Time-dependent deformation in an enhanced SiC/SiC composite

Time-dependent deformation in an enhanced SiC/SiC composite has been studied under constant load at high temperatures of 1200 °C, 1300 °C, and 1400 °C. Creep damage evolution was evaluated by a Young’s-modulus change of partial unloading and microscopic observation. The addition of the glassy phase in the matrix is very effective for protecting the composite from oxidation. The transient creep is dominant in creep life at all the temperatures. An empirical equation is proposed to describe creep behavior of the composite. It is found that creep activation energy increases with creep time at stresses lower than matrix cracking stress, but the activation energy remains constant at stresses higher than the matrix cracking stress. The creep strain rate of the composite is considered to be controlled by creep of fibers based on examining the time, strain, stress, and temperature dependencies of creep strain rates.     

Study on purple pigmentation in five cases with purple urine bag syndrome

We reported five patients with purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS). Four patients had indicanuria, and, in three of them, purple pigmentation was reproduced by inoculating urinary isolates, in the broth with indoxyl sulfate. Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus avium were considered to produce the purple pigment in three patients. However, attempts to reproduce the purple pigment failed in two patients, and one of them did not have indicanuria. These results suggest that indicanuria is not necessarily required for the development of PUBS.     

Radiation tolerance for the SMASH-series front-end chips for a silicon micro-strip detector

The radiation tolerance for prototype front-end chips designed for a silicon micro-strip detector was examined with a ⁶⁰Co irradiation source to establish an allowable range of the radiation dose. The irradiated front-end chips were SMA²SH-64A, a 64-channel preamplifier array; SMA²SH-1, a single-channel preamplifier circuit with a comparator; and Control-C, a digital-control chip for the preamplifiers.     

Effective thermal conductivity of compressed woods

Compression is one solution to improve the strength of softwoods. The effective thermal conductivities of compressed Japanese cedars (cryptomeria japonica), which were compressed in the radial direction of the wood, were measured. Both the effective thermal conductivities in the tangential and fiber directions increase proportionally to the density increment due to the compression. However, the thermal conductivity in the radial direction (compression direction) increases slightly with the density increment. Numerical computations were conducted to explain the characteristics of thermal conductivity in the radial direction by using a microscopic heat conduction model for the compressed wood. The numerical results were compared with the measured values. And the physical mechanism of the heat conduction in the compressed woods is discussed.     

Development of a single loop EPR test method and its relation to grain boundary microchemistry for alloy 600

A single loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation test method has been developed for alloy 600 that produces good passivation on all the surfaces, good etching during the reactivation scan and no appreciable pitting. It is able to quantify and discriminate between samples with a wide range of degree of sensitization. The Pa value correlates well with the minimum level of chromium in the depletion regions at the grain boundaries. It has been shown that the width of the attacked regions is much larger than the width of chromium depletion regions and it does not show any direct correlation with either depth or width or with a volume parameter of chromium depletion regions. It has been shown that the chromium carbides are not attacked during the test and that the intragranular regions attacked during the test are the sites of chromium carbides in the grain matrix. A modified Pa parameter is shown to be sensitive down to 7.5 wt% chromium in the depletion regions and indicates that the intragranular carbides have shallower depletion profiles than those at grain boundaries. Comparison of the results of the single loop and the double loop tests showed a good correlation.     

Recovery retardation in equal channel angular pressed Al–Zr alloy during friction stir welding

The effect of Zr on reduction of hardness and microstructure in an FS weld of equal channel angular-pressed Al alloy was investigated. Zr addition to Al suppressed dynamic recovery in the thermomechanically affected zone and enabled retention of the high hardness of the ECA-pressed material throughout the weld.     

Boundary type finite element method for surface wave motion based on trigonometric function interpolation

There are many physical phenomena which can be handled by the Helmholtz equation. The equation explains certain phenomena of wave propagation. This paper presents a new finite element method to analyse surface wave motion. The characteristic point of this method is that the interpolation equation is chosen to satisfy the governing Helmholtz equation using trigonometric functions. This follows that the variational functional to be minimized can be formulated such that the integration is limited to the boundary of the element. The numerical solutions obtained are compared with analytical and experimental solutions. From these comparative studies, it is concluded that the present method provides a useful tool for the analysis of surface wave motion.     

90-nm process-variation adaptive embedded SRAM modules with power-line-floating write technique

The power consumption of a low-power system-on-a-chip (SoC) has a large impact on the battery life of mobile appliances. General SoCs have large on-chip SRAMs, which consume a large proportion of the whole LSI power. To achieve a low-power SoC, we have developed embedded SRAM modules, which use some low-power SRAM techniques. One technique involves expanding the write margin; another is a power-line-floating write technique, which enables low-voltage write operation. The power-line-floating write technique makes it possible to lower the minimum operating supply voltage by 100 mV. The other techniques involve using a process-variation-adaptive write replica circuit and reducing leakage current. These techniques reduce active power during write operations by 18% and reduce active leakage of the word-line driver by 64%. The prototype SRAM modules achieve 0.8-V operation, and a 512-kb SRAM module achieves 48.4-/spl mu/A active leakage and 7.8-/spl mu/A standby leakage with worst-leakage devices.     

The heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of finned tube banks in forced convection (effects of fin height on pressure drop characteristics)

In recent years the requirement for the reduction of energy consumption has been increasing to solve the problems of global warming and the shortage of petroleum resources. For example, in the power generation field, as thermal power generation occupied 60% of the power generation demand, considerable improvement of the thermal efficiency is required. This paper describes the pressure drop characteristics of finned tube banks used for heat exchangers in thermal power generation that were clarified by testing serrated finned tube banks with different fin heights for improved heat transfer and conventional spiral finned tube banks with different fin heights, and an equation to predict pressure drop which is necessary for the heat exchanger design is proposed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 35(3): 179–193, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/htj.20112     

When West meets East: Contributions of Eastern traditions to the future of psychotherapy.

Discusses 2 interrelated traditions as they are reflected in contemporary and traditional approaches to psychotherapy in Japan. One uses various meditational and self-focusing instructional sets whose common goal is to facilitate the slowing down, deepening, and clearer focusing of sensory and interpersonal awareness. The 2nd tradition focuses on physical self-regulation and autonomic self-control through exercises that foster enhanced voluntary control over physical states and processes. Eastern psychology offers a set of practices that help the individual overcome the inherent selfishness of his/her isolated experience. The goals of such work include recognition of gratitude to important people in the client's life, rediscovery of the joy of meaningful work, and the experience of a unifying cosmic consciousness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)