Enhancement and degradation of the R2* relaxation rate resulting from the encapsulation of magnetic particles with hydrophilic coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

de Haan, Hendrick W; Paquet, Chantal

2011-12-01

The effects of including a hydrophilic coating around the particles are studied across a wide range of particle sizes by performing Monte Carlo simulations of protons diffusing through a system of magnetic particles. A physically realistic methodology of implementing the coating by cross boundary jump scaling and transition probabilities at the coating surface is developed. Using this formulation, the coating has three distinct impacts on the relaxation rate: an enhancement at small particle sizes, a degradation at intermediate particle sizes, and no effect at large particles sizes. These varied effects are reconciled with the underlying dephasing mechanisms by using the concept of a full dephasing zone to present a physical picture of the dephasing process with and without the coating for all sizes. The enhancement at small particle sizes is studied systemically to demonstrate the existence of an optimal ratio of diffusion coefficients inside/outside the coating to achieve maximal increase in the relaxation rate. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The effect of polymer coatings on proton transverse relaxivities of aqueous suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carroll, Matthew R J; House, Michael J; Woodward, Robert C; St Pierre, Timothy G; Huffstetler, Phillip P; Miles, William C; Goff, Jonathon D; Davis, Richey M; Riffle, Judy S

2011-01-01

Iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles are good candidates for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents due to their high magnetic susceptibilities. Here we investigate 19 polyether-coated magnetite nanoparticle systems comprising three series. All systems were synthesized from the same batch of magnetite nanoparticles. A different polyether was used for each series. Each series comprised systems with systematically varied polyether loadings per particle. A highly significant (p < 0.0001) linear correlation (r = 0.956) was found between the proton relaxivity and the intensity-weighted average diameter measured by dynamic light scattering in the 19 particle systems studied. The intensity-weighted average diameter measured by dynamic light scattering is sensitive to small number fractions of larger particles/aggregates. We conclude that the primary effect leading to differences in proton relaxivity between systems arises from the small degree of aggregation within the samples, which appears to be determined by the nature of the polymer and, for one system, the degree of polymer loading of the particles. For the polyether coatings used in this study, any changes in relaxivity from differences in water exclusion or diffusion rates caused by the polymer are minor in comparison with the changes in relaxivity resulting from variations in the degree of aggregation.

The effect of polymer coatings on proton transverse relaxivities of aqueous suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carroll, Matthew R J; House, Michael J; Woodward, Robert C; St Pierre, Timothy G [School of Physics, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); Huffstetler, Phillip P; Miles, William C; Goff, Jonathon D; Davis, Richey M; Riffle, Judy S, E-mail: stpierre@physics.uwa.edu.au [Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (United States)

2011-08-12

Iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles are good candidates for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents due to their high magnetic susceptibilities. Here we investigate 19 polyether-coated magnetite nanoparticle systems comprising three series. All systems were synthesized from the same batch of magnetite nanoparticles. A different polyether was used for each series. Each series comprised systems with systematically varied polyether loadings per particle. A highly significant (p < 0.0001) linear correlation (r = 0.956) was found between the proton relaxivity and the intensity-weighted average diameter measured by dynamic light scattering in the 19 particle systems studied. The intensity-weighted average diameter measured by dynamic light scattering is sensitive to small number fractions of larger particles/aggregates. We conclude that the primary effect leading to differences in proton relaxivity between systems arises from the small degree of aggregation within the samples, which appears to be determined by the nature of the polymer and, for one system, the degree of polymer loading of the particles. For the polyether coatings used in this study, any changes in relaxivity from differences in water exclusion or diffusion rates caused by the polymer are minor in comparison with the changes in relaxivity resulting from variations in the degree of aggregation.

Nanoscale Characterization of Glass Flake Filled Vinyl Ester Anti-Corrosion Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salim Barbhuiya

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Vinyl ester is a thermoset matrix resin that is widely used in the coating industry. The presence of glass flakes further enhances the anti-corrosion performance of this coating. This paper reports the nanoscaled characterization of glass flake filled vinyl ester anti-corrosion coatings on mild steel. Bond strength properties of one uncoated and four coated samples with different thicknesses (300, 600, 900 and 1200 μm were studied using nanoscratch technique and ASTM Standard Test. It was found that the bond strength of coating with thickness 900 μm was the highest. The frequency distributions of elastic modulus on coating with 900 μm thickness determined using nanoindentation indicated that only 20–25% of the coating is composed of glass flakes and the balance is vinyl ester matrix. The critical depth at which the material is subject to failure due to external load and abrasion, was found to be around 100 nm.

Non-Sacrificial, Anti-Graffiti Coating 2009 Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

Graffiti eradication is a problem for the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). Over 12,000 man-hours are spent on graffiti eradication each year. One recognized graffiti abatement method is the use of non-sacrificial, anti-graffiti coating. ND...

Investigation of anti-Relaxation coatings for alkali-metal vapor cells using surface science techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seltzer, S. J.; Michalak, D. J.; Donaldson, M. H.; Balabas, M. V.; Barber, S. K.; Bernasek, S. L.; Bouchiat, M.-A.; Hexemer, A.; Hibberd, A. M.; Jackson Kimball, D. F.; Jaye, C.; Karaulanov, T.; Narducci, F. A.; Rangwala, S. A.; Robinson, H. G.; Shmakov, A. K.; Voronov, D. L.; Yashchuk, V. V.; Pines, A.; Budker, D.

2010-10-11

Many technologies based on cells containing alkali-metal atomic vapor benefit from the use of antirelaxation surface coatings in order to preserve atomic spin polarization. In particular, paraffin has been used for this purpose for several decades and has been demonstrated to allow an atom to experience up to 10?000 collisions with the walls of its container without depolarizing, but the details of its operation remain poorly understood. We apply modern surface and bulk techniques to the study of paraffin coatings in order to characterize the properties that enable the effective preservation of alkali spin polarization. These methods include Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, atomic force microscopy, near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We also compare the light-induced atomic desorption yields of several different paraffin materials. Experimental results include the determination that crystallinity of the coating material is unnecessary, and the detection of C=C double bonds present within a particular class of effective paraffin coatings. Further study should lead to the development of more robust paraffin antirelaxation coatings, as well as the design and synthesis of new classes of coating materials.

Anti-icing properties of superhydrophobic ZnO/PDMS composite coating

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chao; Wang, Fajun; Li, Wen; Ou, Junfei; Li, Changquan; Amirfazli, Alidad

2016-01-01

We present the excellent anti-icing performance for a superhydrophobic coating surface based on ZnO/polydimethylsiloxane (ZnO/PDMS) composite. The superhydrophobic ZnO/PDMS coating surface was prepared by a facile solution mixing, drop coating, room-temperature curing and surface abrading procedure. The superhydrophobic ZnO/PDMS composite coating possesses a water contact angle of 159.5° and a water sliding angle of 8.3° at room temperature (5 °C). The anti-icing properties of the superhydrophobic coating were investigated by continuously dropping cold-water droplets (about 0 °C) onto the pre-cooled surface using a home-made apparatus. The sample was placed at different tilting angle (0° and 10°) and pre-cooled to various temperatures (-5, -10 and -15 °C) prior to measure. The pure Al surface was also studied for comparison. It was found that icing accretion on the surface could be reduced apparently because the water droplets merged together and slid away from the superhydrophobic surface at all of the measuring temperatures when the surface is horizontally placed. In addition, water droplet slid away completely from the superhydrophobic surface at -5 and -10 °C when the surface is tilted at 10°, which demonstrates its excellent anti-icing properties at these temperatures. When the temperature decreased to -15 °C, though ice accretion on the tilted superhydrophobic coating surface could not be avoided absolutely, the amount of ice formed on the surface is very small, which indicated that the coating surface with superhydrophobicity could significantly reduce ice accumulation on the surface at very low temperature (-15 °C). Importantly, the sample is also stable against repeated icing/deicing cycles. More meaningfully, once the superhydrophobic surface is damaged, it can be repaired easily and rapidly.

Durability of anti-graffiti coatings on stone: natural vs accelerated weathering.

Science.gov (United States)

Carmona-Quiroga, Paula M; Jacobs, Robert M J; Martínez-Ramírez, Sagrario; Viles, Heather A

2017-01-01

Extending the use of novel anti-graffiti coatings to built heritage could be of particular interest providing the treatments are efficient enough in facilitating graffiti removal and long-lasting to maintain their protective properties without interfering with the durability of the substrates. However, studies of the durability of these coatings are scarce and have been mainly carried out under accelerated weathering conditions, the most common practice for assessing the durability of materials but one that does not reproduce accurately natural working conditions. The present study aimed to assess the durability of the anti-graffiti protection afforded by two anti-graffiti treatments (a water dispersion of polyurethane with a perfluoropolyether backbone and a water based crystalline micro wax) on Portland limestone and Woodkirk sandstone after 1 year of outdoor exposure in the South of England with periodic painting and cleaning episodes taking place. A parallel study under artificial weathering conditions in a QUV chamber for 2000 hours was also carried out. Changes to the coatings were assessed by measuring colour, gloss, water-repellency, roughness and microstructure, the latter through micro-Raman and optical microscope observations, periodically during the experiments. The results show that both anti-graffiti treatments deteriorated under both artificial and natural weathering conditions. For the polyurethane based anti-graffiti treatment, artificial ageing produced more deterioration than 1 year of outdoor exposure in the south of England due to loss of adhesion from the stones, whereas for micro wax coating there were no substantial differences between the two types of weathering.

Durability of anti-graffiti coatings on stone: natural vs accelerated weathering.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula M Carmona-Quiroga

Full Text Available Extending the use of novel anti-graffiti coatings to built heritage could be of particular interest providing the treatments are efficient enough in facilitating graffiti removal and long-lasting to maintain their protective properties without interfering with the durability of the substrates. However, studies of the durability of these coatings are scarce and have been mainly carried out under accelerated weathering conditions, the most common practice for assessing the durability of materials but one that does not reproduce accurately natural working conditions. The present study aimed to assess the durability of the anti-graffiti protection afforded by two anti-graffiti treatments (a water dispersion of polyurethane with a perfluoropolyether backbone and a water based crystalline micro wax on Portland limestone and Woodkirk sandstone after 1 year of outdoor exposure in the South of England with periodic painting and cleaning episodes taking place. A parallel study under artificial weathering conditions in a QUV chamber for 2000 hours was also carried out. Changes to the coatings were assessed by measuring colour, gloss, water-repellency, roughness and microstructure, the latter through micro-Raman and optical microscope observations, periodically during the experiments. The results show that both anti-graffiti treatments deteriorated under both artificial and natural weathering conditions. For the polyurethane based anti-graffiti treatment, artificial ageing produced more deterioration than 1 year of outdoor exposure in the south of England due to loss of adhesion from the stones, whereas for micro wax coating there were no substantial differences between the two types of weathering.

Epoxy-based broadband anti-reflection coating for millimeter-wave optics

OpenAIRE

Rosen, Darin; Suzuki, Aritoki; Keating, Brian; Krantz, William; Lee, Adrian T.; Quealy, Erin; Richards, Paul L.; Siritanasak, Praween; Walker, William

2013-01-01

We have developed epoxy-based, broadband anti-reflection coatings for millimeter-wave astrophysics experiments with cryogenic optics. By using multiple-layer coatings where each layer steps in dielectric constant, we achieved low reflection over a wide bandwidth. We suppressed the reflection from an alumina disk to 10% over fractional bandwidths of 92% and 104% using two-layer and three-layer coatings, respectively. The dielectric constants of epoxies were tuned between 2.06 and 7.44 by mixin...

Anti-reflective polymer-nanocomposite coatings fabricated by RIR-MAPLE

Science.gov (United States)

Singaravalu, S.; Mayo, D. C.; Park, H. K.; Schriver, K. E.; Haglund, R. F.

2013-02-01

There is increasing demand for functional polymeric optical coatings for plastic substrates. In the case of anti-reflective (AR) coatings, this is challenging because polymers exhibit a relatively narrow range of refractive indices. We synthesized a four-layer AR stack using hybrid polymer:nanoparticle materials deposited by resonant infrared matrixassisted pulsed laser evaporation (RIR-MAPLE). An Er:YAG laser ablated frozen solutions of a high-index composite containing TiO2 nanoparticles and PMMA, alternating with a low-index solution of PMMA. The optimized AR coatings, with thicknesses calculated using commercial software, yielded a coating for polycarbonate with relative transmission over 94%, scattering less than 5% and a reflection coefficient below 0.8% across the visible range.

Rheological properties of strawberry fruit coating with methylcellulose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z Nadim

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The maintenance of the quality of fresh products is still a major challenge for the consumers. The most important quality attributes contributing to the marketability of fresh fruit include appearance, color, texture, flavor, nutritional value and microbial safety. Strawberry fruits should be firm but not crunchy. Decreased quality during postharvest handling is most often associated with water loss and decay. The postharvest life of strawberries can be extended by coating technique combined with refrigeration. Application of edible coatings is a conventional method to increase shelf life and maintain fruit quality. Edible coatings can provide an alternative to enlarge fresh fruits’ postharvest life. In this study, the effects of application of methyl cellulose edible coatings and storage time on some mechanical properties, including: the yield stress, yield strain, energy of rupture and modulus of elasticity and also, the viscoelastic behavior of the strawberry fruit was investigated. Materials and Methods: MC (Methocel, Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI coating was prepared by solubilizing MC powder (3.0 g per 100 mL in a water–ethyl alcohol mixture (2:1 at 75ºC under the high speedmixer (900 rpm for 15 min. Coatings were used directly on the fruit surface. The physical and mechanical characteristics of fruits were analyzed on 2, 5, 8 and 11 days of storage. The puncture test and relaxation test were done using a texture analyzer (Zwick/Roell Model BT1_FR0.5TH.D14, Zwick GmbH Co., Ulm, Germany; using Xforce HP model of loadcell with capacity of 500 N, by 2 mv/v characteristic. General Maxwell model is widely used to analyze experimental results of the stress tests applied for relaxation. The obtained model coefficients were determined and evaluated from relaxation stress curves. Residues were determined using the sequential model. Usually, multicomponent models can properly describe the actual behavior of agricultural

Bridging adhesion and barrier properties with functional dispersions : towards waterborne anti-corrosion coatings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Soer, W.J.

2008-01-01

The successful preparation of waterborne anti-corrosion coatings based on maleic anhydride containing copolymers is described in this thesis. To obtain good anticorrosion coatings, three different properties should be present in a coating system; they should display good mechanical properties, good

Effect of sol aging time on the anti-reflective properties of silica coatings templated with phosphoric acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Wen

Full Text Available Silica anti-reflective coatings have been prepared by a sol–gel dip-coating process using the sol containing phosphoric acid as a pore-forming template. The effect of the aging time of the sol on the anti-reflective properties has been investigated. The surface topography of the silica AR coatings has been characterized. With increasing sol aging time, more over-sized pores larger than 100 nm are formed in the silica coatings. These could act as scattering centers, scattering visible light and thereby lowering transmittance. The optimal aging time was identified as 1 day, and the corresponding silica coatings showed a maximum transmittance of 99.2%, representing an 8% increase compared to the bare glass substrate. Keywords: Thin films, Anti-reflective coatings, Aging, Dip-coating, Sol–gel preparation

Anti fouling effect of two saturated copper coatings applied on carbon steel structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guiamet, P. S.; Gomez de Saravia, S. G.

2008-01-01

Biofouling is the colonization of man-made substrata by sessile organisms. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the performance of two anti fouling saturated copper coating. Bioassays were carried out at a harbor in Argentine (38 degree centigrade 02' S-57 degree centigrade 32'W). during six months, one series of pipes and panels were removed monthly to estimate the recruitment of macro and micro fouling species and immediately replaced by clean ones. Another series was removed from the beginning of exposure to monitor the development of the established community (accumulative pipes and panels along six months). Data obtained from control (without a saturated copper coating) and saturated-copper coated pipes and panels were compared in order to estimate performance of the coating. One of two saturated copper coating demonstrated a good effect anti fouling. (Author) 25 refs

Hydraulic characterisation of iron-oxide-coated sand and gravel based on nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation mode analyses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Costabel

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The capability of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR relaxometry to characterise hydraulic properties of iron-oxide-coated sand and gravel was evaluated in a laboratory study. Past studies have shown that the presence of paramagnetic iron oxides and large pores in coarse sand and gravel disturbs the otherwise linear relationship between relaxation time and pore size. Consequently, the commonly applied empirical approaches fail when deriving hydraulic quantities from NMR parameters. Recent research demonstrates that higher relaxation modes must be taken into account to relate the size of a large pore to its NMR relaxation behaviour in the presence of significant paramagnetic impurities at its pore wall. We performed NMR relaxation experiments with water-saturated natural and reworked sands and gravels, coated with natural and synthetic ferric oxides (goethite, ferrihydrite, and show that the impact of the higher relaxation modes increases significantly with increasing iron content. Since the investigated materials exhibit narrow pore size distributions, and can thus be described by a virtual bundle of capillaries with identical apparent pore radius, recently presented inversion approaches allow for estimation of a unique solution yielding the apparent capillary radius from the NMR data. We found the NMR-based apparent radii to correspond well to the effective hydraulic radii estimated from the grain size distributions of the samples for the entire range of observed iron contents. Consequently, they can be used to estimate the hydraulic conductivity using the well-known Kozeny–Carman equation without any calibration that is otherwise necessary when predicting hydraulic conductivities from NMR data. Our future research will focus on the development of relaxation time models that consider pore size distributions. Furthermore, we plan to establish a measurement system based on borehole NMR for localising iron clogging and controlling its remediation

Hydraulic characterisation of iron-oxide-coated sand and gravel based on nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation mode analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Costabel, Stephan; Weidner, Christoph; Müller-Petke, Mike; Houben, Georg

2018-03-01

The capability of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry to characterise hydraulic properties of iron-oxide-coated sand and gravel was evaluated in a laboratory study. Past studies have shown that the presence of paramagnetic iron oxides and large pores in coarse sand and gravel disturbs the otherwise linear relationship between relaxation time and pore size. Consequently, the commonly applied empirical approaches fail when deriving hydraulic quantities from NMR parameters. Recent research demonstrates that higher relaxation modes must be taken into account to relate the size of a large pore to its NMR relaxation behaviour in the presence of significant paramagnetic impurities at its pore wall. We performed NMR relaxation experiments with water-saturated natural and reworked sands and gravels, coated with natural and synthetic ferric oxides (goethite, ferrihydrite), and show that the impact of the higher relaxation modes increases significantly with increasing iron content. Since the investigated materials exhibit narrow pore size distributions, and can thus be described by a virtual bundle of capillaries with identical apparent pore radius, recently presented inversion approaches allow for estimation of a unique solution yielding the apparent capillary radius from the NMR data. We found the NMR-based apparent radii to correspond well to the effective hydraulic radii estimated from the grain size distributions of the samples for the entire range of observed iron contents. Consequently, they can be used to estimate the hydraulic conductivity using the well-known Kozeny-Carman equation without any calibration that is otherwise necessary when predicting hydraulic conductivities from NMR data. Our future research will focus on the development of relaxation time models that consider pore size distributions. Furthermore, we plan to establish a measurement system based on borehole NMR for localising iron clogging and controlling its remediation in the gravel pack of

Improved anti-stiction coating of SU-8 molds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lange, Jacob Moresco; Clausen, Casper Hyttel; Svendsen, Winnie Edith

2010-01-01

of the epoxy groups by oxygen plasma or sulfuric acid improves the deposition of FDTS. The deposition of FDTS on acid-activated and untreated SU-8 gave an identical well performing anti-stiction coating, as opposed to oxygen plasma activated surface which resulted in a poor FDTS coverage. In this paper...

Design of multi-layer anti-reflection coating for terrestrial solar panel ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

To date, there is no ideal anti-reflection (AR) coating available on solar glass which can effectively transmit the incident light within the visible wavelength range. However, there is a need to develop multifunctional coatingwith superior anti-reflection properties and self-cleaning ability meant to be used for solar glass panels.

New method for evaluating high-quality fog protective coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Czeremuszkin, Grzegorz; Latreche, Mohamed; Mendoza-Suarez, Guillermo

2011-05-01

Fogging is commonly observed when humid-warm air contacts the cold surface of a transparent substrate, i.e. eyewear lenses, making the observed image blurred and hazy. To protect from fogging, the lens inner surfaces are protected with Anti-Fog coatings, which render them hydrophilic and induce water vapor condensation as a smooth, thin and invisible film, which uniformly flows down on the lens as the condensation progresses. Coatings differ in protection level, aging kinetics, and susceptibility to contamination. Some perform acceptably in limited conditions, beyond which the condensing water film becomes unstable, nonuniform, and scatters light or shows refractory distortions, both affecting the observed image. Quantifying the performance of Anti-Fog coated lenses is difficult: they may not show classical fogging and the existing testing methods, based on fog detection, are therefore inapplicable. The presented method for evaluating and quantifying AF properties is based on characterizing light scattering on lenses exposed to controlled humidity and temperature. Changes in intensity of laser light scattered at low angles (1, 2 4 and 8 degrees), observed during condensation of water on lenses, provide information on the swelling of Anti-Fog coatings, formation of uniform water film, going from an unstable to a steady state, and on the coalescence of discontinuous films. Real time observations/measurements allow for better understanding of factors controlling fogging and fog preventing phenomena. The method is especially useful in the development of new coatings for military-, sport-, and industrial protective eyewear as well as for medical and automotive applications. It allows for differentiating between coatings showing acceptable, good, and excellent performance.

Dual functional porous anti-reflective coatings with a photocatalytic effect based on a single layer system

Science.gov (United States)

Jilavi, M. H.; Mousavi, S. H.; Müller, T. S.; de Oliveira, P. W.

2018-05-01

Anti-reflection and photocatalytic properties are desirable for improving the optical properties of electronic devices. We describe a method of fabrication a single-layer, anti-reflective (AR) thin film with an additional photocatalytic property. The layer is deposited on glass substrates by means of a low-cost dip-coating method using a SiO2-TiO2 solution. A comparative study was undertaken to investigate the effects of TiO2 concentrations on the photocatalytic properties of the film and to determine the optimal balance between transmittance and photocatalysis. The average transmittance increases from T = 90.51% to T = 95.46 ± 0.07% for the wavelengths between 380 and 1200 nm. The structural characterization indicated the formation of thin, porous SiO2-TiO2 films with a roughness of less than 7.5 nm. The quality of the samples was evaluated by a complete test program of the mechanical, chemical and accelerated weathering stability. This results open up new possibilities for cost-effective AR coatings for the glass and solar cell industries.

Self-healing Coatings for an Anti-corrosion barrier in Damaged Parts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Soo Hyoun

2009-01-01

Polymer coatings are commonly applied to metal substrates to prevent corrosion in aggressive environments such as high humidity and under salt water. Once the polymer coating has been breached, for example due to cracking or scratches, it loses its effectiveness, and corrosion can rapidly propagate across the substrate. The self-healing system we will describe prevents corrosion by healing the damage through a healing reaction triggered by the actual damage event. This self-healing coating solution can be easily applied to most substrate materials, and our dual-capsule healing system provides a general approach to be compatible with most common polymer matrices. Specifically, we expect an excellent anti-corrosion property of the self-healing coatings in damaged parts coated on galvanized metal substrates.

Dielectric relaxation studies in super-cooled liquid and glassy phases of anti-cancerous alkaloid: Brucine

Science.gov (United States)

Afzal, Aboothahir; Shahin Thayyil, M.; Sulaiman, M. K.; Kulkarni, A. R.

2018-05-01

Brucine has good anti-tumor effects, on both liver cancer and breast cancer. It has bioavailability of 40.83%. Since the bioavailability of the drug is low, an alternative method to increase its bioavailability and solubility is by changing the drug into glassy form. We used Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) for studying the glass forming ability of the drug. Brucine was found to be a very good glass former glass transition temperature 365 K. Based on the DSC analysis we have used broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) for studying the drug in the super cooled and glassy state. BDS is an effective tool to probe the molecular dynamics in the super cooled and glassy state. Molecular mobility is found to be present even in the glassy state of this active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) which is responsible for the instability. Our aim is to study the factors responsible for instability of this API in amorphous form. Cooling curves for dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss revealed the presence of structural (α) and secondary relaxations (β and γ). Temperature dependence of relaxation time is fitted by Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann equation and found the values of activation energy of the α relaxation, fragility and glass transition temperature. Paluch's anti correlation is also verified, that the width of the α-loss peak at or near the glass transition temperature Tg is strongly anticorrelated with the polarity of the molecule. The larger the dielectric relaxation strength Δɛ (Tg) of the system, the narrower is the α-loss peak (higher value of βKWW).

Assessing the anti-fungal efficiency of filters coated with zinc oxide nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Decelis, Stephen; Sardella, Davide; Triganza, Thomas; Brincat, Jean-Pierre; Gatt, Ruben; Valdramidis, Vasilis P.

2017-05-01

Air filters support fungal growth, leading to generation of conidia and volatile organic compounds, causing allergies, infections and food spoilage. Filters that inhibit fungi are therefore necessary. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have anti-fungal properties and therefore are good candidates for inhibiting growth. Two concentrations (0.012 M and 0.12 M) were used to coat two types of filters (melt-blown and needle-punched) for three different periods (0.5, 5 and 50 min). Rhizopus stolonifer and Penicillium expansum isolated from spoiled pears were used as test organisms. Conidial suspensions of 105 to 103 spores ml-1 were prepared in Sabouraud dextrose agar at 50°C, and a modified slide-culture technique was used to test the anti-fungal properties of the filters. Penicillium expansum was the more sensitive organism, with inhibition at 0.012 M at only 0.5 min coating time on the needle-punched filter. The longer the coating time, the more effective inhibition was for both organisms. Furthermore, it was also determined that the coating process had only a slight effect on the Young's Moduli of the needle-punched filters, while the Young's Moduli of the melt-blown filters is more susceptible to the coating method. This work contributes to the assessment of the efficacy of filter coating with ZnO nanopaticles aimed at inhibiting fungal growth.

Adsorption of alginate and albumin on aluminum coatings inhibits adhesion of Escherichia coli and enhances the anti-corrosion performances of the coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Xiaoyan; Liu, Yi; Huang, Jing; Chen, Xiuyong; Ren, Kun; Li, Hua, E-mail: lihua@nimte.ac.cn

2015-03-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Adsorption behaviors of alginate and albumin on Al coatings were investigated at molecular level. • The adsorption inhibits effectively the colonization of Escherichia coli bacteria. • The adsorption alters the wettability of the Al coatings. • The conditioning layer enhances anti-corrosion performances of the Al coatings. - Abstract: Thermal-sprayed aluminum coatings have been extensively used as protective layers against corrosion for steel structures in the marine environment. The corrosion usually deteriorates from marine biofouling, yet the mechanism of accelerated corrosion of the coatings remains elusive. As the first stage participating in biofouling process, adsorption of molecules plays critical roles in mediating formation of biofilm. Here, we report at molecular level the adsorption behaviors of albumin and marine polysaccharide on arc-sprayed aluminum coatings and their influence on adhesion of Escherichia coli. The adsorption of alginate and albumin was characterized by infrared spectra analyses and atomic force microscopic observation. The adsorption inhibits effectively adhesion of the bacteria. Further investigation indicates that alginate/albumin altered the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the coatings instead of impacting the survival of the bacteria to decline their adhesion. The conditioning layer composed of the molecules enhances anti-corrosion performances of the coatings.

Adsorption of alginate and albumin on aluminum coatings inhibits adhesion of Escherichia coli and enhances the anti-corrosion performances of the coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Xiaoyan; Liu, Yi; Huang, Jing; Chen, Xiuyong; Ren, Kun; Li, Hua

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Adsorption behaviors of alginate and albumin on Al coatings were investigated at molecular level. • The adsorption inhibits effectively the colonization of Escherichia coli bacteria. • The adsorption alters the wettability of the Al coatings. • The conditioning layer enhances anti-corrosion performances of the Al coatings. - Abstract: Thermal-sprayed aluminum coatings have been extensively used as protective layers against corrosion for steel structures in the marine environment. The corrosion usually deteriorates from marine biofouling, yet the mechanism of accelerated corrosion of the coatings remains elusive. As the first stage participating in biofouling process, adsorption of molecules plays critical roles in mediating formation of biofilm. Here, we report at molecular level the adsorption behaviors of albumin and marine polysaccharide on arc-sprayed aluminum coatings and their influence on adhesion of Escherichia coli. The adsorption of alginate and albumin was characterized by infrared spectra analyses and atomic force microscopic observation. The adsorption inhibits effectively adhesion of the bacteria. Further investigation indicates that alginate/albumin altered the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the coatings instead of impacting the survival of the bacteria to decline their adhesion. The conditioning layer composed of the molecules enhances anti-corrosion performances of the coatings

Anti-reflection coatings applied by acid leaching process

Science.gov (United States)

Pastirik, E.

1980-01-01

The Magicote C process developed by S.M. Thompsen was evaluated for use in applying an antireflective coating to the cover plates of solar panels. The process uses a fluosilicic acid solution supersaturated with silica at elevated temperature to selectively attack the surface of soda-lime glass cover plates and alter the physical and chemical composition of a thin layer of glass. The altered glass layer constitutes an antireflective coating. The process produces coatings of excellent optical quality which possess outstanding resistance to soiling and staining. The coatings produced are not resistant to mechanical abrasion and are attacked to some extent by glass cleansers. Control of the filming process was found to be difficult.

Fabrication of FDTS-modified PDMS-ZnO nanocomposite hydrophobic coating with anti-fouling capability for corrosion protection of Q235 steel.

Science.gov (United States)

Arukalam, Innocent O; Oguzie, Emeka E; Li, Ying

2016-12-15

Perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane-based poly(dimethylsiloxane)-ZnO (FDTS-based PDMS-ZnO) nanocomposite coating with anti-corrosion and anti-fouling capabilities has been prepared using a one-step fabrication technique. XPS analysis and contact angle measurements showed the fluorine content to increase, while the hydrophobicity of the coatings decreased with addition of FDTS. XRD analysis revealed existence of ZnO nanoparticles of dimensions ranging from 11.45 to 93.01nm on the surface of coatings, with the mean particle size decreasing with FDTS addition, and was confirmed by SEM and TEM observations. Interestingly, the anti-corrosion performance and mechanical properties of the coatings increased remarkably on addition of FDTS. Indeed, the observed low adhesion strength, surface energies and the outstanding anti-corrosive properties imply that the obtained coating would be useful in anti-fouling applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparation of 99''m technitium labelled erythrocytes coated with anti-rhesus-D immunoglobulin (anti-Rho-D IgG) for defective spleen diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanny Kartini, H.; Karnama, S.; Ahmad Muhtadi; Karna Awangga

1999-01-01

Preparation of 99m technetium-red blood cells coated with anti-rhesus-D IgG has been carried out and evaluated. Some factors such as the concentration of Sn(II) and incubation time which can influence the labelling yield are discussed. A labelling efficiency of greater than 90% (93.1 ±1.4% ) was obtained. Biological studies in normal human volunteers, showed that 99m Tc-red blood cell coated with anti-rhesus-D IgG accumulated in the spleen and may become a spleen imaging agent. (author)

The anti-corrosion behavior under multi-factor impingement of Hastelloy C22 coating prepared by multilayer laser cladding

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lin; Bai, Shu-Lin

2018-04-01

Hastelloy C22 coating was prepared on substrate of Q235 steel by high power multilayer laser cladding. The microstructure, hardness and anti-corrosion properties of coating were investigated. The corrosion tests in 3.5% NaCl solution were carried out with variation of impingement angle and velocity, and vibration frequency of sample. The microstructure of coating changes from equiaxed grain at the top surface to dendrites oriented at an angle of 60° to the substrate inside the coating. The corrosion rate of coating increases with the increase of impingement angle and velocity, and vibrant frequency of sample. Corrosion mechanisms relate to repassivation and depassivation of coating according to electrochemical measurements. Above results show that multilayer laser cladding can endow Hastelloy C22 coating with fine microstructures, high hardness and good anti-corrosion performances.

Casein-Coated Fe5C2 Nanoparticles with Superior r2 Relaxivity for Liver-Specific Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Cowger, Taku A; Tang, Wei; Zhen, Zipeng; Hu, Kai; Rink, David E; Todd, Trever J; Wang, Geoffrey D; Zhang, Weizhong; Chen, Hongmin; Xie, Jin

2015-01-01

Iron oxide nanoparticles have been extensively used as T2 contrast agents for liver-specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The applications, however, have been limited by their mediocre magnetism and r2 relaxivity. Recent studies show that Fe5C2 nanoparticles can be prepared by high temperature thermal decomposition. The resulting nanoparticles possess strong and air stable magnetism, suggesting their potential as a novel type of T2 contrast agent. To this end, we improve the synthetic and surface modification methods of Fe5C2 nanoparticles, and investigated the impact of size and coating on their performances for liver MRI. Specifically, we prepared 5, 14, and 22 nm Fe5C2 nanoparticles and engineered their surface by: 1) ligand addition with phospholipids, 2) ligand exchange with zwitterion-dopamine-sulfonate (ZDS), and 3) protein adsorption with casein. It was found that the size and surface coating have varied levels of impact on the particles' hydrodynamic size, viability, uptake by macrophages, and r2 relaxivity. Interestingly, while phospholipid- and ZDS-coated Fe5C2 nanoparticles showed comparable r2, the casein coating led to an r2 enhancement by more than 2 fold. In particular, casein coated 22 nm Fe5C2 nanoparticle show a striking r2 of 973 mM(-1)s(-1), which is one of the highest among all of the T2 contrast agents reported to date. Small animal studies confirmed the advantage of Fe5C2 nanoparticles over iron oxide nanoparticles in inducing hypointensities on T2-weighted MR images, and the particles caused little toxicity to the host. The improvements are important for transforming Fe5C2 nanoparticles into a new class of MRI contrast agents. The observations also shed light on protein-based surface modification as a means to modulate contrast ability of magnetic nanoparticles.

Radiation Resistant Hybrid Lotus Effect Photoelectrocatalytic Self-Cleaning Anti-Contamination Coatings, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This project will develop radiation resistant hybrid Lotus Effect photoelectrocatalytic self-cleaning anti-contamination coatings for application to Lunar...

Investigation of Anti-Relaxation Coatings for Alkali-Metal Vapor Cells using Surface Science Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-01

addition to the inside surface of the cells. In order to avoid exposure to air, the cells were broken open inside a glovebag containing an argon ...unsaturated bonds increase the polar- izability of the surface, and effective coatings have long been assumed to require low polarizability to enable

Preparation of Mn-Zn ferrite nanoparticles and their silica-coated clusters: Magnetic properties and transverse relaxivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaman, Ondřej, E-mail: kamano@seznam.cz [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); Kuličková, Jarmila [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); Herynek, Vít [Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Vídeňská 1958/9, 140 21 Praha 4 (Czech Republic); Koktan, Jakub [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); Maryško, Miroslav [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); Dědourková, Tereza [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); University of Pardubice, Doubravice 41, 532 10 Pardubice (Czech Republic); Knížek, Karel; Jirák, Zdeněk [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic)

2017-04-01

Hydrothermal synthesis of Mn{sub 1−x}Zn{sub x}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles followed by direct encapsulation of the as-grown material into silica is demonstrated as a fast and facile method for preparation of efficient negative contrast agents based on clusters of ferrite crystallites. At first, the hydrothermal procedure is optimized to achieve strictly single-phase magnetic nanoparticles of Mn-Zn ferrites in the compositional range of x≈0.2–0.6 and with the mean size of crystallites ≈10 nm. The products are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and SQUID magnetometry, and the composition close to x=0.4 is selected for the preparation of silica-coated clusters with the mean diameter of magnetic cores ≈25 nm. Their composite structure is studied by means of transmission electron microscopy combined with detailed image analysis and magnetic measurements in DC fields. The relaxometric studies, performed in the magnetic field of B{sub 0}=0.5 T, reveal high transverse relaxivity (r{sub 2}(20 °C)=450 s{sup −1} mmol(Me{sub 3}O{sub 4}){sup −1} L) with a pronounced temperature dependence, which correlates with the observed temperature dependence of magnetization and is ascribed to a mechanism of transverse relaxation similar to the motional averaging regime. - Highlights: • Mn-Zn ferrite particles with size of ≈10 nm are synthesized by hydrothermal method. • Their structure and magnetic properties are analysed in dependence on composition. • Silica-coated clusters with the size ≈26 nm are prepared as contrast agent for MRI. • Their transverse relaxivity shows strong temperature dependence.

Performance of "Moth Eye" Anti-Reflective Coatings for Solar Cell Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clark, E.; Kane, M.; Jiang, P.

2011-03-14

An inexpensive, effective anti-reflective coating (ARC) has been developed at the University of Florida to significantly enhance the absorption of light by silicon in solar cells. This coating has nano-scale features, and its microstructure mimics that of various night active insects (e.g. a moth's eye). It is a square array of pillars, each about 700 nm high and having a diameter of about 300 nm. Samples of silicon having this coating were exposed either to various combinations of either elevated temperature and humidity or to gamma irradiation ({sup 60}Co) at the Savannah River National Laboratory, or to a broad spectrum ultraviolet light and to a 532 nm laser light at the University of Florida. The anti-reflective properties of the coatings were unaffected by any of these environmental stresses, and the microstructure of the coating was also unaffected. In fact, the reflectivity of the gamma irradiated ARC became lower (advantageous for solar cell applications) at wavelengths between 400 and 1000 nm. These results show that this coating is robust and should be tested in actual systems exposed to either weather or a space environment. Structural details of the ARCs were studied to optimize their performance. Square arrays performed better than hexagonal arrays - the natural moth-eye coating is indeed a square array. The optimal depth of the templated nanopillars in the ARC was investigated. A wet etching technology for ARC formation was developed that would be less expensive and much faster than dry etching. Theoretical modeling revealed that dimple arrays should perform better than nipple arrays. A method of fabricating both dimple and nipple arrays having the same length was developed, and the dimple arrays performed better than the nipple arrays, in agreement with the modeling. The commercial viability of the technology is quite feasible, since the technology is scalable and inexpensive. This technology is also compatible with current industrial

Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation on the Fatigue and Quality of Life Among Iranian Aging Persons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Hassanpour-Dehkordi

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Since the elderly population is increasing rapidly in developing countries which may decrease the physical activity and exercise and in turn could affect the elderly’s quality of life, this study aimed to investigate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation on the elderly’s quality of life in Iran. In a randomized clinical trial, participants were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. For the intervention group, muscular progressive relaxation was run three days per week for three months (totally 36 sessions. In relaxation, a patient contract a group of his/her muscles in each step and relaxes them after five seconds and finally loosens all muscles and takes five deep breaths. Each session lasts for 45 minutes. The instrument of data gathering consisted of questionnaires on individual’s demographic data and quality of life SF-36. After intervention, quality of life increased significantly in the patients undergoing muscular progressive relaxation and fatigue severity decreased significantly in the intervention group compared to prior to intervention. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in mean score of physical performance, restricted activity after physical problem, energy, socially function, physical pain, overall hygiene, and quality of life between intervention and control groups. By implementing regular and continuous progressive muscle relaxation, quality of life could be increased in different dimensions in the elderly and the context could be provided to age healthily and enjoy higher health and autonomy. Therefore, all of the therapeutic staffs are recommended to implement this plan to promote the elderly’s quality of life.

Effect of cassava-starch coatings with ascorbic acidic and N-acetylcysteine on the quality of harton plantain (Musa paradisiaca

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Julio Márquez Cardozo

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The effect of coatings was evaluated on the quality ofharton plantain fruits (Musa paradisiaca in the postharvest stage.Solutions for three treatments were prepared from 50 g L-1 cassavastarch (Manihot esculenta with 30 g L-1 glycerol as the plasticizerand 6 g L-1 polyethylene glycol-600®; for anti-browning agents, 6g L-1 ascorbic acid (AA and 8 g L-1 N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC wereadded. The fruits were coated by immersion, stored at 18 ± 4°Cand 85% RH. Physicochemical properties were determined at 32days postharvest. The applied coatings decreased the physiologicalweight loss (%WL and resulted in a higher pulp firmness (PF; nosignificant difference was seen with a confidence level of 95% inthe concentration of total soluble solids (TSS, acidity or maturityindex. The skin color was measured by the CIE L*a*b* method, withan average L value of 70 for the fruits coated with the 6 g L-1 AAand 8 g L-1 NAC mixture, while the control fruits had a value of 57.Also, lower a* coordinate values and browning indices were foundfor the epidermis of the coated fruits. The enzymatic activity of thepolyphenol oxidase decreased with the number of postharvest daysfor all of the treatments, being lower for the fruits with the mixtureof anti-browning agents by 27%, as compared to the control. It wasconcluded that the coating mixture containing the anti-browningagents ascorbic acid, 6 g L-1, and N-acetyl-cysteine, 8 g L-1, showeda better effect as an alternative for storing fruits and prolongingthe shelf-life of harton plantain.

Facile fabrication of core-shell Pr6O11-ZnO modified silane coatings for anti-corrosion applications

Science.gov (United States)

Jeeva Jothi, K.; Palanivelu, K.

2014-01-01

In this work, we have developed a facile and inexpensive method to fabricate anti-corrosive and hydrophobic surface with hierarchical micro and nano structures. We demonstrate for the first time the use of praseodymium oxide doped zinc oxide (Pr6O11-ZnO) nanocomposites loaded in a hybrid sol-gel (SiOx/ZrOx) layer, to effectively protect the underlying steel substrate from corrosion attack. The influence of Pr6O11-ZnO gives the surprising aspects based on active anti-corrosion and hydrophobic coatings. The spherical SiO2 particles have been successfully coated with Pr6O11-ZnO layer through sol-gel process. The resulted SiO2@Pr6O11-ZnO core-shell was characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The barrier properties of the intact coatings were assessed by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The fabrication of SiO2@Pr6O11-ZnO shows dual properties of hydrophobic and anti-corrosion micro/nanostructured sol-gel coatings follows a single/simple step coating procedure. This study has led to a better understanding factor influencing the anti-corrosion performance with embedded nanocomposites. These developments are particularly for silane network@ Pr6O11-ZnO for self-healing and self-cleaning behavior which can be designed for new protective coating system.

Large-scale fabrication of superhydrophobic polyurethane/nano-Al2O3 coatings by suspension flame spraying for anti-corrosion applications

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiuyong; Yuan, Jianhui; Huang, Jing; Ren, Kun; Liu, Yi; Lu, Shaoyang; Li, Hua

2014-08-01

This study aims to further enhance the anti-corrosion performances of Al coatings by constructing superhydrophobic surfaces. The Al coatings were initially arc-sprayed onto steel substrates, followed by deposition of polyurethane (PU)/nano-Al2O3 composites by a suspension flame spraying process. Large-scale corrosion-resistant superhydrophobic PU/nano-Al2O3-Al coatings were successfully fabricated. The coatings showed tunable superhydrophilicity/superhydrophobicity as achieved by changing the concentration of PU in the starting suspension. The layer containing 2.0 wt.%PU displayed excellent hydrophobicity with the contact angle of ∼151° and the sliding angle of ∼6.5° for water droplets. The constructed superhydrophobic coatings showed markedly improved anti-corrosion performances as assessed by electrochemical corrosion testing carried out in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The PU/nano-Al2O3-Al coatings with superhydrophobicity and competitive anti-corrosion performances could be potentially used as protective layers for marine infrastructures. This study presents a promising approach for fabricatiing superhydrophobic coatings for corrosion-resistant applications.

Comparative study on Ti/Zr/V and chromate conversion treated aluminum alloys: Anti-corrosion performance and epoxy coating adhesion properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Wen; Li, Wenfang, E-mail: mewfli@163.com; Mu, Songlin; Fu, Nianqing; Liao, Zhongmiao

2017-05-31

Highlights: • The surface roughness and surface free energy of the AA6063 are significantly increased after TZVCC treatment. • The anti-corrosion performance of the AA6063 is effectively enhanced after TZVCC treatment. • Both the corrosion resistance and wet adhesion properties of the epoxy coating on the AA6063 are noticeably improved after TZVCC treatment. - Abstract: In this study, a Ti/Zr/V conversion coating (TZVCC) was deposited on the surface of aluminum alloy 6063 (AA6063) as an alternative of the chromate conversion coating (CCC). Both the TZVCC treated AA6063 (TZVCC/AA6063) and CCC treated AA6063 (CCC/AA6063) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscope (AFM) and contact angle measuring device. The anti-corrosion performance of the TZVCC/AA6063 and CCC/AA6063 was evaluated by electrochemical measurements and neutral salt spray tests. It showed that both the surface roughness and surface free energy of the AA6063 were significantly increased after TZVCC treatment. The anti-corrosion performance of TZVCC/AA6063 was superior to that of CCC/AA6063. In addition, the effects of the TZVCC and CCC on the adhesion properties and anti-corrosion performance of epoxy coating applied on samples were examined by pull-off tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The dry, wet and recovery adhesive strengths of the epoxy coating on TZVCC treated samples (epoxy coated TZVCC/AA6063) were very close to those of epoxy coating on CCC treated ones (epoxy coated CCC/AA6063). The epoxy coated TZVCC/AA6063 showed better corrosion resistance than the epoxy coated CCC/AA6063 and epoxy coated AA6063.

Magnetic relaxation switch and colorimetric detection of thrombin using aptamer-functionalized gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang Guohai; Cai Shaoyu; Zhang Peng [Department of Chemistry and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Peng Youyuan [Department of Chemistry, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou 362000 (China); Chen Hui; Zhang Song [Department of Chemistry and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Kong Jilie, E-mail: jlkong@fudan.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China)

2011-03-18

We describe a sensitive biosensing system combining magnetic relaxation switch diagnosis and colorimetric detection of human {alpha}-thrombin, based on the aptamer-protein interaction induced aggregation of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au nanoparticles. To demonstrate the concept, gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticle was synthesized by iterative reduction of HAuCl{sub 4} onto the dextran-coated Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles. The resulting core-shell structure had a flowerlike shape with pretty narrow size distribution (referred to as 'nanorose'). The two aptamers corresponding to human {alpha}-thrombin were conjugated separately to two distinct nanorose populations. Once a solution containing human {alpha}-thrombin was introduced, the nanoroses switched from a well dispersed state to an aggregated one, leading to a change in the spin-spin relaxation time (T{sub 2}) as well as the UV-Vis absorption spectra of the solution. Thus the qualitative and quantitative detection method for human {alpha}-thrombin was established. The dual-mode detection is clearly advantageous in obtaining a more reliable result; the detection range is widened as well. By using the dual-mode detection method, a detectable T{sub 2} change is observed with 1.0 nM human {alpha}-thrombin, and the detection range is from 1.6 nM to 30.4 nM.

Development and application of a process window for achieving high-quality coating in a fluidized bed coating process

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laksmana, F.L.; Hartman Kok, P.J.A.; Vromans, H.; Frijlink, H.W.; Van Der Voort Maarschalk, K.

Next to the coating formulation, process conditions play important roles in determining coating quality. This study aims to develop an operational window that separates layering from agglomeration regimes and, furthermore, the one that leads to the best coating quality in a fluidized bed coater. The

AntiReflection Coating D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

AIKEN, DANIEL J.

1999-01-01

Analytical expressions used to optimize AR coatings for single junction solar cells are extended for use in monolithic, series interconnected multi-junction solar cell AR coating design. The result is an analytical expression which relates the solar cell performance (through J(sub sc)) directly to the AR coating design through the device reflectance. It is also illustrated how AR coating design be used to provide an additional degree of freedom for current matching multi-junction devices

Anti-corrosion mechanism of epoxy-resin and different content Fe2O3 coatings on magnesium alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Tao; Kong, Fan-mei; Bai, Rui-qin; Zhang, Ru-liang

2016-12-01

In this study, anti-corrosion coatings were prepared and coated successfully on magnesium alloy substrates by mixing nanopowders, solvent, curing agent with epoxy resin. The effect of the amount of iron trioxide (Fe2O3) on the adhesion strength and corrosion resistance on magnesium alloy was investigated with standard protocols, and electrochemical measurements were also made in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solutions. The surface morphology and corrosion mechanism after corrosion tests was characterized using FESEM analysis. Nanoparticles in matrix acted as filler, and interstitial cross-linked spaces and other coating artifacts regions (micro cracks and voids) would all affect the anti-corrosion properties of coating. The results showed the proper powder content not only provided adhesion strength to these coatings but also improved obviously their anticorrosion. Hydrogen bound to the amine nitrogen (1N) could take part in the curing process rather than hydrogen of the amide site due to the smaller Δ G and the more stable configuration.

The capability of graphene on improving the electrical conductivity and anti-corrosion properties of Polyurethane coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Yao; Bohm, Siva; Song, Mo

2017-12-01

Graphite and graphene particles were used to reinforce the electrical conductivity and anti-corrosion properties of polyurethane (PU) coatings. The effect of graphite and graphene were compared. Hybrid filler using carbon nanotube was adopted as well and the performance in electrical conductivity was much superior to single filler system. At the same filler loading, the electrical conductivity of hybrid filler system was significantly higher than single filler system (0.77 S/m at 5 wt% while single filler system was not conductive). The conductive mechanism was revealed. In terms of anti-corrosion properties, the coatings with low filler loading had better anti-corrosion properties. The resistance values obtained from EIS (Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy) and four point probe method were compared and discussed.

Near zero reflection by nanostructured anti-reflection coating design for Si substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Fandi, Mohamed; Makableh, Yahia F.; Khasawneh, Mohammad; Rabady, Rabi

2018-05-01

The nanostructure design of near zero reflection coating for Si substrates by using ZnO Nanoneedles (ZnONN) is performed and optimized for the visible spectral range. The design investigates the ZnONN tip to body ratio effect on the anti-reflection coating properties. Different tip to body ratios are used on Si substrates. Around zero reflection is achieved by the Nanoneedles structure design presented in this work, leading to minimal reflection losses from the Si surface. The current design evolves a solution to optical losses and surface contamination effects associated with Si solar cells.

Anti-biofilm efficacy of low temperature processed AgCl–TiO2 nanocomposite coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naik, Kshipra; Kowshik, Meenal

2014-01-01

Biofilms are a major concern in the medical settings and food industries due to their high tolerance to antibiotics, biocides and mechanical stress. Currently, the development of novel methods to control biofilm formation is being actively pursued. In the present study, sol–gel coatings of AgCl–TiO 2 nanoparticles are presented as potential anti-biofilm agents, wherein TiO 2 acts as a good supporting matrix to prevent aggregation of silver and facilitates its controlled release. Low-temperature processed AgCl–TiO 2 nanocomposite coatings inhibit biofilm formation by Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In vitro biofilm assay experiments demonstrated that AgCl–TiO 2 nanocomposite coated surfaces, inhibited the development of biofilms over a period of 10 days as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The silver release kinetics exhibited an initial high release, followed by a slow and sustained release. The anti-biofilm efficacy of the coatings could be attributed to the release of silver, which prevents the initial bacterial adhesion required for biofilm formation. - Highlights: • Potential of AgCl–TiO 2 nanocomposite coating to inhibit biofilm formation is exhibited. • Initial rapid release followed by later slow and sustained release of silver obtained. • TiO 2 being porous and inorganic in nature acts as a good supporting matrix

Moisture resistant and anti-reflection optical coatings produced by plasma polymerization of organic compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Hollahan, J. R.; Wydeven, T.

1975-01-01

The need for protective coatings on critical optical surfaces, such as halide crystal windows or lenses used in spectroscopy, has long been recognized. It has been demonstrated that thin, one micron, organic coatings produced by polymerization of flourinated monomers in low temperature gas discharge (plasma) exhibit very high degrees of moisture resistence, e.g., hundreds of hours protection for cesium iodide vs. minutes before degradation sets in for untreated surfaces. The index of refraction of these coatings is intermediate between that of the halide substrate and air, a condition for anti-reflection, another desirable property of optical coatings. Thus, the organic coatings not only offer protection, but improved transmittance as well. The polymer coating is non-absorbing over the range 0.4 to 40 microns with an exception at 8.0 microns, the expected absorption for C-F bonds.

Development of Advanced Anti-Reflection Coatings for High Performance Solar Energy Applications, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — MicroLink Devices will increase the efficiency of multi-junction solar cells by designing and demonstrating advanced anti-reflection coatings (ARCs) that will...

Effect of perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane on the surface properties and anti-corrosion behavior of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-ZnO coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Arukalam, Innocent O.; Meng, Meijiang; Xiao, Haigang; Ma, Yuantai; Oguzie, Emeka E.; Li, Ying

2018-03-01

Poly(dimethylsiloxane)-ZnO coatings modified with different amounts of perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS) were prepared using sol-gel technique. The results of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) examinations showed that the surface structures and roughness of the coatings were respectively influenced by the increasing addition of FDTS. The water contact angle measurements showed maximum value of 130.52° with the 0.10 g FDTS-modified coating sample. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results indicated the coatings' hydrophobicity was also influenced by surface chemistry. The FTIR-ATR characterization results showed there was remarkable increase in the crystallinity of 0.10 g FDTS-modified coating after modification, and was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of crystallization temperature and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) results with an estimation of 71.29% percent crystallinity. The mechanical properties of the coatings were also conducted. The EIS measurements for anti-corrosion behavior showed that 0.10 g FDTS-modified coating had the highest barrier performance and lowest rate of degradation. Indeed, the obtained data have demonstrated that 0.10 g (≈ 0.18%) FDTS produced the most significantly effect on the surface and barrier properties of the coatings and thus, can effectively be used for anti-corrosion application in the marine environments.

Preparation of ZnO/Ag nanocomposite and coating on polymers for anti-infection biomaterial application.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadeghi, Babak

2014-01-24

ZnO/Ag nanocomposites coated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were prepared by chemical reduction method, for anti-infection biomaterial application. There is a growing interest in attempts in using biomolecular as the templates to grow inorganic nanocomposites in controlled morphology and structure. By optimizing the experiment conditions, we successfully fabricated high yield of ZnO/Ag nanocomposite with full coverage of high-density polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coating. More importantly, ZnO/Ag nanocomposites were shown to significantly inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in solution. It was further shown that ZnO/Ag nanocomposites induced thiol depletion that caused death of S. aureus. The coatings were fully characterized using techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Most importantly, compared to uncoated metals, the coatings on PVC promoted healthy antibacterial activity. Importantly, compared to ZnO-Ag -uncoated PVC, the ZnO/Ag nanocomposites coated was approximately triplet more effective in preventing bacteria attachment. The result of Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) indicates that, the ZnO/Ag nanocomposites are chemically stable in the temperature range from 50 to 900°C. This result, for the first time, demonstrates the potential of using ZnO/Ag nanocomposites as a coating material for numerous anti-bacterial applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of Advanced Anti-Reflection Coatings for High Performance Solar Energy Applications, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — MicroLink and its subcontractor Magnolia Solar will develop and demonstrate advanced anti-reflection coating (ARC) designs that will provide a better broadband and...

Adhesion of Zinc Hot-dip Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michal Černý

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The work is focused on verification of quality adhesion of zinc coating. It describes elements which affect quality and adhesive solidity within the coating. For assessment itself it will be neccessary to get know the basic elements which can affect adhesion of hot-dip coating which will be essential for choosing suitable samples for verification itself. These elements characterise acoustic responses during delamination coating. They affect elements influencing progress of signal. In research there is also a summary of existing methods for testing adhesion of coatings. As a result a new proposal of a new method comes out for purpose of quality testing of adhesion zinc hot-dip coating. The results of verification of this method are put to scientific analysis and findings lead to assessment of proposed method and its application in technical practise.The goal of this contribution is also include to proposed methodology testing adhesion zinc coating by nondestructive diagnostic method of acoustic emission (AE, which would monitor characterise progress of coating delamination of hot-dip zinc from basic material in way to adhesion tests would be practicable in situ. It can be enabled by analysis and assessment of results acquired by method AE and its application within verification of new method of adhesion anti-corrosive zinc coating.

Influence of the Distribution of a Spray Paint on the Efficacy of Anti-Graffiti Coatings on a Highly Porous Natural Stone Material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maurizio Masieri

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Graffiti on facades often has a heavy impact in social and economic terms, particularly when historical and artistic artefacts are affected. To limit the damages to the surfaces, preventive plans are implemented and anti-graffiti coatings are used as a protective measure. In this study, the distribution of a spray paint inside a highly porous stone, with and without anti-graffiti protection, was investigated. Two commercial sacrificial anti-graffiti systems were used and an acrylic-based paint was applied as staining agent. Environmental scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS microanalysis were performed to characterise, from the morphological and chemical point of view, the anti-graffiti coatings and the paint. Maps of the main elements were acquired to locate the different products inside the stone. Chemical removers were used to clean the stained surfaces, then the effectiveness of the cleaning was assessed by visual observations and colour measurements, as well as on the basis of percentage of residual stain. The obtained results highlighted that the anti-graffiti efficacy strongly depended on the characteristics of the applied coating. This latter usually acted as a barrier, but good results were obtained only where the stain did not remain as a separate layer, but penetrated the protective coating. Microcracks in the anti-graffiti coating were able to nullify the protective action.

Anti-biofilm efficacy of low temperature processed AgCl–TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naik, Kshipra, E-mail: kshipra_naik21@yahoo.co.in; Kowshik, Meenal, E-mail: meenal@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in

2014-01-01

Biofilms are a major concern in the medical settings and food industries due to their high tolerance to antibiotics, biocides and mechanical stress. Currently, the development of novel methods to control biofilm formation is being actively pursued. In the present study, sol–gel coatings of AgCl–TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles are presented as potential anti-biofilm agents, wherein TiO{sub 2} acts as a good supporting matrix to prevent aggregation of silver and facilitates its controlled release. Low-temperature processed AgCl–TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite coatings inhibit biofilm formation by Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In vitro biofilm assay experiments demonstrated that AgCl–TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite coated surfaces, inhibited the development of biofilms over a period of 10 days as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The silver release kinetics exhibited an initial high release, followed by a slow and sustained release. The anti-biofilm efficacy of the coatings could be attributed to the release of silver, which prevents the initial bacterial adhesion required for biofilm formation. - Highlights: • Potential of AgCl–TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite coating to inhibit biofilm formation is exhibited. • Initial rapid release followed by later slow and sustained release of silver obtained. • TiO{sub 2} being porous and inorganic in nature acts as a good supporting matrix.

Quality control of fireproof coatings for reinforced concrete structures

Science.gov (United States)

Gravit, Marina; Dmitriev, Ivan; Ishkov, Alexander

2017-10-01

The article analyzes methods of quality inspection of fireproof coatings (work flow, measuring, laboratory, etc.). In modern construction there is a problem of lack of distinct monitoring for the fire protection testing. There is a description of this testing for reinforced concrete structures. The article shows the results of calculation quality control of hatches as an example of fireproof coating for reinforced concrete structures.

Scale-up of Nano-Engineered Anti-Reflection Coating Process for Large Plastic Optics, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In a recently completed NASA SBIR program, Agiltron and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a novel nanoporous UV anti-reflection coating technology...

Intelligent saline enabled self-healing of multilayer coatings and its optimization to achieve redox catalytically provoked anti-corrosion ability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Syed, Junaid Ali; Tang, Shaochun; Meng, Xiangkang, E-mail: mengxk@nju.edu.cn

2016-10-15

Highlights: • Multilayer coatings were prepared with good self-healing and anti-corrosion ability. • The lifespan of SS is much improved and it is stable even after 120 h in 3.5% NaCl. • Multilayer structure with redox catalytic and self-healing ability leads to high P{sub e}. • Saline-triggered self-healing and anti-corrosion mechanisms were envisaged. - Abstract: To obtain a coating with both self-healing and redox catalytic ability to protect a metal substrate from corrosion under aggressive environment is strongly desired. Herein, we report the design and fabrication of intelligent polyaniline-polyacrylic acid/polyethyleneimine (PANI-PAA/PEI) multilayer composite coatings by spin assembly. The main influencing factors, including solution concentration (c) and disk rotating speed (ω) were studied in order to gain excellent performance. The resulting multilayer coatings with thickness in a range from 0.47 to 2.94 μm can heal severe structural damages and sustain a superior anti-corrosive performance for 120 h in 3.5% NaCl. The PANI-PAA layer enhances the anti-corrosion property and PEI layer contributes to the self-healing ability as well as their multilayer combination strengthens them. The improved self-healing ability is attributed to the rearrangement and reversible non-covalent interactions of the PANI-PAA and PEI layers that facilitates electrostatic repairing.

Anti-wetting Cu/Cr coating with micro-posts array structure fabricated by electrochemical approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Yufeng; Hang, Tao; Li, Feng; Li, Ming

2013-01-01

Microposts structured Cu/Cr multilayer coating was prepared by a simple two-step approach combining electroless and electro deposition. Surface morphologies of the as-prepared Cu/Cr multilayer coating characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy show that this multilayer coating exhibits micro-posts arrayed structure with a layer of Cr uniformly covering the circular conical surface of Cu micro-cones array. The wettability test shows that the contact angle of Cu/Cr multilayer surface with water drop can be greater than 140° by optimizing the electrodeposition time of Cr. The mechanism of hydrophobicity of both the micro-cones arrayed and micro-posts arrayed structures was briefly discussed by comparing two different wetting modes. Due to its good anti-wetting property and unique structure, the micro-posts arrayed Cu/Cr multilayer coating is expected for extensive practical applications.

Au-coated X-ray Anti-scattering Grid Performance Test by MCNP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, JunWoo; Yoo, Dong Han; Kim, Hee Reyoung [Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

It is required to protect individual against the dangers of ionizing radiation from medical exposure. And increasing of resolution for x-ray radiography tools can give radiation protectoral benefits. Because the image device has higher resolution in same energy source, it requires low energy level source and it can reduce individual dose. The anti-scattering grid is sub-device that is attached in front of detector (direction of source). It is square lattice shape generally. It is composed of penetration parts and shielding parts. Penetration part is generally air (the void) and in some studies it uses wood or aluminum. Shielding part is composed of various materials such as lead or copper. In this study, it is focused on the gold as one of X-ray grid materials, where gold is generally known as excellent shielding material and the performance test on the gold coated anti-scattering grid is carried out by MCNP simulation. X-ray grid was simulated by using MCNP code and its performance was investigated. It was understood that glass based and Au-coated grid could lessen the scattered photons more where the reduction was about two third. In further study, geometry optimization or material selection will be conducted by MCNP simulation for giving benefits to design proper grid for various instruments.

Galling Resistance of An Anti-friction Coating on Oil-casing Couplings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhao Shilong

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Generally, oil tubing and casing connections made of carbon steel are connected using phosphate-treated coupling, but high-grade steel oil casing can only be connected using copperized couplings, which are expensive and result in environmental pollution. A new anti-friction coating was prepared by adding suitable amounts of nanoparticles into a highly pure and concentrated nano-copper suspension, with epoxy resin as a binder. Laboratory tests and full-scale make and break tests show that a heterogeneous copper layer is formed after curing when this coating was applied to the phosphate layer surface of couplings made of P110 and P110S casings. This can greatly reduce the make-up torque of casing thread, and can effectively improve or even eliminate galling of high-grade steel oil casing.

Anti-carburizing Coating for Resin Sand Casting of Low Carbon Steel Based on Composite Silicate Powder Containing Zirconium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhan Chunyi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper studied the structure and properties of anticarburizing coating based on composite silicate powder containing zirconium by X-ray diffraction analyzer, thermal expansion tester, digital microscope and other equipment. It is introduced that the application example of the coating in the resin-sand casting of ZG1Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel impeller. The anti-carburizing effect of the coating on the surface layer of the cast is studied by using direct reading spectrometer and spectrum analyzer. The change of the micro-structure of the coating after casting and cooling is observed by scanning electron microscope. The analysis of anti-carburizing mechanism of the coating is presented. The results indicate that the coating possesses excellent suspension property, brush ability, permeability, levelling property and crackresistance. The coating exhibits high strength and low gas evolution. Most of the coating could be automatically stripped off flakily when the casting was shaken out. The casting possesses excellent surface finish and antimetal penetration effect. The carburizing layer thickness of the stainless steel impeller casting with respect to allowable upper limit of carbon content is about 1mm and maximum carburizing rate is 23.6%. The anticarburizing effect of casting surface is greatly improved than that of zircon powder coating whose maximum carburizing rate is 67.9% and the carburizing layer thickness with respect to allowable upper limit of carbon content is greater than 2mm. The composite silicate powder containing zirconium coating substantially reduces the zircon powder which is expensive and radioactive and mainly dependent on imports. The coating can be used instead of pure zircon powder coating to effectively prevent metal-penetration and carburizing of resin-sand-casting surface of low carbon steel, significantly improve the foundry production environment and reduce the production costs.

Design and fabrication of anti-reflection coating on Gallium Phosphide, Zinc Selenide and Zinc Sulfide substrates for visible and infrared application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mokrý P.

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Results of design and fabrication of a dual-band anti-reflection coating on a gallium phosphide (GaP, zinc selenide (ZnSe and zinc sulfide (ZnS substrates are presented. A multilayer stack structure of antireflection coatings made of zinc sulfide and yttrium fluoride (YF3 was theoretically designed for optical bands between 0.8 and 0.9 μm and between 9.5 and 10.5 μm. This stack was designed as efficient for these materials (GaP, ZnS, ZnSe together. Multilayer stack structure was deposited using thermal evaporation method. Theoretically predicted transmittance spectra were compared with transmitted spectra measured on coated substrates. Efficiency of anti-reflection coating is estimated and discrepancies are analyzed and discussed.

Effect of Dipping and Vacuum Impregnation Coating Techniques with Alginate Based Coating on Physical Quality Parameters of Cantaloupe Melon.

Science.gov (United States)

Senturk Parreidt, Tugce; Schmid, Markus; Müller, Kajetan

2018-04-01

Edible coating based on sodium alginate solution was applied to fresh-cut cantaloupe melon by dipping and vacuum impregnation coating methods. One aim of this work is to produce more technical information concerning these conventional and novel coating processes. For this purpose, the effect of various coating parameters (dipping time, draining time, time length of the vacuum period, vacuum pressure, atmospheric restoration time) with several levels on physical quality parameters (percentage of weight gain, color, and texture) of noncoated and coated samples were determined in order to define adequate coating process parameters to achieve a successful coating application. Additionally, the effects of dipping and vacuum impregnation processes were compared. Both processes improved the firmness of the melon pieces. However, vacuum impregnation application had higher firmness and weight gain results, and had significant effect (P coating technique and the parameters used significantly affect the physical quality characteristics of coated food products. The work presented produced more technical information concerning dipping and vacuum impregnation coating techniques, along with evaluating the effects of various coating parameters with several levels. The results revealed that vacuum impregnation technique is a successful coating method; however the effects should be carefully assessed for each product. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Bright Single-Photon Sources Based on Anti-Reflection Coated Deterministic Quantum Dot Microlenses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Schnauber

2015-12-01

Full Text Available We report on enhancing the photon-extraction efficiency (PEE of deterministic quantum dot (QD microlenses via anti-reflection (AR coating. The AR-coating deposited on top of the curved microlens surface is composed of a thin layer of Ta2O5, and is found to effectively reduce back-reflection of light at the semiconductor-vacuum interface. A statistical analysis of spectroscopic data reveals, that the AR-coating improves the light out-coupling of respective microlenses by a factor of 1.57 ± 0.71, in quantitative agreement with numerical calculations. Taking the enhancement factor into account, we predict improved out-coupling of light with a PEE of up to 50%. The quantum nature of emission from QDs integrated into AR-coated microlenses is demonstrated via photon auto-correlation measurements revealing strong suppression of two-photon emission events with g(2(0 = 0.05 ± 0.02. As such, these bright non-classical light sources are highly attractive with respect to applications in the field of quantum cryptography.

The effects of music relaxation and muscle relaxation techniques on sleep quality and emotional measures among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iris Haimov

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD, an anxiety disorder with lifetime prevalence of 7.8%, is characterized by symptoms that develop following exposure to traumatic life events and that cause an immediate experience of intense fear, helplessness or horror. PTSD is marked by recurrent nightmares typified by the recall of intrusive experiences and by extended disturbance throughout sleep. Individuals with PTSD respond poorly to drug treatments for insomnia. The disadvantages of drug treatment for insomnia underline the importance of non-pharmacological alternatives. Thus, the present study had three aims: first, to compare the efficiency of two relaxation techniques (muscular relaxation and progressive music relaxation in alleviating insomnia among individuals with PTSD using both objective and subjective measures of sleep quality; second, to examine whether these two techniques have different effects on psychological indicators of PTSD, such as depression and anxiety; and finally, to examine how initial PTSD symptom severity and baseline emotional measures are related to the efficiency of these two relaxation methods. Thirteen PTSD patients with no other major psychiatric or neurological disorders participated in the study. The study comprised one seven-day running-in, no-treatment period, followed by two seven-day experimental periods. The treatments constituted either music relaxation or muscle relaxation techniques at desired bedtime. These treatments were randomly assigned. During each of these three experimental periods, subjects’ sleep was continuously monitored with a wrist actigraph (Ambulatory Monitoring, Inc., and subjects were asked to fill out several questionnaires concerned with a wide spectrum of issues, such as sleep, depression, and anxiety. Analyses revealed a significant increase in objective and subjective sleep efficiency and a significant reduction in depression level following music relaxation. Moreover, following music

[Effects of aerobic exercise program and relaxation techniques on anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial].

Science.gov (United States)

Arcos-Carmona, Isabel María; Castro-Sánchez, Adelaida María; Matarán-Peñarrocha, Guillermo Adolfo; Gutiérrez-Rubio, Ana Belén; Ramos-González, Elena; Moreno-Lorenzo, Carmen

2011-10-08

Fibromyalgia is considered as a combination of physical, psychological and social disabilities. The purpose of the present study was to determine the benefits of aerobic exercise program and progressive relaxation techniques on anxiety, quality of sleep, depression and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. An experimental study was performed with a placebo control group. Fifty-six fibromyalgia patients were randomly assigned to intervention (aerobic exercises+progressive relaxation techniques) and placebo (sham treatment with disconnected magnet therapy device) groups. Outcome measures were anxiety (STAI- State Trait Anxiety Inventory), quality of sleep (Pittsburgh sleep quality index), depression (Beck depression inventory) and quality of life (questionnaire SF-36). Measures were performed at baseline and after 10-weeks treatment. After 10 weeks of treatment, the intervention group showed significant reduction (pquality of life. The combination of aerobic exercise program and progressive relaxation techniques contribute to improve night rest, trait anxiety and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

In situ measurement of ceramic vacuum chamber conductive coating quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doose, C.; Harkay, K.; Kim, S.; Milton, S.

1997-01-01

A method for measuring the relative surface resistivity and quality of conductive coatings on ceramic vacuum chambers was developed. This method is unique in that it allows one to test the coating even after the ceramic chamber is installed in the accelerator and under vacuum; furthermore, the measurement provides a localized surface reading of the coating conductance. The method uses a magnetic probe is calibrated using the measured DC end-to-end resistance of the tube under test and by comparison to a high quality test surface. The measurement method has also been verified by comparison to high frequency impedance measurements. A detailed description, results, and sensitivity of the technique are given here

Anti-reflective coating for visible light using a silver nanodisc metasurface with a refractive index of less than 1.0

Science.gov (United States)

Yasuda, Hideki; Matsuno, Ryo; Koito, Naoki; Hosoda, Hidemasa; Tani, Takeharu; Naya, Masayuki

2017-12-01

Suppression of visible-light reflection from material surfaces is an important technology for many applications such as flat-panel displays, camera lenses, and solar panels. In this study, we developed an anti-reflective coating design based on a silver nanodisc metasurface. The effective refractive index of a 10-nm-thick monolayer of silver nanodiscs was less than 1.0, which enabled strong suppression of reflection from the underlying substrate. The nanodisc structure was easy to fabricate using a conventional roll-to-roll wet-coating method. The anti-reflective structure was fabricated over a large area.

Anti-biofouling function of amorphous nano-Ta2O5 coating for VO2-based intelligent windows

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jinhua; Guo, Geyong; Wang, Jiaxing; Zhou, Huaijuan; Shen, Hao; Yeung, Kelvin W. K.

2017-04-01

From environmental and health perspectives, the acquisition of a surface anti-biofouling property holds important significance for the usability of VO2 intelligent windows. Herein, we firstly deposited amorphous Ta2O5 nanoparticles on VO2 film by the magnetron sputtering method. It was found that the amorphous nano-Ta2O5 coating possessed a favorable anti-biofouling capability against Pseudomonas aeruginosa as an environmental microorganism model, behind which lay the mechanism that the amorphous nano-Ta2O5 could interrupt the microbial membrane electron transport chain and significantly elevate the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. A plausible relationship was established between the anti-biofouling activity and physicochemical nature of amorphous Ta2O5 nanoparticles from the perspective of defect chemistry. ROS-induced oxidative damage gave rise to microbial viability loss. In addition, the amorphous nano-Ta2O5 coating can endow VO2 with favorable cytocompatibility with human skin fibroblasts. This study may provide new insights into understanding the anti-biofouling and antimicrobial actions of amorphous transition metal oxide nanoparticles, which is conducive to expanding their potential applications in environmental fields.

Chromate-free Hybrid Coating for Corrosion Protection of Electrogalvanized Steel Sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jo, Duhwan; Kwon, Moonjae; Kim, Jongsang

2012-01-01

Both electrogalvanized and hot-dip galvanized steel sheets have been finally produced via organic-inorganic surface coating process on the zinc surface to enhance corrosion resistance and afford additional functional properties. Recently, POSCO has been developed a variety of chromate-free coated steels that are widely used in household, construction and automotive applications. New organic-inorganic hybrid coating solutions as chromate alternatives are comprised of surface modified silicate with silane coupling agent and inorganic corrosion inhibitors as an aqueous formulation. In this paper we have prepared new type of hybrid coatings and evaluated quality performances such as corrosion resistance, spot weldability, thermal tolerance, and paint adhesion property etc. The electrogalvanized steels with these coating solutions exhibit good anti-corrosion property compared to those of chromate coated steels. Detailed components composition of coating solutions and experimental results suggest that strong binding between organic-inorganic hybrid coating layer and zinc surface plays a key role in the advanced quality performances

Influence of coating quality on the service life of land-based gas turbine blades

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheruvu, N.S. [Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio (United States)

2007-06-15

The land-based gas turbine blades operate at severe operating conditions: higher metal temperatures and stresses, and severe duty cycles. Metallic coatings with or without a top ceramic coating have been used to protect the turbine blades. The durability of the coating system is one of the prime life-limiting factors of modem gas turbine blades. The quality of the coating plays a critical role on the coating life. This paper discusses the failure mechanisms of the coatings and describes how the quality of the coating affects the service life of a gas turbine blade. A few case studies are presented in the paper. (orig.)

Coatings and Tints of Spectacle Lenses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Zeki Büyükyıldız

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Spectacle lenses are made of mineral or organic (plastic materials. Various coatings and tints are applied to the spectacle lenses according to the characteristic of the lens material, and for the personal needs and cosmetic purpose. The coatings may be classified in seven groups: 1 Anti-reflection coatings, 2 Hard coatings, 3 Clean coat, 4 Mirror coatings, 5 Color tint coating (one of coloring processes, 6 Photochromic coating (one of photochromic processes, and 7 Anti-fog coatings. Anti-reflection coatings reduce unwanted reflections from the lens surfaces and increase light transmission. Hard coatings are applied for preventing the plastic lens surface from scratches and abrasion. Hard coatings are not required for the mineral lenses due to their hardness. Clean coat makes the lens surface smooth and hydrophobic. Thus, it prevents the adherence of dust, tarnish, and dirt particles on the lens surface. Mirror coatings are applied onto the sunglasses for cosmetic purpose. Color tinted and photochromic lenses are used for sun protection and absorption of the harmful UV radiations. Anti-fog coatings make the lens surface hydrophilic and prevent the coalescence of tiny water droplets on the lens surface that reduces light transmission. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2012; 42: 359-69

Broadband anti-reflective and water-repellent coatings on glass substrates for self-cleaning photovoltaic cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiaoyu; He, Junhui; Liu, Weiyi

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: High performance broadband antireflective and water-repellent coatings were fabricated on glass substrates, which can improve the short-circuit current of solar cells as much as 6.6% in comparison with glass substrates without the coatings. - Highlights: • Broadband anti-reflective and water-repellent coatings were fabricated. • Transmittance increased to 99.0%, significantly higher than that of commercial solar glasses. • The performance of standard solar cells with the AR coating was enhanced as much as 6.6%. - Abstract: High performance broadband antireflective (AR) and water-repellent coatings were fabricated on glass substrates by assembly of silica nanoparticles and polyelectrolytes via the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique, followed by calcination and hydrophobic modification. A porous poly(diallyladimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA)/20 nm SiO 2 nanoparticles (S-20) multilayer coating with AR property was prepared first. The maximum transmittance is as high as 99.0%, while that of the glass substrate is only 91.3%. After calcination and hydrophobic modification, the coating became water-repellent while maintaining the good AR property. Such water-repellent AR coatings can improve the short-circuit current of solar cells as much as 6.6% in comparison with glass substrates without the coatings. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphology and thickness of coatings. Transmission spectra and reflection spectra were characterized by UV–vis spectrophotometer. The surface wettability was studied by a contact angle/interface system

Anti-stiction coating of PDMS moulds for rapid microchannel fabrication by double replica moulding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhuang, Guisheng; Kutter, Jörg Peter

2011-01-01

), which resulted in an anti-stiction layer for the improved release after PDMS casting. The deposition of FDTS on an O2 plasma-activated surface of PDMS produced a reproducible and well-performing anti-stiction monolayer of fluorocarbon, and we used the FDTS-coated moulds as micro-masters for rapid......In this paper, we report a simple and precise method to rapidly replicate master structures for fast microchannel fabrication by double replica moulding of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). A PDMS mould was surface-treated by vapour phase deposition of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS...

Origins of visible-light emissions in hydrogen-coated silicon nanocrystals: Role of passivating coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tit, Nacir; Yamani, Z.H.; Graham, J.; Ayesh, A.

2010-01-01

We present a theoretical investigation of the electronic and optical properties of hydrogen-coated silicon nanocrystals (Si:H NCs). On one hand, the density-functional theory (DFT) is used to both calculate the total energy and relax the NCs. On a second hand, the tight-binding method, which includes the minimal sp 3 -basis set within the second-nearest-neighbor interaction scheme, is applied to calculate the electronic structures, oscillator strength (OS) and recombination rate (RR) versus the NC size, coating and atomic relaxation. Three main findings are reported: (i) The quantum confinement in these NCs do follow similar rule to the case of a single-particle in a box, where the confinement energy decays in power-law with the increasing NC's size. (ii) The coating is shown to play the essential role in creation of large band-gap energy lying within the visible-light energy spectrum. (iii) The surface atomic relaxation is found to reduce the band-gap energy by about 150 meV and enhance both OS and RR. Our claims are corroborated by the available experimental data.

Evaluation of anti-scale property of CrN coatings at high temperature and high pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honda, Tomomi; Iwai, Yoshiro; Uno, Ryoji; Yoshinaga, Shigeki

2007-01-01

It is well known that oxide scale which adheres to the inner wall of the nozzle in nuclear power plant causes a serious problem. This study was carried out to obtain the knowledge about initiation and deposition behavior of oxide scale on the surface of SUS304 stainless steel and the evaluation of anti-scale property of chromium nitride (CrN) coatings at high temperature and high pressure. SUS304 stainless steel and CrN coating specimens were heated in water up to 200degC for more than 250 hours. Obtained results are summarized as follows. Initiation of the scale started from corrosive part of SUS304 stainless steel and the scale grows by deposition of magnetite particles. CrN coating can be applied to prevent the initiation and deposition of oxide scale. (author)

Quality control of thermal spray coatings in diesel engines; Qualitaetskontrolle an thermisch gespritzten Beschichtungen in Dieselmotoren

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carstensen, Jesper Vejloe [MAN Diesel and Turbo, Copenhagen (Denmark). Material Technology and Research Dept.; Lindegren, Maria [Struers A/S, Ballerup (Denmark). Application Dept.

2013-06-01

Thermal spraying is a method, which is suitable for coating of large components. The coatings can e.g. improve the wear, friction and/or corrosion properties of components so that they can withstand the increased loads. The quality of the coatings is essential to ensure reliable operation of the components. However, quality control of thermally sprayed coatings is indeed nontrivial and sample preparation is a key issue. This paper shows examples of thermal spray coated components in large diesel engines and provides insight into the methods used in preparing samples for quality control. (orig.)

How PE tape performs under concrete coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dritt, H.J.

1984-01-01

The program objectives were to evaluate the performance of polyethylene tape plant coating and fusion bonded epoxy powder systems with particular respect to the following: 1. Concrete coating application procedures; 2. The shear resistance during laying and retrieving operations of the coating at the various interfaces (a) Pipe and anti-corrosion coating; (b) Anti-corrosion coating and outerwrap; (c) Overlap areas of the anti-corrosion and outerwrap layers; (d) Between concrete and the various corrosion coatings during laying and retrieving operations. 3. Resistance to damage of the coating as a consequence of cracking or slippage of the concrete weight coating. 4. Ability of various coatings to withstand the damage during concrete application by both impact and compression methods; 5. Evaluation of tape and shrink sleeve joint coatings at the cut-back area as well as performance of tape under hot asphalt coating

THERMAL COMPOSITE COATINGS IMPROVING QUALITY OF TECHNICAL MEANS OF TRANSPORT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrzej POSMYK

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the thermal properties of composite insulating material designed for producing of technical means of transport. This material can be coated on most of engineering materials. The matrix of this material is an acrylic resin ant non porous ceramic microspheres made of alumina are the reinforcing phase. Thanks to that into the spheres almost vacuum (0,13 Pa dominants and a big amount of spheres pro thickness unit is it possible to achieve low thermal conductivity. Usage of these coatings for producing of cooling cabins on vehicles let us to reduce of fuel for maintain of given temperature. Usage of these coatings in planes flying on high altitudes (temperature up to -60 allows to reduce of fuel consumption for heating. It has an important influence on transport quality and quality costs.

Comparing the Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Guided Imagery on sleep quality in primigravida women referring to Mashhad health care centers-1393

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nahid Golmakani

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Background & aim: Decreased sleep quality is a common complaint during pregnancy. Relaxation is one of the non-pharmaceutical treatments for sleep disorders. Different techniques could have different impacts on various biological and mental stressors. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effects of progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery on the sleep quality of primigravida women. Methods:This three-group clinical trial was conducted on 100 primigravida women, referring to Mashhad health care centers in 2014. All women, who met the inclusion criteria, were randomly assigned to three groups: progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and control groups. The intervention groups performed the exercises twice a day for a period of four weeks at home after two sessions of relaxation training (held during two weeks. Then, the quality of sleep was measured using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. For data analysis, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, paired t-test, and post-hoc test were performed, using SPSS version 11.5. Results: The total score of sleep quality and its components (except use of sleep medication was significantly lower after the intervention, compared to the pre-intervention period in progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery groups (P

The Effect of Benson Relaxation on Quality of Life of Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asadi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS is one of the most common functional disorders of the lower gastrointestinal tract that is characterized by abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits. This disorder changes the quality of life of patients. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Benson relaxation on quality of life of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Methods This was a clinical trial study with 46 patients, who were randomly divided to two groups including Benson relaxation and control group. The experimental group exercised 20 minutes daily for three two months, while no intervention program was held for the control group. The data collection tools were a demographic form and SF-34 Questionnaire that were used to gather data one week before and two months after the intervention. Then data were analyzed using the SPSS version 19 software. Results The results indicated the mean total quality of life score in test group after intervention was changed from 93.13 to 57.61 while the control group was changed from 105.65 to 96.43 (P ≤ 0.001. There was a significant difference in six dimensions of quality of life including dysphoria (P ≤ 0.001, social reaction (P ≤ 0.001, health worry (P ≤ 0.001, body image (P ≤ 0.001, interpersonal relation (P = 0.004 and activities interference (P = 0.001 between the two groups, but no significant difference was found in food abstinence (P = 0.244 and sexual worry (P = 0.830. Conclusions The findings showed that Benson relaxation training might be an effective therapy for improving quality of life in patients with IBS.

The anti-adherence effect of Piper betle and Psidium guajava extracts on the adhesion of early settlers in dental plaque to saliva-coated glass surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Razak, Fathilah Abdul; Rahim, Zubaidah Haji Abd

2003-12-01

The aqueous extracts of Piper betle and Psidium guajava were prepared and tested for their anti-adherence effect on the adhesion of early plaque settlers (Strep. mitis, Strep. sanguinis and Actinomyces sp.). The saliva-coated glass surfaces were used to simulate the pellicle-coated enamel surface in the oral cavity. Our results showed that the anti-adherence activities of Piper betle and Psidium guajava extracts towards the bacteria were different between the bacterial species. Psidium guajava was shown to have a slightly greater anti-adherence effect on Strep. sanguinis by 5.5% and Actinomyces sp. by 10% and a significantly higher effect on Strep. mitis (70%) compared to Piper betle. The three bacterial species are known to be highly hydrophobic, and that hydrophobic bonding seemed to be an important factor in their adherence activities. It is therefore suggested that the plant extracts, in expressing their anti-adherence activities, could have altered the hydrophobic nature of the bonding between the bacteria and the saliva-coated glass surfaces.

Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation on Social Performance and Quality of Life in Aging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Hassanpour Dehkordi

2016-07-01

Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that the progressive muscle relaxation technique can effectively reduce the duration of rehabilitation, days of hospitalization and healthcare costs, as well as improve the quality of life, mood, and mental health in the elderly people.

Application of a Surimi-Based Coating to Improve the Quality Attributes of Shrimp during Refrigerated Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharaf Eddin, Abdulhakim; Tahergorabi, Reza

2017-09-05

Shrimp is a popular seafood throughout the world. However, shrimp is highly perishable due to biochemical, microbiological, or physical changes during postmortem storage. In this study, the effect of a surimi-based coating with and without montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay on shrimp quality was evaluated during eight days of refrigerator storage. Use of a surimi-based coating resulted in reductions of aerobic plate counts (APC) up to 2 log units. The combined effect of the MMT and coating was observed. Surimi-based coating with MMT resulted in lower APC ( p coating with MMT to the shrimp samples improved sensory quality and delayed lipid oxidation and color deterioration during storage time. In general, better texture was observed when coating was applied either with or without MMT. This study suggests that surimi-based coating may improve the quality of shrimp during refrigerated storage.

Improvement of Shelf Life and Sensory Quality of Pears Using a Specialized Edible Coating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Virgilio Cruz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An edible coating functionalized with pomegranate polyphenols was designed. Different blends of candelilla wax, gum arabic, jojoba oil, and pomegranate polyphenols were formulated in order to improve the shelf life quality of pears (variety Bartlett, and all formulations were applied by immersion onto the fruit surface. Coated pears with and without polyphenols and uncoated pears (control were stored under the same conditions. Fruits were analyzed to evaluate changes in their physicochemical, microbiological, and sensorial properties during 30 days of storage at room temperature. Coated pears coded as T13 (candelilla wax 3%, gum arabic 4%, jojoba oil 0.15%, and pomegranate polyphenols 0.015% extended and improved their shelf life quality due to the minimization of the physic-chemical changes and sensorial properties. Therefore, the results indicated that the formulated edible coating has potential to extend the shelf life and maintain quality of pears. It was probed that coated pears were accepted for consumers as a good product. Edible coating application represents a good alternative to keep pears freshness for longer periods.

Anti-listerial activity of a polymeric film coated with hybrid coatings doped with Enterocin 416K1 for use as bioactive food packaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Iseppi, Ramona; Pilati, Francesco; Marini, Michele; Toselli, Maurizio; de Niederhäusern, Simona; Guerrieri, Elisa; Messi, Patrizia; Sabia, Carla; Manicardi, Giuliano; Anacarso, Immacolata; Bondi, Moreno

2008-04-30

In this study, Enterocin 416K1, a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus casseliflavus IM 416K1, was entrapped in an organic-inorganic hybrid coating applied to a LDPE (low-density polyethylene) film for its potential use in the active food packaging field. The antibacterial activity of the coated film was evaluated against Listeria monocytogenes NCTC 10888 by qualitative modified agar diffusion assay, quantitative determination in listeria saline solution suspension and direct contact with artificially contaminated food samples (frankfurters and fresh cheeses) stored at room and refrigeration temperatures. All investigations demonstrated that enterocin-activated coatings have a good anti-listeria activity. Qualitative tests showed a clear zone of inhibition in the indicator lawn in contact with and around the coated film. During the quantitative antibacterial evaluation the L. monocytogenes viable counts decreased to 1.5 log units compared to the control. The inhibitory capability was confirmed also in food-contact assays. In all food samples packed with coated films we observed a significant decrease in L. monocytogenes viable counts in the first 24 h compared to the control. This difference was generally maintained up to the seventh day and then decreased, with the exception of the cheese samples stored at refrigeration temperature.

Silane based coating of aluminium mold

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2013-01-01

having at least one closed cavity is provided, at least one surface of the at least one cavity being an aluminium surface coated with a silane based coating layer. The silane based anti-stiction coating improves the anti-stiction properties of the mold which may allow for molding and demolding...... of structures which would otherwise be difficult to mold. The resistance of the coated aluminium mold is significantly improved by applying a silane-based coating layer....

Improved opto-electronic properties of silicon heterojunction solar cells with SiO x /Tungsten-doped indium oxide double anti-reflective coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Jian; Zhou, Jie; Bian, Jiantao; Zhang, Liping; Liu, Yucheng; Shi, Jianhua; Meng, Fanying; Liu, Jinning; Liu, Zhengxin

2017-08-01

Amorphous SiO x was prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to form SiO x /tungsten-doped indium oxide (IWO) double anti-reflective coatings for silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell. The sheet resistance of SiO x /IWO stacks decreases due to plasma treatment during deposition process, which means thinner IWO film would be deposited for better optical response. However, the comparisons of three anti-reflective coating (ARC) structures reveal that SiO x film limits carier transport and the path of IWO-SiO x -Ag structure is non-conductive. The decrease of sheet resistance is defined as pseudo conductivity. IWO film capping with SiO x allows observably reduced reflectance and better response in 300-400 and 600-1200 nm wavelength ranges. Compared with IWO single ARC, the average reflection is reduced by 1.65% with 70 nm SiO x /80 nm IWO double anti-reflective coatings (DARCs) in 500-1200 nm wavelength range, leading to growing external quantum efficiency response, short circuit current density (J sc), and efficiency. After well optimization of SiO x /IWO stacks, an impressive efficiency of 23.08% is obtained with high J sc and without compromising open circuit voltage (V oc) and fill factor. SiO x /IWO DARCs provide better anti-reflective properties over a broad range of wavelength, showing promising application for SHJ solar cells.

Anomalous relaxation and self-organization in non-equilibrium processes

OpenAIRE

Fatkullin, Ibrahim; Kladko, Konstantin; Mitkov, Igor; Bishop, A. R.

2000-01-01

We study thermal relaxation in ordered arrays of coupled nonlinear elements with external driving. We find, that our model exhibits dynamic self-organization manifested in a universal stretched-exponential form of relaxation. We identify two types of self-organization, cooperative and anti-cooperative, which lead to fast and slow relaxation, respectively. We give a qualitative explanation for the behavior of the stretched exponent in different parameter ranges. We emphasize that this is a sys...

Polymeric Coatings for Combating Biocorrosion

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jing; Yuan, Shaojun; Jiang, Wei; Lv, Li; Liang, Bin; Pehkonen, Simo O.

2018-03-01

Biocorrosion has been considered as big trouble in many industries and marine environments due to causing great economic loss. The main disadvantages of present approaches to prevent corrosion include being limited by environmental factors, being expensive, inapplicable to field, and sometimes inefficient. Studies show that polymer coatings with anti-corrosion and anti-microbial properties have been widely accepted as a novel and effective approach to preventbiocorrosion. The main purpose of this review is to summarize up the progressive status of polymer coatings used for combating microbially-induced corrosion. Polymers used to synthesize protective coatings are generally divided into three categories: i) traditional polymers incorporated with biocides, ii) antibacterial polymers containing quaternary ammonium compounds, and iii) conductive polymers. The strategies to synthesize polymer coatings resort mainly to grafting anti-bacterial polymers from the metal substrate surface using novel surface-functionalization approaches, such as free radical polymerization, chemically oxidative polymerization and surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization, as opposed to the traditional approaches of dip coating or spin coating.

Effectiveness of incorporating citric acid in cassava starch edible coatings to preserve quality of Martha tomatoes

Science.gov (United States)

Ambarsari, I.; Oktaningrum, G. N.; Endrasari, R.

2018-01-01

Tomato as an agricultural product is extremely perishable. Coatings of tomatoes with edible starch extend quality and storage life of the fruits. Incorporation of citric acid as antimicrobial agent in the edible starch coatings is expected to preserve the quality of tomatoes during storage. The aim of this study was to verify the effectiveness of citric acid incorporated in cassava starch coating to preserve quality of tomatoes. The edible coatings formula consisted of cassava starch solutions (1; 2; 3%), citric acid (0.5; 1.0%) and glycerol (10%). Tomatoes were dipped to the coating solution for 10 seconds, then air-dried and stored at room temperature during 18 days. All the treatments were carried out in triplicates. Experimental data were analyzed using One Way ANOVA. The results showed that coating treatments did not affect the weight loss, moisture content, color characteristic, carotene and vitamin C content on Martha tomatoes. The low concentration of starch coating on Martha tomatoes are indicated to be the reason why there was no significant difference between coated and coated tomatoes for some parameters. However, incorporating citric acid in cassava starch-based coatings could prevent tomato fruits from firmness reduction and spoilage during storage.

Anti-corrosive Effects of Multi-Walled Carbon Nano Tube and Zinc Particle Shapes on Zinc Ethyl Silicate Coated Carbon Steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jang, JiMan; Shon, MinYoung; Kwak, SamTak [Pukyong National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2016-01-15

Zinc ethyl silicate coatings containing multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared, to which we added spherical and flake shaped zinc particles. The anti-corrosive effects of MWCNTs and zinc shapes on the zinc ethyl silicate coated carbon steel was examined, using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and corrosion potential measurement. The results of EIS and corrosion potential measurement showed that the zinc ethyl silicate coated with flake shaped zinc particles and MWCNT showed lesser protection to corrosion. These outcomes were in agreement with previous results of corrosion potential and corrosion occurrence.

Low cost anti-soiling coatings for CSP collector mirrors and heliostats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Barton Barton [ORNL; Polyzos, Georgios [ORNL; Schaeffer, Daniel A [ORNL; Lee, Dominic F [ORNL; Datskos, Panos G [ORNL

2014-01-01

Most concentrating solar power (CSP) facilities in the USA are located in the desert southwest of the country where land and sunshine are abundant. But one of the significant maintenance problems and cost associated with operating CSP facilities in this region is the accumulation of dust, sand and other pollutants on the collector mirrors and heliostats. In this paper we describe the development of low cost, easy to apply anti-soiling coatings based on superhydrophobic (SH) functionalized nano silica materials and polymer binders that posses the key requirements necessary to inhibit particulate deposition on and sticking to CSP mirror surfaces, and thereby significantly reducing mirror cleaning costs and facility downtime.

Effect of chitosan coatings on postharvest green asparagus quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Miao; Jiang, Hengjun; Ren, Gerui; Huang, Jianying; Wang, Xiangyang

2013-02-15

Fresh postharvest green asparagus rapidly deteriorate due to its high respiration rate. The main benefits of edible active coatings are their edible characteristics, biodegradability and increase in food safety. In this study, the quality of the edible coatings based on 0.50%, 0.25% high-molecular weight chitosan (H-chitosan), and 0.50%, 0.25% low-molecular weight chitosan (L-chitosan) on postharvest green asparagus was investigated. On the basis of the results obtained, 0.25% H-chitosan and 0.50% L-chitosan treatments ensured lower color variation, less weight loss and less ascorbic acid, decrease presenting better quality of asparagus than other concentrations of chitosan treatments and the control during the cold storage, and prolonging a shelf life of postharvest green asparagus. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of anti-CD3 and anti-CD28-coated beads with soluble anti-CD3 for expanding human T cells: Differing impact on CD8 T cell phenotype and responsiveness to restimulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurlander Roger J

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The ability to expand virus- or tumor-specific T cells without damaging their functional capabilities is critical for success adoptive transfer immunotherapy of patients with opportunistic infection or tumor. Careful comparisons can help identify expansion methods better suited for particular clinical settings and identify recurrent deficiencies requiring new innovation. Methods We compared the efficacy of magnetic beads coated with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 (anti-CD3/CD28 beads, and soluble anti-CD3 plus mixed mononuclear cells (designated a rapid expansion protocol or REP in expanding normal human T cells. Results Both anti-CD3/CD28 beads and soluble anti-CD3 promoted extensive expansion. Beads stimulated greater CD4 cell growth (geometric mean of 56- versus 27-fold (p Conclusions Anti-CD3/CD28 beads are highly effective for expanding CD4 cells, but soluble anti-CD3 has significant potential advantages for expanding CD8 T cells, particularly where preservation of phenotypically "young" CD8 cells would be desirable, or where the T cells of interest have been antigen-stimulated in vitro or in vivo in the recent past.

Effects of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ni60/h-BN self-lubricating anti-wear composite coatings on 304 stainless steel by laser cladding

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Xiao-Long; Liu, Xiu-Bo; Yu, Peng-Cheng; Zhai, Yong-Jie; Qiao, Shi-Jie; Wang, Ming-Di; Wang, Yong-Guang; Chen, Yao

2015-11-01

Laser clad Ni60/h-BN self-lubricating anti-wear composite coating on 304 stainless steel were heat treated at 600 °C (stress relief annealing) for 1 h and 2 h, respectively. Effects of the phase compositions, microstructure, microhardness, nano-indentation and tribological properties of the composite coatings with and without heat treatment had been investigated systemically. Results indicated that three coatings mainly consist of the matrix γ-(Ni, Fe) solid solution, the CrB ceramic phases and the h-BN lubricating phases. The maximum microhardness of the coatings was first increased from 667.7 HV0.5 to 765.0 HV0.5 after heat treatment for 1 h, and then decreased to 698.3 HV0.5 after heat treatment for 2 h. The hardness of γ-(Ni, Fe) solid solution without heat treatment and after heat treatment 1 h and 2 h were 5.09 GPa, 7.20 GPa and 3.77 GPa, respectively. Compared with the coating without heat treatment, the friction coefficients of the coating after heat treatment were decreased obviously. Effects of the heat treatment time on friction coefficient were negligible, but were significant on wear volume loss. Comparatively speaking, the laser clad self-lubricating anti-wear composite coating after heat treatment for 1 h presented the best anti-wear and friction reduction properties.

The influence of nanocellulose coating on saffron quality during storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafari, Seid Mahdi; Bahrami, Iman; Dehnad, Danial; Shahidi, Seyyed Ahmad

2018-02-01

Since saffron is an added-value product, and the most expensive agricultural product, it is necessary to increase its shelf life, prevent its quality loss during storage, and maintain its organoleptic properties, enabling producers to export saffron with higher quality and better consumer acceptability. So, in this research, saffron samples were coated through applying different carbohydrate biopolymers: maltodextrin with DE=4 or DE=20 (MD4 and MD20) or their combination with nanocellulose fibres (MDC4 and MDC20). Finally, the experiments were carried out to measure rehydration ratio, water activity, crocin content, color values, and sensory properties of saffron samples coated by different materials. MDC4 resulted in the lowest rehydration ratio among coated samples since, first, lower DE degrees of biopolymer complexes decreased moisture adsorption and solubility of maltodextrin and second, crystalline nanocellulose fibres increased tortuous and bended pathways in materials and reduced penetration possibilities of water molecules. MDC4 was the most effective treatment in preventing crocin decrease. Indeed, film forming characteristic of maltodextrin with low hydrolysis degree and special structure of nanocellulose led to the maintenance of crocin bioactive ingredient. SEM observations revealed coating on saffron surfaces as a thin clear and brilliant layer which enhanced saffron acceptability for our panelists. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improved Corrosion and Abrasion Resistance of Organic-Inorganic Composite Coated Electro-galvanized Steels for Digital TV Panels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jo, Du-Hwan; Noh, Sang-Geol; Park, Jong-Tae; Kang, Choon-Ho [POSCO Technical Research Laboratories, Pohang (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

Recently, household electronic industries require environmentally-friendly and highly functional steels in order to enhance the quality of human life. Customers especially require both excellent corrosion and abrasion resistant anti-fingerprint steels for digital TV panels. Thus POSCO has developed new functional electro-galvanized steels, which have double coated layers with organic-inorganic composites on the zinc surface of the steel for usage as the bottom chassis panel of TVs. The inorganic solution for the bottom layer consists of inorganic phosphate, magnesium, and zirconium compounds with a small amount of epoxy binder, and affords both improved adhesion properties by chemical conversion reactions and corrosion resistance due to a self-healing effect. The composite solution for the top layer was prepared by fine dispersion of organic-inorganic ingredients that consist of a urethane modified polyacrylate polymer, hardener, silica sol and a titanium complex inhibitor in aqueous media. Both composite solutions were coated on the steel surface by using a roll coater and then cured through an induction furnace in the electro-galvanizing line. New anti-fingerprint steel was evaluated for quality performance through such procedures as the salt spray test for corrosion resistance, tribological test for abrasion resistance, and conductivity test for surface electric conductance regarding to both types of polymer resin and coating weight of composite solution. New composite coated anti-fingerprint steels afford both better corrosion resistance and abrasion properties compared to conventional anti-fingerprint steel that mainly consists of acrylate polymers. Detailed discussions of both composite solutions and experimental results suggest that urethane modifications of acrylate polymers of composite solutions play a key role in enhanced quality performances.

Coating application procedure qualification for internal girth weld using a robot device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koebsch, Andre; Cunha, Bruno Rocha Marques da; Barreto, Eduardo Chave; Nunes, Erik Barbosa; Solymossy, Victor [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2009-12-19

This year PETROBRAS complete 55 years old filling up our country of energy necessary to support our development. Some oil fields, especially from the northeast region, has being had their production decrease by their ageing. In order to have their live protracted some retrieval technical has being used. For example we can mention gas lift, production water injection, CO{sub 2} injection and so on. The produced water even treated has an elevated tenor of chloride, acid ph, presence of organics acids, H{sub 2}S and no O{sub 2}. The water became too corrosive by those characteristics. Due to it an anti corrosive coating application is demanded on the pipe internal surface and on the girth weld. The pipes are coated in a coating plant and it has a qualified coating procedure. Therefore an application of anti corrosive coating is demanded on the girth weld after the pipe welding. To accomplish this job an application procedure was developed using a robot. The PETROBRAS' Engineer witnesses the PQT of this procedure aiming to guarantee the applied coating quality. This paper will show the PQT results and a basic description of the robot operation. (author)

Using sol-gel component as additive to foundry coatings to improve casting quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nwaogu, Ugochukwu Chibuzoh; Poulsen, T.; Gravesen, B.

2012-01-01

The improvement of foundry coatings to enhance performance is important. This paper investigates the effect of using sol‐gel component as an additive to foundry coatings applied on chemically bonded sand cores. Three parameters at three levels each were investigated using Taguchi experimental...... was evaluated. The results show that the surface quality of castings obtained by adding the sol‐gel component to the coatings for cold box cores has no significant difference from castings produced with coatings without sol‐gel component. On the other hand, the addition of the sol‐gel component in coatings...

Economic evaluation of flying-qualities design criteria for a transport configured with relaxed static stability

Science.gov (United States)

Sliwa, S. M.

1980-01-01

Direct constrained parameter optimization was used to optimally size a medium range transport for minimum direct operating cost. Several stability and control constraints were varied to study the sensitivity of the configuration to specifying the unaugmented flying qualities of transports designed to take maximum advantage of relaxed static stability augmentation systems. Additionally, a number of handling qualities related design constants were studied with respect to their impact on the design.

Single layer broadband anti-reflective coatings for plastic substrates produced by full wafer and roll-to-roll step-and-flash nano-imprint lithography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Burghoorn, M.M.A.; Roosen-Melsen, D.A.; Riet, J.F.J. de; Sabik, S.; Vroon, Z.A.E.P.; Yakimets, I.; Buskens, P.J.P.

2013-01-01

Anti-reflective coatings (ARCs) are used to lower the reflection of light on the surface of a substrate. Here, we demonstrate that the two main drawbacks of moth eye-structured ARCs-i.e., the lack of suitable coating materials and a process for large area, high volume applications-can be largely

[Impact of a quality assurance program on the use of neuromuscular monitoring and reversal of muscle relaxants].

Science.gov (United States)

Motamed, C; Bourgain, J-L

2009-04-01

As part of a quality assurance in the anaesthesia department, this study was designed to enhance the rate of neuromuscular blockade monitoring for patients receiving muscle relaxant during anaesthesia. After approval of our local ethical committee, we assessed 200 computerized anaesthesia records in which neuromuscular relaxants were used. The following data were collected: demographic characteristics, durations of anaesthesia and surgery, use of neuromuscular monitoring, reversal agents and the quality of neuromuscular monitoring. The results were discussed with all anaesthesia providers of the department and an internal guideline was elaborated with the endpoint that all patients having muscle relaxants should have quantitative neuromuscular monitoring. Six months later, another assessment of 200 consecutive records collected the same data to check the efficiency of the elaborated guideline. The monitoring rate was of 67% at the first assessment and increased to 94% (passessment and was stable at the second assessment (50%). The rate of patients not monitored and not reversed decreased from 5 to 2% (pquality assurance program systematic quantitative monitoring of neuromuscular blockade can be significantly increased.

Influence of gas detonation spraying conditions on the quality of Fe-Al intermetallic protective coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Senderowski C.

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to present generalized research results and analyses of the quality of coatings produced with self decomposing Fe-Al intermetallic powders deposited on 1045 steel in the gas detonation spraying (GDS. A number of GDS experiments has been carried out with significantly changed operational spraying parameters (the volume of the fuel gas, carrier gas, distance and the frequency of spraying which define the process energy level directly influencing the quality of the coating. On the basis of the initial results the choice of the process parameters has been made to obtain the most advantageous set of geometrical and physical-mechanical properties of the coating material and substrate. The quality of the coatings was considered by taking into account the grain morphology, chemical content, phase inhomogeneity, cohesive porosity, as well as adhesive porosity in the substrate coating joint. The coating roughness was also considered. It was found that all GDS coatings produced are built with lamellar splats which result from the GDS process transformed (changed plasticity and geometry powder particles forming the deposit. The result of the GDS spraying parameters optimization is the lack of signs of melting of the material (even in microareas while the geometry of the deposited grains is considerably changed. This phenomenon has been considered as a proof of high plasticity of the GDS formed Fe-Al intermetallic coatings.

Quality control of coated fuel particles for high temperature gas-cooled reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaneko, Mitsunobu

1987-01-01

The quality control of the coated fuel particles for high temperature gas-cooled reactors is characterized by the fact that the size of the target product to be controlled is very small, and the quantity is very large. Accordingly, the sampling plan and the method of evaluating the population through satisfically treating the measured data of the samples are the important subjects to see and evaluate the quality of a batch or a lot. This paper shows the fabrication process and the quality control procedure for the coated fuel particles. The development work of a HTGR was started by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute in 1969, and as for the production technology for coated fuel particles, Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd. has continued the development work. The pilot plan with the capacity of about 40 kg/year was established in 1972. The fuel product fabricated in this plant was put to the irradiation experiment and out-of-pile evaluation test. In 1983, the production capacity was expanded to 200 kg/year, and the fuel compacts for the VHTRC in JAERI were produced for two years. The basic fuel design, the fabrication process, the quality control, the process control and the quality assurance are reported. For the commercial product, the studies from the viewpoint of production and quality control costs are required. (Kako, I.)

High-quality substrate for fluorescence enhancement using agarose-coated silica opal film.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ming; Li, Juan; Sun, Liguo; Zhao, Yuanjin; Xie, Zhuoying; Lv, Linli; Zhao, Xiangwei; Xiao, Pengfeng; Hu, Jing; Lv, Mei; Gu, Zhongze

2010-08-01

To improve the sensitivity of fluorescence detection in biochip, a new kind of substrates was developed by agarose coating on silica opal film. In this study, silica opal film was fabricated on glass substrate using the vertical deposition technique. It can provide stronger fluorescence signals and thus improve the detection sensitivity. After coating with agarose, the hybrid film could provide a 3D support for immobilizing sample. Comparing with agarose-coated glass substrate, the agarose-coated opal substrates could selectively enhance particular fluorescence signals with high sensitivity when the stop band of the silica opal film in the agarose-coated opal substrate overlapped the fluorescence emission wavelength. A DNA hybridization experiment demonstrated that fluorescence intensity of special type of agarose-coated opal substrates was about four times that of agarose-coated glass substrate. These results indicate that the optimized agarose-coated opal substrate can be used for improving the sensitivity of fluorescence detection with high quality and selectivity.

The impact of muscle relaxation techniques on the quality of life of cancer patients, as measured by the FACT-G questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Parás-Bravo, Paula; Salvadores-Fuentes, Paloma; Alonso-Blanco, Cristina; Paz-Zulueta, María; Santibañez-Margüello, Miguel; Palacios-Ceña, Domingo; Boixadera-Planas, Ester; Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, César

2017-01-01

Patients with cancer frequently suffer from emotional distress, characterized by psychological symptoms such as anxiety or depression. The presence of psychological symptoms combined with the complex nature of oncology processes can negatively impact patients' quality of life. We aimed to determine the impact of a relaxation protocol on improving quality of life in a sample of oncological patients treated in the Spanish National Public Health System. We conducted a multicenter interventional study without a control group. In total, 272 patients with different oncologic pathologies and showing symptoms of anxiety were recruited from 10 Spanish public hospitals. The intervention comprised abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation training, according to Bernstein and Borkovec. This was followed by weekly telephone calls to each patient over a 1-month period. We collected sociodemographic variables related to the disease process, including information about mental health and the intervention. Patients' quality of life was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaire. Bivariate and univariate analyses were performed, along with an analysis of multiple correspondences to identify subgroups of patients with similar variations on the FACT-G. Patients showed statistically significant improvements on the FACT-G overall score (W = 16806; pPatients with cancer who learned and practiced abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation experienced improvement in their perceived quality of life as measured by the FACT-G. Our findings support a previous assumption that complementary techniques (including relaxation techniques) are effective in improving the quality of life of patients with cancer.

Preparation of transparent fluorocarbon/TiO{sub 2}-SiO{sub 2} composite coating with improved self-cleaning performance and anti-aging property

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Jianping, E-mail: zf161162@163.com; Tan, Zhongyuan; Liu, Zhilei; Jing, Mengmeng; Liu, Wenjie; Fu, Wanli

2017-02-28

Graphical abstract: Semicrystalline colloidal particles of TiO{sub 2}-SiO{sub 2} composite oxide were prepared via a sol-gel approach and annealed by a microwave heating treatment. The fabricated fluorocarbon/TiO{sub 2}-SiO{sub 2} composite coatings are transparent, exhibit a highly stable and excellent hydrophilicity, an improved photocatalytic activity and outstanding self-cleaning performance. What’s more, the composite coatings display an excellent anti-aging performance toward UV irradiation. These findings indicate that the fluorocarbon/TiO{sub 2}-SiO{sub 2} composite coatings could be potentially used for outdoor applications. - Highlights: • Semicrystalline colloidal particles of TiO{sub 2}-SiO{sub 2} composite oxide presenting a particle size of 6–10 nm were prepared via a sol-gel approach and annealed by microwave heating method. • The fabricated transparent fluorocarbon/TiO{sub 2}-SiO{sub 2} composite coatings exhibited a superior hydrophilicity, an improved photocatalytic activity and excellent self-cleaning performance. • The fluorocarbon/TiO{sub 2}-SiO{sub 2} composite coatings exhibited an excellent anti-aging performance toward UV irradiation, rendering it quite suitable for outdoor applications. - Abstract: This work reports a facile method to fabricate transparent self-cleaning fluorocarbon coatings filled by semicrystalline colloidal particles of TiO{sub 2}-SiO{sub 2} composite oxide presenting a particle size ranging from 6 to 10 nm. Anatase-TiO{sub 2} crystallites were successfully obtained after microwave heating treatment of the TiO{sub 2}-SiO{sub 2} colloidal particles as confirmed by XRD, TEM and FTIR measurements. The fluorocarbon/TiO{sub 2}-SiO{sub 2} composite coatings exhibited a superior hydrophilicity and an improved photocatalytic activity in contrast to the TiO{sub 2}-filled coatings. In particular, a water contact angle (WCA) value of 4.5° and a decolorization ratio relative to methyl orange as high as 96.0% were

STUDY OF REFLECTION COEFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION FOR ANTI-REFLECTION COATINGS ON SMALL-RADIUS OPTICAL PARTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. A. Gubanova

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with findings for the energy reflection coefficient distribution of anti- reflection coating along the surface of optical elements with a very small radius (2-12 mm. The factors influencing the magnitude of the surface area of the optical element, in which the energy reflection coefficient is constant, were detected. The main principles for theoretical models that describe the spectral characteristics of the multilayer interference coatings were used to achieve these objectives. The relative size of the enlightenment area is defined as the ratio of the radius for the optical element surface, where the reflection is less than a certain value, to its radius (ρ/r. The result of research is the following: this size is constant for a different value of the curvature radius for the optical element made of the same material. Its value is determined by the refractive index of material (nm, from which the optical element was made, and the design of antireflection coatings. For single-layer coatings this value is ρ/r = 0.5 when nm = 1.51; and ρ/r = 0.73 when nm = 1.75; for two-layer coatings ρ/r = 0.35 when nm = 1.51 and ρ/r = 0.41 when nm = 1.75. It is shown that with increasing of the material refractive index for the substrate size, the area of minimum reflection coefficient is increased. The paper considers a single-layer, two-layer, three-layer and five-layer structures of antireflection coatings. The findings give the possibility to conclude that equal thickness coverings formed on the optical element surface with a small radius make no equal reflection from the entire surface, and distribution of the layer thickness needs to be looked for, providing a uniform radiation reflection at all points of the spherical surface.

Quality change of apple slices coated with Aloe vera gel during storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Hye-Yeon; Jo, Wan-Shin; Song, Nak-Bum; Min, Sea C; Song, Kyung Bin

2013-06-01

Fresh-cut apples are easily susceptible to browning and microbial spoilage. In this study, an edible coating prepared from Aloe vera gel containing antibrowning solution was applied to preserve the quality of fresh-cut apples during storage. Fresh-cut apples were treated with both an Aloe vera gel and an Aloe vera gel containing 0.5% cysteine and then stored at 4 °C for 16 d. The color, firmness, weight loss, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, microbial analysis, and sensory evaluation were analyzed during storage. Fresh-cut apples coated with the Aloe vera gel showed delayed browning and reduced weight loss and softening compared to the control. The Aloe vera gel coating was also effective in reducing the populations of the total aerobic bacteria and yeast and molds. In particular, Aloe vera gel containing 0.5% cysteine was most effective in delaying browning and the reduction of microbial populations among the treatments. These results suggest that an Aloe vera gel coating can be used for maintaining the quality of fresh-cut apples. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

Fracture of niobium-base silicide coated alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davydova, A.D.; Zotov, Yu.P.; Ivashchenko, O.V.; Kushnareva, N.P.; Yarosh, I.P.

1990-01-01

Mechanical properties and character of fracture of Nb-W-Mo-Zr-C alloy composition with complex by composition and structure silicide coating under different states of stage-by-stage coating are studied. Structural features, character of fracture from ductile to quasibrittle transcrystalline one and, respectively, the composition plasticity level are defined by interrelation of fracture processes in coating, matrix plastic flow and possibility and way of stress relaxation on their boundary

Effect of gallic acid/chitosan coating on fresh pork quality in modified atmosphere packaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Zhongxiang; Lin, Daniel; Warner, Robyn Dorothy; Ha, Minh

2018-09-15

Fresh meat safety and quality is a major concern of consumers in the current food market. The objective of this research was to investigate a newly developed gallic acid/chitosan edible coating on the preservation of fresh pork quality in modified atmosphere package (MAP) stored at 4 °C. The pork loins were coated with 2% chitosan (CHI), 0.2% gallic acid in 2% chitosan (CHI/0.2G), or 0.4% gallic acid in 2% chitosan (CHI/0.4G). Results showed that the antimicrobial activity of the chitosan coating was increased with the incorporation of gallic acid. The CHI/0.2G and CHI/0.4G pork loins also had lower lipid oxidation and myoglobin oxidation. However, the CHI/0.4G sample exhibited a pro-protein oxidation effect, suggesting an optimal concentration of gallic acid should be incorporated. This research provides a practical method in application of gallic acid/chitosan coatings on preservation of fresh pork to improve the safety and quality in MAP environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of antimicrobial pullulan-based coating to improve internal quality and shelf-life of chicken eggs during storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Morsy, Mohamed K; Sharoba, Ashraf M; Khalaf, Hassan H; El-Tanahy, Hassan H; Cutter, Catherine N

2015-05-01

There has been a growing interest in the use of natural materials as a delivery mechanism for antimicrobials and coatings in foods. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pullulan coatings to improve internal quality and shelf-life of fresh eggs during 10 wk of storage at 25 and 4 °C. Three treatments of eggs were evaluated as follows; non-coated (control; C), coated with pullulan (P), and coated with pullulan containing nisin (N). The effects of the pullulan coatings on microbiological qualities, physical properties, and freshness parameters were investigated and compared with non-coated eggs. For non-coated eggs, as storage time increased, yolk index, albumen index, and Haugh unit value decreased and weight loss increased. However, pullulan coatings (P or N) minimized weight loss (eggs (with a final B grade) 3 wk longer than non-coated eggs at 25 °C. At 4 °C, both P- and N-coated eggs went from AA to A grade after 9 wk and maintained the grade for 10 wk (4 wk longer than that of non-coated eggs). This study is the first to demonstrate that pullulan coatings can preserve the internal quality, prolong the shelf-life, and minimize weight loss of fresh eggs. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Comparing the Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Guided Imagery on sleep quality in primigravida women referring to Mashhad health care centers-1393

OpenAIRE

Nahid Golmakani; Farnaz Sadat Seyed Ahmadi Nejad; Mohammad Taghi Shakeri; Negar Asghari Pour

2015-01-01

Background & aim: Decreased sleep quality is a common complaint during pregnancy. Relaxation is one of the non-pharmaceutical treatments for sleep disorders. Different techniques could have different impacts on various biological and mental stressors. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effects of progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery on the sleep quality of primigravida women. Methods:This three-group clinical trial was conducted on 100 primigravida women, referring to Mash...

75 FR 70205 - Certain Coated Paper Suitable for High-Quality Print Graphics Using Sheet-Fed Presses From...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-17

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-560-823] Certain Coated Paper... paper suitable for high-quality print graphics using sheet-fed presses (certain coated paper) from... duty investigation of certain coated paper from Indonesia. See Certain Coated Paper Suitable for High...

Effect of cerium on structure modifications of a hybrid sol–gel coating, its mechanical properties and anti-corrosion behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cambon, Jean-Baptiste; Esteban, Julien; Ansart, Florence; Bonino, Jean-Pierre; Turq, Viviane; Santagneli, S.H.; Santilli, C.V.; Pulcinelli, S.H.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► New sol–gel routes to replace chromates for corrosion protection of aluminum. ► Effect of cerium concentration on the microstructure of xerogel. ► Electrochemical and mechanical performances of hybrid coating with different cerium contents. ► Good correlation between the different results with an optimal cerium content of 0.01 M. -- Abstract: An organic–inorganic hybrid coating was developed to improve the corrosion resistance of the aluminum alloy AA 2024-T3. Organic and inorganic coatings derived from glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and aluminum tri-sec-butoxide Al(O s Bu) 3 , with different cerium contents, were deposited onto aluminum by dip-coating process. Corrosion resistance and mechanical properties were investigated by electrochemical impedance measurements and nano-indentation respectively. An optimal cerium concentration of 0.01 M was evidenced. To correlate and explain the hybrid coating performances in relation to the cerium content, NMR experiments were performed. It has been shown that when the cerium concentration in the hybrid is higher than 0.01 M there are important modifications in the hybrid structure that account for the mechanical properties and anti-corrosion behavior of the sol–gel coating.

Evaluation of the coat quality of sustained release pellets by individual pellet dissolution methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Min; Liew, Celine Valeria; Heng, Paul Wan Sia

2015-01-15

This study explored the application of 400-DS dissolution apparatus 7 for individual pellet dissolution methodology by a design of experiment approach and compared its capability with that of the USP dissolution apparatus 1 and 2 for differentiating the coat quality of sustained release pellets. Drug loaded pellets were prepared by extrusion-spheronization from powder blends comprising 50%, w/w metformin, 25%, w/w microcrystalline cellulose and 25%, w/w lactose, and then coated with ethyl cellulose to produce sustained release pellets with 8% and 10%, w/w coat weight gains. Various pellet properties were investigated, including cumulative drug release behaviours of ensemble and individual pellets. When USP dissolution apparatus 1 and 2 were used for drug release study of the sustained release pellets prepared, floating and clumping of pellets were observed and confounded the release profiles of the ensemble pellets. Hence, the release profiles obtained did not characterize the actual drug release from individual pellet and the applicability of USP dissolution apparatus 1 and 2 to evaluate the coat quality of sustained release pellets was limited. The cumulative release profile of individual pellet using the 400-DS dissolution apparatus 7 was found to be more precise at distinguishing differences in the applied coat quality. The dip speed and dip interval of the reciprocating holder were critical operational parameters of 400-DS dissolution apparatus 7 that affected the drug release rate of a sustained release pellet during the individual dissolution study. The individual dissolution methodology using the 400-DS dissolution apparatus 7 is a promising technique to evaluate the individual pellet coat quality without the influence of confounding factors such as pellet floating and clumping observed during drug release test with dissolution apparatus 1 and 2, as well as to facilitate the elucidation of the actual drug release mechanism conferred by the applied sustained

Effects of Polysaccharide-Based Edible Coatings on Quality and Antioxidant Enzyme System of Strawberry during Cold Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Strawberry is a nutritious, but highly perishable fruit. Three polysaccharide-based edible coatings (alginate, chitosan, and pullulan were applied to postharvest strawberry fruit during cold storage (4°C, and their effects on fruit quality and antioxidant enzyme system were investigated in the present study. The results showed that polysaccharide coatings showed a significant delay in fruit softening and rot and reduced changes in total soluble solid and titratable acidity content during 16 d storage. Polysaccharide coatings also maintained higher ascorbic acid and total phenolic contents than control from day 2 and significantly inhibited fruit decay and respiration after 12 d storage (p<0.05. Polysaccharide treatments enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and ascorbate peroxidase so as to prevent lipid peroxidation and reduce membrane damage. Additionally, chitosan coating had the most positive effects on fruit quality amongst three polysaccharide-based edible coatings and presented the highest relative activities of antioxidant enzymes. These results indicated that polysaccharide-based edible coatings were helpful in postharvest quality maintenance of strawberry fruit.

Understanding deviations in lithographic patterns near interfaces: Characterization of bottom anti-reflective coatings (BARC) and the BARC resist interface

Science.gov (United States)

Lenhart, Joseph L.; Fischer, Daniel; Sambasivan, Sharadha; Lin, Eric K.; Wu, Wen-Li; Guerrero, Douglas J.; Wang, Yubao; Puligadda, Rama

2007-02-01

Interactions between a bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) and a photoresist can critically impact lithographic patterns. For example, a lithographic pattern can shrink or spread near a BARC interface, a process called undercutting or footing respectively, due to incompatibility between the two materials. Experiments were conducted on two industrial BARC coatings in an effort to determine the impact of BARC surface chemistry on the footing and undercutting phenomena. The BARC coatings were characterized by near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), contact angle measurements, and neutron and X-ray reflectivity. Contact angle measurement using a variety of fluids showed that the fluid contact angles were independent of the type of BARC coating or the BARC processing temperature. NEXAFS measurements showed that the surface chemistry of each BARC was also independent of the processing temperature. These results suggest that acid-base interactions at the BARC-resist interface are not the cause of the footing-undercutting phenomena encountered in lithographic patterns.

ANTIREFLECTION MULTILAYER COATINGS WITH THIN METAL LAYERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. A. Gubanova

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The design of anti-reflective coatings for metal surfaces of Al, Ti, N,i Cr is proposed. The coatings have the form of alternating layers of dielectric/metal/dielectric with the number of cells up to15. The method of calculation of such coatings is proposed. We have calculated the coatings of the type [HfO2/Cr/HfO2]15, [ZrO2/Ti/Al2O3]15, [ZrO2/Cr/ZrO2]15. It is shown that the proposed interference coatings provide reduction of the residual reflectance of the metal several times (from 3.5 to 6.0 in a wide spectral range (300-1000 nm. The proposed coatings can be recommended as anti-reflective coatings for energy saving solar systems and batteries, and photovoltaic cells.

Relaxation rates of low-field gas-phase ^129Xe storage cells

Science.gov (United States)

Limes, Mark; Saam, Brian

2010-10-01

A study of longitudinal nuclear relaxation rates T1 of ^129Xe and Xe-N2 mixtures in a magnetic field of 3.8 mT is presented. In this regime, intrinsic spin relaxation is dominated by the intramolecular spin-rotation interaction due to persistent xenon dimers, a mechanism that can be quelled by introducing large amounts of N2 into the storage cell. Extrinsic spin relaxation is dominated by the wall-relaxation rate, which is the primary quantity of interest for the various low-field storage cells and coatings that we have tested. Previous group work has shown that extremely long gas-phase relaxation times T1 can be obtained, but only at large magnetic fields and low xenon densities. The current work is motivated by the practical benefits of retaining hyperpolarized ^129Xe for extended periods of time in a small magnetic field.

Snack and Relax®: A Strategy to Address Nurses' Professional Quality of Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Markwell, Perpetua; Polivka, Barbara J; Morris, Katrina; Ryan, Carol; Taylor, Annetra

2016-03-01

Snack and Relax® (S&R), a program providing healthy snacks and holistic relaxation modalities to hospital employees, was evaluated for immediate impact. A cross-sectional survey was then conducted to assess the professional quality of life (ProQOL) in registered nurses (RNs); compare S&R participants/nonparticipants on compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout, and secondary traumatic stress (STS); and identify situations in which RNs experienced compassion fatigue or burnout and the strategies used to address these situations. Pre- and post vital signs and self-reported stress were obtained from S&R attendees (N = 210). RNs completed the ProQOL Scale measuring CS, burnout, and STS (N = 158). Significant decreases in self-reported stress, respirations, and heart rate were found immediately after S&R. Low CS was noted in 28.5% of participants, 25.3% had high burnout, and 23.4% had high STS. S&R participants and nonparticipants did not differ on any of the ProQOL scales. Situations in which participants experienced compassion fatigue/burnout were categorized as patient-related, work-related, and personal/family-related. Strategies to address these situations were holistic and stress reducing. Providing holistic interventions such as S&R for nurses in the workplace may alleviate immediate feelings of stress and provide a moment of relaxation in the workday. © The Author(s) 2015.

Anti-sticking behavior of DLC-coated silicon micro-molds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, B; Tor, S B; Liu, E; Khun, N W; Hardt, D E; Chun, J H

2009-01-01

Pure carbon- (C), nitrogen- (N) and titanium- (Ti) doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings were deposited on silicon (Si) micro-molds by dc magnetron sputtering deposition to improve the tribological performance of the micro-molds. The coated and uncoated Si molds were used in injection molding for the fabrication of secondary metal-molds, which were used for the replication of micro-fluidic devices. The bonding structure, surface roughness, surface energy, critical load and friction coefficient of the DLC coatings were characterized with micro-Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle, microscratch and ball-on-disc sliding wear tests, respectively. It was observed that the doping conditions had significant effects on Raman peak positions, mechanical and tribological properties of the coatings. The G peak shifted toward a lower position with N and Ti doping. The DLC coating deposited with 1 sccm N 2 flow rate showed the lowest G peak position and the smoothest surface. The surface energies of the pure carbon and Ti-doped DLC coatings were lower than that of the N-doped DLC, which was more significant at a higher N 2 flow rate. In terms of adhesion and friction coefficient, it was observed that the Ti-doped DLC coating had the best performance. Ti incorporated in the DLC coating decreased the residual stress of the coating, which improved the adhesive strength of the coating with the Si substrate

Effect of different coatings on post-harvest quality and bioactive compounds of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits.

Science.gov (United States)

Meighani, Hossein; Ghasemnezhad, Mahmood; Bakhshi, Davood

2015-07-01

The effect of three different coatings; resin wax (Britex Ti), carnauba wax (Xedasol M14), and chitosan (1 and 2 % w/v) on postharvest quality of pomegranate fruits were investigated. Fruits quality characteristics and bioactive compounds were evaluated during 40, 80 and 120 days storage at 4.5 °C and 3 additional days at 20 °C. The results showed that uncoated fruits showed higher respiration rate, weight loss, L* and b* values of arils, total soluble solids (TSS)/titratable acidity (TA), and pH than coated fruits during storage. Coating treatments could delay declining TSS and TA percent, a* value of arils, as well as bioactive compounds such as total phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins content and antioxidant activity. The coated fruits with commercial resin and carnauba waxes showed significantly lower respiration rate and weight loss than other treatments, however carnauba wax could maintain considerably higher fruits quality and bioactive compounds than other coating treatments. The results suggested that postharvest application of carnauba wax have a potential to extend storage life of pomegranate fruits by reducing respiration rate, water loss and maintaining fruit quality.

Preparation of anti-oxidative SiC/SiO2 coating on carbon fibers from vinyltriethoxysilane by sol–gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Kedong; Lu Chunxiang; Yang Yu

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The SiC/SiO 2 coating was prepared on carbon fibers by the sol–gel method. ► Nano-crystallites with an average diameter of 130 nm were aligned along the fiber axis uniformly. ► The oxidation resistant property of coated carbon fiber was increased with the increase of sol concentration and the heat treatment temperature. ► The oxidation activation energy of the coated carbon fiber was increased by 23% in comparison with uncoated carbon fiber. - Abstract: The anti-oxidative SiC/SiO 2 coating was prepared on carbon fibers by a sol–gel process using vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) as the single source precursor. The derived coating was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The oxidation resistant properties of the carbon fiber with and without coating were studied by isothermal oxidation. The results indicated that the carbothermal reduction reaction led to the decrease of SiO 2 phase and the increase of SiC phase at 1500 °C. The uniform SiC/SiO 2 coating prepared from a sol concentration of 4 wt% and heat treated at 1500 °C showed the optimal oxidation resistant property. The oxidation resistance of the carbon fiber was improved by the SiC/SiO 2 coating, and the oxidation activation energy was increased by about 23% as compared with uncoated carbon fiber.

75 FR 70206 - Certain Coated Paper Suitable for High-Quality Print Graphics Using Sheet-Fed Presses From...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-17

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C-560-824] Certain Coated Paper... paper suitable for high-quality print graphics using sheet-fed presses (certain coated paper) from... Department published its final determination in the countervailing duty investigation of certain coated paper...

Microbiological quality control of single-walled carbon-nanotubes-coated surfaces experimentally contaminated

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natalizi, T.; Frioni, A.; Passeri, D.; Pantanella, F.

2013-01-01

The emergence of new nanotechnologies involves the spreading of nanoparticles in various fields of human life. Nanoparticles in general and, more specifically, carbon nanotubes have been adopted for many practical approaches i.e.: coatings for medical devices, food process industry and drug delivery. Humans will be increasingly exposed to nanoparticles but the susceptibility of nanostructured materials to microbial colonization in process of manufacturing and storage has not been thoroughly considered. Therefore, the microbiological quality control of nanoparticles plays a pivotal role. Different analytical methods have been attempted for detecting bacterial population contaminating a surface, but no one can be considered fully appropriate. Here, BioTimer Assay (BTA) and conventional sonication followed by colony forming units method (S-CFU) were applied for microbiological quality control of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)-coated surfaces experimentally contaminated with Streptococcus mutans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our results demonstrated that S-CFU is unreliable to actually determine the number of bacteria, contaminating abiotic surfaces, as it does not detach all adherent bacteria and kills part of the bacterial population. Instead, BTA is a reliable method to enumerate bacteria colonizing SWCNTs-coated surfaces and can be considered a useful tool for microbiological quality control of nanomaterials for human use.

New sol–gel refractory coatings on chemically-bonded sand cores for foundry applications to improve casting surface quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nwaogu, Ugochukwu Chibuzoh; Poulsen, T.; Stage, R.K.

2011-01-01

Foundry refractory coatings protect bonded sand cores and moulds from producing defective castings during the casting process by providing a barrier between the core and the liquid metal. In this study, new sol–gel refractory coating on phenolic urethane cold box (PUCB) core was examined. The coa......Foundry refractory coatings protect bonded sand cores and moulds from producing defective castings during the casting process by providing a barrier between the core and the liquid metal. In this study, new sol–gel refractory coating on phenolic urethane cold box (PUCB) core was examined......–gel coated cores have better surface quality than those from uncoated cores and comparable surface quality with the commercial coatings. Therefore, the new sol–gel coating has a potential application in the foundry industry for improving the surface finish of castings thereby reducing the cost of fettling...

High quality ceramic coatings sprayed by high efficiency hypersonic plasma spraying gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Sheng; Xu Binshi; Yao JiuKun

2005-01-01

This paper introduced the structure of the high efficiency hypersonic plasma spraying gun and the effects of hypersonic plasma jet on the sprayed particles. The optimised spraying process parameters for several ceramic powders such as Al 2 O 3 , Cr 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , Cr 3 C 2 and Co-WC were listed. The properties and microstructure of the sprayed ceramic coatings were investigated. Nano Al 2 O 3 -TiO 2 ceramic coating sprayed by using the high efficiency hypersonic plasma spraying was also studied. Compared with the conventional air plasma spraying, high efficiency hypersonic plasma spraying improves greatly the ceramic coatings quality but at low cost. (orig.)

Integration of antimicrobial pectin-based edible coating and active modified atmosphere packaging to preserve the quality and microbial safety of fresh-cut persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb. cv. Rojo Brillante).

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchís, Elena; Ghidelli, Christian; Sheth, Chirag C; Mateos, Milagros; Palou, Lluís; Pérez-Gago, María B

2017-01-01

The greatest hurdle to the commercial marketing of fresh-cut fruits is related to their higher susceptibility to enzymatic browning, tissue softening, and microbial growth. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of a pectin-based edible coating and low oxygen modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) to control enzymatic browning and reduce microbial growth of fresh-cut 'Rojo Brillante' persimmon. The survival of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis and Listeria monocytogenes artificially inoculated on fresh-cut fruit was also assessed. The pectin coating was amended with 500 IU mL -1 nisin (NI) as antimicrobial agent and 10 g kg -1 citric acid and 10 g kg -1 calcium chloride as anti-browning and firming agents, respectively. Persimmon slices were dipped in the coating or in water (control) and packed under 5 kPa O 2 (MAP) or in ambient atmosphere for up to 9 days at 5 °C. Microbial growth, package gas composition, colour, firmness, polyphenol oxidase activity, visual quality and overall sensory flavour of persimmon slices were measured during storage. Coating application combined with active MAP significantly reduced the CO 2 emission and O 2 consumption in the package. The coating was effective in reducing browning and also inhibited the growth of mesophilic aerobic bacteria. Coating also reduced the populations of E. coli, S. enteritidis and L. monocytogenes. The combination of the pectin-based edible coating and active MAP proved to be the most effective treatment to maintain the sensory and microbiological quality of persimmon slices for more than 9 days of storage. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Salivary Anti-A and Anti-B Isoantibody System in Group O Males.

Science.gov (United States)

agglutinins increased significantly in two individuals and anti-B in four, and parotid saliva anti-A agglutinins in one and anti-B in three. Both whole...and parotid saliva agglutinating activity were demonstrated to be primarily due to secretory IgA, both pre- and postimmunization. IgG coating activity

Poor quality vital anti-malarials in Africa - an urgent neglected public health priority

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Newton Paul N

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a major public health problem. A vital component of malaria control rests on the availability of good quality artemisinin-derivative based combination therapy (ACT at the correct dose. However, there are increasing reports of poor quality anti-malarials in Africa. Methods Seven collections of artemisinin derivative monotherapies, ACT and halofantrine anti-malarials of suspicious quality were collected in 2002/10 in eleven African countries and in Asia en route to Africa. Packaging, chemical composition (high performance liquid chromatography, direct ionization mass spectrometry, X-ray diffractometry, stable isotope analysis and botanical investigations were performed. Results Counterfeit artesunate containing chloroquine, counterfeit dihydroartemisinin (DHA containing paracetamol (acetaminophen, counterfeit DHA-piperaquine containing sildenafil, counterfeit artemether-lumefantrine containing pyrimethamine, counterfeit halofantrine containing artemisinin, and substandard/counterfeit or degraded artesunate and artesunate+amodiaquine in eight countries are described. Pollen analysis was consistent with manufacture of counterfeits in eastern Asia. These data do not allow estimation of the frequency of poor quality anti-malarials in Africa. Conclusions Criminals are producing diverse harmful anti-malarial counterfeits with important public health consequences. The presence of artesunate monotherapy, substandard and/or degraded and counterfeit medicines containing sub-therapeutic amounts of unexpected anti-malarials will engender drug resistance. With the threatening spread of artemisinin resistance to Africa, much greater investment is required to ensure the quality of ACTs and removal of artemisinin monotherapies. The International Health Regulations may need to be invoked to counter these serious public health problems.

Evaluation of long-term relaxation for high-strength bolted connections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nah, H. S.; Lee, H. J.; Kim, K. S.

2010-01-01

It is general that the clamping forces of high-strength bolts diminish within a certain time period after the initial clamping force. In case that special treatments are applied on a faying surface, the clamping force is relaxed severely. Tests were conducted for slip critical joints subjected to various faying surface parameters. The candidates for bolt were two kinds: Korean Standard and American Standard. Relaxation occurred for slip resistant joints with an uncoated surface that had been shot-blasted, cleaned, milled or rusted. In case of ASTM hexagon bolts, the initial clamping force dropped from 7.9% to 13.6% after 1, 000 hours while relaxation ratio was the range from 8.7% to 15.4% for KS bolts. For ASTM hexagon bolt joints with a 5 mil thick zinc coating, the clamping force of the bolts decreased 15.0%, while relaxation ratio was 12.85% for KS bolts. For 4.9 mil thick red lead painted treatment, the relaxation ratio was 18.7% for ASTM hexagon bolt, 34.9% for KS bolts. Regardless of faying surface treatments, the first week charged at least 86% of total relaxation from this test. (authors)

Quality of 'Delta Valencia' orange grown in semiarid climate and stored under refrigeration after coating with wax

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerlândia da Silva Pereira

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The effects of carnauba-based wax on the quality of 'Delta Valencia' orange produced in Ceará state, Brazil, were studied. The fruits were coated with carnauba-based wax and refrigerated (7 ± 2 ºC and 85 ± 2% R.H. for 28 days. The quality attribute parameters assessed were weight loss, peel color (brightness, hue angle, and chromaticity, peel moisture, pH, soluble solids (SS, titratable acidity (TA, SS/TA ratio, ascorbic acid, total soluble sugars, reducing sugars, yellow flavonoids, and polyphenols. The results showed that 'Delta Valencia' oranges grown in the dry climate of Ceará state has excellent quality. The coated fruits lost mass at a lower rate than the the control fruits. No significant loss of soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, and SS/TA ratio was observed, while ascorbic acid, soluble sugars, reducing sugars, yellow flavonoids, and polyphenols increased during storage in both the coated and control fruits. Carnauba-based wax coated fruits showed no signal of dehydration keeping their shiny green peel up to the end of the storage. The use of coating was crucial for the maintenance of visual quality by reducing mass loss, as well as keeping peel moisture.

Tribological properties of anti-wear PVD coatings for elevated temperatures application deposited onto X37CrMoV5-1 type hot work steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobrzanski, L.A.; Polok, M.; Adamiak, M.

2003-01-01

The paper presents results of tribological and adhesion investigations of anti-wear PVD coatings TiN, TiN/(Ti,Al)N and CrN types deposited in ion plating PVD process onto X37CrMoV5-1 type hot work tool steel. It was found that damage mechanism during scratch test in all investigated coatings begins with multiple spallings located on the scratch edges followed by cracking and tool coatings delamination. Regarding to the coating types it can be seen different location of such damages and loads typical for them. According to this observations it can be stated that highest adhesion among investigated coating present, CrN monolayer coating and the lowest one multilayers Ti/(Ti,Al)N coating. The wear resistance was investigated by pin-on-disc method performed in room and elevated to 500 o C temperatures. It was found that the lowest wear in to fixed investigation conditions in both room and elevated temperatures shows TiN monolayer coating. Additionally one can see that TiN coatings application improve wear resistance some five times. (author)

75 FR 70289 - Certain Coated Paper Suitable For High-Quality Print Graphics Using Sheet-Fed Presses From China...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-17

...)] Certain Coated Paper Suitable For High-Quality Print Graphics Using Sheet-Fed Presses From China and... paper suitable for high-quality print graphics using sheet-fed presses (``certain coated paper'') from... paper industry is materially injured by reason of imports of the subject merchandise from China and...

Characterizations of Anti-Alpha-Fetoprotein-Conjugated Magnetic Nanoparticles Associated with Alpha-Fetoprotein for Biomedical Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Shu-Hsien; Huang, Han-Sheng; Chieh, Jen-Jie; Su, Yu-Kai; Tong, Yuan-Fu; Huang, Kai-Wen

2017-09-03

In this work, we report characterizations of biofunctionalized magnetic nanoparticles (BMNPs) associated with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) for biomedical applications. The example BMNP in this study is anti-alpha-fetoprotein (anti-AFP) conjugated onto dextran-coated Fe₃O₄ labeled as Fe₃O₄-anti-AFP, and the target is AFP. We characterize magnetic properties, such as increments of magnetization ΔM H and effective relaxation time Δτ eff in the reaction process. It is found that both ΔM H and Δτ eff are enhanced when the concentration of AFP, Ф AFP , increases. The enhancements are due to magnetic interactions among BMNPs in magnetic clusters, which contribute extra M H after the association with M H and in turn enhance τ eff . The screening of patients carrying hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is verified via ΔM H /M H . The proposed method can be applied to detect a wide variety of analytes. The scaling characteristics of ΔM H /M H show the potential to develop a vibrating sample magnetometer system with low field strength for clinic applications.

Alginate coating as carrier of oligofructose and inulin and to maintain the quality of fresh-cut apples.

Science.gov (United States)

Rössle, Christian; Brunton, Nigel; Gormley, Ronan T; Wouters, Rudy; Butler, Francis

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to apply an edible coating containing prebiotics such as oligofructose and inulin to fresh-cut apple wedges. An assessment of the quality, sensory, polyphenol, and volatile attributes of coated and uncoated fresh-cut apple wedges was also undertaken. Fructan analysis showed that all prebiotics remained stable over the 14-d storage period and an intake of 100 g of apple supplies 1 to 3 g of prebiotics. Browning index, firmness, acidity remained stable throughout the 14 d compared to the control while applying prebiotic coatings resulted in an increase in soluble solids. Sensory and visual assessment indicated acceptable quality of apple wedges coated with prebiotics. HPLC analysis showed that levels of polyphenolic compounds were more stable in coated apple wedges (without prebiotic inclusions) than in uncoated control apples. No difference was found between O(2) and CO(2) headspace concentration of coated and uncoated samples. Significant differences (P < 0.001) were found for headspace volatile production between the samples. Most coated samples showed lower volatile production in the headspace than uncoated samples.

Quality Analysis of DNA from Cord Blood Buffy Coat: The Best Neonatal DNA Source for Epidemiological Studies?

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Guangdi; Li, Qin; Huang, Lisu; Wu, Yuhang; Wu, Meiqin; Wang, Weiye C

2016-04-01

Umbilical cord blood is an economical and easy to obtain source of high-quality neonatal genomic DNA. However, although large numbers of cord blood samples have been collected, information on the yield and quality of the DNA extracted from cord blood is scarce. Moreover, considerable doubt still exists on the utility of the buffy coat instead of whole blood as a DNA source. We compared the sample storage and DNA extraction costs for whole blood, buffy coat, and all-cell pellet. We evaluated three different DNA purification kits and selected the most suitable one to purify 1011 buffy coat samples. We determined the DNA yield and optical density (OD) ratios and analyzed 48 single-nucleotide polymorphisms using time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS). We also analyzed eight possible preanalytical variables that may correlate with DNA yield or quality. Buffy coat was the most economical and least labor-intensive source for sample storage and DNA extraction. The average yield of genomic DNA from 200 μL of buffy coat sample was 16.01 ± 8.00 μg, which is sufficient for analytic experiments. The mean A260/A280 ratio and the mean A260/A230 ratio were 1.89 ± 0.09 and 1.95 ± 0.66, respectively. More than 99.5% of DNA samples passed the TOF MS test. Only hemolysis showed a strong correlation with OD ratios of DNA, but not with yield. Our findings show that cord blood buffy coat yields high-quality DNA in sufficient quantities to meet the requirements of experiments. Buffy coat was also found to be the most economic, efficient, and stable source of genomic DNA.

Effect of Chitosan Coating with Cinnamon Oil on the Quality and Physiological Attributes of China Jujube Fruits

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Yage; Lin, Hongbin; Cao, Dong; Xu, Qinglian; Han, Wenfeng; Wang, Ranran; Che, Zhenming; Li, Xihong

2015-01-01

Effects of chitosan coating with cinnamon oil on the physiological attributes and preservation quality of China jujube fruits during storage at 4°C for 60 days were investigated. Results indicated that weight loss and decay of jujube fruits were significantly reduced by chitosan-oil coating during the period of 60-day storage, which also exhibited a quite beneficial effect on maintaining the sensory quality for jujube fruits. Meanwhile, the contents of vitamin C and titratable acid decreased to 3.08 mg·g−1 and 0.342% for the fruits treated by chitosan-oil coating (1.0% + 0.10%), respectively. Polyphenol oxidase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities were 13.40 U·g−1, 14.53 U·g−1, and 63.6 U·g−1 at the end of storage, respectively. The contents of total soluble phenolics and MDA were 34.51 mg·g−1 and 19.43 μmol·g−1 for the combined coating treated samples and control fruits, respectively. These results suggested that the chitosan-oil coating might be recognized as one efficiency technology on the preservation quality of jujube fruits during the storage time. PMID:26495315

A novel three-dimensional mesh deformation method based on sphere relaxation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Xuan; Li, Shuixiang

2015-01-01

In our previous work (2013) [19], we developed a disk relaxation based mesh deformation method for two-dimensional mesh deformation. In this paper, the idea of the disk relaxation is extended to the sphere relaxation for three-dimensional meshes with large deformations. We develop a node based pre-displacement procedure to apply initial movements on nodes according to their layer indices. Afterwards, the nodes are moved locally by the improved sphere relaxation algorithm to transfer boundary deformations and increase the mesh quality. A three-dimensional mesh smoothing method is also adopted to prevent the occurrence of the negative volume of elements, and further improve the mesh quality. Numerical applications in three-dimension including the wing rotation, bending beam and morphing aircraft are carried out. The results demonstrate that the sphere relaxation based approach generates the deformed mesh with high quality, especially regarding complex boundaries and large deformations

A novel three-dimensional mesh deformation method based on sphere relaxation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Xuan [Department of Mechanics & Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 (China); Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing, 100094 (China); Li, Shuixiang, E-mail: lsx@pku.edu.cn [Department of Mechanics & Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 (China)

2015-10-01

In our previous work (2013) [19], we developed a disk relaxation based mesh deformation method for two-dimensional mesh deformation. In this paper, the idea of the disk relaxation is extended to the sphere relaxation for three-dimensional meshes with large deformations. We develop a node based pre-displacement procedure to apply initial movements on nodes according to their layer indices. Afterwards, the nodes are moved locally by the improved sphere relaxation algorithm to transfer boundary deformations and increase the mesh quality. A three-dimensional mesh smoothing method is also adopted to prevent the occurrence of the negative volume of elements, and further improve the mesh quality. Numerical applications in three-dimension including the wing rotation, bending beam and morphing aircraft are carried out. The results demonstrate that the sphere relaxation based approach generates the deformed mesh with high quality, especially regarding complex boundaries and large deformations.

The impact of muscle relaxation techniques on the quality of life of cancer patients, as measured by the FACT-G questionnaire.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula Parás-Bravo

Full Text Available Patients with cancer frequently suffer from emotional distress, characterized by psychological symptoms such as anxiety or depression. The presence of psychological symptoms combined with the complex nature of oncology processes can negatively impact patients' quality of life. We aimed to determine the impact of a relaxation protocol on improving quality of life in a sample of oncological patients treated in the Spanish National Public Health System.We conducted a multicenter interventional study without a control group. In total, 272 patients with different oncologic pathologies and showing symptoms of anxiety were recruited from 10 Spanish public hospitals. The intervention comprised abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation training, according to Bernstein and Borkovec. This was followed by weekly telephone calls to each patient over a 1-month period. We collected sociodemographic variables related to the disease process, including information about mental health and the intervention. Patients' quality of life was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G questionnaire. Bivariate and univariate analyses were performed, along with an analysis of multiple correspondences to identify subgroups of patients with similar variations on the FACT-G.Patients showed statistically significant improvements on the FACT-G overall score (W = 16806; p<0.001, with an initial mean score of 55.33±10.42 and a final mean score of 64.49±7.70. We also found significant improvements for all subscales: emotional wellbeing (W = 13118; p<0.001, functional wellbeing (W = 16155.5; p<0.001, physical wellbeing (W = 8885.5; p<0.001, and social and family context (W = -1840; p = 0.037.Patients with cancer who learned and practiced abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation experienced improvement in their perceived quality of life as measured by the FACT-G. Our findings support a previous assumption that complementary techniques (including

Quality of Coated Particles : Physical - Mechanical Characterization of Polymeric Film Coatings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Perfetti, G.

2012-01-01

All coated particle producers, when applying the coating layer(s) would like to know precisely what is the best coating system to use in order to answer customer’s requests. It is, therefore, of very high relevance for many industries, to have a clear understanding of what are the parameters I need

Optical thin films and coatings from materials to applications

CERN Document Server

Flory, Francois

2013-01-01

Optical coatings, including mirrors, anti-reflection coatings, beam splitters, and filters, are an integral part of most modern optical systems. This book provides an overview of thin film materials, the properties, design and manufacture of optical coatings and their use across a variety of application areas.$bOptical coatings, including mirrors, anti-reflection coatings, beam splitters, and filters, are an integral part of most modern optical systems. Optical thin films and coatings provides an overview of thin film materials, the properties, design and manufacture of optical coatings and their use across a variety of application areas. Part one explores the design and manufacture of optical coatings. Part two highlights unconventional features of optical thin films including scattering properties of random structures in thin films, optical properties of thin film materials at short wavelengths, thermal properties and colour effects. Part three focusses on novel materials for optical thin films and coatings...

A Multilevel, Statewide Investigation of School District Anti-Bullying Policy Quality and Student Bullying Involvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Gower, Amy L; Cousin, Molly; Borowsky, Iris W

2017-03-01

Although nearly all states in the United States require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies, little research examines the effect of these policies on student bullying and health. Using a statewide sample, we investigated associations between the quality of school district anti-bullying policies and student bullying involvement and adjustment. School district anti-bullying policies (N = 208) were coded for their quality based on established criteria. District-level data were combined with student reports of bullying involvement, emotional distress, and school connectedness from a state surveillance survey of 6th, 9th, and 12th grade students (N = 93,437). Results indicated that policy quality was positively related to bullying victimization. Furthermore, students reporting frequent perpetration/victimization who also attended districts with high-quality policies reported more emotional distress and less school connectedness compared with students attending districts with low quality policies. Although statistically significant, the magnitude of these associations was small. Having a high-quality school district anti-bullying policy is not sufficient to reduce bullying and protect bullying-involved young people. Future studies examining policy implementation will inform best practices in bullying prevention. © 2017, American School Health Association.

MAPLE fabricated magnetite@eugenol and (3-hidroxybutyric acid-co-3-hidroxyvaleric acid)–polyvinyl alcohol microspheres coated surfaces with anti-microbial properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grumezescu, Valentina [Lasers Department, National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, P.O. Box MG-36, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania); Department of Science and Engineering of Oxidic Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest (Romania); Holban, Alina Maria [Microbiology Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1–3 Portocalelor Lane, Sector 5, 77206Bucharest (Romania); Iordache, Florin [Institute of Cellular Biology and Pathology of Romanian Academy, “Nicolae Simionescu”, Department of Fetal and Adult Stem Cell Therapy, 8, B.P. Hasdeu, Bucharest 050568 (Romania); Socol, Gabriel [Lasers Department, National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, P.O. Box MG-36, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania); Mogoşanu, George Dan [Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2 PetruRareş Street, 200349 Craiova (Romania); Grumezescu, Alexandru Mihai, E-mail: grumezescu@yahoo.com [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxidic Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest (Romania); Ficai, Anton; Vasile, Bogdan Ştefan [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxidic Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest (Romania); Truşcă, Roxana [S.C. Metav-CD S.A., 31Rosetti Str., 020015 Bucharest (Romania); Chifiriuc, Mariana Carmen [Microbiology Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1–3 Portocalelor Lane, Sector 5, 77206Bucharest (Romania); others, and

2014-07-01

This study reports the biological applications of a newly fabricated water dispersible nanostructure, based on magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}) and eugenol (E), prepared in a well-shaped spherical form by precipitation method. The presence of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@E nanoparticles has been confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nanoparticles have been embedded into poly(3-hidroxybutyric acid-co-3-hidroxyvaleric acid)–polyvinyl alcohol (P(3HB-3HV)–PVA) microspheres by oil-in-water emulsion technique. Functionalized P(3HB-3HV)–PVA–Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@E microspheres coatings have been fabricated by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). The coatings have been characterized by infrared microscopy (IRM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In vitro biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was assessed by the viable cell counts technique. Nanomaterial biocompatibility has been investigated by analyzing the phenotypic changes of cultured eukaryotic cells. Besides their excellent anti-adherence and anti-biofilm properties, the MAPLE coatings have the advantages of using bioactive natural compounds, which are less toxic and easily biodegradable than current antibiotics. This approach could be used as a successful alternative or adjuvant method to control and prevent microbial biofilms associated infections.

MAPLE fabricated magnetite@eugenol and (3-hidroxybutyric acid-co-3-hidroxyvaleric acid)–polyvinyl alcohol microspheres coated surfaces with anti-microbial properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grumezescu, Valentina; Holban, Alina Maria; Iordache, Florin; Socol, Gabriel; Mogoşanu, George Dan; Grumezescu, Alexandru Mihai; Ficai, Anton; Vasile, Bogdan Ştefan; Truşcă, Roxana; Chifiriuc, Mariana Carmen

2014-01-01

This study reports the biological applications of a newly fabricated water dispersible nanostructure, based on magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) and eugenol (E), prepared in a well-shaped spherical form by precipitation method. The presence of Fe 3 O 4 @E nanoparticles has been confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nanoparticles have been embedded into poly(3-hidroxybutyric acid-co-3-hidroxyvaleric acid)–polyvinyl alcohol (P(3HB-3HV)–PVA) microspheres by oil-in-water emulsion technique. Functionalized P(3HB-3HV)–PVA–Fe 3 O 4 @E microspheres coatings have been fabricated by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). The coatings have been characterized by infrared microscopy (IRM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In vitro biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was assessed by the viable cell counts technique. Nanomaterial biocompatibility has been investigated by analyzing the phenotypic changes of cultured eukaryotic cells. Besides their excellent anti-adherence and anti-biofilm properties, the MAPLE coatings have the advantages of using bioactive natural compounds, which are less toxic and easily biodegradable than current antibiotics. This approach could be used as a successful alternative or adjuvant method to control and prevent microbial biofilms associated infections.

Improvement of the galvanized coating quality of high strength dual phase steels by pre-electroplating nickel layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhong, N. [Institute of Marine Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai 200135 (China); Zhang, K. [Institute of Concrete Pumps Machinery R and D, Sany Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. 410100 (China); Li, J. [Baoshan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd, Shanghai 201900 (China); Hu, W.B. [State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2011-03-15

Galvanized dual phase steel sheets are used extensively in the industrial applications because of their excellent mechanical properties and superior corrosion resistance, but the segregation of alloying elements and the formation of oxides on the steel surface often have a deleterious effect on coating adhesion during the galvanizing process. In order to improve the coating quality, a nickel layer was pre-electroplated on the steel substrate before galvanizing and it's found that there is an improvement in the coating quality. The coating microstructures were investigated by scanning electron microscopy together with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope, glow discharge optical emission spectroscope and X-ray diffractions. The experimental results show that the compact Ni{sub 3}Zn{sub 22} intermetallic layer formed at the zinc/nickel interface during the galvanizing process, prohibiting the nucleation and the growth of the {zeta}-Zn phase layer and resulting in the improvement of the zinc coating adhesion. (Copyright copyright 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Sensory Quality Preservation of Coated Walnuts.

Science.gov (United States)

Grosso, Antonella L; Asensio, Claudia M; Grosso, Nelson R; Nepote, Valeria

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensory stability of coated walnuts during storage. Four walnut samples were prepared: uncoated (NC), and samples coated with carboxymethyl cellulose (NCMC), methyl cellulose (NMC), or whey protein (NPS). The samples were stored at room temperature for 210 d and were periodically removed from storage to perform a sensory descriptive analysis. A consumer acceptance test was carried out on the fresh product (storage day 0) to evaluate flavor. All samples exhibited significant differences in their sensory attributes initially and after storage. Intensity ratings for oxidized and cardboard flavors increased during storage. NC showed the highest oxidized and cardboard intensity ratings (39 and 22, respectively) and NMC exhibited the lowest intensity ratings for these negative attributes (8 and 17, respectively) after 210 d of storage. Alternatively, the intensity ratings for sweetness and walnut flavors were decreased for all samples. NMC had the lowest decrease at the end of storage for these positive attributes (75.86 in walnut flavor and 12.09 in sweetness). The results of this study suggest a protective effect of the use of an edible coating to preserve sensory attributes during storage, especially for samples coated with MC. The results of the acceptance test showed that addition of the coating negatively affected the flavor acceptance for NMC and NCMC coated walnuts. Edible coatings help to preserve sensory attributes in walnuts, improving their shelf-life, however, these coatings may affect consumer acceptance in some cases. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Development of control system of coating of rod hydraulic cylinders

Science.gov (United States)

Aizhambaeva, S. Zh; Maximova, A. V.

2018-01-01

In this article, requirements to materials of hydraulic cylinders and methods of eliminating the main factors affecting the quality of the applied coatings rod hydraulic cylinders. The chromium plating process - one of ways of increase of anti-friction properties of coatings rods, stability to the wear and corrosion. The article gives description of differences of the stand-speed chromium plating process from other types of chromium plating that determines a conclusion about cutting time of chromium plating process. Conducting the analysis of technological equipment suggested addressing the modernization of high-speed chromium plating processes by automation and mechanization. Control system developed by design of schematic block diagram of a modernized and stand-speed chromium plating process.

Importance of development factors in company dealing with cataphoresis coating method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorota Klimecka-Tatar

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The main aim of presented in this paper results is analysis of the most important factors in the company activity. The questionnaire test were carried among persons employed by the company, which mainstream is method of cataphoresis anti-corrosion coating. In the paper also validity of the Toyota roof elements were defined. Based on research as the most important factors of the company mission, indicated the quality factor.

Evaluation of Anti-Knock Quality of Dicyclopentadiene-Gasoline Blends

KAUST Repository

Al-Khodaier, Mohannad

2017-03-28

Increasing the anti-knock quality of gasoline fuels can enable higher efficiency in spark ignition engines. In this study, the blending anti-knock quality of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), a by-product of ethylene production from naphtha cracking, with various gasoline fuels is explored. The blends were tested in an ignition quality tester (IQT) and a modified cooperative fuel research (CFR) engine operating under homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) and knock limited spark advance (KLSA) conditions. Due to current fuel regulations, ethanol is widely used as a gasoline blending component in many markets. In addition, ethanol is widely used as a fuel and literature verifying its performance. Moreover, because ethanol exhibits synergistic effects, the test results of DCPD-gasoline blends were compared to those of ethanol-gasoline blends. The experiments conducted in this work enabled the screening of DCPD auto-ignition characteristics across a range of combustion modes. The synergistic blending nature of DCPD was apparent and appeared to be greater than that of ethanol. The data presented suggests that DCPD has the potential to be a high octane blending component in gasoline; one which can substitute alkylates, isomerates, reformates, and oxygenates.

Evaluation of Anti-Knock Quality of Dicyclopentadiene-Gasoline Blends

KAUST Repository

Al-Khodaier, Mohannad; Bhavani Shankar, Vijai Shankar; Waqas, Muhammad; Naser, Nimal; Sarathy, Mani; Johansson, Bengt

2017-01-01

Increasing the anti-knock quality of gasoline fuels can enable higher efficiency in spark ignition engines. In this study, the blending anti-knock quality of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), a by-product of ethylene production from naphtha cracking, with various gasoline fuels is explored. The blends were tested in an ignition quality tester (IQT) and a modified cooperative fuel research (CFR) engine operating under homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) and knock limited spark advance (KLSA) conditions. Due to current fuel regulations, ethanol is widely used as a gasoline blending component in many markets. In addition, ethanol is widely used as a fuel and literature verifying its performance. Moreover, because ethanol exhibits synergistic effects, the test results of DCPD-gasoline blends were compared to those of ethanol-gasoline blends. The experiments conducted in this work enabled the screening of DCPD auto-ignition characteristics across a range of combustion modes. The synergistic blending nature of DCPD was apparent and appeared to be greater than that of ethanol. The data presented suggests that DCPD has the potential to be a high octane blending component in gasoline; one which can substitute alkylates, isomerates, reformates, and oxygenates.

High quality aluminide and thermal barrier coatings deposition for new and service exposed parts by CVD techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pedraza, F.; Tuohy, C.; Whelan, L.; Kennedy, A.D. [SIFCO Turbine Components, Carrigtwohill, Cork (Ireland)

2004-07-01

In this work, the performance of CVD aluminide coatings is compared to that of coatings deposited by the classical pack cementation technique using standard SIFCO procedures. The CVD coatings always seem to behave better upon exposure to isothermal and cyclic oxidation conditions. This is explained by a longer term stability of CVD coatings, with higher Al amounts in the diffusion zone and less refractory element precipitation in the additive layer. The qualities of Pt/Al coatings by out-of-pack and CVD are also compared as a previous step for further thermal barrier coating deposition. As an example, YSZ thermal barrier coatings are deposited by MO-CVD on Pt/Al CVD bond coats rendering adherent and thick coatings around the surface of turbine blades. This process under development does not require complex manipulation of the component to be coated. (orig.)

The influence of prefabricated pipe cement coatings and those made during pipe renovation on drinking water quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Młyńska Anna

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, cement coatings are often used as an anticorrosion protection of the internal surfaces of manufactured ductile iron water pipes. The protective cement linings are also commonly used for old water pipe renovation. In both cases, the cement lining is an excellent anticorrosion protection of the pipelines, effectively separating the pipe wall from the flowing water. Moreover, cement linings protect the pipelines not only by a mechanical barrier, but also by a chemical barrier creating a highly alkaline environment in water contact with the metal pipe wall. In addition, cement coatings have an ability for so-called self-regeneration and provide the improvement of hydraulic conditions inside the pipelines. In turn, the differences between the analysed cement coatings mainly depend on the types of cements used and techniques of cement mortar spraying. As was expected, they influence the quality of water having contact with the coating. A comparison of the impact of cement coatings manufactured in factories and sprayed on building sites during the renovation on drinking water quality parameters was performed in the study. The experiments were conducted in laboratory conditions, using the test stands prepared for this purpose. The results include analysis of selected water quality parameters for the samples contacting with cement mortar and collected during the investigation.

Surface spins disorder in uncoated and SiO2 coated maghemite nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeb, F.; Nadeem, K.; Shah, S. Kamran Ali; Kamran, M.; Gul, I. Hussain; Ali, L.

2017-01-01

We studied the surface spins disorder in uncoated and silica (SiO 2 ) coated maghemite (γ-Fe 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles using temperature and time dependent magnetization. The average crystallite size for SiO 2 coated and uncoated nanoparticles was about 12 and 29 nm, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the nanoparticles are spherical in shape and well separated. Temperature scans of zero field cooled (ZFC)/field cooled (FC) magnetization measurements showed lower average blocking temperature (T B ) for SiO 2 coated maghemite nanoparticles as compared to uncoated nanoparticles. The saturation magnetization (M s ) of SiO 2 coated maghemite nanoparticles was also lower than the uncoated nanoparticles and is attributed to smaller average crystallite size of SiO 2 coated nanoparticles. For saturation magnetization vs. temperature data, Bloch's law (M(T)= M(0).(1− BT b )) was fitted well for both uncoated and SiO 2 coated nanoparticles and yields: B =3×10 −7 K -b , b=2.22 and B=0.0127 K -b , b=0.57 for uncoated and SiO 2 coated nanoparticles, respectively. Higher value of B for SiO 2 coated nanoparticles depicts decrease in exchange coupling due to enhanced surface spins disorder (broken surface bonds) as compared to uncoated nanoparticles. The Bloch's exponent b was decreased for SiO 2 coated nanoparticles which is due to their smaller average crystallite size or finite size effects. Furthermore, a sharp increase of coercivity at low temperatures (<25 K) was observed for SiO 2 coated nanoparticles which is also due to contribution of increased surface anisotropy or frozen surface spins in these smaller nanoparticles. The FC magnetic relaxation data was fitted to stretched exponential law which revealed slower magnetic relaxation for SiO 2 coated nanoparticles. All these measurements revealed smaller average crystallite size and enhanced surface spins disorder in SiO 2 coated nanoparticles than in uncoated γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles

Highly Stretchable and Conductive Superhydrophobic Coating for Flexible Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Xiaojing; Li, Hongqiang; Lai, Xuejun; Chen, Zhonghua; Zeng, Xingrong

2018-03-28

Superhydrophobic materials integrating stretchability with conductivity have huge potential in the emerging application horizons such as wearable electronic sensors, flexible power storage apparatus, and corrosion-resistant circuits. Herein, a facile spraying method is reported to fabricate a durable superhydrophobic coating with excellent stretchable and electrical performance by combing 1-octadecanethiol-modified silver nanoparticles (M-AgNPs) with polystyrene- b-poly(ethylene- co-butylene)- b-polystyrene (SEBS) on a prestretched natural rubber (NR) substrate. The embedding of M-AgNPs in elastic SEBS matrix and relaxation of prestretched NR substrate construct hierarchical rough architecture and endow the coating with dense charge-transport pathways. The fabricated coating exhibits superhydrophobicity with water contact angle larger than 160° and a high conductivity with resistance of about 10 Ω. The coating not only maintains superhydrophobicity at low/high stretch ratio for the newly generated small/large protuberances but also responds to stretching and bending with good sensitivity, broad sensing range, and stable response cycles. Moreover, the coating exhibits excellent durability to heat and strong acid/alkali and mechanical forces including droplet impact, kneading, torsion, and repetitive stretching-relaxation. The findings conceivably stand out as a new tool to fabricate multifunctional superhydrophobic materials with excellent stretchability and conductivity for flexible electronics under wet or corrosive environments.

Improved postharvest quality in patagonian squash (Cucurbita moschata) coated with radiation depolymerized chitosan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pugliese, Maria Alicia; Goitia, Maria Teresa [Laboratorio de Investigaciones Basicas Aplicadas en Quitina, Departamento de Quimica, Universidad Nacional del Sur. Avenida Alem 1253, B8000CPB Bahia Blanca (Argentina); Yossen, Mariana [Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnologico para la Industria Quimica (INTEC), CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ruta Nacional 168-Paraje ' El Pozo' , 3000 Santa Fe (Argentina); Cifone, Norma; Agullo, Enrique [Laboratorio de Investigaciones Basicas Aplicadas en Quitina, Departamento de Quimica, Universidad Nacional del Sur. Avenida Alem 1253, B8000CPB Bahia Blanca (Argentina); Andreucetti, Noemi, E-mail: andreuce@criba.edu.ar [Laboratorio de Radioisotopos, Departamento de Quimica, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Avenida Alem 1253, B8000CPB Bahia Blanca (Argentina)

2011-12-15

Different molecular weight chitosans were evaluated on the decay of coated Anquito squashes (Cucurbita moschata) as well as the maintenance of the fruit quality along five storage months. The original chitosan (Mw=391 kDa, 83% DD), was depolymerized by gamma radiation. Apart from chain scission, other chemical changes were not detected by FTIR or UV-vis analyses. The molecular weight characterization of chitosans was done by size exclusion chromatography with dual light scattering and concentration detection (SEC-MALLS-RI). The coating effectiveness was evaluated on the following parameters: fungal decay incidence, weight loss, firmness, total reducing sugar, soluble solid, flesh color, carotene content, pH and titratable acidity. No sign of fungal decay was observed in squashes coated with 122 and 56 kDa chitosans, which were also the most effective treatments in reducing the weight loss. The chitosan with Mw=122 kDa was also the best treatment considering firmness, internal aspect, sugar and carotene content. Then, radiation degraded chitosan was better in C. moschata preservation than the original chitosan. - Highlights: > Original Chitosan was radiation depolymerized producing chitosans with lower molecular weights. > Gamma-irradiated chitosans only exhibit chain scission. > SEC-MALLS-RI chromatography is a useful tool in molecular weight analysis. > Depolymerized chitosans were the best in maintaining the quality and the storage life of coated squashes.

Improved postharvest quality in patagonian squash (Cucurbita moschata) coated with radiation depolymerized chitosan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pugliese, Maria Alicia; Goitia, Maria Teresa; Yossen, Mariana; Cifone, Norma; Agullo, Enrique; Andreucetti, Noemi

2011-01-01

Different molecular weight chitosans were evaluated on the decay of coated Anquito squashes (Cucurbita moschata) as well as the maintenance of the fruit quality along five storage months. The original chitosan (Mw=391 kDa, 83% DD), was depolymerized by gamma radiation. Apart from chain scission, other chemical changes were not detected by FTIR or UV-vis analyses. The molecular weight characterization of chitosans was done by size exclusion chromatography with dual light scattering and concentration detection (SEC-MALLS-RI). The coating effectiveness was evaluated on the following parameters: fungal decay incidence, weight loss, firmness, total reducing sugar, soluble solid, flesh color, carotene content, pH and titratable acidity. No sign of fungal decay was observed in squashes coated with 122 and 56 kDa chitosans, which were also the most effective treatments in reducing the weight loss. The chitosan with Mw=122 kDa was also the best treatment considering firmness, internal aspect, sugar and carotene content. Then, radiation degraded chitosan was better in C. moschata preservation than the original chitosan. - Highlights: → Original Chitosan was radiation depolymerized producing chitosans with lower molecular weights. → Gamma-irradiated chitosans only exhibit chain scission. → SEC-MALLS-RI chromatography is a useful tool in molecular weight analysis. → Depolymerized chitosans were the best in maintaining the quality and the storage life of coated squashes.

Investigation on microstructural, anti-corrosion and mechanical properties of doped Zn–Al–SnO2 metal matrix composite coating on mild steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fayomi, O.S.I.; Popoola, A.P.I.; Aigbodion, V.S.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Properties of nanocomposite Zn–Al coating containing SnO 2 nanoparticles. • The morphology and structure of the coating were analysed. • The anticorrosion activities of the coating prepared. • The mechanical properties were found to improve with the amount of the SnO 2 embedded. - Abstract: In this study, the microstructural, mechanical and anti-corrosion properties of nanocomposite Zn–Al coating containing SnO 2 nanoparticles prepared from sulphates electrolyte by electrodeposition on mild steel substrate was investigated. The morphologies of the coating were analysed using SEM/EDS, AFM Raman and X-ray diffraction. The anticorrosion behaviour of the coating prepared with different concentrations of SnO 2 (7 and 13 g/L) and potential of (0.3 and 0.5 V) was examined in 3.65% NaCl solution by using linear polarization techniques. The wear and hardness properties of the coatings were performed under accelerated reciprocating dry sliding wear tests and diamond micro-hardness tester respectively. The results obtained showed that the incorporation of SnO 2 in the plating bath brings an increase in corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of Zn–Al–SnO 2 composite coatings. The SEM images showed a homogeneous grain structure and finer morphology of the coatings. The hardness values was found to improve with the amount of the SnO 2 embedded into the Zn–Al metal deposit and effective deposition parameters

On-chip Brownian relaxation measurements of magnetic nanobeads in the time domain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østerberg, Frederik Westergaard; Rizzi, Giovanni; Hansen, Mikkel Fougt

2013-01-01

the time and frequency domain methods on Brownian relaxation detection of clustering of streptavidin coated magnetic beads in the presence of different concentrations of biotin-conjugated bovine serum albumin and obtain comparable results. In the time domain, a measurement is carried out in less than 30 s...

Momentum constraint relaxation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marronetti, Pedro

2006-01-01

Full relativistic simulations in three dimensions invariably develop runaway modes that grow exponentially and are accompanied by violations of the Hamiltonian and momentum constraints. Recently, we introduced a numerical method (Hamiltonian relaxation) that greatly reduces the Hamiltonian constraint violation and helps improve the quality of the numerical model. We present here a method that controls the violation of the momentum constraint. The method is based on the addition of a longitudinal component to the traceless extrinsic curvature A ij -tilde, generated by a vector potential w i , as outlined by York. The components of w i are relaxed to solve approximately the momentum constraint equations, slowly pushing the evolution towards the space of solutions of the constraint equations. We test this method with simulations of binary neutron stars in circular orbits and show that it effectively controls the growth of the aforementioned violations. We also show that a full numerical enforcement of the constraints, as opposed to the gentle correction of the momentum relaxation scheme, results in the development of instabilities that stop the runs shortly

Enhancement of the CIGS solar cell's efficiency by anti-reflection coating with teflon AF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Hong-Sub; Kim, Chan; Rhee, Il-Su [Kyungpook National University, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Jo, Hyun-Jun; Kim, Dae-Hwan [Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Sung-Wook [Daegu University, Gyeongsan (Korea, Republic of)

2014-11-15

An anti-reflection (AR) layer of Teflon AF was deposited on the front surface of a Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cell with a structure of grid/TCO/ZnO/CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2}/Mo/glass by using the spin coating method. This AR layer reduced the front-surface reflection, which resulted in high efficiency for the CIGS solar cell. The thickness of the Teflon AF layer was varied to determine the thickness that gave the highest transmittance of incident light into the active absorber of the CIGS solar cell. The optimum thickness of the Teflon AF layer was found to be 105 nm. CIGS solar cells with a Teflon AF layer of 105 nm were constructed, and their efficiencies were compared with those of solar cells without a Teflon AF layer. The average increase in the relative efficiency of the solar cells was 2.63% due to the inclusion of an anti-reflection layer of Teflon AF.

Application of ICH Q9 Quality Risk Management Tools for Advanced Development of Hot Melt Coated Multiparticulate Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Stocker, Elena; Becker, Karin; Hate, Siddhi; Hohl, Roland; Schiemenz, Wolfgang; Sacher, Stephan; Zimmer, Andreas; Salar-Behzadi, Sharareh

2017-01-01

This study aimed to apply quality risk management based on the The International Conference on Harmonisation guideline Q9 for the early development stage of hot melt coated multiparticulate systems for oral administration. N-acetylcysteine crystals were coated with a formulation composing tripalmitin and polysorbate 65. The critical quality attributes (CQAs) were initially prioritized using failure mode and effects analysis. The CQAs of the coated material were defined as particle size, taste-masking efficiency, and immediate release profile. The hot melt coated process was characterized via a flowchart, based on the identified potential critical process parameters (CPPs) and their impact on the CQAs. These CPPs were prioritized using a process failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis and their critical impact on the CQAs was experimentally confirmed using a statistical design of experiments. Spray rate, atomization air pressure, and air flow rate were identified as CPPs. Coating amount and content of polysorbate 65 in the coating formulation were identified as critical material attributes. A hazard and critical control points analysis was applied to define control strategies at the critical process points. A fault tree analysis evaluated causes for potential process failures. We successfully demonstrated that a standardized quality risk management approach optimizes the product development sustainability and supports the regulatory aspects. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modelling of solar cells with down-conversion of high energy photons, anti-reflection coatings and light trapping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vos, Alexis de; Szymanska, Aleksandra; Badescu, Viorel

2009-01-01

In classical solar cells, each absorbed photon gives rise to one electron-hole pair, irrespective of the photon energy. By applying an appropriate photoluminescent layer in front of the solar cell semiconductor, one can convert one high energy photon into two low energy photons (so-called down-conversion). In the present study, we do not consider photoluminescent layers that merely shift down photon energies (without enhancing the number of photons). In principle, these two photons can then generate two electron-hole pairs in the solar cell, thus increasing the efficiency of the device. However, the two photons emitted by the converter, are not necessarily emitted in the direction of the semiconductor: they can also be emitted in the direction 'back to the sun'. As most semiconductors have a high refractive index, in case the luminescent material has a low refractive index, more than half of the photoluminescence emission is lost in the sun direction, resulting in a net loss of light current generated by the solar cell instead of an increase. On the other hand, a high refractive index of the conversion layer (e.g. equal to the solar cell refractive index) will lead to a bad optical coupling with the air and a good optical coupling with the semiconductor, and therefore, more than 50% of the emitted low energy photons will actually reach the solar cell. However, in the latter case, many solar photons do not reach the converter in the first place because of reflection at the air-converter interface. As a result, it turns out that, in the absence of any anti-reflection coating, a refractive index n 2 of the converting layer in the range between n 1 1/2 and n 1 is optimal, where n 1 is the refractive index of the solar cell material. If, however, an anti-reflection coating is applied between air and the converter, the best choice for n 2 is n 1 . Finally, if two anti-reflection coatings are applied (the former between air and the converter, the latter between the

Ceramic coatings for water-repellent textiles

Science.gov (United States)

Colleoni, C.; Esposito, F.; Guido, E.; Migani, V.; Trovato, V.; Rosace, G.

2017-10-01

In recent years, ceramic coatings have been widely studied for their potential performance in many scientific and technological fields. Ceramic coatings are also used as a textile-finishing agent to impart several properties such as anti-bacterial, anti-abrasion, flame retardant. In this study, fluoro free water repellent finishings have been developed to assess the features of the silica films on the textile fabrics. The water repellency of the treated samples has been evaluated by different tests such as water contact angle, water uptake and drop test.

Combustion chemical vapor desposited coatings for thermal barrier coating systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hampikian, J.M.; Carter, W.B. [Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

1995-10-01

The new deposition process, combustion chemical vapor deposition, shows a great deal of promise in the area of thermal barrier coating systems. This technique produces dense, adherent coatings, and does not require a reaction chamber. Coatings can therefore be applied in the open atmosphere. The process is potentially suitable for producing high quality CVD coatings for use as interlayers between the bond coat and thermal barrier coating, and/or as overlayers, on top of thermal barrier coatings.

IMPROVEMENT OF SHELF LIFE QUALITY OF GREEN BELL PEPPERS USING EDIBLE COATING FORMULATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilio Ochoa-Reyes

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In Latin-America, there are countries with high production levels of green bell peppers, which requires of new strategies of conservation for their international trade. Traditional techniques of preservations do not guarantee to prolong the shelf life of these kinds of fruits, for this reason, in the present study, the Influence of different edible coating formulations on shelf-life quality of green bell peppers was studied. Three different biopolymers (pectin, arabic, and xanthan gums were evaluated in mixtures with candelilla wax as hydrophobic phase, jojoba oil as plasticizer and a crude extract of polyphenols as source of bioactive compounds. Green bell peppers were immersion-treated and then stored at room temperature. Response variables were: weight loss, color, appearance, pH, total soluble solids and firmness changes which were kinetically determined. All peppers treated with edible-coating showed a significant difference (Tukey, p≤0.05 in weight loss compared to control treatment (without edible coating, while a lower level of deterioration was observed in fruits treated with edible coating formulated with arabic gum, but appearance remained similar among fruits treated with different edible coatings. Use of mixtures of biopolymers, candelilla wax, jojoba oil and polyphenols to develop edible and functionalized coatings significantly extended shelf life of green bell pepper.

Graphene coating for anti-corrosion and the investigation of failure mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Y X; Duan, C Y; Chen, Y F; Wang, Y; Liu, H Y

2017-01-01

Graphene produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods has been considered as a promising corrosion prevention layer because of its exceptional structure and impermeability. However, the anti-corrosion performance and the failure mechanism are still controversial. In this study, graphene layers with different quality levels, crystallite sizes, and layer numbers were prepared on the surface of Cu by a CVD process. The effects of grain boundaries (GBs) on the failure of graphene layers to provide adequate protection were investigated in detail by combining graphene transfer techniques, computation, and anti-corrosion measurements. Our results reveal that corrosion rates decrease marginally upon the increase of graphene layer number, and this rather weak dependence on thickness likely arises from the aligned nature of the GBs in CVD-grown few-layer graphene. This problem can potentially be overcome by layer-by-layer graphene transfer technique, in which corrosion is found to be arrested locally when transferred graphene is present on top of the as-grown graphene. However, this advantage is not reflected in corrosion studies performed on large-scale samples, where cracks or imperfect interfaces could offset the advantages of GB misalignment. With improvements in technology, the layer-by-layer assembly technique could be used to develop an effective anti-corrosion barrier. (paper)

Cycle oxidation behavior and anti-oxidation mechanism of hot-dipped aluminum coating on TiBw/Ti6Al4V composites with network microstructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X T; Huang, L J; Wei, S L; An, Q; Cui, X P; Geng, L

2018-04-10

Controlled and compacted TiAl 3 coating was successfully fabricated on the network structured TiBw/Ti6Al4V composites by hot-dipping aluminum and subsequent interdiffusion treatment. The network structure of the composites was inherited to the TiAl 3 coating, which effectively reduces the thermal stress and avoids the cracks appeared in the coating. Moreover, TiB reinforcements could pin the TiAl 3 coating which can effectively improve the bonding strength between the coating and composite substrate. The cycle oxidation behavior of the network structured coating on 873 K, 973 K and 1073 K for 100 h were investigated. The results showed the coating can remarkably improve the high temperature oxidation resistance of the TiBw/Ti6Al4V composites. The network structure was also inherited to the Al 2 O 3 oxide scale, which effectively decreases the tendency of cracking even spalling about the oxide scale. Certainly, no crack was observed in the coating after long-term oxidation due to the division effect of network structured coating and pinning effect of TiB reinforcements. Interfacial reaction between the coating and the composite substrate occurred and a bilayer structure of TiAl/TiAl 2 formed next to the substrate after oxidation at 973 K and 1073 K. The anti-oxidation mechanism of the network structured coating was also discussed.

Effects of Edible Chitosan Coating on Quality and Increasing Storage Life of Cucumber cv.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ghasemi Tavallaiy

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Chitosan, is non-toxic, biodegradable and biocompatible material, which can be used as edible coatings to maintain quality and enhance postharvest life of fruits and vegetables. In this study, the effect of chitosan at 0, 0.5, 1 and 2% concentrations on storage life of cucumber cv. "Zomorod" was investigated. After treatment and keeping in an incubator at 12 °C and 90% relative humidity, the fruits were assessed in 5-days intervals to determine parameters such as firmness, weight loss, vitamin C, titratable acidity, soluble solids and chlorophyll content. Experiment was performed as a split-plot design in time in a completely randomized design with three replications. The results of the experiment showed that chitosan coating, had a significant effect on all traits except titrable acidity. The lowest weight loss and the highest firmness were recorded with 1% chitosan treatment which significantly differed from the control. It is appeared that chitosan coatings could be used to increase the storage life of cucumber fruit and to maintain its quality for a longer period.

Effectiveness of a Combined Dance and Relaxation Intervention on Reducing Anxiety and Depression and Improving Quality of Life among the Cognitively Impaired Elderly

OpenAIRE

Dina Adam; Ayiesah Ramli; Suzana Shahar

2016-01-01

Objectives: Cognitive impairment is a common problem among the elderly and is believed to be a precursor to dementia. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of a combined dance and relaxation intervention as compared to relaxation alone in reducing anxiety and depression levels and improving quality of life (QOL) and cognitive function among the cognitively impaired elderly. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted between May and December 2013 in Peninsular Mal...

Investigation on microstructural, anti-corrosion and mechanical properties of doped Zn–Al–SnO{sub 2} metal matrix composite coating on mild steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fayomi, O.S.I., E-mail: ojosundayfayomi3@gmail.com [Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, P.M.B. X680, Pretoria (South Africa); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Covenant University, P.M.B 1023, Ota, Ogun State (Nigeria); Popoola, A.P.I. [Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, P.M.B. X680, Pretoria (South Africa); Aigbodion, V.S. [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Nigeria)

2015-02-25

Highlights: • Properties of nanocomposite Zn–Al coating containing SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles. • The morphology and structure of the coating were analysed. • The anticorrosion activities of the coating prepared. • The mechanical properties were found to improve with the amount of the SnO{sub 2} embedded. - Abstract: In this study, the microstructural, mechanical and anti-corrosion properties of nanocomposite Zn–Al coating containing SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles prepared from sulphates electrolyte by electrodeposition on mild steel substrate was investigated. The morphologies of the coating were analysed using SEM/EDS, AFM Raman and X-ray diffraction. The anticorrosion behaviour of the coating prepared with different concentrations of SnO{sub 2} (7 and 13 g/L) and potential of (0.3 and 0.5 V) was examined in 3.65% NaCl solution by using linear polarization techniques. The wear and hardness properties of the coatings were performed under accelerated reciprocating dry sliding wear tests and diamond micro-hardness tester respectively. The results obtained showed that the incorporation of SnO{sub 2} in the plating bath brings an increase in corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of Zn–Al–SnO{sub 2} composite coatings. The SEM images showed a homogeneous grain structure and finer morphology of the coatings. The hardness values was found to improve with the amount of the SnO{sub 2} embedded into the Zn–Al metal deposit and effective deposition parameters.

A Scale-up Approach for Film Coating Process Based on Surface Roughness as the Critical Quality Attribute.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshino, Hiroyuki; Hara, Yuko; Dohi, Masafumi; Yamashita, Kazunari; Hakomori, Tadashi; Kimura, Shin-Ichiro; Iwao, Yasunori; Itai, Shigeru

2018-04-01

Scale-up approaches for film coating process have been established for each type of film coating equipment from thermodynamic and mechanical analyses for several decades. The objective of the present study was to establish a versatile scale-up approach for film coating process applicable to commercial production that is based on critical quality attribute (CQA) using the Quality by Design (QbD) approach and is independent of the equipment used. Experiments on a pilot scale using the Design of Experiment (DoE) approach were performed to find a suitable CQA from surface roughness, contact angle, color difference, and coating film properties by terahertz spectroscopy. Surface roughness was determined to be a suitable CQA from a quantitative appearance evaluation. When surface roughness was fixed as the CQA, the water content of the film-coated tablets was determined to be the critical material attribute (CMA), a parameter that does not depend on scale or equipment. Finally, to verify the scale-up approach determined from the pilot scale, experiments on a commercial scale were performed. The good correlation between the surface roughness (CQA) and the water content (CMA) identified at the pilot scale was also retained at the commercial scale, indicating that our proposed method should be useful as a scale-up approach for film coating process.

New temperable solar coatings: Tempsol

Science.gov (United States)

Demiryont, Hulya

2001-11-01

This paper deals with the large area deposition and coating properties of the thermo-stable (temperable/bendable) solar coating material, CuO, and some new optical coating systems comprising CuO films for architectural and automotive/transportation applications. The CuO solar coating is combined with other coating layers, for example, an anti-reflection film, a reflection film, a coloration coating layer, etc., which are also thermo-stable. The film systems are developed at the research laboratory by D.C. Magnetron reactive sputtering process. The new developed technologies then transferred to the production line. Product performances are compared before and after heat treatment of the coating systems. Performance tables and other physical properties, including optical parameters, mechanical and environmental stability, storage properties, etc., are also presented for this new product series.

Application of a tablet film coating model to define a process-imposed transition boundary for robust film coating.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Ban, Sander; Pitt, Kendal G; Whiteman, Marshall

2018-02-01

A scientific understanding of interaction of product, film coat, film coating process, and equipment is important to enable design and operation of industrial scale pharmaceutical film coating processes that are robust and provide the level of control required to consistently deliver quality film coated product. Thermodynamic film coating conditions provided in the tablet film coating process impact film coat formation and subsequent product quality. A thermodynamic film coating model was used to evaluate film coating process performance over a wide range of film coating equipment from pilot to industrial scale (2.5-400 kg). An approximate process-imposed transition boundary, from operating in a dry to a wet environment, was derived, for relative humidity and exhaust temperature, and used to understand the impact of the film coating process on product formulation and process control requirements. This approximate transition boundary may aid in an enhanced understanding of risk to product quality, application of modern Quality by Design (QbD) based product development, technology transfer and scale-up, and support the science-based justification of critical process parameters (CPPs).

Relaxation and health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis: the example of autogenic training.

Science.gov (United States)

Sutherland, Georgina; Andersen, Mark B; Morris, Tony

2005-06-01

This study was a pilot project to explore the effect of an autogenic training program (AT; a relaxation intervention) on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and well-being for people with multiple sclerosis. Participants either met weekly for sessions in AT for 10 weeks (n = 11) or were assigned to the control group (n = 11). The AT group was also asked to practice the technique daily at home. Scales designed to measure HRQOL and aspects of well-being (mood and depressed affect) were taken preintervention and at week 8 of the 10-week program. ANCOVAs using a measure of social support and pretest scores as covariates revealed that at the posttest the AT group reported more energy and vigor than the control group and were less limited in their roles due to physical and emotional problems. Future research should involve studies conducted over an extended period, together with sufficiently sized samples to explore the effect of frequency of practice of relaxation training on HRQOL and well-being for people with multiple sclerosis.

Effect of pectin edible coating enriched with essential oils of citrus on strawberry quality during refrigerated storage and shelf life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soma Abdi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Postharvest life of strawberry fruit is very short due to humidity and high metabolic activity. In order to extend the shelf life and quality of strawberry (cv. parous, effects of pectin coating enriched with different concentrations of lemon and orange peel essential oil were assessed at 20˚C for 6 days or 5˚C to 12 days. The experiment conducted based on a complete randomized design (CDR in 3 replications with 6 treatments including control (distilled water, pectin (1%, pectin enriched with orange peel essential oil (0.5 and 1% and pectin containing lemon peel essential oil (0.5 and 1%. Fruit quality was evaluated by marketing, weight loss, anthocyanin content, ascorbic acid content, total protein and chlorophyll of calyx every 3 days. Based on results coating fruits with citrus essential oil carried by pectin delayed the change in weight loss, total protein, anthocyanin content, maintained ascorbic acid content of fruits and also reduced chlorophyll destruction of calyx. The results showed that pectin coating containing lemon essential oil had a significant effect on the maintaining the visual quality of the fruit during the storage, delayed the weight loss and showed better results compared to the other coatings and to the control fruit. In addition, the maximum content of ascorbic acid and anthocyanin were obtained for strawberries coated with pectin containing lemon essential oil 1% after 12 days storage of fruits at 5˚C. All coatings significantly reduced weight loss of fresh strawberries during storage at 5˚C and 20˚C compared to the uncoated fruits. Results indicated that adding high concentrations (1% of orange peel essential oil into pectin coatings did not improve quality of fruits. In addition, it was found that adding orange peel essential oil to pectin coating accelerate decay of fruits. Based on results, pectin coating containing 1% lemon essential oil considered an appropriate treatment to improve shelf life and storage

California; Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District; VOCs from Motor Vehicle Assembly Coating Operations

Science.gov (United States)

EPA is proposing to approve a revision to the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District portion of the California SIP concerning emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from motor vehicle assembly coating operations.

Brownian rotational relaxation and power absorption in magnetite nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goya, G.F.; Fernandez-Pacheco, R.; Arruebo, M.; Cassinelli, N.; Ibarra, M.R.

2007-01-01

We present a study of the power absorption efficiency in several magnetite-based colloids, to asses their potential as magnetic inductive hyperthermia (MIH) agents. Relaxation times τ were measured through the imaginary susceptibility component χ ' '(T), and analyzed within Debye's theory of dipolar fluid. The results indicated Brownian rotational relaxation and allowed to calculate the hydrodynamic radius close to the values obtained from photon correlation. The study of the colloid performances as power absorbers showed no detectable increase of temperature for dextran-coated Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles, whereas a second Fe 3 O 4 -based dispersion of similar concentration could be heated up to 12K after 30min under similar experimental conditions. The different power absorption efficiencies are discussed in terms of the magnetic structure of the nanoparticles

Determination of dilution and quality control of total and anti ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To determine the correct dilution and Quality control commercial ELISA of total and anti-measles antibodies for HIV infected pregnant women. Design: A laboratory based study. Setting: The University of Nairobi, Department of Paediatrics laboratory. Subjects: HIV infected pregnant women enrolled and exposed to ...

Effects of Chitosan-Essential Oil Coatings on Safety and Quality of Fresh Blueberries

Science.gov (United States)

Chitosan coating plus different essential oils was developed and applied to fresh blueberries, in order to find environmentally friendly and healthy treatments to preserve fresh fruit quality and safety during postharvest storage. Studies were first performed in vitro where wild-type Escherichia col...

Surface spins disorder in uncoated and SiO{sub 2} coated maghemite nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeb, F. [Nanoscience and Technology Laboratory, International Islamic University, H-10, 44000 Islamabad (Pakistan); Nadeem, K., E-mail: kashif.nadeem@iiu.edu.pk [Nanoscience and Technology Laboratory, International Islamic University, H-10, 44000 Islamabad (Pakistan); Shah, S. Kamran Ali; Kamran, M. [Nanoscience and Technology Laboratory, International Islamic University, H-10, 44000 Islamabad (Pakistan); Gul, I. Hussain [School of Chemical & Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), H-12, 44000 Islamabad, Pakistan (Pakistan); Ali, L. [Materials Research Laboratory, International Islamic University, H-10, 44000 Islamabad (Pakistan)

2017-05-01

We studied the surface spins disorder in uncoated and silica (SiO{sub 2}) coated maghemite (γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) nanoparticles using temperature and time dependent magnetization. The average crystallite size for SiO{sub 2} coated and uncoated nanoparticles was about 12 and 29 nm, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the nanoparticles are spherical in shape and well separated. Temperature scans of zero field cooled (ZFC)/field cooled (FC) magnetization measurements showed lower average blocking temperature (T{sub B}) for SiO{sub 2} coated maghemite nanoparticles as compared to uncoated nanoparticles. The saturation magnetization (M{sub s}) of SiO{sub 2} coated maghemite nanoparticles was also lower than the uncoated nanoparticles and is attributed to smaller average crystallite size of SiO{sub 2} coated nanoparticles. For saturation magnetization vs. temperature data, Bloch's law (M(T)= M(0).(1− BT{sup b})) was fitted well for both uncoated and SiO{sub 2} coated nanoparticles and yields: B =3×10{sup −7} K{sup -b}, b=2.22 and B=0.0127 K{sup -b}, b=0.57 for uncoated and SiO{sub 2} coated nanoparticles, respectively. Higher value of B for SiO{sub 2} coated nanoparticles depicts decrease in exchange coupling due to enhanced surface spins disorder (broken surface bonds) as compared to uncoated nanoparticles. The Bloch's exponent b was decreased for SiO{sub 2} coated nanoparticles which is due to their smaller average crystallite size or finite size effects. Furthermore, a sharp increase of coercivity at low temperatures (<25 K) was observed for SiO{sub 2} coated nanoparticles which is also due to contribution of increased surface anisotropy or frozen surface spins in these smaller nanoparticles. The FC magnetic relaxation data was fitted to stretched exponential law which revealed slower magnetic relaxation for SiO{sub 2} coated nanoparticles. All these measurements revealed smaller average crystallite size and enhanced surface

Anti-Adhesion Elastomer Seal Coatings for Ultraviolet and Atomic Oxygen Protection

Science.gov (United States)

De Groh, Henry C., III; Puleo, Bernadette J.; Waters, Deborah L.; Miller, Sharon K.

2015-01-01

Radiation blocking sunscreen coatings have been developed for the protection of elastomer seals used in low-Earth-orbit (LEO). The coatings protect the seals from ultraviolet (UV) radiation and atomic oxygen (AO) damage. The coatings were developed for use on NASA docking seals. Docking seal damage from the UV and AO present in LEO can constrain mission time-line, flight mode options, and increases risk. A low level of adhesion is also required for docking seals so undocking push-off forces can be low. The coatings presented also mitigate this unwanted adhesion. Greases with low collected volatile condensable materials (CVCM) and low total mass loss (TML) were mixed with slippery and/or UV blocking powders to create the protective coatings. Coatings were applied at rates up to 2 milligrams per square centimeter. Coated seals were exposed to AO and UV in the NUV (near-UV) and UV-C wavelength ranges (300 to 400 nanometers and 254 nanometers, respectively). Ground based ashers were used to simulate the AO of space. The Sun's UV energy was mimicked assuming a nose forward flight mode, resulting in an exposure rate of 2.5 megajoules per square meter per day. Exposures between 0 and 147 megajoules per square meter (UV-C) and 245 megajoules per square meter (NUV) were accomplished. The protective coatings were durable, providing protection from UV after a simulated docking and undocking cycle. The level of protection begins to decline at coverage rates less than 0.9 milligrams per square centimeter. The leakage of seals coated with Braycote plus 20 percent Z-cote ZnO sunscreen increased by a factor of 40 after moderate AO exposure; indicating that this coating might not be suitable due to AO intolerance. Seals coated with DC-7-16.4 percent Z-cote ZnO sunscreen were not significantly affected by combined doses of 2 x 10 (sup 21) atoms per square AO with 73 megajoules per square meter UV-C. Unprotected seals were significantly damaged at UV-C exposures of 0.3 megajoules per

The anti-biofouling behavior of high voltage pulse electric field (HPEF) mediated by carbon fiber composite coating in seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Tiantian; Wu, Jinyi; Chai, Ke; Yang, Pengpeng

2018-04-25

One of the most important research areas in the marine industry is to investigate new and effective anti-biofouling technologies. In this study, high voltage pulse electric field (HPEF) mediated by carbon fiber (CF) composite coating was utilized to prevent the fouling of bacteria, microalgae and barnacle larvae in seawater. The plate count, 2, 3, 5-triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride (TTC) reduction assay and neutral red (NR) staining and larval motility detection showed that the inactivation rates were at the highest levels, which reached 99.1%, 99.9%, 99.7%, 98.7% and 85% respectively for Pseudomonas sp., Vibrio sp., iron bacteria, Navicula sp. and the second stage nauplii of Balanus reticulatus, under the HPEF with 19 kV pulse amplitude, 23.15 kHz frequency and 0.5 duty cycle. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) of Navicula sp. revealed that the HPEF brought about the cell lysis and the cell organic matter release on the coating, which could be the mechanism of the inactivation by the HPEF. Additionally, the FE-SEM and Raman spectroscopy indicated that the HPEF hardly damaged the coating. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent research on magnetic properties of glass-coated microwires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhukov, A.; Zhukova, V.; Blanco, J.M.; Gonzalez, J.

2005-01-01

In this paper, we report and analyse the results of tailoring the GMI effect of glass-coated amorphous thin microwires (with the metallic nucleus diameter about 10-22 μm) by choosing the sample chemical composition, geometry (thickness of glass coating) and conditions of heat treatment by Joule heating and furnace annealing. The observed dependencies have been interpreted in terms of stress relaxation and changes of the magneto-elastic anisotropy induced by the Joule heating

Anti-browning and barrier properties of edible coatings prepared with electrospraying

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khan, M.K.I.; Cakmak, I.; Tavman, S.; Schutyser, M.A.I.; Schroen, C.G.P.H.

2014-01-01

Electrospraying is a novel technique for the application of coating to foods. In this study, thin lipid-based coatings were prepared by electrospraying on model surface and evaluated for their moisture barrier functionality. Sunflower oil and chocolate based coating materials were electrosprayed at

Selective dry etching of silicon containing anti-reflective coating

Science.gov (United States)

Sridhar, Shyam; Nolan, Andrew; Wang, Li; Karakas, Erdinc; Voronin, Sergey; Biolsi, Peter; Ranjan, Alok

2018-03-01

Multi-layer patterning schemes involve the use of Silicon containing Anti-Reflective Coating (SiARC) films for their anti-reflective properties. Patterning transfer completion requires complete and selective removal of SiARC which is very difficult due to its high silicon content (>40%). Typically, SiARC removal is accomplished through a non-selective etch during the pattern transfer process using fluorine containing plasmas, or an ex-situ wet etch process using hydrofluoric acid is employed to remove the residual SiARC, post pattern transfer. Using a non-selective etch may result in profile distortion or wiggling, due to distortion of the underlying organic layer. The drawbacks of using wet etch process for SiARC removal are increased overall processing time and the need for additional equipment. Many applications may involve patterning of active structures in a poly-Si layer with an underlying oxide stopping layer. In such applications, SiARC removal selective to oxide using a wet process may prove futile. Removing SiARC selectively to SiO2 using a dry etch process is also challenging, due to similarity in the nature of chemical bonds (Si - O) in the two materials. In this work, we present highly selective etching of SiARC, in a plasma driven by a surface wave radial line slot antenna. The first step in the process involves an in-situ modification of the SiARC layer in O2 plasma followed by selective etching in a NF3/H2 plasma. Surface treatment in O2 plasma resulted in enhanced etching of the SiARC layer. For the right processing conditions, in-situ NF3/H2 dry etch process demonstrated selectivity values greater than 15:1 with respect to SiO2. The etching chemistry, however, was sensitive to NF3:H2 gas ratio. For dilute NF3 in H2, no SiARC etching was observed. Presumably, this is due to the deposition of ammonium fluorosilicate layer that occurs for dilute NF3/H2 plasmas. Additionally, challenges involved in selective SiARC removal (selective to SiO2, organic

Anti-corrosive Conversion Coating on Aluminium Alloys Using High Temperature Steam

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Din, Rameez Ud; Jellesen, Morten Stendahl; Ambat, Rajan

or convert to a functional conversion coating. In the last several decades chromate conversion coating (CrCCs) have been the most common conversion coatings used for aluminium alloys. Due to the toxicity of the hexavalent chrome, however, environmental friendly alternatives to CrCCs have been investigated...

Multifunctional Mesoporous Carbon Capsules and their Robust Coatings for Encapsulation of Actives: Antimicrobial and Anti-bioadhesion Functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Gargi; Mittal, Nitesh; Sharma, Ashutosh

2017-06-14

We present the synthesis and applications of multifunctional hollow porous carbon spheres with well-ordered pore architecture and ability to encapsulate functional nanoparticles. In the present work, the applications of hollow mesoporous carbon capsules (HMCCs) are illustrated in two different contexts. In the first approach, the hollow capsule core is used to encapsulate silver nanoparticles to impart antimicrobial characteristics. It is shown that silver-loaded HMCCs (concentration ∼100 μg/mL) inhibit the growth and multiplication of bacterial colonies of Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) up to 96% and 83%, respectively. In the second part, the fabrication of hierarchical micro- and nanostructured superhydrophobic coatings of HMCCs (without encapsulation with silver nanoparticles) is evaluated for anti-bioadhesion properties. Studies of protein adsorption and microorganism and platelet adhesion have shown a significant reduction (up to 100%) for the HMCC-based superhydrophobic surfaces compared with the control surfaces. Therefore, this unique architecture of HMCCs and their coatings with the ability to encapsulate functional materials make them a promising candidate for a variety of applications.

Seed Nutrition and Quality, Seed Coat Boron and Lignin Are Influenced by Delayed Harvest in Exotically-Derived Soybean Breeding Lines under High Heat.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellaloui, Nacer; Smith, James R; Mengistu, Alemu

2017-01-01

The timing of harvest is a major factor affecting seed quality in soybean, particularly in Midsouthern USA, when rain during harvest period is not uncommon. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of time of harvest on soybean seed quality (seed composition, germination, seed coat boron, and lignin) in high germinability (HG) breeding lines (50% exotic) developed under high heat. The hypothesis was that seeds of HG lines possess physiological and genetic traits for a better seed quality at harvest maturity and delayed harvest. A 2-year field experiment was conducted under irrigated conditions. Results showed that, at harvest maturity, the exotic HG lines had higher seed protein, oleic acid, sugars, seed coat boron, and seed coat lignin, but lower seed oil compared with the non-exotic checks (Control), confirming our hypothesis. At 28 days after harvest maturity (delayed harvest), the content of seed protein, oleic acid, sugars, seed coat boron, and seed coat lignin were higher in some of the HG lines compared with the checks, indicating a possible involvement of these seed constituents, especially seed coat boron and seed coat lignin, in maintaining seed coat integrity and protecting seed coat against physical damage. Highly significant positive correlations were found between germination and seed protein, oleic acid, sugars, and seed coat boron and seed coat lignin. Highly significant negative correlation was found between germination and oil, linoleic acid, seed coat wrinkling, shattering, and hard seed. Yields of some HG lines were competitive with checks. This research demonstrated that time of harvesting is an important factor influencing seed protein and oil production. Also, since high oleic acid is desirable for oxidative stability, shelf-life and biodiesel properties, using HG lines could positively influence these important traits. This result should suggest to breeders of some of the advantages of selecting for high seed coat boron and

Anthocyanin contents in the seed coat of black soya bean and their anti-human tyrosinase activity and antioxidative activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Jhan, J-K; Chung, Y-C; Chen, G-H; Chang, C-H; Lu, Y-C; Hsu, C-K

2016-06-01

The seed coat of black soya bean (SCBS) contains high amount of anthocyanins and shows antioxidant and anti-mushroom tyrosinase activities. The objectives of this study were to analyse the anthocyanins in SCBS with different solvents and to find the relationship between anthocyanin profile with anti-human and anti-mushroom tyrosinase activities. SCBS was extracted with hot water, 50 and 80% ethanol, 50 and 80% acetone and 50 and 80% acidified acetone. Total phenol and total flavonoid contents in the extracts were determined. Anthocyanins in the extracts were analysed using HPLC and LC/MS/MS. A genetically engineered human tyrosinase was used to evaluate the anti-tyrosinase potential of the extracts from SCBS. 80% acetone extract from SCBS obtained the highest total phenol, total flavonoid and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) contents among all the extracts, whereas the hot water extract showed the lowest antioxidant contents. Three anthocyanin compounds were found in all the extracts from SCBS, and the analysis of HPLC and LC/MS/MS indicated that they were C3G, delphinidin-3-O-glucoside (D3G) and peonidin-3-O-glucoside (P3G). The ratios of C3G (2.84 mg g(-1) ), D3G (0.34 mg g(-1) ) and P3G (0.35 mg g(-1) ) in 80% acidified acetone extract were 76.6, 9.1 and 9.3%, respectively. All the extracts from SCBS possessed anti-human tyrosinase activity. Moreover, a good correlation was found between the anti-human tyrosinase activities and C3G contents in the extracts. Antioxidants in SCBS also possess anti-human and anti-mushroom tyrosinase activities. © 2015 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

Experimental study of anti-icing coatings' use on wind turbine blades; Etudes experimentale de l'utilisation de revetements a caractere glaciophobe sur les pales d'eolienne

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adomou, M.; Fortin, G.; Perron, J. [Quebec Univ., Chicoutimi, PQ (Canada). Anti-Icing Materials International Laboratory

2010-07-01

Ice accumulation on wind turbine blades can result in energy production losses, mechanical overloads, and ice shedding. The de-icing systems which are currently used are energy intensive. This poster reported on a study that investigated the use of ice-phobic coatings as a means of protecting wind turbines during cold weather. The study examined the behaviour of various coatings on wind turbine blades under icing conditions and investigated the feasibility of reducing the surface temperature of heated blades with the addition of ice-phobic or hydrophobic coatings. The performance of the thermal systems combined with the coatings was also investigated. The coatings included a polyurethane plastic film; a silicone-epoxy composite; a fluorinated resin; and a fluoroethane compound. The coatings were applied to a NACA airfoil placed in an icing wind tunnel. Various ice accumulation regimes, wind speeds, and temperatures were studied. The coatings proved to be effective against run-back effects during anti-icing operations, and may increase production. tabs., figs.

The application of epoxy resin coating in grounding grid

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Q.; Chen, Z. R.; Xi, L. J.; Wang, X. Y.; Wang, H. F.

2018-01-01

Epoxy resin anticorrosion coating is widely used in grounding grid corrosion protection because of its wide range of materials, good antiseptic effect and convenient processing. Based on the latest research progress, four kinds of epoxy anticorrosive coatings are introduced, which are structural modified epoxy coating, inorganic modified epoxy coating, organic modified epoxy coating and polyaniline / epoxy resin composite coating. In this paper, the current research progress of epoxy base coating is analyzed, and prospected the possible development direction of the anti-corrosion coating in the grounding grid, which provides a reference for coating corrosion prevention of grounding materials.

Implementation of quality by design approach in manufacturing process optimization of dry granulated, immediate release, coated tablets - a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Teżyk, Michał; Jakubowska, Emilia; Milanowski, Bartłomiej; Lulek, Janina

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to optimize the process of tablets compression and identification of film-coating critical process parameters (CPPs) affecting critical quality attributes (CQAs) using quality by design (QbD) approach. Design of experiment (DOE) and regression methods were employed to investigate hardness, disintegration time, and thickness of uncoated tablets depending on slugging and tableting compression force (CPPs). Plackett-Burman experimental design was applied to identify critical coating process parameters among selected ones that is: drying and preheating time, atomization air pressure, spray rate, air volume, inlet air temperature, and drum pressure that may influence the hardness and disintegration time of coated tablets. As a result of the research, design space was established to facilitate an in-depth understanding of existing relationship between CPPs and CQAs of intermediate product (uncoated tablets). Screening revealed that spray rate and inlet air temperature are two most important factors that affect the hardness of coated tablets. Simultaneously, none of the tested coating factors have influence on disintegration time. The observation was confirmed by conducting film coating of pilot size batches.

Synergistic Effect of Sodium Chlorite and Edible Coating on Quality Maintenance of Minimally Processed Citrus grandis under Passive and Active MAP.

Science.gov (United States)

Ban, Zhaojun; Feng, Jianhua; Wei, Wenwen; Yang, Xiangzheng; Li, Jilan; Guan, Junfeng; Li, Jiang

2015-08-01

Edible coating has been an innovation within the bioactive packaging concept. The comparative analysis upon the effect of edible coating, sodium chlorite (SC) and their combined application on quality maintenance of minimally processed pomelo (Citrus grandis) fruits during storage at 4 °C was conducted. Results showed that the combination of edible coating and SC dipping delayed the microbial development whereas the sole coating or dipping treatment was less efficient. The synergetic application of edible coating and SC treatment under modified atmosphere packaging (MAP, 10% O2 , 10% CO2 ) was able to maintain the total soluble solids level and ascorbic acid content, while reduce the weight loss as well as development of mesophiles and psychrotrophs. Nonetheless, the N, O-carboxymethyl chitosan solely coated samples showed significantly higher level of weight loss during storage with comparison to the untreated sample. Furthermore, the combined application of edible coating and SC dipping under active MAP best maintained the sensory quality of minimally processed pomelo fruit during storage. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Effects of mesquite gum-candelilla wax based edible coatings on the quality of guava fruit (Psidium guajava L.)

Science.gov (United States)

Tomás, S. A.; Bosquez-Molina, E.; Stolik, S.; Sánchez, F.

2005-06-01

The ability of composite edible coatings to preserve the quality of guava fruit (Psidium guajava L.) at 20ºC was studied for a period of 15 days. The edible coatings were formulated with candelilla wax blended with white mineral oil as the lipid phase and mesquite gum as the structural material. The use of edible coatings prolonged the shelf life of treated fruits by retarding ethylene emission and enhancing texture as compared to control samples. At the sixth day, the ethylene produced by the control samples was fivefold higher than the ethylene produced by the coated samples. In addition, the physiological weight loss of coated fruits was nearly 30% lower than the control samples.

Brownian rotational relaxation and power absorption in magnetite nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goya, G.F. [Institute of Nanoscience of Aragon (INA), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza (Spain)]. E-mail: goya@unizar.es; Fernandez-Pacheco, R. [Institute of Nanoscience of Aragon (INA), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza (Spain); Arruebo, M. [Institute of Nanoscience of Aragon (INA), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza (Spain); Cassinelli, N. [Electronics Division, Bauer and Associates, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Facultad de Ingenieria, UNLP (Argentina); Ibarra, M.R. [Institute of Nanoscience of Aragon (INA), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza (Spain)

2007-09-15

We present a study of the power absorption efficiency in several magnetite-based colloids, to asses their potential as magnetic inductive hyperthermia (MIH) agents. Relaxation times {tau} were measured through the imaginary susceptibility component {chi}{sup '}'(T), and analyzed within Debye's theory of dipolar fluid. The results indicated Brownian rotational relaxation and allowed to calculate the hydrodynamic radius close to the values obtained from photon correlation. The study of the colloid performances as power absorbers showed no detectable increase of temperature for dextran-coated Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles, whereas a second Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-based dispersion of similar concentration could be heated up to 12K after 30min under similar experimental conditions. The different power absorption efficiencies are discussed in terms of the magnetic structure of the nanoparticles.

Assessing the quality of anti-malarial drugs from Gabonese pharmacies using the MiniLab®: a field study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visser, Benjamin J.; Meerveld-Gerrits, Janneke; Kroon, Daniëlle; Mougoula, Judith; Vingerling, Rieke; Bache, Emmanuel; Boersma, Jimmy; van Vugt, Michèle; Agnandji, Selidji T.; Kaur, Harparkash; Grobusch, Martin P.

2015-01-01

Recent studies alluded to the alarming scale of poor anti-malarial drug quality in malaria-endemic countries, but also illustrated the major geographical gaps in data on anti-malarial drug quality from endemic countries. Data are particularly scarce from Central Africa, although it carries the

Influence of polysaccharide-based edible coatings as carriers of prebiotic fibers on quality attributes of ready-to-eat fresh blueberries.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, María V; Ponce, Alejandra G; Moreira, María R

2018-05-01

Little information is available regarding the effect of dietary fibers added into edible coatings on quality attributes of ready-to-eat fruits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sodium alginate (AL) and chitosan (CH) edible coatings enriched with four different dietary fibers (apple fiber, orange fiber, inulin and oligofructose) on microbiological, nutritional, physico-chemical and sensorial properties of ready-to-eat fresh blueberries stored for 18 days at 5 °C. The most encouraging results were found for CH coatings (with and without fibers) which significantly inhibited the growth of mesophilic bacteria and yeasts/molds (reductions up to 1.9 log CFU g -1 ), reduced decay rate by more than 50%, enhanced antioxidant properties, retained fruit firmness, delayed off-odor development and improved overall visual quality of blueberries. Oligofructose and orange fiber added to CH coatings enhanced antioxidant properties of fruits and allowed higher reductions in yeast/mold counts compared to the use of CH alone. CH-based coatings enriched with inulin, oligofructose and apple fiber extended sensory shelf life of blueberries by 6 days. AL coatings (with and without fiber) allowed delaying fungal decay and also retaining antioxidant properties but did not improve the microbiological and sensory quality of fruits. The results proved that fiber-enriched CH treatments allowed the maintenance of freshness and the improvement of the quality of ready-to-eat blueberries. It might be an interesting option to offer consumers a healthy product with prebiotic potential and an extended shelf life. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

4. Evaluation of the quality of fixed dose combination anti ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Esem

Methodology: This was a cross sectional study whose objective was to determine the quality of 3 types of fixed dose combination (FDC) anti TB drugs namely 4FDC, 3FDC and 2FDC tablets available in Lusaka District by assessing the presence of active ingredients and the percentage content of these active ingredients ...

Influences of Processing and Fatigue Cycling on Residual Stresses in a NiCrY-Coated Powder Metallurgy Disk Superalloy

Science.gov (United States)

Gabb, T. P.; Rogers, R. B.; Nesbitt, J. A.; Miller, R. A.; Puleo, B. J.; Johnson, D.; Telesman, J.; Draper, S. L.; Locci, I. E.

2017-11-01

Oxidation and corrosion can attack superalloy disk surfaces exposed to increasing operating temperatures in some turbine engine environments. Any potential protective coatings must also be resistant to harmful fatigue cracking during service. The objective of this study was to investigate how residual stresses evolve in one such coating. Fatigue specimens of a powder metallurgy-processed disk superalloy were coated with a NiCrY coating, shot peened, and then subjected to fatigue in air at room and high temperatures. The effects of this processing and fatigue cycling on axial residual stresses and other aspects of the coating were assessed. While shot peening did induce beneficial compressive residual stresses in the coating and substrate, these stresses relaxed in the coating with subsequent heating. Several cast alloys having compositions near the coating were subjected to thermal expansion and tensile stress relaxation tests to help explain this response of residual stresses in the coating. For the coated fatigue specimens, this response contributed to earlier cracking of the coating than for the uncoated surface during long intervals of cycling at 760 °C. Yet, substantial compressive residual stresses still remained in the substrate adjacent to the coating, which were sufficient to suppress fatigue cracking there. The coating continued to protect the substrate from hot corrosion pitting, even after fatigue cracks initiated in the coating.

Wolter type I x-ray focusing mirror using multilayer coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chon, Kwon Su; Namba, Yoshiharu; Yoon, Kwon-Ha

2006-01-01

A multilayer coating is a useful addition to a mirror in the x-ray region and has been applied to normal incidence mirrors used with soft x rays. When a multilayer coating is used on grazing incidence optics, higher performance can be achieved than without it.Cr/Sc multilayers coated on a Wolter type I mirror substrate for a soft x-ray microscope are considered. The reflectivity and effective solid angle are calculated for Wolter type I mirrors with uniform and laterally graded multilayer coatings. The laterally graded multilayer mirror showed superior x-ray performance, and the multilayer tolerances were relaxed. This multilayer mirror could be especially useful in the soft x-ray microscope intended for biological applications

Chemical and Sensory Quality Preservation in Coated Almonds with the Addition of Antioxidants.

Science.gov (United States)

Larrauri, Mariana; Demaría, María Gimena; Ryan, Liliana C; Asensio, Claudia M; Grosso, Nelson R; Nepote, Valeria

2016-01-01

Almonds provide many benefits such as preventing heart disease due to their high content of oleic fatty acid-rich oil and other important nutrients. However, they are susceptible to oxidation reactions causing rancidity during storage. The objective of this work was to evaluate the chemical and sensory quality preservation of almonds coated with carboxymethyl cellulose and with the addition of natural and synthetic antioxidants during storage. Four samples were prepared: almonds without coating (C), almonds coated with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), almonds coated with CMC supplemented with peanut skins extract (E), and almonds coated with CMC and supplemented with butylhydroxytoluene (BHT). Proximate composition and fatty acid profile were determined on raw almonds. Almond samples (C, CMC, E and BHT) were stored at 40 °C for 126 d. Lipid oxidation indicators: peroxide value (PV), conjugated dienes (CD), volatile compounds (hexanal and nonanal), and sensory attributes were determined for the stored samples. Samples showed small but significant increases in PV, CD, hexanal and nonanal contents, and intensity ratings of negative sensory attributes (oxidized and cardboard). C had the highest tendency to deterioration during storage. At the end of storage (126 d), C had the highest PV (3.90 meqO2 /kg), and BHT had the lowest PV (2.00 meqO2 /kg). CMC and E samples had similar intermediate PV values (2.69 and 2.57 meqO2 /kg, respectively). CMC coating and the addition of natural (peanut skin extract) and synthetic (BHT) antioxidants provide protection to the roasted almond product. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Distinctive effects of CD34- and CD133-specific antibody-coated stents on re-endothelialization and in-stent restenosis at the early phase of vascular injury

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xue; Yin, Tieying; Tian, Jie; Tang, Chaojun; Huang, Junli; Zhao, Yinping; Zhang, Xiaojuan; Deng, Xiaoyan; Fan, Yubo; Yu, Donghong; Wang, Guixue

2015-01-01

It is not clear what effects of CD34- and CD133-specific antibody-coated stents have on re-endothelialization and in-stent restenosis (ISR) at the early phase of vascular injury. This study aims at determining the capabilities of different coatings on stents (e.g. gelatin, anti-CD133 and anti-CD34 antibodies) to promote adhesion and proliferation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). The in vitro study revealed that the adhesion force enabled the EPCs coated on glass slides to withstand flow-induced shear stress, so that allowing for the growth of the cells on the slides for 48 h. The in vivo experiment using a rabbit model in which the coated stents with different substrates were implanted showed that anti-CD34 and anti-CD133 antibody-coated stents markedly reduced the intima area and restenosis than bare mental stents (BMS) and gelatin-coated stents. Compared with the anti-CD34 antibody-coated stents, the time of cells adhesion was longer and earlier present in the anti-CD133 antibody-coated stents and anti-CD133 antibody-coated stents have superiority in re-endothelialization and inhibition of ISR. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that anti-CD133 antibody as a stent coating for capturing EPCs is better than anti-CD34 antibody in promoting endothelialization and reducing ISR. PMID:26813006

Continuously Growing Ultrathick CrN Coating to Achieve High Load-Bearing Capacity and Good Tribological Property.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zechao; Wang, Yongxin; Cheng, Xiaoying; Zeng, Zhixiang; Li, Jinlong; Lu, Xia; Wang, Liping; Xue, Qunji

2018-01-24

Continuous growth of traditional monolayer CrN coatings up to 24 h is successfully achieved to fabricate ultrathickness of up to 80 μm on the 316 stainless steel substrate using a multiarc ion plating technique. The microstructures, mechanical properties, and tribological properties evolution with the CrN coating continuously growing was evaluated in detail. The transmission electron microscopy observations and inverse Fourier-filtered images reveal a relaxation mechanism during the continuous growth of CrN coating, which can lead to a decrease in the residual stress when coating growth time exceeds 5 h. The scratch test and friction test results both show that the load-bearing capacity of coating is significantly increased as CrN coatings growing thicker. During the scratch test, the ultrathick CrN coating of thickness 80.6 μm is not failed under the load of 180 N, and the dominant failure mechanism is the cohesive failure including wedge spallation and cracking. The dry-sliding friction test results show the mean coefficient of friction and the wear rate of ultrathick CrN are respectively decreased by 17.2 and 56.8% at most compared with the thin coating (thickness is 5.4 μm). The ultrahigh load-bearing capacity and excellent tribological property are attributed to the relaxation mechanism and limited contact pressure as the coating grows continuously.

Corrosion properties of chromia based eco - friendly coatings on mild steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Brozek

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Ceramic nanocrystalline coatings of chromium oxide (III on steel S235JRH-1.0038 (EN 10025-1 were prepared using the liquid precursor plasma spraying (LPPS method from ammonia dichromate (VI. Their structure and anti – corrosion properties were compared to the standard chromium oxide (III coating prepared by thermal spraying. The newly prepared coatings had very high adhesion and minimal porosity. Anticorrosion properties were characterized by the means of the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS, measuring the charge transfer resistance Rct and capacitance of electrical double layer CPEdl in the 0,5 mol/l NaCl. Coatings of Cr2 O3 prepared by the LPPS method showed unambiguously improved anti - corrosion properties.

Electrochemical characterization of carbon coated bundle-type silicon nanorod for anode material in lithium ion secondary batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halim, Martin; Kim, Jung Sub; Choi, Jeong-Gil; Lee, Joong Kee

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Bundle-type silicon nanorods (BSNR) were synthesized by metal assisted chemical etching. • Novel bundle-type nanorods electrode showed self-relaxant characteristics. • The self-relaxant property was enhanced by increasing the silver concentration. • PAA binder enhanced the self-relaxant property of the silicon material. • Carbon coated BSNR (BSNR@C) has evidently provided better cycle performance. - Abstract: Nanostructured silicon synthesis by surface modification of commercial micro-powder silicon was investigated in order to reduce the maximum volume change over cycle. The surface of micro-powder silicon was modified using an Ag metal-assisted chemical etching technique to produce nanostructured material in the form of bundle-type silicon nanorods. The volume change of the electrode using the nanostructured silicon during cycle was investigated using an in-situ dilatometer. Our result shows that nanostructured silicon synthesized using this method showed a self-relaxant characteristic as an anode material for lithium ion battery application. Moreover, binder selection plays a role in enhancing self-relaxant properties during delithiation via strong hydrogen interaction on the surface of the silicon material. The nanostructured silicon was then coated with carbon from propylene gas and showed higher capacity retention with the use of polyacrylic acid (PAA) binder. While the nano-size of the pore diameter control may significantly affect the capacity fading of nanostructured silicon, it can be mitigated via carbon coating, probably due to the prevention of Li ion penetration into 10 nano-meter sized pores

Electrochemical characterization of carbon coated bundle-type silicon nanorod for anode material in lithium ion secondary batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halim, Martin [Center for Energy Convergence, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Energy and Environmental Engineering, Korea University of Science and Technology, Gwahangno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-333 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jung Sub [Center for Energy Convergence, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Material Science & Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Jeong-Gil [Department of Chemical Engineering, Hannam University, 461-1 Junmin-dong, Yusung-gu, Taejon 305-811 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Joong Kee, E-mail: leejk@kist.re.kr [Center for Energy Convergence, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Energy and Environmental Engineering, Korea University of Science and Technology, Gwahangno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-333 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-04-15

Highlights: • Bundle-type silicon nanorods (BSNR) were synthesized by metal assisted chemical etching. • Novel bundle-type nanorods electrode showed self-relaxant characteristics. • The self-relaxant property was enhanced by increasing the silver concentration. • PAA binder enhanced the self-relaxant property of the silicon material. • Carbon coated BSNR (BSNR@C) has evidently provided better cycle performance. - Abstract: Nanostructured silicon synthesis by surface modification of commercial micro-powder silicon was investigated in order to reduce the maximum volume change over cycle. The surface of micro-powder silicon was modified using an Ag metal-assisted chemical etching technique to produce nanostructured material in the form of bundle-type silicon nanorods. The volume change of the electrode using the nanostructured silicon during cycle was investigated using an in-situ dilatometer. Our result shows that nanostructured silicon synthesized using this method showed a self-relaxant characteristic as an anode material for lithium ion battery application. Moreover, binder selection plays a role in enhancing self-relaxant properties during delithiation via strong hydrogen interaction on the surface of the silicon material. The nanostructured silicon was then coated with carbon from propylene gas and showed higher capacity retention with the use of polyacrylic acid (PAA) binder. While the nano-size of the pore diameter control may significantly affect the capacity fading of nanostructured silicon, it can be mitigated via carbon coating, probably due to the prevention of Li ion penetration into 10 nano-meter sized pores.

Estimating Hull Coating Thickness Distributions Using the EM Algorithm

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Corriere, Michael

2000-01-01

The underwater hull coating system on surface ships is comprised anti-corrosive (AC) and anti-fouling (AF) paint The AF layers are designed to wear away, continuously leaching cuprous oxide to inhibit marine growth...

Arctigenin exhibits relaxation effect on bronchus by affecting transmembrane flow of calcium.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhenying; Yin, Yongqiang; Wang, Zengyong; Fang, Runping; Wu, Hong; Jiang, Min; Bai, Gang; Luo, Guo'an

2013-12-01

Arctigenin, a lignan extract from Arctium lappa (L.), exhibits anti-inflammation, antioxidation, vasodilator effects, etc. However, the effects of arctigenin on bronchus relaxation are not well investigated. This study aimed to investigate how arctigenin regulates bronchus tone and calcium ion (Ca(2+)) flow. Trachea strips of guinea pigs were prepared for testing the relaxation effect of arctigenin to acetylcholine, histamine, KCl, and CaCl2, respectively. Furthermore, L-type calcium channel currents were detected by patch-clamp, and intracellular Ca(2+) concentration was detected by confocal microscopy. The results showed that arctigenin exhibited relaxation effect on tracheae to different constrictors, and this was related to decreasing cytoplasmic Ca(2+) concentration by inhibiting Ca(2+) influx partly through L-type calcium channel as well as promoting Ca(2+) efflux. In summary, this study provides new insight into the mechanisms by which arctigenin exhibits relaxation effect on bronchus and suggests its potential use for airway disease therapy.

Electrostatic coating technologies for food processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Barringer, Sheryl A; Sumonsiri, Nutsuda

2015-01-01

The application of electrostatics in both powder and liquid coating can improve the quality of food, such as its appearance, aroma, taste, and shelf life. Coatings can be found most commonly in the snack food industry, as well as in confectionery, bakery, meat and cheese processing. In electrostatic powder coating, the most important factors influencing coating quality are powder particle size, density, flowability, charge, and resistivity, as well as the surface properties and characteristics of the target. The most important factors during electrostatic liquid coating, also known as electrohydrodynamic coating, include applied voltage and electrical resistivity and viscosity of the liquid. A good understanding of these factors is needed for the design of optimal coating systems for food processing.

A Multilevel, Statewide Investigation of School District Anti-Bullying Policy Quality and Student Bullying Involvement

Science.gov (United States)

Gower, Amy L.; Cousin, Molly; Borowsky, Iris W.

2017-01-01

Background: Although nearly all states in the United States require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies, little research examines the effect of these policies on student bullying and health. Using a statewide sample, we investigated associations between the quality of school district anti-bullying policies and student bullying…

Effect of chitosan and alginate based coatings enriched with pomegranate peel extract to extend the postharvest quality of guava (Psidium guajava L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, M Sneha; Saxena, Alok; Kaur, Charanjit

2018-02-01

The influence of chitosan (1% w/v) and alginate (2% w/v) coatings in combination with pomegranate peel extract (PPE; 1% w/v) on quality of guavas (cv Allahabad safeda) were studied. Restricted changes were recorded in respiration rate, ripening index, and instrumental colour values in case of the coated samples as compared to the control for 20days at 10°C. Samples coated with chitosan enriched with PPE (CHE) proved to be the most effective treatment in maintaining the overall fruit quality. Ascorbic acid, total phenolics, total flavonoids contents and antioxidant activity were recorded with restricted losses of 29%, 8%, 12%, 12% (DPPH) and 9% (FRAP), respectively for CHE samples at the end of storage. A higher degree of correlation (r>0.918) was established between various phytochemicals and AOA. PPE enriched coatings was proved efficient in maintaining the quality of guavas during 20days of low temperature storage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparative study on omnidirectional anti-reflection SiO2 nanostructure films coating by glancing angle deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Prachachet, R.; Samransuksamer, B.; Horprathum, M.; Eiamchai, P.; Limwichean, S.; Chananonnawathorn, C.; Lertvanithphol, T.; Muthitamongkol, P.; Boonruang, S.; Buranasiri, P.

2018-02-01

Fabricated omnidirectional anti-reflection nanostructure films as a one of the promising alternative solar cell applications have attracted enormous scientific and industrial research benefits to their broadband, effective over a wide range of incident angles, lithography-free and high-throughput process. Recently, the nanostructure SiO2 film was the most inclusive study on anti-reflection with omnidirectional and broadband characteristics. In this work, the three-dimensional silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanostructured thin film with different morphologies including vertical align, slant, spiral and thin films were fabricated by electron beam evaporation with glancing angle deposition (GLAD) on the glass slide and silicon wafer substrate. The morphological of the prepared samples were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The transmission, omnidirectional and birefringence property of the nanostructure SiO2 films were investigated by UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer and variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometer (VASE). The spectrophotometer measurement was performed at normal incident angle and a full spectral range of 200 - 2000 nm. The angle dependent transmission measurements were investigated by rotating the specimen, with incidence angle defined relative to the surface normal of the prepared samples. This study demonstrates that the obtained SiO2 nanostructure film coated on glass slide substrate exhibits a higher transmission was 93% at normal incident angle. In addition, transmission measurement in visible wavelength and wide incident angles -80 to 80 were increased in comparison with the SiO2 thin film and glass slide substrate due to the transition in the refractive index profile from air to the nanostructure layer that improve the antireflection characteristics. The results clearly showed the enhanced omnidirectional and broadband characteristic of the three dimensional Si

Use of edible films and coatings to extend the shelf life of food products.

Science.gov (United States)

Maftoonazad, Neda; Badii, Fojan

2009-06-01

The increased consumer demand for high quality, extended shelf life, ready to eat foods has initiated the development of several innovative techniques to keep their natural and fresh appearance as long as possible and at the same time render them safe. Packaging has been an important element in these preservation concepts for providing the appropriate (mechanical and functional) protection to the commodity. Since synthetic packaging materials contribute to the environmental pollution, edible coatings and packages have been proposed to replace or complement conventional packaging. Biodegradable and edible films and coatings are made from naturally occurring polymers and functional ingredients, and formed on the surface of food products. Edible films and coating have long been known to protect perishable food products from deterioration and reduce quality loss. These films should have acceptable sensory characteristics, appropriate barrier properties (CO(2), O(2), water, oil), microbial, biochemical and physicochemical stability, they should be safe, and be produced by simple technology in low cost. Also they can act as effective carrier for antioxidant, flavor, color, nutritional or anti-microbial additives. Patents on edible films and food products are also discussed in this article.

Variational formulation of relaxed and multi-region relaxed magnetohydrodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Dewar, R. L.; Yoshida, Z.; Bhattacharjee, A.; Hudson, S. R.

2015-12-01

> Ideal magnetohydrodynamics (IMHD) is strongly constrained by an infinite number of microscopic constraints expressing mass, entropy and magnetic flux conservation in each infinitesimal fluid element, the latter preventing magnetic reconnection. By contrast, in the Taylor relaxation model for formation of macroscopically self-organized plasma equilibrium states, all these constraints are relaxed save for the global magnetic fluxes and helicity. A Lagrangian variational principle is presented that leads to a new, fully dynamical, relaxed magnetohydrodynamics (RxMHD), such that all static solutions are Taylor states but also allows state with flow. By postulating that some long-lived macroscopic current sheets can act as barriers to relaxation, separating the plasma into multiple relaxation regions, a further generalization, multi-region relaxed magnetohydrodynamics (MRxMHD) is developed.

Effectiveness of edible coatings combined with mild heat shocks on microbial spoilage and sensory quality of fresh cut broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, María del R; Ponce, Alejandra; Ansorena, R; Roura, Sara I

2011-08-01

The use of edible coatings and mild heat shocks is proposed as postharvest treatments to prevent microbial deterioration of refrigerated broccoli. Minimally processed broccoli was coated with either chitosan or carboxymethyl-cellulose (CMC) combined or not with a previous application of a mild heat shock. The evolution of microbial populations (mesophilic, psycrotrophic, Enterobacteriaceae, molds and yeast, and lactic acid bacteria) was studied during 20 d of storage and fitted to Gompertz and logistic models. Results revealed that, at the end of the storage, chitosan coating significantly reduced all microbiological population counts, except lactic acid bacteria; while higher reduction was observed with chitosan coating combined with a heat shock treatment. A significant delay at the beginning of the exponential phase was observed for all the bacterial populations analyzed. On the other hand, CMC coating, with and without a previous thermal treatment, did not exert any antibacterial effect. Excellent agreement was found between experimental microbial counts and predicted values obtained from Gompertz and logistic models. Kinetic modeling was found to be valuable for prediction of microbiological shelf life of broccoli during storage. Results showed that the application of chitosan coating effectively maintained microbiological quality and extended shelf life of minimally processed broccoli. According to these results, the use of the edible chitosan coating alone or in combination with a heat mild shock appear to be a viable alternative for controlling microbiological growth and sensory attributes in minimally processed broccoli. The continuous consumer interest in high quality and food safety, combined with environmental concern has induced to the development and study of edible coatings that avoid the use of synthetic materials. The edible coatings, formed from generally recognized as safe materials, have the potential to reduce weight loss, respiration rate, and

PENGARUH MINYAK ATSIRI JAHE MERAH DAN LENGKUAS MERAH PADA EDIBLE COATING TERHADAP KUALITAS FILLET IKAN PATIN (Effect of Edible Coating Enriched with Red Ginger and Red Galangal Essential Oil on the Quality of Patin Fillet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohula Utami

2014-02-01

edible coating will retain the patin fillets quality. In terms of microbial quality and TVB value, 1% essential oil of red ginger and red galangal enrichment in edible coating could extend shelf life of patin fillets for 2-4 days. Keywords: Edible coating, essential oil, patin, red ginger, red galangal   ABSTRAK Penentuan pengaruh penambahan minyak atsiri jahe merah dan lengkuas merah dalam edible coating terhadap kualitas fillet ikan patin selama penyimpanan dingin dilakukan pada periode waktu 8 hari. Parameter kualitas ikan yang dianalisis adalah kualitas mikrobiologis (Total Plate Count/TPc, dan kualitas fisikokimia (Total Volatile Bases/TVB, Thiobarbituricacid/TBa, pH, dan warna. Variasi perlakuan fillet ikan patin yaitu konsentrasi minyak atsiri (0 %; 0,1%; 1% yang ditambahkan dalam edible coating. Hasil penelitian ini mengindikasikan bahwa penambahan minyak atsiri baik jahe merah maupun lengkuas merah berpengaruh terhadap kualitas fillet ikan patin selama penyimpanan dingin. Penambahan minyak atsiri dalam edible coating mampu mempertahankan kualitas fillet ikan patin lebih baik dibandingkan perlakuan edible coating tanpa minyak atsiri. Berdasarkan kualitas mikrobiologis dan nilai TVB, perlakuan minyak atsiri jahe merah 1% dan minyak atsiri lengkuas merah 1% mampu meningkatkan umur simpan fillet ikan patin selama 2-4 hari. Kata kunci: Edible coating, jahe merah, lengkuas merah, minyak atsiri, patin

Genetically engineered bacteriophage delivers a tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonist coating on neural electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young Jun; Nam, Chang-Hoon; Jin, Young-Hyun; Stieglitz, Thomas; Salieb-Beugelaar, Georgette B

2014-01-01

This paper reports a novel approach for the formation of anti-inflammatory surface coating on a neural electrode. The surface coating is realized using a recombinant f88 filamentous bacteriophage, which displays a short platinum binding motif and a tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonist (TNF-α antagonist) on p3 and p8 proteins, respectively. The recombinant bacteriophages are immobilized on the platinum surface by a simple dip coating process. The selective and stable immobilization of bacteriophages on a platinum electrode is confirmed by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, atomic force microscope and fluorescence microscope. From the in vitro cell viability test, the inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α) induced cell death was prevented by presenting recombinant bacteriophage coating, albeit with no significant cytotoxic effect. It is also observed that the bacteriophage coating does not have critical effects on the electrochemical properties such as impedance and charge storage capacities. Thus, this approach demonstrates a promising anti-apoptotic as well as anti-inflammatory surface coating for neural implant applications. (paper)

Anti-piracy policy and quality differential in markets for information goods

OpenAIRE

Francisco Martínez-Sánchez; Javier M. López Cuñat

2011-01-01

In this paper we analyze the strategic decisions of the government, the incumbent and the pirate in a market where the good is piratable. We show that deterred or accommodated piracy can occur in equilibrium, but pure monopoly cannot occur for any anti-piracy policy. We also show that the initial quality differential between the original and the pirated product is essential to explain the effects of an increase in the quality of pirated product on both the level of piracy and the optimal moni...

Anti-reflecting and passivating coatings for silicon solar cells on a basis of SO2 and TiO2 layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taurbaev, T.I.; Nikulin, V.Eh.; Shorin, V.F.; Topanov, B.G.; Dikhanbaev, K.K.

2002-01-01

An analysis of influence of passivating layer on performance of anti-reflection coating of solar cells is carried out. The introduction of passivating SiO 2 layer between a frontal surface of the solar cell and TiO 2 +SiO 2 anti-reflection coating increase total reflection. If a thickness of a passivating layer no more than 20 Angstrom an increase of reflection does not exceed 0.5 %. However, for effective passivation the thickness of the passivating layer has to be within 100-1000 Angstrom region, thus the interference contribution of the passivating layer becomes essential and the AC is necessary to calculate as triple system SiO 2 -TiO 2 -SiO 2 . Such the three layers system ensuring average coefficient of reflection less of 3.5 % in a range 0.4-1.1 μm if the thickness of passivating SiO 2 layer no more 200 Angstrom. For solar cells with passivating SiO 2 layer thickness of 100 Angstrom and protective glass of non-interference thickness the single layer AC from TiO 2 allows to receive average value of reflection coefficient for a spectral range 0.4-1.1 μm no more than 9.5 %. The introduction of two additional layers SiO 2 and TiO 2 allows to reduce this value on 2.0-3.0 %. The comparison of calculation and experimental results is given. (author)

Bioactive Coatings for Orthopaedic Implants—Recent Trends in Development of Implant Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bill G. X. Zhang

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Joint replacement is a major orthopaedic procedure used to treat joint osteoarthritis. Aseptic loosening and infection are the two most significant causes of prosthetic implant failure. The ideal implant should be able to promote osteointegration, deter bacterial adhesion and minimize prosthetic infection. Recent developments in material science and cell biology have seen the development of new orthopaedic implant coatings to address these issues. Coatings consisting of bioceramics, extracellular matrix proteins, biological peptides or growth factors impart bioactivity and biocompatibility to the metallic surface of conventional orthopaedic prosthesis that promote bone ingrowth and differentiation of stem cells into osteoblasts leading to enhanced osteointegration of the implant. Furthermore, coatings such as silver, nitric oxide, antibiotics, antiseptics and antimicrobial peptides with anti-microbial properties have also been developed, which show promise in reducing bacterial adhesion and prosthetic infections. This review summarizes some of the recent developments in coatings for orthopaedic implants.

Modified corrosion protection coatings for Concrete tower of Transmission line

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Kai; Jing, Xiangyang; Wang, Hongli; Yue, Zengwu; Wu, Yaping; Mi, Xuchun; Li, Xingeng; Chen, Suhong; Fan, Zhibin

2017-12-01

By adding nano SiO2 particles, an enhanced K-PRTV anti-pollution flashover coating had been prepared. Optical profile meter (GT-K), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) characterization were carried out on the coating surface analysis. With the use of modified epoxy resin as the base material, the supplemented by phosphate as a corrosion stabilizer, to achieve a corrosion of steel and galvanized steel with rust coating. Paint with excellent adhesion, more than 10MPa (1), resistant to neutral salt spray 1000h does not appear rust point. At the same time coating a large amount of ultra-fine zinc powder can be added for the tower galvanized layer zinc repair function, while the paint in the zinc powder for the tower to provide sacrificial anode protection, to achieve self-repair function of the coating. Compared to the market with a significant reduction in the cost of rust paint, enhance the anti-corrosion properties.

Anti-freeze coatings for the rotor blades of wind turbines; Anti-freeze Beschichtungen fuer Rotorblaetter von Windenergieanlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siegmann, K.; Kaufmann, A.; Hirayama, M.

2006-07-01

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at projects involving the development of suggestions for coatings for the rotor blades of wind turbines. The coatings are to reduce the formation of hoarfrost on the leading edges of the blades. Various coatings are described and the mechanisms involved in the formation of the frost and in keeping the blades as free as possible from frost are discussed. Global know-how on the subject is discussed, as is know-how available in Europe and Switzerland. Manufacturers, planning offices and installation operators are listed, as are research institutes who are dealing with this problem. In the summary, the authors stress the importance of choosing the coating most suitable for the actual climatic conditions at the wind turbine's location. A suggestion is made for further work in this area.

Formation probabilities and relaxation rates of muon states in germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clawson, C.W.; Haller, E.E.; Crowe, K.M.; Rosenblum, S.S.; Brewer, J.H.; British Columbia Univ., Vancouver

1981-01-01

We report the first results of a study of the muonium states in ultra-pure germanium crystals grown under a variety of conditions at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Among the variations studied are: 1) Hydrogen, deuterium, or nitrogen atmosphere during growth; 2) Dislocation-free vs. dislocated crystals; 3) Grown from quartz, graphite, and pyrolytic graphite coated quartz crucibles; 4) n-type vs. p-type. We report a significant difference in the muonium relaxation rate between the dislocated and non-dislocated crystals. (orig.)

[Quality of buffy-coat-derived platelet concentrates prepared using automated system terumo automated centrifuge and separator integration (TACSI)].

Science.gov (United States)

Zebrowska, Agnieszka; Lipska, Alina; Rogowska, Anna; Bujno, Magdalena; Nedzi, Marta; Radziwon, Piotr

2011-03-01

Platelet recovery, and viability, and function is strongly dependent on the method of the preparation of platelet concentrate (PC). The glucose consumption, decrease of pH, release of alpha granules during storage in platelet concentrate impair their clinical effectiveness. To compare of the quality of buffy-coat-derieved platelet concentrates prepared using automatic system terumo automated centrifuge and separator integration (TACSI) and stored over 7 days. PCs were prepared from buffy coats using manual method (group I), or automatic system TACSI (group II). Fifteen PCs prepared from the 5 buffy coats each were stored over 7 days in 22-24 degrees C and tested. Samples were taken from the PCs container on days 1 and 7. The following laboratory tests were performed: number of platelets, platelets derived microparticles, CD62P expression, platelet adhesion, pH, glucose, lactate dehydrogenase activity. We have observed higher expression of CD62P in PCs prepared using manual method compared to the PCs produced automatically Platelet recovery was significantly higher in PCs prepared using automatic systems compare to manual method. Compared to manual methods, automatic system for preparation of buffy coats, is more efficient and enable production of platelets concentrates of higher quality.

Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting with short relaxation intervals.

Science.gov (United States)

Amthor, Thomas; Doneva, Mariya; Koken, Peter; Sommer, Karsten; Meineke, Jakob; Börnert, Peter

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to investigate a technique for improving the performance of Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF) in repetitive sampling schemes, in particular for 3D MRF acquisition, by shortening relaxation intervals between MRF pulse train repetitions. A calculation method for MRF dictionaries adapted to short relaxation intervals and non-relaxed initial spin states is presented, based on the concept of stationary fingerprints. The method is applicable to many different k-space sampling schemes in 2D and 3D. For accuracy analysis, T 1 and T 2 values of a phantom are determined by single-slice Cartesian MRF for different relaxation intervals and are compared with quantitative reference measurements. The relevance of slice profile effects is also investigated in this case. To further illustrate the capabilities of the method, an application to in-vivo spiral 3D MRF measurements is demonstrated. The proposed computation method enables accurate parameter estimation even for the shortest relaxation intervals, as investigated for different sampling patterns in 2D and 3D. In 2D Cartesian measurements, we achieved a scan acceleration of more than a factor of two, while maintaining acceptable accuracy: The largest T 1 values of a sample set deviated from their reference values by 0.3% (longest relaxation interval) and 2.4% (shortest relaxation interval). The largest T 2 values showed systematic deviations of up to 10% for all relaxation intervals, which is discussed. The influence of slice profile effects for multislice acquisition is shown to become increasingly relevant for short relaxation intervals. In 3D spiral measurements, a scan time reduction of 36% was achieved, maintaining the quality of in-vivo T1 and T2 maps. Reducing the relaxation interval between MRF sequence repetitions using stationary fingerprint dictionaries is a feasible method to improve the scan efficiency of MRF sequences. The method enables fast implementations of 3D spatially

Highly Efficient F, Cu doped TiO2 anti-bacterial visible light active photocatalytic coatings to combat hospital-acquired infections

Science.gov (United States)

Leyland, Nigel S.; Podporska-Carroll, Joanna; Browne, John; Hinder, Steven J.; Quilty, Brid; Pillai, Suresh C.

2016-04-01

Bacterial infections are a major threat to the health of patients in healthcare facilities including hospitals. One of the major causes of patient morbidity is infection with Staphylococcus aureus. One of the the most dominant nosocomial bacteria, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been reported to survive on hospital surfaces (e.g. privacy window glasses) for up to 5 months. None of the current anti-bacterial technology is efficient in eliminating Staphylococcus aureus. A novel transparent, immobilised and superhydrophilic coating of titanium dioxide, co-doped with fluorine and copper has been prepared on float glass substrates. Antibacterial activity has demonstrated (by using Staphylococcus aureus), resulting from a combination of visible light activated (VLA) photocatalysis and copper ion toxicity. Co-doping with copper and fluorine has been shown to improve the performance of the coating, relative to a purely fluorine-doped VLA photocatalyst. Reductions in bacterial population of log10 = 4.2 under visible light irradiation and log10 = 1.8 in darkness have been achieved, compared with log10 = 1.8 under visible light irradiation and no activity, for a purely fluorine-doped titania. Generation of reactive oxygen species from the photocatalytic coatings is the major factor that significantly reduces the bacterial growth on the glass surfaces.

Improved postharvest quality in patagonian squash ( Cucurbita moschata) coated with radiation depolymerized chitosan

Science.gov (United States)

Pugliese, Maria Alicia; Goitia, Maria Teresa; Yossen, Mariana; Cifone, Norma; Agulló, Enrique; Andreucetti, Noemi

2011-12-01

Different molecular weight chitosans were evaluated on the decay of coated Anquito squashes ( Cucurbita moschata) as well as the maintenance of the fruit quality along five storage months. The original chitosan (Mw=391 kDa, 83% DD), was depolymerized by gamma radiation. Apart from chain scission, other chemical changes were not detected by FTIR or UV-vis analyses. The molecular weight characterization of chitosans was done by size exclusion chromatography with dual light scattering and concentration detection (SEC-MALLS-RI). The coating effectiveness was evaluated on the following parameters: fungal decay incidence, weight loss, firmness, total reducing sugar, soluble solid, flesh color, carotene content, pH and titratable acidity. No sign of fungal decay was observed in squashes coated with 122 and 56 kDa chitosans, which were also the most effective treatments in reducing the weight loss. The chitosan with Mw=122 kDa was also the best treatment considering firmness, internal aspect, sugar and carotene content. Then, radiation degraded chitosan was better in C. moschata preservation than the original chitosan.

Silica-coated Gd(DOTA)-loaded protein nanoparticles enable magnetic resonance imaging of macrophages

Science.gov (United States)

Bruckman, Michael A.; Randolph, Lauren N.; Gulati, Neetu M.; Stewart, Phoebe L.; Steinmetz, Nicole F.

2015-01-01

The molecular imaging of in vivo targets allows non-invasive disease diagnosis. Nanoparticles offer a promising platform for molecular imaging because they can deliver large payloads of imaging reagents to the site of disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often preferred for clinical diagnosis because it uses non-ionizing radiation and offers both high spatial resolution and excellent penetration. We have explored the use of plant viruses as the basis of for MRI contrast reagents, specifically Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), which can assemble to form either stiff rods or spheres. We loaded TMV particles with paramagnetic Gd ions, increasing the ionic relaxivity compared to free Gd ions. The loaded TMV particles were then coated with silica maintaining high relaxivities. Interestingly, we found that when Gd(DOTA) was loaded into the interior channel of TMV and the exterior was coated with silica, the T1 relaxivities increased by three-fold from 10.9 mM−1 s−1 to 29.7 mM−1s−1 at 60 MHz compared to uncoated Gd-loaded TMV. To test the performance of the contrast agents in a biological setting, we focused on interactions with macrophages because the active or passive targeting of immune cells is a popular strategy to investigate the cellular components involved in disease progression associated with inflammation. In vitro assays and phantom MRI experiments indicate efficient targeting and imaging of macrophages, enhanced contrast-to-noise ratio was observed by shape-engineering (SNP > TMV) and silica-coating (Si-TMV/SNP > TMV/SNP). Because plant viruses are in the food chain, antibodies may be prevalent in the population. Therefore we investigated whether the silica-coating could prevent antibody recognition; indeed our data indicate that mineralization can be used as a stealth coating option to reduce clearance. Therefore, we conclude that the silica-coated protein-based contrast agent may provide an interesting candidate material for further investigation

Revealing Amphiphilic Nanodornains of Anti-Biofouling Polymer Coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amadei, CA; Yang, R; Chiesa, M; Gleason, KK; Santos, S

2014-04-09

Undesired bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on wetted surfaces leads to significant economic and environmental costs in various industries. Amphiphilic coatings with molecular hydrophilic and hydrophobic patches can mitigate such biofouling effectively in an environmentally friendly manner. The coatings are synthesized by copolymerizing (Hydroxyethyl)methacrylate and perfluorodecylacrylate via initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). In previous studies, the size of the patches was estimated to be similar to 1.4-1.75 nm by fitting protein adsorption data to a theoretical model. However, no direct observations of the molecular heterogeneity exist and therefore the origin of the fouling resistance of amphiphilic coatings remains unclear. Here, the amphiphilic nature is investigated by amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy (AM-AFM). High-resolution images obtained by penetrating and oscillating the AFM tip under the naturally present water layer with sub-nanometer amplitudes reveal, for the first time, the existence of amphiphilic nanodomains (1-2 nm(2)). Compositional heterogeneity at the nanoscale is further corroborated by a statistical analysis on the data obtained with dynamic AM-AFM force spectroscopy. Variations in the long range attractive forces, responsible for water affinity, are also identified. These nanoscopic results on the polymers wettability are also confirmed by contact angle measurements (i.e., static and dynamic). The unprecedented ability to visualize the amphiphilic nanodomains as well as sub-nanometer crystalline structures provides strong evidence for the existence of previously postulated nanostructures, and sheds light on the underlying antifouling mechanism of amphiphilic chemistry.

Bioinspired, roughness-induced, water and oil super-philic and super-phobic coatings prepared by adaptable layer-by-layer technique

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Philip S.; Bhushan, Bharat

2015-01-01

Coatings with specific surface wetting properties are of interest for anti-fouling, anti-fogging, anti-icing, self-cleaning, anti-smudge, and oil-water separation applications. Many previous bioinspired surfaces are of limited use due to a lack of mechanical durability. Here, a layer-by-layer technique is utilized to create coatings with four combinations of water and oil repellency and affinity. An adapted layer-by-layer approach is tailored to yield specific surface properties, resulting in a durable, functional coating. This technique provides necessary flexibility to improve substrate adhesion combined with desirable surface chemistry. Polyelectrolyte binder, SiO2 nanoparticles, and silane or fluorosurfactant layers are deposited, combining surface roughness and necessary chemistry to result in four different coatings: superhydrophilic/superoleophilic, superhydrophobic/superoleophilic, superhydrophobic/superoleophobic, and superhydrophilic/superoleophobic. The superoleophobic coatings display hexadecane contact angles >150° with tilt angles superhydrophobic coatings display water contact angles >160° with tilt angles hydrophobic properties, whilst others mix and match oil and water repellency and affinity. Coating durability was examined through the use of micro/macrowear experiments. These coatings display transparency acceptable for some applications. Fabrication via this novel combination of techniques results in durable, functional coatings displaying improved performance compared to existing work where either durability or functionality is compromised. PMID:26353971

Effects of molybdenum dithiocarbamate and zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate additives on tribological behaviors of hydrogenated diamond-like carbon coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yue, Wen; Liu, Chunyue; Fu, Zhiqiang; Wang, Chengbiao; Huang, Haipeng; Liu, Jiajun

2014-01-01

Highlights: • For MoDTC, DLC coating showed better anti-friction and worse anti-wear behaviors. • The improved anti-friction property was due to graphitization and MoS 2 . • Formation of MoO x resulted in a high wear volume. • For ZDDP, DLC coating showed the best anti-wear and the worst anti-friction behaviors. • Absence of friction reducing product and graphitized layer resulted in a higher friction. - Abstract: The tribological behaviors of hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings under varied load conditions lubricated with polyalpha olefin (PAO), molybdenum dithiocarbamate (MoDTC) and zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) additives were investigated in this paper. Hydrogenated DLC coatings were synthesized through the decomposition of acetylene by the ion source. The tribological performances were measured on a SRV tribometer. The morphologies and chemical structures of the DLC coatings were investigated by the scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectrometer (Raman) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS). It was shown that the low friction and high wear were achieved on the hydrogenated DLC coating under MoDTC lubrication, while low wear was found on the hydrogenated DLC coating lubricated by ZDDP. The primary reason was attributed to different tribofilms formed on the contact area and the formation of graphitic layer. Both factors working together leaded to quite different tribological behaviors

Effectiveness of a Combined Dance and Relaxation Intervention on Reducing Anxiety and Depression and Improving Quality of Life among the Cognitively Impaired Elderly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dina Adam

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Cognitive impairment is a common problem among the elderly and is believed to be a precursor to dementia. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of a combined dance and relaxation intervention as compared to relaxation alone in reducing anxiety and depression levels and improving quality of life (QOL and cognitive function among the cognitively impaired elderly. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted between May and December 2013 in Peninsular Malaysia. Subjects from four government residential homes for older adults aged ≥60 years with mild to moderate cognitive function as assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination were included in the study. Subjects were divided into an intervention group and a control group; the former participated in a combined poco-poco dance and relaxation intervention whilst the latter participated in relaxation exercises only. Both groups participated in two sessions per week for six weeks. Anxiety and depression were self-assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and QOL was self-assessed using the Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease questionnaire. Results: A total of 84 elderly subjects were included in the study; 44 were in the intervention group and 40 were in the control group. When compared to control subjects, those in the intervention group showed significantly decreased anxiety (P <0.001 and depression (P <0.001 levels as well as improved QOL (P <0.001 and cognitive impairment (P <0.001. Conclusion: Dance as a form of participationbased physical exercise was found to reduce anxiety and depression levels and improve QOL and cognitive function among the studied sample of cognitively impaired elderly subjects in Malaysia.

Flagellin based biomimetic coatings: From cell-repellent surfaces to highly adhesive coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Kovacs, Boglarka; Patko, Daniel; Szekacs, Inna; Orgovan, Norbert; Kurunczi, Sandor; Sulyok, Attila; Khanh, Nguyen Quoc; Toth, Balazs; Vonderviszt, Ferenc; Horvath, Robert

2016-09-15

Biomimetic coatings with cell-adhesion-regulating functionalities are intensively researched today. For example, cell-based biosensing for drug development, biomedical implants, and tissue engineering require that the surface adhesion of living cells is well controlled. Recently, we have shown that the bacterial flagellar protein, flagellin, adsorbs through its terminal segments to hydrophobic surfaces, forming an oriented monolayer and exposing its variable D3 domain to the solution. Here, we hypothesized that this nanostructured layer is highly cell-repellent since it mimics the surface of the flagellar filaments. Moreover, we proposed flagellin as a carrier molecule to display the cell-adhesive RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) peptide sequence and induce cell adhesion on the coated surface. The D3 domain of flagellin was replaced with one or more RGD motifs linked by various oligopeptides modulating flexibility and accessibility of the inserted segment. The obtained flagellin variants were applied to create surface coatings inducing cell adhesion and spreading to different levels, while wild-type flagellin was shown to form a surface layer with strong anti-adhesive properties. As reference surfaces synthetic polymers were applied which have anti-adhesive (PLL-g-PEG poly(l-lysine)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol)) or adhesion inducing properties (RGD-functionalized PLL-g-PEG). Quantitative adhesion data was obtained by employing optical biochips and microscopy. Cell-adhesion-regulating coatings can be simply formed on hydrophobic surfaces by using the developed flagellin-based constructs. The developed novel RGD-displaying flagellin variants can be easily obtained by bacterial production and can serve as alternatives to create cell-adhesion-regulating biomimetic coatings. In the present work, we show for the first time that. Copyright © 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of chitosan-essential oil coatings on safety and quality of fresh blueberries.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiuxiu; Narciso, Jan; Wang, Zhe; Ference, Christopher; Bai, Jinhe; Zhou, Kequan

2014-05-01

Chitosan coating plus different essential oils was developed and applied to fresh blueberries in order to find more natural treatments to preserve fresh fruit quality and safety during postharvest storage. Studies were 1st performed in vitro where wild-type Escherichia coli and Penicillium digitatum were grown in suitable media, and then subjected to 6 essential oils. Three compounds, carvacrol (CAR), cinnamaldehyde (CIN), and trans-cinnamaldehyde (ECIN) had high antimicrobial capacity and were selected for an in vivo study for postharvest storage of blueberries. The selected essential oils, 0.5% each, were added into a chitosan solution and coated on fresh blueberries. After storage at 5, 10, and 20 °C for various days, fruit firmness and microbial populations were evaluated. The chitosan coating substantially decreased bacteria and yeasts/molds on the fruit, and all 3 essential oils added to the antimicrobial activities. Further dosage experiments showed that the antimicrobial activity remained even when lowering CAR concentration to 0.1% and ECIN to 0.2%. Chitosan, CAR, and ECIN also maintained fruit firmness. Our results suggest that chitosan coatings containing essential oils are effective in extending the shelf life of fresh blueberries. Blueberries are high-value fruit with strong antioxidant capacity and other health-promoting benefits. However, microbial food safety is an increasing concern, and decay and softening limits their storability. A combination of ≥ 0.1% CAR or ≥ 0.2% ECIN with a chitosan coating effectively reduced softening of fresh berries and decay by inhibiting microbial growth. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

Mechanical properties of chemical vapor deposited coatings for fusion reactor application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullendore, A.W.; Whitley, J.B.; Pierson, H.O.; Mattox, D.M.

1980-01-01

Chemical vapor deposited coatings of TiB 2 , TiC and boron on graphite substrates are being developed for application as limiter materials in magnetic confinement fusion reactors. In this application severe thermal shock conditions exist and to do effective thermo-mechanical modelling of the material response it is necessary to acquire elastic moduli, fracture strength and strain to fracture data for the coatings. Four point flexure tests have been conducted from room temperature to 2000 0 C on TiB 2 and boron coated graphite with coatings in tension and compression and the mechanical properties extracted from the load-deflection data. In addition, stress relaxation tests from 500 to 1150 0 C were performed on TiB 2 and TiC coated graphite beams to assess the low levels of plastic deformation which occur in these coatings. Significant differences have been observed between the effective mechanical properties of the coatings and literature values of the bulk properties

Fabrication and anti-frosting performance of super hydrophobic coating based on modified nano-sized calcium carbonate and ordinary polyacrylate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Hao [Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Tang Liming [Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)], E-mail: tanglm@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn; Wu Xiaomin; Dai Wantian [Department of Thermal Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Qiu Yipeng [Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2007-09-15

Nano-sized calcium carbonate (CaCO{sub 3}) particles were modified by heptadecafluorodecyl trimethoxysilane under acidic water condition. An ordinary polyacrylate prepared via radical copolymerization of methyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, acrylic acid and {beta}-hydroxyethyl methacrylate was used as the binder to form hydrophobic coatings with the modified CaCO{sub 3}. Super hydrophobic coating with water contact angle of 155{sup o} was obtained from modified CaCO{sub 3} and the polyacrylate at their weight ratio of 8/2 by a simple procedure. Based on surface analysis by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the super hydrophobicity can be attributed to both the surface microstructure and surface enrichment of fluoroalkyl chains. Due to a low water sliding angle, carbon black powder on super hydrophobic surface was easily removed by rolling water droplet. Furthermore, the anti-frosting performance of different surfaces was investigated, which indicated that the frost formed on superhydrophobic surface was greatly retarded compared with that on bare copper surface. The surface kept super hydrophobicity even after freezing-thawing treatment for 10 times.

Coating Thin Mirror Segments for Lightweight X-ray Optics

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Kai-Wing; Sharpe, Marton V.; Zhang, William; Kolosc, Linette; Hong, Melinda; McClelland, Ryan; Hohl, Bruce R.; Saha, Timo; Mazzarellam, James

2013-01-01

Next generations lightweight, high resolution, high throughput optics for x-ray astronomy requires integration of very thin mirror segments into a lightweight telescope housing without distortion. Thin glass substrates with linear dimension of 200 mm and thickness as small as 0.4 mm can now be fabricated to a precision of a few arc-seconds for grazing incidence optics. Subsequent implementation requires a distortion-free deposition of metals such as iridium or platinum. These depositions, however, generally have high coating stresses that cause mirror distortion. In this paper, we discuss the coating stress on these thin glass mirrors and the effort to eliminate their induced distortion. It is shown that balancing the coating distortion either by coating films with tensile and compressive stresses, or on both sides of the mirrors is not sufficient. Heating the mirror in a moderately high temperature turns out to relax the coated films reasonably well to a precision of about a second of arc and therefore provide a practical solution to the coating problem.

relaxGUI: a new software for fast and simple NMR relaxation data analysis and calculation of ps-ns and μs motion of proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bieri, Michael; D’Auvergne, Edward J.; Gooley, Paul R.

2011-01-01

Investigation of protein dynamics on the ps-ns and μs-ms timeframes provides detailed insight into the mechanisms of enzymes and the binding properties of proteins. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is an excellent tool for studying protein dynamics at atomic resolution. Analysis of relaxation data using model-free analysis can be a tedious and time consuming process, which requires good knowledge of scripting procedures. The software relaxGUI was developed for fast and simple model-free analysis and is fully integrated into the software package relax. It is written in Python and uses wxPython to build the graphical user interface (GUI) for maximum performance and multi-platform use. This software allows the analysis of NMR relaxation data with ease and the generation of publication quality graphs as well as color coded images of molecular structures. The interface is designed for simple data analysis and management. The software was tested and validated against the command line version of relax.

relaxGUI: a new software for fast and simple NMR relaxation data analysis and calculation of ps-ns and μs motion of proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Bieri, Michael; d'Auvergne, Edward J; Gooley, Paul R

2011-06-01

Investigation of protein dynamics on the ps-ns and μs-ms timeframes provides detailed insight into the mechanisms of enzymes and the binding properties of proteins. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is an excellent tool for studying protein dynamics at atomic resolution. Analysis of relaxation data using model-free analysis can be a tedious and time consuming process, which requires good knowledge of scripting procedures. The software relaxGUI was developed for fast and simple model-free analysis and is fully integrated into the software package relax. It is written in Python and uses wxPython to build the graphical user interface (GUI) for maximum performance and multi-platform use. This software allows the analysis of NMR relaxation data with ease and the generation of publication quality graphs as well as color coded images of molecular structures. The interface is designed for simple data analysis and management. The software was tested and validated against the command line version of relax.

Indentation creep behavior of cold sprayed aluminum amorphous/nano-crystalline coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Babu, P. Suresh [International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Balapur, Hyderabad 500005, Andhra Pradesh (India); Nanomechanics and Nanotribology Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174 (United States); Jha, R.; Guzman, M. [Nanomechanics and Nanotribology Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174 (United States); Sundararajan, G. [International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Balapur, Hyderabad 500005, Andhra Pradesh (India); Agarwal, Arvind, E-mail: agarwala@fiu.edu [Nanomechanics and Nanotribology Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174 (United States)

2016-03-21

In this study, we report room temperature creep properties of cold sprayed aluminum amorphous/nanocrystalline coating using nanoindentation technique. Creep experiments were also performed on heat treated coatings to study the structural stability and its influence on the creep behavior. The peak load and holding time were varied from 1000 to 4000 µN and 0 to 240 s respectively. Stress exponent value (n) vary from 5.6 to 2.3 in as-sprayed (AS) coatings and 7.2–4.8 in heat treated (HT) coatings at peak load of 1000–4000 µN at 240 s hold time. Higher stress exponent value indicates heat treated coatings have more resistance to creep deformation than as-sprayed coatings. Relaxed, partially crystallized structure with less porosity, and stronger inter-splat boundaries restrict the deformation in heat treated coatings as compared to greater free volume generation in amorphous as-sprayed coatings. The computed activation volume of heat treated coatings is twice of as-sprayed coatings indicating greater number of atom participation in shear band formation in heat treated coatings. The proposed mechanism was found to be consistent with the stress exponent values.

Recent innovations in the area of edible films and coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Maftoonazad, Neda; Badii, Fojan; Shahamirian, Maryam

2013-12-01

Edible films/coatings have been considered as one of the potential technologies that can be used to increase the storability of foods and to improve the existent packaging technology, helping to ensure the microbial safety and the preservation of food from the influence of external factors. Innovations constantly appear in food packaging, always aiming at creating a more efficient quality preservation system while improving foods' attractiveness and marketability. The utilization of renewable sources for packaging materials, such as hydrocolloids and lipids from biological origin, is one the main trends of the industry. These films should have acceptable sensory characteristics, appropriate barrier properties (CO2, O2, water, oil), microbial, biochemical and physicochemical stability, they should be safe, and produced by simple technology in low cost. Also they can act as effective carrier for antioxidant, flavor, color and nutritional or anti-microbial additives. Nowadays, a great discussion exists about the potential applications of edible films/coatings on food products. The general trend is to find the correct combination between the food product and the edible film/coating, which will ensure the success of the technology.

Quality of anti-malarials collected in the private and informal sectors in Guyana and Suriname

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evans Lawrence

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite a significant reduction in the number of malaria cases in Guyana and Suriname, this disease remains a major problem in the interior of both countries, especially in areas with gold mining and logging operations, where malaria is endemic. National malaria control programmes in these countries provide treatment to patients with medicines that are procured and distributed through regulated processes in the public sector. However, availability to medicines in licensed facilities (private sector and unlicensed facilities (informal sector is common, posing the risk of access to and use of non-recommended treatments and/or poor quality products. Methods To assess the quality of circulating anti-malarial medicines, samples were purchased in the private and informal sectors of Guyana and Suriname in 2009. The sampling sites were selected based on epidemiological data and/or distance from health facilities. Samples were analysed for identity, content, dissolution or disintegration, impurities, and uniformity of dosage units or weight variation according to manufacturer, pharmacopeial, or other validated method. Results Quality issues were observed in 45 of 77 (58% anti-malarial medicines sampled in Guyana of which 30 failed visual & physical inspection and 18 failed quality control tests. The proportion of monotherapy and ACT medicines failing quality control tests was 43% (13/30 and 11% (5/47 respectively. A higher proportion of medicines sampled from the private sector 34% (11/32 failed quality control tests versus 16% (7/45 in the informal sector. In Suriname, 58 medicines were sampled, of which 50 (86% were Artecom®, the fixed-dose combination of piperaquine-dihydroartemisinin-trimethoprim co-blistered with a primaquine phosphate tablet. All Artecom samples were found to lack a label claim for primaquine, thus failing visual and physical inspection. Conclusions The findings of the studies in both countries point to

Quality of anti-malarials collected in the private and informal sectors in Guyana and Suriname.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Lawrence; Coignez, Veerle; Barojas, Adrian; Bempong, Daniel; Bradby, Sanford; Dijiba, Yanga; James, Makeida; Bretas, Gustavo; Adhin, Malti; Ceron, Nicolas; Hinds-Semple, Alison; Chibwe, Kennedy; Lukulay, Patrick; Pribluda, Victor

2012-06-15

Despite a significant reduction in the number of malaria cases in Guyana and Suriname, this disease remains a major problem in the interior of both countries, especially in areas with gold mining and logging operations, where malaria is endemic. National malaria control programmes in these countries provide treatment to patients with medicines that are procured and distributed through regulated processes in the public sector. However, availability to medicines in licensed facilities (private sector) and unlicensed facilities (informal sector) is common, posing the risk of access to and use of non-recommended treatments and/or poor quality products. To assess the quality of circulating anti-malarial medicines, samples were purchased in the private and informal sectors of Guyana and Suriname in 2009. The sampling sites were selected based on epidemiological data and/or distance from health facilities. Samples were analysed for identity, content, dissolution or disintegration, impurities, and uniformity of dosage units or weight variation according to manufacturer, pharmacopeial, or other validated method. Quality issues were observed in 45 of 77 (58%) anti-malarial medicines sampled in Guyana of which 30 failed visual & physical inspection and 18 failed quality control tests. The proportion of monotherapy and ACT medicines failing quality control tests was 43% (13/30) and 11% (5/47) respectively. A higher proportion of medicines sampled from the private sector 34% (11/32) failed quality control tests versus 16% (7/45) in the informal sector. In Suriname, 58 medicines were sampled, of which 50 (86%) were Artecom®, the fixed-dose combination of piperaquine-dihydroartemisinin-trimethoprim co-blistered with a primaquine phosphate tablet. All Artecom samples were found to lack a label claim for primaquine, thus failing visual and physical inspection. The findings of the studies in both countries point to significant problems with the quality of anti-malarial medicines

Post-CHF heat transfer: a non-equilibrium, relaxation model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, O.C. Jr.; Zuber, N.

1977-01-01

Existing phenomenological models of heat transfer in the non-equilibrium, liquid-deficient, dispersed flow regime can sometimes predict the thermal behavior fairly well but are quite complex, requiring coupled simultaneous differential equations to describe the axial gradients of mass and energy along with those of droplet acceleration and size. In addition, empirical relations are required to express the droplet breakup and increased effective heat transfer due to holdup. This report describes the development of a different approach to the problem. It is shown that the non-equilibrium component of the total energy can be expressed as a first order, inhomogeneous relaxation equation in terms of one variable coefficient termed the Superheat Relaxation number. A demonstration is provided to show that this relaxation number can be correlated using local variables in such a manner to allow the single non-equilibrium equation to accurately calculate the effects of mass velocity and heat flux along with tube length, diameter, and critical quality for equilibrium qualities from 0.13 to over 3.0

Anti-Stokes Luminescence in High Quality Quantum Wells

Science.gov (United States)

Vinattieri, A.; Bogani, F.; Miotto, A.; Ceccherini, S.

1997-11-01

We present a detailed investigation of the anti-Stokes (AS) luminescence which originates from exciton recombination when below gap excitation is used, in a set of high quality quantum well structures. We observe strong excitonic resonances in the AS signal as measured from photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectra. We demonstrate that neither the electromagnetic coupling between the wells nor the morphological disorder can explain this up-conversion effect. Time-resolved luminescence data after ps excitation and fs correlation spectroscopy results provide clear evidence of the occurrence of a two-step absorption which is assisted by the exciton population resonantly excited by the first photon.

Investigation of laser cladding high temperature anti-wear composite coatings on Ti6Al4V alloy with the addition of self-lubricant CaF2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiang, Zhan-Feng; Liu, Xiu-Bo; Ren, Jia; Luo, Jian; Shi, Shi-Hong; Chen, Yao; Shi, Gao-Lian; Wu, Shao-Hua

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A novel high temperature self-lubricating wear-resistant coating was fabricated. • TiC carbides and self-lubricant CaF 2 were “in situ” synthesized in the coating. • The coating with the addition of CaF 2 possessed superior properties than without. - Abstract: To improve the high-temperature tribological properties of Ti–6Al–4V alloy, γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC and γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC/CaF 2 coatings were fabricated on Ti–6Al–4V alloy by laser cladding. The phase compositions and microstructure of the coatings were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The tribological behaviors were evaluated using a ball-on-disk tribometer from ambient temperature to 600 °C under dry sliding wear conditions and the corresponding wear mechanisms were discussed. The results indicated that the γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC/CaF 2 coating consisted of α-Ti, the “in situ” synthesized TiC block particles and dendrite, γ-NiCrAlTi solid solution and spherical CaF 2 particles. The wear rates of γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC/CaF 2 coating were decreased greatly owing to the combined effects of the reinforced carbides and continuous lubricating films. Furthermore, the friction coefficients of γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC/CaF 2 coating presented minimum value of 0.21 at 600 °C, which was reduced by 43% and 50% compared to the substrate and γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC coating respectively. It was considered that the γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC/CaF 2 coating exhibited excellent friction-reducing and anti-wear properties at high temperature

Hybrid Perovskite Thin Film Formation: From Lab Scale Spin Coating to Large Area Blade Coating

KAUST Repository

Munir, Rahim

2017-01-01

in which an anti-solvent is used during the coating process through the solvent mixture of GBL and DMSO in different ratios. It has been shown that solvent engineering produce pin hole-free films, justifying its wide adoption across the field. We

In vitro cell quality of buffy coat platelets in additive solution treated with pathogen reduction technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ostrowski, Sisse R; Bochsen, Louise; Salado-Jimena, José A

2010-01-01

Pathogen reduction technologies (PRTs) may induce storage lesion in platelet (PLT) concentrates. To investigate this, buffy coat PLTs (BCPs) in PLT additive solution (AS; SSP+) with or without Mirasol PRT (CaridianBCT Biotechnologies) were assessed by quality control tests and four-color flow...

Investigation on hard coating of pivot-jewel bearing and wearing performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Kun; Dai Xingjian

2014-01-01

The reliability of high speed rotating machine is related to the anti-wear properties of pivot jewel bearing used in the system. To reduce its wearing process, hard coating method is used on the steel pivot. Through the wearing test on specialized facilities, its founded that the TiN coating shows better performance than DLC coating, and multi-layer TiN coating can slow down the pivot's wearing process obviously compared to other methods. (authors)

Effectiveness of almond gum trees exudate as a novel edible coating for improving postharvest quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruits.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahfoudhi, Nesrine; Chouaibi, Moncef; Hamdi, Salem

2014-01-01

The use of coatings is a technique used to increase postharvest life of the fruit. Almond gum exudate was used, in comparison with gum arabic, at concentrations of 10% as a novel edible coating, to preserve the quality parameters of tomato (Solanumlycopersicum). Fruits were harvested at the mature-green stage of ripening. Results showed that the coatings delayed significantly (p tomato fruits during storage period (20 days). In addition, the difference between gum arabic and almond gum coatings was not significant (p > 0.05) except for pulp color. Therefore, we can suggest the use of almond gum exudate as a novel edible coating extends the shelf-life of tomato fruits on postharvest.

Effect of cassava starch coating on quality and shelf life of fresh-cut pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merril cv "Pérola").

Science.gov (United States)

Bierhals, Vânia S; Chiumarelli, Marcela; Hubinger, Miriam D

2011-01-01

This research studied the influence of treatment with ascorbic acid, citric acid, and calcium lactate dipping and cassava starch edible coatings on quality parameters and shelf life of fresh-cut pineapple in slices during 12 d at 5 °C. After previous tests, the treatments selected for this study were samples dipped into antibrowning solution with 0.5% of ascorbic acid and 1% of citric acid, with and without 2% of calcium lactate and coated with 2% of cassava starch suspensions. Changes in weight loss, juice leakage, mechanical properties (stress at failure), color parameters (L* and H*), ascorbic acid content, sensory acceptance, and microbial growth of fruits were evaluated. Samples only treated with antibrowning agents were used as control. Edible coatings with and without calcium lactate were efficient in reducing weight loss, juice leakage, and maintaining firmness during storage. However, these samples showed more browning and the ascorbic acid content was reduced. All treatments presented good sensory acceptance (scores above 6). The determining factor of shelf life of pineapple slices was the microbial spoilage. A shelf life of 8 d was obtained for pineapple slices only treated with antibrowning agents. On the other hand, coated samples showed a reduced shelf life of 7 d and higher yeast and mold growth. Thus, although cassava starch coatings were efficient in reducing respiration rate, weight loss, and juice leakage and maintained mechanical properties, these treatments were not able to increase the shelf life of minimally processed pineapple. Practical Application: Pineapple fruit is highly appreciated for its aroma, flavor, and juiciness, but its immediate consumption is difficult. Therefore, pineapple is a potential fruit for minimal processing. However, shelf life of fresh-cut pineapple is very limited by changes in color, texture, appearance, off-flavors, and microbial growth. The use of edible coatings as gas and water vapor barrier and antibrowning

Corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of pulse electrodeposited Ni-TiO{sub 2} composite coating for sintered NdFeB magnet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Qing, E-mail: liqingd@swu.edu.c [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China); Yang Xiaokui [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China); Zhang Liang; Wang Juping; Chen Bo [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China)

2009-08-12

Ni-TiO{sub 2} composite coating which was prepared under pulse current conditions was successfully performed on sintered NdFeB magnet. As a comparison, pure nickel coating was also prepared. The phase structure, the surface morphology, the chemical composition, the anti-corrosion performance of the coatings for magnets, the microhardness and the wearing resistance performance of the coatings were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), electrochemical technique, Vickers hardness tester and ball-on-disc tribometer, respectively. The results revealed that Ni-TiO{sub 2} composite coating provided excellent anti-corrosion performance for the magnets, and showed higher microhardness and better anti-wear performance.

Chitosan-coated nickel-ferrite nanoparticles as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, Tanveer; Bae, Hongsub; Iqbal, Yousaf; Rhee, Ilsu; Hong, Sungwook; Chang, Yongmin; Lee, Jaejun; Sohn, Derac

2015-01-01

We report evidence for the possible application of chitosan-coated nickel-ferrite (NiFe 2 O 4 ) nanoparticles as both T 1 and T 2 contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The coating of nickel-ferrite nanoparticles with chitosan was performed simultaneously with the synthesis of the nickel-ferrite nanoparticles by a chemical co-precipitation method. The coated nanoparticles were cylindrical in shape with an average length of 17 nm and an average width of 4.4 nm. The bonding of chitosan onto the ferrite nanoparticles was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The T 1 and T 2 relaxivities were 0.858±0.04 and 1.71±0.03 mM −1 s −1 , respectively. In animal experimentation, both a 25% signal enhancement in the T 1 -weighted mage and a 71% signal loss in the T 2 -weighted image were observed. This demonstrated that chitosan-coated nickel-ferrite nanoparticles are suitable as both T 1 and T 2 contrast agents in MRI. We note that the applicability of our nanoparticles as both T 1 and T 2 contrast agents is due to their cylindrical shape, which gives rise to both inner and outer sphere processes of nanoparticles. - Highlights: • Chitosan-coated nickel-ferrite (Ni-Fe 2 O 4 ) nanoparticles were synthesized in an aqueous system by chemical co-precipitation. • The characterization of bare and chitosan-coated nanoparticles were performed using various analytical tools, such as TEM, FTIR, XRD, and VMS. • We evaluated the coated particles as potential T 1 and T 2 contrast agents for MRI by measuring T 1 and T 2 relaxation times as a function of iron concentration. • Both T 1 and T 2 effects were also observed in animal experimentation

Microstructure and osteoblast response of gradient bioceramic coating on titanium alloy fabricated by laser cladding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Min; Fan Ding; Li Xiukun; Li Wenfei; Liu Qibin; Zhang Jianbin

2008-01-01

To construct a bioactive interface between metal implant and the surrounding bone tissue, the gradient calcium phosphate bioceramic coating on titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) was designed and fabricated by laser cladding. The results demonstrated that the gradient bioceramic coating was metallurgically bonded to the titanium alloy substrate. The appearance of hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate indicated that the bioactive phases were synthesized on the surface of coating. The microhardness gradually decreased from the coating to substrate, which could help stress relaxation between coating and bone tissue. Furthermore, the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay of cell proliferation revealed that the laser-cladded bioceramic coating had more favorable osteoblast response compared with the surface of untreated titanium alloy substrate

Microstructure and osteoblast response of gradient bioceramic coating on titanium alloy fabricated by laser cladding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng Min [State Key Laboratory of Gansu Advanced Non-ferrous Metal Materials, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China)], E-mail: zhminmin@sina.com; Fan Ding; Li Xiukun [State Key Laboratory of Gansu Advanced Non-ferrous Metal Materials, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China); Li Wenfei; Liu Qibin [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550003 (China); Zhang Jianbin [State Key Laboratory of Gansu Advanced Non-ferrous Metal Materials, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China)

2008-11-15

To construct a bioactive interface between metal implant and the surrounding bone tissue, the gradient calcium phosphate bioceramic coating on titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) was designed and fabricated by laser cladding. The results demonstrated that the gradient bioceramic coating was metallurgically bonded to the titanium alloy substrate. The appearance of hydroxyapatite and {beta}-tricalcium phosphate indicated that the bioactive phases were synthesized on the surface of coating. The microhardness gradually decreased from the coating to substrate, which could help stress relaxation between coating and bone tissue. Furthermore, the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay of cell proliferation revealed that the laser-cladded bioceramic coating had more favorable osteoblast response compared with the surface of untreated titanium alloy substrate.

Anti-allergic and anti-microbial activities of some Thai crops

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Supinya Tewtrakul

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Thirteen Thai crops including banana, okra, jackfruit, germinated rice, rambutan, durian, jampadah, huasa potato,tamarind, coconut, mango, fan palm fruit and dioscorea tuber were tested for anti-allergic effect using RBL-2H3 cells andanti-microbial activity. These 13 crops, some of which included different parts, e.g. skin, flesh, and seed, were extracted withfour solvents separately [(95% ethanol (EtOH, 50% EtOH, water (W and hot water (HW], respectively, to obtain 112extracts. Among these extracts, mango seed in 50% EtOH possessed the highest anti-allergic activity against antigen-inducedb-hexosaminidase release as a marker of degranulation in RBL-2H3 cells with an IC50 value of 7.5±0.8 mg/ml, followed bybanana (W, IC50 = 13.5±2.4 mg/ml, okra (W, IC50 = 13.6±3.1 mg/ml, jampadah skin (HW, IC50 = 13.8±3.9 mg/ml, tamarindseed coat (HW, IC50 = 14.2±3.1 mg/ml, jampadah flesh (W, IC50 = 14.6±3.1 mg/ml; whereas other crops possessed IC50values from 21.5->100 mg/ml. Moreover, the plants showing high anti-allergic effects were also possessed marked antibacterialactivity. Rambutan peel, mango peel, mango seed and tamarind seed coat exhibited appropriate anti-bacterialactivity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MIC values ranging from 250-2,000 mg/ml, but did not show any effect towards Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. This study indicates that these Thaicrops may have potential as functional foods and neutraceuticals for treatment of allergy, allergy-related diseases and somebacterial infections.

Effect of surfactant-coated iron oxide nanoparticles on the effluent water quality from a simulated sequencing batch reactor treating domestic wastewater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Sangchul; Martinez, Diana; Perez, Priscilla; Rinaldi, Carlos

2011-01-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of commercially available engineered iron oxide nanoparticles coated with a surfactant (ENP Fe-surf ) on effluent water quality from a lab-scale sequencing batch reactor as a model secondary biological wastewater treatment. Results showed that ∼8.7% of ENP Fe-surf applied were present in the effluent stream. The stable presence of ENP Fe-surf was confirmed by analyzing the mean particle diameter and iron concentration in the effluent. Consequently, aqueous ENP Fe-surf deteriorated the effluent water quality at a statistically significant level (p Fe-surf would be introduced into environmental receptors through the treated effluent and could potentially impact them. - Highlights: → Surfactant-coated engineered iron oxide nanoparticles (ENP Fe-surf ) were assessed. → Effluent quality was analyzed from a sequencing batch reactor with ENP Fe-surf . → ∼8.7% of ENP Fe-surf applied was present in the effluent. → ENP Fe-surf significantly (p Fe-surf will be introduced into environmental receptors. - Stable presence of surfactant-coated engineered iron oxides nanoparticles deteriorated the effluent water quality at a statistically significant level (p < 0.05).

Paramagnetic relaxation effects in perturbed angular correlations for arbitrary electronic relaxation time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chopin, C.; Spanjaard, D.; Hartmann-Boutron, F.

1975-01-01

Previous perturbation treatments of paramagnetic relaxation effects in γγ PAC were limited to the case of very short electronic relaxation times. This limitation is circumvented by invoking a new perturbation theory recently elaborated by Hirst and others for handling relaxation effects in Moessbauer spectra. Under the assumption of spherical electronic relaxation the perturbation factors are computed as functions of certain relaxation parameters which are directly related to the microscopic relaxation Hamiltonian. The results are compared to those of the stochastic theory of Scherer and Blume [fr

Boronized steels with corundum-baddeleyite coatings

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pokorný, P.; Kolísko, J.; Bouška, P.; Brožek, Vlastimil; Kubatík, Tomáš František; Mastný, L.

2016-01-01

Roč. 55, č. 3 (2016), s. 341-344 ISSN 0543-5846 Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : Bobororonized steel * corundum-baddeleyite coating * anti-corrosion properties * plasma spraying Subject RIV: JG - Metallurgy Impact factor: 0.959, year: 2014

Boronized steels with corundum-baddeleyite coatings

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pokorný, P.; Kolísko, J.; Bouška, P.; Brožek, Vlastimil; Kubatík, Tomáš František; Mastný, L.

2016-01-01

Roč. 55, č. 3 (2016), s. 341-344 ISSN 0543-5846 Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : Bobororonized steel * corundum-baddeleyite coating * anti- corrosion properties * plasma spraying Subject RIV: JG - Metallurgy Impact factor: 0.959, year: 2014

Biodegradable, elastomeric coatings with controlled anti-proliferative agent release for magnesium-based cardiovascular stents.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Xinzhu; Mao, Zhongwei; Ye, Sang-Ho; Koo, Youngmi; Yun, Yeoheung; Tiasha, Tarannum R; Shanov, Vesselin; Wagner, William R

2016-08-01

Vascular stent design continues to evolve to further improve the efficacy and minimize the risks associated with these devices. Drug-eluting coatings have been widely adopted and, more recently, biodegradable stents have been the focus of extensive evaluation. In this report, biodegradable elastomeric polyurethanes were synthesized and applied as drug-eluting coatings for a relatively new class of degradable vascular stents based on Mg. The dynamic degradation behavior, hemocompatibility and drug release were investigated for poly(carbonate urethane) urea (PCUU) and poly(ester urethane) urea (PEUU) coated magnesium alloy (AZ31) stents. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) coated and bare stents were employed as control groups. The PCUU coating effectively slowed the Mg alloy corrosion in dynamic degradation testing compared to PEUU-coated, PLGA-coated and bare Mg alloy stents. This was confirmed by electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and magnesium ion release experiments. PCUU-coating of AZ31 was also associated with significantly reduced platelet adhesion in acute blood contact testing. Rat vascular smooth muscle cell (rSMC) proliferation was successfully inhibited when paclitaxel was released from pre-loaded PCUU coatings. The corrosion retardation, low thrombogenicity, drug loading capacity, and high elasticity make PCUU an attractive option for drug eluting coating on biodegradable metallic cardiovascular stents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chitosan-limonene coating in combination with modified atmosphere packaging preserve postharvest quality of cucumber during storage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maleki, Gisoo; Sedaghat, Naser; Woltering, Ernst J.; Farhoodi, Mehdi; Mohebbi, Mohebbat

2018-01-01

Since cucumbers suffer from a short postharvest life, applying different technologies is increasingly used as effective ways to increase their shelf life and quality. In this study a combination of chitosan-limonene coating and MAP storage has been used as a postharvest treatment to maintain

Randomized controlled trial of relaxation music to reduce heart rate in patients undergoing cardiac CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Ming Yen; Karimzad, Yasser; Menezes, Ravi J; Wintersperger, Bernd J; Li, Qin; Forero, Julian; Paul, Narinder S; Nguyen, Elsie T

2016-10-01

To evaluate the heart rate lowering effect of relaxation music in patients undergoing coronary CT angiography (CCTA), pulmonary vein CT (PVCT) and coronary calcium score CT (CCS). Patients were randomised to a control group (i.e. standard of care protocol) or to a relaxation music group (ie. standard of care protocol with music). The groups were compared for heart rate, radiation dose, image quality and dose of IV metoprolol. Both groups completed State-Trait Anxiety Inventory anxiety questionnaires to assess patient experience. One hundred and ninety-seven patients were recruited (61.9 % males); mean age 56y (19-86 y); 127 CCTA, 17 PVCT, 53 CCS. No significant difference in heart rate, radiation dose, image quality, metoprolol dose and anxiety scores. 86 % of patients enjoyed the music. 90 % of patients in the music group expressed a strong preference to have music for future examinations. The patient cohort demonstrated low anxiety levels prior to CT. Relaxation music in CCTA, PVCT and CCS does not reduce heart rate or IV metoprolol use. Patients showed low levels of anxiety indicating that anxiolytics may not have a significant role in lowering heart rate. Music can be used in cardiac CT to improve patient experience. • Relaxation music does not reduce heart rate in cardiac CT • Relaxation music does not reduce beta-blocker use in cardiac CT • Relaxation music has no effect on cardiac CT image quality • Low levels of anxiety are present in patients prior to cardiac CT • Patients enjoyed the relaxation music and this results in improved patient experience.

Preparation and Electrochemical Properties of Graphene/Epoxy Resin Composite Coating

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Zijun; Zhang, Tianchi; Qiao, Sen; Zhang, Luyihang

2017-11-01

The multilayer graphene powder as filler, epoxy modified silicone resin as film-forming agent, anticorrosion composite coating has been created using sand dispersion method, the electrochemical performance was compared with different content of graphene composite coating and pure epoxy resin coating. The open circuit potential (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization curves (Tafel Plot) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were tested. The test results showed that the anti-corrosion performance of multilayer graphene added has improved greatly, and the content of the 5% best corrosion performance of graphene composite coating.

Superiority of Graphene over Polymer Coatings for Prevention of Microbially Induced Corrosion.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamurthy, Ajay; Gadhamshetty, Venkataramana; Mukherjee, Rahul; Natarajan, Bharath; Eksik, Osman; Ali Shojaee, S; Lucca, Don A; Ren, Wencai; Cheng, Hui-Ming; Koratkar, Nikhil

2015-09-09

Prevention of microbially induced corrosion (MIC) is of great significance in many environmental applications. Here, we report the use of an ultra-thin, graphene skin (Gr) as a superior anti-MIC coating over two commercial polymeric coatings, Parylene-C (PA) and Polyurethane (PU). We find that Nickel (Ni) dissolution in a corrosion cell with Gr-coated Ni is an order of magnitude lower than that of PA and PU coated electrodes. Electrochemical analysis reveals that the Gr coating offers ~10 and ~100 fold improvement in MIC resistance over PU and PA coatings respectively. This finding is remarkable considering that the Gr coating (1-2 nm) is ~25 and ~4000 times thinner than the PA (40-50 nm), and PU coatings (20-80 μm), respectively. Conventional polymer coatings are either non-conformal when deposited or degrade under the action of microbial processes, while the electro-chemically inert graphene coating is both resistant to microbial attack and is extremely conformal and defect-free. Finally, we provide a brief discussion regarding the effectiveness of as-grown vs. transferred graphene films for anti-MIC applications. While the as-grown graphene films are devoid of major defects, wet transfer of graphene is shown to introduce large scale defects that make it less suitable for the current application.

Preparing high-adhesion silver coating on APTMS modified polyethylene with excellent anti-bacterial performance

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wenfei; Chen, Yunxiang; Wu, Song; Zhang, Jian; Wang, Hao; Zeng, Dawen; Xie, Changsheng

2018-04-01

Silver coating as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent was considered to alleviate the inflammation caused by intrauterine device (IUD) in endometrium. In this work, to avoid the damage of silver coating and ensure its antibacterial properties, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) was introduced to modify the polyethylene (PE) substrate for the purpose of improving the adhesion of the silver coating. From the 90° peel test, it could be found that the adhesive strength of silver coating on the APTMS modified PE substrate was nearly 23 times stronger than the silver coating on substrate without surface modification. The dramatically enhanced adhesive strength could be attributed to the formation of continuous chemical bonds between the silver coatings and substrates after surface modification, which had been confirmed by the XPS. Moreover, the standard antibacterial test revealed that the silver coated samples against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) exhibit excellent antibacterial efficacy. Considering the largely enhanced adhesion and the effective antibacterial property, it is reasonable to believe that the silver coating could be considered as a potential candidate for the antibacterial agent in IUD.

Tri-bore PVDF hollow fibers with a super-hydrophobic coating for membrane distillation

KAUST Repository

Lu, Kang-Jia; Zuo, Jian; Chung, Tai-Shung

2016-01-01

Membranes with good mechanical strength, high vapor flux and outstanding anti-wetting properties are essential for membrane distillation (MD) applications. In this work, porous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) tri-bore hollow fiber membranes with super-hydrophobicity are developed to achieve these desired properties. The tri-bore hollow fiber offers better mechanical strength than the conventional single-bore fiber. To improve its anti-wetting properties, Teflon® AF 2400 is coated on the membrane surface. The effects of coating on membrane morphology, performance and anti-wetting properties have been thoroughly investigated. With an optimal coating condition (0.025 wt% of Teflon® AF 2400, 30 s), a super-hydrophobic surface with a contact angle of 151o is achieved. The resultant membrane shows an increase of 109% in liquid entry pressure (LEP) with a slight sacrifice of 21% in flux. Long term direct contact MD tests have confirmed that the Teflon® AF 2400 coated membrane has enhanced stability with an average flux of 21 kg m-2 h-1 and rejection of 99.99% at 60 °° C for desalination application.

Tri-bore PVDF hollow fibers with a super-hydrophobic coating for membrane distillation

KAUST Repository

Lu, Kang-Jia

2016-04-26

Membranes with good mechanical strength, high vapor flux and outstanding anti-wetting properties are essential for membrane distillation (MD) applications. In this work, porous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) tri-bore hollow fiber membranes with super-hydrophobicity are developed to achieve these desired properties. The tri-bore hollow fiber offers better mechanical strength than the conventional single-bore fiber. To improve its anti-wetting properties, Teflon® AF 2400 is coated on the membrane surface. The effects of coating on membrane morphology, performance and anti-wetting properties have been thoroughly investigated. With an optimal coating condition (0.025 wt% of Teflon® AF 2400, 30 s), a super-hydrophobic surface with a contact angle of 151o is achieved. The resultant membrane shows an increase of 109% in liquid entry pressure (LEP) with a slight sacrifice of 21% in flux. Long term direct contact MD tests have confirmed that the Teflon® AF 2400 coated membrane has enhanced stability with an average flux of 21 kg m-2 h-1 and rejection of 99.99% at 60 °° C for desalination application.

Zinc phosphate conversion coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Sugama, Toshifumi

1997-01-01

Zinc phosphate conversion coatings for producing metals which exhibit enhanced corrosion prevention characteristics are prepared by the addition of a transition-metal-compound promoter comprising a manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, or copper compound and an electrolyte such as polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, polyitaconic acid and poly-L-glutamic acid to a phosphating solution. These coatings are further improved by the incorporation of Fe ions. Thermal treatment of zinc phosphate coatings to generate .alpha.-phase anhydrous zinc phosphate improves the corrosion prevention qualities of the resulting coated metal.

Characterization of Anti-bacterial Compounds from the Seed Coat of Chinese Windmill Palm Tree (Trachycarpus fortunei

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shakeel Ahmed

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The increasing of multidrug resistance in bacterial associated infections has impaired the current antimicrobial therapy and it forces the search for other alternatives. In this study, we aimed to find the in vitro antibacterial activity of seed coat of Trachycarpus fortunei against a panel of clinically important bacterial species. Ethanolic extracts of target tissues were fractionated through macro porous resin by column chromatography, using ethanol as an organic solvent with a concentration gradient of 0–100%, each along with 20% concentration increment. The minimum inhibitory (MIC concentrations of all fractions were measured. It is found that 20% ethanolic fraction showed the most significant inhibition against tested bacterial species. All fractions were analyzed by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography/mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS and compounds were identified by comparing mass spectra with standard libraries. By pairing the identified compounds from different fractions with the antibacterial activity of each fraction, it was shown that compounds stearamide (7, 1-(4-Fluorophenyl-2-(methylthio-1H-imidazole-5-carboxylic acid (9 and 2,4,5 triacetoxybiphenyl (10 topped in the list for anti-bacterial activity. Further experiment with pure chemicals verified that compounds 9 and 10 have antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Whereas, the lowest MIC value (39.06 μg/mL was obtained by compound 10 against Staphylococcus epidermidis. Hence, the seed coat of T. fortunei with its antimicrobial spectrum could be a good candidate for further bactericidal research.

Characterization of Anti-bacterial Compounds from the Seed Coat of Chinese Windmill Palm Tree (Trachycarpus fortunei).

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Shakeel; Liu, Huimin; Ahmad, Aqeel; Akram, Waheed; Abdelrahman, Eman K N; Ran, Fengming; Ou, Wuling; Dong, Shuang; Cai, Qian; Zhang, Qiyun; Li, Xiaohua; Hu, Sheng; Hu, Xuebo

2017-01-01

The increasing of multidrug resistance in bacterial associated infections has impaired the current antimicrobial therapy and it forces the search for other alternatives. In this study, we aimed to find the in vitro antibacterial activity of seed coat of Trachycarpus fortunei against a panel of clinically important bacterial species. Ethanolic extracts of target tissues were fractionated through macro porous resin by column chromatography, using ethanol as an organic solvent with a concentration gradient of 0-100%, each along with 20% concentration increment. The minimum inhibitory (MIC) concentrations of all fractions were measured. It is found that 20% ethanolic fraction showed the most significant inhibition against tested bacterial species. All fractions were analyzed by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography/mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS) and compounds were identified by comparing mass spectra with standard libraries. By pairing the identified compounds from different fractions with the antibacterial activity of each fraction, it was shown that compounds stearamide (7), 1-(4-Fluorophenyl)-2-(methylthio)-1H-imidazole-5-carboxylic acid (9) and 2,4,5 triacetoxybiphenyl (10) topped in the list for anti-bacterial activity. Further experiment with pure chemicals verified that compounds 9 and 10 have antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Whereas, the lowest MIC value (39.06 μg/mL) was obtained by compound 10 against Staphylococcus epidermidis . Hence, the seed coat of T. fortunei with its antimicrobial spectrum could be a good candidate for further bactericidal research.

Biofouling of Cr-Nickel Spray Coated Films on Steel Surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Kento; Kanematsu, Hideyuki; Kuroda, Daisuke; Ikigai, Hajime; Kogo, Takeshi; Yokoyama, Seiji

2012-01-01

, the former showed higher antifouling properties generally. Aluminium-zinc alloy spray coated films had higher antifouling property. And the anti-property decreased in this order: Al-Zn alloy spray coating > Zinc spray coating > Aluminium spray coating > Stacked chromium/nickel spray coating. Aluminium and zinc spray coating has been evaluated high conventionally for anti-biofouling in marine environment. However, the Cr/Ni spray coating showed pretty high anti-fouling property.

Study on nano-coating on uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yongbin; Xian Xiaobin; Lu Xuechao; Lang Dingmu; Li Kexue; Tang Kai

2002-01-01

The SiO 2 , TiO 2 coatings on uranium have been prepared by sol-gel method under different processes. By evaluating the coating quality with SEM, the optimal process parameters have been determined. Corrosion test shows that the coatings have anticorrosion property

High performance polypyrrole coating for corrosion protection and biocidal applications

Science.gov (United States)

Nautiyal, Amit; Qiao, Mingyu; Cook, Jonathan Edwin; Zhang, Xinyu; Huang, Tung-Shi

2018-01-01

Polypyrrole (PPy) coating was electrochemically synthesized on carbon steel using sulfonic acids as dopants: p-toluene sulfonic acid (p-TSA), sulfuric acid (SA), (±) camphor sulfonic acid (CSA), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS). The effect of acidic dopants (p-TSA, SA, CSA) on passivation of carbon steel was investigated by linear potentiodynamic and compared with morphology and corrosion protection performance of the coating produced. The types of the dopants used were significantly affecting the protection efficiency of the coating against chloride ion attack on the metal surface. The corrosion performance depends on size and alignment of dopant in the polymer backbone. Both p-TSA and SDBS have extra benzene ring that stack together to form a lamellar sheet like barrier to chloride ions thus making them appropriate dopants for PPy coating in suppressing the corrosion at significant level. Further, adhesion performance was enhanced by adding long chain carboxylic acid (decanoic acid) directly in the monomer solution. In addition, PPy coating doped with SDBS displayed excellent biocidal abilities against Staphylococcus aureus. The polypyrrole coatings on carbon steels with dual function of anti-corrosion and excellent biocidal properties shows great potential application in the industry for anti-corrosion/antimicrobial purposes.

Investigation of laser cladding high temperature anti-wear composite coatings on Ti6Al4V alloy with the addition of self-lubricant CaF{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiang, Zhan-Feng [School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Soochow University, 178 East Ganjiang Road, Suzhou 215006 (China); Liu, Xiu-Bo, E-mail: liuxiubo@suda.edu.cn [School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Soochow University, 178 East Ganjiang Road, Suzhou 215006 (China); Ren, Jia; Luo, Jian; Shi, Shi-Hong; Chen, Yao [School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Soochow University, 178 East Ganjiang Road, Suzhou 215006 (China); Shi, Gao-Lian; Wu, Shao-Hua [Suzhou Institute of Industrial Technology, Suzhou 215104 (China)

2014-09-15

Highlights: • A novel high temperature self-lubricating wear-resistant coating was fabricated. • TiC carbides and self-lubricant CaF{sub 2} were “in situ” synthesized in the coating. • The coating with the addition of CaF{sub 2} possessed superior properties than without. - Abstract: To improve the high-temperature tribological properties of Ti–6Al–4V alloy, γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC and γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC/CaF{sub 2} coatings were fabricated on Ti–6Al–4V alloy by laser cladding. The phase compositions and microstructure of the coatings were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The tribological behaviors were evaluated using a ball-on-disk tribometer from ambient temperature to 600 °C under dry sliding wear conditions and the corresponding wear mechanisms were discussed. The results indicated that the γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC/CaF{sub 2} coating consisted of α-Ti, the “in situ” synthesized TiC block particles and dendrite, γ-NiCrAlTi solid solution and spherical CaF{sub 2} particles. The wear rates of γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC/CaF{sub 2} coating were decreased greatly owing to the combined effects of the reinforced carbides and continuous lubricating films. Furthermore, the friction coefficients of γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC/CaF{sub 2} coating presented minimum value of 0.21 at 600 °C, which was reduced by 43% and 50% compared to the substrate and γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC coating respectively. It was considered that the γ-NiCrAlTi/TiC/CaF{sub 2} coating exhibited excellent friction-reducing and anti-wear properties at high temperature.

High-temperature protective coatings for C/SiC composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiang Yang

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC composites were well-established light weight materials combining high specific strength and damage tolerance. For high-temperature applications, protective coatings had to provide oxidation and corrosion resistance. The literature data introduced various technologies and materials, which were suitable for the application of coatings. Coating procedures and conditions, materials design limitations related to the reactivity of the components of C/SiC composites, new approaches and coating systems to the selection of protective coatings materials were examined. The focus of future work was on optimization by further multilayer coating systems and the anti-oxidation ability of C/SiC composites at temperatures up to 2073 K or higher in water vapor.

Development of Coated Particle Fuel Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Moon Sung; Kim, B. G.; Kim, Y. K.

2009-04-01

UO 2 kernel fabrication technology was developed at the lab sacle(20∼30g-UO 2 /batch). The GSP technique, modified method of sol-gel process, was used in the preparation of spherical ADU gel particle and these particles were converted to UO 3 and UO 2 phases in calcination furnace and sintering furnace respectively. Based on the process variables optimized using simulant kernels in 1-2 inch beds, SiC TRISO-coated particles were fabricated using UO 2 kernel. Power densities of TRISO coated particle fuels and gamma heat of the tubes are calculated as functions of vertical location of the fuel specimen in the irradiation holes by using core physics codes, MCNP and Helios. A finite model was developed for the calculations of temperatures and stresses of the specimen and the irradiation tubes. Dimensions of the test tubes are determined based on the temperatures and stresses as well as the gamma heat generated at the given condition. 9 modules of the COPA code (MECH, FAIL, TEMTR, TEMBL, TEMPEB, FPREL, MPRO, BURN, ABAQ), the MECH, FAIL, TEMTR, TEMBL, TEMPEB, and FPREL were developed. The COPA-FPREL was verified through IAEA CRP-6 accident benchmarking problems. KAERI participated in the round robin test of IAEA CRP-6 program to characterize the diameter, sphericity, coating thickness, density and anisotropy of coated particles provided by Korea, USA and South Africa. The inspection and test plan describing specifications and inspection method of coated particles was developed to confirm the quality standard of coated particles. The quality inspection instructions were developed for the inspection of coated particles by particle size analyzer, density inspection of coating layers by density gradient column, coating thickness inspection by X-ray, and inspection of optical anistropy factor of PyC layer. The quality control system for the TRISO-coated particle fuel was derived based on the status of quality control systems of other countries

Effects of tartary buckwheat polysaccharide combined with nisin edible coating on the storage quality of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fillets.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fengping; Zhang, Huijun; Jin, Wengang; Li, Lirong

2018-06-01

To investigate the effect of tartary buckwheat polysaccharide (TBP) combined with nisin edible coatings on the preservation of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fillets, fillets were dip treated with different concentrations of TBP (5, 10 and 15 g kg -1 ) combined with nisin and stored at 4 °C for 12 days. The pH values, thiobarbituric acid contents, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) content, total viable count (TVC), surface colors, textures and sensory properties of the tilapia fillets at storage were all periodically investigated. TBP combined with nisin-treated groups significantly improved the bacteriological, physicochemical, and sensory characteristics of the tilapia fillets to a greater extent compared to the control group and presented better quality preservation effects than nisin coating alone. Based on the limits of the TVB-N, TVC and sensory scores, the shelf life of the control tilapia fillets was 4 days, whereas that for nisin with TBP-coated fillets was 8-10 days. Edible coatings made from TBP combined with nisin are suitable for maintaining qualities and enhancing the shelf lives of tilapia fillets stored at 4 °C. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of chitosan-carvacrol coating on the quality of Pacific white shrimp during iced storage as affected by caprylic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qianyun; Lei, Jun; Ma, Junjie; Yuan, Gaofeng; Sun, Haiyan

2018-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of chitosan-carvacrol coating with or without caprylic acid (CAP) on the quality of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) during 10days of iced storage. The result showed that chitosan-carvacrol coating significantly inhibited the increase in total aerobic plate count (TPC), pH and total volatile basic nitrogen content (TVB-N) of shrimp in comparison with the control. Chitosan-carvacrol coating also delayed the melanosis formation and changes of ΔE values, and improved the texture and sensory properties of shrimp. Moreover, incorporation of CAP potentiated the efficacy of chitosan-carvacrol coating in retarding the increase of TPC and TVB-N. Incorporation of CAP into chitosan-carvacrol coating also enabled the texture characteristics of shrimp to be retained greater degrees. These results suggested that chitosan-carvacrol coating may be promising to be used as active packaging for extending the shelf life, and incorporation of CAP may enhance the efficacy of the coating. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Meadowsweet Flower Extract-Pullulan Coatings on Rhizopus Rot Development and Postharvest Quality of Cold-Stored Red Peppers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alicja Synowiec

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The study involved an examination of the antifungal activity on red peppers of pullulan coating (P and pullulan coating containing either water-ethanol (P + eEMF or ethanol extract of meadowsweet flowers (P + eEMF. Pullulan was obtained from a culture of Aureobasidium pullulans B-1 mutant. Both non-inoculated peppers and those artificially inoculated with Rhizopus arrhizus were coated and incubated at 24 °C for 5 days. The intensity of the decay caused by Rhizopus arrhizus in the peppers with P and P + eEMF coatings was nearly 3-fold lower, and in the case of P + weEMF 5-fold lower, than that observed in the control peppers. Additionally, the P + weEMF coating decreased, almost two-fold the severity of pepper decay compared to other samples. The influence of coating of pepper postharvest quality was examined after 30 days of storage at 6 °C and 70%–75% RH. All coatings formed a thin and well-attached additional layer of an intensified gloss. During storage, color, total soluble solid content and weight loss of coated peppers were subject to lower changes in comparison with uncoated ones. The results indicate the possibility of the application of pullulan coatings containing MFEs as an alternative to the chemical fungicides used to combat pepper postharvest diseases.

Stability of anti-reflection coatings via the self-assembly encapsulation of silica nanoparticles by diazo-resins

Science.gov (United States)

Metzman, Jonathan S.; Ridley, Jason I.; Khalifa, Moataz B.; Heflin, James R.

2015-12-01

A modified silica nanoparticle (MSNP) solution was formed by the encapsulation of negatively charged silica nanoparticles by the UV-crosslinkable polycation oligomer diazo-resin (DAR). Appropriate DAR encapsulation concentrations were determined by use of zeta-potential and dynamic light scattering measurements. The MSNPs were used in conjunction with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) to grow homogenous ionic self-assembled multilayer anti-reflection coatings. Stability was induced within the films by the exposure of UV-irradiation that allowed for crosslinking of the DAR and PSS. The films were characterized by UV/vis/IR spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The transmission and reflection levels were >98.5% and <0.05%, respectively. The refractive indices resided in the 1.25-1.26 range. The solvent stability was tested by sonication of the films in a ternary solvent (H2O/DMF/ZnCl2 3:5:2 w/w/w).

New hybrid materials based on poly(ethyleneoxide-grafted polysilazane by hydrosilylation and their anti-fouling activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thi Dieu Hang Nguyen

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to develop new coating materials based on poly(ethyleneoxide (PEO, which was grafted onto polysilazane (PSZ by hydrosilylation. Three types of PEO with different molecular weights (350, 750, 2000 g/mol were studied. The kinetics and yields of this reaction have been surveyed by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The PEO grafting-density onto PSZ by hydrosilylation increases with a reduction of the S–H/allyl ratio and a decrease of the PEO chain-length. The PEO-graft-PSZ (PSZ-PEO hybrid coatings, which can be used to prevent the adhesion of marine bacteria on surfaces, were applied by moisture curing at room temperature. The anti-adhesion performance, and thus the anti-fouling activity, of the coatings against three marine bacteria species, Clostridium sp. SR1, Neisseria sp. LC1 and Neisseria sp. SC1, was examined. The anti-fouling activity of the coatings depends on the grafting density and the chain length of PEO. The shortest PEO(350 g/mol-graft-PSZ with the highest graft density was found to have the best anti-fouling activity. As the density of grafted PEO(750 g/mol and PEO(2000 g/mol chains onto the PSZ surface is approximately equal, the relative effectiveness of these two types of PEO is controlled by the length of the PEO chain. The PEO(2000 g/mol-graft-PSZ coatings are more efficient than the PEO(750 g/mol-graft-PSZ coatings for the bacterial anti-adhesion.

Toward structural dynamics: protein motions viewed by chemical shift modulations and direct detection of C'N multiple-quantum relaxation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mori, Mirko; Kateb, Fatiha; Bodenhausen, Geoffrey; Piccioli, Mario; Abergel, Daniel

2010-03-17

Multiple quantum relaxation in proteins reveals unexpected relationships between correlated or anti-correlated conformational backbone dynamics in alpha-helices or beta-sheets. The contributions of conformational exchange to the relaxation rates of C'N coherences (i.e., double- and zero-quantum coherences involving backbone carbonyl (13)C' and neighboring amide (15)N nuclei) depend on the kinetics of slow exchange processes, as well as on the populations of the conformations and chemical shift differences of (13)C' and (15)N nuclei. The relaxation rates of C'N coherences, which reflect concerted fluctuations due to slow chemical shift modulations (CSMs), were determined by direct (13)C detection in diamagnetic and paramagnetic proteins. In well-folded proteins such as lanthanide-substituted calbindin (CaLnCb), copper,zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn SOD), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP12), slow conformational exchange occurs along the entire backbone. Our observations demonstrate that relaxation rates of C'N coherences arising from slow backbone dynamics have positive signs (characteristic of correlated fluctuations) in beta-sheets and negative signs (characteristic of anti-correlated fluctuations) in alpha-helices. This extends the prospects of structure-dynamics relationships to slow time scales that are relevant for protein function and enzymatic activity.

Development of Anti-Insect Microencapsulated Polypropylene Films Using a Large Scale Film Coating System.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Ah Young; Choi, Ha Young; Lee, Eun Song; Han, Jaejoon; Min, Sea C

2018-04-01

Films containing microencapsulated cinnamon oil (CO) were developed using a large-scale production system to protect against the Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella). CO at concentrations of 0%, 0.8%, or 1.7% (w/w ink mixture) was microencapsulated with polyvinyl alcohol. The microencapsulated CO emulsion was mixed with ink (47% or 59%, w/w) and thinner (20% or 25%, w/w) and coated on polypropylene (PP) films. The PP film was then laminated with a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film on the coated side. The film with microencapsulated CO at 1.7% repelled P. interpunctella most effectively. Microencapsulation did not negatively affect insect repelling activity. The release rate of cinnamaldehyde, an active repellent, was lower when CO was microencapsulated than that in the absence of microencapsulation. Thermogravimetric analysis exhibited that microencapsulation prevented the volatilization of CO. The tensile strength, percentage elongation at break, elastic modulus, and water vapor permeability of the films indicated that microencapsulation did not affect the tensile and moisture barrier properties (P > 0.05). The results of this study suggest that effective films for the prevention of Indian meal moth invasion can be produced by the microencapsulation of CO using a large-scale film production system. Low-density polyethylene-laminated polypropylene films printed with ink incorporating microencapsulated cinnamon oil using a large-scale film production system effectively repelled Indian meal moth larvae. Without altering the tensile and moisture barrier properties of the film, microencapsulation resulted in the release of an active repellent for extended periods with a high thermal stability of cinnamon oil, enabling commercial film production at high temperatures. This anti-insect film system may have applications to other food-packaging films that use the same ink-printing platform. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Engineering and Scaling the Spontaneous Magnetization Reversal of Faraday Induced Magnetic Relaxation in Nano-Sized Amorphous Ni Coated on Crystalline Au.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wen-Hsien; Lee, Chi-Hung; Kuo, Chen-Chen

2016-05-28

We report on the generation of large inverse remanent magnetizations in nano-sized core/shell structure of Au/Ni by turning off the applied magnetic field. The remanent magnetization is very sensitive to the field reduction rate as well as to the thermal and field processes before the switching off of the magnetic field. Spontaneous reversal in direction and increase in magnitude of the remanent magnetization in subsequent relaxations over time were found. All of the various types of temporal relaxation curves of the remanent magnetizations are successfully scaled by a stretched exponential decay profile, characterized by two pairs of relaxation times and dynamic exponents. The relaxation time is used to describe the reduction rate, while the dynamic exponent describes the dynamical slowing down of the relaxation through time evolution. The key to these effects is to have the induced eddy current running beneath the amorphous Ni shells through Faraday induction.

Stress Analysis in Polymeric Coating Layer Deposited on Rigid Substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sang Soon Lee [Korea University of Technology and Education, School of Mechatronics Engineering, Chonan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-08-15

This paper presents an analysis of thermal stress induced along the interface between a polymeric coating layer and a steel substrate as a result of uniform temperature change. The epoxy layer is assumed to be a linear viscoelastic material and to be theromorheologically simple. The viscoelastic boundary element method is employed to investigate the behavior of interface stresses. The numerical results exhibit relaxation of interface stresses and large stress gradients, which are observed in the vicinity of the free surface. Since the exceedingly large stresses cannot be borne by the polymeric coating layer, local cracking or delamination can occur at the interface corner.

Studies on soft centered coated snacks.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavithra, A S; Chetana, Ramakrishna; Babylatha, R; Archana, S N; Bhat, K K

2013-04-01

Roasted groundnut seeds, amaranth and dates pulp formed the center filling which was coated with sugar, breadings, desiccated coconut and roasted Bengalgram flour (BGF) to get 4 coated snacks. Physicochemical characteristics, microbiological profile, sorption behaviour and sensory quality of 4 coated snacks were determined. Centre filling to coating ratio of the products were in the range of 3:2-7:1, the product having BGF coating had the thinnest coating. Center filling had soft texture and the moisture content was 10.2-16.2% coating had lower moisture content (4.4-8.6%) except for Bengal gram coating, which had 11.1% moisture. Sugar coated snack has lowest fat (11.6%) and protein (7.2%) contents. Desiccated coconut coated snack has highest fat (25.4%) and Bengal gram flour coated snack had highest protein content (15.4%). Sorption studies showed that the coated snack had critical moisture content of 11.2-13.5%. The products were moisture sensitive and hence require packaging in films having higher moisture barrier property. In freshly prepared snacks coliforms, yeast and mold were absent. Mesophillic aerobes count did not show significant change during 90 days of storage at 27 °C and 37 °C. Sensory analysis showed that products had a unique texture due to combined effect of fairly hard coating and soft center. Flavour and overall quality of all the products were rated as very good.

Spin transport and relaxation in graphene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Wei; McCreary, K.M.; Pi, K.; Wang, W.H.; Li Yan; Wen, H.; Chen, J.R.; Kawakami, R.K.

2012-01-01

the use of graphene for spin-based logic and information storage applications. - Highlights: → We review recent advances in graphene spintronics. → Gate tunable spin transport is observed at room temperature. → The development of high quality tunneling contacts greatly improves spin injection efficiency into graphene. → Long spin lifetimes are observed in single layer and bilayer graphene. → Contrasting spin relaxation mechanisms are observed for single layer and bilayer graphene.

Nitrobenzene anti-parallel dimer formation in non-polar solvents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toshiyuki Shikata

2014-06-01

Full Text Available We investigated the dielectric and depolarized Rayleigh scattering behaviors of nitrobenzene (NO2-Bz, which is a benzene mono-substituted with a planar molecular frame bearing the large electric dipole moment 4.0 D, in non-polar solvents solutions, such as tetrachloromethane and benzene, at up to 3 THz for the dielectric measurements and 8 THz for the scattering experiments at 20 °C. The dielectric relaxation strength of the system was substantially smaller than the proportionality to the concentration in a concentrated regime and showed a Kirkwood correlation factor markedly lower than unity; gK ∼ 0.65. This observation revealed that NO2-Bz has a tendency to form dimers, (NO2-Bz2, in anti-parallel configurations for the dipole moment with increasing concentration of the two solvents. Both the dielectric and scattering data exhibited fast and slow Debye-type relaxation modes with the characteristic time constants ∼7 and ∼50 ps in a concentrated regime (∼15 and ∼30 ps in a dilute regime, respectively. The fast mode was simply attributed to the rotational motion of the (monomeric NO2-Bz. However, the magnitude of the slow mode was proportional to the square of the concentration in the dilute regime; thus, the mode was assigned to the anti-parallel dimer, (NO2-Bz2, dissociation process, and the slow relaxation time was attributed to the anti-parallel dimer lifetime. The concentration dependencies of both the dielectric and scattering data show that the NO2-Bz molecular processes are controlled through a chemical equilibrium between monomers and anti-parallel dimers, 2NO2-Bz ↔ (NO2-Bz2, due to a strong dipole-dipole interaction between nitro groups.

Engineering and Scaling the Spontaneous Magnetization Reversal of Faraday Induced Magnetic Relaxation in Nano-Sized Amorphous Ni Coated on Crystalline Au

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wen-Hsien; Lee, Chi-Hung; Kuo, Chen-Chen

2016-01-01

We report on the generation of large inverse remanent magnetizations in nano-sized core/shell structure of Au/Ni by turning off the applied magnetic field. The remanent magnetization is very sensitive to the field reduction rate as well as to the thermal and field processes before the switching off of the magnetic field. Spontaneous reversal in direction and increase in magnitude of the remanent magnetization in subsequent relaxations over time were found. All of the various types of temporal relaxation curves of the remanent magnetizations are successfully scaled by a stretched exponential decay profile, characterized by two pairs of relaxation times and dynamic exponents. The relaxation time is used to describe the reduction rate, while the dynamic exponent describes the dynamical slowing down of the relaxation through time evolution. The key to these effects is to have the induced eddy current running beneath the amorphous Ni shells through Faraday induction. PMID:28773549

Dynamic coating of mf/uf membranes for fouling mitigation

KAUST Repository

Tabatabai, S. Assiyeh Alizadeh

2017-01-19

A membrane system including an anti-fouling layer and a method of applying an anti-fouling layer to a membrane surface are provided. In an embodiment, the surface is a microfiltration (MF) or an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane surface. The anti-fouling layer can include a stimuli responsive layer and a dynamic protective layer applied over the stimuli responsive layer that can be a coating on a surface of the membrane. The stimuli responsive polymer layer can act as an adhesive prior to coating with the dynamic protective layer to aid in adhering the dynamic protective layer to the membrane surface. The dynamic protective layer can be formed by suitable nanoparticles that can prevent adhesion of foulants directly to the membrane surface. The stimuli responsive layer can be responsive to physio- chemical stimuli to cause a release of the stimuli responsive layer and the dynamic protective layer including foulants from the membrane.

Demonstration and Validation of Two Coat High Performance Coating System for Steel Structures in Corrosive Environments

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

Many of these steel buildings and equipment are tradi- tionally painted with an alkyd enamel or waterborne coating for a top coat. These paint systems...bridging minor cracks or for surfaces that have vi- bration and/or movement. These qualities are necessary in a barrier coat- ing primer for it to remain

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Gg of... - Specialty Coating Definitions

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... electromagnetic energy spectrum, such as the ultraviolet, visible, infrared, or microwave regions. Uses include... compatible, flexible substrate over bonded sheet rubber and rubber-type coatings as well as a flexible bridge... coating with a low reflectance in the infrared and visible wavelength ranges, which is used for anti...

Magnetism of a relaxed single atom vacancy in graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yunyi; Hu, Yonghong; Xue, Li; Sun, Tieyu; Wang, Yu

2018-04-01

It has been suggested in literature that defects in graphene (e.g. absorbed atoms and vacancies) may induce magnetizations due to unpaired electrons. The nature of magnetism, i.e. ferromagnetic or anti-ferromagnetic, is dependent on a number of structural factors including locations of magnetic moments and lattice symmetry. In the present work we investigated the influence of a relaxed single atom vacancy in garphnene on magnetization which were obtained under different pinning boundary conditions, aiming to achieve a better understanding of the magnetic behaviors of graphene. Through first principles calculations, we found that major spin polarizations occur on atoms that deviate slightly from their original lattice positions, and pinning boundaries could also affect the relaxed positions of atoms and determine which atom(s) would become the main source(s) of total spin polarizations and magnetic moments. When the pinning boundary condition is free, a special non-magnetic and semi-conductive structure may be obtained, suggesting that magnetization should more readily occur under pinning boundary conditions.

Alternative waste form development: low-temperature pyrolytic-carbon coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oma, K.H.; Rusin, J.M.; Kidd, R.W.; Browning, M.F.

1981-01-01

Large simulted waste-forms can be coated with PyC in screw-agitated coater (SAC) at low temperatures. Higher coating rates are obtained using Ni(CO) 4 as a catalyst rather than Fe(CO) 5 or Co(AcAc) 2 ; coating quality and deposition rates are improved when C 2 H 2 is used as carbon-source gas rather than methane, propane, heptane and toluene; H 2 is a better carrier gas than Ar or N 2 . Improved coating quality and deposition rates are obtained with H 2 ; deposition rates increase with Ni(CO) 4 concentration, C 2 H 2 concentration and reaction temperature. Increasing the Ni(CO) 4 and C 2 H 2 concentrations reduces the quality of the coatings; however, better adhesion of the coating to the substrate is obtained as temperature is increased; highest quality catalyzed PyC coatings have been obtained using 0.001 and 0.01 mole % Ni(CO) 4 , 1.5 to 3.0 mole % C 2 H 2 , and the balance H 2 at 425 and 525 0 C; and deposition rates are higher in the fluidized bed coater than the SAC

Gd-functionalised Au nanoparticles as targeted contrast agents in MRI: relaxivity enhancement by polyelectrolyte coating.

Science.gov (United States)

Warsi, Muhammad Farooq; Adams, Ralph W; Duckett, Simon B; Chechik, Victor

2010-01-21

Monolayer-protected, Gd(3+)-functionalised gold nanoparticles with enhanced spin-lattice relaxivity (r(1)) were prepared; adsorption of polyelectrolytes on these materials further increased r(1) and ligand exchange with a biotin-derivatised disulfide led to a prototype avidin-targeted contrast agent.

THE METHOD OF ROLL SURFACE QUALITY MEASUREMENT FOR CONTINUOUS HOT DIP ZINC COATED STEEL SHEET PRODUCTION LINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ki Yong Choi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper describes a developed analyzing system of roll surface during the process of continuous hot dip zinc coated steel sheet production line, in particular, adhering problem by transferred inclusions from roll to steel sheet surface during annealing process so called the pickup. The simulated test machine for coated roll surface in processing line has been designed and performed. The system makes it possible to analyze roll surface condition according to pickup phenomena from various roll coatings concerning operating conditions of hearth rolls in annealing furnace. The algorithm of fast pickup detection on surface is developed on the base of processing of several optical images of surface. The parameters for quality estimation of surface with pickups were developed. The optical system for images registration and image processing electronics may be used in real time and embed in processing line.

Multiplied effect of heat and radiation in chemical stress relaxation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Masayuki

1981-01-01

About the deterioration of rubber due to radiation, useful knowledge can be obtained by the measurement of chemical stress relaxation. As an example, the rubber coating of cables in a reactor containment vessel is estimated to be irradiated by weak radiation at the temperature between 60 and 90 deg C for about 40 years. In such case, it is desirable to establish the method of accelerated test of the deterioration. The author showed previously that the law of time-dose rate conversion holds in the case of radiation. In this study, the chemical stress relaxation to rubber was measured by the simultaneous application of heat and radiation, and it was found that there was the multiplied effect of heat and radiation in the stress relaxation speed. Therefore the factor of multiplication of heat and radiation was proposed to describe quantitatively the degree of the multiplied effect. The chloroprene rubber used was offered by Hitachi Cable Co., Ltd. The experimental method and the results are reported. The multiplication of heat and radiation is not caused by the direct cut of molecular chains by radiation, instead, it is based on the temperature dependence of various reaction rates at which the activated species reached the cut of molecular chains through complex reaction mechanism and the temperature dependence of the diffusion rate of oxygen in rubber. (Kako, I.)

Relaxation characteristics of hastelloy X

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Kazuhiko

1980-02-01

Relaxation diagrams of Hastelloy X (relaxation curves, relaxation design diagrams, etc.) were generated from the creep constitutive equation of Hastelloy X, using inelastic stress analysis code TEPICC-J. These data are in good agreement with experimental relaxation data of ORNL-5479. Three typical inelastic stress analyses were performed for various relaxation behaviors of the high-temperature structures. An attempt was also made to predict these relaxation behaviors by the relaxation curves. (author)

Corroborative evidences of TV γ -scaling of the α-relaxation originating from the primitive relaxation/JG β relaxation

Science.gov (United States)

Ngai, K. L.; Paluch, M.

2017-12-01

Successful thermodynamic scaling of the structural alpha-relaxation time or transport coefficients of glass-forming liquids determined at various temperatures T and pressures P means the data conform to a single function of the product variable TVgamma, where V is the specific volume and gamma is a material specific constant. In the past two decades we have witnessed successful TVgamma-scaling in many molecular, polymeric, and even metallic glass-formers, and gamma is related to the slope of the repulsive part of the intermolecular potential. The advances made indicate TVgamma-scaling is an important aspect of the dynamic and thermodynamic properties of glass-formers. In this paper we show the origin of TVgamma-scaling is not from the structural alpha-relaxation time. Instead it comes from its precursor, the Johari-Goldstein beta-relaxation or the primitive relaxation of the Coupling Model and their relaxation times or tau_0 respectively. It is remarkable that all relaxation times are functions of TVgamma with the same gama, as well as the fractional exponent of the Kohlrausch correlation function of the structural alpha-relaxation. We arrive at this conclusion convincingly based on corroborative evidences from a number of experiments and molecular dynamics simulations performed on a wide variety of glass-formers and in conjunction with consistency with the predictions of the Coupling Model.

Electropolymerization of camphorsulfonic acid doped conductive polypyrrole anti-corrosive coating for 304SS bipolar plates

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Li; Syed, Junaid Ali; Gao, Yangzhi; Zhang, Qiuxiang; Zhao, Junfeng; Lu, Hongbin; Meng, Xiangkang

2017-12-01

Conductive polymer coating doped with large molecular organic acid is an alternative method used to protect stainless steel (SS) bipolar plates in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, it is difficult to select the proper doping acid, which improves the corrosion resistance of the coating without affecting its conductivity. In this study, large spatial molecular group camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) doped polypyrrole (PPY) conductive coating was prepared by galvanostatic electropolymerization on 304SS. The electrochemical properties of the coating were evaluated in 0.1 M H2SO4 solution in order to simulate the PEMFC service environment. The results indicate that the coating increased the corrosion potential and shifted Ecorr towards more positive value, particularly the jcorr value of PPY-CSA coated 304SS was dropped from 97.3 to 0.00187 μA cm-2. The long-term immersion tests (660 h) show that the PPY-CSA coating exhibits better corrosion resistance in comparison with the small acid (SO42-) doped PPY-SO42- or PPY/PPY-SO42- coatings. Moreover, the PPY-CSA coating presents low contact resistance and maintains strong corrosion resistance during the prolonged exposure time due to barrier effect and anodic protection.

EFFECT OF DEW POINT OF ATMOSPHERE OF CGL’S ANNEALING FURNACES ON THE QUALITY OF GA COATING ON BAKE HARDENABLE STEEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana Porto Guimarães

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The strip steel surface condition after continuous annealing of strip is extremely important to the quality of galvannealed coating (GA. The presence of oxides or precipitated can affect the reactions at the coating/substrate interface and decrease the zinc wettability on the steel surface, leading to various defects in the final product. To avoid oxidation of the material during continuous annealing, a protective atmosphere is used in the furnaces. Despite this atmosphere, it is possible the selective oxidation or precipitation of second phase particles, being the dew point of atmosphere one of the leading factors to reduce this occurrence. This study aims to evaluate the effect of the dew point on the quality of GA coatings applied to a bake hardenable steel. The continuous annealing under dew points of –60°C, 30°C and 0°C, as well as hot dip galvanizing, were performed in a Hot Dip Process Simulator. It is found that the dew point has a decisive influence on the amount, distribution and type of oxides formed, and the condition of –30°C provided the coating with less failures and better adhesion.

Relaxation techniques for pain management in labour.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Caroline A; Levett, Kate M; Collins, Carmel T; Armour, Mike; Dahlen, Hannah G; Suganuma, Machiko

2018-03-28

Many women would like to avoid pharmacological or invasive methods of pain management in labour and this may contribute to the popularity of complementary methods of pain management. This review examined currently available evidence on the use of relaxation therapies for pain management in labour. This is an update of a review first published in 2011. To examine the effects of mind-body relaxation techniques for pain management in labour on maternal and neonatal well-being during and after labour. We searched Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth's Trials Register (9 May 2017), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library, Issue 5 2017), MEDLINE (1966 to 24 May 2017), CINAHL (1980 to 24 May 2017), the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (18 May 2017), ClinicalTrials.gov (18 May 2017), the ISRCTN Register (18 May 2017), the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (18 May 2017), and reference lists of retrieved studies. Randomised controlled trials (including quasi randomised and cluster trials) comparing relaxation methods with standard care, no treatment, other non-pharmacological forms of pain management in labour or placebo. Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data and checked them for accuracy. We attempted to contact study authors for additional information. We assessed evidence quality with GRADE methodology. This review update includes 19 studies (2519 women), 15 of which (1731 women) contribute data. Interventions examined included relaxation, yoga, music and mindfulness. Approximately half of the studies had a low risk of bias for random sequence generation and attrition bias. The majority of studies had a high risk of bias for performance and detection bias, and unclear risk of bias for, allocation concealment, reporting bias and other bias. We assessed the evidence from these studies as ranging from low to very low quality, and

Deconvolution of astronomical images using SOR with adaptive relaxation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vorontsov, S V; Strakhov, V N; Jefferies, S M; Borelli, K J

2011-07-04

We address the potential performance of the successive overrelaxation technique (SOR) in image deconvolution, focusing our attention on the restoration of astronomical images distorted by atmospheric turbulence. SOR is the classical Gauss-Seidel iteration, supplemented with relaxation. As indicated by earlier work, the convergence properties of SOR, and its ultimate performance in the deconvolution of blurred and noisy images, can be made competitive to other iterative techniques, including conjugate gradients, by a proper choice of the relaxation parameter. The question of how to choose the relaxation parameter, however, remained open, and in the practical work one had to rely on experimentation. In this paper, using constructive (rather than exact) arguments, we suggest a simple strategy for choosing the relaxation parameter and for updating its value in consecutive iterations to optimize the performance of the SOR algorithm (and its positivity-constrained version, +SOR) at finite iteration counts. We suggest an extension of the algorithm to the notoriously difficult problem of "blind" deconvolution, where both the true object and the point-spread function have to be recovered from the blurred image. We report the results of numerical inversions with artificial and real data, where the algorithm is compared with techniques based on conjugate gradients. In all of our experiments +SOR provides the highest quality results. In addition +SOR is found to be able to detect moderately small changes in the true object between separate data frames: an important quality for multi-frame blind deconvolution where stationarity of the object is a necesessity.

Levitation and guidance force relaxations of the single-seeded and multi-seeded YBCO superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Abdioglu, M.; Ozturk, K.; Kabaer, M.; Ekici, M.

2018-01-01

The stable levitation and guidance forces at higher force levels are important parameters for technological applicability of high temperature superconductors (HTSs) in Maglev and Flywheel energy storage systems. In this study, we have investigated the levitation and guidance force relaxation of both the single-seeded and multi-seeded YBCOs for different (HTS)-permanent magnetic guideway (PMG) arrangements in different cooling heights (CH). The measured saturated force values of Halbach PMG arrangements are bigger than the maximum force values of other PMGs. It is determined that the normalized magnetic levitation force (MLF) and normalized guidance force (GF) relaxation rate values decrease while the relaxation rates increase with increasing magnetic pole number and the effective external magnetic field area for both the single-seeded and multi-seeded YBCO. Also it can be said that the force stability at the higher force value of Halbach PMG arrangement indicates that the relaxation quality of Halbach PMG is better than that of the others. Additionally, it can be said that both the MLF and GF relaxation qualities of the multi-seeded YBCOs are better than that of the single-seeded ones. This magnetic force and relaxation results of the single-seeded and multi-seeded YBCOs are useful to optimize the loading capacity and lateral reliability of HTS Maglev and similar magnetic bearing systems.

Capturing molecular multimode relaxation processes in excitable gases based on decomposition of acoustic relaxation spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Ming; Liu, Tingting; Wang, Shu; Zhang, Kesheng

2017-08-01

Existing two-frequency reconstructive methods can only capture primary (single) molecular relaxation processes in excitable gases. In this paper, we present a reconstructive method based on the novel decomposition of frequency-dependent acoustic relaxation spectra to capture the entire molecular multimode relaxation process. This decomposition of acoustic relaxation spectra is developed from the frequency-dependent effective specific heat, indicating that a multi-relaxation process is the sum of the interior single-relaxation processes. Based on this decomposition, we can reconstruct the entire multi-relaxation process by capturing the relaxation times and relaxation strengths of N interior single-relaxation processes, using the measurements of acoustic absorption and sound speed at 2N frequencies. Experimental data for the gas mixtures CO2-N2 and CO2-O2 validate our decomposition and reconstruction approach.

Functionalizable Sol-Gel Silica Coatings for Corrosion Mitigation

Science.gov (United States)

Gąsiorek, Jolanta; Babiarczuk, Bartosz; Kaleta, Jerzy; Jones, Walis; Krzak, Justyna

2018-01-01

Corrosion is constantly a major problem of the world economy in the field of metal products, metal processing and other areas that utilise metals. Previously used compounds utilizing hexavalent chromium were amongst the most effective materials for corrosion protection but regulations have been recently introduced that forbid their use. Consequently, there is a huge drive by engineers, technologists and scientists from different disciplines focused on searching a new, more effective and environmentally-friendly means of corrosion protection. One novel group of materials with the potential to solve metal protection problems are sol-gel thin films, which are increasingly interesting as mitigation corrosion barriers. These environmentally-friendly and easy-to-obtain coatings have the promise to be an effective alternative to hexavalent chromium compounds using for anti-corrosion industrial coatings. In this review the authors present a range of different solutions for slow down the corrosion processes of metallic substrates by using the oxides and doped oxides obtained by the sol-gel method. Examples of techniques used to the sol-gel coating examinations, in terms of anti-corrosion protection, are also presented. PMID:29373540

Functionalizable Sol-Gel Silica Coatings for Corrosion Mitigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gąsiorek, Jolanta; Szczurek, Anna; Babiarczuk, Bartosz; Kaleta, Jerzy; Jones, Walis; Krzak, Justyna

2018-01-26

Corrosion is constantly a major problem of the world economy in the field of metal products, metal processing and other areas that utilise metals. Previously used compounds utilizing hexavalent chromium were amongst the most effective materials for corrosion protection but regulations have been recently introduced that forbid their use. Consequently, there is a huge drive by engineers, technologists and scientists from different disciplines focused on searching a new, more effective and environmentally-friendly means of corrosion protection. One novel group of materials with the potential to solve metal protection problems are sol-gel thin films, which are increasingly interesting as mitigation corrosion barriers. These environmentally-friendly and easy-to-obtain coatings have the promise to be an effective alternative to hexavalent chromium compounds using for anti-corrosion industrial coatings. In this review the authors present a range of different solutions for slow down the corrosion processes of metallic substrates by using the oxides and doped oxides obtained by the sol-gel method. Examples of techniques used to the sol-gel coating examinations, in terms of anti-corrosion protection, are also presented.

Stress controlled gas-barrier oxide coatings on semi-crystalline polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rochat, G.; Leterrier, Y.; Fayet, P.; Manson, J.-A.E.

2005-01-01

Thin silicon oxide (SiO x ) barrier coatings formed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates were subjected to post-deposition annealing treatments in the temperature range for orientation relaxation of the polymer. The resulting change in coating internal stress state was measured by means of thermo-mechanical analyses, and its effect on the coating cohesive properties and coating/polymer adhesion was determined from the analysis of uniaxial fragmentation tests in situ in a scanning electron microscope, assuming a Weibull-type probability of failure and a perfectly plastic stress transfer at the SiO x /PET interface. The strain to failure and intrinsic fracture toughness of the ultrathin oxide coating were found to be as high as 5.7% and 10 J/m 2 , respectively, and its interfacial shear strength with PET was found to be close to 100 MPa. Annealing for 10 min at 150 deg. C did not modify the oxygen permeation properties of the SiO x /PET film, which suggests that the defect population of the oxide was not affected by the thermal treatment. In contrast, the coating internal compressive stress resulting from annealing was shown to increase by 40% the apparent coating cohesive properties and adhesion to the polymer

Chitosan-coated nickel-ferrite nanoparticles as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmad, Tanveer [Department of Physics, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Physics, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan (Pakistan); Bae, Hongsub; Iqbal, Yousaf [Department of Physics, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of); Rhee, Ilsu, E-mail: ilrhee@knu.ac.kr [Department of Physics, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Sungwook [Division of Science Education, Daegu University, Gyeongsan 712-714 (Korea, Republic of); Chang, Yongmin; Lee, Jaejun [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, College of Medicine, Kyungpook National University and Hospital, Daegu 700-721 (Korea, Republic of); Sohn, Derac [Department of Physics, Hannam University, Daejon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-01

We report evidence for the possible application of chitosan-coated nickel-ferrite (NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}) nanoparticles as both T{sub 1} and T{sub 2} contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The coating of nickel-ferrite nanoparticles with chitosan was performed simultaneously with the synthesis of the nickel-ferrite nanoparticles by a chemical co-precipitation method. The coated nanoparticles were cylindrical in shape with an average length of 17 nm and an average width of 4.4 nm. The bonding of chitosan onto the ferrite nanoparticles was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The T{sub 1} and T{sub 2} relaxivities were 0.858±0.04 and 1.71±0.03 mM{sup −1} s{sup −1}, respectively. In animal experimentation, both a 25% signal enhancement in the T{sub 1}-weighted mage and a 71% signal loss in the T{sub 2}-weighted image were observed. This demonstrated that chitosan-coated nickel-ferrite nanoparticles are suitable as both T{sub 1} and T{sub 2} contrast agents in MRI. We note that the applicability of our nanoparticles as both T{sub 1} and T{sub 2} contrast agents is due to their cylindrical shape, which gives rise to both inner and outer sphere processes of nanoparticles. - Highlights: • Chitosan-coated nickel-ferrite (Ni-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}) nanoparticles were synthesized in an aqueous system by chemical co-precipitation. • The characterization of bare and chitosan-coated nanoparticles were performed using various analytical tools, such as TEM, FTIR, XRD, and VMS. • We evaluated the coated particles as potential T{sub 1} and T{sub 2} contrast agents for MRI by measuring T{sub 1} and T{sub 2} relaxation times as a function of iron concentration. • Both T{sub 1} and T{sub 2} effects were also observed in animal experimentation.

In vitro assessment of stainless steel orthodontic brackets coated with titanium oxide mixed Ag for anti-adherent and antibacterial properties against Streptococcus mutans and Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fatani, Eman Jameel; Almutairi, Hamed H; Alharbi, Ali O; Alnakhli, Yasser Obaidallah; Divakar, Darshan Devang; Muzaheed; Alkheraif, Abdulaziz Abdullah; Khan, Aftab Ahmed

2017-11-01

Orthodontic brackets made from stainless steel were introduced in dentistry, though they have less ability in reducing enamel demineralization and are not successful in preventing microbial as well as biofilm growth. In this study, we evaluated the significant role of different brackets in reducing enamel demineralization indirectly. Results from different tests indicate the significant reduction in adhesion, biofilm formation and slow growth of tested bacterial species on brackets coated with Ag + TiO2 and found to be statistically significant lower than control. There was no loss in cell viability in all brackets indicating that the cells are biocompatible with different bracket materials. Scanning electron microscopy showed less bacteria attached with the surface coated with Ag + TiO2 indicated that bacteria were losing adherent nature on coated surface. In conclusion, TiO2+Ag coating on stainless steel brackets possessed anti-adherent properties and also have demonstrable antibacterial properties therefore helps in preventing dental caries and plaque accumulation indirectly. The cell compatibility of TiO2+Ag coated brackets is superior to the uncoated samples therefore can be used in orthodontics as it not only provide suitable antimicrobial activity and resistance to biofilm formation but also sustained the cell viability of human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cell lines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality assessment and anti-obesity activity of Stellaria media (Linn. Vill

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rani Neerja

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Obesity is recognized as a social problem, associated with serious health risks and increased mortality. Numerous trials have been conducted to find and develop new anti-obesity drugs through herbal sources to minimize side effects associated with the present anti-obesity drugs. The present study was designed to evaluate the quality control parameters, quantitative phytochemical analysis (total phenolic, total flavonoids and total saponin content, and the anti-obesity effect of lyophilized juice (LJ of Stellaria media (Linn. Vill. by employing in vitro and in vivo models. Methods In vitro studies were performed to evaluate the inhibitory activity of LJ on pancreatic amylase and lipase. The in vivo pancreatic lipase activity was evaluated by measurement of plasma triacylglycerol levels after oral administration of lipid emulsion to swiss albino mice. Furthermore, the anti-obesity effect of LJ was assessed at two doses, 400 mg/kg and 900 mg/kg body weight in mice fed a high-fat-diet with or without LJ for 6 weeks. Results The LJ inhibited pancreatic amylase and lipase activity in vitro and elevated plasma triacylglycerol level in mice. LJ suppressed the increase in body weight, retroperitoneal adipose tissue, liver weights and serum parameters viz., total cholesterol, total triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol level at the dose of 900 mg/kg body weight of the mice fed with high fat diet. The total phenolic, flavonoid and saponin contents were found to be 0.26 mg/g, 1.4 mg/g and 1.19 μg/g respectively of LJ. Conclusion The anti-obesity effects of LJ in high-fat-diet fed mice may be partly mediated through delaying the intestinal absorption of dietary fat and carbohydrate by inhibiting digestive enzymes.

Multipactor suppression by micro-structured gold/silver coatings for space applications

Science.gov (United States)

Nistor, Valentin; González, Luis A.; Aguilera, Lydya; Montero, Isabel; Galán, Luis; Wochner, Ulrich; Raboso, David

2014-10-01

The secondary electron emission (SEE) from materials used in high power RF devices in space is the main trigger and sustaining mechanism of the resonant avalanche electron discharge known as the multipactor effect. It limits the attainable power of those devices. During recent decades, some scientific research has been focused on material properties for obtaining anti-multipactor coatings of low secondary emission yield (SEY). The European Space Agency (ESA) is leading a technological research on a new approach based on surface roughness that might perform as a kind of blackbody or Faraday cage effect. A multilayer coating structure was adopted for fulfilling the stringent requirements of the space. The surface of a standard silver plating was modified by a two-step treatment. First, a wet chemically etching process created a roughness of high aspect ratio, in the scale of microns. Secondly, the surface was coated with a protective 2 μm overlayer of gold, using magnetron sputtering. This anti-multipactor coating has been tested on several types of Ku-band WR75 waveguide transformers and band-pass filters, with excellent results. The multipactor effect was suppressed for two waveguides, even when applying the maximum available power levels. As for the other final four, the increase of multipactor power level was in the range of 4-6 dB. These results were obtained after more than one year of air exposure. In spite of the strong roughness, the insertion losses were diminished by 25% with respect to the values attained in the tests of the standard anti-multipactor coating, Alodine.

Engineering tool for the qualification of optical coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Davi, M.; Perrin, D.; Lequime, M.; Doyle, D.

2017-11-01

For the needs of the European Space Agency, SESO is developing in cooperation with the Institut Fresnel an Engineering Tool for the Qualification of Optical Coatings. The goal is to develop a standard methodology for testing the behaviour and stability of optical coatings during the air to vacuum transition. The Engineering Tool is indeed designed to achieve in vacuum reflectance and transmittance measurements between 600 and 1700 nm. It is also designed to evaluate during the vacuum cycle partially the nature of the outgassing elements, using mass spectrometry. We will present in our paper the concept of this equipment and the associated test method. The preliminary characterizations will be done in June 2006 on reflective coatings, one anti reflective coating and dichroic filters.

Metasurface-based anti-reflection coatings at optical frequencies

Science.gov (United States)

Monti, Alessio; Alù, Andrea; Toscano, Alessandro; Bilotti, Filiberto

2018-05-01

In this manuscript, we propose a metasurface approach for the reduction of electromagnetic reflection from an arbitrary air‑dielectric interface. The proposed technique exploits the exotic optical response of plasmonic nanoparticles to achieve complete cancellation of the field reflected by a dielectric substrate by means of destructive interference. Differently from other, earlier anti-reflection approaches based on nanoparticles, our design scheme is supported by a simple transmission-line formulation that allows a closed-form characterization of the anti-reflection performance of a nanoparticle array. Furthermore, since the working principle of the proposed devices relies on an average effect that does not critically depend on the array geometry, our approach enables low-cost production and easy scalability to large sizes. Our theoretical considerations are supported by full-wave simulations confirming the effectiveness of this design principle.

Mechanism of groundwater arsenic removal by goethite-coated mineral sand

Science.gov (United States)

Cashion, J. D.; Khan, S. A.; Patti, A. F.; Adeloju, S.; Gates, W. P.

2017-11-01

Skye sand (Vic, Australia) has been considered for arsenic removal from groundwater. Analysis showed that the silica sand is coated with poorly crystalline goethite, hematite and clay minerals. Mössbauer spectra taken following arsenic adsorption revealed changes in the recoilless fraction and relaxation behaviour of the goethite compared to the original state, showing that the goethite is the main active species.

Hybrid Perovskite Thin Film Formation: From Lab Scale Spin Coating to Large Area Blade Coating

KAUST Repository

Munir, Rahim

2017-11-22

Our reliance on semiconductors is on the rise with the ever growing use of electronics in our daily life. Organic-inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskites have emerged as a prime alternative to current standard and expensive semiconductors because of its use of abundant elements and the ease of solution processing. This thesis has shed light on the ink-to-solid conversion during the one-step solution process of hybrid perovskite formulations from DMF. We utilize a suite of in situ diagnostic probes including high speed optical microscopy, optical reflectance and absorbance, and grazing incidence wide angle x-ray scattering (GIWAXS), all performed during spin coating, to monitor the solution thinning behavior, changes in optical absorbance, and nucleation and growth of crystalline phases of the precursor and perovskite. The starting formulation experiences solvent-solute interactions within seconds of casting, leading to the formation of a wet gel with nanoscale features visible by in situ GIWAXS. The wet gel subsequently gives way to the formation of ordered precursor solvates (equimolar iodide and chloride solutions) or disordered precursor solvates (equimolar bromide or 3:1 chloride), depending upon the halide and MAI content. The ordered precursor solute phases are stable and retain the solvent for long durations, resulting in consistent conversion behavior to the perovskite phase and solar-cell performance. In this thesis, we develop a firm understanding of the solvent engineering process in which an anti-solvent is used during the coating process through the solvent mixture of GBL and DMSO in different ratios. It has been shown that solvent engineering produce pin hole-free films, justifying its wide adoption across the field. We then translate our learnings from the lab scale spin coating process to the industrial friendly blade coating process. Here we compare the ink solidification and film formation mechanisms of CH3NH3PbI3 in solutions we used to

Ultrafast Physics Behind the Nonradiative Relaxation Process of Chromium Ions in Forsterite Crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Demos, Stavros Gregorios

The nonradiative relaxation following photoexcitation has been studied in Cr^{4+} -doped forsterite (Mg_2SiO _4) using picosecond laser excitation and ultrasensitive photon counting detection. The experimental techniques utilized were time resolved antiStokes Raman scattering and up-converted hot and ordinary luminescence. The up-converted hot luminescence technique allowed the investigation of the upper state nonradiative relaxation of the excited state manifold of Cr^{4+ }-doped forsterite. The excitation involves the absorption of two photons per photoexcited ion in a two-step absorption. Discrete peaks are observed in the hot up-converted luminescence spectrum and are attributed to the population of nonequilibrium vibronic levels during the deexcitation of the ions by phonon emission. This work reveals that the phonon modes participating in the initial steps of the nonradiative relaxation of the photoexcited ions have energies 218 +/- 20, 325 +/- 20, 365 +/- 20 and 513 +/- 12 cm^ {-1}. The shape of the luminescence spectral envelope suggests two electronic bottlenecks at ~2.1 and ~2.45 eV associated with slower rates of vibrational relaxation at different parts of the excited state manifold. Time resolved measurements indicated that the average time for phonon emission is of the order of hundreds of fs. Information on the nonequilibrium phonon dynamics of the 225, 335 and 370 cm^{-1} modes of forsterite has been obtained using time resolved Raman scattering. Laser pulses of 450 fs in duration and 590 nm in wavelength were used to excite the Cr ions 2.1 eV above the ground state. The probe pulses (obtained from the same laser) are monitoring the nonequilibrium phonon population through the intensity of the antiStokes Raman lines at various pump-probe delay times. Experiments were performed at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures. The observed nonequilibrium phonon populations are associated with the overall complex nonradiative decay following the excitation of

Multispectral Image Analysis for Astaxanthin Coating Classification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ljungqvist, Martin Georg; Ersbøll, Bjarne Kjær; Nielsen, Michael Engelbrecht

2012-01-01

Industrial quality inspection using image analysis on astaxanthin coating in aquaculture feed pellets is of great importance for automatic production control. The pellets were divided into two groups: one with pellets coated using synthetic astaxanthin in fish oil and the other with pellets coated...

Experimental Evaluation of Polyester and Epoxy–Polyester Powder Coatings in Aggressive Media

OpenAIRE

Ivan Stojanović; Vinko Šimunović; Vesna Alar; Frankica Kapor

2018-01-01

Protective coatings are the most widely used corrosion protection method for construction materials in different environmental conditions. They isolate metals from aggressive media, making the structure more durable. Today, alongside good anti-corrosive properties, coatings need to be safe for the environment and harmless to those who apply them. The high volatile organic compound (VOC) content in conventional solvent-borne coatings presents a huge ecological problem. A solution for indispens...

Application of Tragacanth gum impregnated with Satureja khuzistanica essential oil as a natural coating for enhancement of postharvest quality and shelf life of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus).

Science.gov (United States)

Nasiri, M; Barzegar, M; Sahari, M A; Niakousari, M

2018-01-01

The effect of Tragacanth gum (TG) coating incorporated with 100, 500 and 1000ppm Satureja khuzistanica essential oil (SEO) on the postharvest quality and shelf life of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) stored at 4±1°C for 16days was investigated. Weight loss, firmness, browning index (BI), total phenolics, ascorbic acid, microbial and sensory quality were measured. The results indicated that treatment with TG containing SEO (TGSEO) maintained 92.4% tissue firmness, and reduced microorganism counts, such as yeasts and molds and Pseudomonas, compared to uncoated samples. Furthermore, mushrooms treated with TGSEO coating exhibited up to 57.1% decreased in BI, significantly higher levels of total phenolics (85.6%) and ascorbic acid accumulation (71.8%) than control and its efficiency was better than that TG coating alone. Sensory evaluation demonstrated the capability of TGSEO coating for preserving the quality of mushroom during the storage. The results obtained endorse that application of TGSEO coating might be a simple and effective technique for prolonging their postharvest shelf life of mushroom by up to 16days. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent advances in modified atmosphere packaging and edible coatings to maintain quality of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghidelli, Christian; Pérez-Gago, María B

2018-03-04

Processing of fruits and vegetables generates physiological stresses in the still living cut tissue, leading to quality deterioration and shorter shelf life as compared with fresh intact produces. Several strategies can be implemented with the aim to reduce the rate of deterioration of fresh-cut commodities. Such strategies include low temperature maintenance from harvest to retail and the application of physical and chemical treatments such as modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) with low O 2 and high CO 2 levels and antioxidant dips. Other technologies such as edible coatings with natural additives, new generation of coatings using nanotechnological solutions such as nanoparticles, nanoencapsulation, and multilayered systems, and nonconventional atmospheres such as the use of pressurized inert/noble gases and high levels of O 2 have gained a lot of interest as a possibility to extend the shelf life of minimally processed fruits and vegetables. However, the high perishability of these products challenges in many cases their marketability by not achieving sufficient shelf life to survive the distribution system, requiring the combination of treatments to assure safety and quality. This review reports the recent advances in the use of MAP, edible coatings, and the combined effect of both technologies to extend the shelf life of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.

Growth of (20 anti 21)AlGaN, GaN and InGaN by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ploch, S.; Wernicke, T.; Rass, J.; Pristovsek, M. [TU Berlin, Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Hardenbergstr. 36, 10623 Berlin (Germany); Weyers, M. [Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Str. 4, 12489 Berlin (Germany); Kneissl, M. [TU Berlin, Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Hardenbergstr. 36, 10623 Berlin (Germany); Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Str. 4, 12489 Berlin (Germany)

2012-07-01

Green InGaN-based laser diodes on (20 anti 21)GaN substrates have recently demonstrated performances exceeding those of conventional (0001) oriented devices. However little is known regarding the growth parameters. We have investigated growth of AlGaN, GaN and InGaN on (20 anti 21)GaN substrates by MOVPE. Smooth GaN layers with a rms roughness <0.5 nm were obtained by low growth temperatures and reactor pressures. The layers exhibit undulations along [10 anti 14] similar to the GaN substrate. AlGaN and InGaN layers exhibit an increased surface roughness. Undulation bunching was observed and attributed to reduced adatom surface mobility due to the binding energy of Al and the low growth temperature for InGaN respectively or strain relaxation. AlGaN and InGaN heterostructures on (20 anti 21)GaN relax by layer tilt accompanied by formation of misfit dislocations, due to shear strain of the unit cell. This relaxation mechanism leads to a reduced critical layer thickness of (20 anti 21)AlGaN layers and InGaN multi quantum wells (MQW) in comparison to (0001). PL spectral broadening of 230 meV of (20 anti 21)InGaN single QWs emitting at 415 nm can be reduced by increased growth temperature or increased number of QWs with reduced thickness.

Comparison of Some Mechanical and Physical Methods for Measurement of Residual Stresses in Brush-Plated Nickel Hardened Gold and Silver Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harri LILLE

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Hard gold and silver are applied in coating owing to their high hardness, good wear and corrosion resistance for engineering application (e.g. on generators slip rings, sliding contacts and small machine parts and are typically plated on copper (mostly, brass and bronze. The studied nickel-hardened gold and silver coatings were brush plated on open thin-walled copper ring substrates. Residual stresses in the coatings were calculated from the curvature changes of the substrates. Biaxial intrinsic residual stresses were also determined by nanoindentation testing and by the X-ray technique. The values of the residual stresses represented tensile stresses and when determined by the techniques used they were comparable within a maximum limit of measurement uncertainty. These stresses relax; the dependence of relaxation time was approximated by a linear-fractional function.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.1.7439

Mn-Zn ferrite nanoparticles with silica and titania coatings: synthesis, transverse relaxivity and cytotoxicity

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kaman, Ondřej; Kuličková, Jarmila; Maryško, Miroslav; Veverka, Pavel; Herynek, V.; Havelek, R.; Královec, K.; Kubániová, D.; Kohout, J.; Dvořák, P.; Jirák, Zdeněk

2017-01-01

Roč. 53, č. 11 (2017), s. 1-8, č. článku 5300908. ISSN 0018-9464 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA16-04340S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : amorphous titania * silica * magnetic nanoparticles * Mn-Zn ferrite * transverse relaxivity * cytotoxicity Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism OBOR OECD: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.) Impact factor: 1.243, year: 2016

Nuclear spin relaxation due to chemical shift anisotropy of gas-phase 129Xe.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanni, Matti; Lantto, Perttu; Vaara, Juha

2011-08-14

Nuclear spin relaxation provides detailed dynamical information on molecular systems and materials. Here, first-principles modeling of the chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) relaxation time for the prototypic monoatomic (129)Xe gas is carried out, both complementing and predicting the results of NMR measurements. Our approach is based on molecular dynamics simulations combined with pre-parametrized ab initio binary nuclear shielding tensors, an "NMR force field". By using the Redfield relaxation formalism, the simulated CSA time correlation functions lead to spectral density functions that, for the first time, quantitatively determine the experimental spin-lattice relaxation times T(1). The quality requirements on both the Xe-Xe interaction potential and binary shielding tensor are investigated in the context of CSA T(1). Persistent dimers Xe(2) are found to be responsible for the CSA relaxation mechanism in the low-density limit of the gas, completely in line with the earlier experimental findings.

Cementless Hydroxyapatite Coated Hip Prostheses

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, Antonio; Mateo, Jesús; Gil-Albarova, Jorge; Lobo-Escolar, Antonio; Ibarz, Elena; Gabarre, Sergio; Más, Yolanda

2015-01-01

More than twenty years ago, hydroxyapatite (HA), calcium phosphate ceramics, was introduced as a coating for cementless hip prostheses. The choice of this ceramic is due to its composition being similar to organic apatite bone crystals. This ceramic is biocompatible, bioactive, and osteoconductive. These qualities facilitate the primary stability and osseointegration of implants. Our surgical experience includes the implantation of more than 4,000 cementless hydroxyapatite coated hip prostheses since 1990. The models implanted are coated with HA in the acetabulum and in the metaphyseal area of the stem. The results corresponding to survival and stability of implants were very satisfactory in the long-term. From our experience, HA-coated hip implants are a reliable alternative which can achieve long term survival, provided that certain requirements are met: good design selection, sound choice of bearing surfaces based on patient life expectancy, meticulous surgical technique, and indications based on adequate bone quality. PMID:25802848

Cementless Hydroxyapatite Coated Hip Prostheses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Herrera

2015-01-01

Full Text Available More than twenty years ago, hydroxyapatite (HA, calcium phosphate ceramics, was introduced as a coating for cementless hip prostheses. The choice of this ceramic is due to its composition being similar to organic apatite bone crystals. This ceramic is biocompatible, bioactive, and osteoconductive. These qualities facilitate the primary stability and osseointegration of implants. Our surgical experience includes the implantation of more than 4,000 cementless hydroxyapatite coated hip prostheses since 1990. The models implanted are coated with HA in the acetabulum and in the metaphyseal area of the stem. The results corresponding to survival and stability of implants were very satisfactory in the long-term. From our experience, HA-coated hip implants are a reliable alternative which can achieve long term survival, provided that certain requirements are met: good design selection, sound choice of bearing surfaces based on patient life expectancy, meticulous surgical technique, and indications based on adequate bone quality.

A chitosan coating containing essential oil from Origanum vulgare L. to control postharvest mold infections and keep the quality of cherry tomato fruit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tainá Barreto

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The efficacy of an edible chitosan coating (CHI; 4 mg/mL and Origanum vulgare L. essential oil (OVEO; 1.25 µL/mL for maintaining the quality of cherry tomato fruit during storage at room (25 °C; 12 days and cold (12 °C; 24 days temperatures was assessed. CHI and OVEO in combination showed in vitro fungicidal effects against R. stolonifer and Aspergillus niger. CHI-OVEO coating reduced the incidence of black mold and soft rot caused by these fungi in artificially contaminated cherry tomato fruit during storage at both temperatures by more than. CHI-OVEO coating delayed the appearance of the first visible signs of black mold and soft rot in artificially contaminated cherry tomato fruit stored at room temperature by six days and by more than nine days in those stored at cold temperature. At the end of storage at room and cold temperature fruit coated with CHI-OVEO showed higher firmness ( > 2 N/mm and lower weight loss ( > 2 % compared to uncoated tomato fruit. CHI-OVEO coating delayed the decrease of lycopene, ascorbic citric acid, glucose and fructose during the storage time assessed at room or cold temperatures. The increase of catechin, myricetin, caffeic and syringic acids was higher (1 - 9 mg/g in cherry tomato fruit coated with CHI-OVEO compared to uncoated fruit during the storage at both temperatures studied. CHI-OVEO coating is a feasible treatment for maintaining the storage quality of cherry tomato fruit.

Tribological behavior of polytetrafluoroethylene coating reinforced with black phosphorus nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Shiguang; Guo, Yue; Xie, Guoxin; Luo, Jianbin

2018-05-01

This study compares the tribological performance of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) thin film coating reinforced with black phosphorus (BP) or ball-milled graphite (BMG) nanoparticles, so as to elucidate their mechanism of action under reciprocating sliding test conditions. PTFE coatings with 0.5 wt.% BMG (BMG/PTFE) and 0.5 wt.% BP (BP/PTFE) were prepared on GCr15 bearing steel disk by using a spin coater. The friction and wear tests were carried out by using the ball-on-disk tribometer under a normal load of 1 N (contact pressure: 780 MPa), a frequency of 2 Hz, and 4.2 mm sliding displacement amplitude. The surface roughness, wear volume and surface morphology of the coatings were characterized by the three-dimensional white light, and Energy Dispersive X-ray Detector (EDX) analysis coupled with environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). It is found that BP/PTFE coating has better anti-wear and anti-friction performances than those of pure PTFE or BMG/PTFE coating. The coating with BP nanoparticles shows excellent tribological properties with the wear volume decreased from 3.52 × 106 μm3 to 1.64 × 106 μm3 and the coefficient of friction (COF) decreased from 0.117 to 0.046. More importantly, the BP layer probably expands and absorbs much energy due to its negative Poisson's ratio phenomenon under reciprocating sliding, and effectively reducing furrow and adhesive wear.

Multipactor suppression by micro-structured gold/silver coatings for space applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nistor, Valentin, E-mail: valentin.nistor@uam.es [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); González, Luis A. [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Aguilera, Lydya; Montero, Isabel [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (CSIC), Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Galán, Luis [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Wochner, Ulrich [Tesat Spacecom GmbH and Co. KG,Gerberstr. 49, D-71522 Backnang (Germany); Raboso, David [European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), 2200 AG Noordwijk (Netherlands)

2014-10-01

Highlights: • Total suppression of the multipactor effect was achieved for a specific configuration of a high RF power K{sub u}-band waveguide. • Secondary emission of electrons was decreased by surfaces of high aspect ratio. • Simple techniques were used in the manufacturing of metallic microscopical rough coatings. • Surface analysis of the treatment was performed. • The RF insertion losses were improved with respect to Alodine, the standard coating for space applications. - Abstract: The secondary electron emission (SEE) from materials used in high power RF devices in space is the main trigger and sustaining mechanism of the resonant avalanche electron discharge known as the multipactor effect. It limits the attainable power of those devices. During recent decades, some scientific research has been focused on material properties for obtaining anti-multipactor coatings of low secondary emission yield (SEY). The European Space Agency (ESA) is leading a technological research on a new approach based on surface roughness that might perform as a kind of blackbody or Faraday cage effect. A multilayer coating structure was adopted for fulfilling the stringent requirements of the space. The surface of a standard silver plating was modified by a two-step treatment. First, a wet chemically etching process created a roughness of high aspect ratio, in the scale of microns. Secondly, the surface was coated with a protective 2 μm overlayer of gold, using magnetron sputtering. This anti-multipactor coating has been tested on several types of K{sub u}-band WR75 waveguide transformers and band-pass filters, with excellent results. The multipactor effect was suppressed for two waveguides, even when applying the maximum available power levels. As for the other final four, the increase of multipactor power level was in the range of 4–6 dB. These results were obtained after more than one year of air exposure. In spite of the strong roughness, the insertion losses were

Multipactor suppression by micro-structured gold/silver coatings for space applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nistor, Valentin; González, Luis A.; Aguilera, Lydya; Montero, Isabel; Galán, Luis; Wochner, Ulrich; Raboso, David

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Total suppression of the multipactor effect was achieved for a specific configuration of a high RF power K u -band waveguide. • Secondary emission of electrons was decreased by surfaces of high aspect ratio. • Simple techniques were used in the manufacturing of metallic microscopical rough coatings. • Surface analysis of the treatment was performed. • The RF insertion losses were improved with respect to Alodine, the standard coating for space applications. - Abstract: The secondary electron emission (SEE) from materials used in high power RF devices in space is the main trigger and sustaining mechanism of the resonant avalanche electron discharge known as the multipactor effect. It limits the attainable power of those devices. During recent decades, some scientific research has been focused on material properties for obtaining anti-multipactor coatings of low secondary emission yield (SEY). The European Space Agency (ESA) is leading a technological research on a new approach based on surface roughness that might perform as a kind of blackbody or Faraday cage effect. A multilayer coating structure was adopted for fulfilling the stringent requirements of the space. The surface of a standard silver plating was modified by a two-step treatment. First, a wet chemically etching process created a roughness of high aspect ratio, in the scale of microns. Secondly, the surface was coated with a protective 2 μm overlayer of gold, using magnetron sputtering. This anti-multipactor coating has been tested on several types of K u -band WR75 waveguide transformers and band-pass filters, with excellent results. The multipactor effect was suppressed for two waveguides, even when applying the maximum available power levels. As for the other final four, the increase of multipactor power level was in the range of 4–6 dB. These results were obtained after more than one year of air exposure. In spite of the strong roughness, the insertion losses were

Electrostatic powder coatings of pristine graphene: A new approach for coating of granular and fibril substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Nine, Md J.; Kabiri, Shervin; Tung, Tran Thanh; Tran, Diana N. H.; Losic, Dusan

2018-05-01

The use of pristine graphene (pG) based on solution processed coating technologies is often limited by their poor dispersibility in water and organic solvents which prevents to achieve the best performing properties of pG in coating applications. To address these limitations, we developed a dispersant-free coating approach of pG based on their intrinsic solid-lubricity and interlayer electrostatic interactions. The "rotating drum" method was established to provide suitable conditions for electrostatic deposition of pG-powder which is demonstrated on two model substrates with granular and fibril morphologies (urea and acrylic fibers) to improve their physical and electrical properties. The results showed that the pG coating enables to minimize moisture induced caking tendency of commercial urea prills at a relative humidity (RH) of 85% (higher than critical humidity) exhibiting greater moisture rejection ability (∼2 times higher than uncoated urea) and to improve their anti-abrasive properties. The pG-powder coating applied on nonconductive acrylic fibers provides a stable conductive layer (∼0.8 ± 0.1 kΩ/sq) which made them suitable for using in wearable electronics, sensors and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. The developed coating method for pG-powder based on "rotating drum" is generic, simple, eco-friendly, low-cost, and scalable for broad range of coating applications.

Multidimensional dynamic piezoresponse measurements. Unraveling local relaxation behavior in relaxor-ferroelectrics via big data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasudevan, Rama K.; Zhang, Shujun; Okatan, Mahmut Baris; Jesse, Stephen; Kalinin, Sergei V.; Bassiri-Gharb, Nazanin

2015-01-01

Compositional and charge disorder in ferroelectric relaxors lies at the heart of the unusual properties of these systems, such as aging and non-ergodicity, polarization rotations, and a host of temperature and field-driven phase transitions. However, much information about the field-dynamics of the polarization in the prototypical ferroelectric relaxor (1-x)Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3-x PbTiO 3 (PMN-xPT) remains unprobed at the mesoscopic level. We use a piezoresponse force microscopy-based dynamic multimodal relaxation spectroscopy technique, enabling the study of ferroelectric switching and polarization relaxation at mesoscopic length scales, and carry out measurements on a PMN-0.28PT sample with minimal polishing. Results indicate that beyond a threshold DC bias the average relaxation increases as the system attempts to relax to the previous state. Phenomenological fitting reveals the presence of mesoscale heterogeneity in relaxation amplitudes and clearly suggests the presence of two distinct amplitudes. Independent component analysis reveals the presence of a disorder component of the relaxation, which is found to be strongly anti-correlated with the maximum piezoresponse at that location, suggesting smaller disorder effects where the polarization reversal is large and vice versa. The disorder in the relaxation amplitudes is postulated to arise from rhombohedral and field-induced tetragonal phase in the crystal, with each phase associated with its own relaxation amplitude. As a result, these studies highlight the crucial importance of the mixture of ferroelectric phases in the compositions in proximity of the morphotropic phase boundary in governing the local response and further highlight the ability of PFM voltage and time spectroscopies, in conjunction with big-data multivariate analyses, to locally map disorder and correlate it with parameters governing the dynamic behavior

Promotion of tribological and hydrophobic properties of a coating on TPE substrates by atmospheric plasma-polymerization

Science.gov (United States)

Sainz-García, Elisa; Alba-Elías, Fernando; Múgica-Vidal, Rodolfo; Pantoja-Ruiz, Mariola

2016-05-01

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) are used in the automotive sealing industry with the objective of producing anti-friction and hydrophobic components. At present, the anti-friction property is achieved by the electrostatic flocking, which sometimes produces an irregular coating. Therefore, this paper's objective is the promotion of adhesion of an anti-friction (based on the silane aminopropyltriethoxysilane-APTES-) and hydrophobic (based on the fluorinated precursor 1-perfluorohexene-PFH-) coating by the adhesion promoter, APTES. Different mixtures of APTES and PFH have been applied to a TPE substrate by an Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet (APPJ) system with Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) in order to determine the optimal mixture of precursors. The main difficulty in this work lies in the hydrophilic character of APTES and the low adhesion of the fluorinated coatings. The sample coated with a mixture of 50% APTES and 50% PFH (A50P50) was found to be the best one to satisfy both properties at the same time, despite not having the highest dynamic water contact angle (WCA) or the lowest friction coefficient.

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) as anti-corrosive additives for coatings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scheerder, J.; Breur, R.; Slaghek, T.; Holtman, W.; Vennik, M.; Ferrari, G.

2012-01-01

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are a class of renewable polymers that show interesting anti-corrosive properties and could potentially be used as an alternative for zinc phosphates. When combined with a waterborne styrene-acrylic polymer dispersion (SA-1), exopolysaccharides were shown to give an

Mozart versus new age music: relaxation states, stress, and ABC relaxation theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Jonathan C; Joyce, Carol A

2004-01-01

Smith's (2001) Attentional Behavioral Cognitive (ABC) relaxation theory proposes that all approaches to relaxation (including music) have the potential for evoking one or more of 15 factor-analytically derived relaxation states, or "R-States" (Sleepiness, Disengagement, Rested / Refreshed, Energized, Physical Relaxation, At Ease/Peace, Joy, Mental Quiet, Childlike Innocence, Thankfulness and Love, Mystery, Awe and Wonder, Prayerfulness, Timeless/Boundless/Infinite, and Aware). The present study investigated R-States and stress symptom-patterns associated with listening to Mozart versus New Age music. Students (N = 63) were divided into three relaxation groups based on previously determined preferences. Fourteen listened to a 28-minute tape recording of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and 14 listened to a 28-minute tape of Steven Halpern's New Age Serenity Suite. Others (n = 35) did not want music and instead chose a set of popular recreational magazines. Participants engaged in their relaxation activity at home for three consecutive days for 28 minutes a session. Before and after each session, each person completed the Smith Relaxation States Inventory (Smith, 2001), a comprehensive questionnaire tapping 15 R-States as well as the stress states of somatic stress, worry, and negative emotion. Results revealed no differences at Session 1. At Session 2, those who listened to Mozart reported higher levels of At Ease/Peace and lower levels of Negative Emotion. Pronounced differences emerged at Session 3. Mozart listeners uniquely reported substantially higher levels of Mental Quiet, Awe and Wonder, and Mystery. Mozart listeners reported higher levels, and New Age listeners slightly elevated levels, of At Ease/Peace and Rested/Refreshed. Both Mozart and New Age listeners reported higher levels of Thankfulness and Love. In summary, those who listened to Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik reported more psychological relaxation and less stress than either those who listened to

Studying the effect of particle size and coating type on the blood kinetics of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roohi F

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Farnoosh Roohi, Jessica Lohrke, Andreas Ide, Gunnar Schütz, Katrin DasslerMR and CT Contrast Media Research, Bayer Pharma AG, Berlin, GermanyPurpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, one of the most powerful imaging techniques available, usually requires the use of an on-demand designed contrast agent to fully exploit its potential. The blood kinetics of the contrast agent represent an important factor that needs to be considered depending on the objective of the medical examination. For particulate contrast agents, such as superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs, the key parameters are particle size and characteristics of the coating material. In this study we analyzed the effect of these two properties independently and systematically on the magnetic behavior and blood half-life of SPIOs.Methods: Eleven different SPIOs were synthesized for this study. In the first set (a, seven carboxydextran (CDX-coated SPIOs of different sizes (19–86 nm were obtained by fractionating a broadly size-distributed CDX–SPIO. The second set (b contained three SPIOs of identical size (50 nm that were stabilized with different coating materials, polyacrylic acid (PAA, polyethylene glycol, and starch. Furthermore, small PAA–SPIOs (20 nm were synthesized to gain a global insight into the effects of particle size vs coating characteristics. Saturation magnetization and proton relaxivity were determined to represent the magnetic and imaging properties. The blood half-life was analyzed in rats using MRI, time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry.Results: By changing the particle size without modifying any other parameters, the relaxivity r2 increased with increasing mean particle diameter. However, the blood half-life was shorter for larger particles. The effect of the coating material on magnetic properties was less pronounced, but it had a strong influence on blood kinetics depending on the

Heat-treatment reduces anti-nutritional phytochemicals and maintains protein quality in genetically improved hulled soybean flour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ariela Werneck de Carvalho

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The soybean is a protein source of high biological value. However, the presence of anti-nutritional factors affects its protein quality and limits the bioavailability of other nutrients. The effect of heat-treatment, 150 ºC for 30 minutes, on hulled and hull-less soybean flour from the cultivar UFVTN 105AP on urease, trypsin inhibitor activity, protein solubility, amino acid profile, and in vivo protein quality was investigated. The treatment reduced the trypsin inhibitor activity and urease, but it did not affect protein solubility. Protein Efficiency Coefficient (PER values of the flours were similar, and the PER of the hull-less soybean flour did not differ from casein. The Net Protein Ratio (NPR did not differ between the experimental groups. The True Digestibility (TD of the flours did not differ, but both were lower in casein and the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCCAS was lower than the TD, due to limited valine determined by the chemical score. Therefore, the flours showed reduced anti-nutritional phytochemicals and similar protein quality, and therefore the whole flours can be used as a source of high quality protein.

An effective intracellular delivery system of monoclonal antibody for treatment of tumors: erythrocyte membrane-coated self-associated antibody nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Lipeng; Han, Lin; Ding, Xiaoling; Xu, Jiaojiao; Wang, Jing; Zhu, Jianzhong; Lu, Weiyue; Sun, Jihong; Yu, Lei; Yan, Zhiqiang; Wang, Yiting

2017-08-01

Antibody-based drugs have attracted much attention for their targeting ability, high efficacy and low toxicity. But it is difficult for those intrabodies, a kind of antibody whose targets are intracellular biomarkers, to become effective drugs due to the lack of intracellular delivery strategy and their short circulation time in blood. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), an important biomarker for tumors, is expressed only in cytoplasm instead of on cell membrane. In this study, the anti-hTERT blocking monoclonal antibody (mAb), as the model intrabody, was used to prepare nanoparticles (NPs), followed by the encapsulation of erythrocyte membrane (EM), to obtain the EM-coated anti-hTERT mAb NPs delivery system. The final NPs showed a z-average hydrodynamic diameter of about 197.3 nm. The in vitro cellular uptake by HeLa cells confirmed that compared with free anti-hTERT mAb, the EM-coated anti-hTERT mAb NPs exhibited a significantly increased uptake by tumor cells. Besides, the pharmacokinetic study confirmed that the EM encapsulation can remarkably prolong the circulation time and increase the area under curve (AUC) of NPs in blood. The EM-coated anti-hTERT mAb NPs exhibited a remarkably decreased uptake by macrophages than uncoated NPs, which may be responsible for the prolonged circulation time and increased AUC. Furthermore, the frozen section of tumor tissue was performed and proved that the EM-coated anti-hTERT mAb NPs can be more effectively accumulated in tumor tissues than the free mAb and uncoated NPs. In summary, this study indicated that EM-coated anti-hTERT mAb NPs are an effective delivery system for the long circulation and intracellular delivery of an intrabody, and make it possible for the intracellular biomarkers to become the potential targets of drugs.

Mechanical relaxation in glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiki, Y.

2004-01-01

The basic properties of glasses and the characteristics of mechanical relaxation in glasses were briefly reviewed, and then our studies concerned were presented. Experimental methods adopted were viscosity, internal friction, ultrasonic attenuation, and Brillouin scattering measurements. The specimens used were several kinds of inorganic, organic, and metallic glasses. The measurements were mainly carried out from the room temperature up to the glass transition temperature, and the relaxation time was determined as a function of temperature. The 'double relaxation' composed of two Arrhenius-type relaxations was observed in many materials. In both relaxations, the 'compensation effect' showing a correlation of the pre-exponential factor and the activation energy was observed. These results were explained by considering the 'complex relaxation' due to cooperative motions of atoms or group of atoms. Values of activation energy near the glass transition determined by the various experimental methods were compared with each other

Development of a new solvent-free flow efficiency coating for natural gas pipelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fogg, Graham A.; Morse, Jennifer [Bredero Shaw, Houston, TX (United States)

2005-07-01

Pipeline design engineers have traditionally considered external anti-corrosion coatings for the protection of gas transmission pipelines, with less consideration given to the benefits of internal flow efficiency coatings. This paper reviews the benefits of using a traditional solvent-based flow efficiency coating, and the relationship between the internal surface roughness of a pipe, the pressure drop across the pipeline, and the maximum flow rate of gas through the pipeline. To improve upon existing solvent-based flow efficiency coatings, a research program was undertaken to develop a solvent-free coating. The stages in the development of this coating are discussed, resulting in the plant application of the coating and final qualification to API RP 5L2. (author)

Rapid Assessment of Tablet Film Coating Quality by Multispectral UV Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klukkert, Marten; Wu, Jian X.; Rantanen, Jukka

2016-01-01

and coated with a polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer using a pan coater. It was demonstrated that the coating intactness can be assessed accurately and fast by UV imaging. The different types of coating defects could be differentiated and localized based on multivariate image analysis...

Functionalizable Sol-Gel Silica Coatings for Corrosion Mitigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jolanta Gąsiorek

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Corrosion is constantly a major problem of the world economy in the field of metal products, metal processing and other areas that utilise metals. Previously used compounds utilizing hexavalent chromium were amongst the most effective materials for corrosion protection but regulations have been recently introduced that forbid their use. Consequently, there is a huge drive by engineers, technologists and scientists from different disciplines focused on searching a new, more effective and environmentally-friendly means of corrosion protection. One novel group of materials with the potential to solve metal protection problems are sol-gel thin films, which are increasingly interesting as mitigation corrosion barriers. These environmentally-friendly and easy-to-obtain coatings have the promise to be an effective alternative to hexavalent chromium compounds using for anti-corrosion industrial coatings. In this review the authors present a range of different solutions for slow down the corrosion processes of metallic substrates by using the oxides and doped oxides obtained by the sol-gel method. Examples of techniques used to the sol-gel coating examinations, in terms of anti-corrosion protection, are also presented.

Statistical image reconstruction for transmission tomography using relaxed ordered subset algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kole, J S

2005-01-01

Statistical reconstruction methods offer possibilities for improving image quality as compared to analytical methods, but current reconstruction times prohibit routine clinical applications in x-ray computed tomography (CT). To reduce reconstruction times, we have applied (under) relaxation to ordered subset algorithms. This enables us to use subsets consisting of only single projection angle, effectively increasing the number of image updates within an entire iteration. A second advantage of applying relaxation is that it can help improve convergence by removing the limit cycle behaviour of ordered subset algorithms, which normally do not converge to an optimal solution but rather a suboptimal limit cycle consisting of as many points as there are subsets. Relaxation suppresses the limit cycle behaviour by decreasing the stepsize for approaching the solution. A simulation study for a 2D mathematical phantom and three different ordered subset algorithms shows that all three algorithms benefit from relaxation: equal noise-to-resolution trade-off can be achieved using fewer iterations than the conventional algorithms, while a lower minimal normalized mean square error (NMSE) clearly indicates a better convergence. Two different schemes for setting the relaxation parameter are studied, and both schemes yield approximately the same minimal NMSE

Effect of thyme oil-alginate-based coating on quality and microbial safety of fresh-cut apples.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarengaowa; Hu, Wenzhong; Jiang, Aili; Xiu, Zhilong; Feng, Ke

2018-04-01

Food preservation is critical for keeping fresh-cut products fresh, nutritious, safe, attractive and available for consumers. To improve the safety and quality of fresh-cut fruits, 15 essential oils (EOs) were screened to test the antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes (LM), Salmonella typhimurium (ST), Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EC O157:H7). The effect of alginate-based edible coating (EC) incorporating different concentrations thyme oil on fresh-cut 'Red Fuji' apples was investigated. Results showed that thyme oil, cinnamon oil and oregano oil were more effective in inhibiting the microbes than other EOs. The result showed that the combined usage of 0.5 µL mL -1 thyme oil incorporated with alginate-based EC could significantly inhibit the microbial growth, respiration, weight loss, firmness and browning of fresh-cut 'Red Fuji' apples. The edible coating and natural additives like thyme oil could be used to preserve the quality of fresh-cut fruits. It revealed that EC incorporated with 0.5 µL mL -1 thyme oil can be a safe preservative for fresh-cut apples. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Characterization of Antigen-Specific B Cells Using Nominal Antigen-Coated Flow-Beads

Science.gov (United States)

Akl, Ahmed; Lepetit, Maud; Crochette, Romain; Giral, Magali; Lepourry, Julie; Pallier, Annaick; Castagnet, Stéphanie; Dugast, Emilie; Guillot-Gueguen, Cécile; Jacq-Foucher, Marylène; Saulquin, Xavier; Cesbron, Anne; Laplaud, David; Nicot, Arnaud; Brouard, Sophie; Soulillou, Jean-Paul

2013-01-01

In order to characterize the reactivity of B cells against nominal antigens, a method based on the coupling of antigens onto the surface of fluorescent core polystyrene beads was developed. We first demonstrate that murine B cells with a human MOG-specific BCR are able to interact with MOG-coated beads and do not recognize beads coated with human albumin or pp65. B cells purified from human healthy volunteer blood or immunized individuals were tested for their ability to interact with various nominal antigens, including viral, vaccine, self and alloantigens, chosen for their usefulness in studying a variety of pathological processes. A substantial amount of B cells binding self-antigen MOG-coated beads can be detected in normal blood. Furthermore, greater frequencies of B cell against anti-Tetanic Toxin or anti-EBNA1 were observed in primed individuals. This method can reveal increased frequencies of anti-HLA committed B cells in patients with circulating anti-HLA antibodies compared to unsensitized patients and normal individuals. Of interest, those specific CD19 cells were preferentially identified within CD27−IgD+ (i-e naïve) subset. These observations suggest that a broad range of medical situations could benefit from a tool that allows the detection, the quantification and the characterization of antigen-specific blood B cells. PMID:24386360

Biopolymers coated superparamagnetic Nickel Ferrites: Enhanced biocompatibility and MR imaging probe for breast cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bano, Shazia, E-mail: shaziaphy@gmail.com [Department of Physics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Pakistan); Zafar, Tayyaba [Department of Physics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Pakistan); Akhtar, Shahnaz [Department of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Pakistan); Buzdar, Saeed Ahmed [Department of Physics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Pakistan); Waraich, Mustansar Mahmood, E-mail: mustansarwaraich@gmail.com [Quaid-e-Azam Medical College B.V. Hospital, Bahawalpur (Pakistan); Afzal, Muhammad [Department of Physics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Pakistan)

2016-11-01

We report evidence for the promising application of bovine serum albumin (BSA), chitosan (CS) or carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) coated NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} cores for improved biocompatibility and enhanced T2 relaxivity, through a single combinatorial approach. Pure nickel-ferrite nano cores (NFs) successfully synthesized by thermolysis, were immobilize with BSA, CS or CMC layer employing a simple cross linking procedure to avoid any significant influence of these biopolymers on the morphology and crystal structure of the cores. Phase, morphology, magnetic hysteresis and surface chemistry were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The preliminary haemolysis and cell viability experiments show that biopolymers conjugation mitigates the haemolytic effect of the NFs on erythrocytes as the haemolytic index is less than 2% and cell viability is up to 100%, when normalized with the nontreated cells. The relaxivity value of coated NFs is 351±2.6 when compared to 84±0.22 of NFs without biopolymer conjugation. The results demonstrate that BSA, CS or CMC covering on NFs provide a single combinatorial approach to improve the biocompatibility and enhance the relaxivity value. Thus addressing the current challenge of the same with very good contrast for targeting MCF-7 without any further vectorization. - Highlights: • A single combinatorial system for the promising application of biopolymers coated NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} cores. • Immobilization of a thin layer of three different biopolymers via a simple approach. • Excellent MR contrast enhancement and targeting of MCF-7 without any further vectorization.

Breathing and Relaxation

Science.gov (United States)

... Find a Doctor Relaxation is the absence of tension in muscle groups and a minimum or absence ... Drill Meditation Progressive Muscle Relaxation Minimizing Shortness of Breath Visualization This information has been approved by Shelby ...

Sustained release of growth hormone and sodium nitrite from biomimetic collagen coating immobilized on silicone tubes improves endothelialization.

Science.gov (United States)

Salehi-Nik, Nasim; Malaie-Balasi, Zahra; Amoabediny, Ghassem; Banikarimi, Seyedeh Parnian; Zandieh-Doulabi, Behrouz; Klein-Nulend, Jenneke

2017-08-01

Biocompatibility of biomedical devices can be improved by endothelialization of blood-contacting parts mimicking the vascular endothelium's function. Improved endothelialization might be obtained by using biomimetic coatings that allow local sustained release of biologically active molecules, e.g. anti-thrombotic and growth-inducing agents, from nanoliposomes. We aimed to test whether incorporation of growth-inducing nanoliposomal growth hormone (nGH) and anti-thrombotic nanoliposomal sodium nitrite (nNitrite) into collagen coating of silicone tubes enhances endothelialization by stimulating endothelial cell proliferation and inhibiting platelet adhesion. Collagen coating stably immobilized on acrylic acid-grafted silicone tubes decreased the water contact angle from 102° to 56°. Incorporation of 50 or 500nmol/ml nNitrite and 100 or 1000ng/ml nGH into collagen coating decreased the water contact angle further to 48°. After 120h incubation, 58% nitrite and 22% GH of the initial amount of sodium nitrite and GH in nanoliposomes were gradually released from the nNitrite-nGH-collagen coating. Endothelial cell number was increased after surface coating of silicone tubes with collagen by 1.6-fold, and with nNitrite-nGH-collagen conjugate by 1.8-3.9-fold after 2days. After 6days, endothelial cell confluency in the absence of surface coating was 22%, with collagen coating 74%, and with nNitrite-nGH-collagen conjugate coating 83-119%. In the absence of endothelial cells, platelet adhesion was stimulated after collagen coating by 1.3-fold, but inhibited after nNitrite-nGH-collagen conjugate coating by 1.6-3.7-fold. The release of anti-thrombotic prostaglandin I 2 from endothelial cells was stimulated after nNitrite-nGH-collagen conjugate coating by 1.7-2.2-fold compared with collagen coating. Our data shows improved endothelialization and blood compatibility using nNitrite-nGH-collagen conjugate coating on silicone tubes suggesting that these coatings are highly suitable

Advances in edible coatings for fresh fruits and vegetables: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhall, R K

2013-01-01

Edible coatings are an environmentally friendly technology that is applied on many products to control moisture transfer, gas exchange or oxidation processes. Edible coatings can provide an additional protective coating to produce and can also give the same effect as modified atmosphere storage in modifying internal gas composition. One major advantage of using edible films and coatings is that several active ingredients can be incorporated into the polymer matrix and consumed with the food, thus enhancing safety or even nutritional and sensory attributes. But, in some cases, edible coatings were not successful. The success of edible coatings for fresh products totally depends on the control of internal gas composition. Quality criteria for fruits and vegetables coated with edible films must be determined carefully and the quality parameters must be monitored throughout the storage period. Color change, firmness loss, ethanol fermentation, decay ratio and weight loss of edible film coated fruits need to be monitored. This review discusses the use of different edible coatings (polysaccharides, proteins, lipids and composite) as carriers of functional ingredients on fresh fruits and vegetables to maximize their quality and shelf life. This also includes the recent advances in the incorporation of antimicrobials, texture enhancers and nutraceuticals to improve quality and functionality of fresh-cut fruits. Sensory implications, regulatory status and future trends are also reviewed.

Carbon coating of simulated nuclear-waste material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blocher, J.M. Jr.; Browning, M.F.; Kidd, R.W.

1982-03-01

The development of low-temperature pyrolytic carbon (LT-PyC) coatings as described in this report was initiated to reduce the release of volatile waste form components and to permit the coating of larger glass marbles that have low temperature softening points (550 to 600 0 C). Fluidized bed coaters for smaller particles ( 2mm) were used. Coating temperatures were reduced from >1000 0 C for conventional CVD high temperature PyC to approx. 500 0 C by using a catalyst. The coating gas combination that produced the highest quality coatings was found to be Ni(CO) 4 as the catalyst, C 2 H 2 as the carbon source gas, and H 2 as a diluent. Carbon deposition was found to be temperature dependent with a maximum rate observed at 530 0 C. Coating rates were typically 6 to 7 μm/hour. The screw-agitated coater approach to coating large-diameter particles was demonstrated to be feasible. Clearances are important between the auger walls and coater to eliminate binding and attrition. Coatings prepared in fluidized bed coaters using similar parameters are better in quality and are deposited at two to three times the rate as in screw-agitated coaters

Coated fuel particles: requirements and status of fabrication technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huschka, H.; Vygen, P.

1977-01-01

Fuel cycle, design, and irradiation performance requirements impose restraints on the fabrication processes. Both kernel and coating fabrication processes are flexible enough to adapt to the needs of the various existing and proposed high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. Extensive experience has demonstrated that fuel kernels with excellent sphericity and uniformity can be produced by wet chemical processes. Similarly experience has shown that the various multilayer coatings can be produced to fully meet design and specification requirements. Quality reliability of coated fuel particles is ensured by quality control and quality assurance programs operated by an aduiting system that includes licensing officials and the customer

Enteric-coated and highly standardized cranberry extract reduces antibiotic and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use for urinary tract infections during radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bonetta A

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Alberto Bonetta,1 Giandomenico Roviello,2,3 Daniele Generali,3,4 Laura Zanotti,3 Maria Rosa Cappelletti,3 Chiara Pacifico,5 Francesco Di Pierro6 1Oncological Radiotherapy Operative Unit, ASST, Cremona, 2Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, 3Molecular Therapy and Pharmacogenomics Unit, ASST, Cremona, 4Department of Medical, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, 5Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, University Hospital of Siena, Siena, 6Velleja Research Scientific Department, Milan, Italy Introduction: Worldwide, bacterial resistance to antibiotic therapy is a major concern for the medical community. Antibiotic resistance mainly affects Gram-negative bacteria that are an important cause of lower urinary tract infections (LUTIs. Pelvic irradiation for prostate cancer is a risk factor for LUTIs. Cranberry extract is reported to reduce the incidence of LUTIs. The prophylactic role of an enteric-coated, highly standardized cranberry extract (VO370® in reducing LUTI episodes, urinary discomfort, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID and antibiotic use during radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma was evaluated. Methods: A total of 924 patients with prostate carcinoma treated by radiotherapy to the prostatic and pelvic areas were randomized to receive (n=489 or not (n=435 the enteric-coated, highly standardized cranberry extract for 6–7 weeks concurrently with irradiation. Outcomes were analyzed by using Mann–Whitney U test and Pearson’s X2 test. Primary endpoint was the number of patients with LUTI; secondary endpoints were incidence of recurrence, days of treatment with antibiotics and number of subjects treated with NSAIDs, and incidence of dysuria. Results: The treatment was very well tolerated, and there were no serious side effects. All enrolled patients completed the study. Urinary infections were detected in 53 of the 489 patients (10

Glycidyl methacrylate-co-N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone coated polypropylene strips: Synthesis, characterization and standardization for dot-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tyagi, Charu; Tomar, Lomas [Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 110016 (India); Singh, Harpal [Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 110016 (India)], E-mail: tyagicharu11@rediffmail.com

2009-01-26

Glycidyl methacrylate and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (GMA-co-NVP) copolymers with various GMA:NVP ratios were synthesized by solution polymerization technique in toluene using 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as free radical initiator and dip coated onto polypropylene strips. The copolymer composition in polymeric coatings was confirmed by proton NMR spectroscopy. Various techniques like FTIR, SEM and contact angle were used for surface characterization of the polymer coatings. These polymer coated strips were evaluated and standardized for their application in dot-ELISA in two steps. In first step, specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility of the assay on developed polymer coated strips was evaluated through a model system using rabbit anti-goat IgG, goat anti-rabbit IgG and goat anti-rabbit IgG HRP (horseradish peroxidase)-conjugate. Polymer coating with GMA-NVP mol% ratio of 78:22 was able to detect rabbit anti-goat IgG antibody at a concentration as low as 2 ng mL{sup -1} with 1% BSA as blocking agent using antispecies IgG peroxidase conjugate diluted 1500 times. In the second step, the sensitivity and specificity of the developed system was established with human blood and finally used to identify the source of mosquito blood meal which is an important parameter in epidemiological studies, particularly in determining the role of mosquito in malaria transmission. The time duration of standardized assay with developed polymer coated strips was cut down to one hour compared to the 3-4 h required in usual dot-ELISA.

Research progress of anti-icing/deicing technologies for polar ships and offshore platforms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

XIE Qiang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The polar regions present adverse circumstances of high humidity and strong air-sea exchange. As such, the surfaces of ships and platforms (oil exploiting and drilling platforms serving in polar regions can easily be frozen by ice accretion, which not only affects the operation of the equipment but also threatens safety. This paper summarizes the status of the anti-icing/deicing technologies of both China and abroad for polar ships and offshore platforms, and introduces the various effects of ice accretion on polar ships and offshore platforms, and the resulting safety impacts. It then reviews existing anti-icing/deicing technologies and methods of both China and abroad, including such active deicing methods as electric heating, infrared heating and ultrasonic guided wave deicing, as well as such passive deicing methods as super hydrophobic coating, sacrificial coating, aqueous lubricating layer coating and low cross-link density (with interfacial slippage coating, summarizes their applicability to polar ships and offshore platforms, and finally discusses their advantages/disadvantages.

Comparing the influence of relaxation training and consumption of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Sleep disturbance is one of the symptoms of menopause, which occurs due to a decrease in sex hormones and dramatically affects the quality of life. This study was designed to compare the effects of relaxation and Valerian on insomnia of menopause women. Methods: The study was a randomized clinical ...

Sleep, Stress & Relaxation: Rejuvenate Body & Mind

Science.gov (United States)

Sleep, Stress & Relaxation: Rejuvenate Body & Mind; Relieve Stress; best ways to relieve stress; best way to relieve stress; different ways to relieve stress; does smoking relieve stress; does tobacco relieve stress; how can I relieve stress; how can you relieve stress; how do I relieve stress; reduce stress; does smoking reduce stress; how can I reduce stress; how to reduce stress; reduce stress; reduce stress levels; reducing stress; smoking reduce stress; smoking reduces stress; stress reducing techniques; techniques to reduce stress; stress relief; best stress relief; natural stress relief; need stress relief; relief for stress; relief from stress; relief of stress; smoking and stress relief; smoking for stress relief; smoking stress relief; deal with stress; dealing with stress; dealing with anger; dealing with stress; different ways of dealing with stress; help dealing with stress; how to deal with anger; how to deal with stress; how to deal with stress when quitting smoking; stress management; free stress management; how can you manage stress; how do you manage stress; how to manage stress; manage stress; management of stress; management stress; managing stress; strategies for managing stress; coping with stress; cope with stress; copeing with stress; coping and stress; coping skills for stress; coping strategies for stress; coping strategies with stress; coping strategy for stress; coping with stress; coping with stress and anxiety; emotional health; emotional health; emotional health article; emotional health articles; deep relaxation; deep breathing relaxation techniques; deep muscle relaxation; deep relaxation; deep relaxation meditation; deep relaxation technique; deep relaxation techniques; meditation exercises; mindful exercises; mindful meditation exercises; online relaxation exercises; relaxation breathing exercises; relaxation exercise; relaxation exercises; stress relaxation; methods of relaxation for stress; relax stress; relax techniques stress

Final Approval of California Air Plan Revision; Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District; VOCs From Motor Vehicle Assembly Coating Operations

Science.gov (United States)

EPA is taking final action to approve a revision to the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District (AVAQMD) portion of the California SIP concerning the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from motor vehicle assembly coating operations.

Fluorolon coatings of cold drying for radiation-protective equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shigorina, I.I.; Egorov, B.N.; Timofeeva, L.P.

1977-01-01

A composition of the volatile fraction (butyl acetate:acetone = 3:1) is proposed for fluorolon 32L base varnishes possessing high viability. Formulations for the fluorolon air-drying enamels of various colous are presented. Fluorolon coatings based on these enamels are detailed, providing satisfactory adhesion properties. A fairly high chemical stability of these coatings is shown making it possible to employ them for anti-corrosion protection of outer surfaces, equipment and building constructions for chemical equipment

The advantage of high relaxivity contrast agents in brain perfusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotton, F.; Hermier, M.

2006-01-01

Accurate MRI characterization of brain lesions is critical for planning therapeutic strategy, assessing prognosis and monitoring response to therapy. Conventional MRI with gadolinium-based contrast agents is useful for the evaluation of brain lesions, but this approach primarily depicts areas of disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) rather than tissue perfusion. Advanced MR imaging techniques such as dynamic contrast agent-enhanced perfusion MRI provide physiological information that complements the anatomic data available from conventional MRI. We evaluated brain perfusion imaging with gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA, MultiHance; Bracco Imaging, Milan, Italy). The contrast-enhanced perfusion technique was performed on a Philips Intera 1.5-T MR system. The technique used to obtain perfusion images was dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced MRI, which is highly sensitive to T2* changes. Combined with PRESTO perfusion imaging, SENSE is applied to double the temporal resolution, thereby improving the signal intensity curve fit and, accordingly, the accuracy of the derived parametric images. MultiHance is the first gadolinium MR contrast agent with significantly higher T1 and T2 relaxivities than conventional MR contrast agents. The higher T1 relaxivity, and therefore better contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging, leads to significantly improved detection of BBB breakdown and hence improved brain tumor conspicuity and delineation. The higher T2 relaxivity allows high-quality T2*-weighted perfusion MRI and the derivation of good quality relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) maps. We determined the value of MultiHance for enhanced T2*-weighted perfusion imaging of histologically proven (by surgery or stereotaxic biopsy) intraaxial brain tumors (n=80), multiple sclerosis lesions (n=10), abscesses (n=4), neurolupus (n=15) and stroke (n=16). All the procedures carried out were safe and no adverse events occurred. The acquired perfusion images were of good quality in

Preparation of sustained release capsules by electrostatic dry powder coating, using traditional dip coating as reference.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yan; Shen, Lian; Yuan, Feng; Fu, Hui; Shan, Weiguang

2018-05-30

Lately, a great deal of attention is being paid to capsule coating, since the coat protects active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from damage, as is in the case of tablet and pellet. However, moisture and heat sensitivity of gelatin shells make it challenging to coat capsules using the conventional aqueous coating techniques. In an effort to overcome this challenge, the present study aims to coat capsules using two different coating techniques: electrostatic dry powder coating (EDPC) and dip coating (DC). Both capsule coatings and free films were prepared by these two coating techniques, and the effects of coating formulations and processing conditions on the film quality were investigated. The corresponding drug in vitro release and mechanisms were characterized and compared. The results of dissolution tests demonstrated that the drug release behavior of both EDPC and DC coated capsules could be optimized to a sustained release of 24 h, following the Fick's diffusion law. The results of this study suggest that EDPC method is better than DC method for coating capsules, with respect to the higher production efficiency and better stability, indicating that this dry coating technology has promised in gelatin capsule coating applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and evaluation of a dimensionless mechanistic pan coating model for the prediction of coated tablet appearance.

Science.gov (United States)

Niblett, Daniel; Porter, Stuart; Reynolds, Gavin; Morgan, Tomos; Greenamoyer, Jennifer; Hach, Ronald; Sido, Stephanie; Karan, Kapish; Gabbott, Ian

2017-08-07

A mathematical, mechanistic tablet film-coating model has been developed for pharmaceutical pan coating systems based on the mechanisms of atomisation, tablet bed movement and droplet drying with the main purpose of predicting tablet appearance quality. Two dimensionless quantities were used to characterise the product properties and operating parameters: the dimensionless Spray Flux (relating to area coverage of the spray droplets) and the Niblett Number (relating to the time available for drying of coating droplets). The Niblett Number is the ratio between the time a droplet needs to dry under given thermodynamic conditions and the time available for the droplet while on the surface of the tablet bed. The time available for drying on the tablet bed surface is critical for appearance quality. These two dimensionless quantities were used to select process parameters for a set of 22 coating experiments, performed over a wide range of multivariate process parameters. The dimensionless Regime Map created can be used to visualise the effect of interacting process parameters on overall tablet appearance quality and defects such as picking and logo bridging. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, characterization and electromagnetic properties of SnO-coated FeNi alloy nanocapsules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Mingling; Li, Honglin; Xu, Taotao; Nie, Yu, E-mail: lml771212@163.com [College of Chemistry and Material Engineering, Chaohu University (China)

2016-11-15

SnO-coated FeNi alloy nanocapsules have been synthesized by an arc-discharge method. High resolution transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis show that the nanocapsules have a shell/core structure with FeNi alloy nanoparticles as the core and amorphous SnO as the shell. Dielectric relaxation of SnO shell and the interfacial relaxation between SnO shell and FeNi core lead to the dual nonlinear dielectric resonance. The natural resonance in the SnO coated FeNi nanocapsules shifts to 14.0 GHz. Reflection loss (RL) reaches -46.1 dB at 14.8 GHz for a matching thickness of 1.95 mm, while it exceeds-20 dB over the 13.6 -16.7 GHz range and it exceeds -10 dB in the whole Ku-band (12.4-18 GHz). In addition, the optimal RL values at 5.0-7.6 GHz with the absorbing thickness of 3.4-5.0 mm just exhibit a slight fluctuation. (author)

Stress development in particulate, nano-composite and polymeric coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Jindal, Karan

2009-12-01

The main goal of this research is to study the stress, structural and mechanical property development during the drying of particulate coatings, nano-composite coatings and VOC compliant refinish clearcoats. The results obtained during this research establish the mechanism for the stress development during drying in various coating systems. Coating stress was measured using a controlled environment stress apparatus based on cantilever deflection principle. The stress evolution in alumina coatings made of 0.4 mum size alumina particles was studied and the effect of a lateral drying was investigated. The stress does not develop until the later stages of drying. A peak stress was observed during drying and the peak stress originates due to the formation of pendular rings between the particles. Silica nanocomposite coatings were fabricated from suspension of nano sized silicon dioxide particles (20 nm) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer. The stress in silica nano-composite goes through maximum as the amount of polymer in the coating increases. The highest final stress was found to be ˜ 110MPa at a PVA content of 60 wt%. Observations from SEM, nitrogen gas adsorption, camera imaging, and nano-indentation were also studied to correlate the coatings properties during drying to measured stress. A model VOC compliant two component (2K) acrylic-polyol refinish clearcoat was prepared to study the effects of a new additive on drying, curing, rheology and stress development at room temperature. Most of the drying of the low VOC coatings occurred before appreciable (20%) crosslinking. Tensile stress developed in the same timeframe as drying and then relaxed over a longer time scale. Model low VOC coatings prepared with the additive had higher peak stresses than those without the additive. In addition, rheological data showed that the additive resulted in greater viscosity buildup during drying.

The effects of progressive muscle relaxation and autogenic relaxation on young soccer players' mood states.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Hairul Anuar; Hanafi Ahmad Yusof, Hazwani

2011-06-01

This study was designed to compare the effects of two different relaxation techniques, namely progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) and autogenic relaxation (AGR) on moods of young soccer players. sixteen adolescent athletes (mean age: 14.1 ± 1.3) received either PMR or AGR training. Using Profile of Mood States- Adolescents, their mood states were measured one week before relaxation training, before the first relaxation session, and after the twelfth relaxation session. Mixed ANOVA revealed no significant interaction effects and no significant main effects in any of the subscales. However, significant main effects for testing sessions were found for confusion, depression, fatigue, and tension subscales. Post hoc tests revealed post-intervention reductions in the confusion, depression, fatigue, and tension subscale scores. These two relaxation techniques induce equivalent mood responses and may be used to regulate young soccer players' mood states.

Nanostructured wear resistant coating for reversible cultivator shovels: An experimental investigation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dave, V., E-mail: vdaditya1000@gmail.com [Department of Electrical Engineering,College of Technology and Engineerin, MPUAT Udaipur, 313001,India (India); Rao, G. P., E-mail: ragrao38@gmail.com; Tiwari, G. S., E-mail: tiwarigsin@yahoo.com [Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, MPUAT Udaipur, 313001,India (India); Sanger, A., E-mail: amitsangeriitr@gmail.com; Kumar, A., E-mail: 01ashraj@gmail.com; Chandra, R., E-mail: ramesfic@gmail.com [Institute Instrumentation Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667 (India)

2016-04-13

Cultivator, one of the agriculture farm tool, extensively suffers from the wear problem. In this paper, we report nanostructured chromium nitrite (CrN) coating for the cultivator shovels to mitigate wear problem. The (CrN) coating was developed using DC magnetron sputtering technique at 200 °C. The structural, morphological, hydrophobic and wear properties were investigated using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, contact angle goniometer and custom designed soil bin assembly. The XRD reveals that the deposited coating was polycrystalline in nature with cubic structure. Also, The deposited coating was found to be anti wear resistant as well as hydrophobic in nature. The gravimetric wear for the coating developed at 200 °C coated was found out to be 8.15 gm and for non coated it was 14.48 gm tested for 100 hrs. The roughness of the coating plays an important role in determining the hydrophobicity of the coated film. Roughness and contact angle measured for 200 °C coated shovel was found out to be 11.17 nm and 105 ° respectively.

Nanostructured wear resistant coating for reversible cultivator shovels: An experimental investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dave, V.; Rao, G. P.; Tiwari, G. S.; Sanger, A.; Kumar, A.; Chandra, R.

2016-01-01

Cultivator, one of the agriculture farm tool, extensively suffers from the wear problem. In this paper, we report nanostructured chromium nitrite (CrN) coating for the cultivator shovels to mitigate wear problem. The (CrN) coating was developed using DC magnetron sputtering technique at 200 °C. The structural, morphological, hydrophobic and wear properties were investigated using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, contact angle goniometer and custom designed soil bin assembly. The XRD reveals that the deposited coating was polycrystalline in nature with cubic structure. Also, The deposited coating was found to be anti wear resistant as well as hydrophobic in nature. The gravimetric wear for the coating developed at 200 °C coated was found out to be 8.15 gm and for non coated it was 14.48 gm tested for 100 hrs. The roughness of the coating plays an important role in determining the hydrophobicity of the coated film. Roughness and contact angle measured for 200 °C coated shovel was found out to be 11.17 nm and 105 ° respectively.

Nanostructured wear resistant coating for reversible cultivator shovels: An experimental investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Dave, V.; Rao, G. P.; Tiwari, G. S.; Sanger, A.; Kumar, A.; Chandra, R.

2016-04-01

Cultivator, one of the agriculture farm tool, extensively suffers from the wear problem. In this paper, we report nanostructured chromium nitrite (CrN) coating for the cultivator shovels to mitigate wear problem. The (CrN) coating was developed using DC magnetron sputtering technique at 200 °C. The structural, morphological, hydrophobic and wear properties were investigated using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, contact angle goniometer and custom designed soil bin assembly. The XRD reveals that the deposited coating was polycrystalline in nature with cubic structure. Also, The deposited coating was found to be anti wear resistant as well as hydrophobic in nature. The gravimetric wear for the coating developed at 200 °C coated was found out to be 8.15 gm and for non coated it was 14.48 gm tested for 100 hrs. The roughness of the coating plays an important role in determining the hydrophobicity of the coated film. Roughness and contact angle measured for 200 °C coated shovel was found out to be 11.17 nm and 105 ° respectively.

IMPROVEMENT OF CORROSION PROTECTION OF PETROLEUM FACILITIES BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW HIGH-POTENTIAL COATING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allaoua-Nazef, M.; Daouadji, M.

2007-07-01

Corrosion affects many oil and gas facilities. It is the principal cause of leaks of products and rupture of storage tanks and pipelines, resulting sometimes in catastrophic damages (human damages, pollution of the natural environment, additional costs for repair, prolonged stop of pumping). Growing environmental concerns regarding the use of heavy metals in anti-corrosion coating formulations led to a new coating strategy using intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs) as key components. (ICPs) as a new materials class provides a unique set of new properties and coatings based on these polymers are able to meet high demands and are outperforming even the best conventional anti-corrosion coating systems. This new generation of high-potential coatings can provide a significant cost reduction for the oil and gas industry, due to the specific properties of the ICPs which can work indefinitely as a redox catalysts and provide continuous protection as long as the mechanical integrity of the polymer films remains intact. Our paper focuses on the development of a nonconventional coating based on a specific conducting polymer which is never used before in any coating formulations. The developed coating is able to provide high anticorrosion performances with safety, environmental benefits and costs reduction. (auth)

Structure, properties and applications of TiN coatings produced by sputter ion plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rickerby, D.S.

1988-01-01

The potential beneficial effects that wear-resistant coatings have on engineering surfaces depends upon their ability to remain adherent with the treated component. This paper concentrates on the process of sputter ion plating, a simple dc glow discharge sputtering system operating in soft vacuum, and relates the properties of titanium nitride coatings to the degree of ion polishing (substrate bias) which is utilised during deposition. Substrate bias was identified as the most important system parameter since it allowed for some stress relaxation within the coating via its influence on porosity levels in the coating microstructure. The influence that this has on coating adhesion is discussed. The internal stress is a combination of intrinsic growth stresses and thermal mismatch stresses with the latter tending to dominate as substrate bias is increased. In addition to substrate bias, the role that titanium interlayers and substrate cleaning play in improving the adhesion of titanium nitride coatings is discussed, and the potential benefits highlighted. In the last part of the paper some applications of titanium nitride coating are described -it will be shown that increase in component life is by no means the only criterion which should be considered when judging the success, or otherwise, of a coated component. (author)

Comparison of anti-corrosion properties of polyurethane based composite coatings with low infrared emissivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yajun; Xu Guoyue; Yu Huijuan; Hu Chen; Yan Xiaoxing; Guo Tengchao; Li Jiufen

2011-01-01

Four polyurethane resins, pure polyurethane (PU), epoxy modified polyurethane (EPU), fluorinated polyurethane (FPU) and epoxy modified fluorinated polyurethane (EFPU), with similar polyurethane backbone structure but different grafting group were used as organic adhesive for preparing low infrared emissivity coatings with an extremely low emissivity near 0.10 at 8-14 μm, respectively. By using these four resins, the effect of different resin matrics on the corrosion protection of the low infrared emissivity coatings was investigated in detail by using neutral salt spray test, SEM and FTIR. It was found that the emissivity of the coatings with different resin matrics changes significantly in corrosion media. And the results indicated that the coating using EFPU as organic adhesive exhibited excellent corrosion resistance property which was mainly attributed to the presence of epoxy group and atomic fluorine in binder simultaneously.

In vivo tumor targeting and imaging with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibody-conjugated dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsieh WJ

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Wan-Ju Hsieh,1 Chan-Jung Liang,1 Jen-Jie Chieh,4 Shu-Huei Wang,1 I-Rue Lai,1 Jyh-Horng Chen,2 Fu-Hsiung Chang,3 Wei-Kung Tseng,4–6 Shieh-Yueh Yang,4 Chau-Chung Wu,7 Yuh-Lien Chen11Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, 2Department of Electrical Engineering, 3Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Institute of Electro-Optical Science and Technology, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 6Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, I-Shou University, Taipei, Taiwan; 7Department of Internal Medicine and Primary Care Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, TaiwanBackground: Active targeting by specific antibodies combined with nanoparticles is a promising technology for cancer imaging and detection by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether the systemic delivery of antivascular endothelial growth factor antibodies conjugating to the surface of functionalized supermagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (anti-VEGF-NPs led to target-specific accumulation in the tumor.Methods: The VEGF expression in human colon cancer and in Balb/c mice bearing colon cancers was examined by immunohistochemistry. The distribution of these anti-VEGF-NPs particles or NPs particles were evaluated by MRI at days 1, 2, or 9 after the injection into the jugular vein of Balb/c mice bearing colon cancers. Tumor and normal tissues (liver, spleen, lung, and kidney were collected and were examined by Prussian blue staining to determine the presence and distribution of NPs in the tissue sections.Results: VEGF is highly expressed in human and mouse colon cancer tissues. MRI showed significant changes in the T*2 signal and T2 relaxation in the anti-VEGF-NP- injected-mice, but not in mice injected with NP alone. Examination of paraffin

Measurement of anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies in major immunoglobulin classes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aotsuka, S; Okawa, M; Ikebe, K; Yokohari, R [Division of Clinical Immunology, Clinical Research Institute, National Medical Center Hospital, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

1979-07-10

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay for quantitating anti-double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid antibodies (anti-dsDNA) in IgG, IgM and IgA classes has been devised. A distinct feature of the method is an application of polystyrene tubes coated with poly-L-lysine, through which dsDNA could be bound firmly to a solid phase. Studies on patients sera as well as normal sera revealed that anti-dsDNA was not qualitatively but quantitatively characteristic of systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and that IgG anti-dsDNA levels correlated well with the disease activity.

Connecting optical and X-ray tracers of galaxy cluster relaxation

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Ian D.; Parker, Laura C.; Hlavacek-Larrondo, Julie

2018-04-01

Substantial effort has been devoted in determining the ideal proxy for quantifying the morphology of the hot intracluster medium in clusters of galaxies. These proxies, based on X-ray emission, typically require expensive, high-quality X-ray observations making them difficult to apply to large surveys of groups and clusters. Here, we compare optical relaxation proxies with X-ray asymmetries and centroid shifts for a sample of Sloan Digital Sky Survey clusters with high-quality, archival X-ray data from Chandra and XMM-Newton. The three optical relaxation measures considered are the shape of the member-galaxy projected velocity distribution - measured by the Anderson-Darling (AD) statistic, the stellar mass gap between the most-massive and second-most-massive cluster galaxy, and the offset between the most-massive galaxy (MMG) position and the luminosity-weighted cluster centre. The AD statistic and stellar mass gap correlate significantly with X-ray relaxation proxies, with the AD statistic being the stronger correlator. Conversely, we find no evidence for a correlation between X-ray asymmetry or centroid shift and the MMG offset. High-mass clusters (Mhalo > 1014.5 M⊙) in this sample have X-ray asymmetries, centroid shifts, and Anderson-Darling statistics which are systematically larger than for low-mass systems. Finally, considering the dichotomy of Gaussian and non-Gaussian clusters (measured by the AD test), we show that the probability of being a non-Gaussian cluster correlates significantly with X-ray asymmetry but only shows a marginal correlation with centroid shift. These results confirm the shape of the radial velocity distribution as a useful proxy for cluster relaxation, which can then be applied to large redshift surveys lacking extensive X-ray coverage.

75 FR 70203 - Certain Coated Paper Suitable for High-Quality Print Graphics Using Sheet-Fed Presses From the...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-17

... Error Memo. In addition, one of the ministerial errors affected the calculation of the labor rate, which... quality print graphics using sheet-fed presses; coated on one or both sides with kaolin (china or other...; whether gloss grade, satin grade, matte grade, dull grade, or any other grade of finish; whether or not...

75 FR 75663 - Certain Coated Paper Suitable for High-Quality Print Graphics Using Sheet-Fed Presses From the...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-06

... suitable for high quality print graphics using sheet-fed presses; coated on one or both sides with kaolin... square meter; whether gloss grade, satin grade, matte grade, dull grade, or any other grade of finish... distinguish it from `text.' \\2\\ One of the key measurements of any grade of paper is brightness. Generally...

Shaping optimal zinc coating on the surface of high-quality ductile iron casting. Part I – Moulding technologies vs. zinc coating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szczęsny A.

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Studies have demonstrated that in the process of hot dip galvanizing the decisive influence on the mechanism of zinc coating formation and properties has the quality of the mechanically untreated (raw surface layer of the galvanized product. The terms “casting surface layer” denote various parameters of the microstructure, including the type of metal matrix, the number of grains and the size of graphite nodules, possible presence of hard spots (the precipitates of eutectic cementite and parameters of the surface condition. The completed research has allowed linking the manufacturing technology of ductile iron castings with the process of hot dip galvanizing.

Effect of dopamine-hyaluronate coating of maghemite probes on relaxivity and cellular uptake

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Herynek, V.; Babič, Michal; Horák, Daniel; Jendelová, Pavla; Francová, P.; Syková, Eva; Hájek, M.

2011-01-01

Roč. 24, Suppl. 1 (2011), s. 219-220 ISSN 0968-5243. [ESMRMB 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting /28./. 06.10.2011-08.10.2011, Leipzig] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/09/1242; GA MŠk 1M0538 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505; CEZ:AV0Z50390512 Keywords : magnetic nanoparticles * dopamine -hyaluronate coating Subject RIV: FH - Neurology

Anti-Solvent Crystallization Strategies for Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Konstantakou

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Solution-processed organic-inorganic halide perovskites are currently established as the hottest area of interest in the world of photovoltaics, ensuring low manufacturing cost and high conversion efficiencies. Even though various fabrication/deposition approaches and device architectures have been tested, researchers quickly realized that the key for the excellent solar cell operation was the quality of the crystallization of the perovskite film, employed to assure efficient photogeneration of carriers, charge separation and transport of the separated carriers at the contacts. One of the most typical methods in chemistry to crystallize a material is anti-solvent precipitation. Indeed, this classical precipitation method worked really well for the growth of single crystals of perovskite. Fortunately, the method was also effective for the preparation of perovskite films by adopting an anti-solvent dripping technique during spin-coating the perovskite precursor solution on the substrate. With this, polycrystalline perovskite films with pure and stable crystal phases accompanied with excellent surface coverage were prepared, leading to highly reproducible efficiencies close to 22%. In this review, we discuss recent results on highly efficient solar cells, obtained by the anti-solvent dripping method, always in the presence of Lewis base adducts of lead(II iodide. We present all the anti-solvents that can be used and what is the impact of them on device efficiencies. Finally, we analyze the critical challenges that currently limit the efficacy/reproducibility of this crystallization method and propose prospects for future directions.

Efficacy of a coating composed of chitosan from Mucor circinelloides and carvacrol to control Aspergillus flavus and the quality of cherry tomato fruits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evandro eDe Souza

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill fruits are susceptible to contamination by Aspergillus flavus, which may cause the development of fruit rot and significant postharvest losses. Currently there are significant drawbacks for the use of synthetic fungicides to control pathogenic fungi in tomato fruits, and it has increased the interest in exploring new alternatives to control the occurrence of fungal infections in these fruits. This study evaluated the efficacy of chitosan (CHI from M. circinelloides in combination with carvacrol (CAR in inhibiting A. flavus in laboratory media and as a coating on cherry tomato fruits (25 °C, 12 days and 12 °C, 24 days. During a period of storage, the effect of coatings composed of CHI and CAR on autochthonous microflora, as well as on some quality characteristics of the fruits such as weight loss, color, firmness, soluble solids and titratable acidity was evaluated. CHI and CAR displayed MIC values of 7.5 mg/mL and 10 µL/mL, respectively, against A. flavus. The combined application of CHI (7.5 or 3.75 mg/mL and CAR (5 or 2.5 µL/mL strongly inhibited the mycelial growth and spore germination of A. flavus. The coating composed of CHI (3.75 mg/mL and CAR (2.5 or 1.25 µL/mL inhibited the growth of A. flavus in artificially contaminated fruits, as well as the native fungal microflora of the fruits stored at room or low temperature. The application of the tested coatings preserved the quality of cherry tomato fruits as measured by some physicochemical attributes. From this, composite coatings containing CHI and CAR offer a promising alternative to control postharvest infection caused by A. flavus or native fungal microflora in fresh cherry tomato fruits without negatively affecting their quality over storage.

Electrophoretic deposition of chitosan/45S5 bioactive glass composite coatings doped with Zn and Sr

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta eMiola

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In this research work the original 45S5 bioactive glass (BG was modified by introducing zinc and/or strontium oxide (6% mol in place of calcium oxide. Sr was added for its ability to stimulate bone formation, Zn for its role in bone metabolism, antibacterial properties and anti-inflammatory effect. The glasses were produced by means of melting and quenching process. SEM and XRD analyses evidenced that Zr and Sr introduction did not modify the glass structure and morphology, while compositional analysis (EDS demonstrated the effective addition of these elements inside the glass network. Bioactivity test in simulated body fluid (SBF up to one month evidenced a reduced bioactivity kinetics for Zn-doped glasses. Doped glasses were combined with chitosan to produce organic/inorganic composite coatings on stainless steel AISI 316L by electrophoretic deposition (EPD. Two EPD processes were considered for coating development, namely direct current EPD (DC-EPD and alternating current EPD (AC-EPD. The stability of the suspension was analysed and the deposition parameters were optimized. Tape and bending tests demonstrated a good coating-substrate adhesion for coatings containing 45S5-Sr and 45S5-ZnSr glasses, while the adhesion to the substrate decreased by using 45S5-Zn glass. FTIR analyses demonstrated the composite nature of coatings and SEM observations indicated that glass particles were well integrated in the polymeric matrix, the coatings were fairly homogeneous and free of cracks; moreover the AC-EPD technique provided better results than DC-EPD in terms of coating quality. SEM, XRD analyses and Raman spectroscopy, performed after bioactivity test in SBF solution, confirmed the bioactive behaviour of 45S5-Sr containing coating, while coatings containing Zn exhibited no hydroxyapatite formation.

A poly(dimethylsiloxane)-coated flexible mold for nanoimprint lithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Nae Yoon; Kim, Youn Sang

2007-01-01

In this paper, we introduce an anti-adhesion poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-coated flexible mold and its applications for room-temperature imprint lithography. The flexible mold is fabricated using an ultraviolet-curable prepolymer on a flexible substrate, and its surface is passivated with a thin layer of PDMS to impart an anti-adhesion property. The highly flexible mold enables conformal contact with a substrate on which a low-viscosity polymer resist is spin-cast in a thin layer. Large-area imprinting is then realized at room temperature under significantly reduced pressure. The mold was durable even after repetitive imprinting of over 200 times. Also, we show a double imprinting on the substrate with a PDMS-coated replica polymeric mold having 500 nm line patterns. This enables the formation of matrix patterns with varying feature heights in less than 7 min

The Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Autogenic Relaxation on Young Soccer Players’ Mood States

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Hairul Anuar; Hanafi@Ahmad Yusof, Hazwani

2011-01-01

Purpose This study was designed to compare the effects of two different relaxation techniques, namely progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) and autogenic relaxation (AGR) on moods of young soccer players. Methods Sixteen adolescent athletes (mean age: 14.1 ± 1.3) received either PMR or AGR training. Using Profile of Mood States- Adolescents, their mood states were measured one week before relaxation training, before the first relaxation session, and after the twelfth relaxation session. Results Mixed ANOVA revealed no significant interaction effects and no significant main effects in any of the subscales. However, significant main effects for testing sessions were found for confusion, depression, fatigue, and tension subscales. Post hoc tests revealed post-intervention reductions in the confusion, depression, fatigue, and tension subscale scores. Conclusion These two relaxation techniques induce equivalent mood responses and may be used to regulate young soccer players’ mood states. PMID:22375225

Reduction of coating induced polarization aberrations by controlling the polarization state variation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yanghui; Shen, Weidong; Zheng, Zhenrong; Zhang, Yueguang; Liu, Xu; Hao, Xiang