1,021 research outputs found
Surface morphology in engineering applications: Influence of roughness on sliding and wear in dry fretting
Influence of initial surface roughness on friction and wear processes under fretting conditions was investigated experimentally. Rough surfaces (Ra=0.15-2.52 [mu]m) were prepared on two materials: carbon alloy (AISI 1034) and titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V). Strong influence of initial surface roughness on friction and wear processes is reported for both tested materials. Lower coefficient of friction and increase in wear rate was observed for rough surfaces. Wear activation energy is increasing for smoother surfaces. Lower initial roughness of surface subjected to gross slip fretting can delay activation of wear process and reduce wear rate; however, it can slightly increase the coefficient of friction
Epigenetic Modifications in Stress Response Genes Associated With Childhood Trauma
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may be referred to by other terms (e.g., early life adversity or stress and childhood trauma) and have a lifelong impact on mental and physical health. For example, childhood trauma has been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The heritability of ACE-related phenotypes such as PTSD, depression, and resilience is low to moderate, and, moreover, is very variable for a given phenotype, which implies that gene by environment interactions (such as through epigenetic modifications) may be involved in the onset of these phenotypes. Currently, there is increasing interest in the investigation of epigenetic contributions to ACE-induced differential health outcomes. Although there are a number of studies in this field, there are still research gaps. In this review, the basic concepts of epigenetic modifications (such as methylation) and the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the stress response are outlined. Examples of specific genes undergoing methylation in association with ACE-induced differential health outcomes are provided. Limitations in this field, e.g., uncertain clinical diagnosis, conceptual inconsistencies, and technical drawbacks, are reviewed, with suggestions for advances using new technologies and novel research directions. We thereby provide a platform on which the field of ACE-induced phenotypes in mental health may build
Measurement of Ultra-Low Potassium Contaminations with Accelerator Mass Spectrometry
Levels of trace radiopurity in active detector materials is a subject of
major concern in low-background experiments. Among the radio-isotopes, \k40
is one of the most abundant and yet whose signatures are difficult to reject.
Procedures were devised to measure trace potassium concentrations in the
inorganic salt CsI as well as in organic liquid scintillator (LS) with
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), giving, respectively, the
\k40-contamination levels of and g/g.
Measurement flexibilities and sensitivities are improved over conventional
methods. The projected limiting sensitivities if no excess of potassium signals
had been observed over background are g/g and g/g for the CsI and LS, respectively. Studies of the LS samples
indicate that the radioactive contaminations come mainly in the dye solutes,
while the base solvents are orders of magnitude cleaner. The work demonstrate
the possibilities of measuring naturally-occurring isotopes with the AMS
techniques.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, 3 table
Measurement of Trace I-129 Concentrations in CsI Powder and Organic Liquid Scintillator with Accelerator Mass Spectrometry
Levels of trace radiopurity in active detector materials is a subject of
major concern in low-background experiments. Procedures were devised to measure
trace concentrations of I-129 in the inorganic salt CsI as well as in organic
liquid scintillator with Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) which leads to
improvement in sensitivities by several orders of magnitude over other methods.
No evidence of their existence in these materials were observed. Limits of < 6
X 10^{-13} g/g and < 2.6 X 10^{-17} g/g on the contaminations of I-129 in CsI
and liquid scintillator, respectively, were derived.These are the first results
in a research program whose goals are to develop techniques to measure trace
radioactivity in detector materials by AMS.Comment: Proceedings of 10th International Conference on Accelerator Mass
Spectrometr
Wear resistant multilayer nanocomposite WC1−x/C coating on Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy
A significant improvement of tribological properties on Ti–6Al–4V has been achieved by developed in this study multilayer treatment method for the titanium alloys. This treatment consists of an intermediate 2 μm thick TiCxNy layer which has been deposited by the reactive arc evaporation onto a diffusion hardened material with interstitial O or N atoms by glow discharge plasma in the atmosphere of Ar+O2 or Ar+N2. Subsequently, an external 0.3 μm thin nanocomposite carbon-based WC1−x/C coating has been deposited by a reactive magnetron sputtering of graphite and tungsten targets. The morphology, microstructure, chemical and phase compositions of the substrate material after treatment and coating deposition have been investigated with use of AFM, SEM, EDX, XRD, 3D profilometry and followed by tribological investigation of wear and friction analysis. An increase of hardness in the diffusion treated near-surface zone of the Ti–6Al–4V substrate has been achieved. In addition, a good adhesion between the intermediate gradient TiCxNy coating and the Ti–6Al–4V substrate as well as with the external nanocomposite coating has been obtained. Significant increase in wear resistance of up to 94% when compared to uncoated Ti–6Al–4V was reported. The proposed multilayer system deposited on the Ti–6Al–4V substrate is a promising method to significantly increase wear resistance of titanium alloys
ATIC and PAMELA Results on Cosmic e^\pm Excesses and Neutrino Masses
Recently the ATIC and PAMELA collaborations released their results which show
the abundant e^\pm excess in cosmic rays well above the background, but not for
the \bar{p}. Their data if interpreted as the dark matter particles'
annihilation imply that the new physics with the dark matter is closely related
to the lepton sector. In this paper we study the possible connection of the new
physics responsible for the cosmic e^\pm excesses to the neutrino mass
generation. We consider a class of models and do the detailed numerical
calculations. We find that these models can natually account for the ATIC and
PAMELA e^\pm and \bar{p} data and at the same time generate the small neutrino
masses.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures. Published version with minor corrections and more
reference
Electromagnetically induced transparency in multi-level cascade scheme of cold rubidium atoms
We report an experimental investigation of electromagnetically induced
transparency in a multi-level cascade system of cold atoms. The absorption
spectral profiles of the probe light in the multi-level cascade system were
observed in cold Rb-85 atoms confined in a magneto-optical trap, and the
dependence of the spectral profile on the intensity of the coupling laser was
investigated. The experimental measurements agree with the theoretical
calculations based on the density matrix equations of the rubidium cascade
system.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
Hexatic-Herringbone Coupling at the Hexatic Transition in Smectic Liquid Crystals: 4- Renormalization Group Calculations Revisited
Simple symmetry considerations would suggest that the transition from the
smectic-A phase to the long-range bond orientationally ordered hexatic
smectic-B phase should belong to the XY universality class. However, a number
of experimental studies have constantly reported over the past twenty years
"novel" critical behavior with non-XY critical exponents for this transition.
Bruinsma and Aeppli argued in Physical Review Letters {\bf 48}, 1625 (1982),
using a renormalization-group calculation, that short-range
molecular herringbone correlations coupled to the hexatic ordering drive this
transition first order via thermal fluctuations, and that the critical behavior
observed in real systems is controlled by a `nearby' tricritical point. We have
revisited the model of Bruinsma and Aeppli and present here the results of our
study. We have found two nontrivial strongly-coupled herringbone-hexatic fixed
points apparently missed by those authors. Yet, those two new nontrivial
fixed-points are unstable, and we obtain the same final conclusion as the one
reached by Bruinsma and Aeppli, namely that of a fluctuation-driven first order
transition. We also discuss the effect of local two-fold distortion of the bond
order as a possible missing order parameter in the Hamiltonian.Comment: 1 B/W eps figure included. Submitted to Physical Review E. Contact:
[email protected]
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