Diffusion of carbon and titanium in γ -iron in a magnetic field and a magnetic field gradient

The diffusion coefficients of carbon and titanium in γ -iron were measured in a 6T magnetic field and in magnetic field gradients ranging from 30 to 45 T/m. We have found that the diffusion of carbon in γ -iron is retarded by application of a 6T magnetic field. In contrast with carbon diffusion, no noticeable effect of a magnetic field on the diffusivity of titanium in γ -iron is observed. On the other hand, the diffusion of carbon in γ -iron can be enhanced in a magnetic field gradient when carbon atoms move towards the direction with a higher magnetic field strength. The higher the magnetic field gradient strength becomes, the more the carbon diffusion is enhanced. Nevertheless, a magnetic field gradient causes a decrease in diffusivity of carbon in γ -iron when the opposite magnetic field gradient is applied.     

Microstructural Characteristics and Stability in a RapidlySolidified Al-Fe-Nb-Si Alloy

The microstructure and stability in a rapidly solidified Al-Fe-Nb-Si alloy were studied by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDXS) and X-ray difFraction technique. It is shown that the addition of Nb to Al-Fe-Si alloy may increase undercooling of melt, and form the featureless zone structure, the size of the intercellular phases and the distance betWeen intercellulars of Al-Fe-Nb-Si alloy are two times smaller than that of Al-Fe-V-Si alloy under the same conditions. Further, the microstructure of the featureIess zone has the better thermal stability after annealing at 623 K for 24 h.     

Degradative and mechanical properties of a novel resorbable plating system during a 3-year follow-up in vivo and in vitro

We tested the tissue reactions and mechanical strength of a novel biodegradable craniomaxillofacial plating system, Inion CPS™, in the course of degradation. Plates and screws composed of l-lactide, d-lactide and trimethylene carbonate were implanted to the mandible and dorsal subcutis of 12 sheep. The animals were sacrificed at 6–156 weeks. Histological evaluation was done using paraffin and methylmetacrylate techniques. Degradative and mechanical properties during the follow-up were measured both of in vivo and in vitro implants. In light microscopy, the in vivo implant material began to fragment at 52 weeks and could not be detected at 104 weeks. No significant foreign body reactions were seen in the mandibles. The dorsal subcutis disclosed mild reactions, which were, however, not of clinical significance. The implants in vitro maintained their entire mass for 26 weeks and lost 63–80% of the mass by week 104. The inherent viscosity of the implants in vitro and in vivo diminished uniformly. The screws retained their shear strength for 12–16 weeks. The plates maintained their tensile strength for at least 6 weeks. The maximum capacity of the plates in 3-point bending tests diminished gradually by 87% in 26 weeks. In conclusion, the plates and screws examined maintain adequate strength for the healing period of a bone fracture or osteotomy, producing no harmful foreign body reactions. Dr Nieminen is a consultant for Inion Ltd., while the other co-authors do not have any conflicts of interest. Inion Ltd. has financed the costs related to the study sheep, including their housing.     

Vortex Dynamics in a Superconducting Film with a Kagome and?a?Honeycomb Pinning Landscape

The vortex dynamics in a superconducting thin Al film with a periodic Honeycomb or Kagome array of antidots has been investigated by electrical transport measurements. The large values of the superconducting coherence length and penetration depth of the Al films guarantee a maximum of one flux quantum trapped per pinning site. This allows us to directly compare the experimental results with previous theoretical investigations based on molecular dynamics simulations. For the Kagome lattice, two submatching features not anticipated theoretically at H/H ₁=1/3 and 2/3, where H ₁ is the field at which the number of vortices coincides with the number of pinning sites, are observed. Possible corresponding stable vortex patterns are suggested. For the Honeycomb pinning landscape, the commensurability effects are in agreement with the theoretical expectations. A preliminary analysis of the vortex mobility in this lattice shows the presence of a weak vortex guidance.     

Agriculture and food systems in sub-Saharan Africa in a 4°C+ world

Agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa faces daunting challenges, which climate change and increasing climate variability will compound in vulnerable areas. The impacts of a changing climate on agricultural production in a world that warms by 4°C or more are likely to be severe in places. The livelihoods of many croppers and livestock keepers in Africa are associated with diversity of options. The changes in crop and livestock production that are likely to result in a 4°C+ world will diminish the options available to most smallholders. In such a world, current crop and livestock varieties and agricultural practices will often be inadequate, and food security will be more difficult to achieve because of commodity price increases and local production shortfalls. While adaptation strategies exist, considerable institutional and policy support will be needed to implement them successfully on the scale required. Even in the 2°C+ world that appears inevitable, planning for and implementing successful adaptation strategies are critical if agricultural growth in the region is to occur, food security be achieved and household livelihoods be enhanced. As part of this effort, better understanding of the critical thresholds in global and African food systems requires urgent research.     

Combined buoyancy and viscous effects in liquid–liquid flows in a vertical pipe

This paper presents experimental and numerical results of interfacial dynamics of liquid–liquid flows when an immiscible core liquid is introduced into a continuous liquid flow. The fully developed flow model predicts multiple solutions of the jet diameter over a range of dimensionless numbers: flow rate ratio, viscosity ratio, Bond and Capillary numbers. Experiments have been carried out using Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) and Canola oil to investigate the realizability of the three possible solutions predicted by the fully developed flow model. The measured values of inner fluid radii agree very well with the lower branch of the three branched solution while deviating from the top branch beyond a critical flow ratio value. This deviation is attributed to the fact that the flow develops a non-axisymmetric solution at this critical point. Computational fluid dynamics simulations have also been performed to examine the developing core annular flow and to compare the analytical solution results of liquid jet radius. The results predicted by numerical simulations agree very well with both the lower and upper branches of solution predicted by the analytical theory.     

Pushed and pulled fronts in a discrete reaction–diffusion equation

We consider the propagation of wave fronts connecting unstable and stable uniform solutions to a discrete reaction–diffusion equation on a one-dimensional integer lattice. The dependence of the wavespeed on the coupling strength \(\mu \) between lattice points and on a detuning parameter (a) appearing in a nonlinear forcing is investigated thoroughly. Via asymptotic and numerical studies, the speed both of ‘pulled’ fronts (whereby the wavespeed can be characterised by the linear behaviour at the leading edge of the wave) and of ‘pushed’ fronts (for which the nonlinear dynamics of the entire front determine the wavespeed) is investigated in detail. The asymptotic and numerical techniques employed complement each other in highlighting the transition between pushed and pulled fronts under variations of \(\mu \) and a.     

Polarization and efficiency of a concave multilayer grating in the 135-250-Å region and in normal-incidence and SeyaNamioka mounts

A molybdenum/silicon multilayer coating was applied to a holographic ion-etched blazed grating substrate that had 2400 grooves/mm and a radius of curvature of 2.2 m. Scanning probe microscopy yielded the same surface microroughness (5 ? rms) before and after deposition of the multilayer. The efficiency and polarization performance of the grating was measured by synchrotron radiation in the 135-250-? wavelength region. In the second grating order and the second Bragg order of the multilayer coating, the peak normal-incidence efficiency was 7.5% at a wavelength of 147 ?, representing a groove efficiency of 27%. At an angle of incidence of 35°, the polarization performance of the grating was 95%-100% in the 210-250-? wavelength region. In a Seya-Namioka spectrometer mount at an angle of incidence of 30°-40°, the grating is a nearly perfect polarizing optical element in the wavelength bands between 125 and 300 ?, which are covered by the multilayer coating.     

Residual Stresses and Deformation Behaviour in a SiC_p/Al Composite

Experiments were conducted to determine theresidual stresses with X-ray diffraction in the ma-trix of a SiC/Al composite after different thermaltreatments,and to investigate the stress-straincharacteristics and fracture behaviour of the com-posite.It was found that there existed a tensileresidual stress in the matrix and both thermal cy-cling between room temperature and 350℃ and lowtemperature treatment in liquid nitrogen reducedthe residual stress.The results of the strengthdifferential effect and Bauschinger effect were con-sistent with the results of residual stressmeasurements.The tensile residual stresses in the Almatrix enhanced the strength differential effect.Themagnitude of Bauschinger effect is greater for a testinitially started in compression than that in tension.     

Formation of PFZ and Its Effect in a RSP AI-Li Alloy

The formation of precipitation free zone (PFZ) and its effect in a RSP AI-Li alloy has been studied.The results show that PFZ is easy to form when aged at 190℃,but there is no equilibrium phase ongrain boundaries.The growth of PFZ in the alloy is different from that in conventional AI-Li alloys,The effect of PFZ is of great importance because of its large volume fraction in the alloy.It offsets thebeneficial effect of RSP,and is thought to be an important factor that leads to the poor toughnessand low ductility of RSP AI-Li alloy sheet.     

Some Three‐Dimensional Effects of Heat and Mass Transfer in a Fire within a Building

Results of a numerical investigation of heat and mass transfer at the initial stage of a fire within a building in combustion of a liquid fire load, performed with the use of a threedimensional mathematical field model, are presented. Formulas approximating the calculation results are proposed for estimation of the maximum time of operation of an opening to release the gas from the building and determination of the size of the zone within which a change in the position of the fire load causes no marked changes in the parameter of heat and mass transfer. Threedimensional inhomogeneities in the temperature and velocity fields, which have a profound impact on the problems of providing fire safety for buildings, are revealed.     

Microstructure and stresses in a keatite solid–solution glass–ceramic

The microstructure of a translucent keatite solid–solution glass–ceramic (keatite s.s.) of the LAS-system (Li₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂) has been analyzed with SEM, AFM, XRF, XRD, and TEM. The glass–ceramic consists mainly of keatite s.s. with minor secondary phases such as zirconium titanate, gahnite and probably rutile. Furthermore the resistance to temperature differences (RTD) of this glass–ceramic was investigated. It is shown that, in spite of the relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of about 1 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹, an improved RTD can be achieved by special ceramization treatment. With this, compressive stresses in the first 100 μm to 150 μm are induced. These stresses can presumably be contributed to a difference in CTE between the surface-near zone and the bulk. Said CTE difference is caused by chemical gradients of CTE-relevant elements, such as Zn, K, and supposedly additional alkali elements such as Li. These stresses are useful to increase the strength and application range of glass–ceramics based on keatite s.s.

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Synthesis and in vitro characterization of a novel PAA–ATP conjugate

The objective of this study was to improve the multifunctional properties of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) by covalent attachment of 4-aminothiophenol (ATP) to its backbone. The permeation enhancing effect of PAA–ATP together with glutathione was evaluated in Ussing-type chambers using fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran as model compound. The mucoadhesive properties were evaluated in vitro on freshly excised porcine intestinal mucosa through the rotating cylinder method. The resulting conjugates PAA–ATP1 and PAA–ATP2 displayed 168 ± 35 and 426 ± 55 μmol immobilized free thiol groups per gram polymer, respectively. In addition, 279 ± 28 and 139 ± 22 μmol disulfide bonds per gram polymer, respectively, were identified on PAA–ATP1 and PAA–ATP2. Within disintegration studies in aqueous buffer solution, the modified polymers showed improved cohesive properties. Because of the immobilization of ATP, the swelling of PAA–ATP1 and PAA–ATP2 improved 12.0- and 17.8-fold, respectively. The adhesion times of the conjugates PAA–ATP1 and PAA–ATP2 were more than 20- and 30-fold increased in comparison to unmodified PAA. Furthermore, conjugates PAA–ATP1 and PAA–ATP2 exhibited a 1.86- and 2.07-fold higher permeation enhancing effect, respectively, over unmodified PAA. According to these results, PAA–ATP conjugates represent a very promising novel type of thiomer for the development of various mucoadhesive drug delivery systems.     

Kinetics and Mechanism of Interfacial Reaction in a SiCf／Ti Composite

In order to evaluate the interracial reaction, a SiCf/Ti (TA1) composite was fabricated by a vacuum hot pressingmethod and then heat-treated in vacuum at 800℃ for up to 100 h. The elemental distributions of C, Si and Ti at the interracial reaction zone were investigated. It was found that the reaction zone occurs during the fabrication process and continuously grows at high temperature because the Si and C atoms diffuse from SiC fibers to the matrix and Ti atoms diffuse in the opposite direction. The growth of the reaction zone is diffusion controlled and the mechanism of the reaction can be described by a reactive diffusion model of solid-state growth of an AmBn layer between two elementary substances A and B.     

Coupled heat conduction and deformation in a viscoelastic composite cylinder

We study the coupled problem of deformation due to mechanical and thermal loading of a composite cylinder made up of two layers of linear isotropic viscoelastic materials. The effect of a time-varying temperature field due to unsteady heat conduction on the short term and long term material response is examined in terms of the stress, displacement, and strain fields. The material properties of the two layers of the composite cylinder at any given location and time are assumed to depend on the temperature at that location at that given instant of time. Sequentially coupled analyses of heat conduction and deformation of the viscoelastic composite cylinder are carried out. Analytical solutions for the stress, strain and displacement fields of the viscoelastic composite cylinder are obtained from the corresponding solution of the linear elasticity problem by applying the Correspondence Principle. We examine the discontinuity in the hoop stress and the radial strain at the interface of the two layers caused by mismatches in material properties, during transient heat conduction. We find that the discontinuities change over time as the mismatch in the moduli of the two layers changes due to the material properties which are time-dependent. We also investigate the effect of the thermal field on the time-dependent field variables in the composite body.     

Interaction between a vortex and an edge dislocation nested in a cos‐Gaussian beam passing through a tilted lens

The interaction between a vortex and an edge dislocation nested in a cos‐Gaussian beam passing through a tilted lens was studied analytically and numerically. It is shown that in the presence of the tilted lens, by varying the cos‐part parameter of the beam, the slope of the edge dislocation, or the tilt coefficient of the lens, the topological charge is conserved for the case of the off‐axis edge dislocation, while charge conservation does not hold true for the case of an on‐axis edge dislocation, irrespective of the on‐axis or off‐axis vortex. The relation between the transverse positions (x, y) of vortices and the tilt coefficient is linear, and is interpreted.     

Isothermal transformation and decomposition ofβ 1 phase in a CuZnAl alloy

In the present paper, the crystallography of isothermal transformation and decomposition ofβ, phase have been studied by means of transmission electron microscopy and diffraction in the CuZnAl shape memory alloy. It has been proved that the bainite formed inβ ₁, matrix when the samples were transformed isothermally at moderate temperature. The crystallography of the isothermal bainitic transformation is identical to that of martensite in the same system. When the specimens were aged at moderate temperatures for longer time, the bainite and matrix decomposed to equilibrium phases. The decomposition process can be summarized as follows: $$\begin{gathered} bainite (9R) \to 9R + \alpha \left( {fcc} \right) \to \alpha + \beta \left( {bcc} \right) \hfill \\ matrix (B2) \to 2H + B2 \to \beta \left( {bcc} \right) \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ There are definite orientation relationships among these phases during the decomposition process and they are shown below: $$\begin{gathered} \left( {111} \right)_\alpha \parallel \left( {001} \right)_B ,\left[ {0\bar 11} \right]_\alpha \parallel \left[ {\bar 110} \right]_B \hfill \\ \left( {111} \right)_\alpha 5^ \circ away from \left( {110} \right)_\beta ,\left[ {0\bar 11} \right]_\alpha \parallel \left[ {1\bar 1\bar 1} \right]_\beta \hfill \\ \left( {110} \right)_M \parallel \left( {001} \right)_{2H} ,\left[ {001} \right]_M \parallel \left[ {010} \right]_{2H} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ Thus, the crystallography of isothermal transformation and decomposition ofβ ₁ phase and the sequence of transitions have been revealed.     

The Principle and Architecture of a Hybrid System of a Neural Network and an Expert System in Intelligent CAD of Electrical Machines

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A thin PANI and carrageenan–gold nanoparticle film on a flexible gold electrode as a conductive and low-cost platform for sensing in a physiological environment

In this work, we report the production of a layer-by-layer (LbL) film of gold nanoparticles stabilized with carrageenan (carr-AuNPs) interspersed with a conductive polyaniline (PANI) layer. Conventionally, PANI has poor electroactivity in physiological buffers, limiting its using in electrochemical biosensors. The films were prepared on low cost and easy to manufacture flexible gold electrodes (FEAu). Two adsorption sequences were tested for production of the films—PANI/carr-AuNP and carr-AuNP/PANI. The gold nanoparticle size and colloidal stability were characterized. The films were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, UV–visible spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The results showed the synergistic effects of the carr-AuNPs (120 nm) and PANI, which improved both the electrochemical response and the stability of the conductive polymer in physiological medium by three times. The presence of the carr-AuNPs in the film caused a significant increase in roughness of the FEAu-modified electrode compared to that of an unmodified electrode, resulting in an increased active electrode area. Studies of film growth by UV–Vis spectroscopy indicated that the deposition mechanisms of both films involved an auto-regulating adsorption process, with the same amount of material adsorbed in each coating step. The PANI/carr-AUNP film showed considerable improvement in stability and conductivity compared to PANI-only films in the physiological environment, which confers advantages for use as a biosensor.