Mixed-valence (MV) systems are referred to here as MV-2 and MV-3 depending on whether two or three consecutive valence states are involved. MV-3 systems range from systems with Hubbard U>>0, corresponding to a single stable, intermediate valence state, and U<<0, corresponding to stable alternating valences differing by two units. Experiments using inelastic neutron scattering or inelastic X-ray...

This study is focused on anomalous strain-rate-dependent behaviour of bacterial cellulose (BC) hydrogel that can be strain-rate insensitive, hardening, softening, or strain-rate insensitive in various ranges of strain rate. BC hydrogel consists of randomly distributed nanofibres and a large content of free water; thanks to its ideal biocompatibility, it is suitable for biomedical applications. ...

The chemisorption of CH3 on Rh(1 1 1) is studied to understand the origin of the weakened symmetric stretch mode. A few different explanations for this weakened mode have been suggested in previous studies. These include C–H bond depletion and donation into C–H anti-bond orbitals either in an upright or tilted geometry. We investigate these possibilities by performing first-principles density f...

The investigation of cutcumber softening can be traced back to the turn of the centuiry when Aderhold (1899) described a sporeforming organism, which he called Bacterium coli, as the cauise of this spoilage. Kossowicz (1908), however, implicated the genus Bacillus and further work by Rahn (1913), LeFevre (1919), and Joslyn (1929) confirmed and extended this theory. Fabian and Johnson (1938) con...

The investigation of cutcumber softening can be traced back to the turn of the centuiry when Aderhold (1899) described a sporeforming organism, which he called Bacterium coli, as the cauise of this spoilage. Kossowicz (1908), however, implicated the genus Bacillus and further work by Rahn (1913), LeFevre (1919), and Joslyn (1929) confirmed and extended this theory. Fabian and Johnson (1938) con...

Hydrogen atoms have a wide variety of effects on the mechanical performance of metals, and the underlying mechanisms associated with effects on plastic flow and embrittlement remain to be discovered or validated. Here, the reduction in the plastic flow stress (softening) due to hydrogen atoms in solute-strengthened metals, previously proposed by Sofronis et al., is demonstrated at the atomistic...

One of the most striking manifestations of instability in solid mechanics is the localiza-tion of shear strain into narrow bands during high speed, plastic deformations of metals. According to one theory, the formation of shear bands is attributed to eeective strain-softening response, which results at high strain rates as the net outcome of the innuence of thermal softening on the, normally, s...

We investigated the actual factor determining the softening effect of a fabric softener. The adsorption area of the softener on model cotton cloths and yarns was identified using bromophenol blue. There was almost no softener at the cross-points of the yarns in the cloth samples or in the inner part of the yarns. The softening performance was better when there was less softener at the cross-poi...

The strong discontinuity approach to modelling strain localization, combined with an enhanced strain element, has been used for more than a decade to model strain localization in materials including geomaterials. Most implementations of enhanced strain elements in the post-localization regime use very simple constitutive formulations along the discontinuity, such as linear softening or a consta...

Apple fruit are well known for their storage life, although a wide range of flesh softening occurs among cultivars. Loss of firmness is genetically coordinated by the action of several cell wall enzymes, including polygalacturonase (PG) which depolymerizes cell wall pectin. By the analysis of 'Fuji' (Fj) and 'Mondial Gala' (MG), two apple cultivars characterized by a distinctive ripening behavi...