Behavior Of Poly Research Articles

In-depth investigation of how carbon nanofiller dispersion affects microcellular foaming behavior in poly(butylene succinate) nanocomposites

This study explores the impact of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) dispersion on the microcellular foaming characteristics of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) matrices. Two distinct dispersion methods, primary (PD) and secondary (SD), were employed to fabricate PBS/CNT nanocomposites, resulting in different filler dispersion states. The PD technique involves the conventional method of direct melt blending PBS with CNTs, while the SD technique adopts a more advanced strategy by integrating the Pickering emulsion template with melt blending, achieving finer CNTs distribution within the PBS matrix. The results reveal that the SD technique leads to significantly more uniform distribution of CNTs, which in turn enhances the melt strength and crystallization of the polymer matrix, thereby broadening the window for microcellular foaming. Notably, foams developed through the SD method exhibited a decrease in cell size to 10.4 μm and an increase in cell density to 1.8×1010 cells·cm‐3. Moreover, this uniform distribution of CNTs contributed to superior cell stability and an increase in compressive strength to 14.0 MPa. These findings highlight the pivotal role of nanofiller dispersion in determining foam properties and establish foundational knowledge for designing PBS foams with consistent and uniform cell structures. Such advancements are crucial for enhancing the applicability and performance of PBS-based materials across a spectrum of industries.

Electrical property-selective noncovalent dispersion of carbon nanotubes by poly(perylene diimide-thiophene): a molecular dynamics study

ABSTRACT Thiophene polymers have been widely used to selectively disperse semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (sc-SWNTs). Important questions concern the influence of the solvent on the adsorbability and adsorption-conformation of such polymers, along with the relation between the thiophene polymer structure and selectivity to SWNTs. These concerns about the behaviour of poly(perylene diimide (PDI)-thiophene) have been addressed in this study via molecular dynamics simulation. It is observed that the polymer does not adsorb to SWNTs in a solvent with strong polarity and shows an effective adsorbability in a solvent with moderate polarity or non-polarity. Its selectivity turns from metallic SWNTs to semi-conducting SWNTs in a solvent with a decreasing polarity. In addition, the rigid part in the polymer backbone (PDI) enlarges adsorbability significantly, and the flexible part (two thiophene units) adjusts its adsorption conformation onto SWNTs, which offers the selectivity. The study offers theoretical clues for designing the structure of thiophene polymers with respect to SWNTs-extraction.

Impulsive Behaviour of Customers in Large-Format Grocery Shops in Poland – a Case Study

The growing wealth of the Polish population noted in the recent years has led to a significant change in the behaviour of Poles as consumers. Increasingly often, the type and volume of purchases are dictated not only by real and objective reasons but also by impulse buying. In consequence, any retail outlet frequented by consumers to make purchases is no longer a place where thoroughly planned purchases are made, but a site where consumer needs are created by marketing activities. They are therefore a significant instrument of creating some influence on the consumer at the point of sale and multiplying the entrepreneur’s revenue, which is particularly important in large retail grocery shops, where an average Pole buys most groceries. The study showed that the most significant determinants of impulse buying are the age and sex of consumers. Young people display quite a high level of impulse consumption. Because of their age, they do not attach much importance to planning expenses, which frequently leads to irrational spending. Impulse purchases are more often made by women, who most often do grocery shopping. Women also spend more time in shops than men do. As a result, they are more exposed to merchandising activities carried out in retail outlets. It has been noticed that the atmosphere in a shop and the consumer’s mood while shopping have a significant impact on how much the consumer will buy. The amounts of products bought tend to increase when the consumer’s mood is extreme (very good / very bad). It was alsoobserved that a higher level of unplanned and impulse purchases is achieved by households with higher income, which in general allows them to buy more. The volume of unplanned and impulse purchases is distinctly higher in supermarkets and hypermarkets, which implicates much greater opportunities to use marketing strategies stimulating this type of purchases in such large shops than in small local shops.

Prophylaxis of infectious diseases among Polish population travelling abroad

Introduction and purpose of the study: With the gradual increase in travel, new challenges are arising in the health sector, especially with regard to infectious diseases. Growing number of Poles choose countries on other continents as their holiday destination. The aim of this study was to examine the health behaviour of Poles in relation to their travel destinations within Europe, Asia and Africa. Of particular importance were pre-travel consultations, awareness of recommended and mandatory vaccinations and malaria prevention. Material and method: The study was based on an analysis of data from a specially constructed, online questionnaire. It was completed by 237 people. Pearson’s χ2 test, T-student and ANOVA were used to analyse the survey results. The processing of the data obtained, statistical calculations and graphs were performed using the R programme. Results and conclusions: Travellers to Asian or African countries were significantly more likely to seek information on the infectious diseases their travel destination was at risk of than travellers to European countries. In addition, recommended vaccinations were significantly more frequently administered prior to travelling to Africa or Asia than before travelling within Europe. No statistically significant differences were found between travellers to Asia or Africa in terms of seeking information on the infectious diseases, having a pre-travel consultation or being administered recommended vaccinations. With regards to malaria-prone regions, travellers to Africa were more than twice as likely to take antimalarial drugs than travellers to Asia. Mandatory vaccinations were significantly more common than recommended vaccinations, although despite the obligation some travellers still chose not to receive them.

Promoting the optical limiting behavior in poly(methyl methacrylate)/α-MnO2 nanocomposite films through modulation of in-gap states by metal doping

Nonlinear optical (NLO) materials are becoming increasingly popular due to their wide range of applications in sub-bandgap photoelectric detection, photonic diodes, Q-switched/mode-locked pulse laser production, optical limiting, and optical switching. In this study, bare and doped (Co, Cu) alpha manganese dioxide (α-MnO2)/poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposite films were fabricated to investigate the effect of the in-gap states modulation triggered nonlinear absorption (NA) mechanisms on optical limiting. The structural characterization of bare and doped powders proved the successful incorporation of dopant metals into the α-MnO2 lattice. Linear absorption measurements revealed that the nanocomposite films have two distinct bands at around 230 nm and above 400 nm attributed to PMMA and bare, Co and Cu doped α-MnO2 nanoparticles, respectively. While the localized defect states of PMMA decreased with the addition of the nanoparticles, the localized defect states of the α-MnO2 increased with Co and Cu dopants. To reveal the NA behaviors and mechanisms of the nanocomposite films, open aperture Z-scan experiments were performed at 532 nm with 4 ns pulsed laser at various input intensities. The saturable absorption effect on the NA behavior of the nanocomposite films was observed with increasing input intensity due to the filling of the defect states of the nanoparticles by one photon absorption (OPA). Considering the bandgap energies and localized defect states of the nanocomposite films, it was revealed that the PMMA/MnO2 and PMMA/MnO2:Co nanocomposite films had the same NA mechanisms which are OPA, sequential two photon absorption, free carrier absorption and excited state absorption (ESA). Among these NA mechanisms, the ESA between the conduction band of MnO2:Cu nanoparticles and localized defect states of PMMA did not occur due to inconvenient energy differences between these states in PMMA/MnO2:Cu nanocomposite film. Therefore, this nanocomposite film had weaker NA behavior than other nanocomposite films. On the other hand, the larger number of localized defect states of the PMMA/MnO2:Co nanocomposite as compared to PMMA/MnO2 film caused stronger NA behavior. The PMMA/MnO2:Co nanocomposite film had stronger optical limiting feature than other nanocomposite films. In light of all results, these materials are potentially useful for constructing saturable absorbers and optical limiters by modulating in-gap states.

Transition from Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann to Arrhenius Ion-Conducting Behavior in Poly(Ethyl Acrylate)-Based Solid Polymer Electrolytes via Succinonitrile Plasticizer Addition

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) offer potential advantages over liquid electrolytes, including flexibility, safety, and processability. However, they suffer from low room-temperature ionic conductivity. Recently, it has been reported a poly(ethyl acrylate) based (polyEA) SPE, by incorporating 50 wt% of succinonitrile (SN) solid plasticizer, 30 wt% of lithium salt and 5 wt% of fluoroethylene carbonate additive, which achieves a high room-temperature ionic conductivity of 1.01 × 10−3 S cm−1 (Nat. Nanotechnol, 2022, 17, 768-776). This novel SPE exhibits stability against Li0 and anodic stability up to 4.9 V vs Li+/Li. However, the specific mechanism responsible for its high ionic conductivity remains elusive. In this work, by adjusting the weight ratio of SN in the SPE, a transition from Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann to Arrhenius ion-conducting behavior is observed. It is demonstrated that the addition of SN leads to the gradual decoupling of Li-ion from the polymer backbone and its coordination with SN, as revealed by 6Li solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. As a result, Li-ion migration primarily occurs through SN rather than the segmental motion of the polymer backbone. Performances of the SPE in Cu||Li, Li||Li and a LiFePO4||Li pouch cells are shown to demonstrate the commercial viability of this SPE in Li0-anode solid-state batteries.

Designing a Low-Cost System to Monitor the Structural Behavior of Street Lighting Poles in Smart Cities.

The structural collapse of a street lighting pole represents an aspect that is often underestimated and unpredictable, but of relevant importance for the safety of people and things. These events are complex to evaluate since several sources of damage are involved. In addition, traditional inspection methods are ineffective, do not correctly quantify the residual life of poles, and are inefficient, requiring enormous costs associated with the vastness of elements to be investigated. An advantageous alternative is to adopt a distributed type of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) technique based on the Internet of Things (IoT). This paper proposes the design of a low-cost system, which is also easy to integrate in current infrastructures, for monitoring the structural behavior of street lighting poles in Smart Cities. At the same time, this device collects previous structural information and offers some secondary functionalities related to its application, such as meteorological information. Furthermore, this paper intends to lay the foundations for the development of a method that is able to avoid the collapse of the poles. Specifically, the implementation phase is described in the aspects concerning low-cost devices and sensors for data acquisition and transmission and the strategies of information technologies (ITs), such as Cloud/Edge approaches, for storing, processing and presenting the achieved measurements. Finally, an experimental evaluation of the metrological performance of the sensing features of this system is reported. The main results highlight that the employment of low-cost equipment and open-source software has a double implication. On one hand, they entail advantages such as limited costs and flexibility to accommodate the specific necessities of the interested user. On the other hand, the used sensors require an indispensable metrological evaluation of their performance due to encountered issues relating to calibration, reliability and uncertainty.

Regulating the temperature‐sensing behavior of poly(lactic acid) by incorporating multiwalled carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoplatelets

AbstractIn this work, the synergistic effect of using multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) to regulate the temperature response of electrical conductivity (σ) for poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites were reported. The addition of CNTs into PLA/GNPs composites markedly enhanced their crystallization capacity and σ, resulting in a reduction of percolation threshold from 2.87 (for PLA/GNPs) to 0.39 wt% (for PLA/GNPs/CNTs), which is attributed to the formation of a three‐dimensional conductive network within PLA consisting of CNTs and GNPs. Furthermore, elevating the heat treatment temperature from 80 to 140°C resulted in a reduced response time of PLA/CNTs/GNPs composites from 57 to 43 s at the Tend of 140°C. Notably, the combined use of CNTs and GNPs considerably amplified the value and stability of max . For example, the maximum increased from 120% for PLACNT0.6 to 240% for PLA/(CNT1/GNP1)0.6. The suppression of volume expansion of PLA led to a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) effect at relatively low temperatures, resulting in a reduction of NTC transition temperature from about 160 to 110°C. Additionally, the PLA/(CNT1/GNP1)0.6 exhibited a swift and sensitive response to temperature fluctuations in various heating scenarios, which demonstrated a potential for use as a thermosensitive material with fast response and temperature‐sensing ability.Highlights PLA‐based composites with NTC effect was prepared by adding CNTs and GNPs. The transition temperature from PTC to NTC effect decreased by adding hybrid fillers. The addition of hybrid CNTs and GNPs favored the formation of conductive network. The mechanism for NTC transition was explained.

Stretching effects on non-adiabatic electron dynamic behavior in poly(dG)-poly(dC) DNA upon the proton irradiation

The electronic excitations caused by DNA when exposed to ion radiation is essential to DNA damage. In this paper, we investigated the energy deposition and electron excitation process of DNA with reasonable stretching range upon proton irradiation based on time-dependent density functional theory. Stretching changes the strength of hydrogen bonding between the DNA base pairs, which in turn affects the Coulomb interaction between the projectile and DNA. As a semi-flexible molecule, the way of energy deposition is weakly sensitive to the stretching rate of DNA. However, the increase of stretching rate causes the increase of charge density along the trajectory channel, sequentially resulting in an increase in proton resistance along the intruding channel. The Mulliken charge analysis indicates that the guanine base and guanine ribose are ionized, meanwhile the cytosine base and cytosine ribose are reduced at all stretching rates. In a few femtoseconds, there exists an electron flow passing through the guanine ribose, guanine, cytosine base and the cytosine ribose in turn. This electron flow increases electron transfer and DNA ionization, promoting the side chain damage of the DNA upon ion irradiation. Our results provide a theoretical insight for deciphering the physical mechanism of the early stage of the irradiation process, and are also of great significance for the study of particle beam cancer therapy in different biological tissues.

Maternal immune activation affects socio-communicative behavior in adult rats

A wide body of evidence suggests a relationship between maternal immune activation (MIA) and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Since social and communicative deficits are included in the first diagnostic criterion of ASD, we aimed to characterize socio-communicative behaviors in the MIA model based on prenatal exposure to poly(I:C). Our previous studies demonstrated impaired socio-communicative functioning in poly(I:C)-exposed adolescent rats. Therefore, the current study sought to clarify whether these changes would persist beyond adolescence. For this purpose, we analyzed behavior during the social interaction test and recorded ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) accompanying interactions between adult poly(I:C) rats. The results demonstrated that the altered pattern of social behavior in poly(I:C) males was accompanied by the changes in acoustic parameters of emitted USVs. Poly(I:C) males also demonstrated an impaired olfactory preference for social stimuli. While poly(I:C) females did not differ from controls in socio-positive behaviors, they displayed aggression during the social encounter and were more reactive to somatosensory stimulation. Furthermore, the locomotor pattern of poly(I:C) animals were characterized by repetitive behaviors. Finally, poly(I:C) reduced parvalbumin and GAD67 expression in the cerebellum. The results showed that prenatal poly(I:C) exposure altered the pattern of socio-communicative behaviors of adult rats in a sex-specific manner.

POTENSI TANAMAN PANGAN LOKAL PADA KAWASAN HUTAN KEMASYARAKATAN WANA LESTARI DESA KARANG SIDEMEN KECAMATAN BATUKLIANG UTARA

There are a number of forest products excluding wood that have the potential to be utilized. Including plants as food producers that can be used to meet the need for food (Sumarlin et al., 2015). The purpose of this study was to determine the diversity of panga plant species and the potential of food crops in community Karang Sidemen Village. The methods used in this study were interviews and simple random sampling methods to analyze plant vegetation in community forest areas. The interview results showed that there were 44 types of food crops from 29 familli that were widely used by the community around the forest area of Karang Sidemen Village, Batukliang Utara District. based on the highest important value index on the behavior of trees and poles is Durian with an important value index of 109.89% at the tree level and at the pole level of 77.82%, for the stake level, namely coffee plants with an important value index of 63.9%, and an important value index for the level of seedlings and lower plants, namely Fern plant species with an important value index of 44.8%

Wojna w Ukrainie jako determinanta zmian w zachowaniach konsumenckich w Polsce i na świecie. Przykład rynków żywnościowych, nieruchomości oraz dóbr luksusowych

The war in Ukraine and global inflation are currently having a direct impact on the consumer behavior of both Poles and people around the world. This is confirmed by a number of research reports and statistical data. One can also observe this phenomenon in macroeconomic indi- cators. Ukraine is an important agricultural basin (including 10% of world wheat production and 50% of sunflower oil production), and Russia is blocking grain supplies through Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea. This supply glut is particularly felt in countries dependent on imports of Ukrainian grain and cooking oil, such as Egypt and India. The European real estate market, initially resistant to inflation and the war in Ukraine, is also starting to become more dynamic. Demand for luxury goods in Europe and the United States is growing despite a confluence of many negative factors that would seem expected to spoil consumer sentiment. The article will outline significant changes in consumer behavior with regard to the food, real estate and luxury goods markets, which represent the need for both companies’ marketing efforts and their sales strategies and consumers themselves to adapt to the “new” economic and social reality.

„Wreszcie się wyspałam, po raz pierwszy sama upiekłam bułeczki”… – spojrzenie na pierwszy tydzień pandemii COVID-19 w Polsce

Niniejszy artykuł stanowi próbę opisu zachowań Polaków w pierwszych siedmiu dniach obostrzeń podczas pandemii COVID-19 – na postawie badania zrealizowanego po tym pierwszym tygodniu (w dniach 20–23 marca 2020 r.), techniką CAWI (N=3702). Jego celem było uzyskanie odpowiedzi na pytania dotyczące czynności wykonywanych w tym okresie przez osoby przebywające w izolacji w domach, w szczególności aktywności nowych (pierwszy raz w życiu) albo podejmowanych po raz pierwszy od bardzo długiego czasu, a także powodów wychodzenia z domu oraz oceny tego pierwszego tygodnia pandemii.
 Dla dwóch trzecich badanych konieczność przebywania w domu była dużą zmianą w sposobie życia, jednak zmiana ta została oceniona pozytywnie – jako dodatkowy, niespodziewany czas, kiedy można było zrobić coś, na co wcześniej nie było czasu. Najczęściej podejmowano w tym okresie czynności, które można określić jako robienie czegoś dla siebie, ponadto wykonywano zaległe prace domowe, a także aktywnie korzystano z możliwości bycia z rodziną.

The role of solvent quality and of competitive adsorption on the efficiency of superplasticizers in alkali-activated slag pastes

The loss of dispersing ability by polycarboxylates ether superplasticizers in alkali-activated slag cements has been widely reported. However, no clear-cut explanation of this phenomenon can be found to date. Therefore, the behaviour of poly(methacrylate-g-poly(ethylene glycol)) superplasticizers in NaOH or Na2CO3-activated slag pastes was investigated. The observed loss of efficiency of the polymer was not due to a specific property of the slag particles, nor to structural degradation of the polymer in the alkaline solutions. Actually, the ionic strength of the activating solution decreased the solvent quality and changed the polymer conformation, leading to a deterioration of the steric repulsion brought by the side-chains. Moreover, in the Na2CO3-activated systems, the adsorption behaviour of the polymers was also significantly altered. Here, this was not caused by a low calcium concentration or by a preferential adsorption of the superplasticizer on calcite crystallites. The most plausible explanation was a competitive adsorption with CO32− ions.

Excise tax reform in Poland on electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products and Personal Income Tax reform

The purpose of the paper is to present the most important changes to the laws on excise tax and personal income tax (PIT) made in Poland in 2022. Due to the importance of these changes, they can be considered as tax law reforms. The changes to the excise tax may not only affect the amount of taxes levied but may also influence the health-related behaviour of Poles in the coming years. The changes to the PIT may affect as many as 18 million taxpayers. The main purpose of this paper is to verify two research hypotheses: first, that public consultations do not have any impact on the shape of the tax law being developed; and second, if the legislator adopts a tax law quickly, it will very likely contain many errors, the consequences of which may be serious.

Effect of Supporting Base System on the Flexural Behavior and Toughness of the Lighting GFRP Poles

Due to the high risk of common traffic electric poles, the use of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) material in electric poles has become essential due to its excellent advantages such as high strength to weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and electrical insulation, which keeps people safe. To reduce the accidental effect of street lighting poles on humans, the generated energy during the collision must be absorbed. Experimental and numerical investigations were carried out to identify the efficiency of tapered GFRP electric poles with handle doors using steel sleeve bases until the occurrence of failure. Six full-scale cantilever bending tests were performed to investigate the strength and ductility of the GFRP pole. Moreover, finite element (FE) models were developed using Abaqus software and verified against tests to provide alternative tools instead of lab experiments. An extensive parametric study was carried out to predict the effect of the GFRP pole wall thickness, base plate geometric (length, diameter, and wall thickness), electric cable hole diameter, material properties, and base sleeve geometric (length and wall thickness) on the toughness of the GFRP pole. Based on the results of the load–displacement (P–Δ) curves, the flexibility of the GFRP poles was directly proportional to their length and the local buckling failure often occurred at the handle door. Strengthening the zone of the handle door using a steel ring was investigated to prevent the local buckling failure at this part. However, the wall thickness of the GFRP pole, base sleeve height, base plate dimensions, and base plate material properties were the most effective parameters to enhance accidental energy absorption through large deformation kinematics. The base sleeve thickness had a slight direct effect on the ductility and toughness of the GFRP pole.

The Greening of Consumption: Challenges for Consumers and Businesses

Abstract The concern for the condition of the natural environment requires taking a new approach towards consumption and meeting consumer needs (Bocking 2009). Despite many initiatives related to the paradigm of sustainable development and the concept of sustainable consumption, the situation is still far from a general departure from mass consumption and consumerism. The article aims to try to synthetically organise the views of other authors on the challenges of greening consumption, both for enterprises and consumers in the context of social responsibility. Competences play an important role in this process. The greening of consumption has not yet been widely propagated in societies, including also Polish society. One of the crucial elements of greening consumption is the purchase of ecological/organic food products. To learn about the behaviour of Poles towards the issue discussed in this article, the authors conducted a study on a representative sample of Poles (N = 1,000) during Nov. 15–27, 2021, using the Computer Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) technique (which is an online surveying technique that fits into the quantitative methodology of market and opinion research) and online panels as part of the omnibus study. The survey shows that only 7.1% of the respondents have never purchased ecological/organic food products. Among buyers, 21.8% do it rarely/sporadically, 40.1% occasionally/sometimes, 20.2% often/try to choose ecological products when shopping and 10.8% do it very often or always. Among the respondents, 55.3% declared that ecological/organic products are expensive but still worth the price due to the health benefits they bring. Noticing the advantages of these products, 63.7% of respondents would like to buy more of them. In view of the results obtained, it can be said that it is necessary to disseminate the main greening consumption ideas that are apparent from this study, and this can be done through education, building consumer competences or visualising the effects of the continuation of current consumption habits. The problem of protecting the natural environment, discussed in numerous documents issued by governments and international organisations and in scientific publications, cannot remain unnoticed. Greening consumption is a challenge for companies whose production should be rational in using non-renewable natural resources, reducing or eliminating toxic waste, using recyclable packaging and introducing ‘clean production’ principles aimed at obtaining consumer products using more cost-effective and healthier methods. It is also a challenge for consumers, who should replace perishable goods with products with a longer life cycle, consume goods and services more sparingly and cease to accept planned obsolescence of products or unethical behaviour of enterprises towards their employees.

GPR39 Knockout Worsens Microcirculatory Response to Experimental Stroke in a Sex-Dependent Manner.

No current treatments target microvascular reperfusion after stroke, which can contribute to poor outcomes even after successful clot retrieval. The G protein-coupled receptor GPR39 is expressed in brain peri-capillary pericytes, and has been implicated in microvascular regulation, but its role in stroke is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that GPR39 plays a protective role after stroke, in part due to preservation of microvascular perfusion. We generated GPR39 knockout (KO) mice and tested whether GPR39 gene deletion worsens capillary blood flow and exacerbates brain injury and functional deficit after focal cerebral ischemia. Stroke was induced in male and female GPR39 KO and WT littermates by 60-min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Microvascular perfusion was assessed via capillary red blood cell (RBC) flux in deep cortical layers in vivo using optical microangiography (OMAG). Brain injury was assessed by measuring infarct size by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining at 24h or brain atrophy at 3weeks after ischemia. Pole and cylinder behavior tests were conducted to assess neurological function deficit at 1 and 3weeks post-stroke. Male but not female GPR39 KO mice exhibited larger infarcts and lower capillary RBC flux than WT controls after stroke. Male GPR39 KO mice also exhibited worse neurologic deficit at 1week post-stroke, though functional deficit disappeared in both groups by 3weeks. GPR39 deletion worsens brain injury, microvascular perfusion, and neurological function after experimental stroke. Results indicate that GPR39 plays a sex-dependent role in re-establishing microvascular flow and limiting ischemic brain damage after stroke.

Magnetoelectric transfer of a domain pattern.

The utility of ferroic materials is determined by the formation of domains and their poling behavior under externally applied fields. For multiferroics, which exhibit several types of ferroic order at once, it is also relevant how the domains of the coexisting ferroic states couple and what kind of functionality this might involve. In this work, we demonstrate the reversible transfer of a domain pattern between magnetization and electric-polarization space in the multiferroic Dy0.7Tb0.3FeO3. A magnetic field transfers a ferromagnetic domain pattern into an identical ferroelectric domain pattern while erasing it at its magnetic origin. Reverse transfer completes the cycle. To assess the generality of our experiment, we elaborate on its conceptual origin and aspects of application.

Pulse-poling and characterization of (Na,K)NbO3 ceramics

Conventional direct current (DC)-poling and three different types of pulse-poling were performed on MnO-added Na0.55K0.45NbO3 (NKN) ceramics. While NKN with DC-poling at 4.0 kV mm−1 for a poling time (t p) of 100 s showed a piezoelectric charge coefficient d 33 of 141.3 pC N−1, an almost equivalent d 33 (141.3 pC N−1) was recorded by pulse-poling in only 10 s under a unipolar electric field of 4.0 kV mm−1, with either triangular, or rectangular waveform. Especially when applying a triangular waveform, d 33 was enhanced remarkably with increasing the number of pulse cycles. In contrast, NKN ceramics poled by alternating current (AC) electric field showed a d 33 of less than 135 pC N−1 under any condition. Polarization–electric (P–E) field responses, and domain structure observations via scanning electron microscopy, showed the different poling behaviors for the various poling techniques. These results suggested that the pulse-poling method under unipolar electric field is an efficient poling procedure for NKN ceramics.