Influence of wettability on the properties of thin porous platinum films as gates of metal-oxide-semiconductor devices in electrolytes

Thin discontinuous (4 and 35 nm thick) platinum films were used as the gate metal of metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors. It was observed that the metal film acts as a gas permeable structure in electrolyte solutions when the surface was hydrophobic and sufficiently rough. The probable explanation to this is that the electrolyte does not penetrate into the voids of the metal film. The geometry of the surface was investigated by transsion electron microscopy and profilometer measurements. Surfaces with different contact angles were studied in order to determine whether the electrolyte penetrates into the voids in the platinum film when the surface is sufficiently hydrophilic.     

Tensile,creep, and low-cycle fatigue behavior of a cast γ-TiAl-based alloy for gas turbine applications

The influence of chemical composition on the microstructure of the γ-titanium aluminide alloy Ti-48Al-2W-0.5Si (at. pct) and the accompanying tensile, low-cycle fatigue, and creep properties has been evaluated. The study showed that small variations in chemical composition and casting procedures resulted in considerable variations in the microstructure, yielding vastly different mechanical properties. Low contents of aluminum and tungsten led to a coarse-grained lamellar (γ/α ₂) microstructure with high creep resistance. A composition close to the nominal one produced a duplex (γ+γ/α ₂) structure with favorable strength, ductility, and low-cycle fatigue properties. By controlling the solidification and cooling rates at casting, a pseudoduplex (PS-DP) microstructure with a unique combination of high strength and high fatigue and creep resistance can be obtained. These unique properties can be explained by the diffuse boundaries between the relatively small γ grains and the neighboring lamellar colonies, combined with semicoherent interfaces between the γ and α ₂ phases. At tensile and low-cycle fatigue loading, these boundaries act like high-angle boundaries, producing a virtually fine-grained material promoting strength, whereas at creep loading, grain-boundary sliding is hindered in the semicoherent interfaces leading to high creep resistance.     

Relaxation versus cognitive therapies for dental fear--A psychophysiological approach.

By separating 127 adult dental-phobic patients according to fear etiology and psychophysiologic response style, the authors investigated the outcome of 2 dental fear treatments. Before and after either relaxation or cognitively oriented treatment, subjects were exposed to neutral and fear-relevant video sequences while the subjects' forehead muscle tension, heart rate, and skin conductance were recorded. Pre- to postintervention differences in self-reported dental fear, general fear, and trait anxiety were analyzed together with psychophysiological data. Both treatments resulted in a significant reduction of dental fear. Despite significant interaction effects of Treatment Modality × Psychophysiological Response Style, it could not be concluded that patients with different fear etiologies or response styles benefit differentially from the 2 treatments given. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inclusions,Stress Concentrations and Surface Condition in Bending Fatigue of an H13 Tool Steel

Combined effects of inclusions, surface condition and geometrical stress concentration on the fatigue strength of a tool steel have been studied. Bending fatigue testing was performed for milled tool components and smooth specimens produced from an experimental AISI H13 tool steel with varying additions of sulphur and oxygen. Inclusion distributions of the different test series were determined. Fracture surfaces after fatigue failures were studied in a scanning electron microscope. The sulphur content does not have a significant influence on the fatigue strength of the milled tool components in the range of 0.02 ‐ 0.09 wt%. A clear reduction in the fatigue strength is obtained for the smooth specimens when the steel becomes rich in inclusions. Here, the oxide type inclusions dominated as crack initiators and the effect of sulphides was smaller. The results demonstrate the reduced effect of inclusions on the fatigue strength in components with large stress concentrations and rough surfaces.     

Reverse Martensitic Transformation and Resulting Microstructure in a Cold Rolled Metastable Austenitic Stainless Steel

The reverse martensitic transformation in cold‐rolled metastable austenitic stainless steel has been investigated via heat treatments performed for various temperatures and times. The microstructural evolution was evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction and microscopy. Upon heat treatment, both diffusionless and diffusion‐controlled mechanisms determine the final microstructure. The diffusion reversion from α′‐martensite to austenite was found to be activated at about 450°C and the shear reversion is activated at higher temperatures with A_f′ ~600°C. The resulting microstructure for isothermal heat treatment at 650°C was austenitic, which inherits the α′‐martensite lath morphology and is highly faulted. For isothermal heat treatments at temperatures above 700°C the faulted austenite was able to recrystallize and new austenite grains with a low defect density were formed. In addition, carbo‐nitride precipitation was observed for samples heat treated at these temperatures, which leads to an increasing M_s‐temperature and new α′‐martensite formation upon cooling.     

The Influence of Oxide Scale on Heat Transfer during Reheating of Steel

The present work presents methodology and development of a mathematical model for prediction of the influence of oxide scale on heat transfer during reheating of steel in an industrial furnace. In this developed model, temperatures inside the steel billet were measured and with thermocouples at selected places and were collected by a water cooled computer that was traveling inside the slab. CFD is used to calculate the flow field inside of a furnace. The mass‐transfer coefficient of the scale formation is obtained by solving the convection mass‐diffusion equation across a boundary layer to the surface of a flat plate. A model for inverse heat conduction is employed to calculate the local surface temperature and heat flux on top of the growing oxide scale layer on a slab moving through a walking beam reheating furnace. By using the inverse method, the transient temperature and heat flux was firstly determined on the surface of the steel. During subsequent computations, the growth of the scale was calculated and the surface temperature of the oxide scale was extracted by using the Cauchy data from the previous calculations. The sensibility of the model on steel physical parameters is studied, and suitable parameters were obtained for heating a low carbon steel plate in the reheating furnace. Results show that the oxide scale layer should not be neglected in reheating models.     

Microstructure Evolution of Atomized Al-0.61 wt pct Fe and Al-1.90 wt pct Fe Alloys

The microstructure evolution of impulse atomized powders of Al-0.61 wt pct and Al-1.90 wt pct Fe compositions have been investigated with a scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, neutron diffraction, and backscattering electron diffraction (EBSD). Both hypoeutectic and hypereutectic compositions demonstrated similar macrostructure (i.e., primary α-Al dendrites/cells with eutectic Al-Fe intermetallics decorated at the dendritic/cellular walls). Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analysis and SAED pattern simulation identified the eutectic Al-Fe intermetallic as Al_mFe (m = 4.0-4.4). This is verified by neutron diffraction analysis. Cubic texture was observed by EBSD on the droplets with dendritic growth direction close to 〈111〉. The possible reasons are discussed.     

Comparison of a radioallergosorbent (RAST) inhibition method and a monoclonal enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for aeroallergen measurement

BACKGROUND: Mouse and rat urinary proteins are potent occupational allergens for exposed personnel. Methods of measuring airborne allergens differ greatly, and reported levels of allergens vary considerably between laboratories. OBJECTIVES: To compare the values obtained using two different methods of allergen detection. METHODS: Air samples were collected in rat rooms in Sweden and the United Kingdom at 2 L/min on to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filters and extracted in buffer containing 0.5% v/v Tween 20. Airborne rat urinary allergen (RUA) was measured in all samples by both RAST inhibition using a polyclonal human serum pool (UK) and a two monoclonal antibody sandwich ELISA employing antibodies specific for Rat n 1.02 (alpha2u-globulin) (Sweden). RESULTS: The two methods gave values which were correlated (r2 log values = 0.72, P<0.0001), but differed by several orders of magnitude (median [range] ratio of RAST inhibition/ELISA = 316 [7-26(80)]. There was a systematic bias: as the absolute values increased, the difference in the measurements increased. The rat urine standards used were antigenically similar. CONCLUSIONS: A large contrast in RUA values obtained from the two assays was observed in this study. This may be primarily due to methodological differences, but variations in antibody specificities or composition of allergenic epitopes in the air samples may contribute. The results demonstrate that standardization of methods and antibodies is necessary before interlaboratory comparisons can be made.     

Injury panorama and medical consequences for 1158 persons assaulted in the central part of Stockholm, Sweden

This retrospective study describes assaults, type of trauma, injury panorama, the abbreviated injury scale score and medical consequences for 1158 assaulted persons. All patients were examined by surgeons at the Emergency Department, Sabbatsberg's Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, which is open around the clock. The police were not notified. The study group included all assaulted patients who attended and were examined at the Emergency Department from 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993: 84% men and 16% women. Their median age was 25 years (range 13-86 years). Sixty-eight percent arrived at the Emergency Department between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. In 44% the hospital staff registered in the case notes that the victims were drunk. Blunt trauma of low-energy type predominated, 44% were hit by fists and 30% by kicks. Penetrating trauma occurred in 10% of the assaults (knife 8%), and a combination of blunt and/or cutting trauma (bottle/ glass) in 10%. Eighty-two percent of the victims suffered an injury to the head, resulting in concussion in 116 cases, 4 skull fractures, 1 intracerebral contusion, 74 fractures of nose bones, 17 fractures of other face bones, and 6 mandible fractures. Two persons died because of knifestab wounds. Eighty-two percent of the victims had minor injuries, and 16% had moderate injuries according to the score on the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS). The present study shows that assault in the central part of Stockholm, Sweden, is mainly a problem involving young men, especially late in the evening, and that many of the victims are drunk. Injuries to the head due to low-energy trauma are the most common (hit by fists and kicks), but severe injuries seldom occur.