High-Temperature Decomposition of Fe- and Cr-Doped NiO Produced by a Novel Flame Spray Technique

A novel thick film technology has been developed for the manufacture of electric heating elements from partially oxidised Ni–Cr–Fe alloy powder. The sprayed films were a mixture of metallic alloys and Ni-based oxides. Electron microscopy and analysis were used to monitor the transformations in the films during subsequent heat treatment. In particular, it was found that homogeneous grains of Cr- and Fe-doped Ni-based oxides transformed into NiO grains containing numerous Ni-, Cr- and Fe-rich spinel particles with a typical size of 40 nm.     

Influence of Ni and Process Parameters in Medium Mn Steels Heat Treated by High Partitioning Temperature Q&P Cycles

In this work, two medium Mn steels (5.8 and 5.7 wt pct Mn) were subjected to a quenching and partitioning (Q&P) treatment employing a partitioning temperature which corresponded to the start of austenite reverse transformation (ART). The influence of a 1.6 wt pct Ni addition in one of the steels and cycle parameters on austenite stability and mechanical properties was also studied. High contents of retained austenite were obtained in the lower quenching temperature (QT) condition, which at the same time resulted in a finer microstructure. The addition of Ni was effective in stabilizing higher contents of austenite. The partitioning of Mn and Ni from martensite into austenite was observed by TEM–EDS. The partitioning behaviour of Mn depended on the QT condition. The lower QT condition facilitated Mn enrichment of austenite laths during partitioning and stabilization of a higher content of austenite. The medium Mn steel containing Ni showed outstanding values of the product of tensile strength (TS) and total elongation (TEL) in the lower QT condition and a higher mechanical stability of the austenite.

     

Vitamin C Enhances Vitamin E Status and Reduces Oxidative Stress Indicators in Sea Bass Larvae Fed High DHA Microdiets

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an essential fatty acid necessary for many biochemical, cellular and physiological functions in fish. However, high dietary levels of DHA increase free radical injury in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) larvae muscle, even when vitamin E (α-tocopherol, α-TOH) is increased. Therefore, the inclusion of other nutrients with complementary antioxidant functions, such as vitamin C (ascorbic acid, vitC), could further contribute to prevent these lesions. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of vitC inclusion (3,600?mg/kg) in high DHA (5?% DW) and α-TOH (3,000?mg/kg) microdiets (diets 5/3,000 and 5/3,000?+?vitC) in comparison to a control diet (1?% DHA DW and 1,500?mg/kg of α-TOH; diet 1/1,500) on sea bass larvae growth, survival, whole body biochemical composition and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content, muscle morphology, skeletal deformities and antioxidant enzymes, insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and myosin expression (MyHC). Larvae fed diet 1/1,500 showed the best performance in terms of total length, incidence of muscular lesions and ossification degree. IGFs gene expression was elevated in 5/3,000 diet larvae, suggesting an increased muscle mitogenesis that was confirmed by the increase in the mRNA copies of MyHC. vitC effectively controlled oxidative damages in muscle, increased α-TOH larval contents and reduced TBARS content and the occurrence of skull deformities. The results of the present study showed the antioxidant synergism between vitamins E and C when high contents of DHA are included in sea bass larvae diets.     

Safer asynchronous runtime monitoring using compensations

Asynchronous monitoring relieves the system from additional overheads induced through online runtime monitoring. The price paid with such monitoring approaches is that the system may proceed further despite having reached an anomalous state. Any actions performed by the system after the error occurring are undesirable, since for instance, an unchecked malicious user access may perform unauthorized actions. In this paper we investigate the use of compensations to enable the undoing of such undesired actions, thus enriching asynchronous monitoring with the ability to restore the system to the original state just after the anomaly had occurred. Furthermore, we show how adaptive synchronisation and desynchronisation of the monitor with the system can also be achieved and report on the use of the proposed approach on an industrial case study of a financial transaction handling system.     

Inelastic Neutron Scattering and Density Functional Theory–Molecular Dynamics Study of Si Dynamics in Ti3SiC2

Observed differences between measured and calculated elastic constants for Ti₃SiC₂ are investigated using Density Functional Theory and Inelastic Neutron Scattering. The agreement between the calculated lattice dynamics and the dynamics measured by inelastic neutron scattering is considered good except at energies below ~20 meV where discrepancies suggest anharmonic potentials. This suggestion is confirmed by Density Functional Theory—Molecular Dynamics simulation which shows multiple site occupancy of the Si atoms within the basal plane at finite temperature and produces a calculated inelastic spectrum in better agreement with the measured spectrum in the low‐energy region. The highly anharmonic potential energy surface of the Si atoms offers an explanation for the failure of elastic constants, calculated based on the harmonic approximation, to agree with initial experimental measurements.     

Comparing GC–MS,HPLC and H NMR analysis of beef longissimus dorsi tissue extracts to determine the effect of suspension technique and ageing

Beef longissimus dorsi muscle samples matured over a 21 day period were analysed using three different analytical techniques; ¹H NMR, GC–MS and HPLC. The data from the three experimental techniques were correlated with each other to determine if the results were statistically similar to each other. From our analysis we determined that the metabolites measured using ¹H NMR were statistically similar to the compounds quantified using the chromatography techniques (p < 0.001). In addition, using PCA, we were able to show that different metabolites, measured using the various analytical techniques produced very similar scores and loadings plots for all the analysis and extraction techniques undertaken across the 21 day time domain. Using a combination of these three different techniques provides a unique and holistic insight into the biochemistry behind the conversion of muscle to meat which would not be possible using any single technique alone.     

The Estimation of Restrainers

A quantitative method is described for the chromatographic separation and subsequent polarographic estimation of adenine in gelatin. The method, which has been applied to about 200 gelatins, has two important features. It is specific for adenine and enables a visual assessment of other purines and pyrimidines to be mode in the course of the procedure.

Hide gelatins have adenine contents from 10 200 ppm., but the large majority are from SO 50 ppm., ossein gelatin contains from 4–6 ppm., and pigskin between 30 and 50 ppm.     

Clothing-Related Burn Casualties: An Overlooked Problem?

Between 1997 and 2006, more than 4,300 serious burn injuries per year in the United States were associated with clothing. Ages 5–14 had the highest average annual burn injury rate, and ages 25–64 had the lowest rate. There were 120 deaths per year in the United States associated with clothing burns between 1999 and 2004. The death rate for those over 65 was six times the national average. The General Wearing Apparel Standard has regulated the flammability of clothing worn in the United States since 1953. Nearly all of the clothing-related injuries and deaths have occurred in fires involving apparel that complied with this Standard. Despite the size of this problem, there is no organized national activity under way to begin to address these casualties. Experience with the Children’s Sleepwear Flammability Standards, issued in the 1970s, suggests that safer garments can be manufactured that would prevent many clothing burn injuries and deaths. A more stringent up-to-date flammability standard, production of safer garments, use of warning labels, and educated consumers are needed.