Search

Metastable high entropy alloys (HEAs) and amorphous metallic glasses (MGs), with the chemical disordered character, are intensively studied due to their excellent performance. Here, we introduce Cu to separately constrain these two metastable materials and comparatively investigate their deformation behaviors and mechanical properties of Cu/HEA FeCoCrNi and Cu/MG CuZr nanolaminated micropillars in terms of intrinsic layer thickness h and extrinsic pillar diameter D. The metastable HEA layers, as the hard phase in Cu/HEA micropillars, are stable and dominate the deformation, while transformation (crystallization) occurs in MG which plays a minor role in deformation of Cu/MG micropillars. The h-controlled deformation mode transits from the D-independent homogenous-like deformation at large h to the D-dependent shear banding at small h in both Cu/HEA and Cu/MG micropillars. Although both Cu/HEA and Cu/MG micropillars exhibit a maximum strain hardening capability controlled by h, the former manifests much lower hardening capability compared with the latter. The intrinsic size h and extrinsic size D have a strong coupling effect on the strength of Cu/HEA and Cu/MG micropillars. The strength of strength of Cu/HEA micropillars exhibits the D-dependent transition from “smaller is stronger” to “smaller is weaker” with increasing h. By contrast, the strength of Cu/MG micropillars exhibits the transition from bulk-like D-independent behavior at large h to small volume D-dependent behavior (smaller is stronger) at small h.

Although healthcare is always changing, the inpatient rehabilitation facility has indispensable and enduring roles in patient care, medical education, and research. For patients with complex medical and functional limitations, inpatient rehabilitation facility-level care fosters recovery and community reintegration and plays a strategic role in optimizing healthcare transitions from acute and to postacute settings. It is an incomparable and distinct zone for interprofessional education: the healthcare system is dependent on the inpatient rehabilitation facility as the epicenter for instruction to healthcare professionals on how to care for patients with complex rehabilitation needs. As healthcare evolves, patients' increasing medical complexity requires ongoing research focused on patients' evolving healthcare needs. The inpatient rehabilitation facility alone offers the requisite infrastructure to support such discovery. In this Association of Academic Physiatrists Position Paper, we provide a fresh perspective on the value proposition of the inpatient rehabilitation facility and advocate for this unique clinical environment as a critical component of contemporary healthcare.

Zr/Mo and Zr/Ti nanostructured multilayers manifest a peak hardness at the critical layer thickness of ~10 and ~20 nm, respectively. The non-monotonical thickness-dependent hardness is understood in terms of the back stress, which is closely correlated with the dislocation absorption probability by the interfaces. It appears that strength softening occurs as gliding dislocations can be absorbed by interfaces at smaller layer thickness. Furthermore, incoherent interface in the Zr/Mo with discontinuous slip systems is more effective to block dislocation motion than the Zr/Ti with continuous ones, resulting in a higher dislocation storage ability.

The microstructural features and hardness of He-irradiated miscible Cu/Zr crystalline/crystalline nanolaminates with a negative enthalpy of mixing were investigated at room temperature. The distribution of He bubbles within the Cu layers exhibits a high dependence on both layer thickness (h) and ion dose (Φ), while that at the Cu-Zr interfaces is only affected by ion dose. Compared with their as-deposited counterparts, the He-irradiated Cu/Zr nanolaminates tend to manifest radiation-induced solid-state amorphization (RSA), which was induced by ion beam mixing and initiated from crystalline interfaces. The size-dependent hardness of the as-deposited Cu/Zr nanolaminates is elucidated by a transition in the strengthening mechanism from the interfacial barrier strengthening mechanism to the confined layer slip of partials when h is increased. In the He-irradiated Cu/Zr samples, however, the size-dependent hardness is highly related to Φ. Under lower Φ, a nonmonotonically h-dependent irradiation hardening is evident and is associated with a transition from irradiation hardening at large h (≥10 nm) to softening at small h (

Metastable high entropy alloys (HEAs) have attracted extensive attention due to their excellent combination of high strength and great plasticity. In this work, we utilize constraining effects to tailor phase transformation strengthening and plasticity of nanostructured HEA ([double bond, length as m-dash]FeCoCrNi) thin films prepared by the magnetron sputtering technique via HEA/Cu and HEA/Ni nanotwinned nanolaminates (NTNLs). It is uncovered that the HEA/Cu NTNLs without phase transformation exhibit the fashion of "smaller is stronger" and HEA layers become more favorable to detwin at a smaller layer thickness (h). By contrast, the HEA/Ni NTNLs manifest an ultra-high peak hardness plateau accompanied by the FCC-to-HCP phase transformation in HEA layers at large h≥ 25 nm, whereas they manifest size-dependent hardness when detwinning occurs at smaller h. This unusual plastic deformation behavior of HEA/X (X = Cu, Ni) NTNLs was rationalized by partial-based mechanisms. These findings open a new avenue to achieve superior mechanical properties of HEAs particularly at the nanoscale.

This article is meant as an update on the previous articles published about the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM). It reflects the current organizational structure and describes its core activities. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the society are analyzed to define a strategic plan for the future of ISPRM. Key activities like ISPRM World Congresses, the foundation of the Journal of ISPRM and the creation of a certification project are described. The article reports also about the external relationship of ISPRM with different organizations and in particular with the World Health Organization and with the United Nations.

Previous studies demonstrated that the He ion irradiation damage tolerance of nanostructured metallic multilayers (NMMs) was closely dependent on the layer thickness (h): smaller h led to lower irradiation hardening. Here in Mo/Zr NMMs, we uncovered that the h-dependent irradiation hardening and corresponding plastic deformation characteristics are also sensitive to the He+ irradiation fluences. At a low irradiation fluence of 1.0 × 1016 He+·cm−2, the irradiation hardening decreased monotonically with reducing h. While at a high irradiation fluence of 1.0 × 1017 He+·cm−2, a non-monotonic h-dependence was unexpectedly displayed with the minimum irradiation hardening at h of ∼25 nm. The irradiation fluence also affects the strain rate sensitivity (m) remarkably. Irradiation of 1.0 × 1016 He+·cm−2 induced a transition in SRS m from positive in the as-deposited Mo/Zr NMMs to negative SRS in their irradiated counterparts. This transition was rationalized in terms of dynamic strain aging that considered dislocation-bubble interactions. Irradiation of 1.0 × 1017 He+·cm−2, however, resulted in a non-monotonic h-dependence of m, with the bottom located at a turning point of h ∼50 nm. Coupling effect of the layer thickness and the applied fluence on irradiation hardening and plastic deformation characteristics was quantitatively elucidated by employing a strengthening model and a thermally activated model, respectively, where parameters of the characteristic microstructural features, i.e., the layer thickness and irradiation (He) defects, were both included.

Coarse-grained (CG), fine-grained (FG), and ultrafine-grained (UFG) Al-2.5 wt% Cu (Al-Cu) alloys were respectively prepared, with and without 0.3 wt% Sc addition, for comparison. The influences of minor Sc addition on the microstructural evolution, tensile mechanical properties and pitting corrosion resistance were systematically studied at different grain scales. A significant Sc microalloying effect on the precipitation was observed that the minor Sc addition promoted the dispersion of finer θ′-Al2Cu precipitates in the CG alloy and favored the intragranular θ′-Al2Cu precipitation in the FG and UFG alloys, with the smaller grain size leading to a stronger Sc microalloying effect. The Sc addition induced convincing increases in the yield strength at all the three grain scales, and improved (in the CG and UFG Al-Cu alloys) or retained (in the FG Al-Cu alloy) the pitting corrosion resistance at the same time. This indicates that the inverse strength-pitting corrosion correlation as usually observed can be broken by minor Sc addition. The strengthening mechanisms were discussed and the grain size-dependent pitting corrosion resistance mediated by the Sc addition was rationalized in terms of a competition between the positive influence derived from the interfacial Sc segregation and the negative influence come from the deformation-induced dislocations. The present findings provide a possible approach to break the inverse strength-pitting resistance correlation in heat-treatable Al alloys by modifying the precipitate/matrix interfaces through the suitable microalloying atom segregation.

Experimental evidence demonstrated that equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) at cryogenic temperature, in comparison with ECAP at room temperature, led to promoted strength-ductility synergy in an Al-2.5wt.%Cu alloy. The simultaneous improvement is related to microstructural hierarchy of multimodal grains, low angle grain boundaries, and inter/intragranular precipitates, which was tuned by aging treatment in match with the low-temperature ECAP. The artificial aging could maintain multimodal grain size distribution, introduce a large number of low angle grain boundaries and produce intragranular precipitates to improve strength/ductility. A minor 0.3wt.% Sc addition was effective in optimizing the precipitations and further boosting the strength/ductility combination. The underlying mechanisms for higher strength and greater ductility were rationalized in terms of the low-temperature ECAP.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical/electrical properties of aged Al-0.2 wt%Zr-0.05 wt%Sc alloys with different Si additions (0, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 wt%) were comparatively studied by using transmission electron microscopy, electrical conductivity measurements, and microhardness measurements. A significant Si addition effect was demonstrated that the Si addition accelerated the precipitation kinetics and enhanced the heterogeneous precipitation of Al3(Sc, Zr) nanoparticles. However, both the peak-aging temperature and peak microhardness during isochronal aging were insensitive to the Si addition. The underlying mechanism is related to a partitioning effect of Si among Sc, Zr and vacancy that produces a saturated concentration of Si-vacancy clusters to serve as heterogeneous nuclei. It was further manifested that dual-scale particles, i.e., Al3Zr dispersoids and Al3(Sc1-xZrx) nanoprecipitates in different length scales, could be produced by deliberately designing the heat treatment protocol. A coupling effect of the dual-scale particles led to an enhanced threshold stress in high-temperature creep testing, indicative of an improved creep resistance promoted by the minor Si addition. Moreover, the recrystallization resistance was seldom affected by Si addition, while slightly improved by introducing dual-scale particles.

Nanoindentation methodology was used to measure the hardness of Cu/Ta crystalline/amorphous nanostructured multilayers (CANMs) before and after He ion-implantation at room temperature. These CANMs have a constant modulation period ( λ =25 nm) but different modulation ratios ( η = h Ta / h Cu ) spanning from 0.11 to 1.0. It is found that in sharp contrast to previously reported Cu/Cu-Zr CANMs by Zhang et al. [9] , the He-irradiated Cu/Ta samples exhibit much greater microstructure stability without radiation-induced devitrification (RID) of glassy Ta nanolayers at smaller η (except the sample at η =1.0). Both the as-deposited and irradiated Cu/Ta CANMs manifest the monotonically increased hardness with decreasing η , however, there is an unexpected transition from size-dependent irradiation hardening at η η ≥1.0 caused by a competition between dislocation-bubble interactions in crystalline nanolayers and RID in glassy nanolayers. These findings not only provide fundamental understanding of the radiation-induced defect effect on plastic characteristics of CANMs, but also offer guidance for their microstructure sensitive design for performance optimization at a critical modulation ratio under extreme conditions.

Electrochemical deposition has been widely used for synthesis of metal nanowires (NWs) on the porous template. In this paper, the effect of potential and electrolyte concentration on cobalt (Co) NWs formation through porous anodic alumina template has been investigated using direct-current electrodepostion at 0.75~2 V together with the high 0.5 M and low 0.1 M cobalt sulfurate based electrolyte. Scanning electron microscopy and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction were used to examine the nanostructure, morphology and phase of Co NWs. The current vs time curve was recorded for understanding the growth behavior. Too low potential of 0.75 V is not favored for Co NWs formation due to insufficient driving force while too high potential of 2 V ruins the NWs growth owing to hydrogen generation in reduction reaction. The uniform crystalline Co NWs can be obtained by the proper potential of 1V and concentration of 0.5 M at an average growth rate of 964 nm/min.

Hyphoderma moniliforme and H. nemorale, saprobically growing on wood, are recorded as new for mycobiota of China. Both species were collected in mountains at the altitudes of 1850‒3000 m, from Yunnan Province (southwestern China). Hyphoderma moniliforme is also a new record for Eurasia, and previously known only from South Africa. The collections of H. nemorale in this study represent the most eastern and the most southern localities for this species known for Eurasia. Both species bear moniliform cystidia. Bayesian inference of phylogeny based on ITS and partial 28S nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences indicated that H. moniliforme is united in one clade with H. litschaueri from North America. 28S-based phylogram demonstrated that Chinese H. nemorale belong to the same clade with the holotype of this species collected from Europe. Morphology descriptions and illustrations for these two species are provided.

Health care reform is upon us, including changes in models of care delivery and physician and institution compensation. The resulting tsunami of uncertainty offers physiatrists the opportunity to relocate to higher ground and help the specialty thrive as well as to identify the possible quagmires into which practices could sink. For this reason, it is prudent for physiatrists to more carefully consider how their professional lives may be altered in the aftermath of reform. We believe that understanding and preparation will facilitate opportunities and mitigate challenges. In this essay, we will discuss various alternative scenarios that represent population health and health care delivery in the year 2032, the real-world opportunities and challenges for the physiatrist in the present and in the next 2 decades, along with ideas as to how physiatry can thrive in the post-health care reform world.

The microstructural evolution and hardness of He-irradiated Nb/Zr crystalline/crystalline multilayers with a wide range of layer thickness h from 5 to 100 nm were investigated under three different ion dose Φ of 1.0 × 1016, 1.0 × 1017 and 5.0 × 1017 ions·cm−2 at room temperature. Careful microstructural examinations found the occurrence of a radiation-induced amorphization phenomenon near the interface. Besides, He bubbles were distributed within the Nb layers and at the interface. Both the amorphization and He bubble distribution were highly dependent on h and Φ, which caused the mechanical properties sensitive to h and Φ. With reducing h, the hardness of as-deposited Nb/Zr multilayers showed a maximum at h = 10 nm. While the He-irradiated samples manifested a hardening behavior at Φ = 1.0 × 1016 ions·cm−2, a softening behavior at Φ = 5.0 × 1017 ions·cm−2 and a transition from hardening to softening at Φ = 1.0 × 1017 ions·cm−2 with reducing h. These strengthening behaviors were rationalized by a coupling effect of dislocation-amorphous and dislocation-bubble interactions. Modified mechanistic models based on interactions of dislocations with obstacles were employed to quantitatively describe the underlying strengthening mechanisms.

This study investigates the electromigration (EM) effect under a high current density (104 A/cm2) on the different interfacial compound phases at Sn(Cu) solder/electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) interfaces. The interfacial Ni3Sn4 phase at the Sn-0.7 wt.%Cu/ENIG joint interface was quickly depleted after a short period (50 h) of current stressing. The inference drawn is that the Ni atoms in the Ni3Sn4 phase at the joint interface are likely forced out under current stressing; however, the ternary (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 compound effectively reduces the EM-driven Ni flux into the Sn bump; thus, a significantly lower Ni(P) consumption was observed at the Sn-1 wt.%Cu/ENIG interface. The EM-induced Ni(P) dissolution rates in the Sn-0.2 wt.%Cu/ENIG and Sn-1 wt.%Cu/ENIG cases were calculated to be 0.028 μm/h and 0.018 μm/h, respectively. In addition, significant EM-assisted Ni3P formation was observed for the current-stressed Sn-0.2 wt.%Cu/ENIG and Sn-0.7 wt.%Cu/ENIG cases; however, for the Sn-1 wt.%Cu/ENIG case, formation of a Ni3P layer was scarcely observed. Moreover, the initial (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 that formed at the interface appeared compact with a layer-type structure, which reduced the EM-driven Ni diffusion.

We have demonstrated an organic photodetector (PD) which can detect 808 nm radiation in near infrared (NIR) region. The photodiode has a hybrid planar-mixed heterojunction structure: ITO/CuPc (10 nm)/CuPc:F16CuPc (1:2, 30 nm)/F16CuPc (20 nm)/LiF (1 nm)/Al. Here, CuPc and F16CuPc denote copper–phthalocyanine and hexadecafluoro–copper–phthalo-cyanine complexes, respectively. The photodiode behaves a response time of 80 ns and a bandwidth of 14 MHz, which are higher than those of recent reports. At the same time, the response waveband of the photodiode covers longer wavelength in NIR comparing to the PD reported. It is conjectured that the high detection performance is due to high electron-mobility of F16CuPc, the large band edge offset between D/A molecules as well reasonable design of the diode structure. The detail working mechanism is also augured.

A gas monitoring system based on broadband absorption spectroscopic techniques in the ultraviolet region is described and tested. The system was employed in real-time continuous concentration measurements of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitric oxide (NO) from a 220-ton h−1 circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler in Shandong province, China. The emission coefficients (per kg of coal and per kWh of electricity) and the total emission of the two pollutant gases were evaluated. The measurement results showed that the emission concentrations of SO2 and NO from the CFB boiler fluctuated in the range of 750–1300 mg m−3 and 100–220 mg m−3, respectively. Compared with the specified emission standards of air pollutants from thermal power plants in China, the values were generally higher for SO2 and lower for NO. The relatively high emission concentrations of SO2 were found to mainly depend on the sulfur content of the fuel and the poor desulfurization efficiency. This study indicates that the broadband UV spectroscopy system is suitable for industrial emission monitoring and pollution control.

A visible-blind ultraviolet (VB-UV) photo-detector (PD) was demonstrated by using tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) gadolinium (Gdq) as the electron acceptor (A), 1,3,5-tris(3-methylphenyl-phenylamino) triphenyamine (m-MTDATA) as the donor (D). For the comparison the PD diodes were also fabricated using other rare earth (RE)-q (REq) complexes (RE = Y, La, Eu, or Lu) as the acceptors. It is found that Gdq-PD diode with 1:1 ratio of m-MTDATA:Gdq offers a maximum photo-responsivity of 230 mA/W at −7.5 V bias. This result is markedly higher than inorganic counterparts and previously organic PD diode (30 mA/W) reported by Ray and Narasimhan [Appl. Phys. Lett. 91 (2007) 093516]. Moreover, the spectral response does not cover visible region. So high responsivity of Gdq-PD was attributed to the presence of dominant dissociation of the geminate carrier pairs at D:A intermolecular contacts. The improvement is the results of the lowest exciplex- and bulk-emissions among the REq-PD diodes and in the various ratio of D:A blend, more detail mechanism was also discussed. Besides degradation tests of the Gdq-PD diode under UV and fluorescent lamp show that the UV detector can suffer from the application conditions.

A novel technique has been successfully developed to grow Fe ion doped diamond-like corbon (DLC) multilayer, with the modified linear ion sources(LIS), on Si(100)substrates. The Fe ions, generated in the specially designed ion source and accompanying the argon ions were implanted into one DLC layer previously grown by pulsed arc ion plating during argon ions sputtering and etching. The Fe-DLC multilayer can be grown by alternating growth of DLC layer and Fe ion implantation. The mechanical properties of Fe-DLC films were characterized. The results show that the Fe ion implanted multilayer significantly improves its mechanical properties. As compared with the conventional DLC films. Its stress drops to 3.9 GPa from 4.5 GPa, its friction coefficient is down to 0.1 from 0.14, and its hardness remains unchanged.

Purpose To provide the wound care practitioner with a review of the assessment, prevention, and management of pressure ulcers in pediatric patients with spinal cord injury. Target audience This continuing education activity is intended for physicians and nurses with an interest in skin and wound care. Objectives After reading this article and taking this test, the reader should be able to

The use of the international franchise system on a global scale provides impetus for academic interests investigating such an issue. Nevertheless, there is a lack of research regarding its stage development. In this research, a stage model, termed the “stage model of the international franchise system development” is proposed, to provide insight into the process of implementing the international franchise system successfully. The development of the proposed model refers to related literature and is based on case studies from five international franchisors in Taiwan. Firms' objectives, key organizational issues and characterization at each stage were documented during the research.

To achieve fast nano-positioning control in a large traveling distance with a single motion stage and without a waiting time, this paper presents a micro-dynamic model together with a simple switching rule and two controllers, one for macro-dynamics and the other for micro-dynamics, such that the moving stage can smoothly travel from macro-dynamic range into micro-dynamic range. First, a micro-dynamic model is proposed to capture the complicated hysteresis behavior of the nonlinear micro-dynamics. Next, two controllers of simple structures are designed for the micro-dynamic traveling range and the macro-dynamic traveling range, respectively, based on the previous model. Finally, a simple switching law is proposed to complete a design. Experiments show that the resultant control system has a fast response speed without a sluggish response in the conjunction of the macro-dynamic range and the micro-dynamic range. Furthermore, it can sustain large disturbances while holding the motion stage at the set point.

With the fast development of the world economy, distributed virtual manufacturing is becoming increasingly important since it can respond rapidly to market changes and make resource sharing more efficient among manufacturing partners. In this environment, partners may be located at different geographical locations, and co-operation among partners is a vital task and thus concurrent planning and scheduling has become a challenging research topic. This paper presents a computerized model that can integrate these manufacturing functions and resolve some of the critical problems in distributed virtual manufacturing, such as virtual co-operation, optimal partner selection, etc. This integration model is realized through a multi-agent approach that provides a practical approach for software integration in a distributed environment. A cost function is proposed and adopted for optimal partner selection in a virtual enterprise, which not only considers a partner's manufacturing capability and process requirements, but also the processing time, partner's location and product due date. Through establishing a virtual manufacturing model in a simulated environment, the proposal was validated with a case study. It shows that the proposed methodology can satisfy the distribution and agility requirements. This approach is able to contribute to the reduction of product cost, improving product quality and shortening lead time, compared to the sequential approach in the normal engineering and production practice.

Insoluble 11S globulin and soluble 2S albumin, conventionally termed alpha-globulin and beta-globulin, are the two major storage proteins and constitute 80-90% of total seed proteins in sesame. Two full-length cDNA clones were sequenced and deduced to encode sesame 11S globulin and 2S albumin precursors, respectively. Deduced amino acid composition reveals that 2S albumin, but not 11S globulin, is a sulfur-rich protein. Three abundant polypeptides of 50-60 kDa were resolved on SDS-PAGE when seed-purified 11S globulin was prepared in nonreducing conditions. Immunological analysis suggests that these three polypeptides are encoded by homologous genes. Immunodetection on the overexpressed protein of the 11S globulin clone in Escherichia coli indicates that this clone encodes the precursor protein of one of the three purified 11S globulin polypeptides.

In 1945, in the aftermath of World War II, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (and wife of our first president with a disability when elected) was appointed by President Harry Truman to chair the United Nation’s (UN) Human Rights Commission. By all accounts, she relished the experience and recognized the moral force that a Universal Declaration of Human Rights could have in establishing international norms. In 1948, the UN Assembly adopted the Declaration. What followed over the subsequent decades were a series of UN human rights treaties and conventions that called out and underscored that various vulnerable populations (such as children, women, racial minority groups) deserved human rights protections too. Whereas, a UN declaration was intended to be aspirational and not legally binding, such was not the case with a human rights convention or treaty [2]. In addition to being a commitment to the international community, a convention also would require appropriate oversight and monitoring and reporting of the signatory countries. Unfortunately, concerns about national sovereignty have often impeded U.S. Senate ratification of UN human rights conventions, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and, more recently, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) [3]. Attention to the rights of people with disabilities has gained traction since the 1970s, both in the United States and internationally. In 1971, the UN General Assembly adopted The Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons, followed 4 years later by The Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons [4]. A push for civil rights laws for people with disabilities in the United States began in the 1960s, which culminated in such landmark legislation as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. Not surprisingly, those who helped to draft the ADA in the United States also became leaders in the international movement for disability civil rights and helped to craft the language for the UN CRPD. The document, whose stated purpose is “to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity” [5] was adopted by the UN in 2006 and has been ratified by 141 countries to date [4]. Despite being signed by President Obama in 2009, efforts to obtain the supermajority (two-thirds or 66 votes) needed for U.S. Senate ratification have thus far fallen short. The reasons for opposition include concerns that the CRPD will infringe on parental rights, endorse abortion rights, and compromise U.S. sovereignty. To learn more about these issues, please see the fact sheet prepared by the U.S. International Council on Disabilities that addresses these concerns (http://www.usicd.org/doc/CRPD%20MythsFacts%200719%202013.pdf).

Precise-positioning technique is relatively well developed. However, it is still difficult to avoid an overshoot or to limit the overshoot within a submicrometer in a rapid and precise positioning. Inspired by recent studies on microdynamics, a control algorithm based on the variable structure control (VSC) method is proposed to achieve an overshoot smaller than 0.2 μm and rapid, precise positioning (a 0.5 mm ∼ 1 cm positioning with a steady-state error smaller than 30 nanometer in 0.5 s) with a linear motor drive stage. The stage is guided by a rolling ball guide and with a 10 nm resolution laser interferometer as its position sensor. Some characteristic values in the friction model of microdynamics are included to design the controller. Therefore, we found a way to achieve rapid, precise, and Small overshoot positioning by combining mechanism design system identification, lubrication, and controller design techniques.

The magnetic properties and microstructural evolution of (Nd1−xLax)9.5Fe85.5B5 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.10and0.15) melt spun ribbons have been investigated. It was found that La is effective in refining the grain size of these ribbons. La-substitution is also effective in yielding excellent magnetic properties even when the alloy is melt spun at a lower wheel speed. The magnetic properties of the ribbons are determined by two major factors: (1) the magnetic dilution and (2) the enhancement of exchange coupling between Nd2Fe14B and α-Fe phases of fine grains. Br of 9.9 kG, iHc of 6.2 kOe and (BH)max = 15.5MGOe have been obtained in the alloy ribbons with x = 0.10 when directly quenched at a wheel speed of 18 m/s.

This paper suggests ranking alternatives under fuzzy MCDM (multiple criteria decision making) via an centroid based ranking approach, where criteria are classified to benefit qualitative, benefit quantitative and cost quantitative ones. The ratings of alternatives versus qualitative criteria and the importance weights of all criteria are assessed in linguistic values represented by fuzzy numbers. The membership function for the final fuzzy evaluation value of each alternative can be developed through α-cuts and interval arithmetic of fuzzy numbers. The distance between the original point and the relative centroid is applied to defuzzify the final fuzzy evaluation values in order to rank alternatives. Finally a numerical example demonstrates the computation procedure of the proposed model., {"references":["","S. Abbasbandy and T. Hajjari, \"A new approach for ranking of\ntrapezoidal fuzzy numbers,\"Computers and Mathematics with\nApplications,vol.57,pp.413-419, 2009.","L. Afkham, F. Abdi, and A. Rashidi, \"Evaluation of service quality by\nusing fuzzy MCDM: A case study in Iranian health-care\ncenters,\"Management Science Letters. vol.2, no.1,pp.291-300, 2012.","B. Asady, \"The revised method of ranking LR fuzzy number based on\ndeviation degree,\"Expert Systems with Applications, vol.37,\npp.5056-5060, 2010.","G. Büyüközkan, O. Feyzioglu, and G. Çifçi, \"Fuzzy multi-criteria\nevaluation of knowledge management tools,\" International Journal of\nComputational Intelligence Systems,vol.4, no.2, pp.184-195, 2011.","C. Carlssonand R. Fullér, \"Fuzzy multiple criteria decision making:\nRecent developments,\"Fuzzy Sets and System, vol.78, no.2,pp.139-153,\n1996.","S.J. Chen and C.L. Hwang,Fuzzy Multiple Attribute Decision\nMaking.Berlin: Springer, 1992.","C.C.Chou, \"A fuzzy MCDM method for solving marine transshipment\ncontainer port selection problems,\" Applied Mathematics and\nComputation, vol.186, no.1, pp.435-444, 2007.","T.C. Chu and Y. Lin, \"An Extension to Fuzzy MCDM,\" Computers and\nMathematics with Applications, vol.57, no.3, pp.445-454, 2009.","G. Çifçi, and G. Büyüközkan, \"A fuzzy MCDM approach to evaluate\ngreen suppliers,\"International Journal of Computational Intelligence\nSystems, vol.4, no.5, pp.894-909, 2011.\n[10] D. Dubois and H. Prade, \"Operations on fuzzy numbers,\"International\nJournal of Systems Science, vol.9, no.6, pp.613-626, 1978.\n[11] R. Ezzati,T.Allahviranloo, S. Khezerloo, and M. Khezerloo, \"An\napproach for ranking of fuzzy number,\"Expert Systems with Applications,\nvol.39, no.1, pp.690-695, 2012.\n[12] Z. Hu,Z. Chen, Z. Pei, X. Ma, and W. Liu, \"An improved ranking\nstrategy for fuzzy multiple attribute group decision making,\"\nInternational Journal of Computational Intelligence Systems, vol.6, no.1,\npp.38-46, 2013.\n[13] E. Jafarian and M.A. Rezvani, \"A valuation-based method for ranking\nthe intuitionistic fuzzy numbers,\" Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems,\nvol.24, pp.133-144, 2013.\n[14] A. Kaufmann and M.M. Gupta, Introduction to Fuzzy Arithmetic:\nTheory and Application. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1991.\n[15] H.M. Nehi, \"A new ranking method for intuitionistic fuzzy\nnumbers,\"International Journal of Fuzzy Systems, vol.12, no.1, pp.80-86,\n2010.\n[16] S. Önüt, S.S. Kara,and E. Işik, \"Long term supplier selection using a\ncombined fuzzy MCDM approach: A case study for a\ntelecommunication company,\" Expert Systems with Applications, vol.36\npp.3887-3895, 2009.\n[17] Y.L.P. Thorani, P. PhaniBushanRao, and N. Ravi Shankar, \"Ordering\ngeneralized trapezoidal fuzzy numbers,\"International Journal of\nContemporary Mathematical Science, vol.7, no.12, pp.555–573, 2012.\n[18] X. Wang and E.E. Kerre, \"Reasonable properties for the ordering of\nfuzzy quantities (I)& (II),\"Fuzzy Sets and Systems, vol.118, no.3,\npp.375-385 and pp.387-405, 2001.\n[19] Y.J. Wang and H.S. Lee, \"The revised method of ranking fuzzy numbers\nwith an area between the centroid and original points,\"Computers &\nMathematics with Applications,vol.55, no.9,pp.2033-2042, 2008.\n[20] Y.M. Wang, J.B. Yang, and D.L. Xu, \"On the centroids of fuzzy\nnumbers,\" Fuzzy Sets and Systems,vol.157,pp.919-926, 2006.\n[21] H.Y. Wu, G.H. Tzeng, and Y.H. Chen, \"A fuzzy MCDM approach for\nevaluating banking performance based on balanced scorecard,\"Expert\nSystems with Applicationsvol.36,no.6, pp.10135-10147, 2009.\n[22] L.A. Zadeh, \"The concept of a linguistic variable and its application to\napproximate reasoning, part 1,2 and 3,\" Information Science, vol.8, no.3,\npp.199-249, pp.301-357, 1975.\n[23] L.A. Zadeh, \"Fuzzy sets,\"Information and Control, vol.8, no.3,\npp.338-35, 1965."]}

The present survey aimed to assess the prevalence and nature of physical disabilities among medical school graduates and to investigate the academic performance of these new physicians with disabilities. A questionnaire was sent to the deans of student affairs of each of the then existing 128 United States and Puerto Rican medical schools, addressing the profiles of students with physical disabilities in the 1987 through 1990 graduating classes. Seventy-seven (60%) United States and Puerto Rican medical schools responded to the questionnaire, of which 67 were able to complete it. A total of 67 students with physical disabilities (40 males and 27 females) were reported. Three of the 67 students were excluded from the study because their conditions did not match our definition of physical disability. The remaining 64 students (38 males and 26 females), ranging from 0 to 10 per school, comprised 0.19% of the 33,138 students who graduated from the 67 medical schools during these 4 academic yr. The disabilities represented by the 64 students encompassed a wide spectrum of etiologies, including neurologic (39%), musculoskeletal (20%), medical-surgical (13%), visual (13%), and auditory (9%) problems. The majority of students with disabilities had above average (36%) to average (48%) academic standings. The actual prevalence of medical students with disabilities might be higher than reported because of the underreporting of the less noticeable types of disabilities.

The Beijing Spectrometer (BES) is a general purpose solenoidal detector at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider (BEPC). It is designed to study exclusive final states in e + e − annihilations at the center of mass energy from 3.0 to 5.6 GeV. This requires large solid angle coverage combined with good charged particle momentum resolution, good particle identification and high photon detection efficiency at low energies. In this paper we describe the construction and the performance of BES detector.

As mainstream processing technology advances into 65 nm and beyond, many factors that were previously considered secondary or insignificant, can now have an impact on chip timing. One of these factor is inversed temperature dependence (ITD). As supply voltage continues scaling into sub-IV territory, delay-temperature relationship can be reversed on some cells, meaning that device switching time may decrease as temperature increases. ITD posts a new challenge for timing sign-off because the highest and lowest sign-off temperatures may no longer be the worst-case and best-case timing corners. This work discuss the effect of ITD and its implication on timing sign-off, based on a standard cell library used in a typical design flow.

We show that rising and falling delays in gates can differ considerably. Simulation data, using 40 nm and 65 nm process technology, shows an increasing trend and that the slow transition delay could be two times of the faster transition delay. This translates to an asymmetry between the rise and fall delays along a path. Based on this we propose refinements to the following delay test methodology: (i) selection of robust path delay tests for delay characterization; (ii) refinements to small delay defects coverage metric; and (iii) an alternative to the inline resistance fault (IRF) model for selecting TDF tests.

This study has investigated the micellar properties of the d-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate esters 400 (TPGS 400) and 1000 (TPGS 1000) in terms of critical micellar concentration (CMC), apparent aggregation number (N(agg)), microviscosity and micropolarity using steady state fluorescence techniques and fluorescent probes. In addition it has compared these properties against those of a Triton-type surfactant such as Triton X-100. The CMC values for TPGS 400, TPGS 1000 and Triton X-100 were 1.51 mM, 0.02 mM and 0.19 mM, respectively. The N(agg) values for TPGS 1000 and Triton X-100 were, respectively, 10 and 63. Due to the cloudiness of its aqueous solutions, no attempt was made to evaluate the microviscosity and to obtain the N(agg) for TPGS 400. Microviscosity at the probe site for all three surfactants was high and rather similar in spite of differences among their CMC values. The ability of TPGS 400 and TPGS 1000 to provide an environment for the fluorescence quenching of micelle-solubilized pyrene appears to be associated with their hydrophobic aromatic domains. To our knowledge the present study is the first attempt at systematically studying the micellar properties of the two most widely used TPGS compounds and of comparing these properties against each other and against those of an established nonionic surfactant.

RD the second core is the R&D cooperations within industry (competitors, suppliers, customers). This may indicate the vitality of industrial network of Taiwanese firms, and only part of the industry has close linkages with universities and institutions in Taiwan Innovation System.

In this work, we present using random forests statistical learning to analyze post-silicon delay test data. We introduce the concept of parametric delay test as a new perspective for extracting more information from delay test. First, a methodology for outlier identification is presented to aid defect characterization of initial sample chips. Second, a methodology for production test is presented, including automated pattern-set reduction analysis. Finally, a strategy for adaptive test is presented.

Owing to their excellent electrical properties, mechanical strength and processability, epoxy resins are widely adapted in the field of electronics. Epoxy in the nature of thermosetting, however, would produce intractable polymeric materials after being cured. Intractability is considered disadvantageous in terms of reworkability. To achieve reworkability, two types of epoxy resins with built-in thermally cleavable functionalities, namely thermally degradable and thermally reversible groups, were designed and synthesized. The thermally degradable type resin (TDR) was formulated into an underfill formulation for flip-chip technology. The thermally reversible type resin (TRR) was put in the adhesive formulation for potential optoelectronic applications. Experiments showed the easiness of chip removal and the cleanability of the residue.