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Tribological behaviour of W–Ti–N coatings in semi-industrial strip-drawing tests

W–Ti–N sputtered coatings were tested in semi-industrial conditions by strip drawing to access their ability for sheet metal forming. Both laboratory and industrially developed coatings were tested. In a first part of the study the upscale of the deposition of the W–Ti–N coatings was achieved. The main difference between the two types of coatings was the evolution of the chemical composition with the N content. However, similar trends in the hardness and scratch-test results were encountered being the best compromise of these properties reached for ∼40 at.% N in the industrially deposited films against the 35 at.% N for laboratory deposited ones.     

Apoptosis of cardiac myocytes in Gsalpha transgenic mice

We examined the potential involvement of two CC chemokine receptors (CCRs), CCR-1 and CCR-3, in the functional activation of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) plus interleukin-4 (IL-4)-generated human peripheral blood monocyte-derived immature dendritic cells (DCs). Flow cytometric analysis showed that CCR-1, CCR-3, CCR-5, and CXC chemokine receptor (CXCR)-4 were expressed on the cell surface of monocyte-derived DCs. Treatment with a monoclonal antibody (MoAb) to either CCR-1 or CCR-3 but not MoAbs to CCR-5 and CXCR-4 abolished chemotactic migration of monocyte-derived DCs. The DCs treated with either the anti-CCR-1 MoAb or anti-CCR-3 MoAb were less efficient than untreated DCs in proliferation of allogeneic T cells (TCs) and TC-derived secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). The homotypic aggregation of DCs and heterotypic aggregation of DCs with TCs were suppressed by the anti-CCR-1 MoAb or anti-CCR-3 MoAb. These results indicate that CCR-1 and CCR-3 specifically regulate interaction of TCs and DCs in the process of antigen presentation.     

Peace psychology for a peaceful world.

Although the literature in peace psychology has been growing rapidly, many American psychologists are unaware of how conflict is resolved and peace is conceptualized and achieved. This article reviews the long history and broadening scope of peace psychology and introduces a model of peace that is useful for organizing the literature. The model suggests that peace can be facilitated at four different points of intervention. The authors discuss relationships between positive and negative peace, structural and direct violence, and peacekeeping, peacemaking, and peacebuilding. They advance some challenges for peace psychologists and conclude that peace psychology is a crucial field for grappling with humanity's most pressing problems in the coming decades. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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Organic LED Pixel Array on a Dome

We fabricated an array of organic LED (OLED) pixels on a dome of clear polymer foil. The array is first formed on the flat polymer substrate and then is shaped to the dome. During the shaping process, the polymer substrate and the metal interconnect undergo plastic deformation while the OLED pixels remain intact. The OLED pixels have comparable I-V characteristics before and after deformation, but the luminous efficiency was reduced by the deformation, apparently as a consequence of fractures in the aluminum cathode. The demonstration of OLED displays on a spherical surface is an important advance in the fabrication of conformally shaped electronics.     

Resource bounded searches in an information marketplace

Over the past five years, we have been developing a Web-based, resource-bounded, information-gathering agent-called BIG, for Bounded Information Gathering-to support a human decision process. Although its techniques are general enough to apply to a wide range of domains, BIG specifically helps clients pick software packages. For example, a client can instruct BIG to recommend a database package for Windows 98 and specify constraints on both the search process and the product characteristics. BIG will then formulate a plan, locate and extract relevant information from both structured and unstructured documents, and return a recommendation to the client, along with supporting data. Our focus is on a recently developed capability, namely, to schedule information-gathering activity in a way that controls the money spent on acquiring information from sites that charge a fee for access. This capability supports an information marketplace on the Web, which we feel will eventually supersede (but obviously not completely replace) the current model of free information access supported by advertising fees     

Secondary grating formation by readout at Bragg-null incidence

We show that when a dynamic hologram is read out by illumination at the Bragg nulls of a previously recorded grating the diffracted beam inside the medium can result in the recording of two secondary gratings that alter the final selectivity curve. This is confirmed experimentally. This effect can cause cross talk in hologram multiplexing that is stronger than interpage cross talk when a small number of holograms with high diffraction efficiencies are multiplexed.