Wave band gaps in two-dimensional piezoelectric/piezomagnetic phononic crystals

In this paper, the elastic wave propagation in phononic crystals with piezoelectric and piezomagnetic inclusions is investigated taking the magneto-electro-elastic coupling into account. The electric and magnetic fields are approximated as quasi-static. The band structures of three kinds of piezoelectric/piezomagnetic phononic crystals—CoFe₂O₄/quartz, BaTiO₃/CoFe₂O₄ and BaTiO₃–CoFe₂O₄/polymer periodic composites are calculated using the plane-wave expansion method. The piezoelectric and piezomagnetic effects on the band structures are analyzed. The numerical results show that in CoFe₂O₄/quartz structures, only one narrow band gap exists along the Γ–X direction for the coupling of xy-mode and z-mode for the filling fraction f being 0.4; while in BaTiO₃/CoFe₂O₄ composites, only one narrow band gap exists along the Γ–X direction forxy-mode and no band gap exists for z-mode as the filling friction f is 0.5. Moreover, for the new type of magneto-electro-elastic phononic crystal—BaTiO₃–CoFe₂O₄/polymer periodic composite, the band gap characteristics are more superior in the whole considered frequency regions due to the big contrast of the material properties in the two constituents and the effects of the piezoelectricity and piezomagneticity on the band gap structures are remarkable.     

Spatio-temporal filter bank for visualizing audible sound field by Schlieren method

Visualization of sound field using optical techniques is a powerful tool for understanding acoustical behaviors. It uses light waves to examine the acoustical quantities without disturbing the sound information of the field under investigation. Schlieren imaging is an optical method that uses a camera to visualize the density of transparent media. As it uses a single shot to capture the information without scanning, it can observe both reproducible and non-reproducible sound field. Conventionally, the Schlieren system is applied to high-pressure ultrasound and shock waves. However, since the density variation of air caused by the audible sound field is very small, this method was not applicable for visualizing these fields. In this paper, a spatio-temporal filter bank is proposed to overcome this problem. As the sound is a very specific signal, the spatio-temporal spectrum (in two-dimensional space and time) of the audible sound is concentrated in a specific region. The spatio-temporal filter bank is designed for extracting the sound field information in the specific region and removing noise. The results indicate that the visibility of the sound fields is enhanced by using the proposed method.     

Radiation processing of wastewater evaluated by toxicity assays

Biological assays have been applied to industrial effluents and sewage influents, from distinct sites, before and after being submitted to ionizing radiation treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of radiation, mainly electron beam accelerator, for the acute toxicity removal. The selected sampling presented a very toxic level and the radiation process was efficient for toxicity removal for 87.7% of irradiated samples. The sewage influents required lower radiation doses to reduce toxicity when compared to raw industrial effluents.     

WAVE LOCALIZATION IN RANDOMLY DISORDERED PERIODIC PIEZOELECTRIC RODS WITH INITIAL STRESS

The elastic wave localization in disordered periodic piezoelectric rods with initial stress is studied using the transfer matrix and Lyapunov exponent method. The electric field is approximated as quasi-static. The effects of the initial stress on the band gap characteristics are investigated. The numerical calculations of localization factors and localization lengths are performed. It can be observed from the results that the band structures can be tuned by exerting the suitable initial stress. For different values of the piezoelectric rod length and the elastic constant, the band structures and the localization phenomena are very different. Larger disorder degree can lead to more obvious localization phenomenon.     

Dried and Fermented Powders of Edible Algae (Neopyropia yezoensis) Attenuate Hepatic Steatosis in Obese Mice

Edible algae Neopyropia yezoensis is used as “Nori”, its dried sheet product, in Japanese cuisine. Its lipid components reportedly improve hepatic steatosis in obese db/db mice. In this study, we prepared “Nori powder (NP)” and “fermented Nori powder (FNP)” to utilize the functional lipids contained in “Nori” and examined their nutraceutical effects in vivo. Male db/db mice were fed a basal AIN-76 diet, a 10% NP-supplemented diet, or a 10% FNP-supplemented diet for 4 weeks. We detected eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) present in both NP and FNP in the serum and liver of db/db mice in a dose-dependent manner. The NP diet reduced hepatic triglyceride accumulation (by 58%) in db/db mice by modulating gene expression, which resulted in the inhibition of lipogenic enzyme activity. Additionally, NP intake significantly suppressed the expression of inflammatory genes in the liver and hepatic injury marker levels in the sera (by 26%) of db/db mice. The FNP diet also led to a marked reduction in hepatic triglyceride accumulation (by 50%) and hepatic injury (by 28%) in db/db mice, and the mechanism of these alleviative actions was similar to that of the NP diet. Although the EPA content of FNP was one-third that of NP, metabolomic analysis revealed that bioactive betaine analogs, such as stachydrine, betaine, and carnitine, were detected only in FNP. In conclusion, we suggest that (1) mechanical processing of “Nori” makes its lipid components readily absorbable by the body to exert their lipid-lowering effects, and (2) fermentation of “Nori” produces anti-inflammatory molecules and lipid-lowering molecules, which together with the lipid components, can exert hepatic steatosis-alleviating effects.     

Band gaps of elastic waves in three-dimensional piezoelectric phononic crystals with initial stress

In this paper, the stop band properties of elastic waves in three-dimensional piezoelectric phononic crystals with initial stress are studied taking the mechanical and electrical coupling into account. The band gap characteristics for three kinds of lattice arrangements (i.e. sc, bcc and fcc) are investigated by the plane wave expansion (PWE) method. Regarding the variables of mechanical and electrical fields as the elements of the generalized state vector, the expression of the generalized eigenvalue equation for three-dimensional piezoelectric periodic structures is derived. Numerical calculations are performed for the PZT-2/polymer and ZnO/polymer phononic crystals. It can be observed from the results that the fcc lattice is more favorable to create the stop band than the sc and bcc lattices for the piezoelectric phononic crystals, which has also been proved for the pure elastic periodic structures. Compared with the PZT-2/polymer systems, the band gap of the sc lattice for the ZnO/polymer structures is narrower. However, the widths of the bcc and fcc lattices for the ZnO/polymer phononic crystals are much larger than those for the PZT-2/polymer structures. The lattice arrangements and the piezoelectricity have remarkable influences on the stop band behaviors.     

Synthesis of organofunctionalized polysiloxane from polymeric tributylstannyl ester of silicic acid and chlorosilanes

Polymeric tributylstannyl ester of silicic acid (PTBS) was demonstrated to be an effective material for the preparation of functionalized polysiloxane derivatives (2). The reaction of PTBS and monochlorosilane (1), which possessed an organofunctional group such as the acetoxy or methylmethacrylate group, proceeded readily at room temperature under neutral conditions to give 2 with the elimination of the tributyltin group. The molecular weight of 2 estimated by GPC measurement was almost the same as that of starting PTBS. Such metal-exchange reaction was applicable for the incorporation of two kinds of silyl units into polysiloxane 2 by employing these monochlorosilanes 1 at the same time in the reaction. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2363–2369, 1999