Nanotechnology for copper and copper alloys

This article surveys and analyzes the literature data on nanotechnologies for copper and copper alloys. It describes the main methods used to obtain nanomaterials, including powder metallurgy, crystallization from the liquid state with a controlled rate of cooling, intensive plastic deformation, dispersion hardening, and dispersion strengthening with internal oxidation. Preference is given to nanophase materials in the discussion. __________ Translated from Metallurg, No. 8, pp. 40–46, August, 2007.     

纳米技术在电触头材料中的应用

自80年代纳米技术在材料领域通过纳米粒子以及各种超微细的结构模块，导致产生出许多新的具有优异性能和新的应用可能的纳米复合材料。纳米材料由于组成晶粒超细，大量原子位于晶界上，因而在机械性能、物理性能和化学性能等方面都优于普通的粗晶材料。最近几年这一技术在电触头材料的研究和制备过程中已经有了初步的应用，并取得了良好的效果。综述了近几年来纳米技术在电触头材料中的应用概况，介绍了已经制备出并见于报道的和正在研究的纳米晶触头材料的具体制备工艺及其性能的改善情况，展望了纳米技术在该类材料中的应用前景。     

Nanotechnology: Scientific challenges and societal benefits and risks

The field of nanotechnology is developing rapidly, as are its practical application in society. In this article, we give examples that demonstrate the enormous potential that exists for this new class of materials, and for devices with critical dimensions of less than 100 nm. We also identify some of the challenges that need to be faced in order to fully realize the practical benefits of nanotechnology, and discuss possible risks that may come with this new technology. In all cases, the unique advantage of nanotechnology can be traced back to nanoscale physical and chemical properties that are quite different from those encountered in more traditional microscopic (micro) or macroscopic (macro) materials and devices. Unique nanoscale properties and behaviors are already being used to increase energy efficiency, improve healthcare, and strengthen national security. However, while progress is rapid, many challenges remain. These include manufacturing at the nanoscale, integration of nanoscale materials and devices with more conventional technology, and predictive modeling that will allow nanotechnology to be engineered reliably into useful applications and products. Nanotechnology can be expected to have an increasing impact on human lives and society at large. As we strive to use nanotechnology to improve human life through better healthcare, cleaner environment, and improved national security, we must also work to detect and assess the negative impacts that nanotechnology science (or any new technology) might bring. We suggest that the conduct of should be allowed to proceed unimpeded, so that we can fully understand and appreciate the rules of nature at the nanometer scale. That said, scientific pursuits that involve self-replication in synthetic systems, encryption, defense technology, or the enhancement of human intelligence should be reviewed. The development of new technology from fundamental science and the process of deciding what new technology is to be created for what purpose are topics for reasoned debate among the general public as well as in the forums of scientific peer review and political decision making. Dr. Alton D. Romig, Jr., is currently Vice President, Nonproliferation and Assessments, at Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque, NM). His responsibilities include the leadership and management of the development and engineering activities that provide systems, science, technology, and expertise in support of national objectives to reduce the threat to the United States from proliferation of and use of weapons of mass destruction. Program areas include remote sensing, proliferation assessment, technology assessment, international security, physical security, and nuclear/chemical/biological nonproliferation and counterintelligence. Dr. Romig is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and is active on a number of National Academy of Engineering/National Research Council Committees and Boards. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and member of Science, Engineering and Public Policy Committee and TMS (Fellow Class of 2005) (The Metals, Minerals and Materials Society). Dr. Romig is also Fellow and former President of ASM INTERNATIONAL (formerly American Society for Metals). He also serves on the Boards of Atomic Weapons Establishment Management Limited, a Lockheed Martin joint venture company in the United Kingdom, and Technology Ventures Corporation, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary dedicated to technology commercialization. For his pioneering work in analytical electron microscopy and solidstate diffusion, Dr. Roming has received several awards, including the Burton Medal (1988), awarded by the Electron Microscopy Society of America to an Outstanding Young Scientist; the K.F.J. Heinrich Award (1991), given by the Microbeam Analysis Society to an Outstanding Young Scientist; the ASM Silver Medal for Outstanding Materials Research (1992); and the Acta Metallurgica International Lectureship (1993–1994). Dr Roming has also been named the 2003 ASM-TMS Distinguished Lecturer in Materials and Society. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in materials science and engineering from Lehigh University in 1975, 1977, and 1979, respectively. In 1979, he joined Sandia National Laboratories as a member of the technical staff, Physical Metallurgy Division. After a variety of management assignments, he was named Director, Materials and Process Sciences, in 1992. From 1995 to 1999, he was Director of Microsystems Science, Technology, and Components. In 1999, he was named Chief Technology Officer and Vice President for Science, Technology, and Partnerships. In that role, he was Chief Scientific Officer for the Nuclear Weapons program, accountable for Sandia’s interactions with industry and the Laboratories’ Campus Executive program. In addition, he was responsible for the Laboratory Directed Research & Development program. He served in this capacity until attaining his present position in 2003. With Terry A. Michalske and R.J. Floran     

Nanotechnology: Scientific challenges and societal benefits and risks

The field of nanotechnology is developing rapidly, as are its practical application in society. In this article, we give examples that demonstrate the enormous potential that exists for this new class of materials, and for devices with critical dimensions of less than 100 nm. We also identify some of the challenges that need to be faced in order to fully realize the practical benefits of nanotechnology, and discuss possible risks that may come with this new technology. In all cases, the unique advantage of nanotechnology can be traced back to nanoscale physical and chemical properties that are quite different from those encountered in more traditional microscopic (micro) or macroscopic (macro) materials and devices. Unique nanoscale properties and behaviors are already being used to increase energy efficiency, improve healthcare, and strengthen national security. However, while progress is rapid, many challenges remain. These include manufacturing at the nanoscale, integration of nanoscale materials and devices with more conventional technology, and predictive modeling that will allow nanotechnology to be engineered reliably into useful applications and products. Nanotechnology can be expected to have an increasing impact on human lives and society at large. As we strive to use nanotechnology to improve human life through better healthcare, cleaner environment, and improved national security, we must also work to detect and assess the negative impacts that nanotechnology (or any new technology) might bring. We suggest that the conduct of science should be allowed to proceed unimpeded, so that we can fully understand and appreciate the rules of nature at the nanometer scale. That said, scientific pursuits that involve self-replication in synthetic systems, encryption, defense technology, or the enhancement of human intelligence should be reviewed. The development of new technology from fundamental science and the process of deciding what new technology is to be created for what purpose are topics for reasoned debate among the general public as well as in the forums of scientific peer review and political decision making. Dr. Alton D. Romig, Jr., is currently Vice President, Nonproliferation and Assessments, at Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque, NM). His responsibilities include the leadership and management of the development and engineering activities that provide systems, science, technology, and expertise in support of national objectives to reduce the threat to the United States from proliferation of and use of weapons of mass destruction. Program areas include remote sensing, proliferation assessment, technology assessment, international security, physical security, and nuclear/chemical/biological nonproliferation and counterintelligence. Dr. Romig is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and is active on a number of National Academy of Engineering/National Research Council Committees and Boards. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and member of Science, Engineering and Public Policy Committee and TMS (Fellow Class of 2005) (The Metals, Minerals and Materials Society). Dr. Romig is also Fellow and former President of ASM INTERNATIONAL (formerly American Society for Metals). He also serves on the Boards of Atomic Weapons Establishment Management Limited, a Lockheed Martin joint venture company in the United Kingdom, and Technology Ventures Corporation, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary dedicated to technology commercialization. For his pioneering work in analytical electron microscopy and solid-state diffusion, Dr. Romig has received several awards, including the Burton Medal (1988), awarded by the Electron Microscopy Society of America to an Outstanding Young Scientist; the K.F.J. Heinrich Award (1991), given by the Microbeam Analysis Society to an Outstanding Young Scientist; the ASM Silver Medal for Outstanding Materials Research (1992); and the Acta Metallurgica International Lectureship (1993–1994). Dr. Romig has also been named the 2003 ASM-TMS Distinguished Lecturer in Materials and Society. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in materials science and engineering from Lehigh University in 1975, 1977, and 1979, respectively. In 1979, he joined Sandia National Laboratories as a member of the technical staff, Physical Metallurgy Division. After a variety of management assignments, he was named Director, Materials and Process Sciences, in 1992. From 1995 to 1999, he was Director of Microsystems Science, Technology, and Components. In 1999, he was named Chief Technology Officer and Vice President for Science, Technology, and Partnerships. In that role, he was Chief Scientific Officer for the Nuclear Weapons program, accountable for Sandia’s interactions with industry and the Laboratories’ Campus Executive program. In addition, he was responsible for the Laboratory Directed Research & Development program. He served in this capacity until attaining his present position in 2003. With Terry A. Michalske and R.J. Floran     

Fighting the odds in the UK

Caroline Richmond reports on miscellaneous winners and losers from the health care scene in the United Kingdom. The winners include a young patient who is holding her own against formidable medical odds after receiving heroic treatment for leukemia, and the country's osteopaths, who have won the right to compile a statutory register. The losers are the venerable St. Bartholomew's Hospital, which appears to have lost its battle to stay open, and a 32-year-old man who almost made it to medical school by posing as a teenager.     

Gastrinomas and the change in their presentation and management in Northern Ireland, UK, from 1970 to 1996

Liposome-mediated transfection is a widely used technique for the introduction of exogenous DNA into mammalian cells. We observed a significant induction of endogenous interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs) in cells treated with the liposomal reagents, lipofectamine and DOSPER, in the absence of DNA. Liposome treatment induced expression of reporter constructs driven by IFN-responsive promoter elements, demonstrating a generalized effect on ISG expression. The kinetics of ISG induction were markedly delayed in response to liposome as compared with IFN or double-stranded RNA. ISG induction could be transferred to naive cells with conditioned medium from liposome-treated cells, suggesting that a secreted factor was responsible for this activity. A cell line defective in IFN signaling was refractory to liposome-induced ISG expression, indicating a role for IFN in this induction. Indeed, liposome treatment directly induced IFN-beta gene expression and, thus, represents a novel IFN inducer. IFN induction by liposomal reagents and its potential effects on transgene expression should be considered in the choice of transfection reagent. The ability of liposomal gene delivery reagents to induce IFN synthesis in the host may prove useful in gene therapy approaches to viral and neoplastic diseases.     

Trends in migration in the UK

This article presents the latest annual statistics for international migration and for internal population movements in the United Kingdom, and compares them with recent trends. It also aims to give some information on the characteristics of the migrants from the data sources that are available. Measuring migration is not straightforward as there is no compulsory system within the United Kingdom to record movements of the population, either into the country from abroad or within the country. Nevertheless, we can estimate these movements from available data sources and so monitor migration trends and patterns.     

Mothers' pelvic size, fetal growth, and death from stroke and coronary heart disease in men in the UK

BACKGROUND: People who have a low birthweight show increased death rates from coronary heart disease and a higher prevalence for its risk factors. These findings have led to the hypothesis that the disease is programmed in fetal life. The aim of this study was to explore whether risk of stroke in adult life was linked to impaired fetal growth. METHODS: We ascertained deaths from stroke and coronary heart disease in 13 249 men in two cohorts from Hertfordshire and Sheffield, UK. We related death rates from these disease to body size at birth, weight at 1 year, and to measurements of the mothers' pelvises. FINDINGS: Death rates from both stroke and coronary heart disease tended to be highest in men whose birthweight had been low. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) for stroke fell by 12% (95% Cl 1-22) and for coronary heart disease by 10% (6-14) between each of five groupings of increasing birthweight (< or = 5.5 lb, 5.6-6.5 lb, 6.6-7.5 lb, 7.6-8.5 lb, and > 8.5 lb). Mortality from stroke was most strongly associated with low birthweight in relation to head size, and low placental weight in relation to head size. These patterns of growth occurred in offspring of mothers with flat bony pelvises. The SMR in sons of these women was 184 (67-396) compared with 104 (78-138) in the remainder of the cohort. In contrast, mortality from coronary heart disease was associated with small head circumference, thinness or shortness at birth and an altered ratio of placental weight to birthweight. INTERPRETATION: Stroke may originate in poor nutrition during the mother's childhood, which deforms the bony pelvis and subsequently impairs her ability to sustain the growth of the placenta and fetus in late pregnancy. Coronary heart disease, on the other hand, seems to originate in adaptations made by the fetus to inadequate delivery of nutrients when it occurs for reasons other than failure of placental growth.     

The prevalence of Addison's disease in Coventry, UK

The prevalence of Addison's disease (chronic adrenal failure) has not been widely investigated and is usually given as 39 in a million. We conducted a prevalence study using a postal survey of general practitioners in Coventry. Three quarters (139/188) replied, representing 79/85 (93%) of the practices. Thirty cases of Addision's disease were found from a total patient list of 323852, of which a third were tuberculous in origin and two-thirds non-tuberculous (12/30 autoimmune, 8/30 unclassified). We conclude that Addison's disease is 2.4 times more common than previously reported. The tuberculous group was older, 65 vs 52 years (p < 0.05), and had had the disease for longer than the non-tuberculous group, 20 vs 12 years (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the age at diagnosis.     

英国Thrybergh钢厂新建棒材盘卷生产线产品质量和过程控制

介绍了英国康力斯公司新建大盘卷棒材生产线的主要特点和技术亮点,以及配套的先进的过程控制系统,该系统使成套设备刚一进入试车投产阶段,就能够满足产品质量要求.