Thermal stability of a nanocrystalline HfNbTiZr multi-principal element alloy processed by high-pressure torsion

The microstructural stability of a nanocrystalline HfNbTiZr multi-principal element alloy was studied by annealing the material in a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The as-received sample was obtained by severe plastic deformation using the high-pressure torsion (HPT) technique. Samples were annealed to the characteristic temperatures of the DSC thermogram, namely up to 740, 890 and 1000 K, and the microstructure of the heat treated specimens was analyzed. It was found that the heating up to 740 K yielded a decomposition of the initial body-centered cubic (bcc) phase into two bcc phases with a lower and a higher lattice constant. During annealing up to 890 K, a Zr/Hf-rich hexagonal-close packed (hcp) phase started to nucleate. Heating the sample up to 1000 K resulted in the formation of a nanocrystalline Zr/Hf-rich bcc phase beside the Zr/Hf-rich hcp and the Nb-rich bcc phases. Beside the phase transformation a recovery of the severely deformed defect structure and a grain coarsening were also observed which was accompanied by a reduction of the hardness above 740 K

Energy-absorbing origami structure for crashworthiness design

This paper presents experimental and numerical investigations on the origami-patterned tube which is acknowledged as a promising energy-absorption device. Its buckling mode leads to high performances in terms of specific energy absorption (SEA) and crush force efficiency (CFE). The polygonal tube is prefolded by following an origami pattern, which is designed to act as geometric imperfection and mode inducer. First, a series of quasi-static crushing tests are performed on origami tubes with different materials and geometrical features. Specimens in SUS316L and AlSi10Mg are produced through Additive Manufacturing (AM). It allows to conveniently produce few samples with a complex shape. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Direct Image Correlation (DIC) are employed for a better insight into the complex crushing behaviour. The Aluminum tube shows a brittle behaviour while SUS316L tubes have extremely promising performance until local crack happens. Limits stemming from the employment of AM are explored and a new geometry is designed to avoid cracking. Second, a numerical design exploration study is carried out to assess the sensitivity of origami pattern features over the energy-absorption performance. ANSYS Autodyn is utilized as FE solver and DesignXplorer for correlation and optimization. The benefits of new patterns are investigated through geometrical optimization, and an improved geometry is proposed. The pattern stiffness is tuned to account for the external boundary conditions, resulting in a more uniform crushing behaviour. A similar force trend is maintained with a SEA increment of 51.7% due to a drastic weight reduction in areas with lower influence on post-buckling stiffnes

SMASIS2010-3651 ACTIVE VIBRATION ISOLATION SYSTEM USING THE PIEZOELECTRIC UNIMORPH WITH MECHANICALLY PRE-STRESSED SUBSTRATE

ABSTRACT In this paper, a pre-stressed piezoelectric unimorph made by a new fabrication method in room temperature, and an active vibration isolation system using the pre-stressed unimorph actuators are introduced. The fabricated piezoelectric unimorph, called PUMPS (piezoelectric unimorph with mechanically pre-stressed substrate), is an actuator in which actuation level is enhanced by displacement amplification mechanism that converts piezoelectric extension and contraction to large bending/pumping motion without sacrificing the actuation force. Preliminary vibration tests were performed to check the performance of PUMPS as actuators for active vibration control in a lab environment. Two feedback control schemes, the positive position feedback (PPF) and negative velocity feedback (NVF), were applied for active vibration control. Using a smart vibration isolation system with improved load capacity obtained by stacking pre-stressed piezoelectric unimorph actuators, about 10dB vibration reduction of the system was achieved near the resonant frequency region. With the preliminary vibration test results showing promising performance of PUMPS actuator in active vibration control, an integrated active vibration isolation system composed of PUMPS actuators is developed. The developed system contains compact analogue circuits and a sensor for PUMPS actuation and control, and power is supplied by Li-Polymer battery which means the system is completely standalone and portable. In addition, an integrated jitter isolation demonstration system was developed to demonstrate the degrading effect of jitter and the effectiveness of the developed integrated active vibration isolation system in improving the performance of optical payloads. Comparison of image qualities taken before and after the operation of vibration control system indicates that effective suppression of vibration disturbances can be achieved using the developed vibration isolation system with PUMPS actuators

Lack of Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Divergence between Two Subspecies of the Siberian Weasel from Korea: Mustela sibirica coreanus from the Korean Peninsula and M. s. quelpartis from Jeju Island

The objective of this study was to determine the degree of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) divergence between two subspecies of Mustela sibirica from Korea (M. s. coreanus on the Korean Peninsula and M. s. quelpartis on Jeju Island) and to examine the taxonomic status of M. s. quelpartis. Thus, we obtained complete sequences of mtDNA cytochrome b gene (1,140 bp) from the two subspecies, and these sequences were compared to a corresponding haplotype of M. s. coreanus, downloaded from GenBank. From this analysis, it was observed that the sequences from monogenic M. s. quelpartis on Jeju Island were identical to the sequences of four M. s. coreanus from four locations across the Korean Peninsula, and that the two subspecies formed a single clade; the average nucleotide distance between the two subspecies was 0.26% (range, 0.00 to 0.53%). We found that the subspecies quelpartis is not genetically distinct from the subspecies coreanus, and that this cytochrome b sequencing result does not support the current classification, distinguishing these two subspecies by pelage color. Further systematic analyses using morphometric characters and other DNA markers are necessary to confirm the taxonomic status of M. s. quelpartis

Effect of Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Performance of Cu Nanofoams Processed by Dealloying

Cu nanofoams are promising materials for a variety of applications, including anodes in high-performance lithium-ion batteries. The high specific surface area of these materials supports a high capacity and porous structure that helps accommodate volume expansion which occurs as batteries are charged. One of the most efficient methods to produce Cu nanofoams is the dealloying of Cu alloy precursors. This process often yields nanofoams that have low strength, thus requiring additional heat treatment to improve the mechanical properties of Cu foams. This paper provides the effects of heat treatment on the microstructures, mechanical properties, and electrochemical performance of Cu nanofoams. Annealing was conducted under both inert and oxidizing atmospheres. These studies ultimately reveal the underlying mechanisms of ligament coarsening during heat treatment

Endoscopic Treatment of Duodenal Bleeding Caused by Direct Hepatocellular Carcinoma Invasion with an Ethanol Injection

We report a case of a man who developed duodenal bleeding caused by direct hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invasion, which was successfully treated with endoscopic ethanol injection. A 57-year-old man with known HCC was admitted for melena and exertional dyspnea. He had been diagnosed with inoperable HCC a year ago. Urgent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) showed two widely eroded mucosal lesions with irregularly shaped luminal protruding hard mass on the duodenal bulb. Argon plasma coagulation and Epinephrine injection failed to control bleeding. We injected ethanol via endoscopy to control bleeding two times with 14 cc and 15 cc separately without complication. Follow-up EGD catched a large ulcer with necrotic and sclerotic base but no bleeding evidence was present. He was discharged and he did relatively well during the following periods. In conclusion, Endoscopic ethanol injection can be used as a significantly effective and safe therapeutic tool in gastrointestinal tract bleeding caused by HCC invasion

Performance of Papanicolaou Testing and Detection of Cervical Carcinoma In Situ in Participants of Organized Cervical Cancer Screening in South Korea

BACKGROUND: The present study measured the performance of the Papanicolaou (Pap) test and detection of cervical carcinoma in situ (CIS) and cancer in participants of organized cervical cancer screening in South Korea, and examined differences in the proportion of CIS according to socio-demographic factors. METHODS: Data were obtained from the National Cancer Screening Program and National Health Insurance Cancer Screening Program databases. We analyzed data from 4,072,997 screenings of women aged 30 years or older who underwent cervical cancer screening by Pap test between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2006. We calculated the performances of the Pap test and compared that according to socio-demographic factors. RESULTS: The positivity rate for all screenings was 6.6%. The cancer detection rate (CDR) and interval cancer rate (ICR) were 0.32 per 1,000 screenings, and 0.13 per 1,000 negative screenings, respectively. About 63.4% of screen-detected CIS+ cases (CIS or invasive cervical cancer) were CIS. The CDR and ICR, and percentage of CIS among all CIS+ were significantly different by age group and health insurance status. The odds ratios of CDR and ICR were higher for Medical Aid Program (MAP) recipients compared with National Health Insurance (NHI) beneficiaries. The likelihood of a detected CIS+ case to be CIS was significantly lower among MAP recipients than among NHI beneficiaries. CONCLUSIONS: The difference in performance of cervical cancer screening among different socio-demographic groups may indicate an important influence of socio-demographic factors on preventive behavior. The findings of the study support the critical need for increasing efforts to raise awareness and provide more screening in at-risk populations, specifically low-income groups