Multilevel Recording in Ge2Sb2Te5 Thin Films

Semiconductors - The current–voltage characteristics measured on Ge2Sb2Te5 thin films in the current mode are studied. The effect of multilevel recording is established when applying...     

A review on ultrasonic spot welding of copper alloys

As a solid state joining process, ultrasonic spot welding has been proven to be a promising technique for joining copper alloys. However, challenges still remain in employing ultrasonic spot welding to join copper alloys. This article comprehensively reviews the current state of ultrasonic spot welding of copper alloys with a number of critical issues including materials flow, plastic deformation, temperature distribution, vibration, relative motion, vertical displacement, interface friction coefficient, online monitoring technique, coupled with the macrostructure and microstructure, the mechanical properties and electrical conductivity. In addition, the future trends in this field are provided.     

Inverse identification of constitutive parameters from heat source fields: A local approach applied to hyperelasticity

In this paper, a new inverse identification method of constitutive parameters is developed from full kinematic and thermal field measurements. It consists in reconstructing the heat source field from two different approaches by using the heat diffusion equation. The first one requires the temperature field measurement and the value of the thermophysical parameters. The second one is based on the kinematic field measurement and the choice of a thermo-hyperelastic model that contains the parameters to be identified. The identification is carried out at the local scale, ie, at any point of the heat source field, without using the boundary conditions. In the present work, the method is applied to the challenging case of hyperelasticity from a heterogeneous test. Due to large deformations undergone by the rubber specimen tested, a motion compensation technique is developed to plot the kinematic and the thermal fields at the same points before reconstructing the heterogeneous heat source field. In the present case, the constitutive parameter of the Neo-Hookean model has been identified, and its distribution has been characterized with respect to the strain state at the surface of a cross-shaped specimen.     

RESERVOIR PROPERTIES OF BARREMIAN – APTIAN URGONIAN LIMESTONES,SE FRANCE,PART 1: INFLUENCE OF STRUCTURAL HISTORY ON POROSITY-PERMEABILITY VARIATIONS

Upper Barremian – Lower Aptian inner platform “Urgonian” limestones in the Mont de Vaucluse region, SE France, consist of alternating metre-scale microporous and tight intervals. This paper focuses on the influence of structural deformation on the reservoir properties of the Urgonian limestone succession in a study area near the town of Rustrel. Petrographic, petrophysical and structural data were recovered from five fully-cored boreholes, from the walls of a 100 m long underground tunnel, and from a 50 m long transect at a nearby outcrop. The data allowed reservoir property variations in the Urgonian limestones to be studied from core to reservoir scale. Eleven Reservoir Rock Types (RRTs) were identified based on petrographic features (texture, grain size), reservoir properties (porosity, permeability), and the frequency of structural discontinuities such as fractures, faults and stylolites. Tight and microporous reservoir rock types were distinguished. Tight reservoir rock types were characterised by early cementation of intergranular pore spaces and by the presence of frequent structural discontinuities. By contrast microporous reservoir rock types contained preserved intragranular microporosity and matrix permeability, but had very few structural discontinuities. Observed vertical alternations of microporous and tight rock types are interpreted to have been controlled by the early diagenesis of the Urgonian carbonates. Deformation associated with regional-scale tectonic phases, including Albian – Cenomanian “Durancian” uplift (∼105 to 96 Ma) and Pyrenean compression (∼55 to 25 Ma), resulted in the modification of the initial petrophysical properties of the Urgonian limestones. An early diagenetic imprint conditioned both the intensity of structural deformations and the associated circulations of diagenetic and meteoric fluids. Evolution of the Reservoir Rock Types is therefore linked both to the depositional conditions and to subsequent phases of structural deformation.     

Recent Biophysical Issues About the Preparation of Solute-Filled Lipid Vesicles

Here we report some recent biophysical issues on the preparation of solute-filled lipid vesicles and their relevance to the construction of “synthetic cells.” First, we introduce the “semi-synthetic minimal cells” as the liposome-based cell-like systems, which contain a minimal number of biomolecules required to display simple and complex biological functions. Next, we focus on recent aspects related to the construction of synthetic cells. Emphasis is given to the interplay between the methods of synthetic cell preparation and the physics of solute encapsulation. We briefly introduce the notion of structural and compositional “diversity” in synthetic cell populations.     

Molecular structure and granule morphology of native and heat‐moisture‐treated pinhão starch

Pinhão seed is an unconventional source of starch and the pines grow up in native forests of southern Latin America. In this study, pinhão starch was adjusted at 15, 20 and 25% moisture content and heated to 100, 110 and 120 °C for 1 h. A decrease in λ max (starch/iodine complex) was observed as a result of increase in temperature and moisture content of HMT. The ratio of crystalline to amorphous phase in pinhão starch was determined via Fourier transform infra red by taking 1045/1022 band ratio. A decrease in crystallinity occurred as a result of HMT. Polarised light microscopy indicated a loss of birefringence of starch granules under 120 °C at 25% moisture content. Granule size distribution was further confirmed via scanning electron microscopy which showed the HMT effects. These results increased the understanding on molecular and structural properties of HMT pinhão starch and broadened its food and nonfood industrial applications.     

Effect of gums on viability and β‐galactosidase activity of Lactobacillus spp. in milk drink during refrigerated storage

The viability and β‐galactosidase activity of four Lactobacillus strains in milk drink containing gums during 28 days of refrigerated storage at 4 °C were assessed. The population of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GGB101 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GGB103 were maintained, whereas the population of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM20016 and Lactobacillus reuteri SD2112 significantly decreased. The recommended level of 6 log CFU g^?1 was exceeded for all tested trains throughout storage. The highest viable number of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GGB103 (8.76 ± 0.03 log CFU mL^?1) was obtained in the product containing carrageenan–maltodextrin. The addition of guar–locust bean–carrageenan led to 20‐fold increase in the level of β‐galactosidase activity for L. rhamnosus GGB101 (1208 ± 2.12 Miller units mL^?1) compared to the control (61 ± 2.83 Miller units mL^?1). Our results suggested that gums could be added to milk to improve viability and enhance β‐galactosidase activity of Lactobacillus.