For multistage displacive structural transitions we present a general framework that accounts for various intermediate modulated phases, elastic constant, phonon, and related thermodynamic anomalies. Based on the presence or absence of modulated phases we classify these transformations in four categories and apply this approach to four different representative materials Ni-Mn-Ga ~or a-U), NiTi~...

Exposure to heavy metals is the most important risk factor in the assessment of spermatogenesis. About 30-40 % cases of infertility are caused by the male factor, and most of them are due to the small quantity of spermatozoa or to inferior spermatozoa quality. The negative impact on sperm motility, morphology and concentration of such ...

Reaction of the complex [Ni(rac-CTH)](2+) (rac-CTH = rac-5,7,7,12,14,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) with [Fe(CN)(6)](3-) leads to a novel cyano-bridged Ni(3)Fe(2) complex, [[Ni(rac-CTH)](3)[Fe(CN)(6)](2)](4). The structure consists of an alternating arrangement of [Fe(CN)(6)Ni(rac-CTH)](2) squares and trans-planar [Ni(rac-CTH)](2+) units bridged by cyanide groups to give a neu...

We provide an experimental proof that the so-called ‘paramagnetic phase’ seen in Fe—Ni-bearing meteorites has a very different electronic structure from that of all other known Fe—Ni minerals, in support of the recent proposal that it is a low moment phase and a new meteoritic mineral. 57Fe Mössbauer isomer shift measurements, corrected for second-order Doppler shifts, give local electronic den...

Retention of heavy metal ions on soil mineral surfaces is an important process for maintaining environmental quality. A thorough understanding of the kinetics and mechanisms of heavy metal sorption on soil mineral surfaces is therefore of fundamental importance. The present study examines the kinetics and mechanisms of Ni(II) sorption onto pyrophyllite, kaolinite, gibbsite, and montmorillonite....

The steady-state creep rate of Ni-base metallic foams, with superalloy composition (in wt. pct) Ni7.8∼9.1Al (relative density, ρ = 2.5-2.6) and Ni-13.5∼16.6Cr-5.1∼8.9Al (ρ = 2.8∼3.0), was measured under a range of temperatures (680∼825°C) and applied stresses (0.1∼0.3 MPa), and compared with that of NiAl intermetallic foams (ρ = 5.3). The stress exponent and activation energy are within the exp...