SAXS STUDY ON THE STRUCTURE AND CRYSTALLIZATION OF AMORPHOUS METALLIC ALLOYS

The change in structure of several amorphous alloys as Fe-P-C, Fe-B, Pd-Si and Pd-Au-Si alloys during isothermal ageing was examined using small angle X-ray scattering measurement and transmission electron microscopy. The SAXS intensity was related to two different types of scattering sources depending on ageing time and temperature. For the as-splatted amorphous alloys and the specimens aged for short period at the temperature below their crystallization temperatures, the week and spreaded SAXS intensity was observed. This indicates the existence of electron density fluctuation in the amorphous state. The average size of their scattering regions was 1.8 to 2.4 nm for Fe-P-C alloys and 1.2 to 0.8 nm for Fe-B alloys. The origin of its fluctuation has been discussed based on one dimensional model. When the amorphous alloys was aged for longer period, the fine crystalline particles precipitate ; those are the two phase lamellar structure of Fe_3P and α Fe for Fe-P-C alloys, the α iron phase for Fe-B alloys and the α phase for Pd-Au-Si alloys, respectively. Their size and structure were determined from the analysis of SAXS intensity and TEM observation

Relation of n-value to critical current in bent-damaged Bi2223 composite tape

AbstractThe relation of n-value to critical current of bent-damaged (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ (Bi2223) composite tape was studied experimentally and analytically. The experimental results showed that, under bending strain, the n-value decreased rather slightly with decreasing critical current in comparison with the data obtained under applied tensile strain. The experimentally observed slight decrease in n-value with critical current under bending strain, and the measured changes in critical current and n-value with increasing bending strain, were described satisfactorily by the presented damage evolution model that correlates the extent of damage to variation of bending strain-induced tensile strain in the core along the thickness direction

Modelling Analysis of Pre-stress Effect on Upper Critical Magnetic Field and Critical Current of Nb_3Sn Composite Wire (High Field Superconductors)

An analytical model to describe the variations of the upper critical magnetic field and critical current at 4.2K of the superconducting multifilamentary Nb_3Sn composite wire caused by the application of pre-stress at room tempearture was presented and applied to experimental results. Main results are summarized as follows. (1)The variations of the upper critical magnetic field and critical current could be described well as a function of pre-stress by combining the Ekin\u27s scaling law with the elastic/plastic mechanical calculation. (2)It was demonstrated experimentally and theoretically that the upper magnetic filed and critical current can be improved by the pre-stressing treatment through the control of residual strain of Nb_3Sn. (3)The strength distribution of the Nb_3Sn filanents was estimated for the first time by extracting the influence of breakage of Nb_3Sn filaments from the change in critical current of pre-stressed composite. (4)The procedure to predict the relation between critical current at 4.2K and pre-stress at room temperature for engineering-scale long samples was presented based on the present model. An example of the application indicated that the permissible overall pre-stress on composite, below which all Nb_3Sn filaments transport current without breakage, is reduced by ≈20 % for long specimens of 300m in comparison with that for the short specimens of 25mm, while the average strength of Nb_3Sn for 300 m is reduced by ≈60 % from that for 25mm

Sevoflurane Stimulates MAP Kinase Signal transduction through the Activation of PKC α and βII in Fetal Rat Cerebral Cortex Cultured Neuron

Protein kinase C (PKC) is a key enzyme that participates in various neuronal functions. PKC has also been identified as a target molecule for general anesthetic actions. Raf, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) have been thought to be target effectors of PKC. In the present study, we attempted to evaluate the effect of sevoflurane on PKC/MAPK cascade signaling in cultured fetal rat cerebral ­cortex neurons, prepared from embryonic day 18 fetuses. The effects of sevoflurane on the translocation of 7 PKC isoforms (α, βI, βII, γ, δ, ɛ and ζ) were observed by immunoblotting using isoform-selective antibodies to PKCs. The treatment of neurons with sevoflurane induced the translocation of PKC α and PKC βII species from the cytosol to the membrane fraction, which indicated the activation of these PKC isoforms. In contrast, there was no clear change in the distribution of other PKC isoforms. We next examined whether the specific activation of PKC α and βII by sevoflurane could stimulate the MAP kinase signaling pathway in cultured neurons. Raf phosphorylation was increased by the administration of 0.25 mM sevoflurane. The phosphorylation of Raf proteins reached a maximum at 5–10 min. Subsequently, the phosphorylation of MEK proteins was increased at 10–15 min after sevoflurane treatments. That of ERK proteins was induced at 15–60 min. Moreover, the phosphorylation of ERK induced by sevoflurane was significantly decreased by the treatment of PKC inhibitor (staurosporine) and MEK inhibitor (PD98059). On the other hand, the contents of total Raf, MEK and ERK proteins were relatively constant at all times examined. To examine the ­localization of phosphorylated-ERK protein, immunohistochemical staining of sevoflurane-treated cultured neurons was performed. The phosphorylated-ERK proteins were markedly accumulated in both the cytosol of the cell body and the neurites in the neuronal cells with time after 0.25 mM sevoflurane-treatment. These results demonstrated that sevoflurane induced the phosphorylation of the MAP kinase cascade through the activation of the PKC α and PKC βII species

Clinical Pathological Analysis of Surgically Resected Superficial Esophageal Carcinoma to Determine Criteria for Deciding on Treatment Strategy

We performed a clinical pathological study of conventionally resected superficial esophageal carcinomas since this type of lesion has been increasing, in order to develop criteria of determination for therapeutic strategies. Pathological studies were performed on specimens obtained by radical surgical resection in 133 cases of superficial esophageal cancer. Evaluation was performed in terms of the gross classification of the lesion type, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, vascular invasion, size of the lesion, outcome, etc. In 0-I, 0-IIc+0-IIa, and 0-III type submucosal cancer lesions the rate of metastasis to lymph nodes was more than 40%, but in 0-IIa and 0-IIb mucosal cancer cases no lymph node metastasis was observed. 0-IIc type lesions showed a wide range of invasiveness, ranging from m1 to sm3. In cases with m1 or m2 invasion, no lymph node or lymph-vessel invasion was recognized, but in m3, sm1, sm2, and sm3 cases lymph node metastasis was recognized in 12.5%, 22.2%, 44.0% and 47.4%, respectively. In 47% of lesions with a greatest dimension of less than 30 mm invasion was limited to the mucosa. Seventy-two percent of m1 and m2 cases were 30 mm in size or less. Lymph node metastasis was recognized in only 16.7% of cases less than 30 mm in size, but in cases of lesions 30 mm or more the rate of lymph node metastasis was 35.8%. 0-IIb and 0-IIa type lesions are indications for endoscopic esophageal mucosal resection (EEMR), while 0-I, 0-IIc+0-IIa, and 0-III lesions should be candidates for radical surgical resection. In the 0-IIc category, lesions in which the depression is relatively flat and with a finely granular surface are indications for EEMR, but those cases in which the surface of depression shows granules of varying sizes should be treated with radical surgical resection. Cases of 0-IIa type 30 mm or larger in greatest dimension which have a gently sloping protruding margin shoulder or reddening should be treated with caution, but EEMR can be performed first and subsequent therapeutic strategy decided on, based on the pathological findings of the specimen

Strain Effects on Point Defects and Chain-Oxygen Order-Disorder Transition in 123-Structure Cuprate Superconductors

The energetics of Schottky defects in 123 cuprate superconductor series, $\rm REBa_2Cu_3O_7$ (where RE = lanthandies) and $\rm YAE_2Cu_3O_7$ (AE = alkali-earths), were found to have unusual relations if one considers only the volumetric strain. Our calculations reveal the effect of non-uniform changes of interatomic distances within the RE-123 structures, introduced by doping homovalent elements, on the Schottky defect formation energy. The energy of formation of Frenkel Pair defects, which is an elementary disordering event, in 123 compounds can be substantially altered under both stress and chemical doping. Scaling the oxygen-oxygen short-range repulsive parameter using the calculated formation energy of Frenkel pair defects, the transition temperature between orthorhombic and tetragonal phases is computed by quasi-chemical approximations (QCA). The theoretical results illustrate the same trend as the experimental measurements in that the larger the ionic radius of RE, the lower the orthorhombic/tetragonal phase transition temperature. This study provides strong evidence of the strain effects on order-disorder transition due to oxygens in the CuO chain sites.Comment: In print Phys Rev B (2004