The effect of surface plasmon-polaritons on the photostimulated diffusion in light-sensitive Ag–As4Ge30S66 structures

The effect of surface plasmon-polaritons (SPPs) excited at the interface between the profiled surface of the silver layer (in the form of a diffraction grating) and the As4Ge30S66 layer on the photostimulated diffusion of silver into chalcogenide has been studied. The gratings with the period a = 519 nm and modulation depth h/a ≈ 0.037 (where h is the grating depth) were formed on chalcogenide photoresist films by using interferential lithography and covered with the 80-nm-thick aluminum layer, 85-nm-thick silver layer, and thin As4Ge30S66 layer. Photostimulated changes in this structure were studied measuring the angular dependences of specular reflection (Rp) of p-polarized light with the wavelength 632.8 nm. It was found that as a result of exposure, “degradation” (broadening, increase in reflection at the minimum) of the minimum in the angular dependence of Rp (which is associated with the SPP resonance) occurs faster, when the samples are irradiated at the angle corresponding to SPP excitation. This observation indicates acceleration of the photostimulated diffusion process in this structure under the plasmon field action.

Installing an Action Space for Resilience in Surprising Situations

This chapter develops a model of resilient action in situations where established rules or behavioural routines are either not available or are misleading, thus exposing actors to high means-end ambiguity. The model suggests that an ‘action space’ must be created by stabilizing the action system and expanding options for action. It is based on our qualitative research in the Austrian Military (high degree of publicness) on cases of resilient field action, especially as regards ‘bouncing back’ incidents. We contend that different types of drill combined with the acquisition of background knowledge are essential for organizational resilience, the management of unexpected situations and the explanation of success, leading to controlled reproducibility solutions of typical problems. As such, the model intends to explain exploitation types of learning. However, as an antecedent for installing the action space, we explore so-called the ‘exaptation’ of drilled procedures, pertaining to the transfer of procedures to serve novel requirements, thus located in the exploration domain. This phenomenon leads to properties that contribute to recovery from shock in critical situations, through innovation. In short, the chapter provides novel empirical evidence that applying rules does not lead to resilient action in the case of unknown or unexpected situations. Instead, we show robust evidence that a corrective understanding and reflective use of rules and routines is causally related to the ability to deal with surprise and fostering resilience.

Nematic Structures under Conical Anchoring at Various Director Tilt Angles Specified by Polymethacrylate Compositions

Dependence of the director tilt angle of nematic liquid crystal (LC) under conical anchoring from the two-component polymer mixture composition has been studied. We varied the ratio of poly(isobutyl methacrylate) (PiBMA), which specifies a conical anchoring for the nematic liquid crystal LN-396, and poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) assigning a tangential alignment for the same nematic. An oblique incidence light technique to determine a tilt angle has been used. It has been shown that the tilt angle increases from 0∘ to 47.7∘ when PiBMA:PMMA ratio changes in the range 30:70 to 100:0. The specific optical textures viewed under the polarizing microscope and proper orientational structures have been considered for various compositions of the polymer films. An electric field action on the formed orientational structures has been investigated. The obtained results are promising for the application in various electro-optical LC devices with a conical anchoring in which the director tilt angle is a crucial parameter: a controlled diffraction gratings, an electrically operated achromatic rotators of linear light polarization, etc.

The effect of substance P on blood serum glycoproteins under technogenic rotating electric fields in animals with different stress resistance profiles

Aim. To study the effect of substance P on the blood serum glycoproteins in experimental animals with different stress-resistance profiles under technogenic rotating electric field. Methods. The level of sialic acids, mucoproteins, fucose, and -L-fucosidase was determined in the blood serum of 72 noninbred white male rats before (control) and on the 10th and 20th day of exposure to a technogenic rotating electric field (REF), as well as under the combination of technogenic rotating electric field and substance P injection at the same time. To determine the stress resistance, the animals were tested using the open field method. Animals were divided into groups based on the tests data obtained: stress-resistant, not stress-resistant and ambivalent. Results. On the 10th day of technogenic rotating electric field action, the level of sialic acids, fucose, and -L-fucosidase activity increased in all animals. The concentration of mucoproteins tended to decrease. On the 20th day, the sialic acids content remained elevated compared with the control in all groups. The content of mucoproteins decreased in stress-resistant, not stress-resistant and restored to the control level in ambivalent compared with those on the 10th day. On the 20th day, fucose concentration reached control values in stress-resistant and ambivalent animals and decreased in not stress-resistant. On the 10th day of the combined exposure, the concentration of sialic acids, mucoproteins, fucose, -L-fucosidase was reduced in all animals compared with the 10th day of technogenic rotating electric field action. On the 20th day of the combined exposure, the values of the studied parameters remained reduced in all groups of animals compared with those on the 20th day of isolated technogenic rotating electric field action. Conclusion. The substance P injection limits the effects of technogenic rotating electric field on the metabolism of carbohydrate-containing biopolymers in blood serum in all groups of animals, as can be seen by a decrease in the level of sialic acids, fucose, and low enzymatic activity of -L-fucosidase under combined exposure.

Formation of Fractal Dendrites by Laser-Induced Melting of Aluminum Alloys

We report on the fabrication of fractal dendrites using laser-induced melting of aluminum alloys. We target boron carbide (B4C), which is one of the most effective radiation-absorbing materials characterized by a low coefficient of thermal expansion. Due to the high fragility of B4C crystals, we were able to introduce its nanoparticles into a stabilization aluminum matrix of AA385.0. The high-intensity laser field action led to the formation of composite dendrite structures under the effect of local surface melting. Modelling the dendrite cluster growth confirms its fractal nature and sheds light on the pattern behavior of the resulting quasicrystal structure.

Shear strength of linearly tapered plate girders

This study analyzes the shear behaviour of I profile linearly tapered plate girder and obtains a proposed method to estimate its shear strength. This study contains 72 models of linearly tapered plate girder with angle of inclination range from 2° up to 30°, web thickness: 5 mm up to 8 mm and ratio of a/h: 1, 1.25 dan 1.5. All models have slender web. This study was performed through analysis by finite element method using ADINA 9.5 software. All models are simply supported and applied two shear load variations, which cause diagonal tension field action at short diagonal direction (Type I) and long diagonal direction (Type II), respectively. For type I, its shear strength can be determined using the equation of shear strength according to AISC 360-16 design specification using smallest web depth. While for type II, the analysis results shown that its shear strength reduce with the increase of its inclination angle and ratio of . According to that results, a modification factor for determining the shear strength of linearly tapered plate girder which respects to AISC 360-16 design specification has been obtained.

Effect of ultrahigh-frequency electromagnetic field on the properties of associated liquids

The influence of the electromagnetic field on the refractive index, evaporation rate and surface tension of wa-ter, propanol-1 and pentanol-1 solutions have been studied. It was shown that the properties of these liquids depend on the field frequency and the time of exposure. The action of the field on the structure of water and alcohols is selective; changes in their properties are due to frequencies that are individual for each liquid. Both deceleration and acceleration of the alcohols evaporation occurs depending on the frequency of the elec-tromagnetic field. Evaporation of the field exposed water is slowing down at all the studied frequency range. There is an increase in the surface tension for water and pentanol, and a decrease for propanol. The properties of alcohols return to their initial values, and the properties of the water remain unchanged after the termina-tion of the field action. Thermodynamic functions of surface water and propanol-1 have been calculated on the basis of the temperature dependence of the surface tension. It has been demonstrated that the total internal energy of the surface increases for water and reduces or propanol-1. This indicates the strengthening of the structure in an aqueous solutions and a weakening of intermolecular interaction in the propanol-1 medium.