Effect of V on Hot Deformation Characteristics of TWIP Steels

Twinning induced plasticity (TWIP) steels, which rely on high Mn contents to promote twinning as the deformation mechanism, exhibit high ultimate strengths together with outstanding combinations of ultimate strength and ductility. In terms of mechanical properties, one of the most important microstructural features is grain size. The knowledge of the kinetics of recrystallization mechanisms, i.e., dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and static recrystallization (SRX), can be used in order to control the grain size of the final product by a proper rolling schedule design. The focus of this work is the characterization of the DRX kinetics of two TWIP steels. The basic composition of the steels is Fe–21Mn–0.4C–1.5Al–1.5Si, and one of them is further alloyed with 0.12% V. With this objective, compression tests were carried out at 900, 1000, and 1100°C and strain rates ranging from 1 × 10^?1 s^?1 to 1 × 10^?4 s^?1. Furthermore, metallographic observation by optical microscopy (OM) was done to assess the evolution of grain size for the different deformation conditions. According to the results, the existence of V in the composition does not affect the hot flow behavior of the steel, although recrystallization fraction and recrystallized grain size decrease for the V‐containing steel.     

Origin of nondisjunction in trisomy 8 and trisomy 8 mosaicism

OBJECTIVES: This study explores reactions to low-level chemical challenge, aiming at the development of test procedures for assessing individual sensitivity to smells and chemicals. METHODS: Subjects with symptoms and neuropsychological test results compatible with toxic encephalopathy type 2A (TE-2A) and 2B (TE-2B) and unexposed referents (N=12 in each group) were challenged in an exposure chamber. Toluene exposure was started at 11 mg/m3, and it followed a geometric progression scale with a ratio of 2, until reaching 180 mg/m3. In a counterbalanced design, the subjects were similarly exposed to n-butyl acetate starting at a concentration of 14 mg/m3 and increasing to 228 mg/m3. At each exposure level, smell intensity was measured on a 7-step category scale. Mucous membrane irritation and annoyance reactions were rated on visual analogue scales. RESULTS: Both TE groups showed high sensitivity to the low-level solvent challenge, which provoked immediate annoyance and fatigue reactions. In particular the TE-2B group related smell intensity to various annoyance dimensions during exposure to n-butyl acetate, a pattern not observed during toluene exposure. The reference group clearly separated smell intensity and annoyance reactions in both exposure conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The reaction of the TE cases suggests that chemical sensitivity can be distinguished from normal annoyance reactions by the inability to differentiate between smell intensity and an experience of irritation from mucous membranes in air concentrations well below the trigeminal irritation threshold level. Fatigue coreactivity in challenges to single substances below the neurotoxic level may also be important.     

Influence of fungicide treatment and storage conditions on mould and yeast activity on “Satsuma” mandarin

The activity of mould and yeast population on the surface of ‘Satsuma’ mandarin was studied at four temperatures (2, 4, 10 and 20 °C) and two relative humidity (RH) levels (80 and 93%) on fruits washed and on fruits washed and treated with a fungicide mixture (1200 ppm thiabendazole + 800 guazatine + 400 ppm prochloraz), stored for 20 and 40 days. The lowest final microbial counts (CFU) were for the fruits treated and stored at 2 °C and 93% RH and the highest counts were for fruits stored at 20 °C and 93% RH regardless of fungicide treatment. Throughout the storage period, yeast and Cladosporium spp. were predominant in the microbial counts and generally showed reducing trends. The fungicide treatment was very efficient and persistent. The absence of antifungal treatment and the increase of RH levels caused a greater rise of CFU than the increase of the storage period or temperature. An increase in the CFU values with the increase of RH was observed in untreated fruits. The treatment of ‘Satsuma’ fruits with the fungicide mixture, followed by cold storage at 2 °C and 93% RH, extended the storage period at least 40 days.     

Lumped kinetics and acute toxicity of intermediates in the ozonation of phenol in saline media

This work investigates the feasibility of ozonation for destroying phenol and removing organic matter in saline media. The reaction lumped kinetics was followed using the GLKM (General Lumped Kinetic Model). The main intermediate compounds were: catechol, hydroquinone, 4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl, and 4-bromophenol. It could be noted no significant differences in phenol degradation, mineralization rates, and toxicity removal up to 2 g L(-1) of salt. So, ozonation appears to be a technology that can be used in low salinity media, which is characteristic of waters destined to reuse and recycling programs inside industries.     

A Multiwell Microfluidic Device for Analyzing and Screening Nonhormonal Contraceptive Agents

Birth control and family planning play pivotal roles in the economic growth and reduction of maternal, infant, and child mortality. Current contraceptives, such as hormonal agents and intrauterine devices, target only a small subset of reproductive processes and can have serious side effects on the health of women. To develop novel contraceptive agents, a scalable microfluidic device is established for analyzing and screening the effects of potential contraceptive agents on the maturation of the cumulus–oocyte complex. The microfluidic device performs on‐chip incubation for studying oocyte maturation and cumulus expansion and isolates the microwells by oil–water interfaces to avoid crosstalk between the wells. A filter membrane is incorporated in the device to simplify incubation, medium exchange, washing, and fluorescence staining of oocytes. Cumulus expansion can be monitored directly in the device and oocyte maturation can be examined after enzymatic removal of cumulus cells and on‐chip fluorescence staining. The performance of the device is evaluated by studying the influence of three drugs known to block oocyte maturation and/or cumulus expansion.     

Reflections on the institutionalization process of scientific research in Latin America: the case of Cinvestav

Scientometrics - Consolidation of the scientific activity in Latin American research centers has been a matter of serious concern in recent years. In the present study we use a data set of the WoS...     

Quantum dot-based headspace single-drop microextraction technique for optical sensing of volatile species

Core-shell CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) dispersed in a droplet of organic solvent have been applied for the first time as luminescent probes for the selective detection of volatile species. Luminescence quenching caused by volatile species was examined after their trapping onto a drop using the headspace single-drop microextraction (HS-SDME) approach along with microvolume fluorospectrometry. The novel method is characterized by low reagent and sample consumption, especially regarding QDs, a reduction about 500-fold for each analysis being attained in comparison with luminescent probing in aqueous phase using conventional luminescence spectrometers with 1 cm quartz cells for measurement. To assess QDs as luminescent probes along with HS-SDME, 14 volatile species were tried. Strong luminescence quenching (i.e., I(0)/I > 2.5) was observed for species such as CH(3)Hg(+) and Se(IV) after hydridation with NaBH(4). Moderate luminescent quenching (I(0)/I ≈ 2) was observed for species such as Hg(II) after its conversion into Hg(0), H(2)S, and methylcyclopentadienyl-manganese tricarbonyl (MMT). Small luminescence quenching effects (i.e., 1< I(0)/I <2) were caused by other hydride forming species such as As(III), Sb(III), Te(IV), and Bi(III), as well as SnBu(4), volatile amines, and endosulfan. Detection limits of 6.3 × 10(-9) and 1.6 × 10(-7) M were obtained for Se(IV) and CH(3)Hg(+), respectively. Repeatability expressed as relative standard deviation (N = 7) was about 5%. QD-HS-SDME-μvolume-fluorospectrometry allows one to carry out matrix separation, preconcentration, and confinement of QDs, hence achieving a selective, sensitive, fast, environmentally friendly, and miniaturized luminescence assay.     

Optimal design of acoustic material from tire fluff

Waste tires cause both health and environmental problems and this has forced governments to develop laws for recycling. There are several different recycling processes for end-of-life tires in which steel is recovered and rubber is reused. However, the reuse of other parts of the waste tires is currently not possible. These other parts mainly consist of textiles that are separated from the tire during the recycling process – this material is usually known as ‘fluff’. In this study a procedure for the design of materials with superior acoustic properties using this material was developed. The main component of the acoustic material is textile waste from mechanically fragmented tires obtained through recycling activity. The design process is based on several parameters: acoustic absorption coefficient measurement by the impedance tube method, acoustic modelling, mechanical characterization of the material and, finally, finite element modelling of the end acoustic product. In this work it was also established that the mechanical and acoustic properties need to be opposite to obtain the desired characteristics in the materials under investigation. In order to produce a competitive material formed completely from textile waste from recycled tires, a solution formed by two layers is proposed. This approach was used to provide a self-supporting material with a high acoustic absorption coefficient for use in acoustic ceiling tiles.     

Spin in organics: a new route to spintronics

New developments in the nascent field of organic spintronics are discussed. Two classes of phenomena can be discerned. In hybrid organic spin valves (OSVs), an organic semiconducting film is sandwiched between two ferromagnetic (FM) thin films, aiming at magnetoresistive effects as a function of the relative alignment of the respective magnetization directions. Alternatively, organic magnetoresistance (OMAR) is achieved without any FM components, and is an intrinsic property of the organic semiconductor material. Some of the exciting characteristics of OMAR, in both electrical conductance and photoconductance, are presented. A systematic, combined experimental-theoretical study of sign changes between positive and negative magnetoresistance is shown to provide important insight about the underlying mechanisms of OMAR. A simple explanation of experimental observations is obtained by combining a 'spin-blocking' mechanism, an essential ingredient in the recently proposed bipolaron model, with specific features of the device physics of space charge limited current devices in the bipolar regime. Finally, we discuss possible links between the physics relevant for OMAR and that for OSVs. More specifically, weak hyperfine fields from the hydrogen atoms in organic materials are thought to be crucial for a proper understanding of both types of phenomena.