Maximum of dielectric permittivity caused by structural transition in ferroelectric BaTiO3-SrTiO3 superlattices

We invoke the onset of dislocations along the BaTiO3-SrTiO3 interface as reported by Wunderlich et al. to explain the non-monotonic behaviour of the dielectric permittivity as a function of superlattice periodicity and the less than four-fold in-plane symmetry at the dielectric maximum. At a periodicity of about 10/10, depending on composition and growth mechanism, several groups report a maximum of dielectric permittivity. In addition to that we observe in-plane symmetry less than tetragonal for 10/10 superlattices by HR-XRD, in contrast to initial low-resolution data from Tabata et al. thus challenging the assumption of unrelaxed strain all the way through the superlattice. The aim of this article is to link both effects to the increasing volume fraction of conducting layers close to the interface in series with the superlattice layers.

Modeling the geometric characteristics of five-dimensionally woven composites

An analytical modeling approach for the prediction of the geometric characteristics of five-dimensional (5D) woven composites has been formulated. The model is driven by readily available data including the weaving parameters and constituent material properties. The new model calculates the individual proportions of fiber in each direction, areal density, overall fiber volume fraction, and laminate thickness. This information is useful for the engineer in the design and manufacture of 5D woven composites. In addition the present model outputs the mathematical definition of the 5D woven composite unit cell, which could be implemented as the geometric input for a downstream analytical model that is capable of predicting the elastic stiffness of 5D woven composites. Input parameters have been sourced from existing published work and the subsequent predictions made by the model are compared with the available experimental data on 5D woven composites.

Phase behavior of mixtures of colloidal platelets and nonadsorbing polymers

The phase behavior of a model system of colloidal platelets and nonadsorbing polymers is studied using computer simulations and perturbation theory. The equation of state for the pure platelet reference system is obtained by Monte Carlo simulations, and the free volume fraction accessible to polymers is measured by a trial insertion method. The free volume fraction is also calculated using scaled particle theory. Subsequently, the phase diagram for platelet-polymer mixtures is calculated. For a platelet aspect ratio L/D=0.1 and a polymer to platelet size ratio d/D>0.2, we observe coexistence between two isotropic phases with different densities. For smaller polymers d/D

Interfacial Properties of LiTFSI and LiPF6-Based Electrolytes in Binary and Ternary Mixtures of Alkylcarbonates on Graphite Electrodes and Celgard Separator

For a better understanding of the adsorption behavior of alkylcarbonate-based electrolytes on graphite electrodes and Celgard separator for Li-ion batteries applications, the interface parameters are determined by contact angle and surface tension measurements. The correlation between these parameters and chemical compositions made of alkyl carbonate with a varying nature of lithium salts (LiPF6 and LiTFSI) and volume fractions of binary and ternary mixtures containing propylene carbonate (PC), ethylene carbonate (EC), and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is investigated. From the obtained contact angle and surface tension (?L) values for each liquid, the dispersive and polar components of the surface tension (?Ld and ?Lp) of the electrolyte and interfacial free energy between the solid and liquid (?SL) were then calculated using the Young’s equation. The variation of contact angle (?) and the surface tension, as well as the work of adhesion (WA) of binary PC/DMC mixtures on PP, PE, and PET model surfaces were also measured and commented as function of volume fraction of PC in DMC. Finally, the Zisman’s critical surface tension (?C) for studied surfaces was then obtained showing positives slopes of cos ? versus ?L. This behavior is explained by a relative higher adsorption of alkylcarbonates to the hydrogenated supports or graphite. These results are decisive to understand the performance of electrolyte/electrode material/separator interfaces in lithium-ion battery devices.

Flow patterns and pressure drop of ionic liquid-water two-phase flows in microchannels

The two-phase flow of a hydrophobic ionic liquid and water was studied in capillaries made of three different materials (two types of Teflon, FEP and Tefzel, and glass) with sizes between 200µm and 270µm. The ionic liquid was 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis{(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl}amide, with density and viscosity of 1420kgm and 0.041kgms, respectively. Flow patterns and pressure drop were measured for two inlet configurations (T- and Y-junction), for total flow rates of 0.065-214.9cmh and ionic liquid volume fractions from 0.05 to 0.8. The continuous phase in the glass capillary depended on the fluid that initially filled the channel. When water was introduced first, it became the continuous phase with the ionic liquid forming plugs or a mixture of plugs and drops within it. In the Teflon microchannels, the order that fluids were introduced did not affect the results and the ionic liquid was always the continuous phase. The main patterns observed were annular, plug, and drop flow. Pressure drop in the Teflon microchannels at a constant ionic liquid flow rate, was found to increase as the ionic liquid volume fraction decreased, and was always higher than the single phase ionic liquid value at the same flow rate as in the two-phase mixture. However, in the glass microchannel during plug flow with water as the continuous phase, pressure drop for a constant ionic liquid flow rate was always lower than the single phase ionic liquid value. A modified plug flow pressure drop model using a correlation for film thickness derived for the current fluids pair showed very good agreement with the experimental data. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Tuneable magneto-optical metamaterials based on photonic resonances in nickel nanorod arrays

We investigate the magneto-optical properties of a nanostructured metamaterial comprised of arrays of nickel nanorods embedded in an anodized aluminum oxide template. The rods are grown using a self-assembly bottom-up technique that provides a uniform, quasi-hexagonal array over a large area, quickly and at low cost. The tuneability of the magneto-optic response of the material is investigated by varying the nanorod dimensions: diameter, length and inter-rod spacing as well as the overall thickness of the template. It is demonstrated that the system acts as a sub-wavelength light trap with enhanced magneto-optical properties occurring at reflectivity minima corresponding to photonic resonances of the metamaterial. Changes in dimensions of the nickel rods on the order of tens of nanometers cause a spectral blue-shift in the peak magneto-optical response of 270 nm in the visible range. A plasmonic enhancement is also observed at lower wavelengths, which becomes increasingly damped with larger diameters and increased volume fraction of nickel inclusions. This type of structure has potential applications in high density magneto-optical data storage (up to 1011–12 rods per square inch), ultrafast magneto-plasmonic switching and optical components for telecommunications.

Micro-abrasion mechanisms of cast CoCrMo in simulated body fluids

The abrasion seen on some of the retrieved CoCrMo hip joints has been reported to be caused by entrained hard particles in vivo. However, little work has been reported on the abrasion mechanisms of CoCrMo alloy in simulated body environments. Therefore. this study covers the mapping of micro-abrasion wear mechanisms of cast CoCrMo induced by third body hard particles under a wide range of abrasive test conditions. This study has a specific focus on covering the possible in vivo wear modes seen on metal-on-metal (MoM) surfaces. Nano-indentation and nano-scratch tests were also employed to further investigate the secondary wear mechanisms-nano-scale material deformation that involved in micro-abrasion processes. This work addresses the potential detrimental effects of third body hard particles in vivo such as increased wear rates (debris generation) and corrosion (metal-ion release). The abrasive wear mechanisms of cast CoCrMo have been investigated under various wear-corrosion conditions employing two abrasives, SiC (similar to 4 mu m) and Al(2)O(3) (similar to 1 mu m), in two test solutions, 0.9% NaCl and 25% bovine serum. The specific wear rates, wear mechanisms and transitions between mechanisms are discussed in terms of the abrasive size, volume fraction and the test solutions deployed. The work shows that at high abrasive volume fractions, the presence of protein enhanced the wear loss due to the enhanced particle entrainment, whereas at much lower abrasive volume fractions, protein reduced the wear loss by acting as a boundary lubricant or rolling elements which reduced the abrasivity (load per particle) of the abrasive particles. The abrasive wear rate and wear mechanisms of the CoCrMo are dependent on the nature of the third body abrasives, their entrainment into the contact and the presence of the proteins. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of particle/matrix interface and strengthening mechanisms on the mechanical properties of metal matrix composites

A randomly distributed multi-particle model considering the effects of particle/matrix interface and strengthening mechanisms introduced by the particles has been constructed. Particle shape, distribution, volume fraction and the particles/matrix interface due to the factors including element diffusion were considered in the model. The effects of strengthening mechanisms, caused by the introduction of particles on the mechanical properties of the composites, including grain refinement strengthening, dislocation strengthening and Orowan strengthening, are incorporated. In the model, the particles are assumed to have spheroidal shape, with uniform distribution of the centre, long axis length and inclination angle. The axis ratio follows a right half-normal distribution. Using Monte Carlo method, the location and shape parameters of the spheroids are randomly selected. The particle volume fraction is calculated using the area ratio of the spheroids. Then, the effects of particle/matrix interface and strengthening mechanism on the distribution of Mises stress and equivalent strain and the flow behaviour for the composites are discussed.

Drug Polymer Thermodynamic Phase Diagrams in the Selection of Optimal API-Polymer Compositions for Amorphous Solid Dispersions

Purpose The aim of this work was to examine, for amorphous solid dispersions, how the thermal analysis method selected impacts on the construction of thermodynamic phase diagrams, and to assess the predictive value of such phase diagrams in the selection of optimal, physically stable API-polymer compositions. Methods Thermodynamic phase diagrams for two API/polymer systems (naproxen/HPMC AS LF and naproxen/Kollidon 17 PF) were constructed from data collected using two different thermal analysis methods. The “dynamic” method involved heating the physical mixture at a rate of 1 &[deg]C/minute. In the "static" approach, samples were held at a temperature above the polymer Tg for prolonged periods, prior to scanning at 10 &[deg]C/minute. Subsequent to construction of phase diagrams, solid dispersions consisting of API-polymer compositions representative of different zones in the phase diagrams were spray dried and characterised using DSC, pXRD, TGA, FTIR, DVS and SEM. The stability of these systems was investigated under the following conditions: 25 &[deg]C, desiccated; 25 &[deg]C, 60 % RH; 40 &[deg]C, desiccated; 40 &[deg]C, 60 % RH. Results Endset depression occurred with increasing polymer volume fraction (Figure 1a). In conjunction with this data, Flory-Huggins and Gordon-Taylor theory were applied to construct thermodynamic phase diagrams (Figure 1b). The Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (&[chi]) for naproxen and HPMC AS LF was + 0.80 and + 0.72, for the dynamic and static methods respectively. For naproxen and Kollidon 17 PF, the dynamic data resulted in an interaction parameter of - 1.1 and the isothermal data produced a value of - 2.2. For both systems, the API appeared to be less soluble in the polymer when the dynamic approach was used. Stability studies of spray dried solid dispersions could be used as a means of validating the thermodynamic phase diagrams. Conclusion The thermal analysis method used to collate data has a deterministic effect on the phase diagram produced. This effect should be considered when constructing thermodynamic phase diagrams, as they can be a useful tool in predicting the stability of amorphous solid dispersions.

On the statistics of transverse permeability of randomly distributed fibers

An RVE–based stochastic numerical model is used to calculate the permeability of randomly generated porous media at different values of the fiber volume fraction for the case of transverse flow in a unidirectional ply. Analysis of the numerical results shows that the permeability is not normally distributed. With the aim of proposing a new understanding on this particular topic, permeability data are fitted using both a mixture model and a unimodal distribution. Our findings suggest that permeability can be fitted well using a mixture model based on the lognormal and power law distributions. In case of a unimodal distribution, it is found, using the maximum-likelihood estimation method (MLE), that the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution represents the best fit. Finally, an expression of the permeability as a function of the fiber volume fraction based on the GEV distribution is discussed in light of the previous results.

Production of Highly Monolayer Enriched Dispersions of Liquid-Exfoliated Nanosheets by Liquid Cascade Centrifugation

While liquid exfoliation is a powerful technique to produce defect-free nanosheets in large quantities, its usefulness is limited by broad nanosheet thickness distributions and low monolayer contents. Here we demonstrate liquid processing techniques, based on iterative centrifugation cascades, which can be designed to achieve either highly efficient nanosheet size-selection and/ or monolayer enrichment. The resultant size-selected dispersions were used to establish quantitative metrics to determine monolayer volume fraction, as well as mean nanosheet size and thickness, from standard spectroscopic measurements. Such metrics allowed us to design and optimize centrifugation cascades to enrich liquid exfoliated WS2 dispersions up to monolayer contents of 75%. Monolayer-rich dispersions show relatively bright photoluminescence with narrow line widths (

Negative ion enhancement in caesium-seeded hydrogen discharges - a volume or surface effect?

Measurements of plasma parameters, including H- ion densities, made in conjunction with wall temperature, visible and vacuum ultraviolet emission spectroscopy verify that there is little caesium in the plasma volume of the H- ion source. Surface work function measurements indicate that there is significant caesium coverage of the inner walls of the ion source. It is found that, as the work function of a test surface decreases due to caesium seeding, the H- ion fraction in the discharge volume increases. These observations combine to indicate that, in the present source, the H- ion enhancement mechanism is a surface dominated effect. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003- 6951(99)04744-0].

Predictive Factors for Local Control in Primary and Metastatic Lung Tumours after Four to Five Fraction Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy: A Single Institution's Comprehensive Experience

AIMS: We report the outcomes of a large lung stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) programme for primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pulmonary metastases. The primary study aim was to identify factors predictive for local control.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 311 pulmonary tumours in 254 patients were treated between 2008 and 2011 with SABR using 48-60 Gy in four to five fractions. Local, regional and distant failure data were collected prospectively, whereas other end points were collected retrospectively. Potential clinical and dosimetric predictors of local control were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS: Of the 311 tumours, 240 were NSCLC and 71 were other histologies. The 2 year local control rate was 96% in stage I NSCLC, 76% in colorectal cancer (CRC) metastases and 91% in non-lung/non-CRC metastases. Predictors of better local control on multivariate analysis were non-CRC tumours and a larger proportion of the planning target volume (PTV) receiving ≥100% of the prescribed dose (higher PTV V100). Among the 45 CRC metastases, a higher PTV V100 and previous chemotherapy predicted for better local control.

CONCLUSIONS: Lung SABR of 48-60 Gy/four to five fractions resulted in high local control rates for all tumours except CRC metastases. Covering more of the PTV with the prescription dose (a higher PTV V100) also resulted in superior local control.

The white dwarf's carbon fraction as a secondary parameter of Type Ia supernovae

Context. Binary stellar evolution calculations predict thatChandrasekhar-mass carbon/oxygen white dwarfs (WDs) show a radiallyvarying profile for the composition with a carbon depleted core. Manyrecent multi-dimensional simulations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia),however, assume the progenitor WD has a homogeneous chemicalcomposition.
Aims: In this work, we explore the impact ofdifferent initial carbon profiles of the progenitor WD on the explosionphase and on synthetic observables in the Chandrasekhar-mass delayeddetonation model. Spectra and light curves are compared to observationsto judge the validity of the model.
Methods: The explosion phaseis simulated using the finite volume supernova code Leafs, which isextended to treat different compositions of the progenitor WD. Thesynthetic observables are computed with the Monte Carlo radiativetransfer code Artis. Results: Differences in binding energies ofcarbon and oxygen lead to a lower nuclear energy release for carbondepleted material; thus, the burning fronts that develop are weaker andthe total nuclear energy release is smaller. For otherwise identicalconditions, carbon depleted models produce less 56Ni.Comparing different models with similar 56Ni yields showslower kinetic energies in the ejecta for carbon depleted models, butonly small differences in velocity distributions and line velocities inspectra. The light curve width-luminosity relation (WLR) obtained formodels with differing carbon depletion is roughly perpendicular to theobserved WLR, hence the carbon mass fraction is probably only asecondary parameter in the family of SNe Ia.
Tables 3 and 4 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

MicroRNA signatures differentiate preserved from reduced ejection fraction heart failure

AIMS: Differentiation of heart failure with reduced (HFrEF) or preserved (HFpEF) ejection fraction independent of echocardiography is challenging in the community. Diagnostic strategies based on monitoring circulating microRNA (miRNA) levels may prove to be of clinical value in the near future. The aim of this study was to identify a novel miRNA signature that could be a useful HF diagnostic tool and provide valuable clinical information on whether a patient has HFrEF or HFpEF.

METHODS AND RESULTS: MiRNA biomarker discovery was carried out on three patient cohorts, no heart failure (no-HF), HFrEF, and HFpEF, using Taqman miRNA arrays. The top five miRNA candidates were selected based on differential expression in HFpEF and HFrEF (miR-30c, -146a, -221, -328, and -375), and their expression levels were also different between HF and no-HF. These selected miRNAs were further verified and validated in an independent cohort consisting of 225 patients. The discriminative value of BNP as a HF diagnostic could be improved by use in combination with any of the miRNA candidates alone or in a panel. Combinations of two or more miRNA candidates with BNP had the ability to improve significantly predictive models to distinguish HFpEF from HFrEF compared with using BNP alone (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve >0.82).

CONCLUSION: This study has shown for the first time that various miRNA combinations are useful biomarkers for HF, and also in the differentiation of HFpEF from HFrEF. The utility of these biomarker combinations can be altered by inclusion of natriuretic peptide. MiRNA biomarkers may support diagnostic strategies in subpopulations of patients with HF.