Determination of the optimum ball radius for researching materials using ball indenting

The article discusses the study of the effect of a change in the radius of the ball in the injecting of the sample on the curve in the coordinates «load – indentation depth», the deviation of the indentation depth during elastoplastic indentation from the indentation depth with the elastic indentation and the amount of the axial deformation of the ball. The study was conducted using the Ansys Mechanical APDL program implementing the fenite element method. In the process of the study, it was found that with a change in the radius of the ball, there is no obvious change in the behavior of the sample material, and the deviation of the indentation depth during the elastoplastic indulgence from the indentation depth during the elastic indentation is not dependent on the size of the ball radius. There was also an effect of changing the radius of the ball on the size of the axial deformation of the ball and proposed a formula for determining the size of the axial deformation of the ball for the ball of any diameter, which will determine the actual depth of the ball into the ball when using the balls of different radius.

The Structure and Properties of Sepiolite with Partial Lattice Ions Substituted by Aluminum Ions

Sepiolite was modified with Al3+ via hydrothermal reaction. The substitution amount of Al3+ for Mg2+ and Si4+ located at sepiolite lattice and the influence of substitution amount on the structure, specific surface area, and surface acidity of Al-modified sepiolite were investigated. On this basis, indigo–sepiolite composite pigments were prepared by Al-modified sepiolite and indigo via grinding method to evaluate the influence of Al-modified sepiolite on the structure, bonding strength, and weather resistance of composite pigment. The crystal structure of Al-modified sepiolite had no obvious change after modification. Al3+ mainly substituted Mg2+ located at the octahedron of the sepiolite lattice, and the substitution amount was positively related to the dosage of Al3+. The specific surface area of Al-modified sepiolite decreased and the distribution of channel size became wider after Al modification. In addition, the absolute value of zeta potential decreased as well as the solid acid sites increased with the increase of Al substitution in Al-modified sepiolite. For indigo–sepiolite composite pigments, the structure of Al-modified sepiolite had no obvious change as well. The adsorption amount of indigo in composite pigment after treating by DMSO and Al content as well as weak acid amount in Al-modified sepiolite presented linear correlation, indicating that Al modification could enhance the bonding strength between indigo and Al-modified sepiolite by increasing the amount of coordinated water with Al. For indigo, Al-modified sepiolite could brighten the color and reduce the weather resistance of the prepared composite pigment. The results of this study provide a new idea and basis for regulating the structure and properties of clay and for studying the preparation of composite pigment and clay functional materials.

Uranium Decontamination from Waste Soils by Chlorination with ZrCl4 in LiCl-KCl Eutectic Salt

The dissolution behavior of U, contained in the soils, was examined through chlorination with ZrCl4 to reduce the U concentration to clearance levels. Natural soils, composed of Si, Al, and approximately 2 ppm U, acted as surrogates for the contaminated soils. A salt mixture of LiCl-KCl-ZrCl4 was prepared in an Al2O3 crucible at 500°C, and SiO2 or natural soils were loaded for the chemical reactions. The reaction of SiO2 and Al2O3 with ZrCl4 was monitored by cyclic voltammetry, and no obvious change was observed. The results showed that SiO2 and Al2O3 were stable against ZrCl4. The reaction of natural soils with ZrCl4 indicated that the U content decreased from 2 to 1.2 ppm, while ∼0.4 ppm U appeared in the salt. Thus, the U, in the soils, dissolved into the salt by chlorination with ZrCl4. Therefore, based on these results, a new method to remediate U-contaminated soil wastes by chlorination with ZrCl4, followed by electrorefining of U, is suggested.

Constructing and Reconstructing Orientalism

The purpose of the chapter is to show that orientalism is a dynamic construct that simultaneously represents continuity and change. The hypothesis outlines that contemporary artists build upon 18th century symbols to reconstruct orientalist art, hence reproducing the constructed, stereotypical neo-orientalist or self-orientalist imagery. The hypothesis is seen to be true as the intimate artwork of Zahrin Kahlo, Lalla Essaydi, Eric Parnes, and Yasmina Bouziane shows that contemporary orientalist artists are using recurring symbols to depict their self-identity, even though they appropriate those symbols in an act of resistance to depict social change. A more productive path of expression may be one of authenticity rather than a recreation of existing imagery in the attempt to deconstruct it. Even though the continuity of the construct is obvious, change is granular and not as pronounced.

Noble metal (Ag, Au, Pd and Pt) doped TaS2 monolayer for gas sensing: a first-principles investigation

Ag-doped TaS2 monolayers show an obvious change in work function and short recovery time for NO2, which indicates that TaS2-based nanomaterials might be a promising candidate for constructing high-performance NO2 gas sensors.

Restoration of the Age Elongated Auricular Lobe

Background The ears increase in all dimensions over the years (eg, length, helix diameter, lobe length), but the most obvious change is the elongation or ptosis of the lobe. Its correction should be considered a part of facial rejuvenation. Objectives The authors presented the surgical procedure they have been utilizing to correct elongated earlobes. Methods The authors described a simple and effective procedure consisting of the curved resection of the excess tissue of the lobe at its lower end and its reconstruction through the utilization of 2 triangular flaps of skin, taken from the lateral surface of the lobe, rotated backwards, and sutured to the medial surface, leaving a zigzag hidden scar. Results The authors have utilized this surgical procedure over the last 16 years to correct ptosis of the earlobe as well as some of its other alterations due to aging. The results obtained are presented as well as the classification that the authors have utilized to qualify their degree of ptosis. Conclusions This procedure has yielded excellent results, with imperceptible scars, and is therefore very pleasing to patients and surgeon alike. Level of Evidence: 4

The endeavor of vibration-induced emission (VIE) for dynamic emissions

The emission response for vibration-induced emission luminogens is highly sensitive to the encountered steric hindrance during the planarization process such that a tiny structural variation could induce an obvious change in fluorescence.

Preliminary Study on Making Arc Characteristics of AgSnO2 Contact

In order to analyze the making arc characteristics of AgSnO₂ contact, experiments were carried out with a self-developed experimental equipment. It was found that contact resistance had no obvious change with the increase of the number of experiments.In the later stage of the experiment, the contact bounces occurred during the contact closing process, which not only prolonged the making arc duration, but also increased making arc energy. When the contact was eroded to a certain extent by arc, making welding occurs.

Stable task information from an unstable neural population

Over days and weeks, neural activity representing an animal’s position and movement in sensorimotor cortex has been found to continually reconfigure or ‘drift’ during repeated trials of learned tasks, with no obvious change in behavior. This challenges classical theories which assume stable engrams underlie stable behavior. However, it is not known whether this drift occurs systematically, allowing downstream circuits to extract consistent information. We show that drift is systematically constrained far above chance, facilitating a linear weighted readout of behavioural variables. However, a significant component of drift continually degrades a fixed readout, implying that drift is not confined to a null coding space. We calculate the amount of plasticity required to compensate drift independently of any learning rule, and find that this is within physiologically achievable bounds. We demonstrate that a simple, biologically plausible local learning rule can achieve these bounds, accurately decoding behavior over many days.

The incommensurately modulated structures of volcanic plagioclase: displacement, ordering and phase transition

Four basaltic phenocryst samples of plagioclase, with compositions ranging from An48 (andesine) to An64 (labradorite), have been studied with single-crystal X-ray and neutron diffraction techniques. The samples were also subjected to a heating experiment at 1100°C for two weeks in an effort to minimize the Al–Si ordering in their structures. The average and the modulated structures of the samples (before and after the heating experiment) were compared, in order to understand the mechanism of the phase transition from the disordered C\bar 1 structure to the e-plagioclase structure. A comparison between the structures from neutron and X-ray diffraction data shows that the 〈T—O〉 distance does not solely depend on the Al occupancy as previously thought. A dramatic decrease of the Al–Si ordering is observed after heating at 1100°C for two weeks for all four samples, with an obvious change in the intensities of the satellite reflections (e-reflections) in the diffraction pattern. Evident changes in the modulation period were also observed for the more calcic samples. No obvious change in the Ca–Na ordering was observed after the heating experiment. An in situ heating X-ray diffraction experiment was carried out on the andesine sample (An48) to study the change in the satellite intensity at high temperature. A dramatic weakening of the satellite peaks was observed between 477°C and 537°C, which strongly supports the displacive nature of the initiation of e2 ordering. Rigid-Unit Mode (RUM) analysis of the plagioclase structure suggests the initial position of the e-reflections is determined by the anti-RUMs in the framework.