Structural, photoluminescent and electrical properties of CdTe films with different compositions fabricated by CMBD

CdTe films with different compositions (Cd-rich, Te-rich and stoichiometric) were fabricated by a novel and low cost chemical molecular beam deposition method (CMBD) in atmospheric pressure hydrogen flow. Cd and Te granules were used as precursors. The films were deposited on ceramic (SiO₂:Al₂O₃) substrates at 580 °C and 600 °C. The growth rate was varied in the range of 9-30 Å/s. The composition (Cd/Te) of the samples was changed by controlling the molecular beam intensity (MBI) ratio. Three samples fabricated at MBI ratios Cd/Te = 0.5, 1.0 and 1.16 were investigated by XRD, AFM, EDX, SEM, photoluminescence (PL) and Hall methods.     

Orally active, hydrolytically stable, semisynthetic, antimalarial trioxanes in the artemisinin family

In only three chemical operations, natural trioxane lactone artemisinin (1) was converted into a series of C-10 carbon-substituted 10-deoxoartemisinin compounds 4-9. The three steps involved lactone reduction, replacement of the anomeric lactol OH by F using diethylaminosulfur trifluoride, and finally boron trifluoride-promoted substitution of F by aryl, heteroaryl, and acetylide nucleophiles. All of these C-10 nonacetal, chemically robust, enantiomerically pure compounds 4-9 have high antimalarial potencies in vitro against Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites, and furans 5a and 5b and pyrrole 7a are antimalarially potent also in vivo even when administered to rodents orally.     

Studies on Helium Liquids by Vibrating Wires and Quartz Tuning Forks

We present results of low-temperature experiments on dilute mixtures of ³He in ⁴He and on pure ³He, obtained by means of two kinds of mechanical oscillators immersed in the liquid sample: vibrating wires and quartz tuning forks. The helium sample was cooled either by adiabatic demagnetization of an immersed copper nuclear stage or by adiabatic melting of ⁴He in superfluid ³He. The measured effect of the surrounding fluid on the mechanical resonance of the oscillators is compared with existing theories. We also discuss resonances of second sound and the state of supersaturation, both observed by a tuning fork in helium mixtures.     

Acquisition of word-processing skills by younger, middle-age, and older adults.

A total of 45 subjects in three age groups (younger, middle-age, older) were trained to word process on microcomputers using a commercial training program and an experimenter-designed test and evaluation protocol. Although all of the subjects mastered the essentials of word processing, the older group took significantly longer to complete the training and evaluation procedures and performed more poorly on a review examination that tested their knowledge of the word-processing commands and techniques. The results are discussed in relation to requirements for trainer assistance, motivational factors, and the need to design training protocols that meet the needs of older adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mechanical properties and cytotoxicity of 3Y-TZP bioceramics reinforced with Al2O3 particles

The influence of Al₂O₃ addition and sintering parameters on the mechanical properties and cytotoxicity of tetragonal ZrO₂–3 mol% Y₂O₃ ceramics was evaluated. Samples containing 0, 10, 20 and 30 wt.% of Al₂O₃ particles were prepared by cold uniaxial pressing (80 MPa) and sintered in air at 1500, 1550 and 1600 °C for 120 min. The effects of the sintering conditions on the microstructure were analyzed by X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Hardness and fracture toughness were determined by the Vickers indentation method and the mechanical resistance by four-point bending tests. As a preliminary biological evaluation, “in vitro” cytotoxicity tests were realized to determine the cytotoxic level of the ZrO₂–Al₂O₃ composites, using the neutral red uptake method with NCTC clones L929 from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) bank. Fully dense ceramic materials were obtained with a hardness ranging between 1340 HV and 1585 HV, depending on the amount of Al₂O₃ in the ZrO₂ matrix. On the other hand, no significant influence of the Al₂O₃ addition on fracture toughness was observed, exhibiting values near 8 MPa m^1/2 for all compositions and sintering conditions studied. The non-cytotoxic behavior, the elevated fracture toughness, the good bending strength (σ_f = 690 MPa) and the elevated Weibull's modulus (m = 11) exhibited by the material, show that these ceramic composites are highly suitable biomaterials for dental implant applications.     

Multiscale Analysis of Multiple Damage Mechanisms Coupled with Inelastic Behavior of Composite Materials

Thermodynamically consistent constitutive equations are derived here in order to investigate size effects on the strength of composite, strain, and damage localization effects on the macroscopic response of the composite, and statistical inhomogeneity of the evolution-related damage variables associated with the representative volume element. This approach is based on a gradient-dependent theory of plasticity and damage over multiple scales that incorporates mesoscale interstate variables and their higher order gradients at both the macro- and mesoscales. This theory provides the bridging of length scales. The interaction of the length scales is a paramount factor in understanding and controlling material defects such as dislocation, voids, and cracks at the mesoscale and interpreting them at the macroscale. The behavior of these defects is captured not only individually, but also the interaction between them and their ability to create spatiotemporal patterns under different loading conditions. The proposed work introduces gradients at both the meso- and macroscales. The combined coupled concept of introducing gradients at the mesoscale and the macroscale enables one to address two issues simultaneously. The mesoscale gradients allow one to address issues such as lack of statistical homogeneous state variables at the macroscale level such as debonding of fibers in composite materials, cracks, voids, and so forth. On the other hand, the macroscale gradients allow one to address nonlocal behavior of materials and interpret the collective behavior of defects such as dislocations and cracks. The capability of the proposed model is to properly simulate the size-dependent behavior of the materials together with the localization problem. Consequently, the boundary-value problem of a standard continuum model remains well-posed even in the softening regime. The enhanced gradient continuum results in additional partial differential equations that are satisfied in a weak form. Additional nodal degrees of freedom are introduced that leads to a modified finite-element formulation. The governing equations can be linearized consistently and solved within the incremental iterative Newton-Raphson solution procedure.     

Study on transient heat transfer through multilayer thermal insulation: Numerical analysis and experimental investigation

This paper reports on a numerical and experimental study of heat transfer phenomena through two different multilayer fibrous insulations for building applications. The investigated samples were composed of different layers of fibrous materials and aluminium foils, placed between one or two air gaps in the vertical dimension. An experimental apparatus (a guarded hot box) has been used to measure heat transfer through the samples, while a finite volume numerical model combined radiation/conduction heat transfer was developed to predict the temperature distribution and heat transfer in such insulation systems comprised of the materials separated by multiple reflective foils. The model takes into account the coupling between the solid conduction of the fibrous system and the gaseous conduction and radiation. The radiation heat transfer through the insulation system has been modelled via the two flux approximation. The numerical results were compared with the experimental data from the guarded hot box for model validation, as well as to assess the effectiveness of the reflective foils in changing the resistance of the insulations. The comparative verification of the model showed that the numerical results were consistent with the experimental data through the environmental conditions under examination.     

Influence of the process parameters of an intermeshing co‐rotating twin screw extruder on the morphology and notched Izod impact strength of PBT/ABS/MGE blends

In this research, it was studied the effects of the processing parameters applied to a twin screw extruder on the morphology and impact strength of poly(butylene terephthalate)/acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene blends with and without a reactive compatibilizer. It was found that the increase of the feed rate highly decreased the ductile brittle transition temperature (DBTT) and slightly increased the room temperature impact strength (RTIS) of the compatibilized blends. Besides the influence of the feed rate, it was also found that the compatibilized blends could reach high RTIS and low DBTT values by an appropriate combination of the compatibilizer feeding position in the extruder, the screw rotation speed and the width of the kneading discs of the screw. The DBTT was found to be at least partially controlled by the spatial distribution of the rubbery particles, which was quantified by finite body tessellation, a method applied for the first time in polymer blends. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Enhancement of stack ventilation in hot and humid climate using a combination of roof solar collector and vertical stack

In the hot and humid climate, stack ventilation is inefficient due to small temperature difference between the inside and outside of naturally ventilated buildings. Hence, solar induced ventilation is a feasible alternative in enhancing the stack ventilation. This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of a proposed solar induced ventilation strategy, which combines a roof solar collector and a vertical stack, in enhancing the stack ventilation performance in the hot and humid climate. The methodology selected for the investigation is physical experimental modelling which was carried out in the actual environment. The results are presented and discussed in terms of two performance variables: air temperature and air velocity. The findings indicate that the proposed strategy is able to enhance the stack ventilation, both in semi-clear sky and overcast sky conditions. The highest air temperature difference between the air inside the stack and the ambient air (T_i−T_o) is achieved in the semi-clear sky condition, which is about 9.9 °C (45.8 °C–35.9 °C). Meanwhile, in the overcast sky condition, the highest air temperature difference (T_i−T_o) is 6.2 °C (39.3 °C–33.1 °C). The experimental results also indicate good agreement with the theoretical results for the glass temperature, the air temperature in the roof solar collector’s channel and the absorber temperature. The findings also show that wind has significant effect to the induced air velocity by the proposed strategy.     

相思木浆用于文化用纸生产时的滤水性能和留着性能

对来自印度尼西亚的相思木 (Acacia)浆与混合阔叶木浆和来自北欧的桦木浆进行对比分析 ,以期获得用于文化用纸生产时湿部的潜在滤水、留着性能及相关的手抄片性能 ,这些性能比较均基于恒定的抗张强度水平。相思木浆被证明拥有在文化用纸生产中至关重要的光散射能力、湿部成形和填料留着能力方面的优越性。需要改进的地方是 :它的滤水速率和湿纸幅强度较低 ,这些将是现代高速纸机湿部的瓶颈所在。相比之下 ,桦木浆具有较快的滤水速率和较高的湿部固含量 ,但其留着性能还有待改进