Damping measurements were carried out on two-phase (y-matrix, y'-precipitates) nickel-base alloys containing different volume fractions of y' in order to achieve a better understanding of the strong elastic modus decrease between 1000°C and 1 100°C. For the investigation of the damping a free-free beam flexural vibration technique was applied. Nickel-base alloys with a high volume fraction of y...

In the past, exposure of workers to mixtures of soluble and insoluble nickel compounds by inhalation during nickel refining correlated with increased incidences of lung and nasal cancers. Insoluble nickel subsulfide and nickel oxide (NiO) are carcinogenic in animals by inhalation; soluble nickel sulfate is not. Particles of insoluble nickel compounds were phagocytized by C3H/10T1/2 mouse embryo...

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a serious environmental problem globally. The ability of cyanobacteria, one of the major causative agents of HABs, to grow in heavy metal polluted areas is proving a challenge to environmental restoration initiatives. Some cyanobacteria secrete toxins, such as microcystin, that are potentially dangerous to animals and humans. In this study, the physiology of a cy...

Stem cell research can lead to the development of treatments for a wide range of ailments including diabetes, heart disease, aging, neurodegenerative diseases, spinal cord injury, and cancer. OCT4 is a master regulator of self-renewal of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells. OCT4 also plays a crucial role in reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Given known ...

Nickel-metal hydride batteries (Ni-MH) are storers of electrochemical energy, which have a higher specific storage capacity than lead or nickel-cadmium batteries. The demand for Nickel-metal hydride batteries is increasing rapidly since their market launch in the early 1990's. Today there is no suitable and sustainable recycling process to recover nickel, cobalt and rare-earth metals. The disca...

Nickel compounds are known to cause respiratory cancer in humans and induce tumors in experimental animals. The underlying molecular mechanisms may involve genotoxic effects; however, the data from different research groups are not easy to reconcile. Here, we challenge the common premise that direct genotoxic effects are central to nickel carcinogenesis and probably to that of other metals. Ins...

Most product environmental assessments are based on manufacturer-supplied data on the material content of the product. This paper explores the potential for the material content of key components to be estimated with theoretical calculations. Two examples, the amount of cadmium in a nickel-cadmium battery and the amount of lead in a TV or computer CRT monitor, are developed. Both an upper and a...