Design of fractal patch antenna for size and radar cross-section reduction

This research study presents a novel design of star-shaped fractal patch antenna for miniaturisation and backscattering radar cross-section (RCS) reduction. The proposed fractal antenna gives 50% size reduction compared with a conventional circular microstrip patch (CCMP) antenna. The antenna is studied experimentally for return loss behaviour using vector network analyser R&S ZVA40. It can be useful for wireless application in 0.85-4 GHz frequency band. Further, the study focuses on backscattering RCS (both monostatic and bistatic) reduction by the proposed antenna compared with the CCMP antenna. It is found that increase in number of fractal iterations included in the conventional patch to design fractal antenna geometry reduces backscattering RCS at multiband compared to the conventional patch antenna. This reduction in backscattering RCS by the antenna is observed at multiband. The antenna can be tuned for low backscattering by variation in the substrate dielectric constant and thickness and the superstrate dielectric constant and thickness. For maximum RCS reduction by the antenna, optimisation of substrate thickness becomes necessary. The study also deals with effect of frequency and aspect angle variation on backscattering RCS reduction.     

SURFACE ROUGHNESS OF SPUTTERED SILICON. II. MODEL VERIFICATION

Experimental verification of the mathematical surface roughness model for sputtered silicon was performed. The beam shape and its significant level of intensity were determined first by measuring the topography of craters sputtered by focused ion beam (FIB). Then the beam function was generated for various combinations of beam parameters. The material function was developed both by theoretical and experimental analysis. These two functions were then used in the model to calculate the theoretical surface roughness. Microsurface analysis was formed by FIB sputtering of a (100) silicon wafer. The surface roughness at the bottom of the sputtered features was then measured using an atomic force microscope. The theoretical surface roughness was found to be within ±1 and ±5 nm of the measured surface roughness with the measurement uncertainty (standard deviation) of about ±0.36 and ±0.85 nm for R_a and R_t, respectively.     

The Cytoskeletal Protein Zyxin Inhibits Retinoic Acid Signaling by Destabilizing the Maternal mRNA of the RXRγ Nuclear Receptor

Zyxin is an LIM-domain-containing protein that regulates the assembly of F-actin filaments in cell contacts. Additionally, as a result of mechanical stress, Zyxin can enter nuclei and regulate gene expression. Previously, we found that Zyxin could affect mRNA stability of the maternally derived stemness factors of Pou5f3 family in Xenopus laevis embryos through binding to Y-box factor1. In the present work, we demonstrate that Zyxin can also affect mRNA stability of the maternally derived retinoid receptor Rxrγ through the same mechanism. Moreover, we confirmed the functional link between Zyxin and Rxrγ-dependent gene expression. As a result, Zyxin appears to play an essential role in the regulation of the retinoic acid signal pathway during early embryonic development. Besides, our research indicates that the mechanism based on the mRNA destabilization by Zyxin may take part in the control of the expression of a fairly wide range of maternal genes.     

Equations for Thermal Conductivity of Natural Refrigerants

Experimental results for the thermal conductivity of ammonia, propane, butane, isobutane, and propylene are reviewed, with special attention given to the liquid phase. New equations for the thermal conductivity of these five substances applicable for practical use over wide ranges of temperature and pressure including the critical region are proposed based on the experimental data. The present equations as well as the existing equations are compared with the experimental data. Compared with existing equations for ammonia, isobutane, and propylene, which are not reliable in the liquid phase, the behavior of the thermal conductivity for these substances is much improved using the present equations.     

Absorption of lodine into Starch Granules in Aqueous Suspension

The rate of iodine absorption by granular starch suspended in KI solution is examined. The rate controlling step is found to be the intraparticle diffusion of iodine. The process agrees well with a core-shrinking model. The apparent diffusivity of iodine in granular starch is determined to be (6.8 ± 0.5) × 10⁻⁸ cm²/sec at 25°C.     

Numerical Simulation of Brittle Damage in Concrete Specimens

A framework for damage mechanics of concrete is applied to simulate the nonlinear elastic deformation behavior of concrete using finite element method (FEM). A rather simple isotropic damage model containing essentially no adjustable parameters is shown to produce results in remarkably good agreement with sample experimental data: the damage law requires only the fracture energy to be defined completely. The model is achieved by introducing a damage surface that is similar to the yield function in the conventional theory of plasticity. A special form of damage surfaces is constructed to illustrate the application of the model. A new damage criterion, defined as an equivalent strain norm, is proposed, in order to take into consideration the asymmetric behavior of concrete. For verifying the FEM program including the model, deformations predicted by this model are compared with both the experimental ones for the concrete structural model and the ones calculated without application of the continuum damage mechanics.__________Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 3, pp. 57 – 74, May – June, 2005.     

Annealing process of fine grained co-stabilised (Y,Mg)-PSZ/MgAl2O4 ceramics

Abstract

Co-stabilised (Y,Mg) partially stabilised zirconia (PSZ) ceramics with MgAl₂O₄ spinel additions were produced, with industrial zirconia as the main starting material. Powders were prepared using a mechanical milling–mixing process. The effect of the annealing process on the mechanical properties, phase compositions, and microstructure of fine grained PSZ ceramics was investigated.     

Effect of postmolding heat treatment on in vitro properties of a polyanhydride implant containing gentamicin sulfate

A polyanhydride implant containing gentamicin sulfate was fabricated using a laboratory-scale injection-molding machine. After injection molding, the implants were subject to heat treatment at 60°C for various time periods with or without nitrogen protection. The impact of this heat treatment on the in vitro properties of the implants including copolymer molecular weights, mechanical properties, and in vitro drug-release profiles was investigated. This heat treatment caused a drastic drop in the molecular weight of the copolymer. Heating without nitrogen protection resulted in the hardening of the implant, but heating in the presence of nitrogen rendered the implant less rigid. It was also found that a faster in vitro drug release profile was shown by implants heated without nitrogen protection and a pronounced slowing down in drug release was exhibited by implants heated with nitrogen protection.     

X-ray CCD calibration system using fluorescent lines

We have developed a CCD calibration system using fluorescent X-ray lines with energies ranging from 1.49 keV (Al K) to 11.2 keV (Se K). The absolute X-ray flux is calibrated by a gas proportional counter, while the emerging spectra are monitored by solid-state silicon detectors. In order to suppress contaminating X-rays in the fluorescence spectra, mechanical collimators were set in the X-ray beam line, high-purity targets for fluorescent lines were used, and band-pass filters were put on the X-ray beam line. As for the purity of the fluorescent X-rays, the typical purity achieved was 98%.     

Transport and Magnetic AC Losses in Ag/Tl-1223 Tape and the Effect of Mechanical Damage

In this paper we present the results of AC loss measurements on silver clad monocore tapes of Tl-1223 prepared by the powder-in-tube method. Losses arising from an external AC magnetic field are compared with those generated by AC transport currents (self-field losses). Critical current densities are derived from magnetic loss data and compared with those measured by the four point transport method. It was found that mechanically induced stresses (introduced by bending) only have a significant effect on the transport losses, via the critical current degradation. Such changes are not seen in measured magnetic losses, which are independent of mechanical stress, and remain unchanged, at least in the stress range used in our experiment.