Effects of SrTiO3 on dielectric and piezoelectric properties of K0.48Na0.48Li0.04Nb0.96Ta0.04O3-based piezoceramics

In this study, (100 ? x) K_0.48Na_0.48Li_0.04Nb_0.96Ta_0.04O₃ ? xSrTiO₃ (0 ≤ x ≤ 10) ceramics were fabricated via normal sintering of synthesized powder by using solid state reaction. All ceramics revealed pure perovskite structure, indicating formation of solid solution between KNNLT and ST up to 10%. With increasing x, the crystal structure of ceramics changed from orthorhombic to tetragonal and finally pseudocubic symmetry when x = 10. Ceramic containing 1% ST had orthorhombic and tetragonal symmetries, simultaneously. Investigation of the variation of dielectric constant of ceramics versus temperature revealed that for ceramic with x = 1, polymorphic phase transition (PPT) temperature between orthorhombic and tetragonal is less than room temperature. Thus coexistence of two different structures in this ceramic is due to vicinity of its composition to morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). As a result, the maximum piezoelectric constant was measured for this ceramic. Ceramics containing 5 and 7.5% ST tend to appear relaxor ferroelectric behavior which is because of chemical inhomogeneities in both A- and B-sites of the ABO₃ perovskite structure.     

Buckling behavior of standing laminated Mindlin plates subjected to body force and vertical loading

In this article, an exact analytical solution for stability analysis of vertical moderately thick laminated rectangular plates subjected to selfweight and top load on the basis of the first-order shear deformation plate theory is presented. It is assumed that the symmetric laminated rectangular plate is composed of transversely isotropic layers. Employing an analytical approach, the coupled governing stability equations of the laminated plate are converted into two uncoupled partial differential equations in terms of transverse displacement and an auxiliary function. It is considered that the vertical sides of the laminated plate are simply supported. Using Levy-type solution, the decoupled equations are reduced to two ordinary differential equations. One of these equations has variable coefficients, for which an exact analytical solution is obtained in the form of power series method of Frobenius. After appropriate convergence study, the present analysis is validated by comparing the results with the existing data reported in the literature. Furthermore, the effects of aspect ratio, plate thickness, boundary conditions, weight of plate and top load on the stability of laminated rectangular plates are investigated and discussed in details. The presented formulations and results can be used as benchmark for future research studies.     

Adaptation of the strain measurement in textile reinforced cementitious matrix composites by distributed optical fibre and 2D digital image correlation

The study presented in this paper aims to adapt and calibrate two strain measurement techniques used for textile reinforced cementitious matrix composites (TRCMCs): distributed optical fibres and 2D digital image correlation (DIC). These composites exhibit tensile behaviour characterised by a succession of transverse cracks along specimens. During the tensile test, out-of-plane parasitic displacements may occur due to the geometry of specimens and possible imperfections of the test method. These phenomena interfere with the measurement of the strain sensors, leading to loss of results and parasitic strain. In order to eliminate them and to finely analyse the complex behaviour of TRCMCs, a test methodology and experimental approach are proposed for optical fibres, and a practical and simple solution is proposed to quantify the parasitic strains of the 2D DIC. For optical fibres, Rayleigh backscatter is used, allowing a millimetric spatial resolution and a high recording frequency. For the DIC, required equipment is used, and the results are processed through existing commercial software.     

CoWSi/WSi2 Nanocomposite Produced by Mechanical Alloying

The aims of this work were to produce nanocrystalline powder by mechanical alloying of Co–W–Si powder mixture in a high energy ball mill and to study the phase transformation that took place during 30 h milling time. The phase constituents of the product were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphological evolution during mechanical alloying was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that high energy ball milling, as performed in the present work, led to the formation of a Co(W,Si) solid solution and an WSi₂ both of which phases were nanocrystalline. Subsequently, the 10 and 30 h milled powders were analyzed by DTA. The XRD investigations of the powders revealed that after DTA analyzing, no phase changed, except for the ordering of Co(W,Si), i.e. formation of CoWSi intermetallic compound, during the DTA analysis.     

Comparison of sonography, sonohysterography, and hysteroscopy for evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding

We compared transvaginal sonography, sonohysterography, and diagnostic hysteroscopy in the evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding, Sixty-eight women 40 or older with abnormal uterine bleeding were assigned to undergo either transvaginal sonography or sonohysterography. All subjects then had diagnostic hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy. Patients with abnormal findings underwent operative hysteroscopy or definitive therapy. Transvaginal sonography, sonohysterography, and diagnostic hysteroscopy revealed a sensitivity of 95%, 90%, and 78%, and a specificity of 65%, 83%, and 54%, respectively. The average cost for transvaginal sonography of sonohysterography was $195 and the cost for diagnostic hysteroscopy was $675. Transvaginal sonography and sonohysterography are cost-effective alternatives and more sensitive diagnostic tests than office diagnostic hysteroscopy.     

Deletion polymorphism in the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene as a thrombophilic risk factor after hip arthroplasty

Recent work has suggested a possible role for nitric oxide (NO) in the development of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). In this study, we examined the effect of ammonia and manganese, factors implicated in the pathogenesis of HE, on the transport of arginine (a precursor of NO) into primary cultures of astrocytes. Treatment with 5 mM ammonia for 1-4 days produced a maximal (53%) increase in L-arginine uptake at 3 days when compared to untreated cells. Kinetic analysis following 4-day treatment with 5 mM ammonia revealed an 82% increase in the Vmax and a 61% increase in the Km value. Similar analysis with 100 microM manganese showed a 101% increase in Vmax and a 131% increase in the Km value. These results suggest that both manganese and ammonia alter L-arginine uptake by modifying the transporter for arginine. A decrease of 32% in the non-saturable component of L-arginine transport was also observed following treatment with ammonia. When cultures were treated separately with 5 mM ammonia and 100 microM manganese for 2 days, the uptake of L-arginine increased by 41% and 57%, respectively. Combined exposure led to no further increase in uptake. Our results suggest that ammonia and manganese may contribute to the pathogenesis of HE by influencing arginine transport and thus possibly NO synthesis in astrocytes.