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Multiple pop-in events which indicate a gradual transformation from a metastable austenite grain to martensites in steel were detected during nanoindentation. It was observed by means of an automotive mapping technique with TEM that the partial volume of prior austenite had transformed into several martensite blocks with different variants. From a finite element calculation combined with phenomenological approach for martensitic transformation, it was confirmed that each variant corresponded to those for which the transformation strain effectively accommodates external stress.

The strain-induced austenite-to-e-martensite transformation during nanoindentation of metastable austenite in a high-nitrogen stainless steel was investigated by observation of the microstructural changes underneath the indent. In the nanoindentation load–displacement curve, several small pop-ins were detected at the beginning stage of plastic deformation. The presence of e-martensite bands underneath the indent and their orientation relationship with the parent austenite strongly suggest that the pop-ins in the load–displacement curve correspond to the transformation from austenite to e-martensite. A quantitative analysis on the massive movement of Shockley partial dislocations during the transformation was performed to obtain the contraction strain under compressive stress conditions during nanoindentation. It was confirmed that the calculated contraction strain along the indenting direction matches well with the measured length of the pop-ins.

Power delivery systems that use power lines can communicate with other electrical systems, monitor the quality of electrical energy and provide an economical solution for automatic meter reading (AMR). Energy meters can be connected to a low-voltage power system by power line carriers for all consumers. Illegal electricity usage in the power delivery system can be easily detected if AMR is installed in the system, which consists of a terminal smart meter (TSM) and a gateway smart meter (GSM). This study proposes a novel remote detection method for illegal electricity usage that uses both TSM and GSM, where the TSM and the GSM are installed on the power system of each consumer and on the node of the power system feeder, respectively. TSM and GSM simultaneously disconnect an electrical source for a very short period of time. After this, the proposed detection method sends a low-voltage signal with a high frequency from the TSM to the GSM during the time of disconnection. Once the signal has passed, the proposed detection method detects illegal electricity usage by measuring the amount of time it was disconnected. This study presents the structure of the proposed detection method as well as the mathematical model, proof, simulation and experimental results.

Cast AZ31B-H24 magnesium alloy, comprising Mg with 3.27 wt% Al and 0.96 wt% Zn, was cold rolled and subsequently annealed. Global texture evolutions in the specimens were observed by X-ray diffractometry after the thermomechanical processing. Image-based microstructure and texture for the deformed, recrystallized, and grown grains were observed by electron backscattered diffractometry. Recrystallized grains could be distinguished from deformed ones by analyzing grain orientation spread. Split basal texture of ca. ±10–15° in the rolling direction was observed in the cold-rolled sample. Recrystallized grains had widely spread basal poles at nucleation stage; strong {0001} basal texture developed with grain growth during annealing.

This study explored the influence of advertising brochures that feature endorsers and informational content for a restaurant located in a highly competitive district of Seoul, Korea, that primarily targets foreign tourists. The study examined the effects of three types of endorsers (customer, chef, and owner) on the responses of Japanese tourists. A total of 300 questionnaires were collected from Japanese tourists after personal interviews were conducted at locations in Seoul frequently visited by Japanese tourists. Of the three types of advertisement endorsements tested for Japanese tourists’ attitudinal responses and purchase intentions, the owner spokesperson was found to be the most effective endorser. However, the chef endorsement and the customer endorsement showed similar influences on the Japanese tourists’ attitudinal or behavioral responses. Among the four brochure treatments that tested the effects of resumes and photos, brochures that included both a resume and a photo were found to be the most effective, followed by brochures that only included a photo and brochures that only included a resume. In contrast, the group of brochures that included neither a resume nor a photo was found to be the least influential.

The increasing popularity of the gambling industry has prompted casinos to develop strategies to maintain a competitive advantage and accomplish business goals. This study examines the Australian casino operations to provide ideas for potential promotional strategies. Seven such strategies are identified: advertising; improved public relations; sales promotions; personal selling; branding image; loyalty programs; and pricing and packages. The importance of each is discussed with examples drawn from casinos, and promotional strategies are provided with a critical evaluation in a broader context. This study provides a method for casino practitioners to monitor and review their promotional strategies to keep stimulating patronage and enhancing overall revenues.

The focus of this research is the perception of restaurant service held by senior citizens and how it differs from those of younger customers. It examines (a) the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality among elderly consumers, (b) differences in level of satisfaction between older and younger customers, (c) differences in perception-of-service quality between older and younger customers, and (d) differences in perception-of-service quality between elderly male and female customers. Statistically significant differences in levels of satisfaction were discovered between older and younger customers, but no significant relationship was found between level of customer satisfaction and perceived service quality. There were significant differences in perceptions of service quality between older and younger customers, and between male and female older customers. This study provides useful knowledge for restaurant managers about the differences between senior and younger customers. It could be helpful towards developing and designing future restaurant marketing strategies targeting senior customers.

The aim of this study is to assess service quality in the airline industry from the customer's perspective, explore how perceived service quality affects customer satisfaction and loyalty-related behavior, and whether the factors affecting service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty differ between full-service and low-cost airlines. The data were collected through questionnaires based on previous research and 153 were completed by passengers who had traveled by air in the previous 6 months. Traditional airline passengers have significantly higher perceived service quality and customer satisfaction. However, there is no significant difference in loyalty-related behavior. Overall service quality has significant influence on customer satisfaction in both traditional and low-cost airlines. However, the effect of service quality on behavioral intentions is only significant for traditional airlines. The results suggest that management of traditional and low-cost airlines should maintain service quality as it affects customer satisfaction.

In spite of the rapid growth in Internet purchasing of products and services in Korea, the buying rate of online flight ticketing remains low. This research investigates the factors that influence online ticket purchasing through a survey of Internet consumers to determine the relationships between convenience, willingness to purchase and trust. From these, the present satisfaction levels can be assessed and future upgrades and requirements can be planned. It is also necessary to determine the background factors that influence Internet-using consumers who visit websites, with a view to simplifying procedures and encouraging repeat visits to the sites.

Pop-ins on nanoindentation load–displacement curves of a ferritic steel were correlated with yield drops on its tensile stress–strain curves. To investigate the relationship between these two phenomena, nanoindentation and tensile tests were performed on annealed specimens, prestrained specimens, and specimens aged for various times after prestraining. Clear nanoindentation pop-ins were observed on annealed specimens, which disappeared when specimens were indented right after the prestrain, but reappeared to varying degrees after strain aging. Yield drops in tensile tests showed similar disappearance and appearance, indicating that the two phenomena, at the nano- and macro-scale, respectively, are closely related and influenced by dislocation locking by solutes (Cottrell atmospheres).

Differentiation of dynamically and statically transformed ferrites in SIDT (Strain-Induced Dynamic Transformation) steel was carried out by various image-based analyses of EBSD (Electron BackScattered Diffraction) maps. Various identification methods were tried on the basis on the grain size, and the intra- and inter-granular misorientations. The grain-size-based method was valid only when a bimodal grain size distribution in the ferrite phase, due to the large prior austenite grain size, appeared in the specimen. On the other hand, using the proposed method based on both intra- and inter-granular misorientations, the dynamically transformed ferrite could be effectively extracted from SIDTed steel, even in steel in which the grain sizes of the dynamically and statically transformed ferrites were alike.

EBSD mapping was used for phase analysis of multi-phase steels. Some products of austenite decomposition could be discriminated using a range of grain-average functions and properties derived from the map data. In DP steels, martensite could be extracted from the ferrite matrix using the average band contrast or a set of geographic information. Bainite in TRIP steel was identified with the local variations of band contrast and orientation inside a grain. As the proposed method reproduced a phase map, a visual confirmation of the result and additional analyses were possible.

Strain-induced martensitic transformation of metastable austenite was investigated by nanoindentation of individual austenite grains in multi-phase steel. A cross-section prepared through one of these indented regions using focused ion beam milling was examined by transmission electron microscopy. The presence of martensite underneath the indent indicates that the pop-ins observed on the load-displacement curve during nanoindentation correspond to the onset of strain-induced martensitic transformation. The pop-ins can be understood as resulting from the selection of a favorable martensite variant during nanoindentation.

The mechanical properties of dynamically and statically transformed ferrites were analyzed using a nanoindentater-EBSD (Electron BackScattered Diffraction) correlation technique, which can distinguish indenting positions according to the grains in the specimen. The dilatometry and the band slope and contrast maps by EBSD were used to evaluate the volume fractions of two kinds of ferrite and pearlite. Fine ferrites induced by a dynamic transformation had higher nano-hardness than the statically transformed coarse ferrites. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the dynamic ferrites to have a higher dislocation density than the statically transformed ferrites.

Brunner's gland adenoma is a rare tumor of duodenum. Patients are usually aymptomatic and most are discovered incidentally during the upper gastrointestinal (GI) series or esophagogastroduodenoscopy. These lesions are most commonly located in the duodenal bulb and clinical manifestations are variable. In symptomatic patients, the most common manifestations are GI hemorrhage and duodenal obstruction. On histologic examination, Brunner's gland adenoma that causes clinical symptoms is composed of hyperplastic Brunner's glands and contains mostly an admixture of glandular, adipose, and muscular tissues. We report a case of large Brunner's gland adenoma causing upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in a 47-year-old woman which was successfully removed by endoscopic resection without complications such as bleeding or perforation. Microscopically, it was entirely composed of variable Brunner's glands.

The functional properties of periodic cellular solids such as photonic and phononic crystals, nanocrystal superlattices and foams may be tuned by an applied inhomogeneous mechanical strain. A fundamental methodology to analyse the structure of periodic cellular materials is presented here and is compared directly with indentation experiments on three-dimensional microframed polymer photonic crystals. The application of single-continuum-scale finite-element modelling (FEM) was impossible due to the numerous cells involved and the intricate continuum geometry within each cell. However, a method of dual-scale FEM was implemented to provide stress and displacement values on both scales by applying an upper scale continuum FEM with reference to the lower scale continuum FEM to provide coarse-grained stress?strain relationships. Architecture and orientation dependences of the periodic porous materials on the macro-/microscopic responses were investigated under different loading conditions. Our study revealed a computational tool for exploring elastic strain engineering of photonic crystals and, more broadly, may help the design of metamaterials with mechanical controllability.