Kultura i mit — iluzje demitologizacji

One of the most fundamental existential experiences is the “indifference of the world”. Faced with the awareness of the insignificance of human fate, the lack of meaning, the indifference of the world, man creates various strategies of depotentialising reality. One of them is “story-telling”, working on a myth. Nietzsche also believed that “life needs a protective atmosphere woven from illusions, dreams, delusions”, so he tried to create a myth to fill the void left by the “death of God”. He began with Wagner’s “aesthetic myth” and went on to create a “myth of the aestheticisation of existence”. His next attempts to give meaning to human life were the story of the Übermensch and the revitalization of the myth of eternal return. Another myth which can be found at the core of Nietzsche’s philosophy is “the myth of the myth-maker”.

Tailoring a Refractory High Entropy Alloy by Powder Metallurgy Process Optimization

This paper reports the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of a low-density Al0.3NbTa0.8Ti1.5V0.2Zr refractory high-entropy alloy (RHEA) prepared by means of a combination of mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering (SPS). Prior to sintering, the morphology, chemical homogeneity and crystal structures of the powders were thoroughly investigated by varying the milling times to find optimal conditions for densification. The sintered bulk RHEAs were produced with diverse feedstock powder conditions. The microstructural development of the materials was analyzed in terms of phase composition and constitution, chemical homogeneity, and crystallographic properties. Hardness and elastic constants also were measured. The calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD) was performed to predict the phase changes in the alloy, and the results were compared with the experiments. Milling time seems to play a significant role in the contamination level of the sintered materials. Even though a protective atmosphere was used in the entire manufacturing process, carbide formation was detected in the sintered bulks as early as after 3 h of powder milling. Oxides were observed after 30 h due to wear of the high-carbon steel milling media and SPS consolidation. Ten hours of milling seems sufficient for achieving an optimal equilibrium between microstructural homogeneity and refinement, high hardness and minimal contamination.

Physician Reported Challenges to Medical Professionalism: A Qualitative Study of Clinicians From Northern China

BackgroundDespite efforts to promote professionalism among physicians, many studies have confirmed the ongoing prevalence of unprofessional behaviours in medicine and alluded to the challenges to professionalism that physicians may encounter. Physicians may regularly witness unprofessional events and may even participate in unprofessional practices. Therefore, the current study aims to identify common challenges to professionalism and physicians’ priorities when coping with such challenges，in hopes of shedding light on the East Asian environment with respect to physician professionalism. MethodsFive focus groups were conducted with a total of 49 clinical physicians from two tertiary hospitals in Shenyang, the largest city in northern China. Socio-demographic data were obtained through a brief questionnaire, and participants were de-identified after being linked to verbal data from the focus groups. Focus group interviews were audio-recorded and later transcribed and subjected to an inductive thematic analysis.ResultsA content analysis of the focus groups demonstrated that common professionalism challenges could be classified into five categories, namely: patients and their families (38%), society (22%), peers or teams (21%), institutions (13%), and education (n = 6%). Physicians failed to find current remediation measures, such as, discussing with supervisors, or reporting challenges to hospital or health authorities very effective.ConclusionsThe current study suggests that challenges from patients and their families contributed the most to professionalism challenges in the hospitals in northern China. In terms of the systematic reform of medical education and the healthcare delivery system, health authorities and hospital administrators should aim at addressing challenges to physician professionalism by building up a protective atmosphere.

On the Free Recovery Bending Shape Memory Effect in Powder Metallurgy FeMnSiCrNi

This paper presents the results of an original experimental study on the training capacity of a powder metallurgy (PM) FeMnSiCrNi shape memory alloy (SMA). The specimens were sintered under protective atmosphere from blended elemental powders, 50 vol.%. of alloy particles being mechanically alloyed. Lamellar specimens, hot rolled to 1 mm thickness, were bent against cylindrical calibres with five decreasing radii, to induce cold shapes with higher and higher deformation degree, as compared to the straight hot shape. During the training procedure, bent specimens were heated with a hot air gun, and developed free-recovery shape memory effect (SME) and partially deflected, by reducing their curvature. The first set of experiments involved fastening the specimens at one end, heating it and monitoring free end’s displacement by means of cinematographic analysis. Within the second set of experiments, both cold and hot shapes were recorded and digitalized and their chord’s length (b) and circle segment height (a) were measured and the radius was determined as R = a/2 + b2/8a for the cold (Rc) and hot shapes (Rh). Finally, the shape recovery degree was calculated for the nth calibre as Δrecn = (Rhn-Rrn)/(Rhn-1-Rrn) and the variation of Δrecn with calibre’s radius was discussed.

Techniques and Equipment Types to Harden Gears

Material science and thermodynamics are applied in heat treating to achieve mechanical performance in gears. The technique includes part design, fixturing, and process development. Different furnaces may offer unique advantages, like minimizing part distortion, while operating and maintenance costs vary greatly for hardening furnaces. The challenge is to understand which furnace type can most effectively process the gear design and material grade. Protective-atmosphere furnace solutions are well-suited for hardening of gears. The process techniques include gas or vacuum carburizing, carbonitriding, and neutral hardening in a carbon-based atmosphere or in a vacuum. This paper will discuss vacuum, controlled atmosphere, and hybrid furnace types highlighting available processes while sharing respective associated operation and maintenance costs. Batch integral quench (BIQ) furnaces will be the base case for comparison, as they comprise the largest installed base for gear heat treatment. While a discussion of when to consider continuous atmosphere furnace equipment by defining what is high production versus today’s BIQ furnace capacities for gear heat treatment.

Investigating the Effect of α-Fe2O3 Oxides on the BaFe2O4 Pyrosynthesis Temperature - The Digital Processing of TG and DTA Curves

In the research activities on the barium monoferrite pyrosynthesis, an important place is occupied by TG and DTA analysis. The effects of different hematite (α-Fe2O3) granulations on the BaFe2O4 pyrosynthesis temperature were followed. Four types of commercial hematite powders were used, the difference between them being the fineness of the powder granules and the purity. Only one type of commercial barium carbonate (BaCO3) powder was also used as a barium additive in the BaFe2O4 pyrosynthesis. Each of the 4 types of α-Fe2O3 with BaCO3 were subjected to the homogenization process in a planetary mill for a more intimate mixing of the powders in order to obtain error-free results regarding the pyrosynthesis reaction. To determine BaFe2O4 pyrosynthesis temperature, a derivatograph device was used. All the data obtained with this thermal device were digitally processed in order to extract the two TG and DTA curves. The protective atmosphere in the furnace was nitrogen. BaFe2O4 pyrosynthesis temperatures recorded different values for the four mixtures, depending on the particle size of the α-Fe2O3 powders, protective atmosphere from furnace and the mixing conditions. The effects of Fe2O3 oxides on the BaFe2O4 pyrosynthesis temperature is observed when are used very fine hematite powders in mixtures, obtaining a reduction of pyrosynthesis temperature up to 16% compared to the mixture where the size of the hematite is coarser.

The Effect of Annealing Temperatures on Selected Properties of WC/C Coatings, Deposited Using Hexacarbonyl Wolfram in an N2-SiH4 Atmosphere

In this paper, we present the results of an experimental study on WC/C coatings, deposited by using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition in an N2-SiH4 atmosphere, annealed at temperatures of 200, 500 and 800 °C, in which the hexacarbonyl of W was used as a precursor. During the experiments, the topography, chemical composition, morphology, as well as selected mechanical properties, such as hardness, Young’s modulus, and coefficient of friction of the WC/C coatings were analyzed. Annealing without the protective atmosphere in the mentioned temperatures caused a decrease in hardness (up to 15 ± 2.7 GPa). In addition, the coefficient of friction value increased only to 0.37 ± 0.03.

Nondestructive Methodology for Identification of Local Discontinuities in Aluminide Layer-Coated Mar 247 during Its Fatigue Performance

In this paper, the fatigue performance of the aluminide layer-coated and as-received MAR 247 nickel superalloy with three different initial microstructures (fine grain, coarse grain and column-structured grain) was monitored using nondestructive, eddy current methods. The aluminide layers of 20 and 40 µm were obtained through the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process in the hydrogen protective atmosphere for 8 and 12 h at the temperature of 1040 °C and internal pressure of 150 mbar. A microstructure of MAR 247 nickel superalloy and the coating were characterized using light optical microscopy (LOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). It was found that fatigue performance was mainly driven by the initial microstructure of MAR 247 nickel superalloy and the thickness of the aluminide layer. Furthermore, the elaborated methodology allowed in situ eddy current measurements that enabled us to localize the area with potential crack initiation and its propagation during 60,000 loading cycles.