Search results for "fibers"

Performances Recovery of Flax Fiber Reinforced Composites after Salt-Fog Aging Test

2022

In the present paper, the performance recovery under conditions of discontinuous exposure to a marine environment of a natural fiber-reinforced composite (NFRC) reinforced by flax fibers was assessed. In particular, this laminate was initially exposed to salt-fog for 15 and 30 days, and then stored in a controlled air condition for up to 21 days. The flax fiber-reinforced composite showed coupled reversible and irreversible aging phenomena during the wet stage, as well as evidencing a significant mechanical recovery during the dry stage. Unlike the stiffness, the laminate showed a noticeable recovery of its flexural strength. This behavior affected the composite material toughness. A simpli…

Metabotropic glutamate receptors activate phospholipase D in astrocytes through a protein kinase C-dependent and Rho-independent pathway.

2003

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are G protein-coupled receptors that mediate phospholipase D (PLD) activation in brain, but the mechanism underlying this response remains unclear. Here we used primary cultures of astrocytes as a cell model to explore the mechanism that links mGluRs to PLD. Glutamate activated both phospholipase C (PLC) and PLD with equal potency and this effect was mimicked by L-cysteinesulfinic acid, a putative neurotransmitter previously shown to activate mGluRs coupled to PLD, but not PLC, in adult brain. PLD activation by glutamate was dependent on Ca(2+) mobilization and fully blocked by both protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors and PKC down-regulation, suggesti…

Photoluminescence properties of point defects in Ge-doped fibers and preforms

2008

International audience; The optical properties of Ge-related point defects are often the most important parameter for the performances of silica based optical fibers. On one side their presence is often detrimental for the light transmission, on the other side some defect typologies exhibit modifications under radiation exposure thus offering the peculiar property of photosensitivity that is exploited to build technologically relevant devices such as fiber Bragg gratings.

10-keV X-ray irradiation effects on phosphorus doped fibers and preforms: electron spin resonance and optical studies

2009

Hormone replacement therapy improves contractile function and myonuclear organization of single fibres from postmenopausal monozygotic female twin pa…

2013

Ageing is associated with a decline in muscle mass and strength leading to increased physical dependency in old age. Postmenopausal women experience a greater decline than men of similar age in parallel with the decrease in female sex steroid hormone production. We recruited six monozygous female twin pairs (55–59 years old) where only one twin pair was on hormone replacement therapy (HRT use = 7.8 ± 4.3 years) to investigate the association of HRT with the cytoplasmic volume supported by individual myonuclei (myonuclear domain (MND) size,) together with specific force at the single fibre level. HRT use was associated with a significantly smaller (∼27%; P < 0.05) mean MND size in muscle fib…

Flexural Behavior of Steel Fibrous Reinforced Concrete Deep Beams

2012

Experimental research was carried out regarding the flexural behavior of deep beams cast with plain and fibrous concrete with hooked steel fibers, and subjected to monotonic vertical loads. Four deep fiber-reinforced concrete beams were cast. Two of them were made of plain concrete with main and web steel reinforcements (RC), and two were made of hooked steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) with main steel reinforcements. The experimental results show the brittle behavior of reinforced deep RC members characterized by crushing of concrete struts and fracture of web steel bars. SFRC deep beams exhibit higher strength and, above all, ductility with respect to RC members due to the bridging a…