Microstructure, Chemical and Phase Composition of Chromium Silicide Diffusion Coatings on Carbon Steels

The microstructure, chemical and phase composition of chromium silicide diffusion coatings on steels 20, 45, U8, and U10 are studied. It is established that the phases Cr²³C⁶ and Cr⁷C³ with a silicon content in them of up to 0.25 at.% form at the surface of chromium silicide coatings. The maximum silicon content at 7% in steels 20 and 45 is observed beneath the carbide layer at a depth of 40–50 µm, but for steel U10 it is 1.9% at the carbide layer-matrix boundary. It is shown that the corrosion resistance of chromium silicide diffusion coatings increases markedly compared with uncoated specimens: by a factor of 15–30 depending on the acid used (H₂SO₄, HCl, H₃PO₄, HNO₃, CH₃COOH). There is also an increase in the cavitation resistance of articles with chromium silicide coatings in water and 3% NaCl solution.__________Translated from Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya, Nos. 1–2(441), pp. 23–30, January–February, 2005.     

Prevention of high-dose-rate brachytherapy accidents. ICRP Publication 97

High-dose-rate brachytherapy is a rapidly growing technique (HDR) that has been replacing low-dose-rate (LDR) procedures over the last few years in both industrialised and developing countries. It is estimated that about 500,000 procedures (administration of treatment) are performed by HDR units annually. LDR equipment has been discontinued by many manufacturers over the last few years, leaving HDR brachytherapy as the major alternative. HDR brachytherapy techniques deliver a very high dose, of the order of 1.6-5.0 Gy/min, so mistakes can lead to under- or overdosage with the potential for clinical adverse effects. More than 500 HDR accidents (including one death) have been reported along the entire chain of procedures from source packing to delivery of dose. Human error has been the prime cause of radiation events. In the present report, the International Commission on Radiological Protection concludes that many accidents could have been prevented if staff had had functional monitoring equipment and paid attention to the results. Since iridium has relatively short half-life, the HDR sources need to be replaced approximately every 4 months. Over 10,000 HDR sources are transported annually, with the resultant potential for accidents; therefore, appropriate procedures and regulations must be observed. A number of specific recommendations on procedures and equipment are given in this report. The need for an emergency plan and for practising emergency procedures is stressed. The possibility of loss or theft of sources must be kept in mind. A collaborating team of specifically trained personnel following quality assurance (QA) procedures is necessary to prevent accidents. Maintenance is indispensable component of QA; external audits of procedures re-enforce good and safe practice, and identify potential causes of accidents. QA should include peer review of cases. Accidents and incidents should be reported and the lessons learned should be shared with other users to prevent similar mistakes.     

Microvascular growth, development, and remodeling in the embryonic avian kidney: the interplay between sprouting and intussusceptive angiogenic mechanisms

Embryonic development is associated with extensive vascular growth and remodeling. We used immunohistochemical, light and electron microscopical techniques, as well as vascular casting methods to study the developing chick embryo kidney with special attention to the interplay between sprouting and intussusceptive vascular growth modes. During inauguration at embryonic day 5 (E5), the early mesonephros was characterised by extensive microvascular sprouting. By E7, the vascular growth mode switched to intussusception, which contributed to rapid kidney vasculature growth up to E11, when the first obvious signs of vascular degeneration were evident. The metanephros underwent similar phases of vascular development inaugurating at E8 with numerous capillary sprouts and changing at E13 to intussusceptive growth, which was responsible for vascular amplification and remodeling. A phenomenal finding was that future renal lobules arose as large glomerular tufts, supplied by large vessels, which were split into smaller intralobular feeding and draining vessels with subsequent formation of solitary glomeruli. This glomerular duplication was achieved by intussusception, i.e., by formation of pillars in rows and their successive merging to delineate the vascular entities. Ultimately, the maturation of the vasculature was achieved by intussusceptive pruning and branching remodeling. An interesting finding was that strong VEGF expression was associated with the sprouting phase of angiogenesis while bFGF was upregulated during the phase of intussusceptive microvascular growth. We conclude that microvascular growth and remodeling in avian kidney follows an adroitly crafted pattern, which entails a precise spaciotemporal interplay between sprouting and intussusceptive angiogenic growth modes supported partly by VEGF and bFGF.     

Panseninhalt d?nischen Rotwildes

Zusammenfassung Erstmalig finden Untersuchungen des Panseninhaltes dänischen Rotwildes statt. Das Rotwild stammt aus den Gebieten von Oksböl und Rold Skov.Die speziel für die Untersuchung entwickelte Methode wird erläuterts und zur Diskussion gestellt. Das Untersuchungsmaterial gewinnt man aus den Pansen frisch erlegten Wildes.Die vorkommenden Nahrungsstoffe, in vorläufig 70 untersuchten Pansen, sind nach der Zugehörigkeit zu den folgenden acht Gruppen aufgegliedert: Rinde, Triebe, Gräser und grasähnliche Pflanzen, Kräuter, Farne, Pilze, Flechten und Moose (außerdem Feldfrüchte). Die botanischen Arten werden nach prozentualen Anteilen angegeben.Die Untersuchungen sind noch nicht abgeschlossen, deshalb sind keine Ergebnisse zusammengestellt und auch keine Folgerungen gezogen.

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Summary For the first time the contents of the rumen of the Danish red-deer is examined. The red-deer come from the areas of Oksböl and Rold Skov.The method developed especially for this investigation is explained and made subject to discussion. The material investigatet has been taken from the rumens of freshly shot deer.The nontritions matter which occurred in the 70 rumens investigated op to now, has been arranged in the following 8 groups: bark, browse, grasses and grasslike plants, herbs, ferns, mushrooms, lichens, and mosses (besides field fruit). The botanical species are stated according to percentages.The investigation is not yet finished, and therefore no results have been classified and no conclusions have been drawn.

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Résumé Pour la première fois sont entamés des recherches sur le contenu des panses de cerfs et chevreuils en Danmark. Ces cerfs et chevreuils sont de la région d'Oksböl et de Rold Skov.La méthode développée spécialement pour ces recherches est démontrée et mise à la discussion. Le matériel pour l'examen est gagné sur les panses des bêtes récemment tués. Sur 70 panses examinées jusqu'ici la présence des élements nutritifs est mentionnée conformement à leur appartenance aux huits groupes suivantes: écorce, jets, graminées, plantes graminiforme, herbes, filicinées, champignons, lichens et mousses (en plus fruits de champ). Les espèces botaniques sont énumérées suivant le pourcentage de leur quote-part.Les recherches n'étant pas encore terminés on n'en a ni rassemblé des résultats ni tiré des déductions.

     

Etude des copolymères acryliques utilisés dans l'encollage de fils de polyester. I. Caractéristiques physicochimiques des copolymères et leurs interactions avec des fils de polyester

Sizing is generally employed to protect yarns when submitted to mechanical stress during weaving. Two commercial acrylic copolymers used for sizing of polyester yarns are studied: an acrylonitril-acrylic acid copolymer (A) as a bad sizing product and an acrylonitril-acrylic acid-ethyl acrylate copolymer (B) as a good one. A relationship has been established between physico-chemical parameters and sizing efficiency. Interactions between polyester yarn and size (and samples used as models) are studied both in solution and in dry state. It must be pointed out that the action of water is basically due to its plasticizing properties. The presence of ethyl acrylate favorizes the polyester yarn impregnation with size B in aqueous solution. Adhesion in the dry state is mainly caused by acrylic acid. Finally the action of neutralizing agents and imbeding oils is discussed.     

A conductimetric method for the study of mixing phenomena in liquids

A new conductimetric microprobe and conductimeter have been designed to study mixing phenomena in fluids of non-uniform composition in turbulent flow. For the case of a parallelepipedic cell with two parallel jets at different salt tracer concentrations, the spatial distribution and the mean and variance of the fluctuation of the tracer are obtained experimentally and used to characterise the state of local mixing.A theoretical expression for the mean concentration is obtained by solving the convective diffusion equation. Comparison of experimental and theoretical results is satisfactory and proves to be a sufficiently good test of the reliability of the apparatus used.     

Kennzeichnende Teilabschnitte der Entkohlungsreaktion beim O2-Aufblasen auf Fe-C-Schmelzen

Reaktionen während des Anlaufs. Brennfleckentkohlung während des linearen Abfalls. Schematische Temperaturprofile durch den Reaktionsraum. Modellvorstellungen zu den Vorgängen im Blasstrahl. Badentkohlung während des Auslaufs.     

A 37-kilodalton glycoprotein of Babesia divergens is a major component of a protective fraction containing low-molecular-mass culture-derived exoantigens

The supernatants of in vitro cultures of Babesia divergens Rouen 1987 in human erythrocytes, obtained by using a semidefined medium based on human high-density lipoproteins, were fractionated by gel filtration chromatography into four fractions, F1 to F4. The crude supernatant as well as each fraction adjuvanted with Quil-A protected gerbils from mortality due to a homologous infectious challenge. Analysis of the humoral response of the 10 protected gerbils with fraction F4, containing major proteins with molecular masses lower than 50 kDa, showed that a few antigens (from 50 to 17 kDa) could be important candidates for an improved vaccine against B. divergens babesiosis. As an immunodominant response was directed against the 37-kDa antigen (Bd37) in two different B. divergens strains tested, a polyclonal antibody directed against Bd37 was produced in a rabbit. In an immunofluorescence assay, the anti-Bd37 antiserum strongly labelled small internal vesicles of the merozoites and the cell surface was diffusely labelled after fixation, whereas on live merozoites, this labelling was not observed. [3H]glucosamine-radiolabelling experiments demonstrate that Bd37 is a glycoprotein. The Bd37 protein can also be labelled with [14C]palmitate but not with [3H]myristic acid. In Triton X-114 temperature phase partitioning of B. divergens-infected erythrocyte extracts, Bd37 was exclusively found into the detergent phase, indicating that the palmitoylated Bd37 protein was in the membrane fraction. In the in vitro supernatant, the glycoprotein Bd37 was found in a nonpalmitoylated form, indicating excretion and/or release of the glycoprotein from the merozoite.     

Phase transformations during tempering of the Fe-15Cr-1Mo martensites containing nitrogen or carbon

Hardness measurements, dilatometry, internal friction measurements, Mössbauer spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy are utilized in order to study the effect of tempering on the microstructure of a stainless martensitic steel containing 15% Cr, 1% Mo and 0.6% N. A similar carbon steel containing 15% Cr, 1% Mo and 0.6% C is used for comparison. Tempering of alloy Fe-15Cr-1Mo-0.6N in the low temperature range of 353-473 K leads to formation of hexagonal ?-nitride (Fe,Cr)₂N, which is followed by precipitation of the orthorombic ?-nitride (Fe,Cr)₂N at temperatures of 573-773 K. The hexagonal nitride Cr₂N is precipitated at 923 K and preferably formed at grain boundaries. The alloy Fe-15Cr-1Mo-0.6C shows the expected tempering behaviour. ?-carbide (Fe,Cr)₂C and cementite (Fe,Cr)₃C are precipitated during low temperature ageing, followed by the formation of Cr₇C₃ carbides after the temperature has risen to 873 K. With a similar interstitial content the amount of retained austenite in the nitrogen martensite is nearly twice as high as in the carbon one. Furthermore, the thermal stability of the retained austenite of the nitrogen alloy is substantially higher than that of the carbon steel.