Progress in the understanding of NiTi shape memory alloys

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are a special class of metallic materials which respond with a considerable change in their properties to small changes in temperature or stress. The SMAs offer two interesting characteristics, viz., shape memory effect (SME) and superelasticity (SE), also called pseudoelasticity which make them attractive for applications in engineering and biomedical fields. Among the various SMAs, NiTi base alloys have been the most commercially exploited ones because of their superior SME and SE, mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. Since the pioneering discovery of NiTi SMA in early 1960s, significant progress has been made in the processing and understanding of the behaviour of these alloys. In spite of these efforts, the NiTi SMAs continue to offer challenges to the scientists and engineers, and new findings are being made continuously. This paper provides an overview of the developments in NiTi SMAs.     

Generation of electrical energy using lead zirconate titanate (PZT-5A) piezoelectric material: Analytical,numerical and experimental verifications

Energy harvesting is the process of attaining energy from the external sources and transforming it into usable electrical energy. An analytical model of piezoelectric energy harvester has been developed to determine the output voltage across an electrical circuit when it is forced to undergo a base excitation. This model gives an easy approach to design and investigate the behavior of piezoelectric material. Numerical simulations have been carried out to determine the effect of frequency and loading on a Lead zirconate titanate (PZT-5A) piezoelectric material. It has been observed that the output voltage from the harvester increases when loading increases whereas its resonance frequency decreases. The analytical results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental and numerical simulation results.     

Industrial symbiosis: high purity recovery of metals from Waelz sintering waste by aqueous SO2 solution

Sintering operation in the production of Zn, Cd, and Pb by Waelz process produces a powdery waste containing mainly (about 70%) ZnO, CdO, and PbO. The waste may be referred to as Waelz sintering waste (WSW). The aim of this study is to develop a process for the separation and recovery of the metals from WSW with high purities. The process is based on the dissolution of the WSW in aqueous SO2 solution. The research reported here concentrated on the effect of some important operational parameters on dissolution process. The parameters investigated and their ranges were as follows: SO(2) gas flow rate (V); 38-590 ml/min, stirring speed (W); 100-1000 rpm, reaction temperature (T); 13-60 degrees C, reaction time (t); 1-16 min, and solid-liquid ratio (S/L); 0.1-0.5 g/ml. The results showed that the dissolution rate increased with increasing W, V, and S/L and decreasing T. The best dissolution conditions were found to be V=325 ml/min, W=600 rpm, t=6 min, T=21 degrees C, and S/L=0.1g/ml. Separation of Zn from Cd involved precipitation of ZnSO3 from a mixture solution. The best pH level for the precipitation was observed to be 6.     

Cofilin Signaling in the CNS Physiology and Neurodegeneration

All eukaryotic cells are composed of the cytoskeleton, which plays crucial roles in coordinating diverse cellular functions such as cell division, morphology, migration, macromolecular stabilization, and protein trafficking. The cytoskeleton consists of microtubules, intermediate filaments, and actin filaments. Cofilin, an actin-depolymerizing protein, is indispensable for regulating actin dynamics in the central nervous system (CNS) development and function. Cofilin activities are spatiotemporally orchestrated by numerous extra- and intra-cellular factors. Phosphorylation at Ser-3 by kinases attenuate cofilin’s actin-binding activity. In contrast, dephosphorylation at Ser-3 enhances cofilin-induced actin depolymerization. Cofilin functions are also modulated by various binding partners or reactive oxygen species. Although the mechanism of cofilin-mediated actin dynamics has been known for decades, recent research works are unveiling the profound impacts of cofilin dysregulation in neurodegenerative pathophysiology. For instance, oxidative stress-induced increase in cofilin dephosphorylation is linked to the accumulation of tau tangles and amyloid-beta plaques in Alzheimer’s disease. In Parkinson’s disease, cofilin activation by silencing its upstream kinases increases α-synuclein-fibril entry into the cell. This review describes the molecular mechanism of cofilin-mediated actin dynamics and provides an overview of cofilin’s importance in CNS physiology and pathophysiology.     

城域网和接入网发展需要的低水峰单模光纤

密集波分复用(DWDM)的出现扩大了长途传输网的容量,但是DWDM技术的复杂性和使用了昂贵的器件,限制了DWDM在城域网的应用.最新研制的光纤,其在整个宽工作带,包括在(1 380±3) nm上都具有低水峰.低水峰光纤与粗波分复用(CWDM)系统比用标准单模光纤(SMF)的同一系统所用的信道间隔宽33%.经过恶劣的环境试验证明,低水峰光纤具有稳定的抗氢气引起的衰减性能,可确保现场安装的低水峰光纤光缆长期可靠地工作.由于低水峰光纤具有优异的弯曲敏感性,使其与最近研制的宽带接入技术,即所谓的光纤到驻地(FTTP)完全相适应.     

拉丝环境湿度对高强度光纤动态疲劳的影响

文章研究了高强度石英玻璃光纤的动态疲劳性能与拉丝环境相对湿度的函数关系。光纤是在采用石墨感应加热炉加热,并在控制温度、相对湿度和拉丝环境尘埃粒子数的条件下拉制的。所谓拉丝环境指的是从感应加热拉丝炉至涂覆点之间的空间。通常,人们采用两种不同的加载方式,即拉伸和两点弯曲来测量拉制的光纤的动态疲劳。业已发现,拉丝湿度对用张力法加载方式测得的光纤的动态疲劳起着决定性的影响。     

A review on the role of materials science in solar cells

The demand for energy of modern society is constantly increasing. The desire for environmental-friendly alternative energy resources with the least dependency on fossil fuels is growing. Solar energy is an important technology for many reasons and is worthy of urgent attention. Indeed, it has experienced rapid growth over the last few years. It is expected to become truly main stream when the breakeven of high performance is achieved and its cost becomes comparable with other energy sources. Various approaches have been proposed to enhance the efficiency of solar cells. This paper reviews some current initiatives and critical issues on the efficiency improvement of solar cells from the material sciences and chemistry perspectives.     

Comparative structural morphometry and elemental composition of three marine sponges from Western Coast of India

Three marine sponges Halichondria glabrata, Cliono lobata, and Spirastrella pachyspira from the western coastal region of India were compared for their morphometry, biochemical, and elemental composition. One‐way analysis of variance was applied for spicule morphometry results. Length, width, and length:width ratio were calculated independently. The ratio of length:width varied from 35 to 42 among the grown samples, which remained in the range of 10–22 in young sample at the beginning of studies. However, no significant change was observed in spicule width compared to length. Elemental compositions of marine sponges were determined by field emission gun‐scanning electron microscope. Scanning electron microscopy data revealed that the spicules of all the three sponges were mostly composed of O (47–56%) and Si (30–40%), whereas Al (14.33%) was only detected in the spicules of C. lobata. Apart from these, K, Ni, Ca, Fe, Mg, Na, and S were additionally detected in all the three samples. Presence of heavy metals in the sponges was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma‐atomic emission spectroscopy. Results showed that iron was present in a large amount in samples, followed by zinc, lead, and copper. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:296–304, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effect of propylation on the characteristics of corn starch and variation of properties with different degrees of substitution

Corn starch was modified by propylation with different degree of substitution (DS). DS of four starch modifications were 0.61, 1.56, 2.27, and 2.51. Samples were characterized by FTIR, XRD, TG‐DTA, swelling power, solubility, water binding capacity, and light transmittance. Results of the systematic physico‐chemical characterization of the starch modification in comparison with the native starch have been documented in the article. Results showed that during propylation, the crystalline structure of starch got destroyed and surface of the starch was eroded. Propylated starch (DS 2.51) showed 85% weight loss at temperatures from 300 to 400°C, whereas the native starch underwent similar weight loss (83%) from 250 to 300°C. Swelling power and water binding capacity of native starch (DS 0.0) were 3.09 g/g and 89.8%, respectively. However, in propylated starch at low DS (DS 0.61), swelling power and water binding capacity increased to 10.55 g/g and 136.8% under same conditions. At high DS (DS 2.51), swelling power was similar to native starch at 65°C, whereas solubility and water binding capacity decreased to below that of native starch. Light transmittance of propylated starch with high DS (DS 2.51) increased dramatically compared with native starch. Propylation improved the hydrophobic transformation and thermal stability of starch at high DS. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Optimization of molecular hydrogen production by Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U.001 in the annular photobioreactor using response surface methodology

Photofermentative H₂ production at higher rate is desired to make H₂ viable as cheap energy carrier. The process is influenced by C/N composition, pH levels, temperature, light intensity etc. In this study, Rhodobacter sphaeroides strain O.U 001 was used in the annular photobioreactor with working volume 1 L, initial pH of 6.7 ± 0.2, inoculum age 36 h, inoculum volume 10% (v/v), 250 rpm stirring and light intensity of 15 ± 1.1 W m⁻². The effect of parameters, i.e. variation in concentration of DL malic acid, L glutamic acid and temperature on the H₂ production was noted using three factor three level full factorial designs. Surface and contour plots of the regression models revealed optimum H₂ production rate of 7.97 mL H₂ L⁻¹ h⁻¹ at 32 °C with 2.012 g L⁻¹ DL malic acid and 0.297 g L⁻¹ L glutamic acid, which showed an excellent correlation (99.36%) with experimental H₂ production rate of 7.92 mL H₂ L⁻¹ h⁻¹.