5 μm under the top surface with preferably oriented grains, (ii) the intermediate area where the original grains are partially transformed, and (iii) the edge periphery area where the original grains are just mechanically deformed with the presence of plastic slips. Fatigue tests show that cyclic loading does not change the grain orientation spread and does not activate any plastic slip in the ultra-fine grain top surface area induced by SMAT. On the opposite, in the plastically SMAT affected region including the intermediate area and the edge periphery area, new slip systems are activated by low cycle fatigue while the grain orientation spread is increased. These results represent a first very interesting step towards the characterization and understanding of mechanical mechanisms involved during the fatigue of a grain size gradient material. - Highlights: •LCF tests are carried out on specimens processed by SMAT. •EBSD is used to investigate microstructural changes induced by LCF. •A grain size gradient is generated by SMAT from surface to the bulk of the fatigue samples. •New slip systems are activated by LCF and GOS is increased in plastically deformed region. •However, these phenomena are not observed in the top surface ultra-fine grain area.

Experimental study of microstructure changes due to low cycle fatigue of a steel nanocrystallised by Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment (SMAT)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Z.; Retraint, D.; Baudin, T.; Helbert, A.L.; Brisset, F.; Chemkhi, M.; Zhou, J.; Kanouté, P.

2017-01-01

Electron Backscatter Diffraction technique is used to characterize the microstructure of 316L steel generated by Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment (SMAT) before and after low cycle fatigue tests. A grain size gradient is generated from the top surface to the interior of the samples after SMAT so that three main regions can be distinguished below the treated surface: (i) the ultra-fine grain area within 5 μm under the top surface with preferably oriented grains, (ii) the intermediate area where the original grains are partially transformed, and (iii) the edge periphery area where the original grains are just mechanically deformed with the presence of plastic slips. Fatigue tests show that cyclic loading does not change the grain orientation spread and does not activate any plastic slip in the ultra-fine grain top surface area induced by SMAT. On the opposite, in the plastically SMAT affected region including the intermediate area and the edge periphery area, new slip systems are activated by low cycle fatigue while the grain orientation spread is increased. These results represent a first very interesting step towards the characterization and understanding of mechanical mechanisms involved during the fatigue of a grain size gradient material. - Highlights: •LCF tests are carried out on specimens processed by SMAT. •EBSD is used to investigate microstructural changes induced by LCF. •A grain size gradient is generated by SMAT from surface to the bulk of the fatigue samples. •New slip systems are activated by LCF and GOS is increased in plastically deformed region. •However, these phenomena are not observed in the top surface ultra-fine grain area.

On the mechanics of thin films and growing surfaces

KAUST Repository

Holland, M. A.

2013-05-24

Many living structures are coated by thin films, which have distinct mechanical properties from the bulk. In particular, these thin layers may grow faster or slower than the inner core. Differential growth creates a balanced interplay between tension and compression and plays a critical role in enhancing structural rigidity. Typical examples with a compressive outer surface and a tensile inner core are the petioles of celery, caladium, or rhubarb. While plant physiologists have studied the impact of tissue tension on plant rigidity for more than a century, the fundamental theory of growing surfaces remains poorly understood. Here, we establish a theoretical and computational framework for continua with growing surfaces and demonstrate its application to classical phenomena in plant growth. To allow the surface to grow independently of the bulk, we equip it with its own potential energy and its own surface stress. We derive the governing equations for growing surfaces of zero thickness and obtain their spatial discretization using the finite-element method. To illustrate the features of our new surface growth model we simulate the effects of growth-induced longitudinal tissue tension in a stalk of rhubarb. Our results demonstrate that different growth rates create a mechanical environment of axial tissue tension and residual stress, which can be released by peeling off the outer layer. Our novel framework for continua with growing surfaces has immediate biomedical applications beyond these classical model problems in botany: it can be easily extended to model and predict surface growth in asthma, gastritis, obstructive sleep apnoea, brain development, and tumor invasion. Beyond biology and medicine, surface growth models are valuable tools for material scientists when designing functionalized surfaces with distinct user-defined properties. © The Author(s) 2013.

Surface mechanics design by cavitation peening

OpenAIRE

Hitoshi Soyama

2015-01-01

Although impacts at cavitation bubble collapses cause severe damage in hydraulic machineries, the cavitation impacts can be utilised for surface mechanics design such as introduction of compressive residual stress and/or improvement of fatigue strength. The peening method using the cavitation impacts was called as cavitation peening. In order to reveal the peening intensity of hydrodynamic cavitation and laser cavitation, the arc height of Almen strip and duralumin plate were measured. In the...

Neutralization mechanisms in He+-Al surface collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bajales, N.; Ferron, J.; Goldberg, E.C.

2007-01-01

From a quantum mechanical calculation where the populations of He ground and first excited states are properly taken into account, we can identify for the first time the neutralization to the He first excited state as an operative mechanism in He + -Al surface collisions. This identification allows us to understand the presence of high energy electrons in the ion induced electron emission spectra, through the inclusion of Auger deexcitation as an electron emission source, as well as to suggest a possible cause for the disagreement still found between theory and experiments in low energy ion scattering (LEIS) for this system

Effect of citric acid, tetracycline, and doxycycline on instrumented periodontally involved root surfaces: A SEM study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gurparkash Singh Chahal

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: A surface smear layer consisting of organic and inorganic material is formed on the root surface following mechanical instrumentation and may inhibit the formation of new connective tissue attachment to the root surface. Modification of the tooth surface by root conditioning has resulted in improved connective tissue attachment and has advanced the goal of reconstructive periodontal treatment. Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of citric acid, tetracycline, and doxycycline on the instrumented periodontally involved root surfaces in vitro using a scanning electron microscope. Settings and Design: A total of 45 dentin samples obtained from 15 extracted, scaled, and root planed teeth were divided into three groups. Materials and Methods: The root conditioning agents were applied with cotton pellets using the "Passive burnishing technique" for 5 minutes. The samples were then examined by the scanning electron microscope. Statistical Analysis Used: The statistical analysis was carried out using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, version 15.0 for Windows. For all quantitative variables means and standard deviations were calculated and compared. For more than two groups ANOVA was applied. For multiple comparisons post hoc tests with Bonferroni correction was used. Results: Upon statistical analysis the root conditioning agents used in this study were found to be effective in removing the smear layer, uncovering and widening the dentin tubules and unmasking the dentin collagen matrix. Conclusion: Tetracycline HCl was found to be the best root conditioner among the three agents used.

Mechanism of action of pefloxacin on surface morphology, DNA ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

work-group

2011-11-16

Nov 16, 2011 ... Morphological alterations on the cell surface of the K. aerogenes was shown by scanning electron microscopy ... against Gram-negative bacteria involved in UTI, the ..... chromosome: possibility of two levels of action. Proc.

Nanocrystalline-grained tungsten prepared by surface mechanical attrition treatment: Microstructure and mechanical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Hong-Yan; Xia, Min; Wu, Zheng-Tao; Chan, Lap-Chung; Dai, Yong; Wang, Kun; Yan, Qing-Zhi; He, Man-Chao; Ge, Chang-Chun; Lu, Jian

2016-01-01

A nanostructured surface layer was fabricated on commercial pure tungsten using the method of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). The microstructure evolution of the surface layer was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and its formation mechanism was discussed as well. Both refinement and elongation of the brittle W grains were confirmed. The elongated SMATed W was heavily strained, the maximum value of the strain at the grain boundaries reaches as high as 3–5%. Dislocation density in the SMATed W nanograins was found to be 5 × 10 12  cm −2 . The formation of the nanograins in the top surface layer of the W was ascribed to the extremely high strain and strain rate, as well as the multidirectional repetitive loading. Bending strength of commercial W could be improved from 825 MPa to 1850 MPa by SMAT process. Microhardness results indicated the strain range in SMATed W can reach up to 220 μm beneath the top surface. The notched Charpy testing results demonstrated that SMATed W possess higher ductility than that of commercial W. The top surface of the W plates with and without SMATe processing possesses residual compressive stress of about −881 MPa and −234 MPa in y direction, and −872 MPa and −879 MPa in x direction respectively. The improvement of toughness (DBTT shift) of SMATed W may be the synergistic effect of residual compressive stress, dislocation density improvement and microstructure refinement induced by SMAT processing. SMAT processing could be a complementary method to further decrease the DBTT value of tungsten based materials.

Nanocrystalline-grained tungsten prepared by surface mechanical attrition treatment: Microstructure and mechanical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Hong-Yan [State Key Laboratory for GeoMechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083 (China); Institute of Nuclear Materials, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tae Chee Avenue Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077 (China); Xia, Min, E-mail: xmdsg@ustb.edu.cn [Institute of Nuclear Materials, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Wu, Zheng-Tao [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Chan, Lap-Chung [Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tae Chee Avenue Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077 (China); Dai, Yong; Wang, Kun [Laboratory for Nuclear Materials, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5323 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Yan, Qing-Zhi [Institute of Nuclear Materials, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); He, Man-Chao [State Key Laboratory for GeoMechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083 (China); Ge, Chang-Chun, E-mail: ccge@mater.ustb.edu.cn [Institute of Nuclear Materials, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Lu, Jian, E-mail: jianlu@cityu.edu.hk [Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tae Chee Avenue Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077 (China)

2016-11-15

A nanostructured surface layer was fabricated on commercial pure tungsten using the method of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). The microstructure evolution of the surface layer was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and its formation mechanism was discussed as well. Both refinement and elongation of the brittle W grains were confirmed. The elongated SMATed W was heavily strained, the maximum value of the strain at the grain boundaries reaches as high as 3–5%. Dislocation density in the SMATed W nanograins was found to be 5 × 10{sup 12} cm{sup −2}. The formation of the nanograins in the top surface layer of the W was ascribed to the extremely high strain and strain rate, as well as the multidirectional repetitive loading. Bending strength of commercial W could be improved from 825 MPa to 1850 MPa by SMAT process. Microhardness results indicated the strain range in SMATed W can reach up to 220 μm beneath the top surface. The notched Charpy testing results demonstrated that SMATed W possess higher ductility than that of commercial W. The top surface of the W plates with and without SMATe processing possesses residual compressive stress of about −881 MPa and −234 MPa in y direction, and −872 MPa and −879 MPa in x direction respectively. The improvement of toughness (DBTT shift) of SMATed W may be the synergistic effect of residual compressive stress, dislocation density improvement and microstructure refinement induced by SMAT processing. SMAT processing could be a complementary method to further decrease the DBTT value of tungsten based materials.

Surface-structure dependence of healing radiation-damage mechanism in nanoporous tungsten

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Guohua; Li, Xiangyan; Sun, Jingjing; Hao, Congyu; Xu, Yichun; Zhang, Yange; Liu, Wei; Liu, C. S.

2018-01-01

Under nuclear fusion environments, displacement damage in tungsten (W) is usually caused by neutrons irradiation through producing large quantities of vacancies (Vs) and self-interstitial atoms (SIAs). These defects not only affect the mechanical properties of W, but also act as the trap sites for implanted hydrogen isotopes and helium. Nano-porous (NP) W with a high fraction of free surfaces has been developed to mitigate the radiation damage. However, the mechanism of the surface reducing defects accumulation is not well understood. By using multi-scale simulation methods, we investigated the interaction of the SIA and V with different surfaces on across length and time scales. We found that, at a typical operation temperature of 1000 K, surface (1 1 0) preferentially heals radiation damage of W compared with surface (1 0 0) and boundary (3 1 0). On surface (1 1 0), the diffusion barrier for the SIA is only 0.68 eV. The annihilation of the SIA-V happens via the coupled motion of the V segregation towards the surface from the bulk and the two-dimensional diffusion of the SIA on the surface. Such mechanism makes the surface (1 1 0) owe better healing capability. On surface (1 0 0), the diffusion energy barrier for the SIA is 2.48 eV, higher than the diffusion energy barrier of the V in bulk. The annihilation of the SIA-V occurs via the V segregation and recombination. The SIA was found to migrate one-dimensionally along a boundary (3 1 0) with a barrier of 0.21 eV, leading to a lower healing efficiency in the boundary. This study suggested that the on-surface process plays an important role in healing radiation damage of NP W in addition to surface-enhanced diffusion and annihilation near the surface. A certain surface structure renders nano-structured W more radiation-tolerant.

Photoelectrochemical etching of gallium nitride surface by complexation dissolution mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Miao-Rong [Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 215123 Suzhou (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing (China); Hou, Fei; Wang, Zu-Gang; Zhang, Shao-Hui [Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 215123 Suzhou (China); Changchun University of Science and Technology, 130022 Changchun (China); Pan, Ge-Bo, E-mail: gbpan2008@sinano.ac.cn [Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 215123 Suzhou (China)

2017-07-15

Graphical abstract: GaN surface was etched by 0.3 M EDTA-2Na. The proposed complexation dissolution mechanism can be applicable to almost all neutral etchants under the prerequisite of strong light and electric field. - Highlights: • GaN surface was etched by EDTA-2Na. • GaN may be dissolved into EDTA-2Na by forming Ga–EDTA complex. • We propose the complexation dissolution mechanism for the first time. - Abstract: Gallium nitride (GaN) surface was etched by 0.3 M ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid disodium (EDTA-2Na) via photoelectrochemical etching technique. SEM images reveal the etched GaN surface becomes rough and irregular. The pore density is up to 1.9 × 10{sup 9} per square centimeter after simple acid post-treatment. The difference of XPS spectra of Ga 3d, N 1s and O 1s between the non-etched and freshly etched GaN surfaces can be attributed to the formation of Ga–EDTA complex at the etching interface between GaN and EDTA-2Na. The proposed complexation dissolution mechanism can be broadly applicable to almost all neutral etchants under the prerequisite of strong light and electric field. From the point of view of environment, safety and energy, EDTA-2Na has obvious advantages over conventionally corrosive etchants. Moreover, as the further and deeper study of such nearly neutral etchants, GaN etching technology has better application prospect in photoelectric micro-device fabrication.

Reaction mechanisms for on-surface synthesis of covalent nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Björk, J

2016-01-01

In recent years, on-surface synthesis has become an increasingly popular strategy to form covalent nanostructures. The approach has great prospects for facilitating the manufacture of a range of fascinating materials with atomic precision. However, the on-surface reactions are enigmatic to control, currently restricting its bright perspectives and there is a great need to explore how the reactions are governed. The objective of this topical review is to summarize theoretical work that has focused on comprehending on-surface synthesis protocols through studies of reaction mechanisms. (topical review)

Continuum damage mechanics method for fatigue growth of surface cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Xiqiao; He Shuyan

1997-01-01

With the background of leak-before-break (LBB) analysis of pressurized vessels and pipes in nuclear plants, the fatigue growth problem of either circumferential or longitudinal semi-elliptical surface cracks subjected to cyclic loading is studied by using a continuum damage mechanics method. The fatigue damage is described by a scalar damage variable. From the damage evolution equation at the crack tip, a crack growth equation similar to famous Paris' formula is derived, which shows the physical meaning of Paris' formula. Thereby, a continuum damage mechanics approach is developed to analyze the configuration evolution of surface cracks during fatigue growth

Influence of surface properties on the mechanism of H2S removal by alkaline activated carbons.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Rong; Chin, Terence; Ng, Yuen Ling; Duan, Huiqi; Liang, David Tee; Tay, Joo Hwa

2004-01-01

Alkaline activated carbons are widely used as adsorbents of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), one of the major odorous compounds arising from sewage treatment facilities. Although a number of studies have explored the effects of various parameters, mechanisms of H2S adsorption by alkaline carbons are not yet fully understood. The major difficulty seems to lie in the fact that little is known with certainty about the predominant reactions occurring on the carbon surface. In this study, the surface properties of alkaline activated carbons were systematically investigated to further exploit and better understand the mechanisms of H2S adsorption by alkaline activated carbons. Two commercially available alkaline activated carbons and their representative exhausted samples (8 samples collected at different height of the column after H2S breakthrough tests) were studied. The 8 portions of the exhausted carbon were used to represent the H2S/carbon reaction process. The surface properties of both the original and the exhausted carbons were characterized using the sorption of nitrogen (BET test), surface pH, Boehm titration, thermal and FTIR analysis. Porosity and surface area provide detailed information about the pore structure of the exhausted carbons with respect to the reaction extent facilitating the understanding of potential pore blockages. Results of Boehm titration and FTIR both demonstrate the significant effects of surface functional groups, and identification of oxidation products confirmed the different mechanisms involved with the two carbons. From the DTG curves of thermal analysis, two well-defined peaks representing two products of surface reactions (i.e., sulfur and sulfuric acid) were observed from the 8 exhausted portions with gradually changing patterns coinciding with the extent of the reaction. Surface pH values of the exhausted carbons show a clear trend of pH drop along the reaction extent, while pH around 2 was observed for the bottom of the bed indicating

Tuning Acoustic Wave Properties by Mechanical Resonators on a Surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dühring, Maria Bayard; Laude, Vincent; Khelif, Abdelkrim

Vibrations generated by high aspects ratio electrodes are studied by the finite element method. It is found that the modes are combined of a surface wave and vibration in the electrodes. For increasing aspect ratio most of the mechanical energy is confined to the electrodes which act as mechanical...

Mechanism of glucose electrochemical oxidation on gold surface

KAUST Repository

Pasta, Mauro; La Mantia, Fabio; Cui, Yi

2010-01-01

The complex oxidation of glucose at the surface of gold electrodes was studied in detail in different conditions of pH, buffer and halide concentration. As observed in previous studies, an oxidative current peak occurs during the cathodic sweep showing a highly linear dependence on glucose concentration, when other electrolyte conditions are unchanged. The effect of the different conditions on the intensity of this peak has stressed the limitations of the previously proposed mechanisms. A mechanism able to explain the presence of this oxidative peak was proposed. The mechanism takes into account ion-sorption and electrochemical adsorption of OH-, buffer species (K2HPO4/KH2PO4) and halides. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanism of glucose electrochemical oxidation on gold surface

KAUST Repository

Pasta, Mauro

2010-08-01

The complex oxidation of glucose at the surface of gold electrodes was studied in detail in different conditions of pH, buffer and halide concentration. As observed in previous studies, an oxidative current peak occurs during the cathodic sweep showing a highly linear dependence on glucose concentration, when other electrolyte conditions are unchanged. The effect of the different conditions on the intensity of this peak has stressed the limitations of the previously proposed mechanisms. A mechanism able to explain the presence of this oxidative peak was proposed. The mechanism takes into account ion-sorption and electrochemical adsorption of OH-, buffer species (K2HPO4/KH2PO4) and halides. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Kinetics and mechanism of heterogeneous oxidation of sulfur dioxide by ozone on surface of calcium carbonate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Li

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Sulfate particles play a key role in the air quality and the global climate, but the heterogeneous formation mechanism of sulfates on surfaces of atmospheric particles is not well established. Carbonates, which act as a reactive component in mineral dust due to their special chemical properties, may contribute significantly to the sulfate formation by heterogeneous processes. This paper presents a study on the oxidation of SO2 by O3 on CaCO3 particles. Using Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS, the formation of sulfite and sulfate on the surface was identified, and the roles of O3 and water in oxidation processes were determined. The results showed that in the presence of O3, SO2can be oxidized to sulfate on the surface of CaCO3 particles. The reaction is first order in SO2 and zero order in O3. The reactive uptake coefficient for SO2 [(0.6–9.8×1014 molecule cm-3] oxidation by O3 [(1.2–12×1014 molecule cm-3] was determined to be (1.4±0.3×10-7 using the BET area as the reactive area and (7.7±1.6×10-4 using the geometric area. A two-stage mechanism that involves adsorption of SO2 followed by O3 oxidation is proposed and the adsorption of SO2 on the CaCO3 surface is the rate-determining step. The proposed mechanism can well explain the experiment results. The atmospheric implications were explored based on a box model calculation. It was found that the heterogeneous reaction might be an important pathway for sulfate formation in the atmosphere.

Surface effects in solid mechanics models, simulations and applications

CERN Document Server

Altenbach, Holm

2013-01-01

This book reviews current understanding, and future trends, of surface effects in solid mechanics. Covers elasticity, plasticity and viscoelasticity, modeling based on continuum theories and molecular modeling and applications of different modeling approaches.

Microtubule array reorientation in response to hormones does not involve changes in microtubule nucleation modes at the periclinal cell surface

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, Samantha; Kirik, Angela; Kirik, Viktor

2014-01-01

Aligned microtubule arrays spatially organize cell division, trafficking, and determine the direction of cell expansion in plant cells. In response to changes in environmental and developmental signals, cells reorganize their microtubule arrays into new configurations. Here, we tested the role of microtubule nucleation during hormone-induced microtubule array reorientation. We have found that in the process of microtubule array reorientation the ratios between branching, parallel, and de-novo nucleations remained constant, suggesting that the microtubule reorientation mechanism does not involve changes in nucleation modes. In the ton2/fass mutant, which has reduced microtubule branching nucleation frequency and decreased nucleation activity of the γ-tubulin complexes, microtubule arrays were able to reorient. Presented data suggest that reorientation of microtubules into transverse arrays in response to hormones does not involve changes in microtubule nucleation at the periclinal cell surface PMID:25135522

Negative feedback mechanism for the long-term stabilization of earth's surface temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, J.C.G.; Hays, P.B.; Kasting, J.F.

1981-01-01

We suggest that the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is buffered, over geological time scales, by a negative feedback mechanism in which the rate of weathering of silicate minerals (followed by deposition of carbonate minerals) depends on surface temperature, and surface temperature, in turn, depends on carbon dioxide partial pressure through the green effect. Although the quantitative details of this mechanism are speculative, it appears able partially to stabilize earth's surface temperature against the steady increase of solar luminosity believed to have occured since the origin of the solar system

Adsorption mechanism of BMP-7 on hydroxyapatite (001) surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Hailong; Wu, Tao; Dong, Xiuli; Wang, Qi; Shen, Jiawei

2007-01-01

Many properties and functions of bone-related proteins perform through the interface with the hydroxyapatite. However, the mechanism of difference of proteins adsorbing behaviors caused by the variation of calcium and phosphate ions on hydroxyapatite is still unclear at atomic level. In this work, we investigated the site-selective adhesion and the adsorption mechanism of protein BMP-7 to the hydroxyapatite surfaces in aqueous media during adsorption and desorption processes. Molecular dynamics (MD) and steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations combined with trajectory analysis were employed to give insight into the underlying behaviors of BMP-7 binding. The results suggest that the adsorption sites could be divided into two categories: COO - and NH 2 /NH3+. For COO - , the adsorption phenomenon is driven by the electrostatic interaction formed between the negative charged carboxylate groups and the Ca1 cations on the hydroxyapatite surface. While for NH 2 /NH3+, the interaction is through the intermolecular H-bonds between the N-containing groups and the phosphate on the hydroxyapatite surface

Neurobiological mechanisms involved in sleep bruxism.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavigne, G J; Kato, T; Kolta, A; Sessle, B J

2003-01-01

Sleep bruxism (SB) is reported by 8% of the adult population and is mainly associated with rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA) characterized by repetitive jaw muscle contractions (3 bursts or more at a frequency of 1 Hz). The consequences of SB may include tooth destruction, jaw pain, headaches, or the limitation of mandibular movement, as well as tooth-grinding sounds that disrupt the sleep of bed partners. SB is probably an extreme manifestation of a masticatory muscle activity occurring during the sleep of most normal subjects, since RMMA is observed in 60% of normal sleepers in the absence of grinding sounds. The pathophysiology of SB is becoming clearer, and there is an abundance of evidence outlining the neurophysiology and neurochemistry of rhythmic jaw movements (RJM) in relation to chewing, swallowing, and breathing. The sleep literature provides much evidence describing the mechanisms involved in the reduction of muscle tone, from sleep onset to the atonia that characterizes rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Several brainstem structures (e.g., reticular pontis oralis, pontis caudalis, parvocellularis) and neurochemicals (e.g., serotonin, dopamine, gamma aminobutyric acid [GABA], noradrenaline) are involved in both the genesis of RJM and the modulation of muscle tone during sleep. It remains unknown why a high percentage of normal subjects present RMMA during sleep and why this activity is three times more frequent and higher in amplitude in SB patients. It is also unclear why RMMA during sleep is characterized by co-activation of both jaw-opening and jaw-closing muscles instead of the alternating jaw-opening and jaw-closing muscle activity pattern typical of chewing. The final section of this review proposes that RMMA during sleep has a role in lubricating the upper alimentary tract and increasing airway patency. The review concludes with an outline of questions for future research.

Surface-modified polymeric pads for enhanced performance during chemical mechanical planarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deshpande, S.; Dakshinamurthy, S.; Kuiry, S.C.; Vaidyanathan, R.; Obeng, Y.S.; Seal, S.

2005-01-01

The chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process occurs at an atomic level at the slurry/wafer interface and hence slurries and polishing pads play a critical role in their successful implementation. Polyurethane is a commonly used polymer in the manufacturing of CMP pads. These pads are incompatible with some chemicals present in the CMP slurries, such as hydrogen peroxide. To overcome these problems, Psiloquest has developed new Application Specific Pads (ASP). Surface of such pads has been modified by depositing a thin film of tetraethyl orthosilicate using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. In the present study, mechanical properties of such coated pads have been investigated using nanoindentation. The surface morphology and the chemistry of the ASP were studied using scanning electron microcopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. It was observed that mechanical and chemical properties of the pad top surface are a function of the PECVD coating time. Such PECVD-treated pads are found to be hydrophilic and do not require storage in aqueous media during the not-in-use period. The metal removal rate using such surface-modified polishing pads was found to increase linearly with the PECVD coating time

Surface/subsurface observation and removal mechanisms of ground reaction bonded silicon carbide

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Wang; Zhang, Yu-Min; Han, Jie-cai; Zhang, Yun-long; Zhang, Jian-han; Zhou, Yu-feng; Han, Yuan-yuan

2006-01-01

Reaction Bonded Silicon Carbide (RBSiC) has long been recognized as a promising material for optical applications because of its unique combination of favorable properties and low-cost fabrication. Grinding of silicon carbide is difficult because of its high hardness and brittleness. Grinding often induces surface and subsurface damage, residual stress and other types of damage, which have great influence on the ceramic components for optical application. In this paper, surface integrity, subsurface damage and material removal mechanisms of RBSiC ground using diamond grinding wheel on creep-feed surface grinding machine are investigated. The surface and subsurface are studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy. The effects of grinding conditions on surface and subsurface damage are discussed. This research links the surface roughness, surface and subsurface cracks to grinding parameters and provides valuable insights into the material removal mechanism and the dependence of grind induced damage on grinding conditions.

Contact mechanics for layered materials with randomly rough surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Persson, B N J

2012-03-07

The contact mechanics model of Persson is applied to layered materials. We calculate the M function, which relates the surface stress to the surface displacement, for a layered material, where the top layer (thickness d) has different elastic properties than the semi-infinite solid below. Numerical results for the contact area as a function of the magnification are presented for several cases. As an application, we calculate the fluid leak rate for laminated rubber seals.

Mechanical stress-controlled tunable active frequency-selective surface

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Bo-Cin; Hong, Jian-Wei; Lo, Cheng-Yao

2017-01-01

This study proposes a tunable active frequency-selective surface (AFSS) realized by mechanically expanding or contracting a split-ring resonator (SRR) array. The proposed AFSS transfers mechanical stress from its elastic substrate to the top of the SRR, thereby achieving electromagnetic (EM) modulation without the need for an additional external power supply, meeting the requirements for the target application: the invisibility cloak. The operating mechanism of the proposed AFSS differs from those of other AFSSs, supporting modulations in arbitrary frequencies in the target range. The proposed stress-controlled or strain-induced EM modulation proves the existence of an identical and linear relationship between the strain gradient and the frequency shift, implying its suitability for other EM modulation ranges and applications.

Decomposition mechanism of formic acid on Cu (111) surface: A theoretical study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Zhao, E-mail: jiangzhao@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Qin, Pei; Fang, Tao

2017-02-28

Highlights: • Adsorption and decomposition mechanism of HCOOH on Cu (111) were investigated using DFT calculations. • The stable co-adsorption configurations of related intermediates were identified. • Five dissociation pathways of HCOOH via initial H−O, C−H and C−O bond scissions were considered and analyzed. - Abstract: The study of formic acid decomposition on transition metal surfaces is important to obtain useful information for vapor phase catalysis involving HCOOH and for the development of direct formic acid fuel cells. In this study, periodic density functional theory calculations have been employed to investigate the dissociation pathways of HCOOH on Cu (111) surface. About adsorption, it is found that the adsorption of HCOO, COOH, HCO, CO, OH and H on Cu (111) are considered chemisorption, whereas HCOOH, CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O and H{sub 2} have the weak interaction with Cu (111) surface. Furthermore, the minimum energy pathways are analyzed for the decomposition of HCOOH to CO{sub 2} and CO through the scission of H−O, C−H and C−O bonds. It is found that HCOOH, HCOO and COOH prefer to dissociate in the related reactions rather than desorb. For the decomposition, it is indicated that HCO and COOH are the main dissociated intermediates of trans-HCOOH, CO{sub 2} is the main dissociated intermediates of bidentate-HCOO, and CO is the main dissociated product of cis-COOH. The co-adsorbed H atom is beneficial for the formation of CO{sub 2} from cis-COOH. Besides, it is found that the most favorable path for HCOOH decomposition on Cu (111) surface is HCOOH-HCO-CO (Path 5), where the step of CO formation from HCO dehydrogenation is considered to be the rate-determining step. The results also show that CO is preferentially formed as the dominant product of HCOOH on Cu (111) surface.

Experimental Assessment of Mechanical Night Ventilation on Inner Wall Surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ji, Wenhui; Heiselberg, Per Kvols; Wang, Houhua

2016-01-01

The cooling potential of night ventilation largely depends on the heat exchange at the internal room surfaces. During night time, increased heat transfer on a vertical wall is expected due to cool supply air that flows along the internal wall surface from the top of the wall. This paper presents ...... an experimental study of the cooling of wall surfaces in a test room by mechanical night-time ventilation. Significant improvement of indoor thermal environment is presented resulting from the enhanced internal convection heat transfer....

Mechanical Balance Laws for Boussinesq Models of Surface Water Waves

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Alfatih; Kalisch, Henrik

2012-06-01

Depth-integrated long-wave models, such as the shallow-water and Boussinesq equations, are standard fare in the study of small amplitude surface waves in shallow water. While the shallow-water theory features conservation of mass, momentum and energy for smooth solutions, mechanical balance equations are not widely used in Boussinesq scaling, and it appears that the expressions for many of these quantities are not known. This work presents a systematic derivation of mass, momentum and energy densities and fluxes associated with a general family of Boussinesq systems. The derivation is based on a reconstruction of the velocity field and the pressure in the fluid column below the free surface, and the derivation of differential balance equations which are of the same asymptotic validity as the evolution equations. It is shown that all these mechanical quantities can be expressed in terms of the principal dependent variables of the Boussinesq system: the surface excursion η and the horizontal velocity w at a given level in the fluid.

Plastic deformation to enhance plasma-assisted nitriding: On surface contamination induced by Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samih, Youssef; Novelli, Marc; Bolle, Bernard; Allain, Nathalie; Fundenberger, Jean-Jacques; Marcos, Grégory; Czerwiec, Thierry; Grosdidier, Thierry; Thiriet, Tony

2014-01-01

The Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment is a recent technique leading to the formation of nanostructured layers by the repeated action of impacting balls. While several communications have revealed possible contamination of the SMATed surfaces, the nature of this surface contamination was analyzed in the present contribution for the treatment of an AISI 316L stainless steel. It is shown, by a combination of Transmission Electron Microscopy and Glow Discharge – Optical Emission Spectrometry, that the surface was alloyed with Ti, Al and V coming from the sonotrode that is used to move the balls as well as Zr coming from the zirshot® balls themselves

Plastic deformation to enhance plasma-assisted nitriding: On surface contamination induced by Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Samih, Youssef; Novelli, Marc; Thiriet, Tony; Bolle, Bernard; Allain, Nathalie; Fundenberger, Jean-Jacques; Marcos, Grégory; Czerwiec, Thierry; Grosdidier, Thierry

2014-08-01

The Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment is a recent technique leading to the formation of nanostructured layers by the repeated action of impacting balls. While several communications have revealed possible contamination of the SMATed surfaces, the nature of this surface contamination was analyzed in the present contribution for the treatment of an AISI 316L stainless steel. It is shown, by a combination of Transmission Electron Microscopy and Glow Discharge - Optical Emission Spectrometry, that the surface was alloyed with Ti, Al and V coming from the sonotrode that is used to move the balls as well as Zr coming from the zirshot® balls themselves.

Characterization of surface charge and mechanical properties of chitosan/alginate based biomaterials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verma, Devendra; Desai, Malav S.; Kulkarni, Namrata; Langrana, Noshir

2011-01-01

This study aims to examine mechanical properties and surface charge characteristics of chitosan/alginate-based films for biomedical applications. By varying the concentrations of chitosan and alginate, we have developed films with varying surface charge densities and mechanical characteristics. The surface charge densities of these films were determined by applying an analytical model on force curves derived from an atomic force microscope (AFM). The average surface charge densities of films containing 60% chitosan and 80% chitosan were found to be - 0.46 mC/m 2 and - 0.32 mC/m 2 , respectively. The surface charge density of 90% chitosan containing films was found to be neutral. The elastic moduli and the water content were found to be decreasing with increasing chitosan concentration. The films with 60%, 80% and 90% chitosan gained 93.5 ± 6.6%, 217.1 ± 22.1% and 396.8 ± 67.5% of their initial weight, respectively. Their elastic moduli were found to be 2.6 ± 0.14 MPa, 1.9 ± 0.27 MPa and 0.93 ± 0.12 MPa, respectively. The trend observed in the mechanical response of these films has been attributed to the combined effect of the concentration of polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) and the amount of water absorbed. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy experiments indicate the presence of higher alginate on the surface of the films compared to the bulk in all films. The presence of higher alginate on surface is consistent with negative surface charge densities of these films, determined from AFM experiments. Highlights: → Chitosan/alginate based fibrous polyelectrolyte complex films were developed. → The average surface charge density of the films was determined using AFM. → Elastic modulus of the films increased with increase in PEC content. → FTIR analysis indicated higher alginate content on surface compared to bulk.

A novel mechanism of hippocampal LTD involving muscarinic receptor-triggered interactions between AMPARs, GRIP and liprin-α

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dickinson Bryony A

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Long-term depression (LTD in the hippocampus can be induced by activation of different types of G-protein coupled receptors, in particular metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs and muscarinic acethycholine receptors (mAChRs. Since mGluRs and mAChRs activate the same G-proteins and isoforms of phospholipase C (PLC, it would be expected that these two forms of LTD utilise the same molecular mechanisms. However, we find a distinct mechanism of LTD involving GRIP and liprin-α. Results Whilst both forms of LTD require activation of tyrosine phosphatases and involve internalisation of AMPARs, they use different molecular interactions. Specifically, mAChR-LTD, but not mGluR-LTD, is blocked by peptides that inhibit the binding of GRIP to the AMPA receptor subunit GluA2 and the binding of GRIP to liprin-α. Thus, different receptors that utilise the same G-proteins can regulate AMPAR trafficking and synaptic efficacy via distinct molecular mechanisms. Conclusion Our results suggest that mAChR-LTD selectively involves interactions between GRIP and liprin-α. These data indicate a novel mechanism of synaptic plasticity in which activation of M1 receptors results in AMPAR endocytosis, via a mechanism involving interactions between GluA2, GRIP and liprin-α.

Mechanism of oxidative stress involved in the toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles against eukaryotic cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Saliani

2016-01-01

Full Text Available ZnO NPs (zinc oxide nanoparticles has generated significant scientific interest as a novel antibacterial and anticancer agent. Since oxidative stress is a critical determinant of ZnO NPs-induced damage, it is necessary to characterize their underlying mode of action. Different structural and physicochemical properties of ZnO NPs such as particle surface, size, shape, crystal structure, chemical position, and presence of metals can lead to changes in biological activities including ROS (reactive oxygen species production. However, there are some inconsistencies in the literature on the relation between the physicochemical features of ZnO NPs and their plausible oxidative stress mechanism. Herein, the possible oxidative stress mechanism of ZnO NPs was reviewed. This is worthy of further detailed evaluations in order to improve our understanding of vital NPs characteristics governing their toxicity. Therefore, this study focuses on the different reported oxidative stress paradigms induced by ZnO NPs including ROS generated by NPs, oxidative stress due to the NPs-cell interaction, and role of the particle dissolution in the oxidative damage. Also, this study tries to characterize and understand the multiple pathways involved in oxidative stress induced by ZnO NPs. Knowledge about different cellular signaling cascades stimulated by ZnO NPs lead to the better interpretation of the toxic influences induced by the cellular and acellular parameters. Regarding the potential benefits of toxic effects of ZnO NPs, in-depth evaluation of their toxicity mechanism and various effects of these nanoparticles would facilitate their implementation for biomedical applications.

Effect of electropulsing on surface mechanical properties and microstructure of AISI 304 stainless steel during ultrasonic surface rolling process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Haibo [Advanced Materials Institute, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Song, Guolin [Advanced Materials Institute, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Tang, Guoyi, E-mail: tanggy@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn [Advanced Materials Institute, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2016-04-26

The present work integrates 3D digital optical microscopy (OM), nano-indentation, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to systematically investigate the effect of electropulsing on the surface mechanical properties and microstructure of AISI 304 stainless steel during the ultrasonic surface rolling process (USRP). Compared with the original USRP, the introduction of electropulsing with optimal parameters can effectively facilitate surface crack healing and improve surface hardness and wear resistance dramatically, and the residual compressive stress is further enhanced. Meanwhile, more martensite phase and fewer deformation twins can be found in the strengthened layer. Rapid improvement of the surface mechanical properties should be attributed to the ultra-refined grains, accelerated martensitic phase transformation and suppressed deformation twining induced by the coupling effect of USRP and electropulsing. The high strain rate given by USRP, increased stacking fault energy and accelerated dislocation mobility caused by electropulsing are likely the primary intrinsic reasons for the observed phenomena.

Drug-drug interactions involving lysosomes: mechanisms and potential clinical implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Logan, Randall; Funk, Ryan S; Axcell, Erick; Krise, Jeffrey P

2012-08-01

Many commercially available, weakly basic drugs have been shown to be lysosomotropic, meaning they are subject to extensive sequestration in lysosomes through an ion trapping-type mechanism. The extent of lysosomal trapping of a drug is an important therapeutic consideration because it can influence both activity and pharmacokinetic disposition. The administration of certain drugs can alter lysosomes such that their accumulation capacity for co-administered and/or secondarily administered drugs is altered. In this review the authors explore what is known regarding the mechanistic basis for drug-drug interactions involving lysosomes. Specifically, the authors address the influence of drugs on lysosomal pH, volume and lipid processing. Many drugs are known to extensively accumulate in lysosomes and significantly alter their structure and function; however, the therapeutic and toxicological implications of this remain controversial. The authors propose that drug-drug interactions involving lysosomes represent an important potential source of variability in drug activity and pharmacokinetics. Most evaluations of drug-drug interactions involving lysosomes have been performed in cultured cells and isolated tissues. More comprehensive in vivo evaluations are needed to fully explore the impact of this drug-drug interaction pathway on therapeutic outcomes.

Study of the sulfur mechanism on the formation of coke deposition on iron surfaces; Etude des mecanismes d'action du soufre sur le cokage catalytique du fer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bonnet, F.

2001-12-01

The formation of coke deposition which occurs in a range of temperature 500 deg C-650 deg C is a major problem in many chemical and petrochemical processes where hydrocarbons or other strongly carburizing atmospheres are involved. To reduce the rate of coke deposition, sulfur can be added in the gas phase. The topic of this work is to study the sulfur mechanism on the formation of coke deposition on iron surfaces. Firstly, we study the mechanism of graphitic filament formation on reduced and oxidised iron surfaces. A new mechanism of catalytic particle formation is proposed when the surface is initially oxidised. This mechanism is based on thermodynamic, kinetic and structural considerations. The results show that oxide/carbide transitions are involved in the transformation of the oxide layer in catalytic particles. Although the different iron oxides are precursors for the formation of catalytic particles, wustite (FeO) has a better reactivity than magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}) and hematite (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}). Sulfur acts on different steps of the coke formation, preventing phase transformations (carburation, graphitization) which occur during the formation of catalytic particles. Sulfur activity required to prevent these transformations changes with the temperature, the chemical state of iron (reduced or oxidised) and the carbon activity in the gas phase. Sulfur/ethylene co-adsorption studies were performed on mono-crystal of iron (110). The results show that sulfur can prevent adsorption and decomposition of this hydrocarbon on metallic surface (Fe) and on magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}). Then, sulfur prevents the reaction leading to the carburation and graphitization of the surface. (author)

Quantum-Mechanical Calculations on Molecular Substructures Involved in Nanosystems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beata Szefler

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In this review article, four ideas are discussed: (a aromaticity of fullerenes patched with flowers of 6-and 8-membered rings, optimized at the HF and DFT levels of theory, in terms of HOMA and NICS criteria; (b polybenzene networks, from construction to energetic and vibrational spectra computations; (c quantum-mechanical calculations on the repeat units of various P-type crystal networks and (d construction and stability evaluation, at DFTB level of theory, of some exotic allotropes of diamond D5, involved in hyper-graphenes. The overall conclusion was that several of the yet hypothetical molecular nanostructures herein described are serious candidates to the status of real molecules.

Routing the asteroid surface vehicle with detailed mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yang; Baoyin, He-Xi

2014-06-01

The motion of a surface vehicle on/above an irregular object is investigated for a potential interest in the insitu explorations to asteroids of the solar system. A global valid numeric method, including detailed gravity and geomorphology, is developed to mimic the behaviors of the test particles governed by the orbital equations and surface coupling effects. A general discussion on the surface mechanical environment of a specified asteroid, 1620 Geographos, is presented to make a global evaluation of the surface vehicle's working conditions. We show the connections between the natural trajectories near the ground and differential features of the asteroid surface, which describes both the good and bad of typical terrains from the viewpoint of vehicles' dynamic performances. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to take a further look at the trajectories of particles initializing near the surface. The simulations reveal consistent conclusions with the analysis, i.e., the open-field flat ground and slightly concave basins/valleys are the best choices for the vehicles' dynamical security. The dependence of decending trajectories on the releasing height is studied as an application; the results show that the pole direction (where the centrifugal force is zero) is the most stable direction in which the shift of a natural trajectory will be well limited after landing. We present this work as an example for pre-analysis that provides guidance to engineering design of the exploration site and routing the surface vehicles.

On two possible mechanisms of metallic island remotion from solid surface at heavy multicharged ion irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vorob'eva, I.V.; Geguzin, Ya.E.; Monastyrenko, V.E.

1986-01-01

Two mechanisms of energy transfer from a moving ion to a metallic island film on a solid surface are described. A particular case when the energy transfer quantity is enough to remove an island from the solid surface breaking adhesion bond is considered. One mechanism is 'shaking off', another one is a 'jumping up' mechanism. The essence of the first mechanism is that an ion bombarding the surface excites a cylindrical shock wave with a front that can 'shake off' islands from the solid surface along the ion trajectory when it reaches the surface. An island is heated in pulsed mode, and during thermal expansion it should push off the substrate, and so it jumps up. The pure case of such mechanism is observed when an ion transverses an island and transfers energy to the latter one that is defined by the quantity of ion energy losses in the island

Sub-discretized surface model with application to contact mechanics in multi-body simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, S; Williams, J

2008-02-28

The mechanics of contact between rough and imperfectly spherical adhesive powder grains are often complicated by a variety of factors, including several which vary over sub-grain length scales. These include several traction factors that vary spatially over the surface of the individual grains, including high energy electron and acceptor sites (electrostatic), hydrophobic and hydrophilic sites (electrostatic and capillary), surface energy (general adhesion), geometry (van der Waals and mechanical), and elasto-plastic deformation (mechanical). For mechanical deformation and reaction, coupled motions, such as twisting with bending and sliding, as well as surface roughness add an asymmetry to the contact force which invalidates assumptions for popular models of contact, such as the Hertzian and its derivatives, for the non-adhesive case, and the JKR and DMT models for adhesive contacts. Though several contact laws have been offered to ameliorate these drawbacks, they are often constrained to particular loading paths (most often normal loading) and are relatively complicated for computational implementation. This paper offers a simple and general computational method for augmenting contact law predictions in multi-body simulations through characterization of the contact surfaces using a hierarchically-defined surface sub-discretization. For the case of adhesive contact between powder grains in low stress regimes, this technique can allow a variety of existing contact laws to be resolved across scales, allowing for moments and torques about the contact area as well as normal and tangential tractions to be resolved. This is especially useful for multi-body simulation applications where the modeler desires statistical distributions and calibration for parameters in contact laws commonly used for resolving near-surface contact mechanics. The approach is verified against analytical results for the case of rough, elastic spheres.

Surface effects on the mechanical properties of nanoporous materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Re; Li Xide; Feng Xiqiao; Qin Qinghua; Liu Jianlin

2011-01-01

Using the theory of surface elasticity, we investigate the mechanical properties of nanoporous materials. The classical theory of porous materials is modified to account for surface effects, which become increasingly important as the characteristic sizes of microstructures shrink to nanometers. First, a refined Timoshenko beam model is presented to predict the effective elastic modulus of nanoporous materials. Then the surface effects on the elastic microstructural buckling behavior of nanoporous materials are examined. In particular, nanoporous gold is taken as an example to illustrate the application of the proposed model. The results reveal that both the elastic modulus and the critical buckling behavior of nanoporous materials exhibit a distinct dependence on the characteristic sizes of microstructures, e.g. the average ligament width.

Surface effects on the mechanical properties of nanoporous materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xia Re [School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Li Xide; Feng Xiqiao [AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Qin Qinghua [School of Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 (Australia); Liu Jianlin, E-mail: fengxq@tsinghua.edu.cn [Department of Engineering Mechanics, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266555 (China)

2011-07-01

Using the theory of surface elasticity, we investigate the mechanical properties of nanoporous materials. The classical theory of porous materials is modified to account for surface effects, which become increasingly important as the characteristic sizes of microstructures shrink to nanometers. First, a refined Timoshenko beam model is presented to predict the effective elastic modulus of nanoporous materials. Then the surface effects on the elastic microstructural buckling behavior of nanoporous materials are examined. In particular, nanoporous gold is taken as an example to illustrate the application of the proposed model. The results reveal that both the elastic modulus and the critical buckling behavior of nanoporous materials exhibit a distinct dependence on the characteristic sizes of microstructures, e.g. the average ligament width.

Mechanically durable underwater superoleophobic surfaces based on hydrophilic bulk metals for oil/water separation

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Huadong; Lian, Zhongxu; Xu, Jinkai; Wan, Yanling; Wang, Zuobin; Li, Yiquan; Yu, Zhanjiang; Weng, Zhankun

2018-04-01

Despite the success of previous methods for fabricating underwater superoleophobic surfaces, most of the surfaces based on soft materials are prone to collapse and deformation due to their mechanically fragile nature, and they fail to perform their designed functions after the surface materials are damaged in water. In this work, the nanosecond laser-induced oxide coatings on hydrophilic bulk metals are reported which overcomes the limitation and shows the robust underwater superoleophobicity to a mechanical challenge encountered by surfaces deployed in water environment. The results show that the surface materials have the advantage that the underwater superoleophobicity is still preserved after the surfaces are scratched by knife or sandpaper and even completely destroyed because of the hydrophilic property of damaged materials in water. It is important that the results provide a guide for the design of durable underwater superoleophobic surfaces, and the development of superoleophobic materials in many potential applications such as the oil-repellent and the oil/water separation. Additionally, the nanosecond laser technology is simple, cost-effective and suitable for the large-area and mass fabrication of mechanically durable underwater superoleophobic metal materials.

Tribochemical interaction between nanoparticles and surfaces of selective layer during chemical mechanical polishing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilie, Filip

2013-01-01

Nanoparticles have been widely used in polish slurries such as those in the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. For understanding the mechanisms of CMP, an atomic force microscope (AFM) is used to characterize polished surfaces of selective layers, after a set of polishing experiments. To optimize the CMP polishing process, one needs to get information on the interaction between the nano-abrasive slurry nanoparticles and the surface of selective layer being polished. The slurry used in CMP process of the solid surfaces is slurry with large nanoparticle size colloidal silica sol nano-abrasives. Silica sol nano-abrasives with large nanoparticle are prepared and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, particles colloidal size, and Zeta potential in this paper. The movement of nanoparticles in liquid and the interaction between nanoparticles and solid surfaces coating with selective layer are very important to obtain an atomic alloy smooth surface in the CMP process. We investigate the nanoparticle adhesion and removal processes during CMP and post-CMP cleaning. The mechanical interaction between nanoparticles and the wafer surface was studied using a microcontact wear model. This model considers the nanoparticle effects between the polishing interfaces during load balancing. Experimental results on polishing and cleaning are compared with numerical analysis. This paper suggests that during post-CMP cleaning, a combined effort in chemical and mechanical interaction (tribochemical interactions) would be effective in removal of small nanoparticles during cleaning. For large nanoparticles, more mechanical forces would be more effective. CMP results show that the removal rate has been improved to 367 nm/min and root mean square (RMS) of roughness has been reduced from 4.4 to 0.80 nm. Also, the results show that the silica sol nano-abrasives about 100 nm are of higher stability (Zeta potential is −65 mV) and narrow distribution of nanoparticle

Surface scattering mechanisms of tantalum nitride thin film resistor.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Huey-Ru; Chen, Ying-Chung; Chang, Ting-Chang; Chang, Kuan-Chang; Tsai, Tsung-Ming; Chu, Tian-Jian; Shih, Chih-Cheng; Chuang, Nai-Chuan; Wang, Kao-Yuan

2014-01-01

In this letter, we utilize an electrical analysis method to develop a TaN thin film resistor with a stricter spec and near-zero temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) for car-used electronic applications. Simultaneously, we also propose a physical mechanism mode to explain the origin of near-zero TCR for the TaN thin film resistor (TFR). Through current fitting, the carrier conduction mechanism of the TaN TFR changes from hopping to surface scattering and finally to ohmic conduction for different TaN TFRs with different TaN microstructures. Experimental data of current-voltage measurement under successive increasing temperature confirm the conduction mechanism transition. A model of TaN grain boundary isolation ability is eventually proposed to influence the carrier transport in the TaN thin film resistor, which causes different current conduction mechanisms.

Effect of manufacturing and experimental conditions on the mechanical and surface properties of silicone elastomer scaffolds used in endothelial mechanobiological studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Campeau, Marc-Antoine; Lortie, Audrey; Tremblay, Pierrick; Béliveau, Marc-Olivier; Dubé, Dominic; Langelier, Ève; Rouleau, Léonie

2017-07-14

Mechanobiological studies allow the characterization of cell response to mechanical stresses. Cells need to be supported by a material with properties similar to the physiological environment. Silicone elastomers have been used to produce various in vitro scaffolds of different geometries for endothelial cell studies given its relevant mechanical, optical and surface properties. However, obtaining defined and repeatable properties is a challenge as depending on the different manufacturing and processing steps, mechanical and surface properties may vary significantly between research groups. The impact of different manufacturing and processing methods on the mechanical and surface properties was assessed by measuring the Young's modulus and the contact angle. Silicone samples were produced using different curing temperatures and processed with different sterilization techniques and hydrophilization conditions. Different curing temperatures were used to obtain materials of different stiffness with a chosen silicone elastomer, i.e. Sylgard 184 ® . Sterilization by boiling had a tendency to stiffen samples cured at lower temperatures whereas UV and ethanol did not alter the material properties. Hydrophilization using sulphuric acid allowed to decrease surface hydrophobicity, however this effect was lost over time as hydrophobic recovery occurred. Extended contact with water maintained decreased hydrophobicity up to 7 days. Mechanobiological studies require complete cell coverage of the scaffolds used prior to mechanical stresses exposure. Different concentrations of fibronectin and collagen were used to coat the scaffolds and cell seeding density was varied to optimize cell coverage. This study highlights the potential bias introduced by manufacturing and processing conditions needed in the preparation of scaffolds used in mechanobiological studies involving endothelial cells. As manufacturing, processing and cell culture conditions are known to influence cell

Multifunctional Nano-engineered Polymer Surfaces with Enhanced Mechanical Resistance and Superhydrophobicity

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández, Jaime J.; Monclús, Miguel A.; Navarro-Baena, Iván; Viela, Felipe; Molina-Aldareguia, Jon M.; Rodríguez, Isabel

2017-03-01

This paper presents a multifunctional polymer surface that provides superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning functions together with an enhancement in mechanical and electrical performance. These functionalities are produced by nanoimprinting high aspect ratio pillar arrays on polymeric matrix incorporating functional reinforcing elements. Two distinct matrix-filler systems are investigated specifically, Carbon Nanotube reinforced Polystyrene (CNT-PS) and Reduced Graphene Oxide reinforced Polyvinylidene Difluoride (RGO-PVDF). Mechanical characterization of the topographies by quantitative nanoindentation and nanoscratch tests are performed to evidence a considerable increase in stiffness, Young’s modulus and critical failure load with respect to the pristine polymers. The improvement on the mechanical properties is rationalized in terms of effective dispersion and penetration of the fillers into the imprinted structures as determined by confocal Raman and SEM studies. In addition, an increase in the degree of crystallization for the PVDF-RGO imprinted nanocomposite possibly accounts for the larger enhancement observed. Improvement of the mechanical ruggedness of functional textured surfaces with appropriate fillers will enable the implementation of multifunctional nanotextured materials in real applications.

Hot Electron Photoemission from Plasmonic Nanoparticles: Role of Transient Absorption in Surface Mechanism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Uskov, Alexander V.; Protsenko, Igor E.; Ikhsanov, Renat S.

2014-01-01

We analyze and compare surface- and vol ume-based internal photoelectric effects from spherical nanoparticles, obtaining analytical expression s for the photoemission rate in both cases. Similar to results for a flat metal surface, one can show that the surface mechanism preva ils, since it is un...

Effects of Surface Roughness and Mechanical Properties of Cover-Layer on Near-Field Optical Recording

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jin-Hong; Lee, Jun-Seok; Lim, Jungshik; Seo, Jung-Kyo

2009-03-01

Narrow gap distance in cover-layer incident near-field recording (NFR) configuration causes a collision problem in the interface between a solid immersion lens and a disk surface. A polymer cover-layer with smooth surface results in a stable gap servo while a nanocomposite cover-layer with high refractive index shows a collision problem during the gap servo test. Even though a dielectric cover-layer, in which the surface is rougher than the polymer, supplements the mechanical properties, an unclear eye pattern due to an unstable gap servo can be obtained after a chemical mechanical polishing. Not only smooth surface but also good mechanical properties of cover-layer are required for the stable gap servo in the NFR.

Mechanical Characterization of Nanoporous Thin Films by Nanoindentation and Laser-induced Surface Acoustic Waves

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, Gabriel

Thin films represent a critical sector of modern engineering that strives to produce functional coatings at the smallest possible length scales. They appear most commonly in semiconductors where they form the foundation of all electronic circuits, but exist in many other areas to provide mechanical, electrical, chemical, and optical properties. The mechanical characterization of thin films has been a continued challenge due foremost to the length scales involved. However, emerging thin films focusing on materials with significant porosity, complex morphologies, and nanostructured surfaces produce additional difficulties towards mechanical analysis. Nanoindentation has been the dominant thin film mechanical characterization technique for the last decade because of the quick results, wide range of sample applicability, and ease of sample preparation. However, the traditional nanoindentation technique encounters difficulties for thin porous films. For such materials, alternative means of analysis are desirable and the lesser known laser-induced surface acoustic wave technique (LiSAW) shows great potential in this area. This dissertation focuses on studying thin, porous, and nanostructured films by nanoindentation and LiSAW techniques in an effort to directly correlate the two methodologies and to test the limits and applicabilities of each technique on challenging media. The LiSAW technique is particularly useful for thin porous films because unlike indentation, the substrate is properly accounted for in the wave motion analysis and no plastic deformation is necessary. Additionally, the use of lasers for surface acoustic wave generation and detection allows the technique to be fully non-contact. This is desirable in the measurement of thin, delicate, and porous films where physical sample probing may not be feasible. The LiSAW technique is also valuable in overcoming nanoscale roughness, particularly for films that cannot be mechanically polished, since typical SAW

Evaluation of autophagy as a mechanism involved in air pollutant-induced pulmonary injury

Science.gov (United States)

Evaluation of autophagy as a mechanism involved in air pollutant-induced pulmonary injuryHenriquez, A.1, Snow, S.2, Miller, D1.,Schladweiler, M.2 and Kodavanti, U2.1 Curriculum in Toxicology, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC. 2 EPHD/NHEERL, US EPA, RTP, Durham, NC. ...

Ocular surface immunity: homeostatic mechanisms and their disruption in dry eye disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Barabino, Stefano; Chen, Yihe; Chauhan, Sunil; Dana, Reza

2012-05-01

The tear film, lacrimal glands, corneal and conjunctival epithelia and Meibomian glands work together as a lacrimal functional unit (LFU) to preserve the integrity and function of the ocular surface. The integrity of this unit is necessary for the health and normal function of the eye and visual system. Nervous connections and systemic hormones are well known factors that maintain the homeostasis of the ocular surface. They control the response to internal and external stimuli. Our and others' studies show that immunological mechanisms also play a pivotal role in regulating the ocular surface environment. Our studies demonstrate how anti-inflammatory factors such as the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) in corneal cells, immature corneal resident antigen-presenting cells, and regulatory T cells play an active role in protecting the ocular surface. Dry eye disease (DED) affects millions of people worldwide and negatively influences the quality of life for patients. In its most severe forms, DED may lead to blindness. The etiology and pathogenesis of DED remain largely unclear. Nonetheless, in this review we summarize the role of the disruption of afferent and efferent immunoregulatory mechanisms that are responsible for the chronicity of the disease, its symptoms, and its clinical signs. We illustrate current anti-inflammatory treatments for DED and propose that prevention of the disruption of immunoregulatory mechanisms may represent a promising therapeutic strategy towards controlling ocular surface inflammation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tin oxide surfaces--8. An infrared study of the mechanism of formation of a surface isocyanate species on SnO/sub 2//0. 55 CuO during catalysis of the oxidation of carbon monoxide by nitric oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harrison, P.G.; Thornton, E.W.

1978-01-01

In studies carried out at 470/sup 0/K, the measurements of the isotopic shifts of the 2189/cm pseudo-antisymmetric stretching vibration for carbon-13, nitrogen-15, and oxygen-18 substitution indicated that the oxygen atom of the surface isocyanate, formed as an intermediate in the reaction of CO with NO, originated from NO, not from CO as previously believed. The mechanism proposed involves the dissociative chemisorption of CO, the formation of a fulminate by the reaction of NO with the surface carbon atom, and rapid isomerization to the isocyanate.

Bioadhesion of mussels and geckos: Molecular mechanics, surface chemistry, and nanoadhesives

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Haeshin

The adhesive strategies of living creatures are diverse, ranging from temporary to permanent adhesions with various functions such as locomotion, self-defense, communication, colony formation, and so on. The classic example of temporary adhesion is the gecko, which is known for its ability to walk along vertical and even inverted surfaces; this remarkable adhesion arises from the interfacial weak interactions of van der Waals and capillary forces. In contrast, a celerbrated example of permanent adhesion is found in marine mussels which secrete protein adhesives that function in aqueous environments without mechanical failure against turbulent conditions on the seashore. In addition, mussel adhesives stick to virtually all inorganic and organic surfaces. However, most commonly used man-made adhesives lack such unique adhesion properties compared to their natural counterparts. For example, many commercial adhesives quickly lose their adhesive strength when exposed to solvents, particularly water. The first part of this thesis focused on adhesion mechanics of mussels at a single-molecule level, in which the adhesive molecule showed surprisingly strong yet reversible adhesion on inorganic surfaces but exhibited irreversible covalent bond formation on organic surfaces. Strong and reversible adhesion on mucin surfaces was found, indicating potential application for drug delivery via mucus layers. Next, inspired by the mussel's versatile adhesion on a wide variety of material surfaces, a material-independent surface modification chemistry called 'polydopamine coating' is described. This concept was subsequently adapted to develop a surface-independent polymeric primer for layer-by-layer assembly of multifunctional coatings. Finally, a new bio-hybrid adhesive 'geckel' was developed by the functional combination of adhesion strategies of geckos and mussels. The new bio-inspired adhesive and material-independent surface chemistry can revolutionize the research areas such as

Mechanisms of Staphylococcus epidermidis adhesion to model biomaterial surfaces: Establising a link between thrombosis and infection

Science.gov (United States)

Higashi, Julie Miyo

Infections involving Staphylococcus epidermidis remain a life threatening complication associated with the use of polymer based cardiovascular devices. One of the critical steps in infection pathogenesis is the adhesion of the bacteria to the device surface. Currently, mechanisms of S. epidermidis adhesion are incompletely understood, but are thought to involve interactions between bacteria, device surface, and host blood elements in the form of adsorbed plasma proteins and surface adherent platelets. Our central hypothesis is that elements participating in thrombosis also promote S. epidermidis adhesion by specifically binding to the bacterial surface. The adhesion kinetics of S. epidermidis RP62A to host modified model biomaterial surface octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) under hydrodynamic shear conditions were characterized. Steady state adhesion to adsorbed proteins and surface adherent platelets was achieved at 90-120 minutes and 60-90 minutes, respectively. A dose response curve of S. epidermidis adhesion in the concentration range of 10sp7{-}10sp9 bac/mL resembled a multilayer adsorption isotherm. Increasing shear stress was found to LTA, and other LTA blocking agents significantly decreased S. epidermidis adhesion to the fibrin-platelet clots, suggesting that this interaction between S. epidermidis and fibrin-platelet clots is specific. Studies evaluated the adhesion of S. epidermidis to polymer immobilized heparin report conflicting results. Paulsson et al., showed that coagulase negative staphylococci adhered in comparable numbers to both immobilized heparin and nonheparinized surfaces, while exhibiting significantly greater adhesion to both surfaces than S. aureus. Preadsorption of the surfaces with specific heparin binding plasma proteins vitronectin, fibronectin, laminin, and collagen significantly increased adhesion. It was postulated that immobilized heparin contained binding sites for the plasma proteins, exposing bacteria binding domains of the

A mechanical model for surface layer formation on self-lubricating ceramic composites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Song, Jiupeng; Valefi, Mahdiar; de Rooij, Matthias B.; Schipper, Dirk J.

2010-01-01

To predict the thickness of a self-lubricating layer on the contact surface of ceramic composite material containing a soft phase during dry sliding test, a mechanical model was built to calculate the material transfer of the soft second phase in the composite to the surface. The tribological test,

On the influence of surface patterning on tissue self-assembly and mechanics.

Science.gov (United States)

Coppola, Valerio; Ventre, Maurizio; Natale, Carlo F; Rescigno, Francesca; Netti, Paolo A

2018-04-28

Extracellular matrix assembly and composition influence the biological and mechanical functions of tissues. Developing strategies to control the spatial arrangement of cells and matrix is of central importance for tissue engineering-related approaches relying on self-assembling and scaffoldless processes. Literature reports demonstrated that signals patterned on material surfaces are able to control cell positioning and matrix orientation. However, the mechanisms underlying the interactions between material signals and the structure of the de novo synthesized matrix are far from being thoroughly understood. In this work, we investigated the ordering effect provided by nanoscale topographic patterns on the assembly of tissue sheets grown in vitro. We stimulated MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts to produce and assemble a collagen-rich matrix on substrates displaying patterns with long- or short-range order. Then, we investigated microstructural features and mechanical properties of the tissue in uniaxial tension. Our results demonstrate that patterned material surfaces are able to control the initial organization of cells in close contact to the surface; then cell-generated contractile forces profoundly remodel tissue structure towards mechanically stable spatial patterns. Such a remodelling effect acts both locally, as it affects cell and nuclear shape and globally, by affecting the gross mechanical response of the tissue. Such an aspect of dynamic interplay between cells and the surrounding matrix must be taken into account when designing material platform for the in vitro generation of tissue with specific microstructural assemblies. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Pathophysiology of major depressive disorder: mechanisms involved in etiology are not associated with clinical progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Verduijn, J; Milaneschi, Y; Schoevers, R A; van Hemert, A M; Beekman, A T F; Penninx, B W J H

2015-09-29

Meta-analyses support the involvement of different pathophysiological mechanisms (inflammation, hypothalamic-pituitary (HPA)-axis, neurotrophic growth and vitamin D) in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, it remains unknown whether dysregulations in these mechanisms are more pronounced when MDD progresses toward multiple episodes and/or chronicity. We hypothesized that four central pathophysiological mechanisms of MDD are not only involved in etiology, but also associated with clinical disease progression. Therefore, we expected to find increasingly more dysregulation across consecutive stages of MDD progression. The sample from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (18-65 years) consisted of 230 controls and 2333 participants assigned to a clinical staging model categorizing MDD in eight stages (0, 1A, 1B, 2, 3A, 3B, 3C and 4), from familial risk at MDD (stage 0) to chronic MDD (stage 4). Analyses of covariance examined whether pathophysiological mechanism markers (interleukin (IL)-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), cortisol, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and vitamin D) showed a linear trend across controls, those at risk for MDD (stages 0, 1A and 1B), and those with full-threshold MDD (stages 2, 3A, 3B, 3C and 4). Subsequently, pathophysiological differences across separate stages within those at risk and with full-threshold MDD were examined. A linear increase of inflammatory markers (CRP P=0.026; IL-6 P=0.090), cortisol (P=0.025) and decrease of vitamin D (P<0.001) was found across the entire sample (for example, from controls to those at risk and those with full-threshold MDD). Significant trends of dysregulations across stages were present in analyses focusing on at-risk individuals (IL-6 P=0.050; cortisol P=0.008; vitamin D P<0.001); however, no linear trends were found in dysregulations for any of the mechanisms across more progressive stages of full-threshold MDD. Our results support that the examined pathophysiological mechanisms are

Physical-mechanical image of the cell surface on the base of AFM data in contact mode

Science.gov (United States)

Starodubtseva, M. N.; Starodubtsev, I. E.; Yegorenkov, N. I.; Kuzhel, N. S.; Konstantinova, E. E.; Chizhik, S. A.

2017-10-01

Physical and mechanical properties of the cell surface are well-known markers of a cell state. The complex of the parameters characterizing the cell surface properties, such as the elastic modulus (E), the parameters of adhesive (Fa), and friction (Ff) forces can be measured using atomic force microscope (AFM) in a contact mode and form namely the physical-mechanical image of the cell surface that is a fundamental element of the cell mechanical phenotype. The paper aims at forming the physical-mechanical images of the surface of two types of glutaraldehyde-fixed cancerous cells (human epithelial cells of larynx carcinoma, HEp-2c cells, and breast adenocarcinoma, MCF-7 cells) based on the data obtained by AFM in air and revealing the basic difference between them. The average values of friction, elastic and adhesive forces, and the roughness of lateral force maps, as well as dependence of the fractal dimension of lateral force maps on Z-scale factor have been studied. We have revealed that the response of microscale areas of the HEp-2c cell surface having numerous microvilli to external mechanical forces is less expressed and more homogeneous in comparison with the response of MCF-7 cell surface.

A study of the mechanisms causing surface defects on sidewalls during Si etching for TSV (through Si via)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jae Woong; Loh, Woon Leng; Praveen, Sampath Kumar; Murphy, Ramana; Swee, Eugene Tan Kiat

2013-01-01

In this paper we report three mechanisms causing surface defects on Si sidewalls during Si etching for TSV. The first mechanism causing surface defects was a downward surface-defect formation due to the participation of the residual polymerizing gas in the transition periods between passivation steps and etch steps. The second mechanism was an upward surface-defect formation due to etchant attacking the interface between the Si and the sidewall polymer. Although the sidewall polymer was thick enough to protect the Si surface, it was not possible to avoid surface defects if the etch step was not switched to the following passivation step in time. The third mechanism was a sponge-like surface-defect formation caused by either poor polymer depositions or voids inside the sidewall polymer. The sponge-like surface defects were formed by Si isotropic etching through the weak points of the sidewall polymer. All three surface defects were considered as the major factors on TSV integration and packaging reliability issues. (paper)

Study on cavitation effect of mechanical seals with laser-textured porous surface

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, T.; Chen, H. l.; Liu, Y. H.; Wang, Q.; Liu, Z. B.; Hou, D. H.

2012-11-01

Study on the mechanisms underlying generation of hydrodynamic pressure effect associated with laser-textured porous surface on mechanical seal, is the key to seal and lubricant properties. The theory model of mechanical seals with laser-textured porous surface (LES-MS) based on cavitation model was established. The LST-MS was calculated and analyzed by using Fluent software with full cavitation model and non-cavitation model and film thickness was predicted by the dynamic mesh technique. The results indicate that the effect of hydrodynamic pressure and cavitation are the important reasons to generate liquid film opening force on LST-MS; Cavitation effect can enhance hydrodynamic pressure effect of LST-MS; The thickness of liquid film could be well predicted with the method of dynamic mesh technique on Fluent and it becomes larger as the increasing of shaft speed and the decreasing of pressure.

Study on cavitation effect of mechanical seals with laser-textured porous surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, T; Chen, H l; Liu, Y H; Wang, Q; Liu, Z B; Hou, D H

2012-01-01

Study on the mechanisms underlying generation of hydrodynamic pressure effect associated with laser-textured porous surface on mechanical seal, is the key to seal and lubricant properties. The theory model of mechanical seals with laser-textured porous surface (LES-MS) based on cavitation model was established. The LST-MS was calculated and analyzed by using Fluent software with full cavitation model and non-cavitation model and film thickness was predicted by the dynamic mesh technique. The results indicate that the effect of hydrodynamic pressure and cavitation are the important reasons to generate liquid film opening force on LST-MS; Cavitation effect can enhance hydrodynamic pressure effect of LST-MS; The thickness of liquid film could be well predicted with the method of dynamic mesh technique on Fluent and it becomes larger as the increasing of shaft speed and the decreasing of pressure.

Introduction to conformal invariance in statistical mechanics and to random surface models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David, F.

1995-01-01

In the first part of these lectures I give a brief and somewhat superficial introduction to the techniques of conformal invariance and to a few applications in statistical mechanics in two dimensions. My purpose is to introduce the basic ideas and some standard results for the students who are not familiar with the theory, and to introduce concepts and tools which will be useful for the other lecturers, rather than to give a complete and up to date review of the subject. In the second part I discuss several problems in the statistical mechanics of two dimensional random surfaces and membranes. As an introduction, I present some basic facts about the statistical mechanics of one-dimensional objects and polymers, which are classical examples of objects with critical properties. Then I emphasize the special role of curvature energy and of the elastic energy associated with the internal structure of membranes, and the corresponding models of random surfaces. Finally, I discuss the specific problem of self-avoiding tethered surfaces, whose critical properties are still poorly understood, and for which the applicability of some basic techniques of field theory, such as renormalization group calculations, has been understood only recently. (orig.)

Workplace surface acting and marital partner discontent: Anxiety and exhaustion spillover mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Krannitz, Morgan A; Grandey, Alicia A; Liu, Songqi; Almeida, David A

2015-07-01

Surface acting (i.e., faking and suppressing emotions at work) is repeatedly linked to employee negative moods and emotional exhaustion, but the consequences may also go beyond work boundaries. We provide a unique theoretical integration of these 2 emotional labor consequences with 2 work-to-family conflict mechanisms, mood spillover and resource drain, to explain why surface acting is likely to create marital partner discontent (i.e., partner's perceived work-to-family conflict and desire for the employee to quit). A survey of 197 hotel managers and their marital partners supported that managers' surface acting was directly related to their partner wanting them to quit, and indirectly to partner's perception of work-to-family conflict via exhaustion consistent with the resource drain mechanism. Anxiety from surface acting had an indirect mediating effect on marital partner discontent through exhaustion. Importantly, controlling for dispositional negativity and job demands did not weaken these effects. Implications for theory and future research integrating work-family and emotional labor are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Mechanical polishing as an improved surface treatment for platinum screen-printed electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junqiao Lee

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The viability of mechanical polishing as a surface pre-treatment method for commercially available platinum screen-printed electrodes (SPEs was investigated and compared to a range of other pre-treatment methods (UV-Ozone treatment, soaking in N,N-dimethylformamide, soaking and anodizing in aqueous NaOH solution, and ultrasonication in tetrahydrofuran. Conventional electrochemical activation of platinum SPEs in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution was ineffective for the removal of contaminants found to be passivating the screen-printed surfaces. However, mechanical polishing showed a significant improvement in hydrogen adsorption and in electrochemically active surface areas (probed by two different redox couples due to the effective removal of surface contaminants. Results are also presented that suggest that SPEs are highly susceptible to degradation by strong acidic or caustic solutions, and could potentially lead to instability in long-term applications due to continual etching of the binding materials. The ability of SPEs to be polished effectively extends the reusability of these traditionally “single-use” devices. Keywords: Screen-printed electrodes, Polishing, Platinum, Activation, Pre-treatment, Cyclic voltammetry

Whisker growth: a new mechanism for helium blistering of surfaces in complex radiation environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonell, W.R.

1978-01-01

Implantation of helium concurrent with the generation of large numbers of displaced atoms in surface layers of materials exposed to 252 Cf α-particles and fission fragments produces a unique form of low temperature surface blistering. The purpose of this paper is to formulate a basis for the whisker-growth mechanism for helium blistering as an aid to the specification of conditions under which the mechanism might apply

Surface Chemistry Involved in Epitaxy of Graphene on 3C-SiC(111/Si(111

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abe Shunsuke

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Surface chemistry involved in the epitaxy of graphene by sublimating Si atoms from the surface of epitaxial 3C-SiC(111 thin films on Si(111 has been studied. The change in the surface composition during graphene epitaxy is monitored by in situ temperature-programmed desorption spectroscopy using deuterium as a probe (D2-TPD and complementarily by ex situ Raman and C1s core-level spectroscopies. The surface of the 3C-SiC(111/Si(111 is Si-terminated before the graphitization, and it becomes C-terminated via the formation of C-rich (6√3 × 6√3R30° reconstruction as the graphitization proceeds, in a similar manner as the epitaxy of graphene on Si-terminated 6H-SiC(0001 proceeds.

Surface morphology and dewettability of self-organized thermosets involving epoxy and POSS-capped poly(ethylene oxide) telechelics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Lei; Zheng, Sixun

2012-01-01

A heptaphenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-capped poly(ethylene oxide) (POSS-capped PEO) telechelics was synthesized via the Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between 3-azidopropylheptaphenyl POSS and α,ω-dialkynyl-terminated poly(ethylene oxide). The organic–inorganic amphiphile was incorporated into epoxy to obtain the organic–inorganic nanocomposites. The morphology of the nanocomposites was investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). It was found that the epoxy thermosets containing POSS-capped PEO telechelics were microphase-separated. The formation of the nanophases in the thermosets followed a self-assembly mechanism. The static contact angle measurements show that the nanocomposites displayed a significant enhancement in surface hydrophobicity as well as reduction in surface free energy. The improvement in surface dewettability was ascribed to the enrichment of POSS cages at the surface of the nanocomposites and the formation of the specific surface morphology as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and surface atomic force microscopy (AFM). -- Highlights: ► POSS-capped PEO telechelics was synthesized via click chemistry approach. ► The organic–inorganic amphiphile can be self-assembled into the nanophases in epoxy. ► The hybrid nanocomposites were successfully prepared via a self-assembly approach. ► The nanocomposites displayed a significant enhancement in surface hydrophobicity.

Absorption of Carotenoids and Mechanisms Involved in Their Health-Related Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Cervantes-Paz, Braulio; Victoria-Campos, Claudia I; Ornelas-Paz, José de Jesús

Carotenoids participate in the normal metabolism and function of the human body. They are involved in the prevention of several diseases, especially those related to the inflammation syndrome. Their main mechanisms of action are associated to their potent antioxidant activity and capacity to regulate the expression of specific genes and proteins. Recent findings suggest that carotenoid metabolites may explain several processes where the participation of their parent carotenoids was unclear. The health benefits of carotenoids strongly depend on their absorption and transformation during gastrointestinal digestion. The estimation of the 'bioaccessibility' of carotenoids through in vitro models have made possible the evaluation of the effect of a large number of factors on key stages of carotenoid digestion and intestinal absorption. The bioaccessibility of these compounds allows us to have a clear idea of their potential bioavailability, a term that implicitly involves the biological activity of these compounds.

Transition absorption as a mechanism of surface photoelectron emission from metals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhukovsky, Sergei; Protsenko, Igor E.; Ikhsanov, Renat Sh

2015-01-01

Transition absorption of a photon by an electron passingthrough a boundary between two media with different permit-tivities is described both classically and quantum mechani-cally. Transition absorption is shown to make a substantialcontribution to photoelectron emission at a metal....../semicon-ductor interface in nanoplasmonic systems, and is put forth asa possible microscopic mechanism of the surface photoelec-tric effect in photodetectors and solar cells containing plas-monic nanoparticles....

Mechanisms involved in metformin action in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Motta, A B

2009-01-01

The N, N' dimethyl-biguanide : Metformin is an antidiabetic drug that increases glucose utilization in insulin-sensitive tissues. As Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and diabetes share some altered parameters-such as abnormal glucose: insulin ratio, altered lipidic metabolism and insulin-resistance syndrome- the use of metformin has become increasingly accepted and widespread in the treatment of PCOS. Currently, metformin is used to induce ovulation and during early pregnancy in PCOS patients, however, a complete knowledge of the metformin action has not been achieved yet. This review describes beyond the classical reproductive action of metformin and explores other benefits of the drug. In addition, the present work discusses the molecular mechanisms involved further than the classical pathway that involves the AMP-activated protein kinase.

Enzymatic Treatments to Improve Mechanical Properties and Surface Hydrophobicity of Jute Fiber Membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aixue Dong

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Fiber membranes prepared from jute fragments can be valuable, low cost, and renewable. They have broad application prospects in packing bags, geotextiles, filters, and composite reinforcements. Traditionally, chemical adhesives have been used to improve the properties of jute fiber membranes. A series of new laccase, laccase/mediator systems, and multi-enzyme synergisms were attempted. After the laccase treatment of jute fragments, the mechanical properties and surface hydrophobicity of the produced fiber membranes increased because of the cross-coupling of lignins with ether bonds mediated by laccase. The optimum conditions were a buffer pH of 4.5 and an incubation temperature of 60 °C with 0.92 U/mL laccase for 3 h. Laccase/guaiacol and laccase/alkali lignin treatments resulted in remarkable increases in the mechanical properties; in contrast, the laccase/2,2’-azino-bis-(3-ethylthiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS and laccase/2,6-dimethoxyphenol treatments led to a decrease. The laccase/ guaiacol system was favorable to the surface hydrophobicity of jute fiber membranes. However, the laccase/alkali lignin system had the opposite effect. Xylanase/laccase and cellulase/laccase combined treatments were able to enhance both the mechanical properties and the surface hydrophobicity of jute fiber membranes. Among these, cellulase/laccase treatment performed better; compared to mechanical properties, the surface hydrophobicity of the jute fiber membranes showed only a slight increase after the enzymatic multi-step processes.

Mechanics of nanowire/nanotube in-surface buckling on elastomeric substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, J; Huang, Y [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Ryu, S Y; Paik, U [Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, 17 Hangdang-dong, Sungdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, K-C [Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Rogers, J A, E-mail: y-huang@northwestern.edu, E-mail: jrogers@uiuc.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Frederick-Seitz Materials Research Laboratory and Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801 (United States)

2010-02-26

A continuum mechanics theory is established for the in-surface buckling of one-dimensional nanomaterials on compliant substrates, such as silicon nanowires on elastomeric substrates observed in experiments. Simple analytical expressions are obtained for the buckling wavelength, amplitude and critical buckling strain in terms of the bending and tension stiffness of the nanomaterial and the substrate elastic properties. The analysis is applied to silicon nanowires, single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanotube bundles. For silicon nanowires, the measured buckling wavelength gives Young's modulus to be 140 GPa, which agrees well with the prior experimental studies. It is shown that the energy for in-surface buckling is lower than that for normal (out-of-surface) buckling, and is therefore energetically favorable.

Mechanics of nanowire/nanotube in-surface buckling on elastomeric substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, J; Huang, Y; Ryu, S Y; Paik, U; Hwang, K-C; Rogers, J A

2010-01-01

A continuum mechanics theory is established for the in-surface buckling of one-dimensional nanomaterials on compliant substrates, such as silicon nanowires on elastomeric substrates observed in experiments. Simple analytical expressions are obtained for the buckling wavelength, amplitude and critical buckling strain in terms of the bending and tension stiffness of the nanomaterial and the substrate elastic properties. The analysis is applied to silicon nanowires, single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanotube bundles. For silicon nanowires, the measured buckling wavelength gives Young's modulus to be 140 GPa, which agrees well with the prior experimental studies. It is shown that the energy for in-surface buckling is lower than that for normal (out-of-surface) buckling, and is therefore energetically favorable.

Effects of high-temperature gas dealkalization on surface mechanical properties of float glass

Science.gov (United States)

Senturk, Ufuk

The surface topography, and the near-surface structure and mechanical property changes on float glass, that was treated in atmospheres containing SOsb2, HCl, and 1,1 difluoroethane (DFE) gases, at temperatures in the glass transition region, were studied. Structure was investigated using surface sensitive infrared spectroscopy techniques (attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and diffuse reflectance (DRIFT)) and the topography was evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results obtained from the two FTIR methods were in agreement with each other. Mechanical property characteristics of the surface were determined by measuring microhardness using a recording microindentation set-up. A simple analysis performed on the three hardness calculation methods-LVH, LVHsb2, and Lsb2VH-indicated that LVH and LVHsb2 are less effected by measurement errors and are better suited for the calculation of hardness. Contact damage characteristics of the treated glass was also studied by monitoring the crack initiation behavior during indentation, using acoustic emission. The results of the studies, aiming for the understanding of the structure, topography, and hardness property changes indicate that the treatment parameters-temperature, time, and treatment atmosphere conditions-are significant factors influencing these properties. The analysis of these results suggest a relation to exist between the three properties. This relation is used in understanding the surface mechanical properties of the treated float glasses. The difference in the thermal expansion coefficients between the dealkalized surface and bulk, the nature of surface structure changes, structural relaxation, surface water content, and glass transformation temperature are identified as the major factors having an influence on the properties. A model connecting these features is suggested. A difference in the structure, hardness, and topography on the air and tin sides of float glass is also shown to exist. The

Clustering mechanism of oxocarboxylic acids involving hydration reaction: Implications for the atmospheric models

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ling; Kupiainen-Määttä, Oona; Zhang, Haijie; Li, Hao; Zhong, Jie; Kurtén, Theo; Vehkamäki, Hanna; Zhang, Shaowen; Zhang, Yunhong; Ge, Maofa; Zhang, Xiuhui; Li, Zesheng

2018-06-01

The formation of atmospheric aerosol particles from condensable gases is a dominant source of particulate matter in the boundary layer, but the mechanism is still ambiguous. During the clustering process, precursors with different reactivities can induce various chemical reactions in addition to the formation of hydrogen bonds. However, the clustering mechanism involving chemical reactions is rarely considered in most of the nucleation process models. Oxocarboxylic acids are common compositions of secondary organic aerosol, but the role of oxocarboxylic acids in secondary organic aerosol formation is still not fully understood. In this paper, glyoxylic acid, the simplest and the most abundant atmospheric oxocarboxylic acid, has been selected as a representative example of oxocarboxylic acids in order to study the clustering mechanism involving hydration reactions using density functional theory combined with the Atmospheric Clusters Dynamic Code. The hydration reaction of glyoxylic acid can occur either in the gas phase or during the clustering process. Under atmospheric conditions, the total conversion ratio of glyoxylic acid to its hydration reaction product (2,2-dihydroxyacetic acid) in both gas phase and clusters can be up to 85%, and the product can further participate in the clustering process. The differences in cluster structures and properties induced by the hydration reaction lead to significant differences in cluster formation rates and pathways at relatively low temperatures.

Possible mechanisms involved in the vasorelaxant effect produced by clobenzorex in aortic segments of rats

OpenAIRE

Lozano-Cuenca, J.; González-Hernández, A.; López-Canales, O.A.; Villagrana-Zesati, J.R.; Rodríguez-Choreão, J.D.; Morín-Zaragoza, R.; Castillo-Henkel, E.F.; López-Canales, J.S.

2017-01-01

Clobenzorex is a metabolic precursor of amphetamine indicated for the treatment of obesity. Amphetamines have been involved with cardiovascular side effects such as hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the direct application of 10?9?10?5 M clobenzorex on isolated phenylephrine-precontracted rat aortic rings produces vascular effects, and if so, what mechanisms may be involved. Clobenzorex produced an immediate concentration-...

Structural changes of radial forging die surface during service under thermo-mechanical fatigue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nematzadeh, Fardin; Akbarpour, Mohammad Reza; Kokabi, Amir Hosein; Sadrnezhaad, Seyed Khatiboleslam

2009-01-01

Radial forging is one of the modern open die forging techniques and has a wide application in producing machine parts. During operation at high temperatures, severe temperature change associated with mechanical loads and the resultant wearing of the die surface lead to intense variation in strain on the die surface. Therefore, under this operating condition, thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) occurs on the surface of the radial forging die. TMF decreases the life of the die severely. In the present research, different layers were deposited on a 1.2714 steel die by SMAW and GTAW, with a weld wire of UDIMET 520. The microstructure of the radial forging die surface was investigated during welding and service using an optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. The results revealed that, after welding, the structure of the radial forging die surface includes the γ matrix with a homogeneous distribution of fine semi-spherical carbides. The weld structure consisted mostly of columnar dendrites with low grain boundaries. Also, microstructural investigation of the die surface during operation showed that the weld structure of the die surface has remained without any considerable change. Only dendrites were deformed and broken. Moreover, grain boundaries of the dendrites were revealed during service.

Er:YAG laser in defocused mode for scaling of periodontally involved root surfaces: an in vitro pilot study.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Crespi, R.; Romanos, G.E.; Barone, A.; Sculean, A.; Covani, U.

2005-01-01

BACKGROUND: The Er:YAG laser may be used on periodontally involved teeth in combination with conventional periodontal therapy in order to improve the efficacy of root instrumentation. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of hand instrumentation on root surfaces of periodontally involved

An overview of potential molecular mechanisms involved in VSMC phenotypic modulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ming-Jie; Zhou, Yi; Chen, Lei; Wang, Yan-Qin; Wang, Xu; Pi, Yan; Gao, Chang-Yue; Li, Jing-Cheng; Zhang, Li-Li

2016-02-01

The fully differentiated medial vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of mature vessels keep quiescent and contractile. However, VSMC can exhibit the plasticity in phenotype switching from a differentiated and contractile phenotype to a dedifferentiated state in response to alterations in local environmental cues, which is called phenotypic modulation or switching. Distinguishing from its differentiated state expressing more smooth muscle (SM)-specific/selective proteins, the phenotypic modulation in VSMC is characterized by an increased rate of proliferation, migration, synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins and decreased expression of SM contractile proteins. Although it has been well demonstrated that phenotypic modulation of VSMC contributes to the occurrence and progression of many proliferative vascular diseases, little is known about the details of the molecular mechanisms of VSMC phenotypic modulation. Growing evidence suggests that variety of molecules including microRNAs, cytokines and biochemical factors, membrane receptors, ion channels, cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix play important roles in controlling VSMC phenotype. The focus of the present review is to provide an overview of potential molecular mechanisms involved in VSMC phenotypic modulation in recent years. To clarify VSMC differentiation and phenotypic modulation mechanisms will contribute to producing cell-based therapeutic interventions for aberrant VSMC differentiation-related diseases.

Adsorption Mechanism of Inhibitor and Guest Molecules on the Surface of Gas Hydrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Yagasaki, Takuma; Matsumoto, Masakazu; Tanaka, Hideki

2015-09-23

The adsorption of guest and kinetic inhibitor molecules on the surface of methane hydrate is investigated by using molecular dynamics simulations. We calculate the free energy profile for transferring a solute molecule from bulk water to the hydrate surface for various molecules. Spherical solutes with a diameter of ∼0.5 nm are significantly stabilized at the hydrate surface, whereas smaller and larger solutes exhibit lower adsorption affinity than the solutes of intermediate size. The range of the attractive force is subnanoscale, implying that this force has no effect on the macroscopic mass transfer of guest molecules in crystal growth processes of gas hydrates. We also examine the adsorption mechanism of a kinetic hydrate inhibitor. It is found that a monomer of the kinetic hydrate inhibitor is strongly adsorbed on the hydrate surface. However, the hydrogen bonding between the amide group of the inhibitor and water molecules on the hydrate surface, which was believed to be the driving force for the adsorption, makes no contribution to the adsorption affinity. The preferential adsorption of both the kinetic inhibitor and the spherical molecules to the surface is mainly due to the entropic stabilization arising from the presence of cavities at the hydrate surface. The dependence of surface affinity on the size of adsorbed molecules is also explained by this mechanism.

Sub-surface structures and collapse mechanisms of summit pit craters

Science.gov (United States)

Roche, O.; van Wyk de Vries, B.; Druitt, T. H.

2001-01-01

Summit pit craters are found in many types of volcanoes and are generally thought to be the product of collapse into an underpressured reservoir caused by magma withdrawal. We investigate the mechanisms and structures associated with summit pit crater formation by scaled analogue experiments and make comparisons with natural examples. Models use a sand plaster mixture as analogue rock over a cylinder of silicone simulating an underpressured magma reservoir. Experiments are carried out using different roof aspect ratios (roof thickness/roof width) of 0.2-2. They reveal two basic collapse mechanisms, dependant on the roof aspect ratio. One occurs at low aspect ratios (≤1), as illustrated by aspect ratios of 0.2 and 1. Outward dipping reverse faults initiated at the silicone margins propagates through the entire roof thickness and cause subsidence of a coherent block. Collapse along the reverse faults is accommodated by marginal flexure of the block and tension fractures at the surface (aspect ratio of 0.2) or by the creation of inward dipping normal faults delimiting a terrace (aspect ratio of 1). At an aspect ratio of 1, overhanging pit walls are the surface expressions of the reverse faults. Experiments at high aspect ratio (>1.2) reveal a second mechanism. In this case, collapse occurs by stopping, which propagates upwards by a complex pattern of both reverse faults and tension fractures. The initial underground collapse is restricted to a zone above the reservoir and creates a cavity with a stable roof above it. An intermediate mechanism occurs at aspect ratios of 1.1-1.2. In this case, stopping leads to the formation of a cavity with a thin and unstable roof, which collapses suddenly. The newly formed depression then exhibits overhanging walls. Surface morphology and structure of natural examples, such as the summit pit craters at Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua, have many of the features created in the models, indicating that the internal structural geometry of

Phytoremediation potential of the novel atrazine tolerant Lolium multiflorum and studies on the mechanisms involved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merini, Luciano J.; Bobillo, Cecilia; Cuadrado, Virginia; Corach, Daniel; Giulietti, Ana M.

2009-01-01

Atrazine impact on human health and the environment have been extensively studied. Phytoremediation emerged as a low cost, environmental friendly biotechnological solution for atrazine pollution in soil and water. In vitro atrazine tolerance assays were performed and Lolium multiflorum was found as a novel tolerant species, able to germinate and grow in the presence of 1 mg kg -1 of the herbicide. L. multiflorum presented 20% higher atrazine removal capacity than the natural attenuation, with high initial degradation rate in microcosms. The mechanisms involved in atrazine tolerance such as mutation in psbA gene, enzymatic detoxification via P 450 or chemical hydrolysis through benzoxazinones were evaluated. It was demonstrated that atrazine tolerance is conferred by enhanced enzymatic detoxification via P 450 . Due to its atrazine degradation capacity in soil and its agronomical properties, L. multiflorum is a candidate for designing phytoremediation strategies for atrazine contaminated agricultural soils, especially those involving run-off avoiding. - Finding of a novel atrazine-tolerant species, as a potential candidate for phytoremediating herbicide-contaminated agriculture soils and elucidation of the mechanisms involved in tolerance.

Phytoremediation potential of the novel atrazine tolerant Lolium multiflorum and studies on the mechanisms involved

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Merini, Luciano J. [Catedra de Microbiologia Industrial y Biotecnologia, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Bobillo, Cecilia [Servicio de Huellas Digitales Geneticas, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquimica, Microbiologia Industrial y Biotecnologia, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956, BS As (Argentina); Cuadrado, Virginia [Catedra de Microbiologia Industrial y Biotecnologia, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Corach, Daniel [Servicio de Huellas Digitales Geneticas, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquimica, Microbiologia Industrial y Biotecnologia, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956, BS As (Argentina); Giulietti, Ana M., E-mail: agiule@ffyb.uba.a [Catedra de Microbiologia Industrial y Biotecnologia, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2009-11-15

Atrazine impact on human health and the environment have been extensively studied. Phytoremediation emerged as a low cost, environmental friendly biotechnological solution for atrazine pollution in soil and water. In vitro atrazine tolerance assays were performed and Lolium multiflorum was found as a novel tolerant species, able to germinate and grow in the presence of 1 mg kg{sup -1} of the herbicide. L. multiflorum presented 20% higher atrazine removal capacity than the natural attenuation, with high initial degradation rate in microcosms. The mechanisms involved in atrazine tolerance such as mutation in psbA gene, enzymatic detoxification via P{sub 450} or chemical hydrolysis through benzoxazinones were evaluated. It was demonstrated that atrazine tolerance is conferred by enhanced enzymatic detoxification via P{sub 450}. Due to its atrazine degradation capacity in soil and its agronomical properties, L. multiflorum is a candidate for designing phytoremediation strategies for atrazine contaminated agricultural soils, especially those involving run-off avoiding. - Finding of a novel atrazine-tolerant species, as a potential candidate for phytoremediating herbicide-contaminated agriculture soils and elucidation of the mechanisms involved in tolerance.

Mechanized covering application in equipment surfaces; Aplicacao mecanizada de revestimento em superficies de equipamentos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abreu, Billy A. de; Broering, Carlos E. [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Mecanica

2004-07-01

Facing such challenges, the main objective of this work is to develop automated equipment and new welding procedures to be used to repair tank reservoirs operating in corrosive media. The equipment is expected to be applied directly in the maintenance of petrochemical plants. The project consists on a mechanical displacement device, able to move along a flexible rail, which can be fixed to a concave or convex surface and fitting itself to the geometry. A transversal arm gives it a second movement ability, allowing oscillatory displacements and the exact positioning of the pistol. As it is widely known, the automated welding process results in a considerably increase in productivity and quality, when comparing to the hand made process. Therefore, knowing the parameters involved and adjusted the welding variables to the best values, it is expected to achieve welding free of imperfections, inconsistencies and errors, and able to be repetitive. (author)

Surface modification of Fe2O3 nanoparticles with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS): An attempt to investigate surface treatment on surface chemistry and mechanical properties of polyurethane/Fe2O3 nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palimi, M.J.; Rostami, M.; Mahdavian, M.; Ramezanzadeh, B.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Surface treatment of Fe 2 O 3 with amino propyl tri methoxy silane. • The surface chemistry pigments were affected by the chemical treatment. • Surface treatment of the nanoparticles by silane resulted in the significant improvement of the mechanical properties of the polyurethane coating. • The improvement was most pronounced when the nanoparticles were modified with 3 gr silane/5 g nanoparticles. - Abstract: Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles were modified with various amounts of 3-amino propyl trimethoxy silane (APTMS). Modified and unmodified nanoparticles were introduced into the polyurethane matrix at different concentrations. Fourier transform infrared radiation (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectrophotometer (XPS) were employed in order to investigate the APTMS grafting on the nanoparticles field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) was utilized in order to investigate nanoparticles dispersion in the polyurethane coating matrix as well as the fracture behavior of the nanocomposites. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were investigated by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and tensile test. The FTIR spectra and XPS analysis clearly showed that APTMS was grafted on the surface of nanoparticles successfully and formed chemical bonds with the surface. Also, surface treatment of the nanoparticles by silane resulted in the significant improvement of the mechanical properties of the polyurethane coating. The improvement was most pronounced when the nanoparticles were modified with 3 gr silane/5 g nanoparticles

Influence of mechanical and chemical degradation on surface gloss of resin composite materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ardu, S.; Braut, V.; Uhac, I.; Benbachir, N.; Feilzer, A.J.; Krejci, I.

2009-01-01

Purpose: To determine the changes in surface gloss of different composite materials after simulation of mechanical and chemical aging mechanisms. Methods: 36 specimens were fabricated for each material and polished with 120-, 220-, 500-, 1200-, 2400- and 4000- grit SiC abrasive paper, respectively.

Bacteroides gingivalis antigens and bone resorbing activity in root surface fractions of periodontally involved teeth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patters, M.R.; Landsberg, R.L.; Johansson, L.-A.; Trummel, C.L.; Robertson, P.R.

1982-01-01

Bone resorbing activity and the presence of antigens of Bacteroides gingivalis were assessed in plaque, calculus, cementum, and dentin obtained from roots of teeth previously exposed to periodontitis. Each fraction was obtained by scaling the root surface. The fraction were extracted by stirring and sonication, and the soluble centrifuged, sterilized, dialyzed, and adjusted to equivalent protein concentrations. Cementum and dentin extracts from impacted teeth were prepared similarly and served as controls. Stimulation of bone resorption by each extract was assessed in organ cultures of fetal rat bones by measurement of release of previously-incorporated 45 Ca from the bone into the medium. In some groups of teeth, calculus and cementum were treated with acid prior to scaling. Citric acid washes were recovered and dialyzed. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assess the extracts for the presence of antigens reactive with an antiserum to B. gingivalis. Significant stimulation of bone resorption was found in all calculus and periodontally-involved cementum preparations. ELISA showed significant levels of B.gingivalis antigens in plaque, calculus, and cementum of periodontally-involved teeth, but not in involved dentin nor in cementum or dentin of impact teeth. Treatment with citric acid removed essentially all B.gingivalis antigens from cementum but not calculus. The results suggest that substances which stimulate bone resorption and substances which react with B. gingivalis antiserum are present in surface plaque, calculus, and cementum or periodontally-involved teeth. These substances are not present in cementum and dentin of impacted teeth nor in dentin of periodontally-involved teeth. Treatment by both scaling and citric demineralization will remove most of these substances from cementum of teeth previously exposed to periodontitis. (author)

Bacteroides gingivalis antigens and bone resorbing activity in root surface fractions of periodontally involved teeth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patters, M R; Landsberg, R L; Johansson, L A; Trummel, C L; Robertson, P R [Department of Periodontology, University of Connecticut, School of Dental Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, U.S.A.

1982-01-01

Bone resorbing activity and the presence of antigens of Bacteroides gingivalis were assessed in plaque, calculus, cementum, and dentin obtained from roots of teeth previously exposed to periodontitis. Each fraction was obtained by scaling the root surface. The fraction were extracted by stirring and sonication, and the soluble centrifuged, sterilized, dialyzed, and adjusted to equivalent protein concentrations. Cementum and dentin extracts from impacted teeth were prepared similarly and served as controls. Stimulation of bone resorption by each extract was assessed in organ cultures of fetal rat bones by measurement of release of previously-incorporated /sup 45/Ca from the bone into the medium. In some groups of teeth, calculus and cementum were treated with acid prior to scaling. Citric acid washes were recovered and dialyzed. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assess the extracts for the presence of antigens reactive with an antiserum to B. gingivalis. Significant stimulation of bone resorption was found in all calculus and periodontally-involved cementum preparations. ELISA showed significant levels of B.gingivalis antigens in plaque, calculus, and cementum of periodontally-involved teeth, but not in involved dentin nor in cementum or dentin of impact teeth. Treatment with citric acid removed essentially all B.gingivalis antigens from cementum but not calculus. The results suggest that substances which stimulate bone resorption and substances which react with B. gingivalis antiserum are present in surface plaque, calculus, and cementum or periodontally-involved teeth. These substances are not present in cementum and dentin of impacted teeth nor in dentin of periodontally-involved teeth. Treatment by both scaling and citric demineralization will remove most of these substances from cementum of teeth previously exposed to periodontitis.

Copper tolerance in Frankia sp. strain EuI1c involves surface binding and copper transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Rehan, Medhat; Furnholm, Teal; Finethy, Ryan H; Chu, Feixia; El-Fadly, Gomaah; Tisa, Louis S

2014-09-01

Several Frankia strains have been shown to be copper-tolerant. The mechanism of their copper tolerance was investigated for Frankia sp. strain EuI1c. Copper binding was shown by binding studies. Unusual globular structures were observed on the surface of the bacterium. These globular structures were composed of aggregates containing many relatively smaller "leaf-like" structures. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDAX) analysis of these structures indicated elevated copper and phosphate levels compared to the control cells. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated an increase in extracellular phosphate on the cell surface of copper-stressed cells. Bioinformatics' analysis of the Frankia sp. strain EuI1c genome revealed five potential cop genes: copA, copZ, copC, copCD, and copD. Experiments with Frankia sp. strain EuI1c using qRT-PCR indicated an increase in messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of the five cop genes upon Cu(2+) stress. After 5 days of Cu(2+) stress, the copA, copZ, copC, copCD, and copD mRNA levels increased 25-, 8-, 18-, 18-, and 25-fold, respectively. The protein profile of Cu(2+)-stressed Frankia sp. strain EuI1c cells revealed the upregulation of a 36.7 kDa protein that was identified as FraEuI1c_1092 (sulfate-binding periplasmic transport protein). Homologues of this gene were only present in the genomes of the Cu(2+)-resistant Frankia strains (EuI1c, DC12, and CN3). These data indicate that copper tolerance by Frankia sp. strain EuI1c involved the binding of copper to the cell surface and transport proteins.

Local thermal property analysis by scanning thermal microscopy of an ultrafine-grained copper surface layer produced by surface mechanical attrition treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, F.A. [Suzhou Institute for Nonferrous Metals Processing Technology, No. 200 Shenxu Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou 215021 (China) and Unite de Thermique et d' Analyse Physique, Laboratoire d' Energetique et d' Optique, Universite de Reims, BP 1039, 51687 Reims Cedex 2 (France)]. E-mail: guofuan@yahoo.com; JI, Y.L. [Suzhou Institute for Nonferrous Metals Processing Technology, No. 200 Shenxu Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou 215021 (China); Trannoy, N. [Unite de Thermique et d' Analyse Physique, Laboratoire d' Energetique et d' Optique, Universite de Reims, BP 1039, 51687 Reims Cedex 2 (France); Lu, J. [LASMIS, Universite de Technologie de Troyes, 12 Rue Marie Curie, Troyes 10010 (France)

2006-06-15

Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) was used to map thermal conductivity images in an ultrafine-grained copper surface layer produced by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). It is found that the deformed surface layer shows different thermal conductivities that strongly depend on the grain size of the microstructure: the thermal conductivity of the nanostructured surface layer decreases obviously when compared with that of the coarse-grained matrix of the sample. The role of the grain boundaries in thermal conduction is analyzed in correlation with the heat conduction mechanism in pure metal. A theoretical approach, based on this investigation, was used to calculate the heat flow from the probe tip to the sample and then estimate the thermal conductivities at different scanning positions. Experimental results and theoretical calculation demonstrate that SThM can be used as a tool for the thermal property and microstructural analysis of ultrafine-grained microstructures.

Formation Mechanism of Micropores on the Surface of Pure Aluminum Induced by High-Current Pulsed Electron Beam Irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou Yang; Cai Jie; Wan Ming-Zhen; Lv Peng; Guan Qing-Feng

2011-01-01

The mechanism of micropores formed on the surface of polycrystalline pure aluminum under high-current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) irradiation is explained. It is discovered that dispersed micropores with sizes of 0.1–1 μm on the irradiated surface of pure aluminum can be successfully fabricated after HCPEB irradiation. The dominant formation mechanism of the surface micropores should be attributed to the formation of supersaturation vacancies within the near surface during the HCPEB irradiation and the migration of vacancies along grain boundaries and/or dislocations towards the irradiated surface. It is expected that the HCPEB technique will become a new method for the rapid synthesis of surface porous materials. (condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties)

A hypersonic lift mechanism with decoupled lift and drag surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, YiZhe; Xu, ZhiQi; Li, ShaoGuang; Li, Juan; Bai, ChenYuan; Wu, ZiNiu

2013-05-01

In the present study, we propose a novel lift mechanism for which the lifting surface produces only lift. This is achieved by mounting a two-dimensional shock-shock interaction generator below the lifting surface. The shock-shock interaction theory in conjunction with a three dimensional correction and checked with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to analyze the lift and drag forces as function of the geometrical parameters and inflow Mach number. Through this study, though limited to only inviscid flow, we conclude that it is possible to obtain a high lift to drag ratio by suitably arranging the shock interaction generator.

Effect of ion irradiation on the surface, structural and mechanical properties of brass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmad, Shahbaz; Bashir, Shazia, E-mail: shaziabashir@gcu.edu.pk; Ali, Nisar; Umm-i-Kalsoom,; Yousaf, Daniel; Faizan-ul-Haq,; Naeem, Athar; Ahmad, Riaz; Khlaeeq-ur-Rahman, M.

2014-04-01

Highlights: • Brass targets were exposed to carbon ions of energy 2 MeV. • The effect of ion dose has been investigated. • The surface morphology is investigated by SEM analysis. • XRD analysis is performed to reveal structural modification. • Mechanical properties were investigated by tensile testing and microhardness testing. - Abstract: Modifications to the surface, structural and mechanical properties of brass after ion irradiation have been investigated. Brass targets were bombarded by carbon ions of 2 MeV energy from a Pelletron linear accelerator for various fluences ranging from 56 × 10{sup 12} to 26 × 10{sup 13} ions/cm{sup 2}. A scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer were utilized to analyze the surface morphology and crystallographic structure respectively. To explore the mechanical properties e.g., yield stress, ultimate tensile strength and microhardness of irradiated brass, an universal tensile testing machine and Vickers microhardness tester were used. Scanning electron microscopy results revealed an irregular and randomly distributed sputter morphology for a lower ion fluence. With increasing ion fluence, the incoherently shaped structures were transformed into dendritic structures. Nano/micro sized craters and voids, along with the appearance of pits, were observed at the maximum ion fluence. From X-ray diffraction results, no new phases were observed to be formed in the brass upon irradiation. However, a change in the peak intensity and higher and lower angle shifting were observed, which represents the generation of ion-induced defects and stresses. Analyses confirmed modifications in the mechanical properties of irradiated brass. The yield stress, ultimate tensile strength and hardness initially decreased and then increased with increasing ion fluence. The changes in the mechanical properties of irradiated brass are well correlated with surface and crystallographic modifications and are attributed to the generation

Detailed analysis of surface asperity deformation mechanism in diffusion bonding of steel hollow structural components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, C. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072 (China); Laboratoire de Mecanique des Contacts et des Structures (LaMCoS), INSA Lyon, 20 Avenue des Sciences, F-69621 Villeurbanne Cedex (France); Li, H. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072 (China); Li, M.Q., E-mail: zc9997242256@126.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072 (China)

2016-05-15

Graphical abstract: This study focused on the detailed analysis of surface asperity deformation mechanism in diffusion bonding of steel hollow structural component. A special surface with regular patterns was processed to be joined so as to observe the extent of surface asperity deformation under different applied bonding pressures. Fracture surface characteristic combined with surface roughness profiles distinctly revealed the enhanced surface asperity deformation as the applied pressure increases. The influence of surface asperity deformation mechanism on joint formation was analyzed: (a) surface asperity deformation not only directly expanded the interfacial contact areas, but also released deformation heat and caused defects, indirectly accelerating atomic diffusion, then benefits to void shrinkage; (b) surface asperity deformation readily introduced stored energy difference between two opposite sides of interface grain boundary, resulting in strain induced interface grain boundary migration. In addition, the influence of void on interface grain boundary migration was analyzed in detail. - Highlights: • A high quality hollow structural component has been fabricated by diffusion bonding. • Surface asperity deformation not only expands the interfacial contact areas, but also causes deformation heat and defects to improve the atomic diffusion. • Surface asperity deformation introduces the stored energy difference between the two opposite sides of interface grain boundary, leading to strain induced interface grain boundary migration. • The void exerts a dragging force on the interface grain boundary to retard or stop interface grain boundary migration. - Abstract: This study focused on the detailed analysis of surface asperity deformation mechanism in similar diffusion bonding as well as on the fabrication of high quality martensitic stainless steel hollow structural components. A special surface with regular patterns was processed to be joined so as to

IUTAM Symposium on Surface Effects in the Mechanics of Nanomaterials and Heterostructures : Proceedings of the IUTAM Symposium

CERN Document Server

Wang, Jianxiang

2013-01-01

This volume constitutes the proceedings of the IUTAM Symposium on Surface Effects in the Mechanics of Nanomaterials and Heterostructures, held in Beijing, 8-12 August, 2010. The symposium brought together the most active scientists working in this area from the fields of solid mechanics, composites, physics, and materials science and summarized the state-of-the-art research results with a view to advancing the frontiers of mechanics and materials physics.         Nanomaterials and heterostructures have a large fraction of their atoms at surfaces and  interfaces. These atoms see a different environment to those in the interior and can have a substantial effect on the overall mechanical and physical behaviour of a material. The last decade has witnessed a growing interest in the study of surfaces and how the surface behaviour couples with that of the bulk to determine the overall system response. The papers in this proceedings cover: extension of continuum mechanics and thermodynamics to the nano-scale; ...

On-Surface Pseudo-High-Dilution Synthesis of Macrocycles: Principle and Mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Qitang; Wang, Tao; Dai, Jingya; Kuttner, Julian; Hilt, Gerhard; Gottfried, J Michael; Zhu, Junfa

2017-05-23

Macrocycles have attracted much attention due to their specific "endless" topology, which results in extraordinary properties compared to related linear (open-chain) molecules. However, challenges still remain in their controlled synthesis with well-defined constitution and geometry. Here, we report the successful application of the (pseudo-)high-dilution method to the conditions of on-surface synthesis in ultrahigh vacuum. This approach leads to high yields (up to 84%) of cyclic hyperbenzene ([18]-honeycombene) via an Ullmann-type reaction from 4,4″-dibromo-meta-terphenyl (DMTP) as precursor on a Ag(111) surface. The mechanism of macrocycle formation was explored in detail using scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. We propose that the dominant pathway for hyperbenzene (MTP) 6 formation is the stepwise desilverization of an organometallic (MTP-Ag) 6 macrocycle, which forms via cyclization of (MTP-Ag) 6 chains under pseudo-high-dilution conditions. The high probability of cyclization on the stage of the organometallic phase results from the reversibility of the C-Ag bond. The case is different from that in solution, in which cyclization typically occurs on the stage of a covalently bonded open-chain precursor. This difference in the cyclization mechanism on a surface compared to that in solution stems mainly from the 2D confinement exerted by the surface template, which hinders the flipping of chain segments necessary for cyclization.

Mechanism of Benzene Tribopolymerization on the RuO2 (110) Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, J.; Qi, Y.; Kim, H. D.; Rappe, A. M.

2018-04-01

A tribopolymer formed on the contacts of microelectromechanical and nanoelectromechanical system (MEMS-NEMS) devices is a major concern hampering their practical use in information technology. Conductive metal oxides, such as RuO2 and ReO3 , have been regarded as promising candidate materials for MEMS-NEMS contacts due to their conductivity, hardness, and relatively chemically inert surfaces. However, recent experimental works demonstrate that trace amounts of a polymer could still form on RuO2 surfaces. We demonstrate the mechanism of this class of unexpected tribopolymer formation by conducting density-functional-theory-based computational compression experiments with benzene as the contamination gas. First, mechanical force during compression changes the benzene molecules from slightly physisorbed to strongly chemisorbed. Further compression causes deformation and chemical linkage of the benzene molecules. Finally, the two contacts detach, with one having a complex organic molecule attached and the other a more reactive surface. The complex organic molecule, which has an oxabicyclic segment, can be viewed as the rudiment of a tribopolymer, and the more reactive surface can trigger the next adsorption-reaction-tribopolymer formation cycle. Based on these results, we also predict tribopolymer formation rates by using transition-state theory and the second-order rate law. We promote a deeper understanding of tribopolymer formation (especially on metal oxides) and provide strategies for suppressing tribopolymerization.

Involvement of translation and transcription processes into neurophysiological mechanisms of long-term memory reconsolidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozyrev, S A; Nikitin, V P

2013-03-01

We studied the involvement of translation and transcription processes into behavioral and neuronal mechanisms of reconsolidation of the long-term memory of the conditioned taste aversion in edible snails. Injection of cycloheximide (an inhibitor of protein synthesis) to the snails in 48 h after training combined with subsequent reminder and presentation of the conditional stimulus resulted in the development of persistent amnesia and depression of the responses of the defensive behavior command neurons LPl1 and RPl1 to the conditional stimulus. Injection of mRNA synthesis inhibitors actinomycin D or DRB (5,6-dichloro-1-β-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidasole) in 48 h after conditioning with subsequent reminding procedure produced no effects on memory retention and on the responses of the command neurons to the conditional stimulus. The study suggests that the proteins translated from previously synthesized and stored mRNA were involved in the mechanisms of reconsolidation of the memory responsible for conditioned taste aversion.

Effect of Electropulsing-Assisted Ultrasonic Nanocrystalline Surface Modification on the Surface Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Yongda; Wang, Haibo; Tang, Guoyi; Song, Guolin

2018-05-01

The effect of electropulsing-assisted ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification (EP-UNSM) on surface mechanical properties and microstructure of Ti-6Al-4V alloy is investigated. Compared to conventional ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification (UNSM), EP-UNSM can effectively facilitate surface roughness and morphology, leading to excellent surface roughness (reduced from Ra 0.918 to Ra 0.028 μm by UNSM and Ra 0.019 μm by EP-UNSM) and smoother morphology with less cracks and defects. Surface friction coefficients are enhanced, resulting in lower and smoother friction coefficients. In addition, the surface-strengthened layer and ultra-refined grains are significantly enhanced with more severe plastic deformation and a greater surface hardness (a maximum hardness value of 407 HV and an effective depth of 550 μm, in comparison with the maximum hardness value of 364 HV and effective depth of 300 μm obtained by conventional UNSM). Remarkable enhancement of surface mechanical properties can be attributed to the refined gradient microstructure and the enhanced severe plastic deformation layer induced by coupling the effects of UNSM and electropulsing. The accelerated dislocation mobility and atom diffusion caused by the thermal and athermal effects of electropulsing treatment may be the primary intrinsic reasons for these improvements.

Mechanisms underlying the attachment and spreading of human osteoblasts: from transient interactions to focal adhesions on vitronectin-grafted bioactive surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Brun, Paola; Scorzeto, Michele; Vassanelli, Stefano; Castagliuolo, Ignazio; Palù, Giorgio; Ghezzo, Francesca; Messina, Grazia M L; Iucci, Giovanna; Battaglia, Valentina; Sivolella, Stefano; Bagno, Andrea; Polzonetti, Giovanni; Marletta, Giovanni; Dettin, Monica

2013-04-01

The features of implant devices and the reactions of bone-derived cells to foreign surfaces determine implant success during osseointegration. In an attempt to better understand the mechanisms underlying osteoblasts attachment and spreading, in this study adhesive peptides containing the fibronectin sequence motif for integrin binding (Arg-Gly-Asp, RGD) or mapping the human vitronectin protein (HVP) were grafted on glass and titanium surfaces with or without chemically induced controlled immobilization. As shown by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, human osteoblasts develop adhesion patches only on specifically immobilized peptides. Indeed, cells quickly develop focal adhesions on RGD-grafted surfaces, while HVP peptide promotes filopodia, structures involved in cellular spreading. As indicated by immunocytochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, focal adhesions kinase activation is delayed on HVP peptides with respect to RGD while an osteogenic phenotypic response appears within 24h on osteoblasts cultured on both peptides. Cellular pathways underlying osteoblasts attachment are, however, different. As demonstrated by adhesion blocking assays, integrins are mainly involved in osteoblast adhesion to RGD peptide, while HVP selects osteoblasts for attachment through proteoglycan-mediated interactions. Thus an interfacial layer of an endosseous device grafted with specifically immobilized HVP peptide not only selects the attachment and supports differentiation of osteoblasts but also promotes cellular migration. Copyright © 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the mechanical properties of area-elastic sport surfaces with video analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Koning, J.J.; Nigg, B.M.; Gerritsen, K.G.M.

1997-01-01

Mechanical properties of a surface are assumed to he of importance with respect to injuries, comfort, and performance in sport. For a better understanding of the factors that do influence the etiology of injuries as well as comfort, a method was developed to compare mechanical characteristics of

Dust Tolerant Commodity Transfer Interface Mechanisms for Planetary Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Ivan I.; Mueller, Robert P.; Tamasy, Gabor J.

2014-01-01

Regolith is present on most planetary surfaces such as Earth's moon, Mars, and Asteroids. If human crews and robotic machinery are to operate on these regolith covered surfaces, they must face the consequences of interacting with regolith fines which consist of particles below 100 microns in diameter down to as small as submicron scale particles. Such fine dust will intrude into mechanisms and interfaces causing a variety of problems such as contamination of clean fluid lines, jamming of mechanisms and damaging connector seals and couplings. Since multiple elements must be assembled in space for system level functionality, it will be inevitable that interfaces will be necessary for structural connections, and to pass commodities such as cryogenic liquid propellants, purge and buffer gases, water, breathing air, pressurizing gases, heat exchange fluids, power and data. When fine regolith dust is present in the environment it can be lofted into interfaces where it can compromise the utility of the interface by preventing the connections from being successfully mated, or by inducing fluid leaks or degradation of power and data transmission. A dust tolerant, hand held "quick-disconnect" cryogenic fluids connector housing has been developed at NASA KSC which can be used by astronaut crews to connect flex lines that will transfer propellants and other useful fluids to the end user. In addition, a dust tolerant, automated, cryogenic fluid, multiple connector, power and data interface mechanism prototype has been developed, fabricated and demonstrated by NASA at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The design and operation of these prototypes are explained and discussed.

Mechanism of adhesion of epoxy resin to steel surface; Tekko hyomen to epoxy jushino secchaku mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakazawa, M. [Nippon Steel Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1994-08-01

In the present research, an adhesion-breaking test and a molecular-scale model experiment were conducted to elucidate the adhesion mechanism of epoxy resin (R) to the cold rolled steel sheet (CR) and galvanized steel sheet (GI). As for the adhesive joint strength in the humid environment, the GI is inferior in residual strength to the CR. The GI joint fracture is an interfacial fracture between the plating and adhesive agent, while the CR joint fracture is a combination of cohesive fracture and interfacial fracture. It is attributable to the difference in adhesion mechanism of R and degradation due to humidity between the surface solely of zinc and iron-containing surface. The adhesion state of R to the zinc oxide and iron oxide was observed by temperature-programed desorption in an ultrahigh vacuum. On each of both oxides, the R chemically adsorbs through bond scission between the phenoxy oxide and carbon. If the water dissociatively adsorbs onto the surface, the bond is destroyed between the zinc oxide and R. The formation of interfacial chemical bond contributes to the adhesion of R to the CR and GI. In case of GI, this band is destroyed by the interfacial infiltration of water, while it is not done in case of CR. The CR excels the GI in adhesive durability. 20 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of Ti–Zr beta titanium alloy after laser surface remelting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao, Y.; Li, X.; Wang, Y.Y.; Zhao, W.; Li, G.; Liu, R.P.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The surface mechanical properties of the alloy have been greatly improved. • Its grain size was decreased from 100 μm to 10 μm. • The metastable ω with the size of 20–50 nm was observed in the alloy after LSR. • The strengthening effect is mainly due to fine microstructure and strengthened phase. -- Abstract: The effects of laser surface remelting (LSR) on the microstructural evolution and surface mechanical properties of Ti–Zr beta titanium alloy were investigated. The surfaces of the Ti–Zr alloy was re-melted using a CO 2 laser. X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscope, Transmission electron microscope, nanoindentation, and microhardness analyses were performed to evaluate the microstructural and mechanical properties of the alloy. The results showed that the alloy microstructure in the remelting region was greatly refined and homogeneous compared with that in the base material because of the rapid remelting and resolidifying. Meanwhile, the metastable hexagonal ω phases with the size of 20–50 nm was found and uniformly distributed throughout the β matrix after LSR. Phase transformation and microstructural refinement were the major microstructural changes in the alloys after LSR. The microhardness and elastic modulus in the remelted region clearly increased by 92.9% and 21.78%, respectively, compared with those in the region without laser processing. The strengthening effect of LSR on the mechanical properties of the Ti–Zr alloy was also addressed. Our results indicated that LSR was an effective method of improving the surface mechanical properties of alloys

Hierarchy of mechanisms involved in generating Na/K-ATPase polarity in MDCK epithelial cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mays, R.W.; Siemers, K.A.; Fritz, B.A.; Lowe, A.W.; van Meer, G.; Nelson, W.J.

1995-01-01

We have studied mechanisms involved in generating a polarized distribution of Na/K-ATPase in the basal-lateral membrane of two clones of MDCK II cells. Both clones exhibit polarized distributions of marker proteins of the apical and basal-lateral membranes, including Na/K-ATPase, at steady state.

Surface sensitization mechanism on negative electron affinity p-GaN nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Diao, Yu; Liu, Lei; Xia, Sihao; Feng, Shu; Lu, Feifei

2018-03-01

The surface sensitization is the key to prepare negative electron affinity photocathode. The thesis emphasizes on the study of surface sensitization mechanism of p-type doping GaN nanowires utilizing first principles based on density function theory. The adsorption energy, work function, dipole moment, geometry structure, electronic structure and optical properties of Mg-doped GaN nanowires surfaces with various coverages of Cs atoms are investigated. The GaN nanowire with Mg doped in core position is taken as the sensitization base. At the initial stage of sensitization, the best adsorption site for Cs atom on GaN nanowire surface is BN, the bridge site of two adjacent N atoms. Surface sensitization generates a p-type internal surface with an n-type surface state, introducing a band bending region which can help reduce surface barrier and work function. With increasing Cs coverage, work functions decrease monotonously and the "Cs-kill" phenomenon disappears. For Cs coverage of 0.75 ML and 1 ML, the corresponding sensitization systems reach negative electron affinity state. Through surface sensitization, the absorption curves are red shifted and the absorption coefficient is cut down. All theoretical calculations can guide the design of negative electron affinity Mg doped GaN nanowires photocathode.

Energy storage and dispersion of surface acoustic waves trapped in a periodic array of mechanical resonators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dühring, Maria Bayard; Laude, Vincent; Khelif, Abdelkrim

2009-01-01

It has been shown previously that surface acoustic waves can be efficiently trapped and slowed by steep ridges on a piezoelectric substrate, giving rise to two families of shear-horizontal and vertically polarized surface waves. The mechanisms of energy storage and dispersion are explored by using...... the finite element method to model surface acoustic waves generated by high aspect ratio electrodes. A periodic model is proposed including a perfectly matched layer to simulate radiation conditions away from the sources, from which the modal distributions are found. The ratio of the mechanical energy...... confined to the electrode as compared to the total mechanical energy is calculated and is found to be increasing for increasing aspect ratio and to tend to a definite limit for the two families of surface waves. This observation is in support of the interpretation that high aspect ratio electrodes act...

Composites reinforced via mechanical interlocking of surface-roughened microplatelets within ductile and brittle matrices.

Science.gov (United States)

Libanori, R; Carnelli, D; Rothfuchs, N; Binelli, M R; Zanini, M; Nicoleau, L; Feichtenschlager, B; Albrecht, G; Studart, A R

2016-04-12

Load-bearing reinforcing elements in a continuous matrix allow for improved mechanical properties and can reduce the weight of structural composites. As the mechanical performance of composite systems are heavily affected by the interfacial properties, tailoring the interactions between matrices and reinforcing elements is a crucial problem. Recently, several studies using bio-inspired model systems suggested that interfacial mechanical interlocking is an efficient mechanism for energy dissipation in platelet-reinforced composites. While cheap and effective solutions are available at the macroscale, the modification of surface topography in micron-sized reinforcing elements still represents a challenging task. Here, we report a simple method to create nanoasperities with tailored sizes and densities on the surface of alumina platelets and investigate their micromechanical effect on the energy dissipation mechanisms of nacre-like materials. Composites reinforced with roughened platelets exhibit improved mechanical properties for both organic ductile epoxy and inorganic brittle cement matrices. Mechanical interlocking increases the modulus of toughness (area under the stress-strain curve) by 110% and 56% in epoxy and cement matrices, respectively, as compared to those reinforced with flat platelets. This interlocking mechanism can potentially lead to a significant reduction in the weight of mechanical components while retaining the structural performance required in the application field.

Reaction Mechanisms for the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to CO and Formate on the Cu(100) Surface at 298K from Quantum Mechanics Free Energy Calculations with Explicit Water.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Tao; Xiao, Hai; Goddard, William A

2016-10-11

Copper is the only elemental metal that reduces a significant fraction of CO 2 to hydrocarbons and alcohols, but the atomistic reaction mechanism that controls the product distributions are not known because it has not been possible to detect the reaction intermediates on the electrode surface experimentally, or carry out Quantum Mechanics (QM) calculations with a realistic description of the electrolyte (water). Here, we carry out Quantum Mechanics (QM) calculations with an explicit description of water on the Cu(100) surface (experimentally shown to be stable under CO2RR conditions) to examine the initial reaction pathways to form CO and formate (HCOO - ) from CO 2 through free energy calculations at 298K and pH 7. We find that CO formation proceeds from physisorbed CO 2 to chemisorbed CO 2 (*CO 2 δ- ), with a free energy barrier of ΔG ‡ =0.43 eV, the rate determining step (RDS). The subsequent barriers of protonating *CO 2 δ- to form COOH* and then dissociating COOH* to form *CO are 0.37 eV and 0.30 eV, respectively. HCOO - formation proceeds through a very different pathway in which physisorbed CO 2 reacts directly with a surface H* (along with electron transfer), leading to ΔG ‡ = 0.80 eV. Thus, the competition between CO formation and HCOO - formation occurs in the first electron transfer step. On Cu(100), the RDS for CO formation is lower, making CO the predominant product. Thus, to alter the product distribution we need to control this first step of CO 2 binding, which might involve alloying or changing the structure at the nanoscale.

Mechanical Properties and Tribological Behavior of In Situ NbC/Fe Surface Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Xiaolong; Zhong, Lisheng; Xu, Yunhua

2017-01-01

The mechanical properties and tribological behavior of the niobium carbide (NbC)-reinforced gray cast iron surface composites prepared by in situ synthesis have been investigated. Composites are comprised of a thin compound layer and followed by a deep diffusion zone on the surface of gray cast iron. The graded distributions of the hardness and elastic modulus along the depth direction of the cross section of composites form in the ranges of 6.5-20.1 and 159.3-411.2 GPa, respectively. Meanwhile, dry wear tests for composites were implemented on pin-on-disk equipment at sliding speed of 14.7 × 10-2 m/s and under 5 or 20 N, respectively. The result indicates that tribological performances of composites are considerably dependent on the volume fraction and the grain size of the NbC as well as the mechanical properties of the matrices in different areas. The surface compound layer presents the lowest coefficient of friction and wear rate, and exhibits the highest wear resistance, in comparison with diffusion zone and substrate. Furthermore, the worn morphologies observed reveal the dominant wear mechanism is abrasive wear feature in compound layer and diffusion zone.

Influence of autoclave sterilization on the surface parameters and mechanical properties of six orthodontic wires.

Science.gov (United States)

Pernier, C; Grosgogeat, B; Ponsonnet, L; Benay, G; Lissac, M

2005-02-01

Orthodontic wires are frequently packaged in individual sealed bags in order to avoid cross-contamination. The instructions on the wrapper generally advise autoclave sterilization of the package and its contents if additional protection is desired. However, sterilization can modify the surface parameters and the mechanical properties of many types of material. The aim of this research was to determine the influence of one of the most widely used sterilization processes, autoclaving (18 minutes at 134 degrees C, as recommended by the French Ministry of Health), on the surface parameters and mechanical properties of six wires currently used in orthodontics (one stainless steel alloy: Tru-Chrome RMO; two nickel-titanium shape memory alloys: Neo Sentalloy and Neo Sentalloy with Ionguard GAC; and three titanium-molybdenum alloys: TMA(R) and Low Friction TMA Ormco and Resolve GAC). The alloys were analysed on receipt and after sterilization, using surface structure observation techniques, including optical, scanning electron and atomic force microscopy and profilometry. The mechanical properties were assessed by three-point bending tests. The results showed that autoclave sterilization had no adverse effects on the surface parameters or on the selected mechanical properties. This supports the possibility for practitioners to systematically sterilize wires before placing them in the oral environment.

Imaging of Mechanical Properties of Soft Matter. From Heterogeneous Polymer Surfaces to Single Biomolecules

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schön, Peter Manfred; Gosa, Maria; Vancso, Gyula J.

2013-01-01

In recent years the atomic force microscope (AFM) has evolved from a high resolution imaging tool to an enabling platform for physical studies at the nanoscale including quantitative mapping of mechanical characteristics of surfaces providing simultaneous topography and mechanical property maps

Mechanical, dielectric and surface analysis of hydroxyapatite doped anions for implantations

Science.gov (United States)

Helen, S.; Kumar, A. Ruban

2018-04-01

Calcium Phosphate has broad applications in field of medicine and in tissue engineering. In that hydroxyapatite is one of the calcium phosphate similar to bone and teeth mineral phase. The aim of this paper is to improve mechanical property of hydroxyapatite which has less mechanical strength by doping of ions. The ions increase its strength which can be used in various medical applications. Surface property of hydroxyapatite and electrical property of ion doped hydroxyapatite analyzed and shown that it can be used in implantations, coatings.

Human cortical areas involved in perception of surface glossiness.

Science.gov (United States)

Wada, Atsushi; Sakano, Yuichi; Ando, Hiroshi

2014-09-01

Glossiness is the visual appearance of an object's surface as defined by its surface reflectance properties. Despite its ecological importance, little is known about the neural substrates underlying its perception. In this study, we performed the first human neuroimaging experiments that directly investigated where the processing of glossiness resides in the visual cortex. First, we investigated the cortical regions that were more activated by observing high glossiness compared with low glossiness, where the effects of simple luminance and luminance contrast were dissociated by controlling the illumination conditions (Experiment 1). As cortical regions that may be related to the processing of glossiness, V2, V3, hV4, VO-1, VO-2, collateral sulcus (CoS), LO-1, and V3A/B were identified, which also showed significant correlation with the perceived level of glossiness. This result is consistent with the recent monkey studies that identified selective neural response to glossiness in the ventral visual pathway, except for V3A/B in the dorsal visual pathway, whose involvement in the processing of glossiness could be specific to the human visual system. Second, we investigated the cortical regions that were modulated by selective attention to glossiness (Experiment 2). The visual areas that showed higher activation to attention to glossiness than that to either form or orientation were identified as right hV4, right VO-2, and right V3A/B, which were commonly identified in Experiment 1. The results indicate that these commonly identified visual areas in the human visual cortex may play important roles in glossiness perception. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Numerical and Experimental Study of Mechanisms Involved in Boiling Histotripsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Pahk, Ki Joo; Gélat, Pierre; Sinden, David; Dhar, Dipok Kumar; Saffari, Nader

2017-12-01

The aim of boiling histotripsy is to mechanically fractionate tissue as an alternative to thermal ablation for therapeutic applications. In general, the shape of a lesion produced by boiling histotripsy is tadpole like, consisting of a head and a tail. Although many studies have demonstrated the efficacy of boiling histotripsy for fractionating solid tumors, the exact mechanisms underpinning this phenomenon are not yet well understood, particularly the interaction of a boiling vapor bubble with incoming incident shockwaves. To investigate the mechanisms involved in boiling histotripsy, a high-speed camera with a passive cavitation detection system was used to observe the dynamics of bubbles produced in optically transparent tissue-mimicking gel phantoms exposed to the field of a 2.0-MHz high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducer. We observed that boiling bubbles were generated in a localized heated region and cavitation clouds were subsequently induced ahead of the expanding bubble. This process was repeated with HIFU pulses and eventually resulted in a tadpole-shaped lesion. A simplified numerical model describing the scattering of the incident ultrasound wave by a vapor bubble was developed to help interpret the experimental observations. Together with the numerical results, these observations suggest that the overall size of a lesion induced by boiling histotripsy is dependent on the sizes of (i) the heated region at the HIFU focus and (ii) the backscattered acoustic field by the original vapor bubble. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Determination of Mechanical and Surface Properties of Semicrystalline Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) Nanocomposites

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Moody, Laura E; Marchant, Darrell; Grabow, Wade W; Lee, Andre Y; Mabry, Joseph M

2005-01-01

INTRODUCTION: (1) Nanomodification of semicrystalline polymers -- unequalled thermal, mechanical and surface properties at low volume fractions that cannot be obtained using conventional fillers; (2...

Determination of elastic mechanical characteristics of surface coatings from analysis of signals obtained by impulse excitation

Science.gov (United States)

Nyaguly, E.; Craştiu, I.; Deac, S.; Gozman-Pop, C.; Drăgănescu, G.; Bereteu, L.

2018-01-01

Most of the surface coatings are based on the synthetic polymers, which are substances composed from very large molecules that form tough, flexible, adhesive films when applied to surfaces. The other components of surface coverings materials are pigments that provide colour, opacity, gloss and other properties. Surface coatings are two-phase composite materials: constitute a polymer matrix on the one side, and on the other side of the pigments and additives dispersed in the matrix. Their role is not only aesthetically but also to ensure anticorrosive protection or even improve some mechanical properties of coated surfaces. In this paper it will follow, starting from the mechanical properties of the substrate, the metallic sheet in general, to determine the new properties of the assembly of substrate and the two coating layers, also the determination of mechanical properties of the layers. From the analysis of vibroacoustic signals obtained by the impulse excitation of the sample, one can determine the elasticity modulus. These results come to validate the results based on finite element analysis (FEA) of the same samples.

Effect of ion irradiation on the surface, structural and mechanical properties of brass

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Shahbaz; Bashir, Shazia; Ali, Nisar; Umm-i-Kalsoom; Yousaf, Daniel; Faizan-ul-Haq; Naeem, Athar; Ahmad, Riaz; Khlaeeq-ur-Rahman, M.

2014-04-01

Modifications to the surface, structural and mechanical properties of brass after ion irradiation have been investigated. Brass targets were bombarded by carbon ions of 2 MeV energy from a Pelletron linear accelerator for various fluences ranging from 56 × 1012 to 26 × 1013 ions/cm2. A scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer were utilized to analyze the surface morphology and crystallographic structure respectively. To explore the mechanical properties e.g., yield stress, ultimate tensile strength and microhardness of irradiated brass, an universal tensile testing machine and Vickers microhardness tester were used. Scanning electron microscopy results revealed an irregular and randomly distributed sputter morphology for a lower ion fluence. With increasing ion fluence, the incoherently shaped structures were transformed into dendritic structures. Nano/micro sized craters and voids, along with the appearance of pits, were observed at the maximum ion fluence. From X-ray diffraction results, no new phases were observed to be formed in the brass upon irradiation. However, a change in the peak intensity and higher and lower angle shifting were observed, which represents the generation of ion-induced defects and stresses. Analyses confirmed modifications in the mechanical properties of irradiated brass. The yield stress, ultimate tensile strength and hardness initially decreased and then increased with increasing ion fluence. The changes in the mechanical properties of irradiated brass are well correlated with surface and crystallographic modifications and are attributed to the generation, augmentation, recombination and annihilation of the ion-induced defects.

Effect of fiber surface state on mechanical properties of Cf/Si-O-C composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Song; Chen Zhaohui; Ma Qingsong; Hu Haifeng; Zheng Wenwei

2005-01-01

Three-dimensional braided carbon fiber reinforced silicon oxycarbide composites (3D-B C f /Si-O-C) were fabricated via a polysiloxane infiltration and pyrolysis route. The effects of fiber surface state on microstructure and mechanical properties of C f /Si-O-C composites were investigated. The change of carbon fiber surface state was achieved via heat treatment in vacuum. The results showed that heat treatment decreased carbon fiber surface activity due to the decrease of the amount of oxygen and nitrogen atoms. The C f /Si-O-C composites fabricated from the carbon fiber with low surface activity had excellent mechanical properties, which resulted from perfect interfacial bonding and good in situ fiber strength. The flexural strength and fracture toughness of the C f /Si-O-C composites from the treated fiber were 534 MPa and 23.4 MPa m 1/2 , respectively, which were about 7 and 11 times more than those of the composites from the as-received carbon fiber, respectively

Superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide induce hepatocyte death by different mechanisms : Involvement of JNK and ERK MAP kinases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Conde de la Rosa, L; Schoemaker, MH; Vrenken, TE; Buist-Homan, M; Havinga, R; Jansen, PLM; Moshage, H

Background/Aims: In liver diseases, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in cell death and liver injury, but the mechanisms are not completely elucidated. To elucidate the mechanisms of hepatocyte cell death induced by the ROS superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide, primary cultures of

Superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide induce hepatocyte death by different mechanisms: involvement of JNK and ERK MAP kinases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Conde de la Rosa, Laura; Schoemaker, Marieke H.; Vrenken, Titia E.; Buist-Homan, Manon; Havinga, Rick; Jansen, Peter L. M.; Moshage, Han

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In liver diseases, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in cell death and liver injury, but the mechanisms are not completely elucidated. To elucidate the mechanisms of hepatocyte cell death induced by the ROS superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide, primary cultures of

Determination of Mechanical and Surface Properties of Semicrystalline Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsequioxane (POSS) Nanocomposites

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Moody, Laura E; Marchant, Darrell; Grabow, Wade W; Lee, Andre Y; Mabry, Joseph M

2005-01-01

.... This study examines the ability of POSS to improve the mechanical and surface properties of three semicrystalline polymers, fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP), poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF...

Process induced sub-surface damage in mechanically ground silicon wafers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yu; De Munck, Koen; Teixeira, Ricardo Cotrin; Swinnen, Bart; De Wolf, Ingrid; Verlinden, Bert

2008-01-01

Micro-Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microcopy, atomic force microscopy and preferential etching were used to characterize the sub-surface damage induced by the rough and fine grinding steps used to make ultra-thin silicon wafers. The roughly and ultra-finely ground silicon wafers were examined on both the machined (1 0 0) planes and the cross-sectional (1 1 0) planes. They reveal similar multi-layer damage structures, consisting of amorphous, plastically deformed and elastically stressed layers. However, the thickness of each layer in the roughly ground sample is much higher than its counterpart layers in the ultra-finely ground sample. The residual stress after rough and ultra-fine grinding is in the range of several hundreds MPa and 30 MPa, respectively. In each case, the top amorphous layer is believed to be the result of sequential phase transformations (Si-I to Si-II to amorphous Si). These phase transformations correspond to a ductile grinding mechanism, which is dominating in ultra-fine grinding. On the other hand, in rough grinding, a mixed mechanism of ductile and brittle grinding causes multi-layer damage and sub-surface cracks

Reactive solid surface morphology variation via ionic diffusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Zhenchao; Zhou, Qiang; Fan, Liang-Shih

2012-08-14

In gas-solid reactions, one of the most important factors that determine the overall reaction rate is the solid morphology, which can be characterized by a combination of smooth, convex and concave structures. Generally, the solid surface structure varies in the course of reactions, which is classically noted as being attributed to one or more of the following three mechanisms: mechanical interaction, molar volume change, and sintering. Here we show that if a gas-solid reaction involves the outward ionic diffusion of a solid-phase reactant then this outward ionic diffusion could eventually smooth the surface with an initial concave and/or convex structure. Specifically, the concave surface is filled via a larger outward diffusing surface pointing to the concave valley, whereas the height of the convex surface decreases via a lower outward diffusion flux in the vertical direction. A quantitative 2-D continuum diffusion model is established to analyze these two morphological variation processes, which shows consistent results with the experiments. This surface morphology variation by solid-phase ionic diffusion serves to provide a fourth mechanism that supplements the traditionally acknowledged solid morphology variation or, in general, porosity variation mechanisms in gas-solid reactions.

Coral bleaching under thermal stress: putative involvement of host/symbiont recognition mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidal-Dupiol, Jeremie; Adjeroud, Mehdi; Roger, Emmanuel; Foure, Laurent; Duval, David; Mone, Yves; Ferrier-Pages, Christine; Tambutte, Eric; Tambutte, Sylvie; Zoccola, Didier; Allemand, Denis; Mitta, Guillaume

2009-08-04

Coral bleaching can be defined as the loss of symbiotic zooxanthellae and/or their photosynthetic pigments from their cnidarian host. This major disturbance of reef ecosystems is principally induced by increases in water temperature. Since the beginning of the 1980s and the onset of global climate change, this phenomenon has been occurring at increasing rates and scales, and with increasing severity. Several studies have been undertaken in the last few years to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of coral bleaching but the jigsaw puzzle is far from being complete, especially concerning the early events leading to symbiosis breakdown. The aim of the present study was to find molecular actors involved early in the mechanism leading to symbiosis collapse. In our experimental procedure, one set of Pocillopora damicornis nubbins was subjected to a gradual increase of water temperature from 28 degrees C to 32 degrees C over 15 days. A second control set kept at constant temperature (28 degrees C). The differentially expressed mRNA between the stressed states (sampled just before the onset of bleaching) and the non stressed states (control) were isolated by Suppression Subtractive Hybridization. Transcription rates of the most interesting genes (considering their putative function) were quantified by Q-RT-PCR, which revealed a significant decrease in transcription of two candidates six days before bleaching. RACE-PCR experiments showed that one of them (PdC-Lectin) contained a C-Type-Lectin domain specific for mannose. Immunolocalisation demonstrated that this host gene mediates molecular interactions between the host and the symbionts suggesting a putative role in zooxanthellae acquisition and/or sequestration. The second gene corresponds to a gene putatively involved in calcification processes (Pdcyst-rich). Its down-regulation could reflect a trade-off mechanism leading to the arrest of the mineralization process under stress. Under thermal stress

Analysis the complex interaction among flexible nanoparticles and materials surface in the mechanical polishing process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han Xuesong, E-mail: hanxuesongphd@yahoo.com.cn [School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, 300072 (China); Gan, Yong X. [Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Toledo, OH 43606 (United States)

2011-02-01

Mechanical polishing (MP), being the important technique of realizing the surface planarization, has already been widely applied in the area of microelectronic manufacturing and computer manufacturing technology. The surface planarization in the MP is mainly realized by mechanical process which depended on the microdynamic behavior of nanoparticle. The complex multibody interaction among nanoparticles and materials surface is different from interaction in the macroscopic multibody system which makes the traditional classical materials machining theory cannot accurately uncover the mystery of the surface generation in the MP. Large-scale classical molecular dynamic (MD) simulation of interaction among nanoparticles and solid surface has been carried out to investigate the physical essence of surface planarization. The particles with small impact angle can generate more uniform global planarization surface but the materials removal rate is lower. The shear interaction between particle and substrate may induce large friction torque and lead to the rotation of particle. The translation plus rotation makes the nanoparticle behaved like micro-milling tool. The results show that the nanoparticles may aggregrate together and form larger cluster thus deteriorate surface the quality. This MD simulation results illuminate that the f inal planarized surface can only be acquired by synergic behavior of all particles using various means such as cutting, impacting, scratching, indentation and so on.

Neural mechanisms of intermuscular coherence: Implications for the rectification of surface electromyography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boonstra, T.W.; Breakspear, M.

2012-01-01

Oscillatory activity plays a crucial role in corticospinal control of muscle synergies and is widely investigated using corticospinal and intermuscular synchronization. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms that translate these rhythmic patterns into surface electromyography (EMG) are not well

Involvement of spinal NR2B-containing NMDA receptors in oxaliplatin-induced mechanical allodynia in rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yano Takahisa

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Oxaliplatin is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug characterized by the development of acute and chronic peripheral neuropathies. The chronic neuropathy is a dose-limiting toxicity. We previously reported that repeated administration of oxaliplatin induced cold hyperalgesia in the early phase and mechanical allodynia in the late phase in rats. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of NR2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA receptors in oxaliplatin-induced mechanical allodynia in rats. Results Repeated administration of oxaliplatin (4 mg/kg, i.p., twice a week caused mechanical allodynia in the fourth week, which was reversed by intrathecal injection of MK-801 (10 nmol and memantine (1 μmol, NMDA receptor antagonists. Similarly, selective NR2B antagonists Ro25-6981 (300 nmol, i.t. and ifenprodil (50 mg/kg, p.o. significantly attenuated the oxaliplatin-induced pain behavior. In addition, the expression of NR2B protein and mRNA in the rat spinal cord was increased by oxaliplatin on Day 25 (late phase but not on Day 5 (early phase. Moreover, we examined the involvement of nitric oxide synthase (NOS as a downstream target of NMDA receptor. L-NAME, a non-selective NOS inhibitor, and 7-nitroindazole, a neuronal NOS (nNOS inhibitor, significantly suppressed the oxaliplatin-induced pain behavior. The intensity of NADPH diaphorase staining, a histochemical marker for NOS, in the superficial layer of spinal dorsal horn was obviously increased by oxaliplatin, and this increased intensity was reversed by intrathecal injection of Ro25-6981. Conclusion These results indicated that spinal NR2B-containing NMDA receptors are involved in the oxaliplatin-induced mechanical allodynia.

Improvement of mechanical robustness of the superhydrophobic wood surface by coating PVA/SiO2 composite polymer

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Feng; Wang, Shuliang; Zhang, Ming; Ma, Miaolian; Wang, Chengyu; Li, Jian

2013-09-01

Improvement of the robustness of superhydrophobic surfaces is crucial for the purpose of achieving commercial applications of these surfaces in such various areas as self-cleaning, water repellency and corrosion resistance. We have investigated a fabrication of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/silica (SiO2) composite polymer coating on wooden substrates with super repellency toward water, low sliding angles, low contact angle hysteresis, and relatively better mechanical robustness. The composite polymer slurry, consisting of well-mixing SiO2 particles and PVA, is prepared simply and subsequently coated over wooden substrates with good adhesion. In this study, the mechanical robustness of superhydrophobic wood surfaces was evaluated. The effect of petaloid structures of the composite polymer on robustness was investigated using an abrasion test and the results were compared with those of superhydrophobic wood surfaces fabricated by other processes. The produced wood surfaces exhibited promising superhydrophobic properties with a contact angle of 159̊ and a sliding angle of 4̊, and the relatively better mechanical robustness.

Mechanical Properties of Laminate Materials: From Surface Waves to Bloch Oscillations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liang, Z.; Willatzen, Morten; Christensen, Johan

2015-01-01

for designing Bloch oscillations in classical plate structures and show how mechanical Bloch oscillations can be generated in arrays of solid plates when the modal wavelength is gradually reduced. The design recipe describes how Bloch oscillations in classical structures of arbitrary dimensions can be generated......We propose hitherto unexplored and fully analytical insights into laminate elastic materials in a true condensed-matter-physics spirit. Pure mechanical surface waves that decay as evanescent waves from the interface are discussed, and we demonstrate how these designer Scholte waves are controlled......, and we demonstrate this numerically for structures with millimeter and centimeter dimensions in the kilohertz to megahertz range. Analytical predictions agree entirely with full wave simulations showing how elastodynamics can mimic quantum-mechanical condensed-matter phenomena....

Laser irradiation effects on the surface, structural and mechanical properties of Al-Cu alloy 2024

Science.gov (United States)

Yousaf, Daniel; Bashir, Shazia; Akram, Mahreen; kalsoom, Umm-i.-; Ali, Nisar

2014-02-01

Laser irradiation effects on surface, structural and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mg alloy (Al-Cu alloy 2024) have been investigated. The specimens were irradiated for various fluences ranging from 3.8 to 5.5 J/cm2 using an Excimer (KrF) laser (248 nm, 18 ns, 30 Hz) under vacuum environment. The surface and structural modifications of the irradiated targets have been investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD), respectively. SEM analysis reveals the formation of micro-sized craters along the growth of periodic surface structures (ripples) at their peripheries. The size of the craters initially increases and then decreases by increasing the laser fluence. XRD analysis shows an anomalous trend in the peak intensity and crystallite size of the specimen irradiated for various fluences. A universal tensile testing machine and Vickers microhardness tester were employed in order to investigate the mechanical properties of the irradiated targets. The changes in yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and microhardness were found to be anomalous with increasing laser fluences. The changes in the surface and structural properties of Al-Cu alloy 2024 after laser irradiation have been associated with the changes in mechanical properties.

Mechanical splitting of microtubules into protofilament bundles by surface-bound kinesin-1.

Science.gov (United States)

VanDelinder, Virginia; Adams, Peter G; Bachand, George D

2016-12-21

The fundamental biophysics of gliding microtubule (MT) motility by surface-tethered kinesin-1 motor proteins has been widely studied, as well as applied to capture and transport analytes in bioanalytical microdevices. In these systems, phenomena such as molecular wear and fracture into shorter MTs have been reported due the mechanical forces applied on the MT during transport. In the present work, we show that MTs can be split longitudinally into protofilament bundles (PFBs) by the work performed by surface-bound kinesin motors. We examine the properties of these PFBs using several techniques (e.g., fluorescence microscopy, SEM, AFM), and show that the PFBs continue to be mobile on the surface and display very high curvature compared to MT. Further, higher surface density of kinesin motors and shorter kinesin-surface tethers promote PFB formation, whereas modifying MT with GMPCPP or higher paclitaxel concentrations did not affect PFB formation.

Evidence for the involvement of MC4 receptors in the central mechanisms of opioid antinociception

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Starowicz, Katarzyna

2005-01-01

The data described in this thesis extend general knowledge of the involvement of the MC4 receptor in mechanisms of analgesia. The following aspects outlined below constitute novel information. Firstly, the MC4R localization in the DRG is demonstrated. The MC4 receptor was assumed to exist

Simulating Surface-Enhanced Hyper-Raman Scattering Using Atomistic Electrodynamics-Quantum Mechanical Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Zhongwei; Chulhai, Dhabih V; Jensen, Lasse

2016-12-13

Surface-enhanced hyper-Raman scattering (SEHRS) is the two-photon analogue of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), which has proven to be a powerful tool to study molecular structures and surface enhancements. However, few theoretical approaches to SEHRS exist and most neglect the atomistic descriptions of the metal surface and molecular resonance effects. In this work, we present two atomistic electrodynamics-quantum mechanical models to simulate SEHRS. The first is the discrete interaction model/quantum mechanical (DIM/QM) model, which combines an atomistic electrodynamics model of the nanoparticle with a time-dependent density functional theory description of the molecule. The second model is a dressed-tensors method that describes the molecule as a point-dipole and point-quadrupole object interacting with the enhanced local field and field-gradients (FG) from the nanoparticle. In both of these models, the resonance effects are treated efficiently by means of damped quadratic response theory. Using these methods, we simulate SEHRS spectra for benzene and pyridine. Our results show that the FG effects in SEHRS play an important role in determining both the surface selection rules and the enhancements. We find that FG effects are more important in SEHRS than in SERS. We also show that the spectral features of small molecules can be accurately described by accounting for the interactions between the molecule and the local field and FG of the nanoparticle. However, at short distances between the metal and molecule, we find significant differences in the SEHRS enhancements predicted using the DIM/QM and the dressed-tensors methods.

Femtosecond laser-induced surface wettability modification of polystyrene surface

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bing; Wang, XinCai; Zheng, HongYu; Lam, YeeCheong

2016-12-01

In this paper, we demonstrated a simple method to create either a hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface. With femtosecond laser irradiation at different laser parameters, the water contact angle (WCA) on polystyrene's surface can be modified to either 12.7° or 156.2° from its original WCA of 88.2°. With properly spaced micro-pits created, the surface became hydrophilic probably due to the spread of the water droplets into the micro-pits. While with properly spaced micro-grooves created, the surface became rough and more hydrophobic. We investigated the effect of laser parameters on WCAs and analyzed the laser-treated surface roughness, profiles and chemical bonds by surface profilometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). For the laser-treated surface with low roughness, the polar (such as C—O, C=O, and O—C=O bonds) and non-polar (such as C—C or C—H bonds) groups were found to be responsible for the wettability changes. While for a rough surface, the surface roughness or the surface topography structure played a more significant role in the changes of the surface WCA. The mechanisms involved in the laser surface wettability modification process were discussed.

Micro-mechanisms of Surface Defects Induced on Aluminum Alloys during Plastic Deformation at Elevated Temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Gali, Olufisayo A.

Near-surface deformed layers developed on aluminum alloys significantly influence the corrosion and tribological behavior as well as reduce the surface quality of the rolled aluminum. The evolution of the near-surface microstructures induced on magnesium containing aluminum alloys during thermomechanical processing has been investigated with the aim generating an understanding of the influence of individual forming parameters on its evolution and examine the microstructure of the roll coating induced on the mating steel roll through material transfer during rolling. The micro-mechanisms related to the various features of near-surface microstructure developed during tribological conditions of the simulated hot rolling process were identified. Thermomechanical processing experiments were performed with the aid of hot rolling (operating temperature: 550 to 460 °C, 4, 10 and 20 rolling pass schedules) and hot forming (operating temperature: 350 to 545 °C, strain rate: 4 x 10-2 s-1) tribo-simulators. The surface, near-surface features and material transfer induced during the elevated temperature plastic deformation were examined and characterized employing optical interferometry, SEM/EDS, FIB and TEM. Near-surface features characterized on the rolled aluminum alloys included; cracks, fractured intermetallic particles, aluminum nano-particles, oxide decorated grain boundaries, rolled-in oxides, shingles and blisters. These features were related to various individual rolling parameters which included, the work roll roughness, which induced the formation of shingles, rolling marks and were responsible for the redistribution of surface oxide and the enhancements of the depth of the near-surface damage. The enhanced stresses and strains experienced during rolling were related to the formation and propagation of cracks, the nanocrystalline structure of the near-surface layers and aluminum nano-particles. The mechanism of the evolution of the near-surface microstructure were

The Mechanical of the Small Axisymmetric Oscillations of the Liquid with the Surface Tension Forces in Elastic Tank

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D. A. Goncharov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we investigate small axisymmetric oscillations of a liquid in an elastic tank. We also take into account the influence of surface tension forces. For this, we turn to the mechanical analogue of the considered mechanical system. To realize the transition to mechanical analogue we use the energy method: postulating the equality of kinetic and potential energy for the investigated mechanical system and the mechanical system analog. Due to this transition we can further investigate the oscillations of a mechanical analogue. As a mechanical analogue, we consider the oscillator in the spring. The mass of the oscillator is calculated as the weight of the fluid to make oscillations. The oscillator spring constant is calculated using the identity of equations, namely, equation of free small oscillations of the oscillator and equation of free small oscillations of the system under investigation: the fluid in the elastic tank. The identity of equations allows us to draw conclusion about the identity of the natural frequencies for the source mechanical system and the system of a mechanical analogue. Next, we take into consideration the action of the surface tension. We record the Laplace condition for excess pressure because of the forces of surface tension. Then we compile the expression for the generalized force, taking into account the phenomenon of the surface tension. Next, we write the equation of oscillations of a mechanical analogue. The surface tension, due to the introduction of the generalized force in the equation for small oscillations of the mechanical analogue will change the natural frequency of the mechanical analogue. The paper presents the appropriate dependencies. The abovementioned allows us to investigate the stability of small motions of fluid in microgravity or low gravity by studying the stability of small motions of mechanical analogue. The latter is especially important due to the design and development of advanced

On the mechanics of continua with boundary energies and growing surfaces

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Papastavrou, Areti; Steinmann, Paul; Kuhl, Ellen

2013-06-01

Many biological systems are coated by thin films for protection, selective absorption, or transmembrane transport. A typical example is the mucous membrane covering the airways, the esophagus, and the intestine. Biological surfaces typically display a distinct mechanical behavior from the bulk; in particular, they may grow at different rates. Growth, morphological instabilities, and buckling of biological surfaces have been studied intensely by approximating the surface as a layer of finite thickness; however, growth has never been attributed to the surface itself. Here, we establish a theory of continua with boundary energies and growing surfaces of zero thickness in which the surface is equipped with its own potential energy and is allowed to grow independently of the bulk. In complete analogy to the kinematic equations, the balance equations, and the constitutive equations of a growing solid body, we derive the governing equations for a growing surface. We illustrate their spatial discretization using the finite element method, and discuss their consistent algorithmic linearization. To demonstrate the conceptual differences between volume and surface growth, we simulate the constrained growth of the inner layer of a cylindrical tube. Our novel approach toward continua with growing surfaces is capable of predicting extreme growth of the inner cylindrical surface, which more than doubles its initial area. The underlying algorithmic framework is robust and stable; it allows to predict morphological changes due to surface growth during the onset of buckling and beyond. The modeling of surface growth has immediate biomedical applications in the diagnosis and treatment of asthma, gastritis, obstructive sleep apnoea, and tumor invasion. Beyond biomedical applications, the scientific understanding of growth-induced morphological instabilities and surface wrinkling has important implications in material sciences, manufacturing, and microfabrication, with applications in

Effects of thickness and surface roughness on mechanical properties of aluminum sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, Chang Hee; Jung, Yun Chul; Kim, Young Suk

2010-01-01

The effect of thickness on the mechanical properties of Al 6K21-T4 sheet specimens under uniaxial tension was investigated. In order to reduce the thickness of the specimens without changing the microstructure and grain size, chemical etching was carried out, resulting in Al sheets ranging from 0.40 mm to 1.58 mm in thickness. Additionally, the effect of surface roughness was determined by finite element (FE) calculations performed using FE code MARC 2007. Tensile specimens of varying surface roughness were modeled and simulated. An analysis of the combined effects of the thickness and surface roughness revealed that the yield and tensile strengths decreased when the number of grains over the thickness was decreased. The ductility also decreased when reducing the thickness. An FE simulation showed that both the surface roughness and thickness affected the flow-curve shape. Moreover, the effect of the surface roughness tended to increase when decreasing the sheet thickness of specimens having the same roughness

Study of the mechanisms involved in the laser superficial hardening process of metallic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Edmara Marques Rodrigues da

2001-01-01

The laser superficial hardening process of a ferrous alloy (gray cast iron) and of an aluminum-silicon alloy was investigated in this work. These metallic alloys are used in the automobile industry for manufacturing cylinders and pistons, respectively. By application of individual pulses and single tracks, the involved mechanisms during the processing were studied. Variables such as energy density, power density, temporal width, beam diameter on the sample surface, atmosphere of the processing region, overlapping and scanning velocity. The hardened surface was characterized by optical and scanning electronic microscopy, dispersive energy microanalysis, X-ray mapping, X-ray diffraction, and measurements of roughness and Vickers microhardness. Depending on the processing parameters, it is possible to obtain different microstructures. The affected area of gray cast iron, can be hardened by remelting or transformation hardening (total or partial) if the reached temperature is higher or not that of melting temperature. Laser treatment originated new structures such as retained austenite, martensite and, occasionally, eutectic of cellular dendritic structure. Aluminum-silicon alloy does not have phase transformation in solid state, it can be hardened only by remelting. The increase of hardness is a function of the precipitation hardening process, which makes the silicon particles smaller and more disperse in the matrix. Maximal values of microhardness (700-1000 HV) were reached with the laser treatment in gray cast iron samples. The initial microhardness is of 242 HV. For aluminum-silicon alloy, the laser remelting increases the initial microhardness of 128 HV to the range of 160-320 HV. The found results give a new perspective for using the CLA/IPEN's laser in the heat treatment area. Besides providing a higher absorptivity to the materials, compared with the CO 2 laser, and optical fiber access, the superficial hardening with Nd:YAG laser, depending on the level of

CURVES AND AESTHETIC SURFACES GENERATED BY THE R-R-RTR MECHANISM

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Liliana LUCA

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Let’s consider a mechanism having two driving elements with revolving movements and a RTR dyad, with elements of null length and aesthetic tracks of a point are determined on a rod, for various linear movement laws of driving elements. The generated curves revolve around x and y axes and aesthetic surfaces result.

Pathogenic Mechanisms Involved in the Hematological Alterations of Arenavirus-induced Hemorrhagic Fevers

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Roberto G. Pozner

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs caused by arenaviruses are acute diseases characterized by fever, headache, general malaise, impaired cellular immunity, eventual neurologic involvement, and hemostatic alterations that may ultimately lead to shock and death. The causes of the bleeding are still poorly understood. However, it is generally accepted that these causes are associated to some degree with impaired hemostasis, endothelial cell dysfunction and low platelet counts or function. In this article, we present the current knowledge about the hematological alterations present in VHF induced by arenaviruses, including new aspects on the underlying pathogenic mechanisms.

Insights into the mechanism of acetic acid hydrogenation to ethanol on Cu(111) surface

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Minhua; Yao, Rui; Jiang, Haoxi; Li, Guiming; Chen, Yifei

2017-08-01

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to theoretically explain the reaction mechanism of acetic acid hydrogenation to ethanol on Cu catalyst. The activation barriers of key elementary steps and the adsorption configurations of key intermediates involved in acetic acid hydrogenation on Cu(111) surface were investigated. The results indicated that the direct dissociation of acetic acid to acetyl (CH3COOH → CH3CO + OH) is the rate-determined step. The activation barrier of acetic acid scission to acetyl and the adsorption energy of acetic acid are two descriptors which could determine the conversion of acetic acid. The descriptors might have effects on the ethanol selectivity including: the adsorption energy of acetaldehyde and the activation barriers for Osbnd H bond formation of C2-oxygenates (CH3CO + H → CH3COH, CH3CHO + H → CH3CHOH and CH3CH2O + H → CH3CH2OH). These proposed descriptors could be used as references to design new Cu-based catalysts that have excellent catalytic performance.

Microstructure and surface mechanical properties of pulse electrodeposited nickel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ul-Hamid, A., E-mail: anwar@kfupm.edu.sa [Center of Research Excellence in Corrosion (CoRE-C), Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, P.O. Box 1073, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Dafalla, H.; Quddus, A.; Saricimen, H.; Al-Hadhrami, L.M. [Center of Research Excellence in Corrosion (CoRE-C), Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, P.O. Box 1073, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia)

2011-09-01

The surface of carbon steel was modified by electrochemical deposition of Ni in a standard Watt's bath using dc and pulse plating electrodeposition. The aim was to compare the microstructure and surface mechanical properties of the deposit obtained by both techniques. Materials characterization was conducted using field emission scanning electron microscope fitted with scanning transmission electron detector, atomic force microscope and X-ray diffractometer. Nanoindentation hardness, elastic modulus, adhesion, coefficients of friction and wear rates were determined for both dc and pulse electrodeposits. Experimental results indicate that pulse electrodeposition produced finer Ni grains compared to dc plating. Size of Ni grains increased with deposition. Both dc and pulse deposition resulted in grain growth in preferred (2 0 0) orientation. However, presence of Ni (1 1 1) grains increased in deposits produced by pulse deposition. Pulse plated Ni exhibited higher hardness, creep and coefficient of friction and lower modulus of elasticity compared to dc plated Ni.

Coral bleaching under thermal stress: putative involvement of host/symbiont recognition mechanisms

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Tambutte Sylvie

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Coral bleaching can be defined as the loss of symbiotic zooxanthellae and/or their photosynthetic pigments from their cnidarian host. This major disturbance of reef ecosystems is principally induced by increases in water temperature. Since the beginning of the 1980s and the onset of global climate change, this phenomenon has been occurring at increasing rates and scales, and with increasing severity. Several studies have been undertaken in the last few years to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of coral bleaching but the jigsaw puzzle is far from being complete, especially concerning the early events leading to symbiosis breakdown. The aim of the present study was to find molecular actors involved early in the mechanism leading to symbiosis collapse. Results In our experimental procedure, one set of Pocillopora damicornis nubbins was subjected to a gradual increase of water temperature from 28°C to 32°C over 15 days. A second control set kept at constant temperature (28°C. The differentially expressed mRNA between the stressed states (sampled just before the onset of bleaching and the non stressed states (control were isolated by Suppression Subtractive Hybridization. Transcription rates of the most interesting genes (considering their putative function were quantified by Q-RT-PCR, which revealed a significant decrease in transcription of two candidates six days before bleaching. RACE-PCR experiments showed that one of them (PdC-Lectin contained a C-Type-Lectin domain specific for mannose. Immunolocalisation demonstrated that this host gene mediates molecular interactions between the host and the symbionts suggesting a putative role in zooxanthellae acquisition and/or sequestration. The second gene corresponds to a gene putatively involved in calcification processes (Pdcyst-rich. Its down-regulation could reflect a trade-off mechanism leading to the arrest of the mineralization process under stress

Effect of Processing Steps on the Mechanical Properties and Surface Appearance of 6063 Aluminium Extruded Products

Science.gov (United States)

Asensio-Lozano, Juan; Suárez-Peña, Beatriz; Vander Voort, George F.

2014-01-01

6063 aluminum anodized extrusions may exhibit a common surface defect known as streaking, characterized by the formation of narrow bands with a surface gloss different from the surrounding material. The origin of this banding lies in the differential surface topography produced after etching during the anodizing stage, shown to be connected to certain microstructural characteristics. The present study has attempted to determine the origin of these defects and measure the mechanical properties in these zones, properties which were either barely acceptable or did not meet the specification’s requirements. Quantitative metallography and mechanical testing, both tensile and microhardness, were used for materials assessment at the different steps of the process of manufacturing 6063 anodized extrusions. The results of this research show that nonequilibrium solidification rates during billet casting could lead to the formation of coarse eutectic Mg2Si particles which have a deleterious effect on both mechanical properties and surface appearance in the anodized condition. However, differences in the size and density of the coarse Mg2Si particles have been found to exist in the streak profile compared to the surrounding zones. The study revealed the importance of these particles in explaining the origin of the marginal or sub-marginal properties and anodizing surface defects found. PMID:28788673

Effect of Processing Steps on the Mechanical Properties and Surface Appearance of 6063 Aluminium Extruded Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Asensio-Lozano

2014-05-01

Full Text Available 6063 aluminum anodized extrusions may exhibit a common surface defect known as streaking, characterized by the formation of narrow bands with a surface gloss different from the surrounding material. The origin of this banding lies in the differential surface topography produced after etching during the anodizing stage, shown to be connected to certain microstructural characteristics. The present study has attempted to determine the origin of these defects and measure the mechanical properties in these zones, properties which were either barely acceptable or did not meet the specification’s requirements. Quantitative metallography and mechanical testing, both tensile and microhardness, were used for materials assessment at the different steps of the process of manufacturing 6063 anodized extrusions. The results of this research show that nonequilibrium solidification rates during billet casting could lead to the formation of coarse eutectic Mg2Si particles which have a deleterious effect on both mechanical properties and surface appearance in the anodized condition. However, differences in the size and density of the coarse Mg2Si particles have been found to exist in the streak profile compared to the surrounding zones. The study revealed the importance of these particles in explaining the origin of the marginal or sub-marginal properties and anodizing surface defects found.

Azobenzene as a photoregulator covalently attached to RNA: a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics-surface hopping dynamics study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mondal, Padmabati; Granucci, Giovanni; Rastädter, Dominique; Persico, Maurizio; Burghardt, Irene

2018-05-28

The photoregulation of nucleic acids by azobenzene photoswitches has recently attracted considerable interest in the context of emerging biotechnological applications. To understand the mechanism of photoinduced isomerisation and conformational control in these complex biological environments, we employ a Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) approach in conjunction with nonadiabatic Surface Hopping (SH) dynamics. Two representative RNA-azobenzene complexes are investigated, both of which contain the azobenzene chromophore covalently attached to an RNA double strand via a β-deoxyribose linker. Due to the pronounced constraints of the local RNA environment, it is found that trans -to- cis isomerization is slowed down to a time scale of ∼10-15 picoseconds, in contrast to 500 femtoseconds in vacuo , with a quantum yield reduced by a factor of two. By contrast, cis -to- trans isomerization remains in a sub-picosecond regime. A volume-conserving isomerization mechanism is found, similarly to the pedal-like mechanism previously identified for azobenzene in solution phase. Strikingly, the chiral RNA environment induces opposite right-handed and left-handed helicities of the ground-state cis -azobenzene chromophore in the two RNA-azobenzene complexes, along with an almost completely chirality conserving photochemical pathway for these helical enantiomers.

Mechanical Q-factor measurements on a test mass with a structured surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nawrodt, R [Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Helmholtzweg 5, D-07743 Jena (Germany); Zimmer, A [Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Helmholtzweg 5, D-07743 Jena (Germany); Koettig, T [Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Helmholtzweg 5, D-07743 Jena (Germany); Clausnitzer, T [Institut fuer Angewandte Physik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, D-07743 Jena (Germany); Bunkowski, A [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut) and Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Leibniz Universitaet Hannover, Callinstr. 38, D-30167 Hannover (Germany); Kley, E B [Institut fuer Angewandte Physik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, D-07743 Jena (Germany); Schnabel, R [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut) and Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Leibniz Universitaet Hannover, Callinstr. 38, D-30167 Hannover (Germany); Danzmann, K [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut) and Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Leibniz Universitaet Hannover, Callinstr. 38, D-30167 Hannover (Germany); Nietzsche, S [Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Helmholtzweg 5, D-07743 Jena (Germany); Vodel, W [Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Helmholtzweg 5, D-07743 Jena (Germany); Tuennermann, A [Institut fuer Angewandte Physik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, D-07743 Jena (Germany); Seidel, P [Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Helmholtzweg 5, D-07743 Jena (Germany)

2007-07-15

We present mechanical Q-factors (quality factors) of a crystalline quartz test mass with a nano-structured surface, measured in the temperature regime from 5 to 300 K. The nano-structure was a grating with a period of 2 {mu}m and a depth of about 0.1 {mu}m. Comparative measurements were performed on the plain substrate and on the structured test mass with different numbers of SiO{sub 2}/Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} coating layers. The measurements at different stages of the test mass fabrication process show that the surface distortion induced by the nanostructure does not severely lower the mechanical Q-factor of the substrate. Damping due to a multi-layer coating stack was found to be orders of magnitude higher. The results provide vital information concerning the potential usage of low-thermal noise nano-structured test masses in future generations of high-precision laser interferometers and in current attempts to measure quantum effects of macroscopic mirror oscillators.

Mechanical properties of ceramic structures based on Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) processed by 3D printing

Science.gov (United States)

Restrepo, S.; Ocampo, S.; Ramírez, J. A.; Paucar, C.; García, C.

2017-12-01

Repairing tissues and organs has been the main goal of surgical procedures. Since the 1990s, the main goal of tissue engineering has been reparation, using porous scaffolds that serve as a three-dimensional template for the initial fixation of cells and subsequent tissue formation both in vitro and in vivo. A scaffold must have specific characteristics of porosity, interconnectivity, surface area, pore volume, surface tortuosity, permeability and mechanical properties, which makes its design, manufacturing and characterization a complex process. Inspired by nature, triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) have emerged as an alternative for the manufacture of porous pieces with design requirements, such as scaffolds for tissue repair. In the present work, we used the technique of 3D printing to obtain ceramic structures with Gyroid, Schwarz Primitive and Schwarz Diamond Surfaces shapes, three TPMS that fulfil the geometric requirements of a bone tissue scaffold. The main objective of this work is to compare the mechanical properties of ceramic pieces of three different forms of TPMS printed in 3D using a commercial ceramic paste. In this way it will be possible to clarify which is the TPMS with appropriate characteristics to construct scaffolds of ceramic materials for bone repair. A dependence of the mechanical properties with the geometry was found being the Primitive Surface which shows the highest mechanical properties.

The coupling of mechanical dynamics and induced currents in plates and surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weissenburger, D.W.; Bialek, J.M.

1986-10-01

Significant mechanical reactions and deflections may be produced when electrical eddy currents induced in a conducting structure by transformer-like electromotive forces interact with background magnetic fields. Additional eddy currents induced by structural motion through the background fields modify both the mechanical and electrical dynamic behavior of the system. The observed effects of these motional eddy currents are sometimes referred to as magnetic damping and magnetic stiffness. This paper addresses the coupled structural deformation and eddy currents in flat plates and simple two-dimensional surfaces in three-space. A coupled system of equations has been formulated using finite element techniques for the mechanical aspects and a mesh network method for the electrical aspects of the problem

Physical and mechanical properties of spinach for whole-surface online imaging inspection

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Xiuying; Mo, Chang Y.; Chan, Diane E.; Peng, Yankun; Qin, Jianwei; Yang, Chun-Chieh; Kim, Moon S.; Chao, Kuanglin

2011-06-01

The physical and mechanical properties of baby spinach were investigated, including density, Young's modulus, fracture strength, and friction coefficient. The average apparent density of baby spinach leaves was 0.5666 g/mm3. The tensile tests were performed using parallel, perpendicular, and diagonal directions with respect to the midrib of each leaf. The test results showed that the mechanical properties of spinach are anisotropic. For the parallel, diagonal, and perpendicular test directions, the average values for the Young's modulus values were found to be 2.137MPa, 1.0841 MPa, and 0.3914 MPa, respectively, and the average fracture strength values were 0.2429 MPa, 0.1396 MPa, and 0.1113 MPa, respectively. The static and kinetic friction coefficient between the baby spinach and conveyor belt were researched, whose test results showed that the average coefficients of kinetic and maximum static friction between the adaxial (front side) spinach leaf surface and conveyor belt were 1.2737 and 1.3635, respectively, and between the abaxial (back side) spinach leaf surface and conveyor belt were 1.1780 and 1.2451 respectively. These works provide the basis for future development of a whole-surface online imaging inspection system that can be used by the commercial vegetable processing industry to reduce food safety risks.

Investigations into the involvement of NMDA mechanisms in recognition memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Warburton, E Clea; Barker, Gareth R I; Brown, Malcom W

2013-11-01

This review will focus on evidence showing that NMDA receptor neurotransmission is critical for synaptic plasticity processes within brain regions known to be necessary for the formation of object recognition memories. The aim will be to provide evidence concerning NMDA mechanisms related to recognition memory processes and show that recognition memory for objects, places or associations between objects and places depends on NMDA neurotransmission within the perirhinal cortex, temporal association cortex medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Administration of the NMDA antagonist AP5, selectively into each of these brain regions has revealed that the extent of the involvement NMDA receptors appears dependent on the type of information required to solve the recognition memory task; thus NMDA receptors in the perirhinal cortex are crucial for the encoding of long-term recognition memory for objects, and object-in-place associations, but not for short-term recognition memory or for retrieval. In contrast the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex are required for both long-term and short-term recognition memory for places or associations between objects and places, or for recognition memory tasks that have a temporal component. Such studies have therefore confirmed that the multiple brain regions make distinct contributions to recognition memory but in addition that more than one synaptic plasticity process must be involved. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Glutamate Receptor-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity'. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms and factors involved in hip injuries during frontal crashes.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoganandan, N; Pintar, F A; Gennarelli, T A; Maltese, M R; Eppinger, R H

2001-11-01

This study was conducted to collect data and gain insights relative to the mechanisms and factors involved in hip injuries during frontal crashes and to study the tolerance of hip injuries from this type of loading. Unembalmed human cadavers were seated on a standard automotive seat (reinforced) and subjected to knee impact test to each lower extremity. Varying combinations of flexion and adduction/abduction were used for initial alignment conditions and pre-positioning. Accelerometers were fixed to the iliac wings and twelfth thoracic vertebral spinous process. A 23.4-kg padded pendulum impacted the knee at velocities ranging from 4.3 to 7.6 m/s. The impacting direction was along the anteroposterior axis, i.e., the global X-axis, in the body-fixed coordinate system. A load cell on the front of the pendulum recorded the impact force. Peak impact forces ranged from 2,450 to 10,950 N. The rate of loading ranged from 123 to 7,664 N/msec. The impulse values ranged from 12.4 to 31.9 Nsec. Injuries were not apparent in three tests. Eight tests resulted in trauma. Fractures involving the pelvis including the acetabulum and proximal femur occurred in five out of the eight tests, and distal femoral bone fracture occurred in one test. These results underscore the importance of leg pre-positioning and the orientation of the impacting axis to produce specific types of trauma to the pelvic region of the lower extremity.

The prediction of BRDFs from surface profile measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Church, E.L.; Takacs, P.Z.; Leonard, T.A.

1989-01-01

This paper discusses methods of predicting the BRDF of smooth surfaces from profile measurements of their surface finish. The conversion of optical profile data to the BRDF at the same wavelength is essentially independent of scattering models, while the conversion of mechanical measurements, and wavelength scaling in general, are model dependent. Procedures are illustrated for several surfaces, including two from the recent HeNe BRDF round robin, and results are compared with measured data. Reasonable agreement is found except for surfaces which involve significant scattering from isolated surface defects which are poorly sampled in the profile data

Early stages of Cs adsorption mechanism for GaAs nanowire surface

Science.gov (United States)

Diao, Yu; Liu, Lei; Xia, Sihao; Feng, Shu

2018-03-01

In this study, the adsorption mechanism of Cs adatoms on the (100) surface of GaAs nanowire with [0001] growth direction is investigated utilizing first principles method based on density function theory. The adsorption energy, work function, atomic structure and electronic property of clean surface and Cs-covered surfaces with different coverage are discussed. Results show that when only one Cs is adsorbed on the surface, the most favorable adsorption site is BGa-As. With increasing Cs coverage, work function gradually decreases and gets its minimum at 0.75 ML, then rises slightly when Cs coverage comes to 1 ML, indicating the existence of 'Cs-kill' phenomenon. According to further analysis, Cs activation process can effectively reduce the work function due to the formation of a downward band bending region and surface dipole moment directing from Cs adatom to the surface. As Cs coverage increases, the conduction band minimum and valence band maximum both shift towards lower energy side, contributed by the orbital hybridization between Cs-5s, Cs-5p states and Ga-4p, As-4s, As-4p states near Fermi level. The theoretical calculations and analysis in this study can improve the Cs activation technology for negative electron affinity optoelectronic devices based on GaAs nanowires, and also provide a reference for the further Cs/O or Cs/NF3 activation process.

Correlation between the wear behaviour and the mechanical properties of several surface treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lelait, L.; Lina, A.; Rezakhanlou, R.; Duysen, J.C. van; Stebut, J. von

1993-01-01

Surface mechanical strength of chromium base (electrolytic and plasma sprayed) coatings is studied for friction and wear applications in nuclear environment. Indentation, scratch, and wear testing results are compared. In particular intrinsic coating brittleness is investigated as a mechanism responsible for impact wear. Electrolytic, hard chromium plate has a wear resistance well below that of the spray coated specimens studied. Acoustic emission level and brittle damage features are shown to be correlated. (orig.)

On fatigue crack growth mechanisms of MMC: Reflection on analysis of 'multi surface initiations'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mkaddem, A.; El Mansori, M.

2009-01-01

This work attempts to examine the mechanisms of fatigue when cracks synergetically initiate in more than one site at the specimen surface. The metal matrix composites (MMC) i.e. silicon carbide particles reinforced aluminium matrix composites (Al/SiC p -MMC), seem to be good candidates to accelerate fatigue failures following multi surface initiations (MSI). Closure effects of MSI mechanisms on the variation of fatigue behaviour are explored for various stress states. Experiments were carried out using non pre-treated and pre-treated specimens. Using an Equivalent Ellipse Method (EEM), it is shown that the aspect of surface finish of specimen plays an important role on crack growth. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) inspections have lead to distinguishing the initiation regions from propagation regions and final separation regions. It is also revealed that the total lifetime of specimens is sensitive to heat treatment. Moreover, it is found that the appearance of MSI in cycled materials is more probable at high level of fatigue loads.

Surface transport mechanisms in molecular glasses probed by the exposure of nano-particles

Science.gov (United States)

Ruan, Shigang; Musumeci, Daniele; Zhang, Wei; Gujral, Ankit; Ediger, M. D.; Yu, Lian

2017-05-01

For a glass-forming liquid, the mechanism by which its surface contour evolves can change from bulk viscous flow at high temperatures to surface diffusion at low temperatures. We show that this mechanistic change can be conveniently detected by the exposure of nano-particles native in the material. Despite its high chemical purity, the often-studied molecular glass indomethacin contains low-concentration particles approximately 100 nm in size and 0.3% in volume fraction. Similar particles are present in polystyrene, another often-used model. In the surface-diffusion regime, particles are gradually exposed in regions vacated by host molecules, for example, the peak of a surface grating and the depletion zone near a surface crystal. In the viscous-flow regime, particle exposure is not observed. The surface contour around an exposed particle widens over time in a self-similar manner as 3 (Bt)1/4, where B is a surface mobility constant and the same constant obtained by surface grating decay. This work suggests that in a binary system composed of slow- and fast-diffusing molecules, slow-diffusing molecules can be stranded in surface regions vacated by fast-diffusing molecules, effectively leading to phase separation.

Mechanisms involved in the chemical inhibition of the Eosin-sensitized photooxidation of trypsin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rizzuto, F.; Spikes, J.D.

1975-01-01

A large series of compounds was screened for ability to protect trypsin from eosin-sensitized photodynamic inactivation. Eosin-sensitized photooxidation reactions of this type typically proceed via the triplet state of the dye and often involve singlet state oxygen as the oxidizing entity. In order to determine the mechanisms by which trypsin is protected from photoinactivation, a number of good protective agents (inhibitors) and some non-protective agents were selected for more detailed flash photolysis studies. Good inhibitors such as p-phenylenediamine, n-propyl gallate, serotonin creatinine sulfate and p-toluenediamine competed efficiently with oxygen and with trypsin for reaction with the triplet state of eosin. The inhibitors were shown to quench triplet eosin to the ground state and/or reduce triplet eosin to form the semireduced eosin radical and an oxidized form of the inhibitor. In the latter case, oxidized inhibitor could react by a reverse electron transfer reaction with the semireduced eosin radical to regenerate ground state eosin and the inhibitor. The good inhibitors also competed effectively with trypsin for oxidation by semioxidized eosin, thus giving another possible protective mechanism. Non-inhibitors such as halogen ions and the paramagnetic ions Co/sup + +/, Cu/sup + +/ and Mn/sup + +/ reacted only slowly with triplet and with semioxidized eosin. The primary pathway for the eosin-sensitized photooxidation of trypsin at pH 8.0 involved singlet oxygen, although semioxidized eosin may also participate.

Applications of surface analysis and surface theory in tribology

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrante, John

1989-01-01

Tribology, the study of adhesion, friction and wear of materials, is a complex field which requires a knowledge of solid state physics, surface physics, chemistry, material science, and mechanical engineering. It has been dominated, however, by the more practical need to make equipment work. With the advent of surface analysis and advances in surface and solid-state theory, a new dimension has been added to the analysis of interactions at tribological interfaces. In this paper the applications of tribological studies and their limitations are presented. Examples from research at the NASA Lewis Research Center are given. Emphasis is on fundamental studies involving the effects of monolayer coverage and thick films on friction and wear. A summary of the current status of theoretical calculations of defect energetics is presented. In addition, some new theoretical techniques which enable simplified quantitative calculations of adhesion, fracture, and friction are discussed.

Insights into the activation mechanism of calcium ions on the sericite surface: A combined experimental and computational study

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yuehua; He, Jianyong; Zhang, Chenhu; Zhang, Chenyang; Sun, Wei; Zhao, Dongbo; Chen, Pan; Han, Haisheng; Gao, Zhiyong; Liu, Runqing; Wang, Li

2018-01-01

The adsorption behaviors and the activation mechanism of calcium ions (Ca2+) on sericite surface have been investigated by Zeta potential measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Micro-flotation tests and First principle calculations. Zeta potential tests results show that the sericite surface potential increases due to the adsorption of calcium ions on the surface. Micro-flotation tests demonstrate that sericite recovery remarkably rise by 10% due to the calcium ions activation on sericite surface. However, the characteristic adsorption bands of calcium oleate do not appear in the FT-IR spectrum, suggesting that oleate ions just physically adsorb on the sericite surface. The first principle calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT) further reveals the microscopic adsorption mechanism of calcium ions on the sericite surface before and after hydration.

Role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of copper nanowire under tensile load: A molecular dynamics simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Wei-Ting; Hsiao, Chun-I.; Hsu, Wen-Dung

2014-01-01

In this study we have used atomistic simulations to investigate the role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of nanowires. In particular, we have performed computational investigation on single crystal face-centered cubic copper nano-wires with diameters ranging from 2 to 20 nm. The wire axis for all the nanowires are considered along the [0 0 1] direction. Characterization of the initial optimized structures revealed clear differences in interatomic spacing, stress, and potential energy in all the nanowires. The mechanical properties with respect to wire diameter are evaluated by applying tension along the [0 0 1] direction until yielding. We have discussed the stress–strain relationships, Young's modulus, and the variation in potential energy from surface to the center of the wire for all the cases. Our results indicate that the mechanical response (including yield strain, Young's modulus, and resilience) is directly related to the proportion of surface to bulk type atoms present in each nanowire. Thus the size-dependent mechanical properties of single crystal copper nanowire within elastic region are attributed to the surface to volume ratio (surface effect). Using the calculated response, we have formulated a mathematical relationship, which predicts the nonlinear correlation between the mechanical properties and the diameter of the wire.

Role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of copper nanowire under tensile load: A molecular dynamics simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Wei-Ting [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Hsiao, Chun-I. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Promotion Center for Global Materials Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Hsu, Wen-Dung, E-mail: wendung@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China); Promotion Center for Global Materials Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101 Taiwan (China)

2014-01-15

In this study we have used atomistic simulations to investigate the role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of nanowires. In particular, we have performed computational investigation on single crystal face-centered cubic copper nano-wires with diameters ranging from 2 to 20 nm. The wire axis for all the nanowires are considered along the [0 0 1] direction. Characterization of the initial optimized structures revealed clear differences in interatomic spacing, stress, and potential energy in all the nanowires. The mechanical properties with respect to wire diameter are evaluated by applying tension along the [0 0 1] direction until yielding. We have discussed the stress–strain relationships, Young's modulus, and the variation in potential energy from surface to the center of the wire for all the cases. Our results indicate that the mechanical response (including yield strain, Young's modulus, and resilience) is directly related to the proportion of surface to bulk type atoms present in each nanowire. Thus the size-dependent mechanical properties of single crystal copper nanowire within elastic region are attributed to the surface to volume ratio (surface effect). Using the calculated response, we have formulated a mathematical relationship, which predicts the nonlinear correlation between the mechanical properties and the diameter of the wire.

Oxidation and metal-insertion in molybdenite surfaces: evaluation of charge-transfer mechanisms and dynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shutthanandan V

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2, a layered transition-metal dichalcogenide, has been of special importance to the research community of geochemistry, materials and environmental chemistry, and geotechnical engineering. Understanding the oxidation behavior and charge-transfer mechanisms in MoS2 is important to gain better insight into the degradation of this mineral in the environment. In addition, understanding the insertion of metals into molybdenite and evaluation of charge-transfer mechanism and dynamics is important to utilize these minerals in technological applications. Furthermore, a detailed investigation of thermal oxidation behavior and metal-insertion will provide a basis to further explore and model the mechanism of adsorption of metal ions onto geomedia. The present work was performed to understand thermal oxidation and metal-insertion processes of molybdenite surfaces. The analysis was performed using atomic force microscopy (AFM, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS, and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA. Structural studies using SEM and TEM indicate the local-disordering of the structure as a result of charge-transfer process between the inserted lithium and the molybdenite layer. Selected area electron diffraction measurements indicate the large variations in the diffusivity of lithium confirming that the charge-transfer is different along and perpendicular to the layers in molybdenite. Thermal heating of molybenite surface in air at 400°C induces surface oxidation, which is slow during the first hour of heating and then increases significantly. The SEM results indicate that the crystals formed on the molybdenite surface as a result of thermal oxidation exhibit regular thin-elongated shape. The average size and density of the crystals on the surface is dependent on the time of annealing; smaller size and high density during the first one-hour and

Oxidation and metal-insertion in molybdenite surfaces: evaluation of charge-transfer mechanisms and dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramana, C V; Becker, U; Shutthanandan, V; Julien, C M

2008-06-05

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a layered transition-metal dichalcogenide, has been of special importance to the research community of geochemistry, materials and environmental chemistry, and geotechnical engineering. Understanding the oxidation behavior and charge-transfer mechanisms in MoS2 is important to gain better insight into the degradation of this mineral in the environment. In addition, understanding the insertion of metals into molybdenite and evaluation of charge-transfer mechanism and dynamics is important to utilize these minerals in technological applications. Furthermore, a detailed investigation of thermal oxidation behavior and metal-insertion will provide a basis to further explore and model the mechanism of adsorption of metal ions onto geomedia.The present work was performed to understand thermal oxidation and metal-insertion processes of molybdenite surfaces. The analysis was performed using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA).Structural studies using SEM and TEM indicate the local-disordering of the structure as a result of charge-transfer process between the inserted lithium and the molybdenite layer. Selected area electron diffraction measurements indicate the large variations in the diffusivity of lithium confirming that the charge-transfer is different along and perpendicular to the layers in molybdenite. Thermal heating of molybenite surface in air at 400 degrees C induces surface oxidation, which is slow during the first hour of heating and then increases significantly. The SEM results indicate that the crystals formed on the molybdenite surface as a result of thermal oxidation exhibit regular thin-elongated shape. The average size and density of the crystals on the surface is dependent on the time of annealing; smaller size and high density during the first one-hour and significant

Mechanical Drawing of Gas Sensors on Paper

OpenAIRE

Esser, Birgit; Mirica, Katherine; Weis, Jonathan Garrett; Schnorr, Jan Markus; Swager, Timothy Manning

2012-01-01

This communication describes a simple solvent-free method for fabricating chemoresistive gas sensors on the surface of paper. The method involves mechanical abrasion of compressed powders of sensing materials on the fibers of cellulose. We illustrate this approach by depositing conductive layers of several forms of carbon (e.g., single-walled carbon nanotubes [SWCNTs], multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and graphite) on the surface of different papers (Figure 1, Figure S1). The resulting sensors ...

The mechanisms involved at the cell level; Les mecanismes mis en jeu au niveau cellulaire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leblanc, G.; Pourcher, Th.; Perron, B. [Nice Univ., Dir. des Sciences du Vivant, Dept. de Biologie Joliot-Curie, 06 (France); Guillain, F. [CEA Grenoble, Dir. des Sciences du Vivant, 38 (France); Quemeneur, E. [CEA Marcoule, Dir. des Sciences du Vivant, 30 (France); Fritsch, P. [CEA Bruyeres le Chatel, Dir. des Sciences du Vivant, 91 (France)

2003-07-01

The mechanisms responsible at the cell level for inducing toxic reactions after contamination are as yet only imperfectly known. Work still needs to be done for both contaminants that have a biological role, such as iodine, and those that do not, such as cadmium, uranium and plutonium. In particular, these mechanisms bring into play, in biological membranes, carriers which are the physiological partners responsible for material exchange with the environment or inside the body. As they lack absolute selectivity, these carriers, which are involved in the assimilation and accumulation of vital mineral elements, also have the ability to transport toxic elements and isotopes. (authors)

Modification of the iron mechanical- and corrosion features by ion implantation in surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baumvol, I.J.R.

1981-01-01

The physical mechanisms responsable by the tin ion implantation in the iron surface at moderated doses are studied. Several techniques are used such as alpha-particle Rutherford backscattering, conversion electron Moessbauer spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. (L.C.) [pt

A comparative investigation of bone surface after cutting with mechanical tools and Er:YAG laser.

Science.gov (United States)

Baek, Kyung-Won; Deibel, Waldemar; Marinov, Dilyan; Griessen, Mathias; Dard, Michel; Bruno, Alfredo; Zeilhofer, Hans-Florian; Cattin, Philippe; Juergens, Philipp

2015-07-01

Despite of the long history of medical application, laser ablation of bone tissue became successful only recently. Laser bone cutting is proven to have higher accuracy and to increase bone healing compared to conventional mechanical bone cutting. But the reason of subsequent better healing is not biologically explained yet. In this study we present our experience with an integrated miniaturized laser system mounted on a surgical lightweight robotic arm. An Erbium-doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Er:YAG) laser and a piezoelectric (PZE) osteotome were used for comparison. In six grown up female Göttingen minipigs, comparative surgical interventions were done on the edentulous mandibular ridge. Our laser system was used to create different shapes of bone defects on the left side of the mandible. On the contralateral side, similar bone defects were created by PZE osteotome. Small bone samples were harvested to compare the immediate post-operative cut surface. The analysis of the cut surface of the laser osteotomy and conventional mechanical osteotomy revealed an essential difference. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed biologically open cut surfaces from the laser osteotomy. The samples from PZE osteotomy showed a flattened tissue structure over the cut surface, resembling the "smear layer" from tooth preparation. We concluded that our new finding with the mechanical osteotomy suggests a biological explanation to the expected difference in subsequent bone healing. Our hypothesis is that the difference of surface characteristic yields to different bleeding pattern and subsequently results in different bone healing. The analyses of bone healing will support our hypothesis. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Modifications of mechanical characteristics and iron corrosion by ionic implantation on surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baumvol, I.J.

1980-01-01

Tin ionic implantation on pure iron surface at moderate doses (5x10 15 to 5x10 16 ) Sn + Cu -2 ) has proven to be very efficient in improving the metal characteristics to oxidation and abrasion at high temperature. The abrasion volumetric coefficient K v , is reduced from up to 100 times, and the oxidation tax constant is reduced from up to 10 times. The physical mechanisms responsible for these phenomena are studied using different techniques of surface analysis; as Rutherford backscattering of alpha particles, Moessbauer spectroscopy of conversion electrons and sweeping electronic microscopy. (A.C.A.S.) [pt

Predictive Mechanisms Are Not Involved the Same Way during Human-Human vs. Human-Machine Interactions: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aïsha Sahaï

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, interactions with others do not only involve human peers but also automated systems. Many studies suggest that the motor predictive systems that are engaged during action execution are also involved during joint actions with peers and during other human generated action observation. Indeed, the comparator model hypothesis suggests that the comparison between a predicted state and an estimated real state enables motor control, and by a similar functioning, understanding and anticipating observed actions. Such a mechanism allows making predictions about an ongoing action, and is essential to action regulation, especially during joint actions with peers. Interestingly, the same comparison process has been shown to be involved in the construction of an individual's sense of agency, both for self-generated and observed other human generated actions. However, the implication of such predictive mechanisms during interactions with machines is not consensual, probably due to the high heterogeneousness of the automata used in the experimentations, from very simplistic devices to full humanoid robots. The discrepancies that are observed during human/machine interactions could arise from the absence of action/observation matching abilities when interacting with traditional low-level automata. Consistently, the difficulties to build a joint agency with this kind of machines could stem from the same problem. In this context, we aim to review the studies investigating predictive mechanisms during social interactions with humans and with automated artificial systems. We will start by presenting human data that show the involvement of predictions in action control and in the sense of agency during social interactions. Thereafter, we will confront this literature with data from the robotic field. Finally, we will address the upcoming issues in the field of robotics related to automated systems aimed at acting as collaborative agents.

Damage Mechanism in Counter Pairs Caused by Bionic Non-smoothed Surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHANG Zhan-hui

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Four biomimetic non-smoothed surface specimens with different shapes were prepared by laser processing. Tests were conducted on MMU-5G wear and abrasion test machine to study the influencing rule of non-smoothed surfaces on counter pairs. The results show that the mass loss of the friction pair matching with the non-smoothed units is much greater than the ones matching with the smooth specimens. The pairs matching with different non-smoothed units suffer differently. The non-smoothed surface protruding zone exerts micro cutting on counter pairs. The striation causes the greatest mass loss of the pairs than the other non-smoothed units, which almost doubles the damage of the grid ones suffering the least. The difference in pairs damage is attributed to the different mechanism of undertaking the load in the process of wear. The damage can be alleviated effectively by changing the shapes of the units without increasing or decreasing the area ratio of the non-smoothed units.

Role of surfaces and interfaces in controlling the mechanical properties of metallic alloys.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Won-Jong; Chia, Wen-Jui; Wang, Jinliu; Chen, Yanfeng; Vaynman, Semyon; Fine, Morris E; Chung, Yip-Wah

2010-11-02

This article explores the subtle effects of surfaces and interfaces on the mechanical properties of bulk metallic alloys using three examples: environmental effects on fatigue life, hydrogen embrittlement effects on the ductility of intermetallics, and the role of coherent precipitates in the toughness of steels. It is demonstrated that the marked degradation of the fatigue life of metals is due to the strong chemisorption of adsorbates on exposed slip steps that are formed during fatigue deformation. These adsorbates reduce the reversibility of slip, thus accelerating fatigue damage in a chemically active gas environment. For certain intermetallic alloys such as Ni(3)Al and Ni(3)Fe, the ductility depends on the ambient gas composition and the atomic ordering in these alloys, both of which govern the complex surface chemical reactions taking place in the vicinity of crack tips. Finally, it is shown that local stresses at a coherent precipitate-matrix interface can activate dislocation motion at low temperatures, thus improving the fracture toughness of bulk alloys such as steels at cryogenic temperatures. These examples illustrate the complex interplay between surface chemistry and mechanics, often yielding unexpected results.

Metal Surface Modification for Obtaining Nano- and Sub-Nanostructured Protective Layers

Science.gov (United States)

Ledovskykh, Volodymyr; Vyshnevska, Yuliya; Brazhnyk, Igor; Levchenko, Sergiy

2017-03-01

Regularities of the phase protective layer formation in multicomponent systems involving inhibitors with different mechanism of protective action have been investigated. It was shown that optimization of the composition of the inhibition mixture allows to obtain higher protective efficiency owing to improved microstructure of the phase layer. It was found that mechanism of the film formation in the presence of NaNO2-PHMG is due to deposition of slightly soluble PHMG-Fe complexes on the metal surface. On the basis of the proposed mechanism, the advanced surface engineering methods for obtaining nanoscaled and sub-nanostructured functional coatings may be developed.

Experimental identification for physical mechanism of fiber-form nanostructure growth on metal surfaces with helium plasma irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takamura, S., E-mail: takamura@aitech.ac.jp [Faculty of Engineering, Aichi Institute of Technology, Yakusa-cho, Toyota 470-0392 (Japan); Uesugi, Y. [Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192 (Japan)

2015-11-30

Highlights: • Initial growth process of fiber-form nanostructure on metal surfaces under helium ion irradiation is given based on experimental knowledge, where the pitting of original surface and forming nano-walls and/or loop-like nanostructure works as precursors. • The physical mechanism of fiber growth is discussed in terms of shear modulus of metals influenced by helium content as well as surface temperature. • The physical model explains the reason why tantalum does not make sufficiently grown nano-fibers, and the temperature dependence of surface morphology of titanium. - Abstract: The initial stage of fiber-form nanostructure growth on metal surface with helium plasma irradiation is illustrated, taking recent research knowledge using a flux gradient technique, and including loop-like nano-scale structure as precursors. The growth mechanism of fibers is discussed in terms of the shear modulus of various materials that is influenced by the helium content as well as the surface temperature, and the mobility of helium atoms, clusters and/or nano-bubbles in the bulk, loops and fibers. This model may explain the reason why tantalum does not provide fiber-form nanostructure although the loop-like structure was identified. The model also suggests the mechanism of an existence of two kinds of nanostructure of titanium depending on surface temperature. Industrial applications of such nanostructures are suggested in the properties and the possibilities of its growth on other basic materials.

Effect of surface decarburization on the mechanical properties of high strength low alloy steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saqib, S.

1993-01-01

An attempt has been made to study the relationship of mechanical properties with the microstructure of a high strength low alloy steel. A thorough investigation was conducted on the steel sheet and variation in mechanical properties was observed across its thickness with a change in the microstructure. Change in hardness and tensile strength at the surface compare to the core of the material is attributed to decarburization. The current research indicates that the correlation between hardness and tensile strength is not valid for steels if the hardness is determined on the surface only. Great care should be taken at the time of determination of tensile strength by using conversion charts/tables on the basis of hardness values obtained by practical means. (author)

Photo-induced surface functionalization of carbon surfaces: The role of photoelectron ejection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colavita, Paula E.; Sun Bin; Tse, K.-Y.; Hamers, Robert J.

2008-01-01

Carbon-based materials are attractive for a wide range of applications, from biomaterials to fuel cells; however, their effective use often requires controlling the surface chemistry to incorporate recognition moieties or reactive centers. The high stability of carbon also makes it a challenging material to functionalize; recently, the use of ultraviolet light (254 nm) to initiate functionalization of carbon surfaces has emerged as a way to obtain carbon/organic interfaces with tailored properties. The authors have investigated the mechanism of covalent grafting of amorphous carbon surfaces with functional organic molecules using the photochemical reaction of terminal alkenes. Measurements comparing the reactivity of different n-alkenes bearing different terminal groups at the terminus opposite the olefin showed pronounced differences in reactivity. They characterized the rate and final coverage of the resulting organic layers using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and photocurrent measurements suggested that the reaction involves photoelectron emission from the carbon surface into the liquid phase. Density functional calculations show a strong correlation between the electron affinity of the alkenes and the observed reactivity. The specific terminal group opposite to the olefin was found to play an important role in the stabilization of excess negative charges on the molecule, thus explaining the strong dependence of reactivity on the particular terminal group. These findings suggest that the reaction involves injection of photoelectrons into the alkene acceptor levels, leading to the formation of radical anions in the liquid phase. Finally, the authors demonstrate that the grafting of marginally reactive alkenes can be enhanced by seeding the surface with a small amount of good electron accepting groups. These results provide fundamental new insights into the role of

Mechanics of curved surfaces, with application to surface-parallel cracks

Science.gov (United States)

Martel, Stephen J.

2011-10-01

The surfaces of many bodies are weakened by shallow enigmatic cracks that parallel the surface. A re-formulation of the static equilibrium equations in a curvilinear reference frame shows that a tension perpendicular to a traction-free surface can arise at shallow depths even under the influence of gravity. This condition occurs if σ11k1 + σ22k2 > ρg cosβ, where k1 and k2 are the principal curvatures (negative if convex) at the surface, σ11 and σ22 are tensile (positive) or compressive (negative) stresses parallel to the respective principal curvature arcs, ρ is material density, g is gravitational acceleration, and β is the surface slope. The curvature terms do not appear in equilibrium equations in a Cartesian reference frame. Compression parallel to a convex surface thus can cause subsurface cracks to open. A quantitative test of the relationship above accounts for where sheeting joints (prominent shallow surface-parallel fractures in rock) are abundant and for where they are scarce or absent in the varied topography of Yosemite National Park, resolving key aspects of a classic problem in geology: the formation of sheeting joints. Moreover, since the equilibrium equations are independent of rheology, the relationship above can be applied to delamination or spalling caused by surface-parallel cracks in many materials.

Study of CdTe surface by SIMS and RBS ellipsometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stuck, R.; Hage-Ali, M.; Grob, A.; Siffert, P.

1978-01-01

For a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the rectification of metal-cadmium telluride contacts, the surface of bromine-methanol etched CdTe crystals by means of ellipsometry, secondary ions mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and Rutherford backscattering of charged particles (RBS) has been investigated. The results show that these surfaces are contaminated with bromine and that a tellurium surface oxide layer grows, its thickness increasing with time. This surface layer composition has been analyzed at different steps of its evolution [fr

Surface mechanics design by cavitation peening

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hitoshi Soyama

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Although impacts at cavitation bubble collapses cause severe damage in hydraulic machineries, the cavitation impacts can be utilised for surface mechanics design such as introduction of compressive residual stress and/or improvement of fatigue strength. The peening method using the cavitation impacts was called as cavitation peening. In order to reveal the peening intensity of hydrodynamic cavitation and laser cavitation, the arc height of Almen strip and duralumin plate were measured. In the case of hydrodynamic cavitation, cavitation was generated by injecting a high speed water jet into water with a pressurised chamber and an open chamber, and the cavitating jet in air was also examined. The laser cavitation was produced by a pulse laser, and a high speed observation using a high speed video camera was carried out to clarify laser abrasion and laser cavitation with detecting noise by a hydrophone. It was concluded that the peening intensity by using the cavitating jet in water with the pressurized chamber was most aggressive, and the impact induced by the laser cavitation was larger than that of the laser abrasion at the present condition.

Study of multilayer packaging delamination mechanisms using different surface analysis techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garrido-Lopez, Alvaro [Department of Chemistry, University of La Rioja, C/Madre de Dios 51, E-26006 Logrono, La Rioja (Spain); Tena, Maria Teresa, E-mail: maria-teresa.tena@unirioja.es [Department of Chemistry, University of La Rioja, C/Madre de Dios 51, E-26006 Logrono, La Rioja (Spain)

2010-04-01

Multilayer packaging, consisting of different layers joined by using an adhesive or an extrusion process, is widely used to promote different products, such as food, cosmetics, etc. The main disadvantage in using this form of packaging is the delamination process. In this work, different surface techniques (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) are used to analyse the delaminated surfaces in order to study the mechanisms that cause delamination of multilayer packaging. According to our results, the reaction of migrated molecules with adhesive-aluminium bonds is the main cause of the chemical delamination process. In contrast, the delamination of extruded materials would seem to be caused by the breaking of Van der Waals bonds.

A parametric study of surface roughness and bonding mechanisms of aluminum alloys with epoxies: a molecular dynamics simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Timilsina, Rajendra; Termaath, Stephanie

The marine environment is highly aggressive towards most materials. However, aluminium-magnesium alloys (Al-Mg, specifically, 5xxx series) have exceptionally long service life in such aggressive marine environments. For instance, an Al-Mg alloy, AA5083, is extensively used in naval structures because of its good mechanical strength, formability, seawater corrosion resistance and weldability. However, bonding mechanisms of these alloys with epoxies in a rough surface environment are not fully understood yet. It requires a rigorous investigation at molecular or atomic levels. We performed a molecular dynamics simulation to study an adherend surface preparation and surface bonding mechanisms of Al-Mg alloy (AA5083) with different epoxies by developing several computer models. Various distributions of surface roughness are introduced in the models and performed molecular dynamics simulations. Formation of a beta phase (Al3Mg2) , microstructures, bonding energies at the interface, bonding strengths and durability are investigated. Office of Naval Research.

Evidence that BDNF regulates heart rate by a mechanism involving increased brainstem parasympathetic neuron excitability

OpenAIRE

Wan, Ruiqian; Weigand, Letitia A.; Bateman, Ryan; Griffioen, Kathleen; Mendelowitz, David; Mattson, Mark P.

2014-01-01

Autonomic control of heart rate is mediated by cardioinhibitory parasympathetic cholinergic neurons located in the brainstem and stimulatory sympathetic noradrenergic neurons. During embryonic development the survival and cholinergic phenotype of brainstem autonomic neurons is promoted by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). We now provide evidence that BDNF regulates heart rate by a mechanism involving increased brainstem cardioinhibitory parasympathetic activity. Mice with a BDNF haplo...

Swarming mechanisms in the yellow fever mosquito: aggregation pheromones involved in the mating behavior of Aedes aegypti

Science.gov (United States)

Mosquitoes of various species mate in swarms comprised of tens to thousands flying males. Yet little information is known about mosquito swarming mechanism. Discovering chemical cues involved in mosquito biology leads to better adaptation of disease control interventions. In this study, we aimed ...

Surface intermediates on metal electrodes at high temperatures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zachau-Christiansen, Birgit; Jacobsen, Torben; Bay, Lasse

1998-01-01

The mechanisms widely conceived for the O(2)-reduction or H(2)-oxidation reactions in SOFC's involve intermediate O/H species adsorbed on the electrode surface. The presence of these intermediates is investigated by linear sweep voltammetry. In air at moderate temperatures (500 degrees C) Pt...

Synoptic-scale analysis of mechanisms driving surface chlorophyll dynamics in the North Atlantic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ferreira, Ana Sofia; Hatun, H.; Counillon, F.

2015-01-01

show that, in terms of bottom-up processes alone, there is a dominant physical mechanism, namely mixed-layer shoaling, that best predicts the interannual variation in the initial increase in surface chlorophyll across large sectors of the North Atlantic. We further show that different regions...

A computer vision system for rapid search inspired by surface-based attention mechanisms from human perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohr, Johannes; Park, Jong-Han; Obermayer, Klaus

2014-12-01

Humans are highly efficient at visual search tasks by focusing selective attention on a small but relevant region of a visual scene. Recent results from biological vision suggest that surfaces of distinct physical objects form the basic units of this attentional process. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how such surface-based attention mechanisms can speed up a computer vision system for visual search. The system uses fast perceptual grouping of depth cues to represent the visual world at the level of surfaces. This representation is stored in short-term memory and updated over time. A top-down guided attention mechanism sequentially selects one of the surfaces for detailed inspection by a recognition module. We show that the proposed attention framework requires little computational overhead (about 11 ms), but enables the system to operate in real-time and leads to a substantial increase in search efficiency. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Effects of Surface Modification of MWCNT on the Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Fluoro Elastomer/MWCNT Nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Xu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Surface modification is a good way to improve the surface activity and interfacial strength of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs when used as fillers in the polymer composites. Among the reported methods for nanotube modification, mixed acid oxidation and plasma treatment is often used by introducing polar groups to the sidewall of MWCNT successfully. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of different surface modification of MWCNT on the mechanical property and electrical conductivity of Fluoro-elastomer (FE/MWCNT nanocomposites. MWCNTs were surface modified by mixed oxidation and CF4 plasma treatment and then used to reinforce the fluoro elastomer (FE, a copolymer of trifluorochloroethylene and polyvinylidene fluoride. FE/MWCNT composite films were prepared from mixture solutions of ethylacetate and butylacetate, using untreated CNTs (UCNTs, acid-modified CNTs (ACNTs, and CF4 plasma-modified CNT (FCNTs. In each case, MWCNT content was 0.01 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.1 wt%, and 0.2 wt% with respect to the polymer. Morphology and mechanical properties were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, Raman spectroscopy, as well as dynamic mechanical tests. The SEM results indicated that dispersion of ACNTs and especially FCNTs in FE was better than that of UCNTs. DMA indicated mechanical properties of FCNT composites were improved over ACNT and UCNT filled FE. The resulting electrical properties of the composites ranged from dielectric behavior to bulk conductivities of 10-2 Sm-1 and were found to depend strongly on the surface modification methods of MWCNTs.

Epigenetic mechanisms in the development of memory and their involvement in certain neurological diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosales-Reynoso, M A; Ochoa-Hernández, A B; Juárez-Vázquez, C I; Barros-Núñez, P

Today, scientists accept that the central nervous system of an adult possesses considerable morphological and functional flexibility, allowing it to perform structural remodelling processes even after the individual is fully developed and mature. In addition to the vast number of genes participating in the development of memory, different known epigenetic mechanisms are involved in normal and pathological modifications to neurons and therefore also affect the mechanisms of memory development. This study entailed a systematic review of biomedical article databases in search of genetic and epigenetic factors that participate in synaptic function and memory. The activation of gene expression in response to external stimuli also occurs in differentiated nerve cells. Neural activity induces specific forms of synaptic plasticity that permit the creation and storage of long-term memory. Epigenetic mechanisms play a key role in synaptic modification processes and in the creation and development of memory. Changes in these mechanisms result in the cognitive and memory impairment seen in neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer disease, Huntington disease) and in neurodevelopmental disorders (Rett syndrome, fragile X, and schizophrenia). Nevertheless, results obtained from different models are promising and point to potential treatments for some of these diseases. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Topography and Mechanical Property Mapping of International Simple Glass Surfaces with Atomic Force Microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pierce, Eric M [ORNL

2014-01-01

Quantitative Nanomechanical Peak Force (PF-QNM) TappingModeTM atomic force microscopy measurements are presented for the first time on polished glass surfaces. The PF-QNM technique allows for topography and mechanical property information to be measured simultaneously at each pixel. Results for the international simple glass which represents a simplified version of SON68 glass suggests an average Young s modulus of 78.8 15.1 GPa is within the experimental error of the modulus measured for SON68 glass (83.6 2 GPa) with conventional approaches. Application of the PF-QNM technique will be extended to in situ glass corrosion experiments with the goal of gaining atomic-scale insights into altered layer development by exploiting the mechanical property differences that exist between silica gel (e.g., altered layer) and pristine glass surface.

Mechanisms and neuronal networks involved in reactive and proactive cognitive control of interference in working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Irlbacher, Kerstin; Kraft, Antje; Kehrer, Stefanie; Brandt, Stephan A

2014-10-01

Cognitive control can be reactive or proactive in nature. Reactive control mechanisms, which support the resolution of interference, start after its onset. Conversely, proactive control involves the anticipation and prevention of interference prior to its occurrence. The interrelation of both types of cognitive control is currently under debate: Are they mediated by different neuronal networks? Or are there neuronal structures that have the potential to act in a proactive as well as in a reactive manner? This review illustrates the way in which integrating knowledge gathered from behavioral studies, functional imaging, and human electroencephalography proves useful in answering these questions. We focus on studies that investigate interference resolution at the level of working memory representations. In summary, different mechanisms are instrumental in supporting reactive and proactive control. Distinct neuronal networks are involved, though some brain regions, especially pre-SMA, possess functions that are relevant to both control modes. Therefore, activation of these brain areas could be observed in reactive, as well as proactive control, but at different times during information processing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Constructing dual-defense mechanisms on membrane surfaces by synergy of PFSA and SiO2 nanoparticles for persistent antifouling performance

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Linjie; Gao, Kang; Jiao, Zhiwei; Wu, Mengyuan; He, Mingrui; Su, Yanlei; Jiang, Zhongyi

2018-05-01

Synthetic antifouling membrane surfaces with dual-defense mechanisms (fouling-resistant and fouling-release mechanism) were constructed through the synergy of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) and SiO2 nanoparticles. During the nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process, the amphiphilic PFSA polymers spontaneously segregated to membrane surfaces and catalyzed the hydrolysis-polycondensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to generate hydrophilic SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs). The resulting PVDF/PFSA/SiO2 hybrid membranes were characterized by contact angle measurements, FTIR, XPS, SEM, AFM, TGA, and TEM. The hydrophilic microdomains and low surface energy microdomains of amphiphilic PFSA polymers respectively endowed membrane surfaces with fouling-resistant mechanism and fouling-release mechanism, while the hydrophilic SiO2 NPs intensified the fouling-resistant mechanism. When the addition of TEOS reached 3 wt%, the hybrid membrane with optimal synergy of PFSA and SiO2 NPs displayed low flux decline (17.4% DRt) and high flux recovery (99.8% FRR) during the filtration of oil-in-water emulsion. Meanwhile, the long-time stability test verified that the hybrid membrane possessed persistent antifouling performance.

Reduction mechanisms of ethylene carbonate on si anodes of lithium-ion batteries: effects of degree of lithiation and nature of exposed surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez de la Hoz, Julibeth M; Leung, Kevin; Balbuena, Perla B

2013-12-26

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations are used to identify mechanisms of reduction of ethylene carbonate on Si surfaces at various degrees of lithiation, where the low-coordinated surface Si atoms are saturated with O, OH, or H functional groups. The lowest Si content surfaces are represented by quasi-amorphous LiSi4 and LiSi2; intermediate lithiation is given by LiSi crystalline facets, and the highest Li content is studied through Li13Si4 surfaces. It is found that ethylene carbonate (EC) reduction mechanisms depend significantly on the degree of lithiation of the surface. On LiSi surfaces EC is reduced according to two different two-electron mechanisms (one simultaneous and one sequential), which are independent of specific surface functionalization or nature of exposed facets. On the less lithiated surfaces, the simultaneous two-electron reduction is found more frequently. In that mechanism, the EC reduction is initiated by the formation of a C-Si bond that allows adsorption of the intact molecule to the surface and is followed by electron transfer and ring-opening. Strongly lithiated Li13Si4 surfaces are found to be highly reactive. Reduction of adsorbed EC molecules occurs via a four-electron mechanism yielding as reduction products CO(2-) and O(C2H4)O(2-). Direct transfer of two electrons to EC molecules in liquid phase is also possible, resulting in the presence of O(C2H4)OCO(2-) anions in the liquid phase.

Kinetic and mechanism studies of the adsorption of lead onto waste cow bone powder (WCBP) surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Jihoon; Cui, Mingcan; Jang, Min; Cho, Sang-Hyun; Moon, Deok Hyun; Khim, Jeehyeong

2011-01-01

This study examines the adsorption isotherms, kinetics and mechanisms of Pb²(+) sorption onto waste cow bone powder (WCBP) surfaces. The concentrations of Pb²(+) in the study range from 10 to 90 mg/L. Although the sorption data follow the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm, a detailed examination reveals that surface sorption or complexation and co-precipitation are the most important mechanisms, along with possibly ion exchange and solid diffusion also contributing to the overall sorption process. The co-precipitation of Pb²(+) with the calcium hydroxyapatite (Ca-HAP) is implied by significant changes in Ca²(+) and PO₄³⁻ concentrations during the metal sorption processes. The Pb²(+) sorption onto the WCBP surface by metal complexation with surface functional groups such as ≡ POH. The major metal surface species are likely to be ≡ POPb(+). The sorption isotherm results indicated that Pb²(+) sorption onto the Langmuir and Freundlich constant q(max) and K( F ) is 9.52 and 8.18 mg g⁻¹, respectively. Sorption kinetics results indicated that Pb²(+) sorption onto WCBP was pseudo-second-order rate constants K₂ was 1.12 g mg⁻¹ h⁻¹. The main mechanism is adsorption or surface complexation (≡POPb(+): 61.6%), co-precipitation or ion exchange [Ca₃(.)₉₃ Pb₁(.)₀₇ (PO₄)₃ (OH): 21.4%] and other precipitation [Pb 50 mg L⁻¹ and natural pH: 17%). Sorption isotherms showed that WCBP has a much higher Pb²(+) removal rate in an aqueous solution; the greater capability of WCBP to remove aqueous Pb²(+) indicates its potential as another promising way to remediate Pb²(+)-contaminated media.

Role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of copper nano-wire under tensile load: A molecular dynamics simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wei-Ting; Hsiao, Chun-I.; Hsu, Wen-Dung

2014-01-01

In this study we have used atomistic simulations to investigate the role of surface on the size-dependent mechanical properties of nano-wires. In particular, we have performed computational investigation on single crystal face-centered cubic copper nano-wires with diameters ranging from 2 to 20 nm. The wire axis for all the nano-wires are considered along the [0 0 1] direction. Characterization of the initial optimized structures revealed clear differences in interatomic spacing, stress, and potential energy in all the nano-wires. The mechanical properties with respect to wire diameter are evaluated by applying tension along the [0 0 1] direction until yielding. We have discussed the stress-strain relationships, Young's modulus, and the variation in potential energy from surface to the center of the wire for all the cases. Our results indicate that the mechanical response (including yield strain, Young's modulus, and resilience) is directly related to the proportion of surface to bulk type atoms present in each nano-wire. Thus the size-dependent mechanical properties of single crystal copper nano-wire within elastic region are attributed to the surface to volume ratio (surface effect). Using the calculated response, we have formulated a mathematical relationship, which predicts the nonlinear correlation between the mechanical properties and the diameter of the wire.

On the Mechanism of Pore Formation by Melittin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Bogaart, Geert; Guzman, Jeanette Velasquez; Mika, Jacek T.; Poolman, Bert

2008-01-01

The mechanism of pore formation of lytic peptides, such as melittin from bee venom, is thought to involve binding to the membrane surface, followed by insertion at threshold levels of bound peptide. We show that in membranes composed of zwitterionic lipids, i.e. phosphatidylcholine, melittin not

Transport mechanism of an initially spherical droplet on a combined hydrophilic/hydrophobic surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myong, Hyon Kook; Kwon, Young Hoo [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Kookmin University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-11-15

Fluid transport is a key issue in the development of microfluidic systems. Recently, Myong (2014) has proposed a new concept for droplet transport without external power sources, and numerically validated the results for a hypothetical 2D shape, initially having a hemicylindrical droplet shape. Myong and Kwon (2015) have also examined the transport mechanism for an actual water droplet, initially having a 3D hemispherical shape, on a horizontal hydrophilic/hydrophobic surface, based on the numerical results of the time evolution of the droplet shape, as well as the total kinetic, gravitational, pressure and surface free energies inside the droplet. In this study, a 3D numerical analysis of an initially spherical droplet is carried out to establish a new concept for droplet transport. Further, the transport mechanism of an actual water droplet is examined in detail from the viewpoint of the capillarity force imbalance through the numerical results of droplet shape and various energies inside the droplet.

Surface mechanical attrition treatment induced phase transformation behavior in NiTi shape memory alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, T.; Wen, C.S.; Lu, J.; Wu, S.L.; Xin, Y.C.; Zhang, W.J.; Chu, C.L.; Chung, J.C.Y.; Yeung, K.W.K.; Kwok, D.T.K.; Chu, Paul K.

2009-01-01

The phase constituents and transformation behavior of the martensite B19' NiTi shape memory alloy after undergoing surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) are investigated. SMAT is found to induce the formation of a parent B2 phase from the martensite B19' in the top surface layer. By removing the surface layer-by-layer, X-ray diffraction reveals that the amount of the B2 phase decreases with depth. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) further indicates that the deformed martensite in the sub-surface layer up to 300 μm deep exhibits the martensite stabilization effect. The graded phase structure and transformation behavior in the SMATed NiTi specimen can be attributed to the gradient change in strain with depth.

Mechanical characterisation of the first centimeters of concrete with surface waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chekroun, M.

2008-01-01

Cover concrete is the part of concrete structures directly in contact with the outside. Its thickness is a few centimetres and its main role is to protect reinforcement bars. Surface waves with wavelength varying from a few millimetres to a few centimetres are used to characterise this cover concrete. An estimation of the properties of the propagation of waves (phase and group velocities, damping factor) may allow us to evaluate mechanical properties and to detect possible damages. However, these waves will interact strongly with the numerous heterogeneities of the concrete (sand, aggregates,.) which dimensions are close to the wavelength. Waves will propagate in a multiple scattering regime. These effects have to be quantified in order to separate them from other effects linked to mechanical properties. An analytical and numerical study present theories of effective mediums to describe coherent wave propagation in an elastic matrix with random elastic inclusions. These models are then extended to take into account the viscoelasticity of the materials and the granulometry. We quantify with such model the importance of multiple scattering on surface wave propagation in concrete. Experimental measurements are carried on, using a specific protocol and efficient signal processing methods, allowing precise evaluation of phase and group velocity and of the damping factor of coherent surface waves on concrete or mortar slabs. The results show that these three parameters can provide complementary information on concrete properties (water to cement ratio, aggregate distribution,...), but also on other phenomenon like varying effective properties with depth. Effects of multiple scattering predicted by the model are experimentally observed, which opens interesting perspectives for the inverse problem. (author)

Influence of epoxy, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and rhodium surface coatings on surface roughness, nano-mechanical properties and biofilm adhesion of nickel titanium (Ni-Ti) archwires

Science.gov (United States)

Asiry, Moshabab A.; AlShahrani, Ibrahim; Almoammar, Salem; Durgesh, Bangalore H.; Kheraif, Abdulaziz A. Al; Hashem, Mohamed I.

2018-02-01

Aim. To investigate the effect of epoxy, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and rhodium surface coatings on surface roughness, nano-mechanical properties and biofilm adhesion of nickel titanium (Ni-Ti) archwires Methods. Three different coated (Epoxy, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and rhodium) and one uncoated Ni-Ti archwires were evaluated in the present study. Surface roughness (Ra) was assessed using a non-contact surface profilometer. The mechanical properties (nano-hardness and elastic modulus) were measured using a nanoindenter. Bacterial adhesion assays were performed using Streptococcus mutans (MS) and streptococcus sobrinus (SS) in an in-vitro set up. The data obtained were analyzed using analyses of variance, Tukey’s post hoc test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient test. Result. The highest Ra values (1.29 ± 0.49) were obtained for epoxy coated wires and lowest Ra values (0.29 ± 0.16) were obtained for the uncoated wires. No significant differences in the Ra values were observed between the rhodium coated and uncoated archwires (P > 0.05). The highest nano-hardness (3.72 ± 0.24) and elastic modulus values (61.15 ± 2.59) were obtained for uncoated archwires and the lowest nano-hardness (0.18 ± 0.10) and elastic modulus values (4.84 ± 0.65) were observed for epoxy coated archwires. No significant differences in nano-hardness and elastic modulus values were observed between the coated archwires (P > 0.05). The adhesion of Streptococcus mutans (MS) to the wires was significantly greater than that of streptococcus sobrinus (SS). The epoxy coated wires demonstrated an increased adhesion of MS and SS and the uncoated wires demonstrated decreased biofilm adhesion. The Spearman correlation test showed that MS and SS adhesion was positively correlated with the surface roughness of the wires. Conclusion. The different surface coatings significantly influence the roughness, nano-mechanical properties and biofilm adhesion parameters of the archwires. The

Flux quantization and quantum mechanics on Riemann surfaces in an external magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolte, J.; Steiner, F.

1990-10-01

We investigate the possibility to apply an external constant magnetic field to a quantum mechanical system consisting of a particle moving on a compact or non-compact two-dimensional manifold of constant negative Gaussian curvature and of finite volume. For the motion on compact Riemann surfaces we find that a consistent formulation is only possible if the magnetic flux is quantized, as it is proportional to the (integrated) first Chern class of a certain complex line bundle over the manifold. In the case of non-compact surfaces of finite volume we obtain the striking result that the magnetic flux has to vanish identically due to the theorem that any holomorphic line bundle over a non-compact Riemann surface is holomorphically trivial. (orig.)

Surface topography and contact mechanics of dry and wet human skin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander E. Kovalev

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The surface topography of the human wrist skin is studied by using optical and atomic force microscopy (AFM methods. By using these techniques the surface roughness power spectrum is obtained. The Persson contact mechanics theory is used to calculate the contact area for different magnifications, for the dry and wet skin. The measured friction coefficient between a glass ball and dry and wet skin can be explained assuming that a frictional shear stress σf ≈ 13 MPa and σf ≈ 5 MPa, respectively, act in the area of real contact during sliding. These frictional shear stresses are typical for sliding on surfaces of elastic bodies. The big increase in friction, which has been observed for glass sliding on wet skin as the skin dries up, can be explained as result of the increase in the contact area arising from the attraction of capillary bridges. Finally, we demonstrated that the real contact area can be properly defined only when a combination of both AFM and optical methods is used for power spectrum calculation.

Surface trapping phenomena in thermionic emission generating l/f noise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepanescu, A.

1975-01-01

A general expression of the power spectrum of''flicker noise'', involving stochastic trapping phenomena and calculated on the basis of a two parameter model, is applied in the case of thermoionic emission from cathode surface. The fluctuation of the work function over the cathode surface is interpreted as being due to a trapping process of foreign atoms by the cathode. Taking into account the very physical nature of the trapping mechanism, under self-consistent assumptions, a 1/f power spectrum is obtained in a certain range of frequency. The two parameter model removes some discrepancies involved in the preceding theories. (author)

Mechanism(s) involved in opioid drug abuse modulation of HAND.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Raini; Roy, Sabita

2012-07-01

Drug abuse and HIV infection are interlinked. From the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the impact of illicit drug use on HIV disease progression has been a focus of many investigations. Both laboratory-based and epidemiological studies strongly indicate that drug abuse may exacerbate HIV disease progression and increase mortality and morbidity in these patients. Increase susceptibility to opportunistic infection has been implicated as one of the major causes for this detriment. Furthermore, opioids are known to elicit prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders in HIV-infected patients. Numerous authors have delineated various molecular as well as cellular mechanisms associated with neurological complications in these patients. This review gives an overview of these findings. Understanding the mechanisms will allow for the development of targeted therapies aimed at reducing the progression of neurocognitive decline in the drug abusing HIV infected individuals.

Preparation of Artificial Skin that Mimics Human Skin Surface and Mechanical Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Rana; Nonomura, Yoshimune

2018-01-01

We have developed an artificial skin that mimics the morphological and mechanical properties of human skin. The artificial skin comprises a polyurethane block possessing a microscopically rough surface. We evaluated the tactile sensations when skin-care cream was applied to the artificial skin. Many subjects perceived smooth, moist, and soft feels during the application process. Cluster analysis showed that these characteristic tactile feels are similar to those when skin-care cream is applied to real human skin. Contact angle analysis showed that an oil droplet spread smoothly on the artificial skin surface, which occurred because there were many grooves several hundred micrometers in width on the skin surface. In addition, when the skin-care cream was applied, the change in frictional force during the dynamic friction process increased. These wetting and frictional properties are important factors controlling the similarity of artificial skin to real human skin.

Durability and Mechanical Performance of PMMA/Stone Sludge Nanocomposites for Acrylic Solid Surface Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samah EL-Bashir

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Acrylic solid surface sheets were prepared by mixing different kinds of stone sludge fillers (SSF in Poly (methyl methacrylate (PMMA nanocomposites. PMMA nanocomposite syrups were made using free radical polymerization of methylmethacrylate (MMA, then two kinds of nanofillers were added, namely, hydrophilic nanosilica and clay Halloysite nanotubules (HNTs. Acrylic solid surface sheets were manufactured by mixing the syrups with SSFs. The morphology of the produced sheets was studied using optical, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM that revealed the uniform distribution of stone sludge in the polymeric matrix. The study of the physical properties showed promising mechanical performance and durability of PMMA/SSF nanocomposites for acrylic solid surface applications.

Mitigating the surface urban heat island: Mechanism study and sensitivity analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Chunlei

2017-08-01

In a surface urban heat island (SUHI), the urban land surface temperature (LST) is usually higher than the temperature of the surrounding rural areas due to human activities and surface characteristics. Because a SUHI has many adverse impacts on urban environment and human health, SUHI mitigation strategies are very important. This paper investigates the mechanism of a SUHI based on the basic physical laws that control the formation of a SUHI; five mitigation strategies are proposed, namely: sprinkling and watering; paving a pervious surface; reducing the anthropogenic heat (AH) release; using a "white roof"; increasing the fractional vegetation cover or leaf area index (LAI). To quantify the effect of these mitigation strategies, 26 sets of experiments are designed and implemented by running the integrated urban land model (IUM). The results of the sensitivity analysis indicate that sprinkling and watering is an effective measure for mitigating a SUHI for an entire day. Decreasing the AH release is also useful for both night- and daytime SUHI mitigation; however, the cooling extent is proportional to the diurnal cycle of AH. Increasing the albedo can reduce the LST in the daytime, especially when the solar radiation is significant; the cooling extent is approximately proportional to the diurnal cycle of the net radiation. Increasing the pervious surface percentage can mitigate the SUHI especially in the daytime. Increasing the fractional vegetation cover can mitigate the SUHI in the daytime but may aggravate the SUHI at night.

Breakdown conditioning of copper, CuZr and GlidCop® : effect of mechanical surface treatments

CERN Document Server

Ramsvik, T; Calatroni, S; Taborelli, M; CERN. Geneva. TS Department

2007-01-01

Motivated by the need of novel materials for the CLIC accelerating structures to resist mechanical fatigue, the copper based metals Copper Zirconium C15000 (CuZr) and GlidCop® Al-15 C15715 have been investigated by DC breakdown measurements, and compared with commercially pure Oxygen-free Copper C10100 (Cu-OFE). In all three cases the saturated breakdown fields (Esat) are similar, despite significant differences in their tensile strengths. In addition, the choice of mechanical surface preparation techniques influences the final breakdown characteristics. For both CuZr and GlidCop® immediate conditioning takes place when the surfaces are prepared by milling. For electro discharge machined (EDM) surfaces, however, several breakdown events are needed to obtain saturation. Specifically, for EDM treated CuZr and GlidCop®, ~50 and ~200 breakdown events are required to reach Esat.

Biological and Mechanical Effects of Micro-Nanostructured Titanium Surface on an Osteoblastic Cell Line In vitro and Osteointegration In vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Jingzu; Li, Ying; Li, Baoe; Wang, Xiaolin; Li, Haipeng; Liu, Shimin; Liang, Chunyong; Wang, Hongshui

2017-09-01

Hybrid micro-nanostructure implant surface was produced on titanium (Ti) surface by acid etching and anodic oxidation to improve the biological and mechanical properties. The biological properties of the micro-nanostructure were investigated by simulated body fluid (SBF) soaking test and MC3T3-E1 cell co-culture experiment. The cell proliferation, spreading, and bone sialoprotein (BSP) gene expression were examined by MTT, SEM, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. In addition, the mechanical properties were evaluated by instrumented nanoindentation test and friction-wear test. Furthermore, the effect of the micro-nanostructure surface on implant osteointegration was examined by in vivo experiment. The results showed that the formation of bone-like apatite was accelerated on the micro-nanostructured Ti surface after immersion in simulated body fluid, and the proliferation, spreading, and BSP gene expression of the MC3T3-E1 cells were also upregulated on the modified surface. The micro-nanostructured Ti surface displayed decreased friction coefficient, stiffness value, and Young's modulus which were much closer to those of the cortical bone, compared to the polished Ti surface. This suggested much better mechanical match to the surrounding bone tissue of the micro-nanostructured Ti surface. Furthermore, the in vivo animal experiment showed that after implantation in the rat femora, the micro-nanostructure surface displayed higher bonding strength between bone tissues and implant; hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining suggested that much compact osteoid tissue was observed at the interface of Micro-nano-Ti-bone than polished Ti-bone interface after implantation. Based on these results mentioned above, it was concluded that the improved biological and mechanical properties of the micro-nanostructure endowed Ti surface with good biocompatibility and better osteointegration, implying the enlarged application of the micro

Effects of cavity surface temperature on mechanical properties of specimens with and without a weld line in rapid heat cycle molding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Guilong; Zhao, Guoqun; Wang, Xiaoxin

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Higher cavity surface temperature reduces tensile strength of non-weldline part. ► Higher cavity surface temperature increases weldline tensile strength for PS and PP. ► Higher cavity surface temperature reduces weldline tensile strength for ABS, ABS/PMMA, ABS/PMMA/nano-C a CO 3 and FRPP. ► Tensile strength is reduced more by the weldline than impact strength. ► FRPP has the lowest weld line factor than other plastics without reinforced fibers. - Abstract: Rapid heat cycle molding (RHCM) is a recently developed injection molding technology to enhance surface esthetic of the parts. By rapid heating and cooling of mold cavity surfaces in molding process, it can greatly alleviate or even eliminate the surface defects such as flow mark, weld line, glass fiber rich surface, silver mark, jetting mark, and swirl mark, and also improve gloss finish and dimensional accuracy without prolonging the molding cycle. Besides surface esthetic, mechanical property is also a very import issue for the molded plastic part. The aim of this study is focusing on the effects of the cavity surface temperature just before filling, T cs , in RHCM on the mechanical strength of the specimen with and without weld line. Six kinds of typical plastics including polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene/polymethylmethacrylate (ABS/PMMA), ABS/PMMA/nano-C a CO 3 and glass fiber reinforced polypropylene (FRPP) are used in experiments. The specimens with and without a weld line are produced with the different T cs on the developed electric-heating RHCM system. Tensile tests and notched Izod impact tests are conducted to characterize the mechanical strength of the specimens molded with different cavity surface temperatures. Simulations, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical microscope are implemented to explain the impact mechanism of T cs on mechanical properties

Growth Mechanism and Surface Structure of Ge Nanocrystals Prepared by Thermal Annealing of Cosputtered GeSiO Ternary Precursor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Ge nanocrystals (Ge-ncs embedded in a SiO2 superlattice structure were prepared by magnetron cosputtering and postdeposition annealing. The formation of spherical nanocrystals was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and their growth process was studied by a combination of spectroscopic techniques. The crystallinity volume fraction of Ge component was found to increase with crystallite size, but its overall low values indicated a coexistence of crystalline and noncrystalline phases. A reduction of Ge-O species was observed in the superlattice during thermal annealing, accompanied by a transition from oxygen-deficient silicon oxide to silicon dioxide. A growth mechanism involving phase separation of Ge suboxides (GeOx was then proposed to explain these findings and supplement the existing growth models for Ge-ncs in SiO2 films. Further analysis of the bonding structure of Ge atoms suggested that Ge-ncs are likely to have a core-shell structure with an amorphous-like surface layer, which is composed of GeSiO ternary complex. The surface layer thickness was extracted to be a few angstroms and equivalent to several atomic layer thicknesses.

Surface Intermediates on Metal Electrodes at High Temperature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zachau-Christiansen, Birgit; Jacobsen, Torben; Bay, Lasse

1997-01-01

The mechanisms widely suggested for the O2-reduc-tion or H2-oxidation SOFC reactions involve inter-mediate O/H species adsorbed on the electrode surface. The presence of these intermediates is investigated by linear sweep voltammetry. In airat moderate temperatures (500øC) Pt in contact with YSZ...

A study of the rib fall mechanism in soft coal and its control at a fully-mechanized top-coal caving face

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fang Xin-qiu; He Jie; Li Hai-chao [China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou (China). School of Mines

2009-05-15

The factors involved in rib-fall at a fully-mechanized top-coal caving face in the Wuyang mine were analyzed. The mechanical stress characteristics and the mechanism of rib-fall were modeled. Control principles and methods were proposed and a control project, and parameters for it, was identified. An underground industrial scale test was subsequently completed. The results show that arc shaped 'sliding surfaces' exist in the rib. The critical height of stable areas is 1.8 meters. The key to rib stability is the control of this arc shaped surface. Wooden bolts are used in the serious rib-fall zone to stabilize the rib. After implementation of the new project rib fall depth and scope were reduced significantly and tip-to-face caving was effectively controlled. 10 refs., 5 figs.

Clays causing adhesion with tool surfaces during mechanical tunnel driving

Science.gov (United States)

Spagnoli, G.; Fernández-Steeger, T.; Stanjek, H.; Feinendegen, M.; Post, C.; Azzam, R.

2009-04-01

During mechanical excavation with a tunnel boring machine (TBM) it is possible that clays stick to the cutting wheel and to other metal parts. The resulting delays in the progress of construction work, cause great economic damage and often disputes between the public awarding authorities and executing companies. One of the most important factors to reduce successfully the clay adhesion is the use of special polymers and foams. But why does the clay stick to the metal parts? A first step is to recognize which kind of clay mineralogy shows serious adhesion problems. The mechanical properties of clay and clay suspensions are primarily determined by surface chemistry and charge distribution at the interfaces, which in turn affect the arrangement of the clay structure. As we know, clay is a multi-phase material and its behaviour depends on numerous parameters such as: clay mineralogy, clay fraction, silt fraction, sand fraction, water content, water saturation, Atterberg limits, sticky limit, activity, cation exchange capacity, degree of consolidation and stress state. It is therefore likely that adhesion of clay on steel is also affected by these clay parameters. Samples of clay formations, which caused problems during tunnel driving, will be analyzed in laboratory. Mineralogical analyses (diffractometry, etc.) will be carried out to observe which minerals are responsible for adherence problems. To manipulate the physical properties, batch tests will be carried out in order to eliminate or reduce the adhesion on tool surfaces through variation of the zeta potential. Second step is the performance of vane shear tests on clay samples. Different pore fluid (distilled water, pure NaCl solution, ethanol and methanol) will be used to study the variation of the mechanical behaviour of clay depending on the dielectric constant of the fluids. This project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the DFG (German Research Foundation) in the

Hydrogen induced surface effects on the mechanical properties of type 304 stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, T.C.V. da; Pascual, R.; Miranda, P.E.V. de.

1983-01-01

The possibilities of modifying the mechanical properties of type 304 stainless steel by cathodic hydrogen charging were studied. The situations analysed included hydrogen embrittlement itself in tensile tests of hydrogen containing samples and the effects of delayed cracks in fatigue tests of hydrogenated and outgassed samples. SEM and TEM observations were also performed. It was found that hydrogen induced surface delayed cracks appear in great quantity during outgassing (of the order of several millions in a square centimeter). Hydrogen embrittlement was responsible for drastic losses in ductility in tension, while surface cracks severely reduced fatigue life. (author) [pt

A non-cardiomyocyte autonomous mechanism of cardioprotection involving the SLO1 BK channel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew P. Wojtovich

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Opening of BK-type Ca2+ activated K+ channels protects the heart against ischemia-reperfusion (IR injury. However, the location of BK channels responsible for cardioprotection is debated. Herein we confirmed that openers of the SLO1 BK channel, NS1619 and NS11021, were protective in a mouse perfused heart model of IR injury. As anticipated, deletion of the Slo1 gene blocked this protection. However, in an isolated cardiomyocyte model of IR injury, protection by NS1619 and NS11021 was insensitive to Slo1 deletion. These data suggest that protection in intact hearts occurs by a non-cardiomyocyte autonomous, SLO1-dependent, mechanism. In this regard, an in-situ assay of intrinsic cardiac neuronal function (tachycardic response to nicotine revealed that NS1619 preserved cardiac neurons following IR injury. Furthermore, blockade of synaptic transmission by hexamethonium suppressed cardioprotection by NS1619 in intact hearts. These results suggest that opening SLO1 protects the heart during IR injury, via a mechanism that involves intrinsic cardiac neurons. Cardiac neuronal ion channels may be useful therapeutic targets for eliciting cardioprotection.

Probabilistic fracture mechanics of nuclear structural components. Consideration of transition from embedded crack to surface crack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagawa, Genki; Yoshimura, Shinobu; Kanto, Yasuhiro

1998-01-01

This paper describes a probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analysis of aged nuclear reactor pressure vessel (RPV) material. New interpolation formulas are first derived for both embedded elliptical surface cracks and semi-elliptical surface cracks. To investigate effects of transition from embedded crack to surface crack in PFM analyses, one of PFM round-robin problems set by JSME-RC111 committee, i.e. 'aged RPV under normal and upset operating conditions' is solved, employing the interpolation formulas. (author)

Application of microscopy methods to the understanding of mechanisms involved in ilmenite reduction by hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Vries, M.; Grey, I.; Fitzgerald, J.

2003-01-01

Full text: Titania pigment is one of the major drivers of the mineral sands industry with production of over 4 million tpa in 2002 for paints, plastics, paper and ceramics applications. The main feedstock for titania pigment production is ilmenite, FeTiO 3 . It is used either directly or after it has been upgraded to a higher titania content. The major commercial upgrading processes are electro smelting (titania slag) or high temperature char reduction followed by iron removal (synthetic rutile SR). Future ilmenite upgrading processes are likely to use low temperature hydrogen reduction according to reaction, followed by aeration of the metallic iron and acid leaching to produce a high grade SR (Nicholson et al, 2000). The commercial application of such a process requires a detailed knowledge of the kinetics of reaction. FeTiO 3 + H 2 = Fe(m) + TiO 2 + H 2 O. The kinetics of ilmenite reduction has been studied at CSIRO Minerals using a specially designed thermogravimetric apparatus built around a Cahn pressurised symmetrical beam balance. The kinetics have been measured as a function of different operating parameters such as temperature, gas velocity and pressure. The parameters were set so as to minimise mass transport effects and increase chemical reaction control and to ensure the reduction kinetics are outside the gas starvation region. Small samples were used that had been sintered at close to melting point to form large grains with low unconnected porosity. High flow rates of reactant gas were also used. The application of a range of microscopy techniques to the reduced samples at various stages of reaction conversion has been critical to the development of an understanding of the reaction mechanisms. From analysis of TEM, IFESEM and optical microscopy results it appears that initially, chemical reaction is rate controlling at the surface and as the reaction proceeds topochemically inwards then diffusion mechanisms increase their control. Reaction proceeds

Possible mechanisms involved in the vasorelaxant effect produced by clobenzorex in aortic segments of rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Lozano-Cuenca, J; González-Hernández, A; López-Canales, O A; Villagrana-Zesati, J R; Rodríguez-Choreão, J D; Morín-Zaragoza, R; Castillo-Henkel, E F; López-Canales, J S

2017-08-07

Clobenzorex is a metabolic precursor of amphetamine indicated for the treatment of obesity. Amphetamines have been involved with cardiovascular side effects such as hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the direct application of 10-9-10-5 M clobenzorex on isolated phenylephrine-precontracted rat aortic rings produces vascular effects, and if so, what mechanisms may be involved. Clobenzorex produced an immediate concentration-dependent vasorelaxant effect at the higher concentrations (10-7.5-10-5 M). The present outcome was not modified by 10-6 M atropine (an antagonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors), 3.1×10-7 M glibenclamide (an ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocker), 10-3 M 4-aminopyridine (4-AP; a voltage-activated K+ channel blocker), 10-5 M indomethacin (a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor), 10-5 M clotrimazole (a cytochrome P450 inhibitor) or 10-5 M cycloheximide (a general protein synthesis inhibitor). Contrarily, the clobenzorex-induced vasorelaxation was significantly attenuated (Pclobenzorex on phenylephrine-precontracted rat aortic rings involved stimulation of the NO/cGMP/PKG/Ca2+-activated K+ channel pathway.

Mechanisms for adsorption of organic bases on hydrated smectite surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laird, D.A.; Fleming, P.D.

1999-08-01

The environmental fate of anthropogenic organic bases introduced to soils and sediments, either deliberately as pesticides or inadvertently as contaminants, depends, to a large extent, on reactions between those compounds and the surfaces of soil mineral and organic constituents. Mechanisms by which organic bases are adsorbed on hydrated smectite surfaces were investigated. Three Ca-saturated reference smectites (Otay, SPV, and Panther Creek) were dispersed in distilled water containing 5 {micro}mol of pyridine or 3-butylpyridine. The pH was adjusted to between 7.5 and 3 using 0.01 M HCl. After a 2-h equilibration, the amounts of pyridine or 3-butylpyridine adsorbed on the clay and the amount of Ca desorbed from the clay were determined. Negligible amounts of pyridine were adsorbed by the Ca-smectites in the neutral systems (pH > 7); however, most of the added pyridine was adsorbed on the smectites in the acidified systems (pH < 5). Equivalent amounts of Ca{sup 2+} were desorbed from the clays, indicating that pyridine was adsorbed as a protonated species by cation exchange. By contrast, 40 to 90% of added 3-butylpyridine was adsorbed on the smectites at neutral pHs, whereas only small amounts of Ca{sup 2+} were desorbed. The results suggest that 3-butylpyridine is initially retained by hydrophobic bonding between the alkyl side chain of the molecule and hydrophobic nanosites located between the charge sites on smectite surfaces. Surface acidity catalyzed protonation 1 to 1.5 pH units above the pK{sub a} of the bases.

Investigation of surface properties and adhesion mechanisms in the combination of different layers, with the aid of surface analysis methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olschewski, T.

1991-01-01

The aim of the investigations was to characterize the surface properties of organic coating materials and inorganic substrates, which are relevant in the context of microstructure technique developments and to obtain information on the adhesion mechanisms present. Two systems were examined which play an important part in micro-technique, i.e.: for the LIGA process and in the development of micro-sensors based on Chem FET's for chemical analysis. For these systems, i.e.: PMMA/TiO 2 and PVC adipate/Si 3 N 4 , adhesion mechanisms were expected, which occur particularly frequently in adhesive combination of polymers with inorganic substrates, i.e.: the mechanical gearing between polymer molecules and substrate structures and a chemical interaction between the boundary layers of the organic top coating and the inorganic substrate. (orig./DG) [de

Inhibition of beta-amino acid transport by diamide does not involve the brush border membrane surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chesney, R.W.; Gusowski, N.; Albright, P.

1985-01-01

Diamide (dicarboxylic acid bis-(N,N-dimethylamide) has been shown in previous studies to block the uptake of the beta-amino acid taurine at its high affinity transport site in rat renal cortex slices. Diamide may act by increasing the efflux of taurine from the slice. Studies performed in rat slices again indicate enhanced efflux over 8-12 minutes. The time course of reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion from renal cortex is similar, indicating a potential interaction between GSH depletion and inhibition of taurine accumulation. The effect of 9 mM diamide on the Na+ -dependent accumulation of taurine (10 and 250 microM) by brush border membrane vesicles was examined, and the taurine uptake value both initially and at equilibrium was the same in the presence and absence of diamide. Isolation of the brush border surface and subsequent transport studies of taurine are not influenced by diamide. Thus, diamide inhibition of taurine uptake does not involve physiochemical alteration of the membrane surface where active amino acid transport occurs, despite the thiol-oxidizing properties of this agent. Further, these studies suggest that diamide either acts at the basolateral surface, rather than the brush border surface of rat renal cortex or requires the presence of an intact tubule, capable of metabolism, prior to its inhibitory action

Application of elastic and elastic-plastic fracture mechanics methods to surface flaws

Science.gov (United States)

McCabe, Donald E.; Ernst, Hugo A.; Newman, James C., Jr.

Fuel tanks that are a part of the External Tank assembly for the Space Shuttle are made of relatively thin 2219-T87 aluminum plate. These tanks contain about 917 m of fusion weld seam, all of which is nondestructively inspected for flaws and all those found are repaired. The tanks are subsequently proof-tested to a pressure that is sufficiently severe to cause weld metal yielding in a few local regions of the weld seam. The work undertaken in the present project was to develop a capability to predict flaw growth from undetected surface flaws that are assumed to be located in the highly stressed regions. The technical challenge was to develop R-curve prediction capability for surface cracks in specimens that contain the flaws of unusual sizes and shapes deemed to be of interest. The test techniques developed and the elastic-plastic analysis concepts adopted are presented. The flaws of interest were quite small surface cracks that were narrow-deep ellipses that served to exacerbate the technical difficulties involved.

Medical applications of diamond particles & surfaces

OpenAIRE

Roger J Narayan; Ryan D. Boehm; Anirudha V. Sumant

2011-01-01

Diamond has been considered for use in several medical applications due to its unique mechanical, chemical, optical, and biological properties. In this paper, methods for preparing synthetic diamond surfaces and particles are described. In addition, recent developments involving the use of diamond in prostheses, sensing, imaging, and drug delivery applications are reviewed. These developments suggest that diamond-containing structures will provide significant improvements in the diagnosis and...

Redirecting adenovirus tropism by genetic, chemical, and mechanical modification of the adenovirus surface for cancer gene therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, A-Rum; Hong, Jinwoo; Kim, Sung Wan; Yun, Chae-Ok

2016-06-01

Despite remarkable advancements, clinical evaluations of adenovirus (Ad)-mediated cancer gene therapies have highlighted the need for improved delivery and targeting. Genetic modification of Ad capsid proteins has been extensively attempted. Although genetic modification enhances the therapeutic potential of Ad, it is difficult to successfully incorporate extraneous moieties into the capsid and the engineering process is laborious. Recently, chemical modification of the Ad surface with nanomaterials and targeting moieties has been found to enhance Ad internalization into the target by both passive and active mechanisms. Alternatively, external stimulus-mediated targeting can result in selective accumulation of Ad in the tumor and prevent dissemination of Ad into surrounding nontarget tissues. In the present review, we discuss various genetic, chemical, and mechanical engineering strategies for overcoming the challenges that hinder the therapeutic efficacy of Ad-based approaches. Surface modification of Ad by genetic, chemical, or mechanical engineering strategies enables Ad to overcome the shortcomings of conventional Ad and enhances delivery efficiency through distinct and unique mechanisms that unmodified Ad cannot mimic. However, although the therapeutic potential of Ad-mediated gene therapy has been enhanced by various surface modification strategies, each strategy still possesses innate limitations that must be addressed, requiring innovative ideas and designs.

Computer simulation of biomolecule–biomaterial interactions at surfaces and interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qun; Wang, Meng-hao; Lu, Xiong; Wang, Ke-feng; Zhang, Xing-dong; Liu, Yaling; Zhang, Hong-ping

2015-01-01

Biomaterial surfaces and interfaces are intrinsically complicated systems because they involve biomolecules, implanted biomaterials, and complex biological environments. It is difficult to understand the interaction mechanism between biomaterials and biomolecules through conventional experimental methods. Computer simulation is an effective way to study the interaction mechanism at the atomic and molecular levels. In this review, we summarized the recent studies on the interaction behaviors of biomolecules with three types of the most widely used biomaterials: hydroxyapatite (HA), titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), and graphene(G)/graphene oxide(GO). The effects of crystal forms, crystallographic planes, surface defects, doping atoms, and water environments on biomolecules adsorption are discussed in detail. This review provides valuable theoretical guidance for biomaterial designing and surface modification. (topical review)

Investigation of Range Profiles from a Simplified Ship on Rough Sea Surface and Its Multipath Imaging Mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siyuan He

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The range profiles of a two-dimension (2 D perfect electric conductor (PEC ship on a wind-driven rough sea surface are derived by performing an inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT on the wide band backscattered field. The rough sea surface is assuming to be a PEC surface. The back scattered field is computed based on EM numerical simulation when the frequencies are sampled between 100 MHz and 700 MHz. Considering the strong coupling interactions between the ship and sea, the complicated multipath effect to the range profile characteristics is fully analyzed based on the multipath imaging mechanisms. The coupling mechanisms could be explained by means of ray theory prediction and numerical extraction of the coupling currents. The comparison of the range profile locations between ray theory prediction and surface current simulation is implemented and analyzed in this paper. Finally, the influence of different sea states on the radar target signatures has been examined and discussed.

Probabilistic fracture mechanics of nuclear structural components: consideration of transition from embedded crack to surface crack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagawa, G.; Yoshimura, S.

1999-01-01

This paper describes a probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analysis of aged nuclear reactor pressure vessel (RPV) material. New interpolation formulas of three-dimensional stress intensity factors are presented for both embedded elliptical surface cracks and semi-elliptical surface cracks. To investigate effects of transition from embedded crack to surface crack in PFM analyses, one of the PFM round-robin problems set by JSME-RC111 committee (i.e. aged RPV under normal and upset operating conditions) is solved, employing the interpolation formulas. (orig.)

Facile fabrication of hydrophobic surfaces on mechanically alloyed-Mg/HA/TiO{sub 2}/MgO bionanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khalajabadi, Shahrouz Zamani [Medical Devices and Technology Group (MEDITEG), Faculty of Biosciences and Medical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia); Abdul Kadir, Mohammed Rafiq, E-mail: rafiq@biomedical.utm.my [Medical Devices and Technology Group (MEDITEG), Faculty of Biosciences and Medical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia); Izman, Sudin; Mohd Yusop, Mohd Zamri [Department of Materials, Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia)

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Mg/HA/TiO{sub 2}-based nanocomposite was produced using mechanical alloying. • The hydrophobic surface coverage was fabricated on the mechanical alloyed samples by annealing. • The morphological characteristics, phase evolution and wettability of nanocomposites and the hydrophobic surface coverage were investigated. • The activation energies and reaction kinetic of the powder mixture of nanocomposites were calculated. - Abstract: The effect of mechanical alloying and post-annealing on the phase evolution, microstructure, wettability and thermal stability of Mg–HA–TiO{sub 2}–MgO composites was investigated in this study. Phase evolution and microstructure analysis were performed using X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, as well as the wettability determined by contact angle measurements with SBF. The 16-h mechanical alloying resulted in the formation of MgTiO{sub 3}, CaTiO{sub 3}, Mg{sub 3}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2} and Mg(OH){sub 2} phases and a decrease in wettability of the nanocomposites. A hydrophobic film with hierarchical structures comprising nanoflakes of MgTiO{sub 3}, nano-cuboids of CaTiO{sub 3}, microspheres of Mg{sub 3}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2} and Mg(OH){sub 2} was successfully constructed on the surface of the Mg-based nanocomposites substrates as a result of the post-annealing process. After 1-h annealing at 630 °C, the synthesized hydrophobic surface on the nanocomposite substrates decreased the wettability, as the 8-h-mechanically alloyed samples exhibited a contact angle close to 93°. The formation activation energies and reaction kinetics of the powder mixture were investigated using differential thermal analysis and thermal gravimetric analysis. The released heat, weight loss percentage and reaction kinetics increased, while the formation activation energies of the exothermic reactions decreased following an increase in the milling time.

Involvement of Leishmania donovani major surface glycoprotein ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The major surface glycoprotein gp63 of the kinetoplastid protozoal parasite Leishmania is implicated as a ligand mediating uptake of the parasite into, and survival within, the host macrophage. By expressing gp63 antisense RNA from an episomal vector in L. donovani promastigotes, gp63-deficient transfectants were ...

On the molecular mechanism of surface charge amplification and related phenomena at aqueous polyelectrolyte-graphene interfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.M. Simonson

2011-09-01

Full Text Available In this communication we illustrate the occurrence of a recently reported new phenomenon of surface-charge amplification, SCA, (originally dubbed overcharging, OC, [Jimenez-Angeles F. and Lozada-Cassou M., J. Phys. Chem. B, 2004, 108, 7286] by means of molecular dynamics simulation of aqueous electrolytes solutions involving multivalent cations in contact with charged graphene walls and the presence of short-chain lithium polystyrene sulfonates where the solvent water is described explicitly with a realistic molecular model. We show that the occurrence of SCA in these systems, in contrast to that observed in primitive models, involves neither contact co-adsorption of the negatively charged macroions nor divalent cations with a large size and charge asymmetry as required in the case of implicit solvents. In fact the SCA phenomenon hinges around the preferential adsorption of water (over the hydrated ions with an average dipolar orientation such that the charges of the water's hydrogen and oxygen sites induce magnification rather than screening of the positive-charged graphene surface, within a limited range of surface-charge density.

XPS, UV–vis spectroscopy and AFM studies on removal mechanisms of Si-face SiC wafer chemical mechanical polishing (CMP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Yan; Pan, Guoshun; Shi, Xiaolei; Xu, Li; Zou, Chunli; Gong, Hua; Luo, Guihai

2014-01-01

Highlights: • CMP removal mechanism of Si-face SiC wafer is investigated through XPS analysis. • UV–vis spectroscopy is used to study CMP removal mechanisms. • CMP removal model of Si-face SiC wafer is proposed. • The variations of atomic step morphology on ultra-smooth surface via AFM is studied. - Abstract: Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) removal mechanisms of on-axis Si-face SiC wafer have been investigated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). XPS results indicate that silicon oxide is formed on Si-face surface polished by the slurry including oxidant H 2 O 2 , but not that after immersing in H 2 O 2 solution. UV–vis spectroscopy curves prove that • OH hydroxyl radical could be generated only under CMP polishing by the slurry including H 2 O 2 and abrasive, so as to promote oxidation of Si-face to realize the effective removal; meanwhile, alkali KOH during CMP could induce the production of more radicals to improve the removal. On the other side, ultra-smooth polished surface with atomic step structure morphology and extremely low Ra of about 0.06 nm (through AFM) is obtained using the developed slurry with silica nanoparticle abrasive. Through investigating the variations of the atomic step morphology on the surface polished by different slurries, it's reveals that CMP removal mechanism involves a simultaneous process of surface chemical reaction and nanoparticle atomic scale abrasion

Modifications of the hydriding kinetics of a metallic surface, using ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crusset, D.

1992-10-01

Uranium reacts with hydrogen to form an hydride: this reaction leads to the total destruction of the material. To modify the reactivity of an uranium surface towards hydrogen, ion implantation was selected, among surface treatments techniques. Four elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur) were implanted to different doses. The results show a modification of the hydriding mechanism and a significant increase in the reaction induction times, notably at high implantation doses. Several techniques (SIMS, X-rays phases analysis and residual stresses determination) were used to characterize the samples and understand the different mechanisms involved

Ion bombardment modification of surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auciello, O.

1984-01-01

Ion bombardment-induced modification of surfaces may be considered one of the significant scientific and technological developments of the last two decades. The understanding acquired concerning the underlying mechanisms of several phenomena occurring during ion-surface interactions has led to applications within different modern technologies. These include microelectronics, surface acoustical and optical technologies, solar energy conversion, thin film technology, ion implantation metallurgy, nuclear track technology, thermonuclear fusion, vacuum technology, cold welding technology, biomedicine (implantology). It has become clear that information on many relevant advances, regarding ion bombardment modification of surfaces is dispersed among journals involving fields sometimes not clearly related. This may result, in some cases, in a loss of the type of interdisciplinary exchange of ideas, which has proved to be so fruitful for the advancement of science and technology. This book has been planned in an attempt to collect at least some of today's relevant information about the experimental and theoretical knowledge related to surface modification and its application to technology. (Auth.)

Growth mechanisms for Si epitaxy on O atomic layers: Impact of O-content and surface structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jayachandran, Suseendran, E-mail: suseendran.jayachandran@imec.be [Imec, Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Department of Metallurgy and Materials, Castle Arenberg 44, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Billen, Arne [Imec, Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Department of Chemistry, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Douhard, Bastien; Conard, Thierry; Meersschaut, Johan; Moussa, Alain; Caymax, Matty; Bender, Hugo [Imec, Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Vandervorst, Wilfried [Imec, Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Heyns, Marc [Imec, Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Department of Metallurgy and Materials, Castle Arenberg 44, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Delabie, Annelies [Imec, Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Department of Chemistry, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium)

2016-10-30

Highlights: • O{sub 3} or O{sub 2} exposures on H-Si(100) result in O ALs with different surface structures. • Si-EPI on O AL using O{sub 3} process is by direct epitaxial growth mechanism. • Si-EPI on O AL using O{sub 2} process is by epitaxial lateral overgrowth mechanism. • Distortions by O AL, SiH{sub 4} flux rate and Si thickness has an impact on Si-EPI quality. - Abstract: The epitaxial growth of Si layers on Si substrates in the presence of O atoms is generally considered a challenge, as O atoms degrade the epitaxial quality by generating defects. Here, we investigate the growth mechanisms for Si epitaxy on O atomic layers (ALs) with different O-contents and structures. O ALs are deposited by ozone (O{sub 3}) or oxygen (O{sub 2}) exposure on H-terminated Si at 50 °C and 300 °C respectively. Epitaxial Si is deposited by chemical vapor deposition using silane (SiH{sub 4}) at 500 °C. After O{sub 3} exposure, the O atoms are uniformly distributed in Si-Si dimer/back bonds. This O layer still allows epitaxial seeding of Si. The epitaxial quality is enhanced by lowering the surface distortions due to O atoms and by decreasing the arrival rate of SiH{sub 4} reactants, allowing more time for surface diffusion. After O{sub 2} exposure, the O atoms are present in the form of SiO{sub x} clusters. Regions of hydrogen-terminated Si remain present between the SiO{sub x} clusters. The epitaxial seeding of Si in these structures is realized on H-Si regions, and an epitaxial layer grows by a lateral overgrowth mechanism. A breakdown in the epitaxial ordering occurs at a critical Si thickness, presumably by accumulation of surface roughness.

Antinociceptive Activity of Methanol Extract of Muntingia calabura Leaves and the Mechanisms of Action Involved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. H. Mohd. Sani

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Muntingia calabura L. (family Elaeocarpaceae has been traditionally used to relieve various pain-related ailments. The present study aimed to determine the antinociceptive activity of methanol extract of M. calabura leaves (MEMC and to elucidate the possible mechanism of antinociception involved. The in vivo chemicals (acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction and formalin-, capsaicin-, glutamate-, serotonin-induced paw licking test and thermal (hot plate test models of nociception were used to evaluate the extract antinociceptive activity. The extract (100, 250, and 500 mg/kg was administered orally 60 min prior to subjection to the respective test. The results obtained demonstrated that MEMC produced significant (P<0.05 antinociceptive response in all the chemical- and thermal-induced nociception models, which was reversed after pretreatment with 5 mg/kg naloxone, a non-selective opioid antagonist. Furthermore, pretreatment with L-arginine (a nitric oxide (NO donor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl esters (L-NAME; an inhibitor of NO synthase (NOS, methylene blue (MB; an inhibitor of cyclic-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP pathway, or their combination also caused significant (P<0.05 change in the intensity of the MEMC antinociception. In conclusion, the MEMC antinociceptive activity involves activation of the peripheral and central mechanisms, and modulation via, partly, the opioid receptors and NO/cGMP pathway.

Simple One-Dimensional Quantum-Mechanical Model for a Particle Attached to a Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, Francisco M.

2010-01-01

We present a simple one-dimensional quantum-mechanical model for a particle attached to a surface. It leads to the Schrodinger equation for a harmonic oscillator bounded on one side that we solve in terms of Weber functions and discuss the behaviour of the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions. We derive the virial theorem and other exact relationships…

Formation and Mechanism of Superhydrophobic/Hydrophobic Surfaces Made from Amphiphiles through Droplet-Mediated Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Fangyuan; Zhang, Mi; Tang, Wai-Wa; Wang, Yi

2015-04-23

Superhydrophobic/hydrophobic surfaces have attracted wide attention because of their broad applications in various regions, including coating, textile, packaging, electronic devices, and bioengineering. Many studies have been focused on the fabrication of superhydrophobic/hydrophobic surfaces using natural materials. In this paper, superhydrophobic/hydrophobic surfaces were formed by an amphiphilic natural protein, zein, using electrospinning. Water contact angle (WCA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the hydrophobicity and surface morphology of the electrospun structures. The highest WCA of the zein electrospun surfaces could reach 155.5 ± 1.4°. To further understand the mechanism of superhydrophobic surface formation from amphiphiles using electrospinning, a synthetic amphiphilic polymer was selected, and also, a method similar to electrospinning, spray drying, was tried. The electrospun amphiphilic polymer surface showed a high hydrophobicity with a WCA of 141.4 ± 0.7°. WCA of the spray-dried zein surface could reach 125.3 ± 2.1°. The secondary structures of the zein in the electrospun film and cast-dried film were studied using ATR-FTIR, showing that α-helix to β-sheet transformation happened during the solvent evaporation in the cast drying process but not in the electrospinning process. A formation mechanism was proposed on the basis of the orientation of the amphiphiles during the solvent evaporation of different fabrication methods. The droplet-based or jet-based evaporation during electrospinning and spray drying led to the formation of the superhydrophobic/hydrophobic surface by the accumulation of the hydrophobic groups of the amphiphiles on the surface, while the surface-based evaporation during cast drying led to the formation of the hydrophilic surface by the accumulation of the hydrophilic groups of the amphiphiles on the surface.

Understanding the mechanisms of solid-water reactions through analysis of surface topography.

Science.gov (United States)

Bandstra, Joel Z; Brantley, Susan L

2015-12-01

The topography of a reactive surface contains information about the reactions that form or modify the surface and, therefore, it should be possible to characterize reactivity using topography parameters such as surface area, roughness, or fractal dimension. As a test of this idea, we consider a two-dimensional (2D) lattice model for crystal dissolution and examine a suite of topography parameters to determine which may be useful for predicting rates and mechanisms of dissolution. The model is based on the assumption that the reactivity of a surface site decreases with the number of nearest neighbors. We show that the steady-state surface topography in our model system is a function of, at most, two variables: the ratio of the rate of loss of sites with two neighbors versus three neighbors (d(2)/d(3)) and the ratio of the rate of loss of sites with one neighbor versus three neighbors (d(1)/d(3)). This means that relative rates can be determined from two parameters characterizing the topography of a surface provided that the two parameters are independent of one another. It also means that absolute rates cannot be determined from measurements of surface topography alone. To identify independent sets of topography parameters, we simulated surfaces from a broad range of d(1)/d(3) and d(2)/d(3) and computed a suite of common topography parameters for each surface. Our results indicate that the fractal dimension D and the average spacing between steps, E[s], can serve to uniquely determine d(1)/d(3) and d(2)/d(3) provided that sufficiently strong correlations exist between the steps. Sufficiently strong correlations exist in our model system when D>1.5 (which corresponds to D>2.5 for real 3D reactive surfaces). When steps are uncorrelated, surface topography becomes independent of step retreat rate and D is equal to 1.5. Under these conditions, measures of surface topography are not independent and any single topography parameter contains all of the available mechanistic

Effects of bio-functionalizing surface treatments on the mechanical behavior of open porous titanium biomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Amin Yavari, S; Ahmadi, S M; van der Stok, J; Wauthle, R; Riemslag, A C; Janssen, M; Schrooten, J; Weinans, H; Zadpoor, A A

2014-08-01

Bio-functionalizing surface treatments are often applied for improving the bioactivity of biomaterials that are based on otherwise bioinert titanium alloys. When applied on highly porous titanium alloy structures intended for orthopedic bone regeneration purposes, such surface treatments could significantly change the static and fatigue properties of these structures and, thus, affect the application of the biomaterial as bone substitute. Therefore, the interplay between biofunctionalizing surface treatments and mechanical behavior needs to be controlled. In this paper, we studied the effects of two bio-functionalizing surface treatments, namely alkali-acid heat treatment (AlAcH) and acid-alkali (AcAl), on the static and fatigue properties of three different highly porous titanium alloy implants manufactured using selective laser melting. It was found that AlAcH treatment results in minimal mass loss. The static and fatigue properties of AlAcH specimens were therefore not much different from as-manufactured (AsM) specimens. In contrast, AcAl resulted in substantial mass loss and also in significantly less static and fatigue properties particularly for porous structures with the highest porosity. The ratio of the static mechanical properties of AcAl specimens to that of AsM specimen was in the range of 1.5-6. The fatigue lives of AcAl specimens were much more severely affected by the applied surface treatments with fatigue lives up to 23 times smaller than that of AsM specimens particularly for the porous structures with the highest porosity. In conclusion, the fatigue properties of surface treated porous titanium are dependent not only on the type of applied surface treatment but also on the porosity of the biomaterial. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the Surface Breakup of a Non-turbulent Round Liquid Jet in Cross-flow

Science.gov (United States)

Behzad, Mohsen; Ashgriz, Nasser

2011-11-01

The atomization of a non-turbulent liquid jet injected into a subsonic cross-flow consists of two parts: (1) primary breakup and (2) secondary breakup. Two distinct regimes for the liquid jet primary breakup have been recognized; the so called column breakup and surface breakup. In the column breakup mode, the entire liquid jet undergoes disintegration into large liquid lumps. Quiet differently in the surface breakup regime, liquid fragments with various sizes and shapes are separated from the surface of the jet. Despite many experimental studies the mechanisms of jet surface breakup is not fully understood. Thus this study aims at providing useful observations regarding the underlying physics involving the surface breakup mechanism of a liquid jet in cross-flow, using detailed numerical simulations. The results show that a two-stage mechanism can be responsible for surface breakup. In the first stage, a sheet-like structure extrudes towards the downstream, and in the second stage it disintegrates into ligaments and droplets due to aerodynamic instability.

Evaluation of Mechanical Property of Carbon Fiber/Polypropylene Composite According to Carbon Fiber Surface Treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Song Hee; Oh, Hyun Ju; Kim, Seong Su

2013-01-01

In this study, the mechanical properties of a carbon fiber/polypropylene composite were evaluated according to the carbon fiber surface treatment. Carbon fiber surface treatments such as silane coupling agents and plasma treatment were performed to enhance the interfacial strength between carbon fibers and polypropylene. The treated carbon fiber surface was characterized by XP S, Sem, and single-filament tensile test. The interlaminar shear strength (Ilks) of the composite with respect to the surface treatment was determined by a short beam shear test. The test results showed that the Ilks of the plasma-treated specimen increased with the treatment time. The Ilks of the specimen treated with a silane coupling agent after plasma treatment increased by 48.7% compared to that of the untreated specimen

Modulation of the photoluminescence in carbon dots through surface modification: from mechanism to white light-emitting diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jinyang; Shao, He; Bai, Xue; Zhai, Yue; Zhu, Yongsheng; Chen, Xu; Pan, Gencai; Dong, Biao; Xu, Lin; Zhang, Hanzhuang; Song, Hongwei

2018-06-01

Carbon dots (CDs) have emerged as a new type of fluorescent material because of their unique optical advantages, such as high photoluminescence quantum yields (QYs), excellent photo-stability, excitation-dependent emissions, and low toxicity. However, the photoluminescence mechanism for CDs remains unclear, which limits their further practical application. Here, CDs were synthesized via a solvothermal route from citric acid and urea. Through the oxidation and reduction treatment of pristine CDs, the origin of the photoluminescence and the involved mechanism were revealed. We found that the blue/green/red emissions originated from three diverse emitting states, i.e. the intrinsic state, and C=O- and C=N-related surface states, respectively. Based on the as-prepared CDs, a pH sensor depending on the radiometric luminescence detection was developed. Furthermore, we constructed CD/PVP (PVP, polyvinylpyrrolidone) composite films, which exhibited white light emission with photoluminescence QYs of 15.3%. The white light emission with different correlated color temperatures (CCTs), from 4807 K to 3319 K, was obtained by simply changing the amount of PVP solution. Benefiting from the white light-emitting solid-state films, single-component white light-emitting diodes were fabricated with an average color rendering index value (Ra) of 80.0, luminous efficiency of 10.2 lm W‑1, and good working stability, thus indicating a promising potential for practical lighting applications.

Computer-aided study of key factors determining high mechanical properties of nanostructured surface layers in metal-ceramic composites

Science.gov (United States)

Konovalenko, Igor S.; Shilko, Evgeny V.; Ovcharenko, Vladimir E.; Psakhie, Sergey G.

2017-12-01

The paper presents the movable cellular automaton method. It is based on numerical models of surface layers of the metal-ceramic composite NiCr-TiC modified under electron beam irradiation in inert gas plasmas. The models take into account different geometric, concentration and mechanical parameters of ceramic and metallic components. The authors study the contributions of key structural factors in mechanical properties of surface layers and determine the ranges of their variations by providing the optimum balance of strength, strain hardening and fracture toughness.

The release of nickel from orthodontic NiTi wires is increased by dynamic mechanical loading but not constrained by surface nitridation.

Science.gov (United States)

Peitsch, T; Klocke, A; Kahl-Nieke, B; Prymak, O; Epple, M

2007-09-01

The influence of dynamic mechanical loading and of surface nitridation on the nickel release from superelastic nickel-titanium orthodontic wires was investigated under ultrapure conditions. Commercially available superelastic NiTi arch wires (size 0.018 x 0.025'') without surface modification (Neo Sentalloy) and with nitrogen ion implantation surface treatment (Neo Sentalloy Ionguard) were analyzed. Mechanical loading of wire segments with a force similar to the physiological situation was performed with a frequency of 5 Hz in ultrapure water and saline solution, respectively. The release of nickel was monitored by atomic absorption spectroscopy for up to 36 days. The mechanically loaded wires released significantly more nickel ( approximately 45 ng cm(-2) d(-1)) than did nonloaded wires (<1 ng cm(-2) d(-1)). There was no statistically significant effect of the testing solution (water or NaCl) or of the surface nitridation. The total amount of released nickel was small in all cases, but may nevertheless account for the occasional clinical observations of adverse reactions during application of NiTi-based orthodontic appliances. The surface nitridation did not constrain the release of nickel from NiTi under continuous mechanical stress.

On the mechanical friction losses occurring in automotive differential gearboxes.

Science.gov (United States)

Antoni, Grégory

2014-01-01

In the automobile industry, the mechanical losses resulting from friction are largely responsible for various kinds of surface damage, such as the scuffing occurring in some mechanical assemblies. These scuffing processes seem to be due to a local loss of lubrication between certain mechanical elements of the same assembly, leading to a sharp increase in the friction, which can lead to a surface and volume damage in some of them, and even can cause, in the worst case, the whole destruction of the mechanical system if it has continued to operate. Predicting and checking the occurrence of this kind of undesirable phenomena, especially in some principal systems of the vehicle, represents nowadays, a crucial challenge in terms of automobile reliability and safety. This study focuses on the mechanical friction losses liable to occur in differential automobile gearboxes, which can lead in the long term to the scuffing of these mechanical systems. The friction losses involved were modeled, using a simple analytical approach, which is presented and discussed.

Tungsten surface evolution by helium bubble nucleation, growth and rupture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sefta, Faiza; Wirth, Brian D.; Hammond, Karl D.; Juslin, Niklas

2013-01-01

Molecular dynamics simulations reveal sub-surface mechanisms likely involved in the initial formation of nanometre-sized ‘fuzz’ in tungsten exposed to low-energy helium plasmas. Helium clusters grow to over-pressurized bubbles as a result of repeated cycles of helium absorption and Frenkel pair formation. The self-interstitials either reach the surface as isolated adatoms or trap at the bubble periphery before organizing into prismatic 〈1 1 1〉 dislocation loops. Surface roughening occurs as single adatoms migrate to the surface, prismatic loops glide to the surface to form adatom islands, and ultimately as over-pressurized gas bubbles burst. (paper)

Diffusion of MMPs on the surface of collagen fibrils: the mobile cell surface-collagen substratum interface.

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Ivan E Collier

Full Text Available Remodeling of the extracellular matrix catalyzed by MMPs is central to morphogenetic phenomena during development and wound healing as well as in numerous pathologic conditions such as fibrosis and cancer. We have previously demonstrated that secreted MMP-2 is tethered to the cell surface and activated by MT1-MMP/TIMP-2-dependent mechanism. The resulting cell-surface collagenolytic complex (MT1-MMP(2/TIMP-2/MMP-2 can initiate (MT1-MMP and complete (MMP-2 degradation of an underlying collagen fibril. The following question remained: What is the mechanism of substrate recognition involving the two structures of relatively restricted mobility, the cell surface enzymatic complex and a collagen fibril embedded in the ECM? Here we demonstrate that all the components of the complex are capable of processive movement on a surface of the collagen fibril. The mechanism of MT1-MMP movement is a biased diffusion with the bias component dependent on the proteolysis of its substrate, not adenosine triphosphate (ATP hydrolysis. It is similar to that of the MMP-1 Brownian ratchet we described earlier. In addition, both MMP-2 and MMP-9 as well as their respective complexes with TIMP-1 and -2 are capable of Brownian diffusion on the surface of native collagen fibrils without noticeable dissociation while the dimerization of MMP-9 renders the enzyme immobile. Most instructive is the finding that the inactivation of the enzymatic activity of MT1-MMP has a detectable negative effect on the cell force developed in miniaturized 3D tissue constructs. We propose that the collagenolytic complex (MT1-MMP(2/TIMP-2/MMP-2 represents a Mobile Cell Surface-Collagen Substratum Interface. The biological implications of MT1-MMP acting as a molecular ratchet tethered to the cell surface in complex with MMP-2 suggest a new mechanism for the role of spatially regulated peri-cellular proteolysis in cell-matrix interactions.

Moist Orographic Convection: Physical Mechanisms and Links to Surface-Exchange Processes

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Daniel J. Kirshbaum

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews the current understanding of moist orographic convection and its regulation by surface-exchange processes. Such convection tends to develop when and where moist instability coincides with sufficient terrain-induced ascent to locally overcome convective inhibition. The terrain-induced ascent can be owing to mechanical (airflow over or around an obstacle and/or thermal (differential heating over sloping terrain forcing. For the former, the location of convective initiation depends on the dynamical flow regime. In “unblocked” flows that ascend the barrier, the convection tends to initiate over the windward slopes, while in “blocked” flows that detour around the barrier, the convection tends to initiate upstream and/or downstream of the high terrain where impinging flows split and rejoin, respectively. Processes that destabilize the upstream flow for mechanically forced moist convection include large-scale moistening and ascent, positive surface sensible and latent heat fluxes, and differential advection in baroclinic zones. For thermally forced flows, convective initiation is driven by thermally direct circulations with sharp updrafts over or downwind of the mountain crest (daytime or foot (nighttime. Along with the larger-scale background flow, local evapotranspiration and transport of moisture, as well as thermodynamic heterogeneities over the complex terrain, regulate moist instability in such events. Longstanding limitations in the quantitative understanding of related processes, including both convective preconditioning and initiation, must be overcome to improve the prediction of this convection, and its collective effects, in weather and climate models.

Physical fracture properties (fracture surfaces as information sources; crackgrowth and fracture mechanisms; exemples of cracks)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meny, Lucienne.

1979-06-01

Fracture surfaces are considered as a useful source of informations: an introduction to fractography is presented; the fracture surface may be observed through X ray microanalysis, and other physical methods such as Auger electron spectroscopy or secundary ion emission. The mechanisms of macroscopic and microscopic crackgrowth and fracture are described, in the case of unstable fracture (cleavage, ductile with shear, intergranular brittleness) and of progressive crack propagation (creep, fatigue). Exemples of cracks are presented in the last chapter [fr

Effect of conditioner load on the polishing pad surface during chemical mechanical planarization process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Cheol Min; Qin, Hong Yi; Hong, Seok Jun; Jeon, Sang Hyuk; Kulkarni, Atul; Kim, Tae Sun [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

During the Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), the pad conditioning process can affect the pad surface characteristics. Among many CMP process parameters, the improper applied load on the conditioner arm may have adverse effects on the polyurethane pad. In this work, we evaluated the pad surface properties under the various conditioner arm applied during pad conditioning process. The conditioning pads were evaluated for surface topography, surface roughness parameters such as Rt and Rvk and Material removal rate (MRR) and within-wafer non-uniformity after wafer polishing. We observed that, the pad asperities were collapsed in the direction of conditioner rotation and blocks the pad pores applied conditioner load. The Rvk value and MRR were founded to be in relation with 4 > 1 > 7 kgF conditioner load. Hence, this study shows that, 4 kgF applied load by conditioner is most suitable for the pad conditioning during CMP.

Quantum mechanics capacitance molecular mechanics modeling of core-electron binding energies of methanol and methyl nitrite on Ag(111) surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Löytynoja, T; Li, X; Jänkälä, K; Rinkevicius, Z; Ågren, H

2016-07-14

We study a newly devised quantum mechanics capacitance molecular mechanics (QMCMM) method for the calculation of core-electron binding energies in the case of molecules adsorbed on metal surfaces. This yet untested methodology is applied to systems with monolayer of methanol/methyl nitrite on an Ag(111) surface at 100 K temperature. It was found out that the studied C, N, and O 1s core-hole energies converge very slowly as a function of the radius of the metallic cluster, which was ascribed to build up of positive charge on the edge of the Ag slab. Further analysis revealed that an extrapolation process can be used to obtain binding energies that deviated less than 0.5 eV against experiments, except in the case of methanol O 1s where the difference was as large as 1.8 eV. Additional QM-cluster calculations suggest that the latter error can be connected to the lack of charge transfer over the QM-CMM boundary. Thus, the results indicate that the QMCMM and QM-cluster methods can complement each other in a holistic picture of molecule-adsorbate core-ionization studies, where all types of intermolecular interactions are considered.

Effect of a surface oxide-dispersion-strengthened layer on mechanical strength of zircaloy-4 tubes

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Yang-Il Jung

2018-03-01

Full Text Available An oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS layer was formed on Zircaloy-4 tubes by a laser beam scanning process to increase mechanical strength. Laser beam was used to scan the yttrium oxide (Y2O3–coated Zircaloy-4 tube to induce the penetration of Y2O3 particles into Zircaloy-4. Laser surface treatment resulted in the formation of an ODS layer as well as microstructural phase transformation at the surface of the tube. The mechanical strength of Zircaloy-4 increased with the formation of the ODS layer. The ring-tensile strength of Zircaloy-4 increased from 790 to 870 MPa at room temperature, from 500 to 575 MPa at 380°C, and from 385 to 470 MPa at 500°C. Strengthening became more effective as the test temperature increased. It was noted that brittle fracture occurred at room temperature, which was not observed at elevated temperatures. Resistance to dynamic high-temperature bursting improved. The burst temperature increased from 760 to 830°C at a heating rate of 5°C/s and internal pressure of 8.3 MPa. The burst opening was also smaller than those in fresh Zircaloy-4 tubes. This method is expected to enhance the safety of Zr fuel cladding tubes owing to the improvement of their mechanical properties. Keywords: Laser Surface Treatment, Microstructure, Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Alloy, Tensile Strength, Zirconium Alloy

Ion-enhanced gas-surface chemistry: The influence of the mass of the incident ion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerlach-Meyer, U.; Coburn, J.W.; Kay, E.

1981-01-01

There are many examples of situations in which a gas-surface reaction rate is increased when the surface is simultaneously subjected to energetic particle bombardment. There are several possible mechanisms which could be involved in this radiation-enhanced gas-surface chemistry. In this study, the reaction rate of silicon, as determined from the etch yield, is measured during irradiation of the Si surface with 1 keV He + , Ne + , and Ar + ions while the surface is simultaneously subjected to fluxes of XeF 2 or Cl 2 molecules. Etch yields as high as 25 Si atoms/ion are observed for XeF 2 and Ar + on Si. A discussion is presented of the extent to which the results clarify the mechanisms responsible for ion-enhanced gas-surface chemistry. (orig.)

The corticotropin-releasing hormone network and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: molecular and cellular mechanisms involved.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonfiglio, Juan José; Inda, Carolina; Refojo, Damián; Holsboer, Florian; Arzt, Eduardo; Silberstein, Susana

2011-01-01

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) plays a key role in adjusting the basal and stress-activated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). CRH is also widely distributed in extrahypothalamic circuits, where it acts as a neuroregulator to integrate the complex neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral adaptive response to stress. Hyperactive and/or dysregulated CRH circuits are involved in neuroendocrinological disturbances and stress-related mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. This review describes the main physiological features of the CRH network and summarizes recent relevant information concerning the molecular mechanism of CRH action obtained from signal transduction studies using cells and wild-type and transgenic mice lines. Special focus is placed on the MAPK signaling pathways triggered by CRH through the CRH receptor 1 that plays an essential role in CRH action in pituitary corticotrophs and in specific brain structures. Recent findings underpin the concept of specific CRH-signaling pathways restricted to specific anatomical areas. Understanding CRH action at molecular levels will not only provide insight into the precise CRH mechanism of action, but will also be instrumental in identifying novel targets for pharmacological intervention in neuroendocrine tissues and specific brain areas involved in CRH-related disorders. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Mechanism of drag reduction for circular cylinders with patterned surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butt, U.; Jehring, L.; Egbers, C.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Reduced drag of patterned cylinders over a wide range of Re numbers. • Hexagonal patterns cannot be characterized as roughness structures. • Hexagonal bumps affect the flow like spherical dimples of smaller k/d ratio do. • Main separation is delayed caused by a partial separation. • Angle of a separation line is not constant over the length of cylinder. -- Abstract: In this paper, the flow over cylinders with a patterned surface (k/d = 1.98 × 10 −2 ) is investigated in a subsonic wind tunnel over Reynolds numbers ranging from 3.14 × 10 4 to 2.77 × 10 5 by measuring drag, flow visualization and measuring velocity profiles above the surface of the cylinders, to observe the effect of hexagonal patterns on the flow of air. These patterns can also be referred as hexagonal dimples or bumps depending on their configuration. The investigations revealed that a patterned cylinder with patterns pressed outwards has a drag coefficient of about 0.65 times of a smooth one. Flow visualization techniques including surface oil-film technique and velocity profile measurement were employed to elucidate this effect, and hence present the mechanism of drag reduction. The measurement of velocity profiles using hot-wire anemometry above the surface reveal that a hexagonal bump cause local separation generating large turbulence intensity along the separating shear layer. Due to this increased turbulence, the flow reattaches to the surface with higher momentum and become able to withstand the pressure gradient delaying the main separation significantly. Besides that, the separation does not appear to occur in a straight line along the length of the cylinder as in case of most passive drag control methods, but follow exactly the hexagonal patterns forming a wave with its crest at 115° and trough at 110°, in contrast to the laminar separation line at 85° for a smooth cylinder

A host defense mechanism involving CFTR-mediated bicarbonate secretion in bacterial prostatitis.

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Chen Xie

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Prostatitis is associated with a characteristic increase in prostatic fluid pH; however, the underlying mechanism and its physiological significance have not been elucidated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study a primary culture of rat prostatic epithelial cells and a rat prostatitis model were used. Here we reported the involvement of CFTR, a cAMP-activated anion channel conducting both Cl(- and HCO(3(-, in mediating prostate HCO(3(- secretion and its possible role in bacterial killing. Upon Escherichia coli (E. coli-LPS challenge, the expression of CFTR and carbonic anhydrase II (CA II, along with several pro-inflammatory cytokines was up-regulated in the primary culture of rat prostate epithelial cells. Inhibiting CFTR function in vitro or in vivo resulted in reduced bacterial killing by prostate epithelial cells or the prostate. High HCO(3(- content (>50 mM, rather than alkaline pH, was found to be responsible for bacterial killing. The direct action of HCO(3(- on bacterial killing was confirmed by its ability to increase cAMP production and suppress bacterial initiation factors in E. coli. The relevance of the CFTR-mediated HCO(3(- secretion in humans was demonstrated by the upregulated expression of CFTR and CAII in human prostatitis tissues. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The CFTR and its mediated HCO(3(- secretion may be up-regulated in prostatitis as a host defense mechanism.

Experimental study of micro-milling mechanism and surface quality of a nickel-based single crystal superalloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Qi; Gong, Yadong; Zhou, Yun Guang; Wen, Xue Long [School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Northeastern University, Shenyang (China)

2017-01-15

Micro-milling is widely used as a method for machining of micro-parts with high precision and efficiency. Taking the nickel-based single-crystal superalloy DD98 as the research object, the crystal characteristics of single-crystal materials were analysed, and the removal mechanism of single-crystal micro-milled parts was described. Based on molecular dynamics, a simulation model for nickel-based single-crystal superalloy DD98 micro-milling was established. Based on the response surface method of central composite design, the influences of spindle speed, feed rate, and milling depth on the surface roughness were examined, and a second-order regression model of the DD98 surface roughness was established. Using analysis of variance and the residuals of the model, a significant influence on surface roughness was found in the following order from large to small: Feed rate, spindle speed, and milling depth. Comparisons were conducted between the micro-milling experimental values and the predicted model values for different process parameters. The results show that the model fit is relatively high, and the adaptability is good. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the micro-milling surfaces was performed to verify the slip and the removal mechanism of single-crystal materials. These results offer a theoretical reference and experimental basis for micro-milling of single-crystal materials.

Effect of surface loading on the hydro-mechanical response of a tunnel in saturated ground

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Heru Prassetyo

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The design of underground spaces in urban areas must account not only for the current overburden load but also for future surface loads, such as from construction of high-rise buildings above underground structures. In saturated ground, the surface load will generate an additional mechanical response through stress changes and ground displacement, as well as a hydraulic response through pore pressure changes. These hydro-mechanical (H-M changes can severely influence tunnel stability. This paper examines the effect of surface loading on the H-M response of a typical horseshoe-shaped tunnel in saturated ground. Two tunnel models were created in the computer code Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC. One model represented weak and low permeability ground (stiff clay, and the other represented strong and high permeability ground (weathered granite. Each of the models was run under two liner permeabilities: permeable and impermeable. Two main cases were compared. In Case 1, the surface load was applied 10 years after tunnel construction. In Case 2, the surface load was applied after the steady state pore pressure condition was achieved. The simulation results show that tunnels with impermeable liners experienced the most severe influence from the surface loading, with high pore pressures, large inward displacement around the tunnels, and high bending moments in the liner. In addition, the severity of the response increased toward steady state. This induced H-M response was worse for tunnels in clay than for those in granite. Furthermore, the long-term liner stabilities in Case 1 and Case 2 were similar, indicating that the influence of the length of time between when the tunnel was completed and when the surface load was applied was negligible. These findings suggest that under surface loading, in addition to the ground strength, tunnel stability in saturated ground is largely influenced by liner permeability and the long-term H-M response of

Influence of surface mechanical activation of the X40Cr13 steel on roughness after ion and gas nitriding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jasinski, J.; Wojtal, A.; Jeziorski, L.; Radecki, A.; Ucieklak, S.

2003-01-01

The article describes the problem of the thermal and mechanical activation of the surface of the X40Cr13 steel on the state of the ion and gas nitriding. in order to determine the nitriding influence and make the analysis of results, the steel was subjected to: soft annealing, hardening with subsequent tempering at T = 550 o C and also mechanical activation of the surface consisting in peripheral grinding with abrasive papers of the grain size 60, 360, 1000 and mechanical polishing. The main aim of this work was to establish the influence of different surface geometrical structure, depending on X40Cr13 steel structure, on the roughness profile after ion and gas nitriding. With regard to the above, the examinations of basic roughness parameters prior to and after thermochemical processes and the analysis of utilitarian usefulness of activations applied were carried out. (author)

Urokinase receptor expression involves tyrosine phosphorylation of phosphoglycerate kinase.

Science.gov (United States)

Shetty, Praveenkumar; Velusamy, Thirunavukkarasu; Bhandary, Yashodhar P; Liu, Ming C; Shetty, Sreerama

2010-02-01

The interaction of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) with its receptor, uPAR, plays a central role in several pathophysiological processes, including cancer. uPA induces its own cell surface receptor expression through stabilization of uPAR mRNA. The mechanism involves binding of a 51 nt uPAR mRNA coding sequence with phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) to down regulate cell surface uPAR expression. Tyrosine phosphorylation of PGK mediated by uPA treatment enhances uPAR mRNA stabilization. In contrast, inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation augments PGK binding to uPAR mRNA and attenuates uPA-induced uPAR expression. Mapping the specific peptide region of PGK indicated that its first quarter (amino acids 1-100) interacts with uPAR mRNA. To determine if uPAR expression by uPA is regulated through activation of tyrosine residues of PGK, we mutated the specific tyrosine residue and tested mutant PGK for its ability to interfere with uPAR expression. Inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation by mutating Y76 residue abolished uPAR expression induced by uPA treatment. These findings collectively demonstrate that Y76 residue present in the first quarter of the PGK molecule is involved in lung epithelial cell surface uPAR expression. This region can effectively mimic the function of a whole PGK molecule in inhibiting tumor cell growth.

Study the bonding mechanism of binders on hydroxyapatite surface and mechanical properties for 3DP fabrication bone scaffolds.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Qinghua; Wang, Yanen; Li, Xinpei; Yang, Mingming; Chai, Weihong; Wang, Kai; zhang, Yingfeng

2016-04-01

In 3DP fabricating artificial bone scaffolds process, the interaction mechanism between binder and bioceramics power determines the microstructure and macro mechanical properties of Hydroxyapatite (HA) bone scaffold. In this study, we applied Molecular Dynamics (MD) methods to investigating the bonding mechanism and essence of binders on the HA crystallographic planes for 3DP fabrication bone scaffolds. The cohesive energy densities of binders and the binding energies, PCFs g(r), mechanical properties of binder/HA interaction models were analyzed through the MD simulation. Additionally, we prepared the HA bone scaffold specimens with different glues by 3DP additive manufacturing, and tested their mechanical properties by the electronic universal testing machine. The simulation results revealed that the relationship of the binding energies between binders and HA surface is consistent with the cohesive energy densities of binders, which is PAM/HA>PVA/HA>PVP/HA. The PCFs g(r) indicated that their interfacial interactions mainly attribute to the ionic bonds and hydrogen bonds which formed between the polar atoms, functional groups in binder polymer and the Ca, -OH in HA. The results of mechanical experiments verified the relationship of Young׳s modulus for three interaction models in simulation, which is PVA/HA>PAM/HA>PVP/HA. But the trend of compressive strength is PAM/HA>PVA/HA>PVP/HA, this is consistent with the binding energies of simulation. Therefore, the Young׳s modulus of bone scaffolds are limited by the Young׳s modulus of binders, and the compressive strength is mainly decided by the viscosity of binder. Finally, the major reasons for differences in mechanical properties between simulation and experiment were found, the space among HA pellets and the incomplete infiltration of glue were the main reasons influencing the mechanical properties of 3DP fabrication HA bone scaffolds. These results provide useful information in choosing binder for 3DP fabrication

Involvement of endothelin and ET(A) endothelin receptor in mechanical allodynia in mice given orthotopic melanoma inoculation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujita, Masahide; Andoh, Tsugunobu; Saiki, Ikuo; Kuraishi, Yasushi

2008-02-01

We investigated whether endothelin (ET) would be involved in skin cancer pain in mice. Orthotopic inoculation of B16-BL6 melanoma cells into the plantar region of the hind paw produced marked mechanical allodynia in C57BL/6 mice. Intraplantar injections of the ET(A)-receptor antagonist BQ-123 (0.3 - 3 nmol/site), but not the ET(B)-receptor antagonist BQ-788 (1 and 3 nmol/site), inhibited mechanical allodynia in mice with grown melanoma. In naive mice, an intraplantar injection of tumor extract (1 and 3 mg/site), which was prepared from the grown melanoma in the paw, produced mechanical allodynia, which was inhibited by BQ-123 and BQ-788 at doses of 3 and 10 nmol/site. An intraplantar injection of ET-1 (1 and 10 pmol/site) elicited licking behavior, which was increased in the melanoma-bearing hind paw. BQ-123 (3 and 10 nmol/site) inhibited licking induced by ET-1 (10 pmol/site). The level of mRNA of ET(A), but not ET(B), receptor, was significantly increased in the dorsal root ganglia on the inoculated side. Cultured B16-BL6 cells contained ET, and the melanoma mass increased the concentration of ET as it grew bigger. These results suggest that ET-1 and ET(A) receptor are at least partly involved in the induction of pain induced by melanoma cell inoculation.

Influence of Surface Coating of Magnetic Nanoparticles on Mechanical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Yarar, Ecem; Karakas, Gizem; Rende, Deniz; Ozisik, Rahmi; Malta, Seyda

Polymer nanocomposites have emerged as promising materials due to improved properties when compared with conventional bulk polymers. Nanofillers are natural or synthetic organic/inorganic particles that are less than 100 nm in at least one dimension. Even the addition of trace amounts of nanofillers to polymers may lad to unique combinations of properties. Among variety of inorganic nanofillers, iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles are of great interest due to their unique physical and chemical properties, such as low toxicity, biocompatibility, large magnetization and conductivity, owing to their extremely small size and large specific surface area. In this study, approximately 8-10 nm magnetic nanoparticles coated with either citric acid or oleic acid are synthesized and blended with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) or poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). The hydrophobicity/hydrophillicity of the polymer and the surface coating on the iron oxide nanoparticles are exploited to control the dispersion state of nanoparticles, and the effect of dispersion on mechanical and thermal properties of the nanocomposite are investigated via experimental methods such as dynamic mechanical analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. This material is based upon work partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CMMI-1538730 and TUBITAK 112M666.

Comparing the effects of mechanical perturbation training with a compliant surface and manual perturbation training on joints kinematics after ACL-rupture.

Science.gov (United States)

Nawasreh, Zakariya; Failla, Mathew; Marmon, Adam; Logerstedt, David; Snyder-Mackler, Lynn

2018-05-23

Performing physical activities on a compliant surface alters joint kinematics and increases joints stiffness. However, the effect of compliant surface on joint kinematics after ACL-rupture is yet unknown. To compare the effects of mechanical perturbation training with a compliant surface to manual perturbation training on joint kinematics after ACL-rupture. Sixteen level I/II athletes with ACL-rupture participated in this preliminary study. Eight patients received mechanical perturbation with compliant surface (Mechanical) and 8 patients received manual perturbation training (Manual). Patients completed standard gait analysis before (Pre) and after (Post) training. Significant group-by-time interactions were found for knee flexion angle at initial contact (IC) and peak knee flexion (PKF) (pMechanical:27.68+4.08°, p = 0.011), hip rotation angle at PKE (Manual:-3.40+4.78°, Mechanical:5.43+4.78°, p Mechanical:0.55+2.23°, p = 0.039). Main effects of time were found for hip adduction angle at PKE (Pre:6.98+4.48°, Post:8.41+4.91°, p = 0.04), knee adduction angle at IC (Pre:-2.90+3.50°, Post:-0.62+2.58°, p = 0.03), ankle adduction angle at IC (Pre:2.16+3.54, Post:3.8+3.68, p = 0.008), and ankle flexion angle at PKF (Pre:-4.55+2.77°, Post:-2.39+3.48°, p = 0.01). Training on a compliant surface induces different effects on joint kinematics compared to manual perturbation training after ACL-rupture. Manual perturbation improved hip alignment and increased knee flexion angles, while mechanical training decreased knee flexion angles throughout the stance phase. Administering training on a compliant surface after ACL-rupture may help improving dynamic knee stability, however, long-term effects on knee health needs to be determined. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of the different frequencies and loads of ultrasonic surface rolling on surface mechanical properties and fretting wear resistance of HIP Ti–6Al–4V alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, G., E-mail: ligang_scut@outlook.com; Qu, S.G., E-mail: qusg@scut.edu.cn; Pan, Y.X.; Li, X.Q.

2016-12-15

Highlights: • Effects of MUSR frequency and load on surface properties of HIP Ti-6Al-4V investigated. • The grains in surface-modified layer were refined and appeared twins and many dense dislocations. • The hardened layer depth and surface residual stress of MUSR- treated samples were significantly improved. • MUSR- treated samples showed the good fretting friction and wear resistance. • The best microstructure and properties of surface-modified layer obtained by sample treated by 30 kHz and 900 N. - Abstract: The main purpose of this paper was to investigate the effects of the different frequencies and loads of multi-pass ultrasonic surface rolling (MUSR) on surface layer mechanical properties, microstructure and fretting friction and wear characteristics of HIP (hot isostatic pressing) Ti–6Al–4 V alloy. Some microscopic analysis methods (SEM, TEM and EDS) were used to characterize the modified surface layer of material after MUSR treatment. The results indicated that the material in sample surface layer experienced a certain extent plastic deformation, and accompanied by some dense dislocations and twins generation. Moreover surface microhardness and residual stress of samples treated by MUSR were also greatly improved compared with the untreated. The fretting friction and wear properties of samples treated by MUSR in different conditions are tested at 10 and 15 N in dry friction conditions. It could be found that friction coefficient and wear volume loss were significantly declined in the optimal result. The main wear mechanism of MUSR-treated samples included abrasive wear, adhesion and spalling.

Mechanisms involved in regulation of osteoclastic differentiation by mechanical stress-loaded osteoblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaneuji, Takeshi; Ariyoshi, Wataru; Okinaga, Toshinori; Toshinaga, Akihiro; Takahashi, Tetsu; Nishihara, Tatsuji

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Effect of compressive force on osteoblasts were examined. → Compressive force induced OPG expression and suppressed osteoclastogenesis. → This enhancement of OPG is dependent on Wnt/Ca2+ signal pathway. -- Abstract: Mechanical stress is known to be important for regulation of bone turnover, though the detailed mechanisms are not fully understood. In the present study, we examined the effect of mechanical stress on osteoblasts using a novel compression model. Mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were embedded in three-dimensional (3D) gels and cultured with continuous compressive force (0-10.0 g/cm 2 ) for 48 h, and the conditioned medium were collected. RAW264.7 cells were then incubated with the conditioned medium for various times in the presence of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL). Conditioned medium was found to inhibit the differentiation of RAW264.7 cells into osteoclasts induced by RANKL via down-regulation of the expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), phosphorylation of IκBα, and nuclear translocation of p50 and p65. Interestingly, the conditioned medium also had a high level of binding activity to RANKL and blocked the binding of RANK to RANKL. Furthermore, the binding activity of conditioned medium to RANKL was reduced when the 3D gel was supplemented with KN-93, an inhibitor of non-canonical Wnt/Ca 2+ pathway. In addition, expression level of osteoprotegerin (OPG) mRNA was increased in time- and force-dependent manners, and remarkably suppressed by KN-93. These results indicate that osteoblastic cells subjected to mechanical stress produce OPG, which binds to RANKL. Furthermore, this binding activity strongly inhibited osteoclastogenesis through suppression of TRAF6 and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, suggesting that enhancement of OPG expression induced by mechanical stress is dependent on non-canonical Wnt/Ca 2+ pathway.

Mechanisms involved in regulation of osteoclastic differentiation by mechanical stress-loaded osteoblasts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaneuji, Takeshi [Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kyushu Dental College, 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu 803-8580 (Japan); Division of Infections and Molecular Biology, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental College, 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu 803-8580 (Japan); Ariyoshi, Wataru; Okinaga, Toshinori; Toshinaga, Akihiro [Division of Infections and Molecular Biology, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental College, 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu 803-8580 (Japan); Takahashi, Tetsu [Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kyushu Dental College, 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu 803-8580 (Japan); Oral Bioresearch Center, Kyushu Dental College, 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu 803-8580 (Japan); Nishihara, Tatsuji, E-mail: tatsujin@kyu-dent.ac.jp [Division of Infections and Molecular Biology, Department of Health Promotion, Kyushu Dental College, 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu 803-8580 (Japan); Oral Bioresearch Center, Kyushu Dental College, 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu 803-8580 (Japan)

2011-04-29

Highlights: {yields} Effect of compressive force on osteoblasts were examined. {yields} Compressive force induced OPG expression and suppressed osteoclastogenesis. {yields} This enhancement of OPG is dependent on Wnt/Ca2+ signal pathway. -- Abstract: Mechanical stress is known to be important for regulation of bone turnover, though the detailed mechanisms are not fully understood. In the present study, we examined the effect of mechanical stress on osteoblasts using a novel compression model. Mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were embedded in three-dimensional (3D) gels and cultured with continuous compressive force (0-10.0 g/cm{sup 2}) for 48 h, and the conditioned medium were collected. RAW264.7 cells were then incubated with the conditioned medium for various times in the presence of receptor activator of nuclear factor-{kappa}B ligand (RANKL). Conditioned medium was found to inhibit the differentiation of RAW264.7 cells into osteoclasts induced by RANKL via down-regulation of the expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), phosphorylation of I{kappa}B{alpha}, and nuclear translocation of p50 and p65. Interestingly, the conditioned medium also had a high level of binding activity to RANKL and blocked the binding of RANK to RANKL. Furthermore, the binding activity of conditioned medium to RANKL was reduced when the 3D gel was supplemented with KN-93, an inhibitor of non-canonical Wnt/Ca{sup 2+} pathway. In addition, expression level of osteoprotegerin (OPG) mRNA was increased in time- and force-dependent manners, and remarkably suppressed by KN-93. These results indicate that osteoblastic cells subjected to mechanical stress produce OPG, which binds to RANKL. Furthermore, this binding activity strongly inhibited osteoclastogenesis through suppression of TRAF6 and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-{kappa}B) signaling pathway, suggesting that enhancement of OPG expression induced by mechanical stress is dependent on non-canonical Wnt

Diffusion of MMPs on the Surface of Collagen Fibrils: The Mobile Cell Surface – Collagen Substratum Interface

Science.gov (United States)

Collier, Ivan E.; Legant, Wesley; Marmer, Barry; Lubman, Olga; Saffarian, Saveez; Wakatsuki, Tetsuro; Elson, Elliot; Goldberg, Gregory I.

2011-01-01

Remodeling of the extracellular matrix catalyzed by MMPs is central to morphogenetic phenomena during development and wound healing as well as in numerous pathologic conditions such as fibrosis and cancer. We have previously demonstrated that secreted MMP-2 is tethered to the cell surface and activated by MT1-MMP/TIMP-2-dependent mechanism. The resulting cell-surface collagenolytic complex (MT1-MMP)2/TIMP-2/MMP-2 can initiate (MT1-MMP) and complete (MMP-2) degradation of an underlying collagen fibril. The following question remained: What is the mechanism of substrate recognition involving the two structures of relatively restricted mobility, the cell surface enzymatic complex and a collagen fibril embedded in the ECM? Here we demonstrate that all the components of the complex are capable of processive movement on a surface of the collagen fibril. The mechanism of MT1-MMP movement is a biased diffusion with the bias component dependent on the proteolysis of its substrate, not adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis. It is similar to that of the MMP-1 Brownian ratchet we described earlier. In addition, both MMP-2 and MMP-9 as well as their respective complexes with TIMP-1 and -2 are capable of Brownian diffusion on the surface of native collagen fibrils without noticeable dissociation while the dimerization of MMP-9 renders the enzyme immobile. Most instructive is the finding that the inactivation of the enzymatic activity of MT1-MMP has a detectable negative effect on the cell force developed in miniaturized 3D tissue constructs. We propose that the collagenolytic complex (MT1-MMP)2/TIMP-2/MMP-2 represents a Mobile Cell Surface – Collagen Substratum Interface. The biological implications of MT1-MMP acting as a molecular ratchet tethered to the cell surface in complex with MMP-2 suggest a new mechanism for the role of spatially regulated peri-cellular proteolysis in cell-matrix interactions. PMID:21912660

Mechanisms of Surface Antigenic Variation in the Human Pathogenic Fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmid-Siegert, Emanuel; Richard, Sophie; Luraschi, Amanda; Mühlethaler, Konrad; Pagni, Marco; Hauser, Philippe M

2017-11-07

Microbial pathogens commonly escape the human immune system by varying surface proteins. We investigated the mechanisms used for that purpose by Pneumocystis jirovecii This uncultivable fungus is an obligate pulmonary pathogen that in immunocompromised individuals causes pneumonia, a major life-threatening infection. Long-read PacBio sequencing was used to assemble a core of subtelomeres of a single P. jirovecii strain from a bronchoalveolar lavage fluid specimen from a single patient. A total of 113 genes encoding surface proteins were identified, including 28 pseudogenes. These genes formed a subtelomeric gene superfamily, which included five families encoding adhesive glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored glycoproteins and one family encoding excreted glycoproteins. Numerical analyses suggested that diversification of the glycoproteins relies on mosaic genes created by ectopic recombination and occurs only within each family. DNA motifs suggested that all genes are expressed independently, except those of the family encoding the most abundant surface glycoproteins, which are subject to mutually exclusive expression. PCR analyses showed that exchange of the expressed gene of the latter family occurs frequently, possibly favored by the location of the genes proximal to the telomere because this allows concomitant telomere exchange. Our observations suggest that (i) the P. jirovecii cell surface is made of a complex mixture of different surface proteins, with a majority of a single isoform of the most abundant glycoprotein, (ii) genetic mosaicism within each family ensures variation of the glycoproteins, and (iii) the strategy of the fungus consists of the continuous production of new subpopulations composed of cells that are antigenically different. IMPORTANCE Pneumocystis jirovecii is a fungus causing severe pneumonia in immunocompromised individuals. It is the second most frequent life-threatening invasive fungal infection. We have studied the mechanisms

Surface micro topography replication in injection moulding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arlø, Uffe Rolf

Thermoplastic injection moulding is a widely used industrial process that involves surface generation by replication. The surface topography of injection moulded plastic parts can be important for aesthetical or technical reasons. With the emergence of microengineering and nanotechnology additional...... importance of surface topography follows. In general the replication is not perfect and the topography of the plastic part differs from the inverse topography of the mould cavity. It is desirable to be able to control the degree of replication perfection or replication quality. This requires an understanding...... of the physical mechanisms of replication. Such understanding can lead to improved process design and facilitate in-line process quality control with respect to surface properties. The purpose of the project is to identify critical factors that affect topography replication quality and to obtain an understanding...

Effect of machining parameters on surface integrity of silicon carbide ceramic using end electric discharge milling and mechanical grinding hybrid machining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Renjie; Liu, Yonghong; Zhang, Yanzhen; Cai, Baoping; Li, Xiaopeng; Zheng, Chao

2013-01-01

A novel hybrid process that integrates end electric discharge (ED) milling and mechanical grinding is proposed. The process is able to effectively machine a large surface area on SiC ceramic with good surface quality and fine working environmental practice. The polarity, pulse on-time, and peak current are varied to explore their effects on the surface integrity, such as surface morphology, surface roughness, micro-cracks, and composition on the machined surface. The results show that positive tool polarity, short pulse on-time, and low peak current cause a fine surface finish. During the hybrid machining of SiC ceramic, the material is mainly removed by end ED milling at rough machining mode, whereas it is mainly removed by mechanical grinding at finish machining mode. Moreover, the material from the tool can transfer to the workpiece, and a combination reaction takes place during machining.

Contact angle hysteresis on doubly periodic smooth rough surfaces in Wenzel's regime: The role of the contact line depinning mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Iliev, Stanimir; Pesheva, Nina; Iliev, Pavel

2018-04-01

We report here on the contact angle hysteresis, appearing when a liquid meniscus is in contact with doubly sinusoidal wavelike patterned surfaces in Wenzel's wetting regime. Using the full capillary model we obtain numerically the contact angle hysteresis as a function of the surface roughness factor and the equilibrium contact angle for a block case and a kink case contact line depinning mechanism. We find that the dependencies of the contact angle hysteresis on the surface roughness factor are different for the different contact line depinning mechanisms. These dependencies are different also for the two types of rough surfaces we studied. The relations between advancing, receding, and equilibrium contact angles are investigated. A comparison with the existing asymptotical, numerical, and experimental results is carried out.

Novel mechanisms of sildenafil in pulmonary hypertension involving cytokines/chemokines, MAP kinases and Akt.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamas Kiss

Full Text Available Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH is associated with high mortality due to right ventricular failure and hypoxia, therefore to understand the mechanism by which pulmonary vascular remodeling initiates these processes is very important. We used a well-characterized monocrotaline (MCT-induced rat PH model, and analyzed lung morphology, expression of cytokines, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK phosphorylation, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt (PI-3k-Akt pathway and nuclear factor (NF-κB activation in order to elucidate the mechanisms by which sildenafil's protective effect in PH is exerted. Besides its protective effect on lung morphology, sildenafil suppressed multiple cytokines involved in neutrophil and mononuclear cells recruitment including cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC-1, CINC-2α/β, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1, interleukin (IL-1α, lipopolysaccharide induced CXC chemokine (LIX, monokine induced by gamma interferon (MIG, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1α, and MIP-3α. NF-κB activation and phosphorylation were also attenuated by sildenafil. Furthermore, sildenafil reduced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK activation while enhanced activation of the cytoprotective Akt pathway in PH. These data suggest a beneficial effect of sildenafil on inflammatory and kinase signaling mechanisms that substantially contribute to its protective effects, and may have potential implications in designing future therapeutic strategies in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.

Reaction Mechanisms on Multiwell Potential Energy Surfaces in Combustion (and Atmospheric) Chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osborn, David L.

2017-01-01

Chemical reactions occurring on a potential energy surface with multiple wells are ubiquitous in low temperature combustion and the oxidation of volatile organic compounds in earth’s atmosphere. The rich variety of structural isomerizations that compete with collisional stabilization make characterizing such complex-forming reactions challenging. This review describes recent experimental and theoretical advances that deliver increasingly complete views of their reaction mechanisms. New methods for creating reactive intermediates coupled with multiplexed measurements provide many experimental observables simultaneously. Automated methods to explore potential energy surfaces can uncover hidden reactive pathways, while master equation methods enable a holistic treatment of both sequential and well-skipping pathways. Our ability to probe and understand nonequilibrium effects and reaction sequences is increasing. These advances provide the fundamental science base for predictive models of combustion and the atmosphere that are crucial to address global challenges.

Reaction Mechanisms on Multiwell Potential Energy Surfaces in Combustion (and Atmospheric) Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Osborn, David L.

2017-05-01

Chemical reactions occurring on a potential energy surface with multiple wells are ubiquitous in low-temperature combustion and in the oxidation of volatile organic compounds in Earth's atmosphere. The rich variety of structural isomerizations that compete with collisional stabilization makes characterizing such complex-forming reactions challenging. This review describes recent experimental and theoretical advances that deliver increasingly complete views of their reaction mechanisms. New methods for creating reactive intermediates coupled with multiplexed measurements provide many experimental observables simultaneously. Automated methods to explore potential energy surfaces can uncover hidden reactive pathways, and master equation methods enable a holistic treatment of both sequential and well-skipping pathways. Our ability to probe and understand nonequilibrium effects and reaction sequences is increasing. These advances provide the fundamental science base for predictive models of combustion and the atmosphere that are crucial to address global challenges.

Influence of the initial surface condition on the release of nickel alloys in the primary circuit of PWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guinard, L.; Kerrec, O.; Noel, D.; Gardey, S.; Coulet, F.

1997-01-01

The effect of surface condition on corrosion and release and the mechanisms involved are investigated. The detrimental and beneficial effects of certain conditions or processes are identified: role of the last thermomechanical treatment, detrimental effect of cold-work, beneficial effect of electropolishing. The results can not be explained by mechanisms based only on solubility and mass transfer. Ionic migration through the inner barrier film is also probably involved. (K.A.)

Mechanisms Involved in Nematode Control by Endophytic Fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Schouten, Alexander

2016-08-04

Colonization of plants by particular endophytic fungi can provide plants with improved defenses toward nematodes. Evidently, such endophytes can be important in developing more sustainable agricultural practices. The mechanisms playing a role in this quantitative antagonism are poorly understood but most likely multifactorial. This knowledge gap obstructs the progress regarding the development of endophytes or endophyte-derived constituents into biocontrol agents. In part, this may be caused by the fact that endophytic fungi form a rather heterogeneous group. By combining the knowledge of the currently characterized antagonistic endophytic fungi and their effects on nematode behavior and biology with the knowledge of microbial competition and induced plant defenses, the various mechanisms by which this nematode antagonism operates or may operate are discussed. Now that new technologies are becoming available and more accessible, the currently unresolved mechanisms can be studied in greater detail than ever before.

Facile fabrication of superhydrophobic surface with excellent mechanical abrasion and corrosion resistance on copper substrate by a novel method.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Fenghua; Yao, Kai

2014-06-11

A novel method for controllable fabrication of a superhydrophobic surface with a water contact angle of 162 ± 1° and a sliding angle of 3 ± 0.5° on copper substrate is reported in this Research Article. The facile and low-cost fabrication process is composed from the electrodeposition in traditional Watts bath and the heat-treatment in the presence of (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetradecyl) triethoxysilane (AC-FAS). The superhydrophobicity of the fabricated surface results from its pine-cone-like hierarchical micro-nanostructure and the assembly of low-surface-energy fluorinated components on it. The superhydrophobic surface exhibits high microhardness and excellent mechanical abrasion resistance because it maintains superhydrophobicity after mechanical abrasion against 800 grit SiC sandpaper for 1.0 m at the applied pressure of 4.80 kPa. Moreover, the superhydrophobic surface has good chemical stability in both acidic and alkaline environments. The potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test shows that the as-prepared superhydrophobic surface has excellent corrosion resistance that can provide effective protection for the bare Cu substrate. In addition, the as-prepared superhydrophobic surface has self-cleaning ability. It is believed that the facile and low-cost method offer an effective strategy and promising industrial applications for fabricating superhydrophobic surfaces on various metallic materials.

The contact sport of rough surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Carpick, Robert W.

2018-01-01

Describing the way two surfaces touch and make contact may seem simple, but it is not. Fully describing the elastic deformation of ideally smooth contacting bodies, under even low applied pressure, involves second-order partial differential equations and fourth-rank elastic constant tensors. For more realistic rough surfaces, the problem becomes a multiscale exercise in surface-height statistics, even before including complex phenomena such as adhesion, plasticity, and fracture. A recent research competition, the “Contact Mechanics Challenge” (1), was designed to test various approximate methods for solving this problem. A hypothetical rough surface was generated, and the community was invited to model contact with this surface with competing theories for the calculation of properties, including contact area and pressure. A supercomputer-generated numerical solution was kept secret until competition entries were received. The comparison of results (2) provides insights into the relative merits of competing models and even experimental approaches to the problem.

Auger decay mechanism in photon-stimulated desorption of ions from surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parks, C.C.

1983-11-01

Photon-stimulated desorption (PSD) of positive ions was studied with synchrotron radiation using an angle-integrating time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Ion yields as functions of photon energy near core levels were measured from condensed gases, alkali fluorides, and other alkali and alkaline earth halides. These results are compared to bulk photoabsorption measurements with emphasis on understanding fundamental desorption mechanisms. The applicability of the Auger decay mechanism, in which ion desorption is strictly proportional to surface absorption, is discussed in detail. The Auger decay model is developed in detail to describe Na + and F + desorption from NaF following Na(1s) excitation. The major decay pathways of the Na(1s) hole leading to desorption are described and equations for the energetics of ion desorption are developed. Ion desorption spectra of H + , Li + , and F + are compared to bulk photoabsorption near the F(2s) and Li(1s) edges of LiF. A strong photon beam exposure dependence of ion yields from alkali fluorides is revealed, which may indicate the predominance of metal ion desorption from defect sites. The large role of indirect mechanisms in ion desorption condensed N 2 -O 2 multilayers is demonstrated and discussed. Ion desorption spectra from several alkali halides and alkaline earth halides are compared to bulk photoabsorption spectra. Relative ion yields from BaF 2 and a series of alkali halides are discussed in terms of desorption mechanisms

Mechanization of drill-and-blast operations in surface mines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogan, B.

1985-07-01

Comments on recent developments in blasting techniques in modern surface mines and quarries. The tendency to use large boreholes (up to 320 mm diameter) and on site manufactured ANFO and slurry explosives is stressed. Soviet experience with ANFO and slurry explosives and with 9 types of explosive-mixing/charging vehicles is presented. One type of vehicle is used as a stable explosive mixing unit, the others (SUZN-1B, SUZN-2, SUZN-5A, SUZN-5AM, ZS-1B, MZS-1M, MAZ-509P) are used as mobile explosive mixing and loading units. Some also incorporate a borehole stemming device. Mixtures of ANFO and slurry (aquatol) explosives, explosive charging capacities (outputs 9-30 t/h) and other characteristics of mechanized explosive charging vehicles are described. Obligatory safety measures during usage are quoted. 4 refs.

Mechanical characterisation of surface layers by x-ray diffraction -application to tribology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farrahi, G.H.

1996-01-01

The results presented in this paper show that X-ray diffraction can be employed for the characterisation of surface layer damage through residual stresses and work hardening by some tribological actions such as fretting and dry sliding. X-ray diffraction technique can also be employed for a rapid and non-destructive measurement of hardness of hardened steel. The diffraction profile analysis can offer a good indication about the materials characteristics and the microstructural evolution caused by heat treatment or by mechanical loading

[Neuronal and hormonal regulatory mechanisms of tears production and secretion].

Science.gov (United States)

Mrugacz, Małgorzata; Zywalewska, Nella; Bakunowicz-Lazarczyk, Alina

2005-01-01

The ocular surface, tear film, lacrimal glands act as a functional unit to preserve the quality of the refractive surface of the eye, and to resist injury and protect the eye against bodily and environmental conditions. Homeostasis of this functional unit involves neuronal and hormonal regulatory mechanisms. The eye appears to be a target organ for sex hormones particulary the androgen, as they modulate the immune system and trophic functions of the lacrimal and Meibomian glands.

Formation mechanism of a silane-PVA/PVAc complex film on a glass fiber surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Repovsky, Daniel; Jane, Eduard; Palszegi, Tibor; Slobodnik, Marek; Velic, Dusan

2013-10-21

Mechanical properties of glass fiber reinforced composite materials are affected by fiber sizing. A complex film formation, based on a silane film and PVA/PVAc (polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl acetate) microspheres on a glass fiber surface is determined at 1) the nanoscale by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), and 2) the macroscale by using the zeta potential. Silane groups strongly bind through the Si-O-Si bond to the glass surface, which provides the attachment mechanism as a coupling agent. The silane groups form islands, a homogeneous film, as well as empty sites. The average roughness of the silanized surface is 6.5 nm, whereas it is only 0.6 nm for the non-silanized surface. The silane film vertically penetrates in a honeycomb fashion from the glass surface through the deposited PVA/PVAc microspheres to form a hexagonal close pack structure. The silane film not only penetrates, but also deforms the PVA/PVAc microspheres from the spherical shape in a dispersion to a ellipsoidal shape on the surface with average dimensions of 300/600 nm. The surface area value Sa represents an area of PVA/PVAc microspheres that are not affected by the silane penetration. The areas are found to be 0.2, 0.08, and 0.03 μm(2) if the ellipsoid sizes are 320/570, 300/610, and 270/620 nm for silane concentrations of 0, 3.8, and 7.2 μg mL(-1), respectively. The silane film also moves PVA/PVAc microspheres in the process of complex film formation, from the low silane concentration areas to the complex film area providing enough silane groups to stabilize the structure. The values for the residual silane honeycomb structure heights (Ha ) are 6.5, 7, and 12 nm for silane concentrations of 3.8, 7.2, and 14.3 μg mL(-1), respectively. The pH-dependent zeta-potential results suggest a specific role of the silane groups with effects on the glass fiber surface and also on the PVA/PVAc microspheres. The non-silanized glass fiber surface and the silane film have similar zeta potentials ranging

First-principles study of size-, surface- and mechanical strain-dependent electronic properties of wurtzite and zinc-blende InSb nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yong [School of Mathematics, Physics and Energy Engineering, Hunan Institute of Technology, Hengyang 421002 (China); Xie, Zhong-Xiang, E-mail: xiezxhu@163.com [School of Mathematics, Physics and Energy Engineering, Hunan Institute of Technology, Hengyang 421002 (China); Yu, Xia; Wang, Hai-Bin; Deng, Yuan-Xiang [School of Mathematics, Physics and Energy Engineering, Hunan Institute of Technology, Hengyang 421002 (China); Ning, Feng, E-mail: fning@gxtc.edu.cn [College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Guangxi Teachers Education University, Nanning 530001 (China)

2016-08-06

Using first-principle calculations with density functional theory, we investigated the modification of electronic properties in zinc-blende (ZB) and wurtzite (WZ) InSb nanowires (NWs) grown along the [111] and [0001] directions for different size, different surface coverage and different mechanical strain. The results show that before the surface passivation, ZBNWs and WZNWs exhibit the metallic character and the semiconductor character, respectively. WZNWs show a crossover from a direct to an indirect as diameter decreases. After the surface passivation, both ZBNWs and WZNWs are found to be direct-gap character. The electronic band structure shows a significant response to changes in surface passivation with pseudo hydrogen and halogen. The band structure with mechanical strain is strongly dependent on the crystal orientation and the NW diameter. In ZBNWs, compressive strain induces the indirect band gap character, whereas tensile strain can not form it. WZNWs have various strain dependence in that both compressive and tensile strain make InSb show a direct band gap character. A brief analysis of these results is given. - Highlights: • InSb nanowires with different surfaces can show the different band structures. • Band gap magnitude of InSb nanowires depends on the suppression of surface states. • Different types of mechanical strains show the different effect on the band structure of the InSb nanowires.

Structural determinants for protein adsorption/non-adsorption to silica surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathe, Christelle; Devineau, Stephanie; Aude, Jean-Christophe; Lagniel, Gilles; Chedin, Stephane; Legros, Veronique; Mathon, Marie-Helene; Renault, Jean-Philippe; Pin, Serge; Boulard, Yves; Labarre, Jean

2013-01-01

The understanding of the mechanisms involved in the interaction of proteins with inorganic surfaces is of major interest in both fundamental research and applications such as nano-technology. However, despite intense research, the mechanisms and the structural determinants of protein/surface interactions are still unclear. We developed a strategy consisting in identifying, in a mixture of hundreds of soluble proteins, those proteins that are adsorbed on the surface and those that are not. If the two protein subsets are large enough, their statistical comparative analysis must reveal the physicochemical determinants relevant for adsorption versus non-adsorption. This methodology was tested with silica nanoparticles. We found that the adsorbed proteins contain a higher number of charged amino acids, particularly arginine, which is consistent with involvement of this basic amino acid in electrostatic interactions with silica. The analysis also identified a marked bias toward low aromatic amino acid content (phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine and histidine) in adsorbed proteins. Structural analyses and molecular dynamics simulations of proteins from the two groups indicate that non-adsorbed proteins have twice as many p-p interactions and higher structural rigidity. The data are consistent with the notion that adsorption is correlated with the flexibility of the protein and with its ability to spread on the surface. Our findings led us to propose a refined model of protein adsorption. (authors)

Structural determinants for protein adsorption/non-adsorption to silica surface.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christelle Mathé

Full Text Available The understanding of the mechanisms involved in the interaction of proteins with inorganic surfaces is of major interest in both fundamental research and applications such as nanotechnology. However, despite intense research, the mechanisms and the structural determinants of protein/surface interactions are still unclear. We developed a strategy consisting in identifying, in a mixture of hundreds of soluble proteins, those proteins that are adsorbed on the surface and those that are not. If the two protein subsets are large enough, their statistical comparative analysis must reveal the physicochemical determinants relevant for adsorption versus non-adsorption. This methodology was tested with silica nanoparticles. We found that the adsorbed proteins contain a higher number of charged amino acids, particularly arginine, which is consistent with involvement of this basic amino acid in electrostatic interactions with silica. The analysis also identified a marked bias toward low aromatic amino acid content (phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine and histidine in adsorbed proteins. Structural analyses and molecular dynamics simulations of proteins from the two groups indicate that non-adsorbed proteins have twice as many π-π interactions and higher structural rigidity. The data are consistent with the notion that adsorption is correlated with the flexibility of the protein and with its ability to spread on the surface. Our findings led us to propose a refined model of protein adsorption.

Martensitic phase transformations in the nanostructured surface layers induced by mechanical attrition treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ni Zhichun; Wang Xiaowei; Wu Erdong; Liu Gang

2005-01-01

Conversion electron Moessbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis have been used to investigate the relationship between characteristics of phase transformation and the treatment time in surface nanocrystallized 316L stainless steel induced by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). A similar trend of development of the martensitic phase upon the treatment time has been observed from both CEMS and XRD measurements. However, in the CEMS measurement, two types of martensite phase with different magnetic hyperfine fields are revealed. Based on a random distribution of the non-iron coordinating atoms, a three-element theoretical model is developed to illustrate the difference of two types of martensite phase. The calculated results indicate the segregation of the non-iron atoms associated with SMAT treatment

Enhanced charging kinetics of porous electrodes: surface conduction as a short-circuit mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirzadeh, Mohammad; Gibou, Frederic; Squires, Todd M

2014-08-29

We use direct numerical simulations of the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations to study the charging kinetics of porous electrodes and to evaluate the predictive capabilities of effective circuit models, both linear and nonlinear. The classic transmission line theory of de Levie holds for general electrode morphologies, but only at low applied potentials. Charging dynamics are slowed appreciably at high potentials, yet not as significantly as predicted by the nonlinear transmission line model of Biesheuvel and Bazant. We identify surface conduction as a mechanism which can effectively "short circuit" the high-resistance electrolyte in the bulk of the pores, thus accelerating the charging dynamics and boosting power densities. Notably, the boost in power density holds only for electrode morphologies with continuous conducting surfaces in the charging direction.

The Effect of Laser Surface Treatment on Structure and Mechanical Properties Aluminium Alloy ENAC-AlMg9

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pakieła W.

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In this work, the influence of a high power diode laser surface treatment on the structure and properties of aluminium alloy has been determined. The aim of this study was to improve the mechanical and tribological properties of the surface layer of the aluminium alloy by simultaneously melting and feeding tungsten carbide particles into the molten pool. During the process was used high-power diode laser HPDL. In order to remelt the aluminium alloy surface the HPDL laser of 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 kW laser beam power has been used. The linear laser scan rate of the beam was set 0.5 cm/s. In order to protect the liquid metal during laser treatment was used argon. As a base material was used aluminium alloy ENAC-AlMg9. To improve the surface mechanical and wear properties of the applied aluminium alloy was used biphasic tungsten carbide WC/W2C. The size of alloying powder was in the range 110-210 µm. The ceramic powder was introduced in the remelting zone by a gravity feeder at a constant rate of 8 g/m.

Thermal crackling: study of the mechanical effects of quick temperature fluctuations on metallic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pradel, P.

1984-05-01

After a brief overview of the thermohydraulical conditions of liquid sodium leading to important temperature fluctuations near the metallic surfaces, the author examines the transfer modes of these fluctuations in the structure thickness and the long term mechanical effects. Dimensioning models based on thermal and metallurgical properties are under study for structures subject to such sodium loads [fr

Developmental expression of a cell surface protein involved in sea urchin skeleton formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farach, M.C.; Valdizan, M.; Park, H.R.; Decker, G.L.; Lennarz, W.J.

1986-01-01

The authors have previously used a monoclonal antibody (1223) to identify a 130 Kd cell surface protein involved in skeleton formation is sea urchin embryos. In the current study the authors have examined the expression of the 1223 antigen over the course of development of embryos of two species, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and Lytechinus pictus. The 130 Kd protein is detected in S. purp eggs on immunoblots. Labeling with [ 3 H] leucine and immunoaffinity chromatography show that it also is synthesized shortly after fertilization. Immunofluroescence reveals that at this early stage the 1223 antigen is uniformly distributed on all of the cells. Synthesis decreases to a minimum by the time of hatching (18 h), as does the total amount of antigen present in the embryo. A second period of synthesis commences at the mesenchyme blastula stage, when the spicule-forming primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) have appeared. During this later stage, synthesis and cell surface expression are restricted to the PMCs. In contrast to S. purp., in L. pictus the 130 Kd protein does not appear until the PMCs are formed. Hybrid embryos demonstrate a pattern of expression of the maternal species. These results suggest that early expression of 1223 antigen in S. purp. is due to utilization of maternal transcripts present in the egg. In both species later expression in PMCs appears to be the result of cell-type specific synthesis, perhaps encoded by embryonic transcripts

Impact of Gastric Acid Induced Surface Changes on Mechanical Behavior and Optical Characteristics of Dental Ceramics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, Aditi; Rothrock, James; Thompson, Jeffery

2018-01-14

To test the impact of exposure to artificial gastric acid combined with toothbrush abrasion on the properties of dental ceramics. Earlier research has indicated that immersion in artificial gastric acid has caused increased surface roughness of dental ceramics; however, the combined effects of acid immersion and toothbrush abrasion and the impact of increased surface roughness on mechanical strength and optical properties have not been studied. Three commercially available ceramics were chosen for this study: feldspathic porcelain, lithium disilicate glass-ceramic, and monolithic zirconium oxide. The specimens (10 × 1 mm discs) were cut, thermally treated as required, and polished. Each material was divided into four groups (n = 8 per group): control (no exposure), acid only, brush only, acid + brush. The specimens were immersed in artificial gastric acid (50 ml of 0.2% [w/v] sodium chloride in 0.7% [v/v] hydrochloric acid mixed with 0.16 g of pepsin powder, pH = 2) for 2 minutes and rinsed with deionized water for 2 minutes. The procedure was repeated 6 times/day × 9 days, and specimens were stored in deionized water at 37°C. Toothbrush abrasion was performed using an ISO/ADA design brushing machine for 100 cycles/day × 9 days. The acid + brush group received both treatments. Specimens were examined under SEM and an optical microscope for morphological changes. Color and translucency were measured using spectrophotometer CIELAB coordinates (L*, a*, b*). Surface gloss was measured using a gloss meter. Surface roughness was measured using a stylus profilometer. Biaxial flexural strength was measured using a mechanical testing machine. The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's HSD post hoc test (p gloss, and surface roughness for porcelain and e.max specimens. No statistically significant changes were found for any properties of zirconia specimens. The acid treatment affected the surface roughness, color, and gloss of porcelain and e

Corrosion mechanism of a Ni-based alloy in supercritical water: Impact of surface plastic deformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Payet, Mickaël; Marchetti, Loïc; Tabarant, Michel; Chevalier, Jean-Pierre

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The dissolution of Ni and Fe cations occurs during corrosion of Ni-based alloys in SCW. • The nature of the oxide layer depends locally on the alloy microstructure. • The corrosion mechanism changes when cold-work increases leading to internal oxidation. - Abstract: Ni–Fe–Cr alloys are expected to be a candidate material for the generation IV nuclear reactors that use supercritical water at temperatures up to 600 °C and pressures of 25 MPa. The corrosion resistance of Alloy 690 in these extreme conditions was studied considering the surface finish of the alloy. The oxide scale could suffer from dissolution or from internal oxidation. The presence of a work-hardened zone reveals the competition between the selective oxidation of chromium with respect to the oxidation of nickel and iron. Finally, corrosion mechanisms for Ni based alloys are proposed considering the effects of plastically deformed surfaces and the dissolution.

Nanoscale mechanical surface properties of single crystalline martensitic Ni-Mn-Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jakob, A M; Müller, M; Rauschenbach, B; Mayr, S G

2012-01-01

Located beyond the resolution limit of nanoindentation, contact resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM) is employed for nano-mechanical surface characterization of single crystalline 14M modulated martensitic Ni-Mn-Ga (NMG) thin films grown by magnetron sputter deposition on (001) MgO substrates. Comparing experimental indentation moduli-obtained with CR-AFM-with theoretical predictions based on density functional theory (DFT) indicates the central role of pseudo plasticity and inter-martensitic phase transitions. Spatially highly resolved mechanical imaging enables the visualization of twin boundaries and allows for the assessment of their impact on mechanical behavior at the nanoscale. The CR-AFM technique is also briefly reviewed. Its advantages and drawbacks are carefully addressed. (paper)

Study of the Mechanical Properties of a Nanostructured Surface Layer on 316L Stainless Steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. C. Lang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A nanostructured surface layer (NSSL was generated on a 316L stainless steel plate through surface nanocrystallization (SNC. The grains of the surface layer were refined to nanoscale after SNC treatment. Moreover, the microstructure and mechanical properties of NSSL were analyzed with a transmission electron microscope (TEM and scanning electron microscope (SEM, through nanoindentation, and through reverse analysis of finite element method (FEM. TEM results showed that the grains in the NSSL measured 8 nm. In addition, these nanocrystalline grains took the form of random crystallographic orientation and were roughly equiaxed in shape. In situ SEM observations of the tensile process confirmed that the motions of the dislocations were determined from within the material and that the motions were blocked by the NSSL, thus improving overall yielding stress. Meanwhile, the nanohardness and the elastic modulus of the NSSL, as well as those of the matrix, were obtained with nanoindentation technology. The reverse analysis of FEM was conducted with MARC software, and the process of nanoindentation on the NSSL and the matrix was simulated. The plastic mechanical properties of NSSL can be derived from the simulation by comparing the results of the simulation and of actual nanoindentation.

Remote sensing of impervious surface growth: A framework for quantifying urban expansion and re-densification mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Shahtahmassebi, Amir Reza; Song, Jie; Zheng, Qing; Blackburn, George Alan; Wang, Ke; Huang, Ling Yan; Pan, Yi; Moore, Nathan; Shahtahmassebi, Golnaz; Sadrabadi Haghighi, Reza; Deng, Jing Song

2016-04-01

A substantial body of literature has accumulated on the topic of using remotely sensed data to map impervious surfaces which are widely recognized as an important indicator of urbanization. However, the remote sensing of impervious surface growth has not been successfully addressed. This study proposes a new framework for deriving and summarizing urban expansion and re-densification using time series of impervious surface fractions (ISFs) derived from remotely sensed imagery. This approach integrates multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA), analysis of regression residuals, spatial statistics (Getis_Ord) and urban growth theories; hence, the framework is abbreviated as MRGU. The performance of MRGU was compared with commonly used change detection techniques in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the approach. The results suggested that the ISF regression residuals were optimal for detecting impervious surface changes while Getis_Ord was effective for mapping hotspot regions in the regression residuals image. Moreover, the MRGU outputs agreed with the mechanisms proposed in several existing urban growth theories, but importantly the outputs enable the refinement of such models by explicitly accounting for the spatial distribution of both expansion and re-densification mechanisms. Based on Landsat data, the MRGU is somewhat restricted in its ability to measure re-densification in the urban core but this may be improved through the use of higher spatial resolution satellite imagery. The paper ends with an assessment of the present gaps in remote sensing of impervious surface growth and suggests some solutions. The application of impervious surface fractions in urban change detection is a stimulating new research idea which is driving future research with new models and algorithms.

Mechanisms involved in the development of diabetic retinopathy induced by oxidative stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzman, David Calderón; Olguín, Hugo Juárez; García, Ernestina Hernández; Peraza, Armando Valenzuela; de la Cruz, Diego Zamora; Soto, Monica Punzo

2017-01-01

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the main complications in patients with diabetes and has been the leading cause of visual loss since 1990. Oxidative stress is a biological process resulting from excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This process contributes to the development of many diseases and disease complications. ROS interact with various cellular components to induce cell injury. Fortunately, there is an antioxidan t system that protects organisms against ROS. Indeed, when ROS exceed antioxidant capacity, the resulting cell injury can cause diverse physiological and pathological changes that could lead to a disease like DR. This paper reviews the possible mechanisms of common and novel biomarkers involved in the development of DR and explores how these biomarkers could be used to monitor the damage induced by oxidative stress in DR, which is a significant complication in people with diabetes. The poor control of glucemy in pacients with DB has been shown contribute to the development of complications in eyes as DR.

Quantum mechanical limit to plasmonic enhancement as observed by surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wenqi; Crozier, Kenneth B

2014-10-14

Plasmonic nanostructures enable light to be concentrated into nanoscale 'hotspots', wherein the intensity of light can be enhanced by orders of magnitude. This plasmonic enhancement significantly boosts the efficiency of nanoscale light-matter interactions, enabling unique linear and nonlinear optical applications. Large enhancements are often observed within narrow gaps or at sharp tips, as predicted by the classical electromagnetic theory. Only recently has it become appreciated that quantum mechanical effects could emerge as the feature size approaches atomic length-scale. Here we experimentally demonstrate, through observations of surface-enhanced Raman scattering, that the emergence of electron tunnelling at optical frequencies limits the maximum achievable plasmonic enhancement. Such quantum mechanical effects are revealed for metallic nanostructures with gap-widths in the single-digit angstrom range by correlating each structure with its optical properties. This work furthers our understanding of quantum mechanical effects in plasmonic systems and could enable future applications of quantum plasmonics.

STM study on surface relief, ultra-fine structure and transformation mechanism of bainite in steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, H.S.; Yang, Z.G.; Wang, J.J.; Zheng, Y.K.

1995-01-01

The surface reliefs accompanying lower bainite transformation in steels have been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). With the exclusive vertical resolution of STM, we observed that the surface relief associated with bainite is a group of surface reliefs related to subplates, subunits and sub-subunits. From the bainite plate to the sub-subunit in it, the reliefs are in a tent shape, not of invariant plane strain (IPS) type. The fine structure of bainite in a steel has also been shown by STM and TEM that bainite plate is composed of subplates, subunits and sub-subunits. On the basis of the fine structure inside a bainitic ferrite plate observed under STM, sympathetic-ledgewise mechanism of bainite formation is proposed. (orig.)

Quantum-mechanical interference in charge exchange between hydrogen and graphene-like surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero, M; Iglesias-García, A; Goldberg, E C

2012-01-01

The neutral to negative charge fluctuation of a hydrogen atom in front of a graphene surface is calculated by using the Anderson model within an infinite intra atomic Coulomb repulsion approximation. We perform an ab initio calculation of the Anderson hybridization function that allows investigation of the effect of quantum-mechanical interference related to the Berry phase inherent to the graphene band structure. We find that consideration of the interaction of hydrogen on top of many C atoms leads to a marked asymmetry of the imaginary part of the hybridization function with respect to the Fermi level. Consequently, Fano factors larger than one and strongly dependent on the energy around the Fermi level are predicted. Moreover, the suppression of the hybridization for energies above the Fermi level can explain the unexpected large negative ion formation measured in the scattering of protons by graphite-like surfaces. (paper)

Surface-treated commercially pure titanium for biomedical applications: Electrochemical, structural, mechanical and chemical characterizations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Erika S.; Matos, Adaias O.; Beline, Thamara; Marques, Isabella S.V.; Sukotjo, Cortino; Mathew, Mathew T.; Rangel, Elidiane C.; Cruz, Nilson C.; Mesquita, Marcelo F.; Consani, Rafael X.

2016-01-01

Modified surfaces have improved the biological performance and biomechanical fixation of dental implants compared to machined (polished) surfaces. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the surface properties of titanium (Ti) as a function of different surface treatment. This study investigated the role of surface treatments on the electrochemical, structural, mechanical and chemical properties of commercial pure titanium (cp-Ti) under different electrolytes. Cp-Ti discs were divided into 6 groups (n = 5): machined (M—control); etched with HCl + H_2O_2 (Cl), H_2SO_4 + H_2O_2 (S); sandblasted with Al_2O_3 (Sb), Al_2O_3 followed by HCl + H_2O_2 (SbCl), and Al_2O_3 followed by H_2SO_4 + H_2O_2 (SbS). Electrochemical tests were conducted in artificial saliva (pHs 3; 6.5 and 9) and simulated body fluid (SBF—pH 7.4). All surfaces were characterized before and after corrosion tests using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive microscopy, X-ray diffraction, surface roughness, Vickers microhardness and surface free energy. The results indicated that Cl group exhibited the highest polarization resistance (R_p) and the lowest capacitance (Q) and corrosion current density (I_c_o_r_r) values. Reduced corrosion stability was noted for the sandblasted groups. Acidic artificial saliva decreased the R_p values of cp-Ti surfaces and produced the highest I_c_o_r_r values. Also, the surface treatment and corrosion process influenced the surface roughness, Vickers microhardness and surface free energy. Based on these results, it can be concluded that acid-etching treatment improved the electrochemical stability of cp-Ti and all treated surfaces behaved negatively in acidic artificial saliva. - Highlights: • Characterization of surface treatment for biomedical implants was investigated. • Sandblasting reduced the corrosion stability of cp-Ti. • Acid etching is a promising dental implants surface treatment.

Surface-treated commercially pure titanium for biomedical applications: Electrochemical, structural, mechanical and chemical characterizations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogawa, Erika S.; Matos, Adaias O.; Beline, Thamara [Department of Prosthodontics and Periodontology, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Av Limeira, 901, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13414-903 (Brazil); IBTN/Br—Institute of Biomaterials, Tribocorrosion and Nanomedicine—Brazilian Branch (Brazil); Marques, Isabella S.V. [Department of Prosthodontics and Periodontology, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Av Limeira, 901, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13414-903 (Brazil); Sukotjo, Cortino [Department of Restorative Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Dentistry, 801 S Paulina, Chicago, IL, USA, 60612 (United States); IBTN—Institute of Biomaterials, Tribocorrosion and Nanomedicine (United States); Mathew, Mathew T. [IBTN—Institute of Biomaterials, Tribocorrosion and Nanomedicine (United States); Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois, College of Medicine at Rockford, 1601 Parkview Avenue, Rockford, IL, USA, 61107 (United States); Rangel, Elidiane C.; Cruz, Nilson C. [IBTN/Br—Institute of Biomaterials, Tribocorrosion and Nanomedicine—Brazilian Branch (Brazil); Laboratory of Technological Plasmas, Engineering College, Univ Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Av Três de Março, 511, Sorocaba, São Paulo 18087-180 (Brazil); Mesquita, Marcelo F.; Consani, Rafael X. [Department of Prosthodontics and Periodontology, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Av Limeira, 901, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13414-903 (Brazil); and others

2016-08-01

Modified surfaces have improved the biological performance and biomechanical fixation of dental implants compared to machined (polished) surfaces. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the surface properties of titanium (Ti) as a function of different surface treatment. This study investigated the role of surface treatments on the electrochemical, structural, mechanical and chemical properties of commercial pure titanium (cp-Ti) under different electrolytes. Cp-Ti discs were divided into 6 groups (n = 5): machined (M—control); etched with HCl + H{sub 2}O{sub 2} (Cl), H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} + H{sub 2}O{sub 2} (S); sandblasted with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (Sb), Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} followed by HCl + H{sub 2}O{sub 2} (SbCl), and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} followed by H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} + H{sub 2}O{sub 2} (SbS). Electrochemical tests were conducted in artificial saliva (pHs 3; 6.5 and 9) and simulated body fluid (SBF—pH 7.4). All surfaces were characterized before and after corrosion tests using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive microscopy, X-ray diffraction, surface roughness, Vickers microhardness and surface free energy. The results indicated that Cl group exhibited the highest polarization resistance (R{sub p}) and the lowest capacitance (Q) and corrosion current density (I{sub corr}) values. Reduced corrosion stability was noted for the sandblasted groups. Acidic artificial saliva decreased the R{sub p} values of cp-Ti surfaces and produced the highest I{sub corr} values. Also, the surface treatment and corrosion process influenced the surface roughness, Vickers microhardness and surface free energy. Based on these results, it can be concluded that acid-etching treatment improved the electrochemical stability of cp-Ti and all treated surfaces behaved negatively in acidic artificial saliva. - Highlights: • Characterization of surface treatment for biomedical implants was investigated. • Sandblasting reduced the corrosion stability of cp

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.

Influence of the initial surface condition on the release of nickel alloys in the primary circuit of PWRs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guinard, L.; Kerrec, O.; Noel, D.; Gardey, S.; Coulet, F.

1997-01-01

The effect of surface condition on corrosion and release and the mechanisms involved are investigated. The detrimental and beneficial effects of certain conditions or processes are identified: role of the last thermomechanical treatment, detrimental effect of cold-work, beneficial effect of electropolishing. The results can not be explained by mechanisms based only on solubility and mass transfer. Ionic migration through the inner barrier film is also probably involved. (K.A.). 32 refs.

Fundamental Mechanistic Understanding of Electrocatalysis of Oxygen Reduction on Pt and Non-Pt Surfaces: Acid versus Alkaline Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nagappan Ramaswamy

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Complex electrochemical reactions such as Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR involving multi-electron transfer is an electrocatalytic inner-sphere electron transfer process that exhibit strong dependence on the nature of the electrode surface. This criterion (along with required stability in acidic electrolytes has largely limited ORR catalysts to the platinum-based surfaces. New evidence in alkaline media, discussed here, throws light on the involvement of surface-independent outer-sphere electron transfer component in the overall electrocatalytic process. This surface non-specificity gives rise to the possibility of using a wide-range of non-noble metal surfaces as electrode materials for ORR in alkaline media. However, this outer-sphere process predominantly leads only to peroxide intermediate as the final product. The importance of promoting the electrocatalytic inner-sphere electron transfer by facilitation of direct adsorption of molecular oxygen on the active site is emphasized by using pyrolyzed metal porphyrins as electrocatalysts. A comparison of ORR reaction mechanisms between acidic and alkaline conditions is elucidated here. The primary advantage of performing ORR in alkaline media is found to be the enhanced activation of the peroxide intermediate on the active site that enables the complete four-electron transfer. ORR reaction schemes involving both outer- and inner-sphere electron transfer mechanisms are proposed.

Low Constitutive Cell Surface Expression of HLA-B Is Caused by a Posttranslational Mechanism Involving Glu180 and Arg239

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dellgren, Christoffer; Ekwelum, Vanessa A. C.; Ormhøj, Maria

2016-01-01

HLA class I cell surface expression is crucial for normal immune responses, and variability in HLA expression may influence the course of infections. We have previously shown that classical HLA class I expression on many human cell types is biased with greatly reduced expression of HLA-B compared...... by affecting HLA processing in the Ag presentation pathway....

MYC translocation-negative classical Burkitt lymphoma cases: an alternative pathogenetic mechanism involving miRNA deregulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leucci, E; Cocco, M; Onnis, A

2008-01-01

at the standardization of FISH procedures in lymphoma diagnosis, we found that five cases out of 35 classic endemic BLs were negative for MYC translocations by using a split-signal as well as a dual-fusion probe. Here we investigated the expression pattern of miRNAs predicted to target c-Myc, in BL cases, to clarify...... whether alternative pathogenetic mechanisms may be responsible for lymphomagenesis in cases lacking the MYC translocation. miRNAs are a class of small RNAs that are able to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Several studies have reported their involvement in cancer...

The relationship between the particle properties, mechanical behavior, and surface roughness of some pharmaceutical excipient compacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narayan, Padma; Hancock, Bruno C.

2003-01-01

Several common pharmaceutical excipient powders were compacted at a constant solid fraction (SF) in order to study the relationship between powder properties, compact surface roughness, and compact mechanical properties such as hardness, elasticity, and brittleness. The materials used in this study included microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), fumaric acid, mannitol, lactose monohydrate, spray dried lactose, sucrose, and dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate. A slow consolidation process was used to make compacts at a SF of 0.85 (typical for most pharmaceutical tablets) from single excipient components. A model was proposed to describe the surface roughness of compacts based on the brittle or ductile deformation tendencies of the powder materials. The roughness profile would also be dependent upon the magnitude of the compression stress in relation to the yield stress (onset of irreversible deformation) values of the excipients. It was hypothesized that brittle materials would produce smooth compacts with high surface variability due to particle fracture, and the converse would apply for ductile materials. Compact surfaces should be smoother if the materials were compressed above their yield pressure values. Non-contact optical profilometry was used along with scanning electron microscopy to quantify and characterize the surface morphology of the excipient compacts. The roughness parameters R a (average roughness), R q (RMS roughness), R q /R a (ratio describing surface variability), and R sk (skewness) were found to correlate with the deformation properties of the excipients. Brittle materials such as lactose, sucrose, and calcium phosphate produced compacts with low values of R a and R q , high variability, and negative R sk . The opposite was found with plastic materials such as MCC, mannitol, and fumaric acid. The highly negative skewness values for brittle material compacts may indicate their propensity to be vulnerable to cracks or surface defects. These findings

The relationship between the particle properties, mechanical behavior, and surface roughness of some pharmaceutical excipient compacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Narayan, Padma; Hancock, Bruno C

2003-08-25

Several common pharmaceutical excipient powders were compacted at a constant solid fraction (SF) in order to study the relationship between powder properties, compact surface roughness, and compact mechanical properties such as hardness, elasticity, and brittleness. The materials used in this study included microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), fumaric acid, mannitol, lactose monohydrate, spray dried lactose, sucrose, and dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate. A slow consolidation process was used to make compacts at a SF of 0.85 (typical for most pharmaceutical tablets) from single excipient components. A model was proposed to describe the surface roughness of compacts based on the brittle or ductile deformation tendencies of the powder materials. The roughness profile would also be dependent upon the magnitude of the compression stress in relation to the yield stress (onset of irreversible deformation) values of the excipients. It was hypothesized that brittle materials would produce smooth compacts with high surface variability due to particle fracture, and the converse would apply for ductile materials. Compact surfaces should be smoother if the materials were compressed above their yield pressure values. Non-contact optical profilometry was used along with scanning electron microscopy to quantify and characterize the surface morphology of the excipient compacts. The roughness parameters R{sub a} (average roughness), R{sub q} (RMS roughness), R{sub q}/R{sub a} (ratio describing surface variability), and R{sub sk} (skewness) were found to correlate with the deformation properties of the excipients. Brittle materials such as lactose, sucrose, and calcium phosphate produced compacts with low values of R{sub a} and R{sub q}, high variability, and negative R{sub sk}. The opposite was found with plastic materials such as MCC, mannitol, and fumaric acid. The highly negative skewness values for brittle material compacts may indicate their propensity to be vulnerable to

Mechanism of catalytic action of oxide systems in reactions of aldehyde oxidation to carboxylic acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrushkevich, T.V.

1997-01-01

Mechanism of selective action of oxide catalysts (on the base of V 2 O 4 , MoO 3 ) of aldehyde oxidation to acids is considered, reaction acrolein oxidation to acrylic acid is taken as an example. Multistage mechanism of the process is established; it involves consequent transformation of coordination-bonded aldehyde into carbonyl-bonded aldehyde and symmetric carboxylate. Principles of active surface construction are formulated, they take into account the activity of stabilization center of concrete intermediate compound and bond energy of oxygen with surface. (author)

Contributions of chemical and mechanical surface properties and temperature effect on the adhesion at the nanoscale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Awada, Houssein; Noel, Olivier; Hamieh, Tayssir; Kazzi, Yolla; Brogly, Maurice

2011-01-01

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a powerful tool to investigate surface properties of model systems at the nanoscale. However, to get semi-quantitative and reproducible data with the AFM, it is necessary to establish a rigorous experimental procedure. In particular, a systematic calibration procedure of AFM measurements is necessary before producing reliable semi-quantitative data. In this paper, we study the contributions of the chemical and mechanical surface properties or the temperature influence on the adhesion energy at a local scale. To reach this objective, two types of model systems were considered. The first one is composed of rigid substrates (silicon wafers or AFM tips covered with gold) which were chemically modified by molecular self-assembling monolayers to display different surface properties (methyl and hydroxyl functional groups). The second one consists of model polymer networks (cross-linked polydimethylsiloxane) of variable mechanical properties. The comparison of the force curves obtained from the two model systems shows that the viscoelastic contributions dominate for the adhesion with polymer substrates, whereas, chemical contributions dominate for the rigid substrates. The temperature effect on the adhesion energy is also reported. Finally, we propose a relation for the adhesion energy at the nanoscale. This relation relates the energy measured during the separation of the contact to the three parameters: the surface properties of the polymer, the energy dissipated within the contact zone and the temperature.

Mechanisms involved in the p62-73 idiopeptide-modulated delay of lupus nephritis in SNF(1) mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyland, J F; Stoll, M L; Jiang, F; Feng, F; Gavalchin, J

2012-12-01

The F(1) progeny of the (SWR × NZB) cross develop a lupus-like disease with high serum titers of autoantibodies, and increased frequency and severity of immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis in females. In previous work, we found that an idiotypic peptide corresponding to aa62-73 (p62-73) of the heavy chain variable region of autoantibody 540 (Id(LN)F(1)) induced the proliferation of p62-73 idiotype-reactive T cell clones. Further, monthly immunization of pre-nephritic SNF(1) female mice with p62-73 resulted in decreased nephritis and prolonged life spans. Here we show that this treatment modulated proliferative responses to Id(LN)F(1) antigen, including a reduction in the population of idiopeptide-presenting antigen-presenting cells (APCs), as early as two weeks after immunization (10 weeks of age). Th1-type cytokine production was increased at 12 weeks of age. The incidence and severity of nephritis was reduced by 14 weeks compared to controls. Clinical indicators of nephritis, specifically histological evidence of glomerulonephritis and urine protein levels, were reduced by 20 weeks. Together these data suggest that events involved in the mechanism(s) whereby p62-73 immunization delayed nephritis occurred early after immunization, and involved modulation of APCs, B and T cell populations.

Mechanism of equivalent electric dipole oscillation for high-order harmonic generation from grating-structured solid-surface by femtosecond laser pulse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yang; Song, Hai-Ying; Liu, H.Y.; Liu, Shi-Bing, E-mail: sbliu@bjut.edu.cn

2017-07-12

Highlights: • Proposed a valid mechanism of high harmonic generation by laser grating target interaction: oscillation of equivalent electric dipole (OEED). • Found that there also exist harmonic emission at large emission angle but not just near-surface direction as the former researches had pointed out. • Show the process of the formation and motion of electron bunches at the grating-target surface irradiating with femtosecond laser pulse. - Abstract: We theoretically study high-order harmonic generation (HHG) from relativistically driven overdense plasma targets with rectangularly grating-structured surfaces by femtosecond laser pulses. Our particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations show that, under the conditions of low laser intensity and plasma density, the harmonics emit principally along small angles deviating from the target surface. Further investigation of the surface electron dynamics reveals that the electron bunches are formed by the interaction between the laser field and the target surface, giving rise to the oscillation of equivalent electric-dipole (OEED), which enhances specific harmonic orders. Our work helps understand the mechanism of harmonic emissions from grating targets and the distinction from the planar harmonic scheme.

Microstructure and mechanical behavior of pulsed laser surface melted AISI D2 cold work tool steel

Science.gov (United States)

Yasavol, N.; Abdollah-zadeh, A.; Ganjali, M.; Alidokht, S. A.

2013-01-01

D2 cold work tool steel (CWTS) was subjected to pulse laser surface melting (PLSM) at constant frequency of 20 Hz Nd: YAG laser with different energies, scanning rate and pulse durations radiated to the surface. Characterizing the PLSM, with optical and field emission scanning electron microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction and surface hardness mapping technique was used to evaluate the microhardness and mechanical behavior of different regions of melting pool. Increasing laser energy and reducing the laser scanning rate results in deeper melt pool formation. Moreover, PLSM has led to entirely dissolution of the carbides and re-solidification of cellular/dendritic structure of a fine scale surrounded by a continuous interdendritic network. This caused an increase in surface microhardness, 2-4 times over that of the base metal.

Investigation on the surface characterization of Ga-faced GaN after chemical-mechanical polishing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gong, Hua [State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Micro/nano Manufacturing, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057 (China); Pan, Guoshun, E-mail: pangs@tsinghua.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Micro/nano Manufacturing, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057 (China); Zhou, Yan; Shi, Xiaolei; Zou, Chunli; Zhang, Suman [State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Micro/nano Manufacturing, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057 (China)

2015-05-30

Highlights: • Tiny-sized nanoparticles were introduced in GaN CMP to realize a good surface. • The relationship between surface characterization and abrasive size was conducted. • An atomic step-terrace structure was achieved on GaN surface after CMP. • Pt/C catalyst nanoparticles were used in GaN CMP to get a higher MRR. - Abstract: The relationship between the surface characterization after chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and the size of the silica (SiO{sub 2}) abrasive used for CMP of gallium nitride (GaN) substrates was investigated in detail. Atomic force microscope was used for measuring the surface morphology, pit feature, pit depth distribution, and atomic step-terrace structure. With the decrease of SiO{sub 2} abrasive size, the pit depth reduced and the atomic step-terrace structure became more whole with smaller damage area, resulting in smaller roughness. For tiny-sized SiO{sub 2} abrasive, an almost complete atomic step-terrace structure with 0.0523 nm roughness was achieved. On the other hand, in order to acquire higher removal, Pt/C nanoparticle was employed as a catalyst in CMP slurry. The result indicates that when Pt/C catalyst content was reached to 1.0 ppm, material removal rate was increased by 47.69% compared to that by none of the catalyst, and besides, the pit depth reduced and the surface atomic step-terrace structure was not destroyed. The Pt/C nanoparticle is proved to be the promising catalyst to the surface preparation of super-hard and inert materials with high efficiency and good surface.

Growth mechanism of graphene on platinum: Surface catalysis and carbon segregation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Jie; Lindvall, Niclas; Yurgens, August; Nam, Youngwoo; Cole, Matthew T.; Teo, Kenneth B. K.; Woo Park, Yung

2014-01-01

A model of the graphene growth mechanism of chemical vapor deposition on platinum is proposed and verified by experiments. Surface catalysis and carbon segregation occur, respectively, at high and low temperatures in the process, representing the so-called balance and segregation regimes. Catalysis leads to self-limiting formation of large area monolayer graphene, whereas segregation results in multilayers, which evidently “grow from below.” By controlling kinetic factors, dominantly monolayer graphene whose high quality has been confirmed by quantum Hall measurement can be deposited on platinum with hydrogen-rich environment, quench cooling, tiny but continuous methane flow and about 1000 °C growth temperature

Growth of graphene from SiC{0001} surfaces and its mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norimatsu, Wataru; Kusunoki, Michiko

2014-01-01

Graphene, a one-atom-layer carbon material, can be grown by thermal decomposition of SiC. On Si-terminated SiC(0001), graphene nucleates at steps and grows layer-by-layer, and as a result a homogeneous monolayer or bilayer can be obtained. We demonstrate this mechanism both experimentally and theoretically. On the C-face (000 1-bar ), multilayer graphene nucleates not only at steps, but also on the terraces. These differences reflect the distinct differences in the reactivity of these faces. Due to its high quality and structural controllability, graphene on SiC{0001} surfaces will be a platform for high-speed graphene device applications. (paper)

Nonlinear mechanics of surface growth for cylindrical and spherical elastic bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Sozio, Fabio; Yavari, Arash

2017-01-01

In this paper we formulate the initial-boundary value problems of accreting cylindrical and spherical nonlinear elastic solids in a geometric framework. It is assumed that the body grows as a result of addition of new (stress-free or pre-stressed) material on part of its boundary. We construct Riemannian material manifolds for a growing body with metrics explicitly depending on the history of applied external loads and deformation during accretion and the growth velocity. We numerically solve the governing equilibrium equations in the case of neo-Hookean solids and compare the accretion and residual stresses with those calculated using the linear mechanics of surface growth.

Formation Mechanism of Surface Crack in Low Pressure Casting of A360 Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shan-Guang; Cao, Fu-Yang; Ying, Tao; Zhao, Xin-Yi; Liu, Jing-Shun; Shen, Hong-Xian; Guo, Shu; Sun, Jian-Fei

2017-12-01

A surface crack defect is normally found in low pressure castings of Al alloy with a sudden contraction structure. To further understand the formation mechanism of the defect, the mold filling process is simulated by a two-phase flow model. The experimental results indicate that the main reason for the defect deformation is the mismatching between the height of liquid surface in the mold and pressure in the crucible. In the case of filling, a sudden contraction structure with an area ratio smaller than 0.5 is obtained, and the velocity of the liquid front increases dramatically with the influence of inertia. Meanwhile, the pressurizing speed in the crucible remains unchanged, resulting in the pressure not being able to support the height of the liquid level. Then the liquid metal flows back to the crucible and forms a relatively thin layer solidification shell on the mold wall. With the increasing pressure in the crucible, the liquid level rises again, engulfing the shell and leading to a surface crack. As the filling velocity is characterized by the damping oscillations, surface cracks will form at different heights. The results shed light on designing a suitable pressurizing speed for the low pressure casting process.

Materials Characterization Center workshop on the leaching mechanisms of nuclear waste forms, December 7-8, 1982, Thousand Oaks, CA. Summary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendel, J.E.; Harker, A.B.

1985-01-01

Each of the six laboratories involved in the 3-yr leaching mechanism program presented a progress report on borosilicate glass studies. Presentations were made on various techniques for characterizing leached surfaces and on in situ characterization of leaching surfaces

Mechanical, Thermal Degradation, and Flammability Studies on Surface Modified Sisal Fiber Reinforced Recycled Polypropylene Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arun Kumar Gupta

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of surface treated sisal fiber on the mechanical, thermal, flammability, and morphological properties of sisal fiber (SF reinforced recycled polypropylene (RPP composites was investigated. The surface of sisal fiber was modified with different chemical reagent such as silane, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA, and O-hydroxybenzene diazonium chloride (OBDC to improve the compatibility with the matrix polymer. The experimental results revealed an improvement in the tensile strength to 11%, 20%, and 31.36% and impact strength to 78.72%, 77%, and 81% for silane, GMA, and OBDC treated sisal fiber reinforced recycled Polypropylene (RPP/SF composites, respectively, as compared to RPP. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC, and heat deflection temperature (HDT results revealed improved thermal stability as compared with RPP. The flammability behaviour of silane, GMA, and OBDC treated SF/RPP composites was studied by the horizontal burning rate by UL-94. The morphological analysis through scanning electron micrograph (SEM supports improves surface interaction between fiber surface and polymer matrix.

Radiation-curing of acrylate composites including carbon fibres: A customized surface modification for improving mechanical performances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Arnaud; Pietras-Ozga, Dorota; Ponsaud, Philippe; Kowandy, Christelle; Barczak, Mariusz; Defoort, Brigitte; Coqueret, Xavier

2014-01-01

The lower transverse mechanical properties of radiation-cured acrylate-based composites reinforced with carbon-fibre with respect to the thermosettable analogues was investigated from the viewpoint of chemical interactions at the interface between the matrix and the carbon material. XPS analysis of representative commercial carbon fibres revealed the presence of a significant amount of chemical functions potentially exerting an adverse effect on the initiation and propagation of the free radical polymerization initiated under high energy radiation. The EB-induced polymerization of n-butyl acrylate as a simple model monomer was conducted in the presence of various aromatic additives exhibiting a strong inhibiting effect, whereas thiols efficiently sensitize the initiation mechanism and undergo transfer reactions. A method based on the surface modification of sized fibres by thiomalic acid is proposed for overcoming the localized inhibition phenomenon and for improving the mechanical properties of the resulting acrylate-based composites. - Highlights: • Surface functions of C-fibres are analyzed for their effect on radical reaction. • Irradiation of nBu-acrylate in presence of aromatic additives reveals inhibition. • Thiol groups sensitize the radiation-initiated polymerization of nBu-acrylate. • Modification of C-fibres with thiomalic acid enhances composite properties

Study of mechanism involved in synthesis of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide from graphene nanoplatelets

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Bhasha; Shekhar, Shashank; Malik, Parul; Jain, Purnima

2018-06-01

Graphene, a wonder material has inspired quest among researchers due to its numerous applications and exceptional properties. This paper highlights the mechanism and chemistry behind the fabrication of graphene oxide by using phosphoric acid. Chemical functionalization is of prime importance which avoids agglomeration of nanoparticles to attain inherent properties. As non-homogeneous dispersion limits its utilization due to interfacial interactions which restrict reactive sites to produce intercalated network. Thus, chemically functionalized graphene leads to stable dispersion and enhances thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of the resultant polymer composite materials. Solubility of graphene in aqueous solution is the major issue because graphene is hydrophobic, to rectify this oxygen containing hydrophilic groups must be introduced to make it compatible and this can be attained by covalent functionalization. Among all nanofiller GO has shown average particle size i.e. 95 nm and highest surface charge density. The characteristic changes were estimated using Raman spectra.

The effect of metal ion implantation on the surface mechanical properties of Mylar (PET)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, W.; Sood, D.K. [Royal Melbourne Inst. of Tech., VIC (Australia); Yao, X.; Brown, I.G. [California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States). Lawrence Berkeley Lab.

1993-12-31

Ion implantation of polymers leads to the formation of new carbonaceous materials, the revolution during implantation of various species consists of (1) ion beam induced damage: chain scission, crosslinking, molecular emission of volatile elements and compounds, stoichiometric change in the surface layer of pristine polymers; and (2) chemical effect between ion and target materials: microalloying and precipitation. Literature regarding ion implanted polymers shows that the reorganisation of the carbon network after implantation can dramatically modify several properties of pristine polymers solubility, molecular weight, and electrical, optical and mechanical properties. However, ion implantation of polymers is actually a very complex interaction which depends on not only ion species, implantation condition, but also polymer type and specific structure. In this paper the effect of Ag or Ti ions implantation on surface mechanical properties of PET (polyethylenne terephthalate) polymer is reported. There was a clear deterioration in wear resistance after implantation of both Ag and Ti ions. It is suggested that the increment of wear after implantation may result from not only ion damage but also chemical effect between ion and target material. 3 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs.

The effect of metal ion implantation on the surface mechanical properties of Mylar (PET)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, W; Sood, D K [Royal Melbourne Inst. of Tech., VIC (Australia); Yao, X; Brown, I G [California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States). Lawrence Berkeley Lab.

1994-12-31

Ion implantation of polymers leads to the formation of new carbonaceous materials, the revolution during implantation of various species consists of (1) ion beam induced damage: chain scission, crosslinking, molecular emission of volatile elements and compounds, stoichiometric change in the surface layer of pristine polymers; and (2) chemical effect between ion and target materials: microalloying and precipitation. Literature regarding ion implanted polymers shows that the reorganisation of the carbon network after implantation can dramatically modify several properties of pristine polymers solubility, molecular weight, and electrical, optical and mechanical properties. However, ion implantation of polymers is actually a very complex interaction which depends on not only ion species, implantation condition, but also polymer type and specific structure. In this paper the effect of Ag or Ti ions implantation on surface mechanical properties of PET (polyethylenne terephthalate) polymer is reported. There was a clear deterioration in wear resistance after implantation of both Ag and Ti ions. It is suggested that the increment of wear after implantation may result from not only ion damage but also chemical effect between ion and target material. 3 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs.

Wetting-layer formation mechanisms of surface-directed phase separation under different quench depths with off-critical compositions in polymer binary mixture

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Li-Tang; Xie, Xu-Ming

2007-02-01

Focusing on the off-critical condition, the quench depth dependence of surface-directed phase separation in the polymer binary mixture is numerically investigated by combination of the Cahn-Hilliard-Cook theory and the Flory-Huggins-de Gennes theory. Two distinct situations, i.e., for the wetting, the minority component is preferred by the surface and the majority component is preferred by the surface, are discussed in detail. The simulated results show that the formation mechanism of the wetting layer is affected by both the quench depth and the off-critical extent. Moreover, a diagram, illustrating the formation mechanisms of the wetting layer with various quench depths and compositions, is obtained on the basis of the simulated results. It is found that, when the minority component is preferred by the surface, the growth of the wetting layer can exhibit pure diffusion limited growth law, logarithmic growth law, and Lifshitz-Slyozov growth law. However, when the majority component is preferred by the surface, the wetting layer always grows logarithmically, regardless of the quench depth and the off-critical extent. It is interesting that the surface-induced nucleation can be observed in this case. The simulated results demonstrate that the surface-induced nucleation only occurs below a certain value of the quench depth, and a detailed range about it is calculated and indicated. Furthermore, the formation mechanisms of the wetting layer are theoretically analyzed in depth by the chemical potential gradient.

Identification of the mechanism that confers superhydrophobicity on 316L stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Escobar, Ana M.; Llorca-Isern, Nuria; Rius-Ayra, Oriol

2016-01-15

This study develops a rapid method to confer superhydrophobicity on 316L stainless steel surfaces with an amphiphilic reagent such as dodecanoic acid. The highest contact angle (approaching 173°) was obtained after forming hierarchical structures with a non-aqueous electrolyte by an electrolytic process. Our goal was to induce superhydrophobicity directly on 316L stainless steel substrates and to establish which molecules cause the effect. The superhydrophobic behaviour is analysed by contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), IR spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The growth mechanism is analysed using FE-SEM, TOF-SIMS and XPS in order to determine the molecules involved in the reaction and the growth. The TOF-SIMS analysis revealed that the Ni{sup 2+} ions react with lauric acid to create an ester on the stainless steel surface. - Highlights: • This study develops a rapid and facile approach to impart superhydrophobicity properties to 316L stainless steel surfaces with an amphiphilic reagent such as dodecanoic acid. Surface character changes from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity. • This process changes the surface character from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity. • The process based on electrolysis of a nickel salt in lauric acid provides superhydrophobic behaviour in 316L stainless steel. • The growth mechanism is proposed as a mode island (Volmert- Weber mode). • TOF-SIMS and XPS provided the identification of the molecules involved in the surface modification reaction on AISI 316L inducing superhydrophobicity.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi for the Biocontrol of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes: A Review of the Mechanisms Involved.

Science.gov (United States)

Schouteden, Nele; De Waele, Dirk; Panis, Bart; Vos, Christine M

2015-01-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate root symbionts that can protect their host plant against biotic stress factors such as plant-parasitic nematode (PPN) infection. PPN consist of a wide range of species with different life styles that can cause major damage in many important crops worldwide. Various mechanisms have been proposed to play a role in the biocontrol effect of AMF against PPN. This review presents an overview of the different mechanisms that have been proposed, and discusses into more detail the plausibility of their involvement in the biocontrol against PPN specifically. The proposed mechanisms include enhanced plant tolerance, direct competition for nutrients and space, induced systemic resistance (ISR) and altered rhizosphere interactions. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of ISR in biocontrol and are increasingly placing rhizosphere effects on the foreground as well, both of which will be the focal point of this review. Though AMF are not yet widely used in conventional agriculture, recent data help to develop a better insight into the modes of action, which will eventually lead toward future field applications of AMF against PPN. The scientific community has entered an exciting era that provides the tools to actually unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms, making this a timely opportunity for a review of our current knowledge and the challenges ahead.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for the biocontrol of plant-parasitic nematodes: a review of the mechanisms involved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nele eSchouteden

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF are obligate root symbionts that can protect their host plant against biotic stress factors such as plant parasitic nematode (PPN infection. PPN consist of a wide range of species with different life styles that can cause major damage in many important crops worldwide. Various mechanisms have been proposed to play a role in the biocontrol effect of AMF against PPN. This review presents an overview of the different mechanisms that have been proposed, and discusses into more detail the plausibility of their involvement in the biocontrol against PPN specifically. The proposed mechanisms include enhanced plant tolerance, direct competition for nutrients and space, induced systemic resistance (ISR and altered rhizosphere interactions. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of ISR in biocontrol and are increasingly placing rhizosphere effects on the foreground as well, both of which will be the focal point of this review. Though AMF are not yet widely used in conventional agriculture, recent data help to develop a better insight into the modes of action, which will eventually lead towards future field applications of AMF against PPN. The scientific community has entered an exciting era that provide the tools to actually unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms, making this a timely opportunity for a review of our current knowledge and the challenges ahead.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi for the Biocontrol of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes: A Review of the Mechanisms Involved

Science.gov (United States)

Schouteden, Nele; De Waele, Dirk; Panis, Bart; Vos, Christine M.

2015-01-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate root symbionts that can protect their host plant against biotic stress factors such as plant-parasitic nematode (PPN) infection. PPN consist of a wide range of species with different life styles that can cause major damage in many important crops worldwide. Various mechanisms have been proposed to play a role in the biocontrol effect of AMF against PPN. This review presents an overview of the different mechanisms that have been proposed, and discusses into more detail the plausibility of their involvement in the biocontrol against PPN specifically. The proposed mechanisms include enhanced plant tolerance, direct competition for nutrients and space, induced systemic resistance (ISR) and altered rhizosphere interactions. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of ISR in biocontrol and are increasingly placing rhizosphere effects on the foreground as well, both of which will be the focal point of this review. Though AMF are not yet widely used in conventional agriculture, recent data help to develop a better insight into the modes of action, which will eventually lead toward future field applications of AMF against PPN. The scientific community has entered an exciting era that provides the tools to actually unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms, making this a timely opportunity for a review of our current knowledge and the challenges ahead. PMID:26635750

Transitions from nanoscale to microscale dynamic friction mechanisms on polyethylene and silicon surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niederberger, S.; Gracias, D. H.; Komvopoulos, K.; Somorjai, G. A.

2000-01-01

The dynamic friction mechanisms of polyethylene and silicon were investigated for apparent contact pressures and contact areas in the ranges of 8 MPa-18 GPa and 17 nm2-9500 μm2, respectively. Friction force measurements were obtained with a friction force microscope, scanning force microscope, and pin-on-disk tribometer. Silicon and diamond tips with a nominal radius of curvature between 100 nm and 1.2 mm were slid against low- and high-density polyethylene and Si(100) substrates under contact loads in the range of 5 nN-0.27 N. The low friction coefficients obtained with all material systems at low contact pressures indicated that deformation at the sliding interface was primarily elastic. Alternatively, the significantly higher friction coefficients at higher contact pressures suggested that plastic deformation was the principal mode of deformation. The high friction coefficients of polyethylene observed with large apparent contact areas are interpreted in terms of the microstructure evolution involving the rearrangement of crystalline regions (lamellae) nearly parallel to the sliding direction, which reduces the surface resistance to plastic shearing. Such differences in the friction behavior of polyethylene resulting from stress-induced microstructural changes were found to occur over a relatively large range of the apparent contact area. The friction behavior of silicon was strongly affected by the presence of a native oxide film. Results are presented to demonstrate the effect of the scale of deformation at the contact interface on the dynamic friction behavior and the significance of contact parameters on the friction measurements obtained with different instruments. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

Strategies for Balance maintenance in Different Support Surfaces - Mechanisms, Trainability and Transfer to Single-Leg Landing Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silva, Priscila de Brito

2016-01-01

that postural control strategies are affected by surface stability and optimized with training, but also that the adaptations to training are transferred to movement strategies of sports gestures not involved in the training. This thesis offers a new perspective on how balance training provides protective...

The thumb carpometacarpal joint: curvature morphology of the articulating surfaces, mathematical description and mechanical functioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Dathe, Henning; Dumont, Clemens; Perplies, Rainer; Fanghänel, Jochen; Kubein-Meesenburg, Dietmar; Nägerl, Hans; Wachowski, Martin M

2016-01-01

The purpose is to present a mathematical model of the function of the thumb carpometacarpal joint (TCMCJ) based on measurements of human joints. In the TCMCJ both articulating surfaces are saddle-shaped. The aim was to geometrically survey the shapes of the articulating surfaces using precise replicas of 28 TCMCJs. None of these 56 articulating surfaces did mathematically extend the differential geometrical neighbourhood around the main saddle point so that each surface could be characterised by three main parameters: the two extreme radii of curvature in the main saddle point and the angle between the saddles' asymptotics (straight lines). The articulating surfaces, when contacting at the respective main saddle points, are incongruent. Hence, the TCMCJ has functionally five kinematical degrees of freedom (DOF); two DOF belong to flexion/extension, two to ab-/adduction. These four DOF are controlled by the muscular apparatus. The fifth DOF, axial rotation, cannot be adjusted but stabilized by the muscular apparatus so that physiologically under compressive load axial rotation does not exceed an angle of approximately ±3°. The TCMCJ can be stimulated by the muscular apparatus to circumduct. The mechanisms are traced back to the curvature incongruity of the saddle surfaces. Hence we mathematically proved that none of the individual saddle surfaces can be described by a quadratic saddle surface as is often assumed in literature. We derived an algebraic formula with which the articulating surfaces in the TCMCJ can be quantitatively described. This formula can be used to shape the articulating surfaces in physiologically equivalent TCMCJ-prostheses.

Dynamic Equilibrium Mechanism for Surface Nanobubble Stabilization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brenner, Michael P.; Lohse, Detlef

2008-01-01

Recent experiments have convincingly demonstrated the existence of surface nanobubbles on submerged hydrophobic surfaces. However, classical theory dictates that small gaseous bubbles quickly dissolve because their large Laplace pressure causes a diffusive outflux of gas. Here we suggest that the

Mechanism of nuclear dissipation in fission and heavy-ion reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nix, J.R.; Sierk, A.J.

1986-01-01

Recent advances in the theoretical understanding of nuclear dissipation at intermediate excitation energies are reviewed, with particular emphasis on a new surface-plus-window mechanism that involves interactions of either one or two nucleons with the moving nuclear surface and also, for dumbbell-like shapes encountered in fission and heavy-ion reactions, the transfer of nucleons through the window separating the two portions of the system. This novel dissipation mechanism provides a unified macroscopic description of such diverse phenomena as widths of isoscalar giant quadrupole and giant octupole resonances, mean fission-fragment kinetic energies and excitation energies, dynamical thresholds for compound-nucleus formation, enhancement in neutron emission prior to fission, and widths of mass and charge distributions in deep-inelastic heavy-ion reactions. 41 refs., 8 figs

The Vulnerability of Vessels Involved in the Role of Embolism and Hypoperfusion in the Mechanisms of Ischemic Cerebrovascular Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong Peng Yu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Accurate definition and better understanding of the mechanisms of stroke are crucial as this will guide the effective care and therapy. In this paper, we review the previous basic and clinical researches on the causes or mechanisms of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases (ICVD and interpret the correlation between embolism and hypoperfusion based on vascular stenosis and arterial intimal lesions. It was suggested that if there is no embolus (dynamic or in situ emboli, there might be no cerebral infarction. Three kinds of different clinical outcomes of TIA were theoretically interpreted based on its mechanisms. We suppose that there is a correlation between embolism and hypoperfusion, and which mechanisms (hypoperfusion or hypoperfusion induced microemboli playing the dominant role in each type of ICVD depends on the unique background of arterial intimal lesions (the vulnerability of vessels. That is to say, the vulnerability of vessels is involved in the role of embolism and hypoperfusion in the mechanisms of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. This inference might enrich and provide better understandings for the underlying etiologies of ischemic cerebrovascular events.

Analytical modelling for ultrasonic surface mechanical attrition treatment

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Guan-Rong Huang

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The grain refinement, gradient structure, fatigue limit, hardness, and tensile strength of metallic materials can be effectively enhanced by ultrasonic surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT, however, never before has SMAT been treated with rigorous analytical modelling such as the connection among the input energy and power and resultant temperature of metallic materials subjected to SMAT. Therefore, a systematic SMAT model is actually needed. In this article, we have calculated the averaged speed, duration time of a cycle, kinetic energy and kinetic energy loss of flying balls in SMAT for structural metallic materials. The connection among the quantities such as the frequency and amplitude of attrition ultrasonic vibration motor, the diameter, mass and density of balls, the sample mass, and the height of chamber have been considered and modelled in details. And we have introduced the one-dimensional heat equation with heat source within uniform-distributed depth in estimating the temperature distribution and heat energy of sample. In this approach, there exists a condition for the frequency of flying balls reaching a steady speed. With these known quantities, we can estimate the strain rate, hardness, and grain size of sample.

Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular response to biophysical cues using synthetic biology approaches

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Denning, Denise; Roos, Wouter H

2016-01-01

The use of synthetic surfaces and materials to influence and study cell behavior has vastly progressed our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in cellular response to physicochemical and biophysical cues. Reconstituting cytoskeletal proteins and interfacing them with a

Epidemiological and genetic clues for molecular mechanisms involved in uterine leiomyoma development and growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Commandeur, Arno E; Styer, Aaron K; Teixeira, Jose M

2015-01-01

Uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) are highly prevalent benign smooth muscle tumors of the uterus. In the USA, the lifetime risk for women developing uterine leiomyomas is estimated as up to 75%. Except for hysterectomy, most therapies or treatments often provide only partial or temporary relief and are not successful in every patient. There is a clear racial disparity in the disease; African-American women are estimated to be three times more likely to develop uterine leiomyomas and generally develop more severe symptoms. There is also familial clustering between first-degree relatives and twins, and multiple inherited syndromes in which fibroid development occurs. Leiomyomas have been described as clonal and hormonally regulated, but despite the healthcare burden imposed by the disease, the etiology of uterine leiomyomas remains largely unknown. The mechanisms involved in their growth are also essentially unknown, which has contributed to the slow progress in development of effective treatment options. A comprehensive PubMed search for and critical assessment of articles related to the epidemiological, biological and genetic clues for uterine leiomyoma development was performed. The individual functions of some of the best candidate genes are explained to provide more insight into their biological function and to interconnect and organize genes and pathways in one overarching figure that represents the current state of knowledge about uterine leiomyoma development and growth. In this review, the widely recognized roles of estrogen and progesterone in uterine leiomyoma pathobiology on the basis of clinical and experimental data are presented. This is followed by fundamental aspects and concepts including the possible cellular origin of uterine fibroids. The central themes in the subsequent parts are cytogenetic aberrations in leiomyomas and the racial/ethnic disparities in uterine fibroid biology. Then, the attributes of various in vitro and in vivo, human syndrome

Insights into the mechanism of acetic acid hydrogenation to ethanol on Cu(111) surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Minhua; Yao, Rui; Jiang, Haoxi; Li, Guiming; Chen, Yifei

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The scission of C–OH bond of acetic acid is the rate-determined step in acetic acid hydrogenation to ethanol on Cu(111). • Acetic acid adsorption and reaction barrier of C–OH scission of acetic acid are factors related to acetic acid conversion. • Acetaldehyde adsorption and reaction barriers of O–H formation of C_2–oxygenates are factors related to ethanol selectivity. - Abstract: Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to theoretically explain the reaction mechanism of acetic acid hydrogenation to ethanol on Cu catalyst. The activation barriers of key elementary steps and the adsorption configurations of key intermediates involved in acetic acid hydrogenation on Cu(111) surface were investigated. The results indicated that the direct dissociation of acetic acid to acetyl (CH_3COOH → CH_3CO + OH) is the rate-determined step. The activation barrier of acetic acid scission to acetyl and the adsorption energy of acetic acid are two descriptors which could determine the conversion of acetic acid. The descriptors might have effects on the ethanol selectivity including: the adsorption energy of acetaldehyde and the activation barriers for O−H bond formation of C_2-oxygenates (CH_3CO + H → CH_3COH, CH_3CHO + H → CH_3CHOH and CH_3CH_2O + H → CH_3CH_2OH). These proposed descriptors could be used as references to design new Cu-based catalysts that have excellent catalytic performance.

An adhesive contact mechanics formulation based on atomistically induced surface traction

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Fan, Houfu [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Ren, Bo [Livermore Software Technology Corporation, 7374 Las Positas Road, Livermore, CA 94551 (United States); Li, Shaofan, E-mail: shaofan@berkeley.edu [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2015-12-01

In this work, we have developed a novel multiscale computational contact formulation based on the generalized Derjuguin approximation for continua that are characterized by atomistically enriched constitutive relations in order to study macroscopic interaction between arbitrarily shaped deformable continua. The proposed adhesive contact formulation makes use of the microscopic interaction forces between individual particles in the interacting bodies. In particular, the double-layer volume integral describing the contact interaction (energy, force vector, matrix) is converted into a double-layer surface integral through a mathematically consistent approach that employs the divergence theorem and a special partitioning technique. The proposed contact model is formulated in the nonlinear continuum mechanics framework and implemented using the standard finite element method. With no large penalty constant, the stiffness matrix of the system will in general be well-conditioned, which is of great significance for quasi-static analysis. Three numerical examples are presented to illustrate the capability of the proposed method. Results indicate that with the same mesh configuration, the finite element computation based on the surface integral approach is faster and more accurate than the volume integral based approach. In addition, the proposed approach is energy preserving even in a very long dynamic simulation.

Surface decoration of polyimide fiber with carbon nanotubes and its application for mechanical enhancement of phosphoric acid-based geopolymers

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tao; Han, Enlin; Wang, Xiaodong; Wu, Dezhen

2017-09-01

A new methodology to decorate the surface of polyimide (PI) fiber with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been developed in this study. This surface decoration was carried out through a surface alkali treatment, a carboxylation modification, surface functionalization with acyl chloride groups and then with amino groups, and a surface graft of CNTs onto PI fiber. Fourier-transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic characterizations confirmed that CNTs were chemically grafted onto the surface of PI fiber, and scanning electron microscopic observation demonstrated the fiber surface was uniformly and densely covered with CNTs. The surface energy and wettability of PI fiber were improved in the presence of CNTs on the fiber surface, which made a contribution to enhance the interfacial adhesion of PI fiber with other inorganic matrices when used as a reinforcing fiber. The application of CNTs-decorated PI fiber for the reinforcement of phosphoric acid-based geopolymers was investigated, and the results indicated that the geopolymeric composites gained a noticeable reinforcement. Compared to unreinforced geopolymer, the geopolymeric composites achieved a remarkable increase in compressive strength by 120% and in flexural strength by 283%. Fractography investigation demonstrated that the interaction adhesion between the fibers and matrix was enhanced due to the surface decoration of PI fiber with CNTs, which contributed to an improvement in fracture-energy dissipation by fiber pullout and fiber debonding from the matrix. As a result, a significant reinforcement effect on geopolymeric composites was achieved through a fiber-bridging mechanism. This study provided an effective methodology to improve the interracial bonding force for PI fiber and also proves a highly efficient application of CNTs-decorated PI fiber for the mechanical enhancement of geopolymeric composites.

Chemotherapeutics-resistance "arms" race: An update on mechanisms involved in resistance limiting EGFR inhibitors in lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Pankaj Kumar; Silakari, Om

2017-10-01

Clinical reports suggest that EGFR-mutated lung cancer usually respond significantly towards small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Same studies also report the eventual development of acquired resistance within a median time interval of 9 to 14months. One of the major mechanisms involved in this acquired resistance was found to be a secondary point mutation at gate-keeper residue, EGFR T790M. However, there are other recent studies which disclose the role of few other novel key players such as, ZEB1, TOPK etc., in the development of tolerance towards the EGFR TKI's, along with other commonly known mechanisms, such as amplification of signalling pathways such as, c-MET, Erbb2, AXL, additional acquired secondary mutations (PIK3CA, BRAF), or phenotypic transformation (small cell or epithelial to mesenchymal transitions). Interestingly, a recent study showed development of resistance via another point mutation, C797S, in case of tumors which were previously resistant and were administered agents capable of overcoming T790M gatekeeper mutation based resistance. Thus, raising serious concern over the direction of drug development involving tyrosine kinases such as EGFR. Current approaches focussing on development of third generation inhibitors, dual inhibitors or inhibitors of HSP90 have shown significant activity but do not answer the long term question of resistance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spent-fuel special-studies progress report: probable mechanisms for oxidation and dissolution of single-crystal UO2 surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, R.

1981-03-01

Due to the complexity of the structural, microstructural and compositional characteristics of spent fuel, basic leaching and dissolution mechanisms were studied with UO 2 matrix material, specifically with single-crystal UO 2 , to isolate individual contributory factors. The effects of oxidation and oxidation-dissolution were investigated in different oxidation conditions, such as in air, oxygenated solutions and deionized water containing H 2 O 2 . In addition, the effects of temperature on dissolution of UO 2 were studied in autoclaves at 75 and 150 0 C. Also, oxidation and dissolution measurements were investigated via electrochemical methods to determine if those techniques could be applied to the characterization of leaching and dissolution of spent fuel in a hot cell. Finally, the effects of radiation were explored since the radiolysis of water may create a localized oxidizing condition at or near the spent fuel-solution interface, even in neutral or reducing conditions as commonly found in deep geological environments. The oxidation and oxidation-dissolution mechanisms for UO 2 are proposed as follows: The UO 2 surface is first oxidized in solution to form a UO/sub 2+x/ surface layer several angstroms thick. This oxidized surface has a high dissolution rate since the UO/sub 2+x/ reacts with the dissolved O 2 , or H 2 O 2 , to form uranyl complex ions in a U(VI) state. As the uranyl ions exceed the solubility limits in solution, they become hydrolyzed to form solid deposits and suspended particles of UO 3 hydrates. The thickness and porosity of the deposited UO 3 hydrate surface-film is dependent on temperature, pH and deposition time. A long-term dissolution rate is then determined by the nature of the surface film, such as porosity, solubility and mechanical properties

Involvement of protein kinase C in the mechanism of action of Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) in a human colonic carcinoma cell line, COLO-205

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Dyuti Datta; Saha, Subhrajit; Chakrabarti, Manoj K.

2005-01-01

The present study was undertaken to determine the involvement of calcium-protein kinase C pathway in the mechanism of action of Escherichia coli heat stable enterotoxin (STa) apart from STa-induced activation of guanylate cyclase in human colonic carcinoma cell line COLO-205, which was used as a model cultured cell line to study the mechanism of action of E. coli STa. In response to E. coli STa, protein kinase C (PKC) activity was increased in a time-dependent manner with its physical translocation from cytosol to membrane. Inhibition of the PKC activity in membrane fraction and inhibition of its physical translocation in response to IP 3 -mediated calcium release inhibitor dantrolene suggested the involvement of intracellular store depletion in the regulation of PKC activity. Among different PKC isoforms, predominant involvement of calcium-dependent protein kinase C (PKCα) was specified using isotype-specific pseudosubstrate, which showed pronounce enzyme activity. Inhibition of enzyme activity by PKCα-specific inhibitor Goe6976 and immunoblott study employing isotype-specific antibody further demonstrated the involvement of calcium-dependent isoform of PKC in the mechanism of action of E. coli STa. Moreover, inhibition of guanylate cyclase activity by PKCα-specific inhibitor Goe6976 suggested the involvement of PKCα in the regulation of guanylate cyclase activity