Downward movement of nitrate and ammonium nitrogen in a flatland ultisol

Three field trials were conducted in the early and late rainy season on a Piarco Series soil (Aquoxic Tropudults) in Central Trinidad to monitor downward movement of NH ₄ ⁺ -N and NO ₃ ^- -N under flat-tilled and ridge-tilled conditions as affected by mulch application. The first experiment was carried out in the early rainy season under bare-fallowed conditions, while okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) was the test crop used in the two remaining trials, which were conducted during the early and late rainy season periods. The plots were fertilized with urea seven days after crop emergence and 14 days after land preparation for the cropped and bare-fallowed experiments respectively. Soil samples were collected weekly after fertilizer application and analyzed for NH ₄ ⁺ -N, NO ₃ ^- -N and soil water.Urea application increased NH ₄ ⁺ -N levels in the soil and NH ₄ ⁺ -N was the dominant inorganic N form observed for the first four weeks after fertilization. Mulch application decreased NH ₄ ⁺ -N and NO ₃ ^- -N soil levels. Ridging the soil increased downward movement of NH ₄ ⁺ -N and NO ₃ ^- -N. Under bare-fallowed conditions, downward movement of NH ₄ ⁺ -N was noted in the 30 to 45 cm soil layer at seven days after fertilization, while under cropped conditions its movement was restricted to the 15 to 30 cm layer within the same period. In bare-fallowed soil, increased NO ₃ ^- -N and its downward movement was noted after four weeks of fertilization. In the cropped soil, downward movement of NO ₃ ^- -N was observed one week after fertilization in the early rainy season and three weeks after fertilization in the late rainy season.     

Novel Processing of 1-3 Piezoelectric Ceramic/Polymer Composites for Transducer Applications

Piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composites with 1-3 connectivity were made by weaving sized lead zirconate titanate (PZT) fiber bundles through a honeycomb support. Bundles comprised of fine-scale, 20-50 μm green fibers, made using the viscous suspension spinning process, were sized to increase their manageability. The sizing step comprised of soaking the green PZT fiber bundles in an aqueous solution of poly(vinyl alcohol), then pulling the wet fibers through a steel sizing die. Sizing resulted in dense and flexible fiber bundles, which facilitated composite construction and led to composites with increased volume fractons. Sintering, polymer embedding, and machining produced a composite exhibiting 1-3 connectivity. Composites with 10 vol% PZT yilded d ₃₃ values of 230 pC/N and a dielectric constant of 130.     

Overview of Fine-Scale Piezoelectric Ceramic/Polymer Composite Processing

In the past two decades, piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composites with different connectivities have been developed for transducer applications such as hydrophones, biomedical imaging, nondestructive testing, and air imaging. Recently, much attention has been given to fine-scale piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composites. These composites allow higher operating frequencies, and thus increased resolution, in medical imaging transducers. In this review, methods for processing fine-scale piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composites are discussed. The current capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses of each method are compared. The importance of spatial scale in composite performance is also reviewed. Several of the processing methods have demonstrated composites with fine-scale ceramic phases (<50 μm), and others have potential to form composites with a ceramic scale of under 20 μm.     

Processing of 1-3 Piezoelectric Ceramic/Polymer Composites

Several methods of forming fine-scale 1–3 piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composites for possible transducer applications were demonstrated. These methods include tape casting, honeycomb dicing, and ceramic fiber weaving. In the tape casting technique, laminated structures were formed using thin PZT tapes. The tapes were stacked, with spacers separating the layers, and the stack embedded in polymer. Dicing the stack resulted in a composite with 1–3 connectivity. The thin tape technique can be used to develop composites with ceramic or polymer volume fraction gradients and multifunctional ceramics. Dicing of PZT honeycombs yields 1–3 composites with uniquely shaped rods. Shapes included +, T, and L. In the ceramic fiber weaving technique, green PZT fibers were woven through a PZT honeycomb support structure. The structure was fired to sinter the PZT fibers, and embedded with polymer to yield 1–3 composites. All 1–3 composites showed high and uniform piezoelectric coefficients across the electroded area.     

Urea-N uptake by dasheen (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott) in relation to the fertilizer placement method

Urea has become the most important N carrier in many parts of the world and its reaction when added to soil is unique in many ways. Two field experiments were therefore undertaken using¹⁵N to investigate the uptake efficiency of the added urea-¹⁵N which was banded in Experiment I and broadcast in Experiment II. In both experiments the uptake efficiencies were not affected by N-rate and cropping system (Exp. I) or crop residue management (Exp. II) and averaged 17.4 and 16.9% respectively. These low values were supported by evidences of high losses; high pH increases following urea application (volatilization), downward movement of N (leaching), and cycles of waterlogged and well drained conditions in the soil (de-nitrification). Evidence of leaching at least down to 30 cm in the profile was observed in the first experiment where urea was banded but not in experiment II where it was broadcast. The proportion of N in the crop that was derived from added urea (%Ndff) was 57.7% and 36.4% in experiments I and II respectively, suggesting that band application resulted in a higher proportion of the added N in the root zone compared to that for broadcast application. The results indicate the need to investigate other management strategies, such as higher application frequencies and placement closer to the root zone, in order to improve the uptake efficiency of added urea-N in upland rainfed dasheen.     

Fuzzy‐sliding mode control of nonlinear smart base‐isolated building under earthquake excitation

In this paper, the effectiveness of the fuzzy sliding mode control strategy on three‐dimensional benchmark building with smart base isolation under seismic excitation has been examined. One of the appropriate control theories for such this nonlinear system is the sliding mode control theory; discontinuous sliding mode theory has weakness such as chattering phenomena. In this paper, we used a combination of fuzzy logic and sliding mode theory for the deletion of this defect. The proposed control theory has been scrutinized by applying on lately developed nonlinear three‐dimensional base‐isolated benchmark building. This building because of the three‐dimensional nature, coalescing of lateral and torsional responses, continuity of responses of the superstructure, and base is modeled with three degrees of freedom on every floor. In this building eight actuators assigned only at the base level and in the two directions (x, y). In other words, 16 actuators are located underneath the structure. Furthermore, the base isolation system has been modeled by considering lateral coupled equations for a better examination of the performance of the system. The results indicate that reduction of control performance is remarkable. Also, utilizing proposed control theory can decrease the responses of building in two main directions and, particularly, in the rotational degree of freedom.     

Effect of different size of joint enlargement on seismic behavior of gravity load designed RC beam‐column connections

Effect of different size of planer joint enlargement as a noninvasive and practical strategy for seismic retrofit of gravity load designed external reinforced concrete beam‐column connections was experimentally investigated. The joint region was enlarged using steel angles that are mounted using prestressed cross‐ties. Reverse cyclic load tests on five half‐scale control and retrofitted external RC beam‐column connections were conducted. Three different size of planer joint enlargement being 180, 140, and 90 mm were considered for retrofitted specimens. The performance of the retrofitted specimens is compared with that of the control gravity load designed beam‐column connections, in terms of load–displacement hysteresis curve, energy dissipation and ductility capacities, and global strength and stiffness degradation behavior. The experimental results showed that increasing the size of planer joint enlargement significantly enhances the seismic capacity of the retrofitted connections, in terms of strength, stiffness, energy dissipation, and ductility capacity and also planer joint enlargement can relocate beam plastic hinges to outside the joint panel.     

Coextrusion of superconducting wires

Cu/Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_7?x superconducting composite wires have been fabricated using the powder-in-tube coextrusion process. Increase in load during the extrusion process seems to indicate that powder particles from the deformation zone of the die travel up toward the unextruded part of the billet and gradually increase the density in that part to some saturation value, which prohibits further extrusion at moderate to heavy applied load. A powder removal technique has been devised to perform full length extrusion under such conditions. Powder removal, however, is not required if the extrusion ratio is reduced sufficiently. The extrusion ratio that will give a full length extrusion without powder removal seems to be a function of starting billet length. Extrusion ratio of 2.52 gives smooth full length extrusions with 25.4 mm (1 in.) starting billet length at reasonable load values. Four probe resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate a critical temperature (Tc) value of the formed wire to be close to 88 K. Density measurements using the volume displacement method indicate a value of 4.819 g/cm³, which is approximately 76.5% of the theoretical density. M.M. Dehghani and A. Ahmad are Assistant Professor and