A novel bulk-input low voltage and low power four quadrant analog multiplier in weak inversion

A new four quadrant voltage mode bulk input analog multiplier is presented .The proposed multiplier is designed to operate in weak inversion. Multiplication is done by driving the bulk terminals of the MOS devices which offers linear dynamic range of ±80 mV. The simulation shows, it has a linearity error of 5.6 %, THD of nearly 5 % and ?3 dB band width of 221 kHz. Total power consumption is very low i.e. 714 nW. The circuit operates at a supply voltage of 0.5 V and is designed using 180 nm CMOS technology. It is suitable for low power bioelectronics and neural applications.     

The production of non linear damage under molecular ion implantation

Germanium atomic (Ge₁) and molecular ions (Ge₂) of equivalent energy are implanted in silicon at an elevated temperature. The ion induced damage has been characterized by RBS channeling (RBS/C) and positron annihilation spectroscopy. The RBS/C studies indicate that the molecular ion implantation has produced more defects in the near surface regions compared to the atomic ion implantation. This paper reports a first time observation of an enhanced production of vacancy related defects in silicon implanted with molecular ions.     

Damage Analyses of Adhesively Bonded Single Lap Joints Due to Delaminated FRP Composite Adherends

Three-dimensional non-linear Finite Element Analyses (FEA) due to an in-plane loading have been performed to evaluate the out-of-plane normal and shear stresses over the overlap region of a Single Lap Joint (SLJ) on different surfaces. These surfaces have been considered as; (i) two interfacial surfaces between the adherends and the adhesive layer, (ii) the mid-surface of the adhesive layer and (iii) two surfaces beneath the surface ply of both the adherends adjacent to the adhesive layer. The critical locations of onset of adhesion, cohesion and delamination failures on the above mentioned surfaces of the SLJ have been determined using suitable damage criteria. A comparative study due to adhesion, cohesion and delamination failures in the SLJ with Fiber Reinforced Polymeric (FRP) composite adherends have been presented. The effects of simultaneous variations of the delamination positions on the out-of-plane peel and shear stress components have been studied by pre-embedding the delamination damages at the critical locations in both the adherends. It has been observed that the possibilities of onset of cohesion failures in the adhesive layer are higher compared to the adhesion and delamination failures. The detailed analyses showed that secondary peaks of out-of-plane stress components (σ _z , τ _yz and τ _xz ) on the mid surface of the adhesive layer appeared at the locations closer to the delamination fronts due to pre-embedded delamination damages. The highest stress magnitudes on the overlap edge of the SLJ have been reduced significantly when the centers of the delamination damages are exactly aligned with the overlap ends of the joint. No significant variations of stress magnitudes have been noticed either when the delaminations are pre-embedded outside the overlap regions or when the delamination damages are completely entrapped within the overlap region.     

Microstructural investigations on as-cast and annealed Al–Sc and Al–Sc–Zr alloys

Al–Sc and Al–Sc–Zr alloys containing 0.05, 0.1 and 0.5 wt.% Sc and 0.15 wt.% Zr were investigated using optical microscopy, electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The phase composition of the alloys and the morphology of precipitates that developed during solidification in the sand casting process and subsequent thermal treatment of the samples were studied. XRD analysis shows that the weight percentage of the Al₃Sc/Al₃(Sc, Zr) precipitates was significantly below 1% in all alloys except for the virgin Al0.5Sc0.15Zr alloy. In this alloy the precipitates were observed as primary dendritic particles. In the binary Al–Sc alloys, ageing at 470 °C for 24 h produced precipitates associated with dislocation networks, whereas the precipitates in the annealed Al–Sc–Zr alloys were free of interfacial dislocations except at the lowest content of Sc. Development of large incoherent precipitates during precipitation heat treatment reduced hardness of all the alloys studied. Growth of the Al₃Sc/Al₃(Sc, Zr) precipitates after heat treatment was less at low Sc content and in the presence of Zr. Increase in hardness was observed after heat treatment at 300 °C in all alloys. There is a small difference in hardness between binary and ternary alloys slow cooled after sand casting.     

Electrochemical Corrosion and Impedance Studies of Porous Ti–xNb–Ag Alloy in Physiological Solution

Porous titanium (Ti) and its alloys are promising materials for orthopedic applications due to their low elastic modulus, high strength, excellent corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. In this study, the porous Ti–xNb–5Ag (x = 25, 30 and 35 wt%) alloys were synthesized using the powder metallurgy approach. The effects of Nb content on the porosity, mechanical properties, and electrochemical corrosion behavior of the alloys were investigated. XRD analysis revealed that the porous alloys mainly consist of α-Ti, β-Ti, intermetallic compound (Ti₄Nb), and oxides of TiO₂ and NbO phases. Porous alloys possess the porosity ranging from 57 to 65%, due to the addition of NH₄HCO₃ (45 wt%). Increase in Nb content lead to a reduction in the elastic modulus and compression strengths of the sintered porous Ti–xNb–5Ag alloys. All three developed porous Ti–xNb–5Ag alloys show the optimum combination of elastic modulus and compression strength, which is suitable for orthopedic applications. These porous alloys exhibit excellent electrochemical corrosion resistance in the simulated body fluids, and the samples having low porosity exhibit higher corrosion resistance than high-porosity samples.

     

A study on the mechanical properties of cryorolled Al–Mg–Si alloy

The mechanical properties of a precipitation hardenable Al–Mg–Si alloy subjected to cryorolling and ageing treatments are reported in this present work. The severe strain induced during cryorolling of Al–Mg–Si alloys in the solid solutionised state produces ultrafine microstructures with improved mechanical properties such as strength and hardness. The improved strength and hardness of cryorolled alloys are due to the grain size effect and higher dislocation density. The ageing treatment of cryorolled Al–Mg–Si alloys has improved its strength and ductility significantly due to the precipitation hardening and grain coarsening mechanisms, respectively. The reduction in dimple size of cryorolled Al–Mg–Si alloy upon failure confirms the grain refinement and strain hardening mechanism operating in the severely deformed samples.     

Fire monitoring in coal mines using wireless underground sensor network and interval type-2 fuzzy logic controller

International Journal of Coal Science & Technology - From the view of underground coal mining safety system, it is extremely important to continuous monitoring of coal mines for the prompt...     

Loss of Helicobacter pylori hemagglutination with serial laboratory passage and correlation of hemagglutination with gastric epithelial cell adherence

Adherence of Helicobacter pylori to gastric epithelial cells is thought to be important in the pathogenesis of infection and may be essential to maintain lifelong colonization. However, the factors responsible for adherence to gastric epithelial cells in vivo have not been characterized, and the significance of adherence to standard epithelial cell lines is unclear. Hemagglutination is also thought to be important in H. pylori adherence. However, no studies have clearly linked H. pylori hemagglutination or adherence to cultured epithelial cells to primary gastric epithelial cell adherence. Furthermore, it is not clear whether laboratory strains which have undergone multiple passages lose potential colonization factors. In this study, we examined the effect of serial laboratory passage on hemagglutination and correlated the hemagglutination characteristics of H. pylori strains to primary gastric cell adherence. Variable expression of hemagglutination was seen with serial laboratory passage of 15 strains. After 100 serial laboratory passages, all strains had lost hemagglutination activity. Hemagglutination was seen in association with adherence to primary gastric cells in vitro isolated from 2 patients. An association with ultrastructural intimate adherence was seen with HEp-2 cells, but not with gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Ultrastructural adherence was seen in corresponding antral biopsies of patients whose strains were hemagglutination positive, but hemagglutination was not associated with gastric inflammation. These data indicate that H. pylori hemagglutination is lost with serial passage and that hemagglutination may play a role in the attachment of H. pylori to gastric epithelial cells, but the role of adherence to chronic gastric inflammation is unclear.     

Escherichia coli transcytosis in a Caco-2 cell model: implications in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious gastrointestinal disorder of preterm infants. Other than an association with prematurity and gastrointestinal feeding, no single factor or mechanism has been consistently linked to this disease. We have previously demonstrated that Escherichia coli isolates obtained from the stool of infants with NEC caused NEC-like injury in a weanling rabbit ileal loop model; this injury, in turn, could be blocked by coinfection with selected Gram(+) bacteria (Enterococcus faecium) isolated from asymptomatic controls. Using Caco-2 cells in a trans-well system, we now demonstrate that the same E. coli isolates can cross epithelial cell monolayers in the absence of ultrastructural change or damage. These results with E. coli contrast with those seen with Salmonella typhimurium, which passed through the monolayer at a higher rate and were associated with striking ultrastructural damage. Transcytosis of E. coli was reduced 3-5-fold in the presence of E. faecium previously shown to block NEC-like injury in the loop model. There was a mild increase in the rate of E. coli transcytosis when studies were conducted with younger, undifferentiated cells; these immature cells had no brush border, had decreased production of brush border-specific enzymes, but retained well defined tight junctions, as demonstrated by transepithelial electrical resistance and electron microscopy. A further reduction/ complete blockage of E. coli transcytosis was observed when E. faecium was used as the coinfectant in studies with these undifferentiated cells. We hypothesize that the ability of E. coli to cross epithelial cell layer is a critical initial step in the cascade of events which lead ultimately to NEC; blockage or reduction in E. coli transcytosis in the presence of certain Gram(+) organisms may play a significant role in prevention of NEC.