In this work, the deformation mechanisms underlying the room temperature deformation of the pseudomorphic body centered cubic (BCC) Mg phase in Mg/Nb nanolayered composites are studied. Nanolayered composites comprised of 50% volume fraction of Mg and Nb were synthesized using physical vapor deposition with the individual layer thicknesses h of 5, 6.7, and 50 nm. At the lower layer thicknesses of h = 5 and 6.7 nm, Mg has undergone a phase transition from HCP to BCC such that it formed a coherent interface with the adjoining Nb phase. Micropillar compression testing normal and parallel to the interface plane shows that the BCC Mg nanolayered composite is much stronger and can sustain higher strains to failure than the HCP Mg nanolayered composite. A crystal plasticity model incorporating confined layer slip is presented and applied to link the observed anisotropy and hardening in the deformation response to the underlying slip mechanisms.

The aim of this review paper is to consider how the principles of clinical audit could be applied to the development of an audit of nutritional care in hospitals and care homes, based on criteria derived from the Essence of Care: Food and Drink. A literature review identified fifteen key papers that included guidance or standards for nutritional care in hospitals or care homes. These were used to supplement the ten factors suggested by the Essence of Care to develop a set of potential audit criteria covering all aspects of the nutritional care pathway including the identification of risk of malnutrition, implementation of nutritional care plans, referral to healthcare professionals for further nutritional assessment and nutritional support strategies. A series of audit tools have been developed, including an organisational level audit tool, a staff questionnaire, a patients' and residents' records audit tool and a patients' and residents' experiences questionnaire. Further issues to consider in designing a national nutritional audit include the potential role of direct observation of care, the use of trained auditors and the scope for including the results of pre-existing local audits. In conclusion, a national audit would need to encompass a very large number of health and care organisations of widely varying sizes and types and a diverse range of people.

Microcompression tests were performed on the Al/Nb multilayers of incoherent interfaces with the layer thicknesses of 5 nm Al/5 nm Nb and 50 nm Al/50 nm Nb. The Al-Nb multilayers showed increase in strength as the layer thickness was reduced; the average flow stresses at 5% plastic strain from the 5 nm Al/5 nm Nb and 50 nm Al/50 nm Nb layer thickness specimens were determined to be 2.1 GPa and 1.4 GPa respectively. The results from this Al-Nb microcompression study were compared with those of the previous report on Cu-Nb multilayer microcompression results that indicated that the flow stresses of the Al-Nb multilayer are lower than those of Cu-Nb with the same bilayer spacing. The observed difference in strength was attributed to a potential difference in the interfacial strength of the two incoherent multilayer systems.