The Effect of Solute Atoms on Grain Boundary Migration: A Solute Pinning Approach

The effect of solute atoms on grain boundary migration has been modeled on the basis of the idea that solute atoms will locally perturb the collective rearrangements of solvent atoms associated with boundary migration. The consequence of such perturbations is cusping of the boundary and corresponding stress concentrations on the solute atoms which will promote thermal activation of these atoms out of the boundary. This thermal activation is considered to be the rate-controlling mechanism in boundary migration. It is demonstrated that the current statistical approach is capable of explaining, in phenomenological terms, the known effects of solute atoms on boundary migration. The experimental results of the effect of copper on boundary migration in aluminum, due to Gordon and Vandermeer, have been well accounted for.     

Roundup Ready® soybean event-specific real-time quantitative PCR assay and estimation of the practical detection and quantification limits in GMO analyses

An event-specific real-time PCR method for detection and quantification of genetically modified Roundup Ready soybean with TaqMan chemistry on the LightCycler, targeting the nopaline synthase terminator (3') junction between recombinant and host plant DNA is described. We distinguish between three types of detection and quantification limits: the absolute limits (referring to the initial number of template copies in the PCR), the relative limits (referring to the relative percentage of initial template copies of the recombinant sequence to copies of the haploid soybean genome that is detected), and the practical limits (referring to what is applicable in the PCR with the DNA that is being analysed). The absolute detection limit was determined to be a single initial template copy, while the absolute quantification limit was determined to be approximately 30 initial template copies. We discuss the relative and practical limits, and provide guidelines to estimating the practical limits.     

Screening for and characterization of Lactococcus lactis bacteriophages with high thermal resistance

Fifty-six Lactococcus lactis phage isolates collected from different German dairies and obtained from a starter culture manufacturer were tested for their heat resistance. About 40% of these isolates resisted treatment at 80 °C for 5 min when they were heated in milk. The most resistant phage isolate, P1532, was collected from sour cream. Plaque-formation was still detectable even after heating at 97 °C for 5 min. The second heat-resistant one, P680, showed some plaque-forming ability after heating at 95 °C for 5 min. Kinetic parameters for the thermal inactivation of these two resistant phages were determined for temperatures ranging from 70 to 97 °C. The inactivation of phage P1532 in skim milk and in buffer medium were found to follow first-order kinetics and did not exhibit tailing, whereas in the inactivation curves of phage P680 tailing was observed. The D-value of P1532 at pasteurization temperature of 72 °C was calculated as 112 min.     

Simulation of the Process Influencing Behaviour of Forming Machines

In the design of sheet metal components and associated tools the use of forming process simulation based on finite element method is state of the art. The modelling of the forming process, however, neglects fundamental influences of the forming machine. But today, the machine behaviour influencing the process can be described with simulation tools sufficiently. The article presented here describes the current state of simulation for forming machines in regard to static and dynamic influences on the forming process. Furthermore, two examples and a proposal for enhancing the model are given.     

Regional Concentration and Dynamics of Fast-growing Industries in Baden-Württemberg and Israel

Fast-growing industries are regarded as providing an above-average contribution to production, employment and innovation. Due to necessary knowledge spillovers and a high product innovation rate, these industries are expected to have a locational bias towards central, metropolitan regions guaranteeing a risk- and uncertainty-minimizing industrial atmosphere. Using statistical data on the regional distribution and composition of fast-growing industrial branches in Baden-Württemberg and Israel, it is the objective of this paper to analyse the spatial distribution process of fast-growing industries and to answer the question if also non-metropolitan regions provide favourable location conditions which could be made the starting point for innovation-oriented regional development strategies. Based on different methods of regional analysis, like concentration indices and shift-share analysis, our results indicate that although the highest share of fast-growing industrial branches can still be found in central regions, spatial dispersion towards intermediate and peripheral regions occurred between the late 1980s and early 1990s in Israel as well as in Baden-Württemberg. This decentralization process makes it clear that these industries can be an important target group for disparity-reducing regional policy.     

Reliability-Based Optimization of Design Code for Tension Piles

A reliability-based calibration of a design code for offshore tension pile foundations in clay is presented by an example. The design against pullout in ultimate loading is considered. The calibration is performed by means of a numerical optimization technique in conjunction with probabilistic and deterministic models for load and capacity. The probabilistic models allow for predictions of the reliability against pullout. The deterministic models express design load and design capacity in terms of characteristic values and partial safety factors. The code calibration consists of determination of the partial safety factors such that—over a specified scope of code—designs with reliabilities with minimum deviations from some prescribed target reliability result when applying the deterministic models with this particular set of partial safety factors. For tutorial purposes, the scope of code is represented by a limited number of design cases, and emphasis is placed on the demonstration of the code calibration principles and a proper formulation of the code format.     

Size- and Composition-Controlled Au–Ga Aerosol Nanoparticles

A simple gas-phase method has been developed for producing size- and composition-controlled nanoparticles of binary alloys. The process includes the formation and classification of aerosol nanoparticles of one material and the subsequent condensation of a controlled shell of another. The shell thickness is controlled by the evaporation temperature of the second material. Here we study the Au–Ga system with particle compositions ranging from pure Au to 50 atomic percent Ga. Transmission electron microscopy was used to study the morphology, composition, and structure of the generated particles.