1,205 research outputs found
The size effect in corrosion greatly influences the predicted life span of concrete infrastructures
Chloride-induced corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete is the main cause for premature degradation of concrete infrastructures worldwide. Since mid of the last century, the conceptual approach to tackle this challenge in science and engineering is based on a threshold chloride concentration (Ccrit) for corrosion initiation. Here, we present an experiment that shows that Ccrit depends strongly on the exposed steel surface area. The smaller the tested specimen, the higher and the more variable becomes Ccrit. This size effect can be explained by the local conditions at the steel-concrete interface, which exhibit pronounced spatial variability. The size effect has major implications for the future use of the concept of Ccrit. It questions the reproducibility of typically small-scale laboratory testing and the applicability of laboratory results to engineering structures. We show that the weakest link theory is suitable to transform Ccrit from small to large dimensions, which lays the basis for taking into account the size effect in science and engineering of corrosion of infrastructures
A discussion of the paper “Influence of surface charge on ingress of chloride ion in hardened pastes” by Y. Elakneswaran, T. Nawa, and K. Kurumisawa
Sheared Ising models in three dimensions
The nonequilibrium phase transition in sheared three-dimensional Ising models
is investigated using Monte Carlo simulations in two different geometries
corresponding to different shear normals. We demonstrate that in the high shear
limit both systems undergo a strongly anisotropic phase transition at exactly
known critical temperatures T_c which depend on the direction of the shear
normal. Using dimensional analysis, we determine the anisotropy exponent
theta=2 as well as the correlation length exponents nu_parallel=1 and
nu_perp=1/2. These results are verified by simulations, though considerable
corrections to scaling are found. The correlation functions perpendicular to
the shear direction can be calculated exactly and show Ornstein-Zernike
behavior.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Charge Order Superstructure with Integer Iron Valence in Fe2OBO3
Solution-grown single crystals of Fe2OBO3 were characterized by specific
heat, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. A peak in the specific
heat at 340 K indicates the onset of charge order. Evidence for a doubling of
the unit cell at low temperature is presented. Combining structural refinement
of diffraction data and Mossbauer spectra, domains with diagonal charge order
are established. Bond-valence-sum analysis indicates integer valence states of
the Fe ions in the charge ordered phase, suggesting Fe2OBO3 is the clearest
example of ionic charge order so far.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Fig. 3 is available in higher resolution from the
authors. PRL in prin
Charge order, dynamics, and magneto-structural transition in multiferroic LuFeO
We investigated the series of temperature and field-driven transitions in
LuFeO by optical and M\"{o}ssbauer spectroscopies, magnetization, and
x-ray scattering in order to understand the interplay between charge,
structure, and magnetism in this multiferroic material. We demonstrate that
charge fluctuation has an onset well below the charge ordering transition,
supporting the "order by fluctuation" mechanism for the development of charge
order superstructure. Bragg splitting and large magneto optical contrast
suggest a low temperature monoclinic distortion that can be driven by both
temperature and magnetic field.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, PRL in prin
Roux-en-Y Drainage of the Pancreatic Stump Decreases Pancreatic Fistula After Distal Pancreatic Resection
Clinically relevant fistula after distal pancreatic resection occurs in 5-30% of patients, prolonging recovery and considerably increasing in-hospital stay and costs. We tested whether routine drainage of the pancreatic stump into a Roux-en-Y limb after distal pancreatic resection decreased the incidence of fistula. From October 2001, data of all patients undergoing pancreatic distal resection were entered in a prospective database. From June 2003 after resection, the main pancreatic duct and the pancreatic stump were oversewn, and in addition, anastomosed into a jejunal Roux-en-Y limb by a single-layer suture (n = 23). A drain was placed near the anastomosis, and all patients received octreotide for 5-7days postoperatively. The volume of the drained fluid was registered daily, and concentration of amylase was measured and recorded every other day. Patient demographics, hospital stay, pancreatic fistula incidence (≥30ml amylase-rich fluid/day on/after postoperative day 10), perioperative morbidity, and follow-up after discharge were compared with our initial series of patients (treated October 2001-May 2003) who underwent oversewing only (n = 20). Indications, patient demographics, blood loss, and tolerance of an oral diet were similar. There were four (20%) pancreatic fistulas in the "oversewn” group and none in the anastomosis group (p < 0.05). Nonsurgical morbidity, in-hospital stay, and follow-up were comparable in both group
Two-gap superconductivity in Ba_1-xK_xFe_2As_2: A complementary study of the magnetic penetration depth by \muSR and ARPES
We investigate the magnetic penetration depth \lambda in superconducting
Ba_1-xK_xFe_2As_2 (T_c\simeq32K) with muon-spin rotation (\muSR) and
angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES). Using \muSR, we find the
penetration-depth anisotropy \gamma_\lambda=\lambda_c/\lambda_{ab} and the
second-critical-field anisotropy \gamma_{H_c2} to show an opposite T-evolution
below T_c. This dichotomy resembles the situation in the two-gap superconductor
MgB_2. A two-gap scenario is also suggested by an inflection point in the
in-plane penetration depth \lambda_ab around 7K. The complementarity of \muSR
and ARPES allows us to pinpoint the values of the two gaps and to arrive to a
remarkable agreement between the two techniques concerning the full T-evolution
of \lambda_ab. This provides further support for the described scenario and
establishes ARPES as a tool to assess macroscopic properties of the
superconducting condensate.Comment: Accepted for publication by Phys. Rev. Let
Incommensurate Charge Order Phase in Fe2OBO3 due to Geometrical Frustration
The temperature dependence of charge order in Fe2OBO3 was investigated by
resistivity and differential scanning calorimetry measurements, Mossbauer
spectroscopy, and synchrotron x-ray scattering, revealing an intermediate phase
between room temperature and 340 K, characterized by coexisting mobile and
immobile carriers, and by incommensurate superstructure modulations with
temperature-dependent propagation vector (1/2,0,tau). The incommensurate
modulations arise from specific anti-phase boundaries with low energy cost due
to geometrical charge frustration.Comment: 4 p., 5 fig.; v2: slightly expanded introduction + minor changes. PRL
in prin
Atypical depressive syndromes in varying definitions
Background: Atypical depression (AD) exhibits distinct patterns of gender,bipolar-II disorder, genetic, and neuro-biological measures. Using prospective data from a community sample, this paper identifies criteria (and correlates) for an AD syndrome that maximizes the association with female sex and bipolar-II. Methods: The Zurich cohort study is composed of 591 subjects selected from a population-based cohort of young adults in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland, screened in 1978 and followed with six interviews through 1999. Seven definitions of atypical depression were tested, using varying combinations of vegetative symptoms and mood reactivity. Results: The atypical definitions using 2 of 3 (fatigue, overeating, oversleeping) or 2 of 2 (overeating, oversleeping) vegetative symptoms showed the strongest association with gender, bipolarity, and family history of mania. The 2/3 definition was chosen for further analysis due to its high sensitivity for identifying these characteristics. This syndrome had cumulated weighted prevalence of 16.4% (males 9.7%, females 23%); when associated with major depressive episodes, 8.2% (males 3.2%, females 15.1%). AD patients were characterized by high treatment rates, severity, and work impairment, early age of onset and long illness. AD was comorbid with social phobia, binge eating, neurasthenia, migraine headache, and subjective cognitive impairmen
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