On the mechanical characterization of materials by Arcan-type specimens

The simple circular notched specimen was originally proposed by Arcan to characterize the elastic properties of fibre-reinforced composites. Unfortunately, its optimized geometry does not allow to measure with reasonable accuracy both the material shear strength and the conditions of failure under a generic biaxial stress state, since the effects of stress concentration on the fillets of the two V-grooves and on the inner circular edges are responsible of premature fractures due to the uniaxial stress states of the notch edges.In a previous numerical study carried out by a parametric two-dimensional finite element model, some of the Authors of this paper found a new optimal geometry of the Arcan specimen able to minimize the notch effect and achieve a uniform pure shear stress field in the gauge cross-section. In the present paper, starting from such a geometry, a new type of Arcan specimen is proposed, having not uniform thickness. An extensive three-dimensional parametric finite element analysis has been done to define its optimal shape. The numerical results show that the new specimen is able to achieve, with a higher probability, material fracture in the minimum cross-section under a pure shear stress distribution which is more uniform than those acting in the Arcan specimen typologies until now proposed.     

Direct Modulation Characteristics of Composite Resonator Vertical-Cavity Lasers

We report the small-signal modulation characteristics of a monolithic dual resonator vertical cavity surface emitting laser. The modulation response is described by a system of rate equations with two independent carrier populations and a single longitudinal optical mode. The independent optical overlaps and differential gains of the two active regions can each be adjusted to maximize the output response. We show that under certain conditions, the composite resonator may achieve a higher bandwidth than a single cavity laser with the same photon density. We find the relaxation oscillation frequency to depend mainly on the total photon density and not the individual currents in the two cavities. With appropriate current injection, the composite resonator laser achieves a maximum -3-dB bandwidth of 12.5 GHz and a maximum modulation current efficiency factor of approximately 5GHz/ma^1/2      

Occurrence of Vibrio and other pathogenic bacteria in Mytilus galloprovincialis (mussels) harvested from Adriatic Sea, Italy.

Sixty-two samples of Mytilus galloprovincialis (mussels) harvested from approved shellfish waters in the Adriatic Sea were examined for the presence of Vibrio, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and verocytotoxin producing Escherichia coli. Vibrio spp. were isolated from 48.4% of samples; the species most frequently found were V. alginolyticus (32.2%) and V. vulnificus (17.7%), followed by V. cincinnatiensis (3.2%), V. parahaemolyticus (1.6%), V. fluvialis (1.6%) and V. cholerae non-O1 (1.6%). V. parahaemolyticus resulted negative to Kanagawa-phenomenon and to PCR amplification of tdh gene. V. cholerae resulted negative to PCR amplification of sto gene. No Salmonella, Campylobacter, or E. coli verocytotoxin-producing strains were isolated. The results of this study suggest the potential risk of ingesting raw or undercooked mussels due to the frequent presence of potentially pathogenic Vibrio species.     

Design Procedures for Three-Stage CMOS OTAs With Nested-Miller Compensation

Design procedures for three-stage CMOS operational transconductance amplifiers employing nested-Miller frequency compensation are presented in this paper. After describing the basic methodology on a Class-A topology, some modifications, to increase swing, slew-rate and current drive capability, are subsequently discussed for a Class-AB solution. The approaches developed are simple as they do not introduce unnecessary circuit constraints and yield accurate results. They are hence suited for a pencil-and-paper design, but can be easily integrated into an analog knowledge-based computer-aided design tool. Experimental prototypes, designed in a 0.35-mum technology by following the proposed procedures, were fabricated and tested. Measurement results were found in close agreement with the target specifications     

A 2.5-GHz DDFS-PLL With 1.8-MHz Bandwidth in 0.35-$mu$m CMOS

A wideband frequency synthesizer architecture is presented. The proposed topology employs a direct digital frequency synthesizer (DDFS) to control the output frequency of an offset-PLL. In this way, the synthesizer features a very fine frequency resolution, 24 Hz, as in delta-sigma fractional-N PLLs, but without being affected by the quantization-induced phase noise. This, in turn, allows enlarging the loop bandwidth. The frequency synthesizer is designed to be employed as a direct modulator for Bluetooth transmitter in a low-cost 0.35-mum CMOS technology. At 2.5GHz it achieves 1.8-MHz bandwidth, while the settling time within 30ppm for an 80-MHz step is 3 mus. The integrated phase noise gives less than 1 degree of rms phase error and the worst-case spur is 48dBc at 1 MHz, well below the specifications. Power dissipation is 120 mW for the PLL core, 50 mW for the DDFS plus DACs, and 19 mW for the GFSK modulator.     

Dual-channel wavelength-division multiplexing using a composite resonator vertical-cavity laser

We demonstrate the use of a dual-resonator vertical-cavity laser diode as a coarse wavelength-division-multiplexing optical source. Binary data is encoded onto each of the two longitudinal modes, which can be independently modulated through current injection into each cavity. Using a single laser, we demonstrate data transmission on two independent channels.     

Synthesis of High‐Purity Ti3SiC2 by Microwave Sintering

High‐purity ternary laminated compound Ti₃SiC₂ was successfully synthesized by a microwave heating method in the flowing argon for the first time. The mixtures of titanium, silicon, and graphitic carbon (C_gc) or activated carbon (C_ac) with different molar ratios were used to investigate the reaction mechanisms. It was confirmed that Ti₃SiC₂ with high purity of 98 vol.% was achieved without the aids of Al. The optimum experimental parameters were determined as Ti/Si/C_gc having the molar ratio of 3/2.2/2, first holding at 1480°C for 30 min, and subsequent dwelling at 1300°C for 60 min.