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The team used a specialised furnace system to rapidly heat and cool the samples a full 10 million times. |
"Again, it took a few weeks to conduct the experiment," Prof Wuttig said. |
They examined the changes in the alloy's structure using powerful microscopes, as well as X-rays. |
"We did experiments in a synchrotron, where the X-rays would tell us exactly what the crystal structures are," Prof Wuttig explained. |
In a comment article for the journal, Prof Richard James described the attainment of 10 million cycles as "breathtaking". Prof James, from the University of Minnesota, was involved in the previous development of a memory alloy that withstood some 16,000 cycles. |
The research was also applauded by Prof John Huber, a materials engineer at the University of Oxford. |
"It's a significant find," he told BBC News. |
"Normal shape memory alloys show quite significant changes in their properties, over quite a small number of cycles. The properties decay away. |
"[Ten million] is what you start to need for cyclic applications - it gets you into the high cycle fatigue regime. That opens up potentially quite a lot of applications." |
Prof Huber said the properties might prove useful in the wing flaps or "control surfaces" of aircraft, or the unfolding solar panels of a spacecraft, as well as artificial heart valves. |
Prof Wuttig and his colleagues are particularly interested in refrigeration. |
"Your refrigerator has a compressor. It compresses and expands a liquid that goes through phase transition," Prof Wuttig explained. "So instead of that liquid, you could use this alloy." |
This is only an option because of the alloy's record-breaking endurance, he added. |
"That alloy needs to be stressed and recover millions of times. Refrigerators have to last 20 years, right? That's the expectation." |
The Wall Street protesters have created the template for an ambitious new occupation in the nation’s capital. |
Wall Street is on notice. Since September 17, protesters have occupied a nearby park and have been protesting along the Financial District’s sidewalks and around the police barricades that surround the Stock Exchange, clogging up the morning commute with chants of “We! Are! The 99 Percent!” On Wednesday, as many as 10,... |
Just as the uprising in Tunisia led to others in Egypt, Syria and Bahrain, the Wall Street occupation is sparking dozens like it around the country: in Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and Atlanta, and hundreds more. This protest is swelling into a full-fledged movement. It’s reminding people that power, even corporate po... |
Before taking to the streets, the October 6 group gained the support of such familiar mass-mobilizers as the Green Party and Veterans for Peace, as well as newer ones like Peaceful Uprising and US Uncut — though they stress that this is a coalition of individuals above all. As individuals, they’ll be having open discus... |
Several of the October 6 organizers have been strolling around the Liberty Plaza encampment, watching, taking part and helping out. They have a bit of a leg up on some things that have confounded the younger Wall Street occupiers. One, Tarak Kauff, helped arrange a fiscal sponsor to handle the thousands of dollars in d... |
The organizers of October 6 have been trying hard to avoid the trappings typical of left-wing protests, just as those at Wall Street have, and they similarly want to see things unfold organically. But they’ve also thought through ahead of time a lot of the things that the Wall Street planners left to be worked out on t... |
Rather than the exuberance that is the driving force at Liberty Plaza, those in the October 6 group are working from experience. War is not an abstraction for many of them, for instance — Thursday morning starts with a veterans’ march. Then there’s organizer Margaret Flowers, a pediatrician and a mother of three teenag... |
While those who planned for September 17 were predominately under 30, most of those working on October 6 are grayed or graying. This doesn’t, however, seem to divide them in any way other than style. A lot of those in Liberty Plaza learned their activism from their parents, and many of those now headed for DC say they’... |
With new people coming to Liberty Plaza every day now by the hundreds, logistical tasks that before were just messy are approaching astronomical. But there is also a higher kind of order in the making as people of different ages, backgrounds and skill sets pitch in. Every day the plaza has new features: an ever-growing... |
One thing especially refreshing about Liberty Plaza, among students being interviewed by TV reporters and in the conversations going on around every corner, is the noticeable absence of talk about President Obama, or Iowa straw polls or super-committees. There’s no patience for the candidates now grandstanding for corp... |
And that’s really what unites the Liberty and Freedom plazas most of all: the hope of creating a new basis for political organizing in this country, one that can oppose the overwhelming influence of corporate money and military hubris. The pithy, unified message that everyone expects from them might remain elusive, but... |
There is something in the air. The Arabs had their spring, Europe had a turbulent summer and now the time has come for an American Autumn. |
Mobile phone giant Nokia has developed a technology by which it claimed cell phones could protect you from lightning strike. |
Lightning can pose a major risk to people taking part in outdoor pursuits such as golfing. |
So Nokia has proposed a warning system that senses the radio waves produced by bolts of lightning. |
Each bolt produces frequencies between 10 hertz and 5 gigahertz and the distribution of these signals depends on how far away the lightning is. |
The multiple receivers in a phone, such as Bluetooth, FM, tri-band GSM, Wi-Fi and RFID can be tuned to pick up these signals, reported online edition of the New Scientist. |
Software will then interpret them, work out the distance to the lightning and tell you if strikes are getting closer. |
Timothy P. Martin and Christine Murray Stone were married July 3rd, 2013 at 7 p.m. in Waddington, NY. |
Timothy P Martin, Louisville, is the son of Richard and Sally Martin; Timothy is currently employed by Perras Excavating. |
Christine Murray Stone, Waddington, is the daughter of Jesse and Hilda Murray; Christne is employed by the St. Lawrence County CDP Housing Choice Voucher Program. |
They chose to marry on their anniversary day, of 13 years. |
The marriage was performed by Janet Otto Cassada, mayor of Waddington. |
Bruce and Regina Kavan, best friends of the bride and groom, were witnesses of the marriage. |
Mr. & Mrs. Martin will continue to reside in Waddington. |
In September 2000 the world’s leaders, assembled at the United Nations, adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as shared commitments to fighting extreme poverty, hunger and disease through 2015. Halfway to the target date, there are heartening examples of dramatic progress, such as the 91 percent reduction in ... |
Overcoming extreme poverty, hunger and disease requires not only the standard prescriptions for economic growth—rule of law, security, corruption held in check and open trade—but also targeted public investments in four areas: agriculture, health, education and infrastructure. They are needed to provide the basis for p... |
Many analysts have overlooked or underestimated the importance of these public investments for meeting the MDGs. In middle-income countries, economic growth may depend more on public policies than on public investments, since the key public investments—in roads, power, clinics, and schools—have already been made. In th... |
For the poorest countries, therefore, meeting the MDGs is a matter of carrying out high-priority public investments, and these investments are preconditions for profitable private-sector investments. In technical jargon, the public investments are complements of private investments rather than substitutes for them. Pub... |
The MDG Africa Steering Group headed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently led a critical review and identified a series of specific, high-priority public investments to be undertaken between now and 2015. The report provides important information as well on levels of necessary external financing, the key inte... |
For each investment area of needed public investment, practical strategies are available for immediate implementation (such as ways for controlling malaria and tuberculosis or for replenishing soil nutrients for smallholder farmers). Often powerful demonstration projects already exist at the sub-national level and coul... |
The basic problem, of course, is that the poor countries cannot afford the public investments on their own. This is why foreign assistance is so vital to the success of the MDGs. The external assistance enables the poorest countries to scale up their public investments in the critical sectors. The secretary-general’s r... |
Here’s the basic donor arithmetic: The combined income of the donor countries (Europe, the U.S., Canada and Japan) is now around $37 trillion a year; the required $72 billion only amounts to around 0.2 percent of the donors' gross domestic product. Donors have long promised to increase their aid from the current level ... |
Despite the major G8 countries' promise to double aid to Africa between 2004 and 2010, aid from the donor nations has scarcely increased. Rather than rising toward 0.7 percent of donor GNP as promised, actual aid in 2007 was $104 billion, a mere 0.28 percent of donor income. Among the donor countries, the U.S. actually... |
The failure of the donor countries to honor their commitment to increase aid is now the limiting factor in achieving the MDGs in Africa. The next U.S. administration should therefore make good on the unfilled aid commitments, by making concrete efforts to reach 0.7 percent of GNP in aid, targeted through practical inve... |
The next president should signal to the world that the U.S. is actively supporting the MDGs by including them in the inaugural address next January. The global goodwill resulting from such a high-profile vow would be enormous. It would inspire the kind of confidence and hope that John F. Kennedy did in 1961, early in h... |
Note: This article was originally printed with the title, "Millennium Goals at the Midpoint." |
Change the color of your trim for a quick and inexpensive makeover. |
With a bit of elbow grease and the right products, you can make that old, faded vinyl trim look as good as new again. Though vinyl trim is durable, once it gets weather-worn and loses its sheen, it just makes your house look dingy and unattractive. If you don’t have the time or budget to replace it anytime soon, give i... |
Mix a solution of three parts water to one part bleach in a bucket. Put on rubber gloves and protective eyewear. |
Dip a sponge or rag into the cleaning solution and wipe the vinyl trim clean, removing any signs of dirt or mildew. Use an old toothbrush to get stubborn, stuck-on debris. Allow the trim to dry. |
Sand the trim lightly but thoroughly with a 220-grit sandpaper to scuff up the surface. Vinyl is slick, and most paints will have trouble adhering to it. Giving it what painters call “a tooth” will solve the problem. |
Wipe the vinyl trim again using clean water to remove any sanding dust. Allow the vinyl to dry. |
Apply strips of wide painter’s tape around the edges of the trim. Tape helps prevent drips and mess. |
Apply a smooth, even coat of a latex exterior primer onto the vinyl trim. Use a brush, small trim paint roller or a paint sprayer if you prefer. Let the primer dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the can. |
Paint over the primer with an exterior latex paint. Use a brush, trim roller or sprayer, depending on which tool you prefer. Paint vinyl with a light, even coat to keep it from dripping. |
Apply a second coat only if you think the first coat did not cover well. The fewer coats built up on vinyl, the better. |
Remove the painter’s tape and let the paint dry. |
Use a tinted primer if you’re making a color change. It will require fewer coats of paint to cover the old color. |
For best results, paint on a mild, dry day. |
Remove the painter’s tape while the paint is still wet. This prevents drips or paint smudges that overlap on the edges of the tape from getting dry and peeling off with the tape. |
Dark colors absorb heat, and heat can cause vinyl to warp. Don’t use dark colors on vinyl trim. |
Never mix bleach with ammonia or ammonia-based cleaning solutions. When combined, bleach and ammonia create a toxic and potentially lethal gas. |
Wright, Mackenzie. "How to Paint Vinyl Trim." Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/paint-vinyl-trim-20224.html. Accessed 25 April 2019. |
Loot and extort your way to infamy in the seedy world of the 17th-century Caribbean. Strike terror in the hearts of your victims: board ships, ransom hostages, and sack towns (see screen shot). The only rules are the ones you make. Cutthroats: Terror on the High Seas makes you the captain of a ship bristling with canno... |
November is American Diabetes Month, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just over 29 million people in the country have the disease. Unfortunately, people suffering from diabetes are more susceptible to developing skin conditions, making it an ideal time to take a look at some of the more ... |
• Bacterial Infections. While people without diabetes can also contract bacterial infections, people with diabetes can get infections more frequently. The bacterial infection can appear in the form of styes, infections around finger and toenails, boils, or infection of the hair follicles. Antibiotics and blood sugar co... |
• Fungal Infections. For those with diabetes, fungal infections are usually caused by Candida albaicans—a yeast-like fungus that creates itchy rashes surrounded by blisters and scales. Common fungal infections include jock itch, athlete’s foot and ringworm. The treatment includes a topical antifungal and a drying powde... |
• Acanthosis Nigricans. This is a condition in which tan or brown raised areas appear on the sides of the neck, armpits and groin. Sometimes they also occur on the hands, elbows and knees. It usually affects people who are very overweight. The best treatment is to lose weight; however, some creams can help the spots lo... |
• Diabetic Dermopathy. Diabetes can cause changes in the small blood vessels. These changes can cause skin problems called diabetic dermopathy. Dermopathy often looks like light brown, scaly patches. These patches may be oval or circular. Some people mistake them for age spots. This disorder most often occurs on the fr... |
• Diabetic Blisters (Bullosis Diabeticorum). Rarely, people with diabetes erupt in blisters. Diabetic blisters can occur on the backs of fingers, hands, toes, feet and sometimes on legs or forearms. These sores look like burn blisters and often occur in people who have diabetic neuropathy. They are sometimes large, but... |
MD Dermatology offers a full line of skincare products and clinical dermatology procedures including precision neck contouring, laser services, injection services, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and more. They are a medically directed spa that offers a wide range of services to meet the unique needs of every patien... |
With locations in Edgewater, Glen Burnie and Lexington Park, Maryland, MD Dermatology is a full-service medically directed spa. The medical spa is owned by Dr. Sanjiv Saini, a board-certified dermatologist who has also taught at Howard University and is the coordinating dermatologist for the Washington Nationals baseba... |
Ulugh Beg's Observatory is where our planet and the stars were measured ... and is now sometimes used as a wedding venue. |
When it comes to places with an evocative name, Samarkand in Uzbekistan, Central Asia, on the old Silk Road is right up there with Marrakesh, Timbuktu and Shangri-La. It's home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Registan, and it's where every single tourist who ever visits Uzbekistan ends up. However, a few miles... |
The huge sextant at the Ulugh Beg Observatory was used to measure the positions of the stars, planets, Moon and Sun. |
Yet instead of taking his place next to the giants of pioneering astronomy, such as Tycho Brahe, Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo – all of whom he preceded – the name Ulugh Begh remains virtually unknown. |
Most people cannot find Uzbekistan on a world map. This former Soviet state is in Central Asia, borders all of the other 'Stans (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan), and is home to 33 million. Even fewer people, including astronomers, have heard of Begh. |
The astronomical school he founded was fleeting, but it was nonetheless pioneering. Constructed around the year 1420 on a hill on the outskirts of Samarkand, ruler Begh's cutting-edge observatory was destroyed less than 30 years later. As was Begh himself, murdered aged 55 years while on the way to Mecca by an assassin... |
A model of the huge quadrant housed in the trench at the Ulugh Begh Observatory. |
The remains of his observatory are well worth a visit if you want a glimpse of what astronomy would have been like without the telescope ever being invented. It constitutes a huge trench along the line of the Meridian, a few meters wide, that once housed a mighty sextant with a radius of 40 meters used to measure the e... |
The Zīj-i Sultānī from 1437, which contains Begh's astronomers' calculations of the relative positions of 1,018 stars. |
In it, the astronomers accurately predicted, for the first time, the exact length of years and months, and the moment of midday, and of winter and summer solstices. The astronomers' calculation of a year, at 365 days, 6 hours, 10 minutes and 8 seconds, was later proved to be wrong. They were out by 1 minute and 2 secon... |
A statue of Ulugh Begh outside his observatory. |
The annual motion of the planets was plotted, part of some impressive work exploring the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the sun's apparent path through the sky during a year. By measuring its inclination to the celestial equator, Begh's astronomers calculated the Moon’s ascending and descending nodes, and as a result, the e... |
Ulugh Beigh crater on the moon, as seen by Lunar Orbiter 4. |
This scholarly ruler's name has largely been forgotten by modern astronomy, but it does live on in two places in the Universe: 2439 Ulugbek, a minor planet discovered in 1977, and Ulug Beigh crater near the Oceanus Procellarum in the northwest of the moon. |
Uzbekistan's only contribution to science? Not quite. Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, a 9th-century Muslim mathematician and astronomer, invented algebra. Go figure. |
Update: clarified details of Begh's death were added to this article on 11/30/2018. |
Henry Clarke, whose fashion photographs and portraits of social personalities and royalty graced the pages of Vogue for a quarter-century, died on April 26 at the Anglo-American Hospital in Le Cannet in the south of France. He was 77. |
He died of leukemia, said Susan Train, the Paris bureau chief of Conde Nast magazines. |
Mr. Clarke, whose photographs of haute couture and of the elegant women who wore it were published in a book titled "L'Elegance des Annees Cinquante," was at the height of his renown in the 1950's and 60's. He worked under contract to the American, French and British Vogues from 1950 to the late 70's and was the photog... |
During the editorial reign of Diana Vreeland, when jet travel made exotic locations more accessible, he traveled to India, Mexico, Sicily, Iran, Jordan and Syria for features that frequently took up to 20 pages. |
"One of his greatest gifts was doing his homework," said Ms. Train, who often accompanied him on trips when she was Paris editor of American Vogue. "He knew all about the places we were going and he was able to tell the official guides assigned to us, 'No, I want this and this,' and we would race around the country wit... |
Ms. Train said that another of his gifts was "always making the women he photographed look beautiful." His images were the epitome of sophistication, with wisps of veil making eyes mysterious and lens magic creating more swanlike necks than ever existed. His subjects included the Empress of Thailand, the Duchess of Alb... |
Mr. Clarke was born in Los Angeles and had a peripatetic childhood from, as he once said, "Chicago to Washington, via Florida." His family moved to San Francisco in 1932 and he eventually got a job as a window dresser for the I. Magnin department store. In 1946, he went to New York and soon became a background and acce... |
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