Nondestructive evaluation of structural ceramics by photoacoustic microscopy

A photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) digital imaging system was developed and utilized to characterize silicon nitride material at the various stages of the ceramic fabrication process. Correlation studies revealed that photoacoustic microscopy detected failure initiating defects in substantially more specimens than microradiography and ultrasonic techniques. Photoacoustic microscopy detected 10 to 100 micron size surface and subsurface pores and inclusions, respectively, up to 80 microns below the interrogating surface in machined sintered silicon nitride. Microradiography detected 50 micron diameter fracture controlling pores and inclusions. Subsurface holes were detected up to a depth of 570 microns and 1.00 mm in sintered silicon nitride and silicon carbide, respectively. Seeded voids of 20 to 30 micron diameters at the surface and 50 microns below the interrogating surface were detected by photoacoustic microscopy and microradiography with 1 percent X-ray thickness sensitivity. Tight surface cracks of 96 micron length x 48 micron depth were detected by photoacoustic microscopy. PAM volatilized and removed material in the green state which resulted in linear shallow microcracks after sintering. This significantly limits the use of PAM as an in-process NDE technique

KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS AMONG NURSING STAFF

ABSTRACT The magnitude of mental health problem is cosiderable. However the attitude of the general public towards mental illness and mentally ill people is largely negative. Perception and knowledge of the nursing staff on this topic is important as they directly deal with patients and their relatives, and they are also involved in disseminating health information. A negative attitude is known hindrance to providing quality service to mentally or physically ill persons. This study, therefore, carried out among nursing staff at B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) a tertiary care center in Nepal, aims to find out nurses’ knowledge and attitude about mental illness. It is a cross-sectional, descriptive study with 110 respondents, who were predominantly females (97.27%) and young (mean age=25.7year). The study revealed some interesting findings as many of the participants thought mentally ill people are ‘ insane’ (37.5%). The majority had showed their knowledge about causes of mental illness as genetic or inherited (65.4%) and biochemical disturbances (90.0%). About three fourth were ready to work together (71.8%) and chat with them (91.8%). Respondents expressed their faith in psychiatrists (93.5%) but less in faith healers (3.0%). The vast majority had obtained information about mental illness from ‘seeing mentally ill persons’ (94.0%) followed by communication with medical personnel (84.5%). This study revealed that there was overall adequate knowledge and by and large a positive attitude. Key Words: Mental health, nurses, knowledge, attitude, Nepal

Erratum to: Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition) (Autophagy, 12, 1, 1-222, 10.1080/15548627.2015.1100356

non present