1 Field trapping experiments were conducted to evaluate the response of Ips duplicatus (Sahlberg) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) beetles to different combinations of synthetic pheromone with the monoterpenes (−)-α-pinene and (+)-limonene. 2 The addition of (−)-α-pinene to the pheromone led to a significant increase (by 36.3-47.8%) of I. duplicatus captures when the pheromone : terpene ratio was 1 : 40. When the ratio increased beyond

Optical choppers with rotating wheels are some of the most used macroscopic optomechatronic devices for the controlled modulation, attenuation or obscuration of light in a wide area of applications. We discuss and compare the modulation functions produced by two types of chopper wheels: the classical device, with windows with linear edges, and the eclipse chopper (with windows with circular edges) that, to the best of our knowledge, we have introduced.

Lamellar specimens of Cu-Zn-Al Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) were trained in bending under as much as 500 cycles, until two-way shape memory effect (2WE) was obtained. Trained specimens were further tested by means of a hydraulic installation where, heating-cooling cycles were performed in oil conditions. Considering that the lower concave surface of the specimens was kept in compressed state while the upper convex surface was kept in elongated state,

Samples of Fe-14Mn-6Si-9Cr-5Ni (mass. %) shape memory alloy were sintered from two powder mixtures: (i) as blended (0_MA) and (ii) equal amounts of as blended and mechanically alloyed (MA’d) powders (50_MA). In order to increase the compactness degree, different specimens were hot rolled at 1373 K and the last rolling pass was performed at four different temperatures: (i) room temperature (RT); (ii) 873 K; (iii) 1073 K and (iv) 1373 K. In order