The time-resolved strain and temperature profiles of magnetron-sputtered pseudoelastic TiNi films of 20 mu m thickness are investigated during tensile stress cycling for different strain rates. Based ...on simultaneous infrared thermography and digital image correlation, a good correlation between the evolution of temperature profiles and the local formation and propagation of Lueders-like strain bands is observed. The evolution of temperature profiles can be quantitatively described by a phenomenological Tanaka-type model of the martensitic transformation combined with a heat transfer model taking into account the local interaction between transformed and untransformed regions in the transformation kinetics. The investigated film samples exhibit an undercooling of -16K upon mechanical unloading under adiabatic conditions at a strain rate of 0.2s-1. A coefficient of performance of 7.7 is determined. Due to the high surface-to-volume ratio, the films show fast heat exchange in air of the order of 1.5s. Based on these results, the prospects of SMA film-based elastocaloric cooling are discussed.
The elastocaloric effect associated with the stress-induced first order phase transformation in pseudoelastic shape memory alloy (SMA) films and foils is of special interest for cooling applications ...on a miniature scale enabling fast heat transfer and high cycling frequencies as well as tunable transformation temperatures. The focus is on TiNi-based materials having the potential to meet the various challenges associated with elastocaloric cooling including large adiabatic temperature change and ultra-low fatigue. The evolution of strain and temperature bands during tensile load cycling is investigated with respect to strain and strain-rate by in situ digital image correlation and infrared thermography with a spatial resolution in the order of 25 µm. Major design issues and challenges in fabrication of SMA film-based elastocaloric cooling devices are discussed including the efficiency of heat transfer as well as force recovery to enhance the coefficient of performance (COP) on the system level. Advanced demonstrators show a temperature span of 13 °C after 30 s, while the COP of the overall device reaches almost 10% of Carnot efficiency.
A sodiated Nafion-coating on a porous polypropylene backbone was used as a cation selective separator for room temperature sodium-sulfur batteries. The capacity of the cells after 20 cycles could be ...enhanced by 75% to 350 mA h g
sulfur
−1
using the new separator.
Utilizing a cation selective Nafion-coated polymer separator to enhance the capacity of room temperature sodium-sulfur batteries.
Optical modulators encode electrical signals to the optical domain and thus constitute a key element in high-capacity communication links. Ideally, they should feature operation at the highest speed ...with the least power consumption on the smallest footprint, and at low cost. Unfortunately, current technologies fall short of these criteria. Recently, plasmonics has emerged as a solution offering compact and fast devices. Yet, practical implementations have turned out to be rather elusive. Here, we introduce a 70 GHz all-plasmonic Mach-Zehnder modulator that fits into a silicon waveguide of 10 μm length. This dramatic reduction in size by more than two orders of magnitude compared with photonic Mach-Zehnder modulators results in a low energy consumption of 25 fJ per bit up to the highest speeds. The technology suggests a cheap co-integration with electronics.
Cortical networks spontaneously fluctuate between persistently active Up states and quiescent Down states. The Up states are maintained by recurrent excitation within local circuits, and can be ...turned on and off by synaptic input. GABAergic inhibition is believed to be important for stabilizing such persistent activity by balancing the excitation, and could have an additional role in terminating the Up state. Here, we report that GABA
A
and GABA
B
receptor-mediated inhibition have distinct and complementary roles in balancing and terminating persistent activity. In a model of Up–Down states expressed in slices of rat entorhinal cortex, the GABA
A
receptor antagonist, gabazine (50–500 n
m
), concentration-dependently decreased Up state duration, eventually leading to epileptiform bursts. In contrast, the GABA
B
receptor antagonist, CGP55845 (50 n
m
to 1 μ
m
), increased the duration of persistent network activity, and prevented stimulus-induced Down state transitions. These results suggest that while GABA
A
receptor-mediated inhibition is necessary for balancing persistent activity, activation of GABA
B
receptors contributes to terminating Up states.
The macroscopic properties of gels arise from their slow dynamics and load-bearing network structure, which are exploited by nature and in numerous industrial products. However, a link between these ...structural and dynamical properties has remained elusive. Here we present confocal microscopy experiments and simulations of gel-forming colloid-polymer mixtures. They reveal that gel formation is preceded by continuous and directed percolation. Both transitions lead to system-spanning networks, but only directed percolation results in extremely slow dynamics, ageing and a shrinking of the gel that resembles synaeresis. Therefore, dynamical arrest in gels is found to be linked to a structural transition, namely directed percolation, which is quantitatively associated with the mean number of bonded neighbours. Directed percolation denotes a universality class of transitions. Our study hence connects gel formation to a well-developed theoretical framework, which now can be exploited to achieve a detailed understanding of arrested gels.
A novel combination of hard carbon anode sodium pre‐loading and a tailored electrolyte is used to prepare room temperature sodium‐sulfur full cell batteries. The electrochemical loading with sodium ...ions is realized in a specific mixture of diethyl carbonate, ethylene carbonate, and fluoroethylene carbonate electrolyte in order to create a first solid electrolyte interface (SEI) on the anode surface. Combining such anodes with a porous carbon/sulfur composite cathode results in full cells with a significantly decreased polysulfide shuttle when compared to half cells combined with metallic sodium anodes. Further optimization involves the use of Na2S/P2S5 doped tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether based electrolyte in the full cell for the formation of a second SEI, reducing polysulfide shuttle even further. More importantly, the electrochemical discharge processes in the cell are improved by adding this dissolved complexation agent to the electrolyte. As a result of this combination sodium‐sulfur cells with tailored cathode materials and electrolytes can achieve high discharge capacities up to 980 mAh g−1sulfur and 1000 cycles with 200 mAh g−1sulfur remaining capacity, at room temperature.
A unique combination of the presodiation of hard carbon anodes, in a tailored NaPF6, diethyl carbonate, ethylene carbonate, and fluoroethylene carbonate containing an electrolyte, and the use of an Na2S/P2S5 doped tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether electrolyte in subsequent full cells, leads to stable sodium‐sulfur batteries operable at room temperature with discharge capacities up to 980 mAh g−1sulfur and 1000 reversible cycles.
This systematic review and meta-analysis set out to determine the effect of dynamic resistance exercise (DRT) on areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in postmenopausal women and derive evidence-based ...recommendations for optimized training protocols. A systematic review of the literature according to the PRISMA statement included (a) controlled trials, (b) of isolated DRT with at least one exercise and one control group, (c) with intervention durations ≥ 6 months, (d) aBMD assessments at lumbar spine or proximal femur, (e) in cohorts of postmenopausal women. We searched eight electronic databases up to March 2019 without language restrictions. The meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. Standardized mean differences (SMD) for BMD changes at lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (TH) were defined as outcome measures. Moderators of the exercise effects, i.e., “intervention length,” “type of DRT,” “training frequency,” “exercise intensity,” and “exercise volume,” were addressed by sub-group analyses. The study was registered in the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) under ID: CRD42018095097. Seventeen articles with 20 exercise and 18 control groups were eligible. SMD average is 0.54 (95% CI 0.22–0.87) for LS-BMD, 0.22 (0.07–0.38) for FN-BMD, and 0.48 (0.22–0.75) for TH-BMD changes (all
p
≤ 0.015). While sub-group analysis for FN-BMD revealed no differences within categories of moderators, lower training frequency (< 2 sessions/week) resulted in significantly higher BMD changes at LS and TH compared to higher training frequency (≥ 2 sessions/week). Additionally, free weight training was significantly superior to DRT devices for improving TH-BMD. This work provided further evidence for significant, albeit only low–moderate, effects of DRT on LS-, FN-, and TH-BMD. Unfortunately, sub-analysis results did not allow meaningful exercise recommendations to be derived. This systematic review and meta-analysis observed a significant low–moderate effect of dynamic resistance exercise on bone mineral density changes in postmenopausal women. However, sub-group analyses focusing on exercise characteristics found no results that enable the derivation of meaningful exercise recommendations in the area of exercise and osteoporosis prevention or therapy.
Summary
The EFOPS trial clearly established the positive effect of long-term exercise on clinical low-trauma fractures in postmenopausal women at risk. Bearing in mind that the complex anti-fracture ...exercise protocols also affect a large variety of diseases of increased age, we strongly encourage older adults to perform multipurpose exercise programs.
Introduction
Physical exercise may be an efficient option for autonomous fracture prevention during increasing age. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of exercise on clinical overall fracture incidence and bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly subjects at risk.
Methods
In 1998 initially, 137 early-postmenopausal, osteopenic women living in Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, were included in the EFOPS trial. Subjects of the exercise group (EG;
n
= 86) conducted two supervised group and two home exercise sessions/week while the control group (CG;
n
= 51) was requested to maintain their physical activity. Primary study endpoints were clinical overall low-trauma fractures determined by questionnaires, structured interviews, and BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
Results
In 2014, 105 subjects (EG:
n
= 59 vs. CG:
n
= 46) representing 1680 participant-years were included in the 16-year follow-up analysis. Risk ratio in the EG for overall low-trauma fractures was 0.51 (95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) 0.23 to 0.97,
p
= .046), rate ratio was 0.42 (95 % CI 0.20 to 0.86,
p
= .018). Based on comparable baseline values, lumbar spine (MV −1.5 %, 95 % CI −0.1 to −2.8 vs. −5.8 %, −3.3 to −7.2 %) and femoral neck (−6.5 %, −5.2 to −7.7 vs. −9.6 %, −8.2 to 11.1 %) BMD decreased in both groups; however, the reduction was more pronounced in the CG (
p
≤ .001).
Conclusion
This study clearly evidenced the high anti-fracture efficiency of multipurpose exercise programs. Considering furthermore the favorable effect of exercise on most other risk factors of increasing age, we strongly encourage older adults to perform multipurpose exercise programs.
Key points
Translocation of individuals with dementia to a nursing home can be very stressful because of cohabitation with fellow residents and dependence on care staff, resulting in behavioral and ...psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).
Undiagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can be a contributing factor to BPSD and are less often recognized later in life.
The detection of ASD in old age lags behind due to insufficient knowledge and alertness among health care professionals.
Recognizing ASD not only leads to more understanding and acceptance but can also contribute to better (non‐pharmacological) treatment of BPSD and guidance of nursing home residents.
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