Theoretical, numerical, and experimental investigation on resonant vibrations of piezoceramic annular disks

In this study, vibration characteristics of thin piezoceramic annular disks with stress-free boundary conditions are investigated by theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental measurement. The nonaxisymmetric, out-of-plane (transverse), and axisymmetric in-plane (tangential and radial extensional) vibration modes are discussed in detail in terms of resonant frequencies, mode shapes, and electrical currents. Two optical techniques, amplitude-fluctuation electronic speckle pattern interferometry (AF-ESPI) and laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV), as well as the electrical impedance measurement are used to validate the analytical results. Both theoretical and experimental results indicate that the transverse and tangential vibration modes cannot be determined by the impedance analysis; hence, only resonant frequencies of extensional vibration modes are presented from the impedance analyzer. The LDV system is used to measure the resonant frequencies of transverse vibrations. However, both the transverse and extensional vibration modes and resonant frequencies of piezoceramic annular disks are obtained by the AF-ESPI method, and the interferometric fringes are produced instantly by a video recording system. Numerical results obtained by finite-element calculations are compared with those from theoretical analysis and experimental measurements. It is shown that the theoretical predictions of resonant frequencies and the corresponding mode shapes agree well with the experimental results. Good agreement between the predicted and measured electrical impedance also is found. The dependence of resonant frequencies and dynamic electromechanical coupling coefficients on the inner-to-outer radius ratio also is analyzed and discussed in this study.     

Direct printing of silver nanoparticles by an agarose stamp on planar and patterned substrates

In this study, we have used an agarose stamp to conduct direct printing of silver nanoparticles, nanowires and nanoplates on both planar and structured substrates. Nanoparticle solution could be first coated on an agarose stamp, and then transferred to a planar substrate. Micro-patterns comprising metal nanoparticles could be printed on planar substrates without the formation of residual layers. Thus a three-dimensional metal microstructure could be easily fabricated. The patterning of electrodes by printing Ag nanowires directly on TiO(2) was also demonstrated to fabricate resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices by all-solution-processing methods. By using a flat agarose stamp, the patterns printed on the microstructured substrates were quite different from those on the nanostructured substrates. On the microstructured substrates, direct printing could print silver nanoparticles onto the protrusion surface, and could print silver layers as thick as several microns, useful for high conductivity electrodes. On the substrates with nanostructures such as photonic crystals or nano-gratings, direct printing could transfer nanoparticles into the grooves or cavities only due to the contact of the agarose stamp with the groove or concavity surface. A new approach to fabricate metal wire grid polarizers was further demonstrated. A nanoporous agarose stamp has a good potential for printing using nanoparticle suspension.     

Effect of diameter variation in a large set of carbon nanotube transistors

A study involving a large number of carbon nanotube transistors reveals that the nanotube diameter and the metal contact material play key roles in determining the on- and off-state currents of these devices. The results are discussed in terms of the Schottky barrier at the metal-semiconductor junction and the variation of this barrier relative to the alignment of energy levels between the carbon nanotube and the metal.     

A procedural semantics for stratified database updates

This paper investigates efficient evaluation of database updates and presents a procedural semantics for stratified update programs that extend stratified logic programs with bulk updates and hypothetical reasoning. Bulk rules with universal quantification in the body allow an arbitrary update to be applied simultaneously for every answer of an arbitrary query. Hypothetical reasoning is supported by testing the success or failure of an update. The procedural semantics offers efficient goal-oriented tabled evaluation of database updates. It guarantees termination for function-free stratified update programs and avoids repeated computation of identical subgoals. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Quantification of severe accident source terms of a Westinghouse 3-loop plant

Integrated severe accident analysis codes are used to quantify the source terms of the representative sequences identified in PSA study. The characteristics of these source terms depend on the detail design of the plant and the accident scenario. A historical perspective of radioactive source term is provided. The grouping of radionuclides in different source terms or source term quantification tools based on TID-14844, NUREG-1465, and WASH-1400 is compared. The radionuclides release phenomena and models adopted in the integrated severe accident analysis codes of STCP and MAAP4 are described. In the present study, the severe accident source terms for risk quantification of Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant of Taiwan Power Company are quantified using MAAP 4.0.4 code. A methodology is developed to quantify the source terms of each source term category (STC) identified in the Level II PSA analysis of the plant. The characteristics of source terms obtained are compared with other source terms. The plant analyzed employs a Westinghouse designed 3-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR) with large dry containment.     

Simultaneous Analysis of Free/Bound Phytosterols and Diosgenin in Taiwanese Yams

Gas chromatography (GC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods were developed for the simultaneous analysis of phytosterols and diosgenin in two representative Taiwanese yams, Dioscorea pseudojaponica Yamamoto and Dioscorea alata L. The major phytosterols found were β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol. GC afforded good separation of phytosterols and diosgenin, with the diosgenin peak appearing between stigmasterol and β-sitosterol. For HPLC, UV detection had higher sensitivity (detection limits 0.03–0.09 μg); however, evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) achieved higher noise tolerance and did not show baseline interference from solvent gradients. In addition, mixed solvents for extraction before acid hydrolysis, which is necessary to avoid fibers and acid hydrolysates binding to the target compounds, were evaluated. Phytosterol contents of 30.1 and 9.9 mg/100 g were found in D. pseudojaponica Yamamoto and D. alata L., respectively. Diosgenin was only found in D. pseudojaponica Yamamoto at a content of 15.2 mg/100 g.     

Kinetic studies on electrochemical stripping of CrN films

Chromium nitride (CrN) films deposited on silicon substrates by a cathodic arc plasma technique were electrochemically stripped off in KOH alkaline electrolytes. Current densities and electrolyte concentrations were varied to investigate their influences on the stripping process. By analyzing the relation between the potential and reaction time, it is possible to determine the optimal time for terminating the stripping process because of the different resistivities of the substrates and overlayers. The critical stripping times were defined from the potential−time relation and were observed to be inversely proportional to the current density. The total required charge/unit volume was also determined. The relationship between the thickness of the residual films after stripping and the reaction time at various current densities and KOH concentrations was analyzed using a kinetic model. Moreover, CrN films deposited by another method, namely, unbalanced magnetron sputtering, were also tested for comparison. The stripping process was apparently influenced by the microstructure of the films.     

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Downregulate Calcium Pyrophosphate Crystal Formation in Human Articular Chondrocytes

Calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) deposition disease (CPPD) is a form of CPP crystal-induced arthritis. A high concentration of extracellular pyrophosphate (ePPi) in synovial fluid is positively correlated with the formation of CPP crystals, and ePPi can be upregulated by ankylosis human (ANKH) and ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase 1 (ENPP1) and downregulated by tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP). However, there is currently no drug that eliminates CPP crystals. We explored the effects of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (HDACis) trichostatin A (TSA) and vorinostat (SAHA) on CPP formation. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-treated human primary cultured articular chondrocytes (HC-a cells) were used to increase ePPi and CPP formation, which were determined by pyrophosphate assay and CPP crystal staining assay, respectively. Artificial substrates thymidine 5′-monophosphate p-nitrophenyl ester (p-NpTMP) and p-nitrophenyl phosphate (p-NPP) were used to estimate ENPP1 and TNAP activities, respectively. The HDACis TSA and SAHA significantly reduced mRNA and protein expressions of ANKH and ENPP1 but increased TNAP expression in a dose-dependent manner in HC-a cells. Further results demonstrated that TSA and SAHA decreased ENPP1 activity, increased TNAP activity, and limited levels of ePPi and CPP. As expected, both TSA and SAHA significantly increased the acetylation of histones 3 and 4 but failed to block Smad-2 phosphorylation induced by TGF-β1. These results suggest that HDACis prevented the formation of CPP by regulating ANKH, ENPP1, and TNAP expressions and can possibly be developed as a potential drug to treat or prevent CPPD.     

The impact of transactive memory systems on IS development teams' coordination,communication, and performance

The high complexity nature of current contemporary software makes team a popular work style in information system development (ISD) projects. ISD is a knowledge intensive process which requires members to exchange and coordinate knowledge resources effectively. However, it is reported that ISD projects often failed because of coordination breakdown and insufficient knowledge exchange resulting from ineffective communication among team members. This highlights the importance of understanding how to enhance those knowledge-oriented teamwork activities. Drawing on this issue, this study aims at exploring the critical role of transactive memory system (TMS) on teamwork processes and performance. Data collected from 236 IS personnel confirmed our hypotheses that having a mature TMS can effectively enhance performance directly, and indirectly through improving communication and coordination process. Lastly, discussions of the results and implications toward practitioners and academia are provided.