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Background: A bronchopleural fistula (BPF) occurs when an abnormal connection forms between the bronchial tubes and pleural cavity, often due to surgery, infection, trauma, radiation, or chemotherapy. The outcomes of both surgical and bronchoscopic treatments frequently prove to be unsatisfactory. Case presentation: Here, we report a case of successful bronchoscopic free fat pad transplantation combined with platelet-rich plasma, effectively addressing a post-lobectomy BPF. Contrast-enhanced chest tomography revealed pleural thickening with heterogeneous consolidations over the right upper and middle lobes, indicative of destructive lung damage and bronchiectasis. The patient underwent thoracoscopic bilobectomy of the lungs. During surgery, severe adhesions and calcification of the chest wall and lung parenchyma were observed. The entire hilar structure was calcified, presenting challenges for dissection, despite the assistance of energy devices. Bronchoscopic intervention was required, during which two abdominal subcutaneous fat pads were retrieved. Conclusion: This innovative approach offers promise in the management of BPF and signals potential advancements in enhancing treatment efficacy and patient recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Surgery for centrally located lung cancer after previous cancer treatments can be challenging due to the lungs adhering to the chest wall. We investigated whether using the Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator (CUSA) could help. We focused on patients who had thoracoscopic salvage anatomic lung resections after systemic or radiotherapy with and without CUSA. The CUSA group took more time for surgery but had less bleeding. Our analysis found that older age carried more risk for complications, and using CUSA decreased bleeding, whereas radiotherapy increased the risk of bleeding. CUSA seems to prevent harm to blood vessels and airways, which could lead to less bleeding during this specific type of minimally invasive lung cancer surgery. In centrally located lung tumors, salvage pulmonary resections pose challenges due to adhesions between the pulmonary parenchyma, chest wall, and hilum. This study aimed to investigate the surgical outcomes associated with Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator (CUSA) usage in thoracoscopic salvage pulmonary resections. Patients with centrally located advanced-stage lung tumors who underwent salvage anatomic resections following systemic or radiotherapy were included. They were categorized into CUSA and non-CUSA groups, and perioperative parameters and surgical outcomes were analyzed. Results: The study included 7 patients in the CUSA group and 15 in the non-CUSA group. Despite a longer median surgical time in the CUSA group (3.8 h vs. 6.0 h, p = 0.021), there was a significant reduction in blood loss (100 mL vs. 250 mL, p = 0.014). Multivariate analyses revealed that the use of CUSA and radiotherapy had opposing effects on blood loss (β: −296.7, 95% CI: −24.8 to −568.6, p = 0.034 and β: 282.9, 95% CI: 19.7 to 546.3, p = 0.037, respectively). In conclusion, while using CUSA in the salvage anatomic resection of centrally located lung cancer may result in a longer surgical time, it is crucial in minimizing blood loss during the procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standard treatment for early-stage lung cancer is complete tumor excision by limited resection of the lung. Preoperative localization is used before video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to improve the accuracy of pulmonary nodule excision. However, lung atelectasis and hypoxia resulting from controlling apnea during the localization procedure may affect the localization accuracy. Pre-procedural pulmonary recruitment may improve the respiratory mechanics and oxygenation during localization. In this study, we investigated the potential benefits of pre-localization pulmonary recruitment prior to pulmonary ground-glass nodule localization in a hybrid operating room. We hypothesized that pre-localization pulmonary recruitment would increase the localization accuracy, improve oxygenation, and prevent the need for re-inflation during the localization procedure. We retrospectively enrolled patients with multiple pulmonary nodule localizations before surgical intervention in our hybrid operating room. We compared the localization accuracy between patients who had undergone pre-procedure pulmonary recruitment and patients who had not. Saturation, re-inflation rate, apnea time, procedure-related pneumothorax, and procedure time were also recorded as secondary outcomes. The patients who had undergone pre-procedure recruitment had better saturation, shorter procedure time, and higher localization accuracy. The pre-procedure pulmonary recruitment maneuver was effective in increasing regional lung ventilation, leading to improved oxygenation and localization accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, two new families of asynchronous channel-hopping (CH) sequences—Symmetric Maximum-Length CH (SML-CH) Sequences and Relaxed Difference Set (RDS) of Maximum-Length CH (RDSML-CH) Sequences—are constructed. For the first time, the maximum-length sequences (also called as m-sequences) are used to create 2-D CH matrices with a reduced number of “jump” columns. The two new constructions carry the desirable properties of maximum rendezvous diversity (MRD) and even channel use (ECU) and, more importantly, have the shortest periods in their categories of constructions. Another contribution is on the embedment of optical orthogonal codes (OOCs) to eliminate “stay” columns in the RDSML-CH matrices, thus resulting in the first and only family of the asynchronous CH sequences that can asymptotically achieve the theoretical period lower bound. To support the RDSML-CH construction, a new shortened RDS algorithm for creating the OOCs with smaller weight-to-length ratios than the existing ones is proposed. Numerical and simulation analyses show that the two new constructions have a good balance of short period, MRD, ECU, short time-to-rendezvous (TTR) mean, small TTR variance, and short maximum-TTR, thus more suitable for practical CR wireless networks than the existing constructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• After chlorine depletion, the reaction still progresses and is faster than photolysis alone. • When chlorine is depleted, O 3 becomes the major reactant that degrades ketamine. • High ozone yields were found in both sunlight/HOCl and sunlight/ClO−. • The high concentration and contribution of O 3 were confirmed by a kinetic model. • Ozone reacts with primary and secondary amine-containing pharmaceuticals. Sunlight-induced photoirradiation of chlorine (sunlight/chlorine) can be observed in outdoor swimming pools and open-channel disinfection units for wastewater treatment. In this study, the degradation of ketamine, an environmentally persistent pharmaceutical, under sunlight irradiation in the presence of a low concentration of chlorine (1 mg/L as Cl 2) was investigated to elucidate the evolution of reactive species and their contribution to ketamine removal. •OH dominates the initial stage of sunlight/chlorine; however, after chlorine depletion, reactions still progress with an observed rate constant (k obs = 7.6 ± 0.50 × 10−3 min−1) an order of magnitude higher than photolysis alone (k obs = 2.9 ± 0.15 × 10−4 min−1). When chlorine is depleted, O 3 becomes the major reactant that degrades ketamine. High O 3 yields were found in both sunlight/HOCl (12.5 ± 0.5% at pH 5) and sunlight/ClO− (10 ± 1% at pH 10) systems. At sub-µM levels, O 3 resulted in substantial removal of ketamine, and even faster rates were observed in the presence of sunlight. A kinetic model was also established, and evaluate time-dependent concentration levels during sunlight/chlorine. The model simulation showed that the cumulative O 3 concentration could reach 0.91 μM, and O 3 contributed 31% ketamine removal during the sunlight/chlorine process. Primary and secondary amine functional groups were demonstrated to be the reaction sites of O 3 ; other pharmaceuticals, such as atenolol and metoprolol, underwent similar phenomena. In addition, the experimental and model results further indicated that sunlight/ClO 2 − or ClO 2 also participates in the degradation of ketamine with a minor role; trace amounts (below nM level) of ClO 2 − and ClO 2 were estimated by the simulation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliability of dye-sensitized solar cells has usually been reported by efficiency measurements after 1000 h at a certain elevated temperature. In this work, a protocol for shelf-life estimating was proposed. Accelerated degradation tests were performed at several elevated temperatures. The results were analyzed using the degradation model for the log ratio of efficiencies at different times to the initial efficiency. The model includes a linear degradation rate which may vary from unit-to-unit due to common-cause variations in assembly, and a Wiener stochastic process which account for random-walk effects between measurements. An Arrhenius-type acceleration factor was used to describe effects of temperature, which allows us to extrapolate and predict degradation cells efficiency at an ambient temperature. The procedure was demonstrated using three types of dye-sensitized solar cells: one using a volatile organic solvent 3-methoxy-propionitrile, one using a nonvolatile organic solvent polyethylene-glycol-dimethyl-ether, and one using an ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetra-cyanoborate. Use of ionic liquid not only reduces the mean degradation rate but also the unit-to-unit variations. If a residual efficiency limit of 80% was used, the mean shelf-life of cells using ionic liquid was predicted to be about 18,800 h, with 99.7% confidence limit that it is greater than 5900 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The substantial heat generated in three-dimensional integrated circuits and high-power electronics has made thermal management a critical challenge for reliability in the electronics industry. Pure indium solder has been used as a thermal interface material to minimize the contact thermal resistance between a chip and its heat sink. Indium and indium-based alloys are potential lead-free solder for low-temperature applications. Heat sinks in the heat dissipation system as well as substrates of electronic joints are usually made of copper, with nickel being the most commonly used diffusion barrier on the chip side. Therefore, the Cu/In/Ni sandwich structure would be encountered in electronic devices. The soldering process for forming the Cu/In/Ni structure crucially determines the reliability of devices. In this study, Cu/In/Ni interfacial reactions at 280 °C were investigated. Intermetallic compounds were identified and the microstructural evolution was observed. A strong coupling effect between Cu and Ni was found, which caused several peculiar phenomena: (1) the formation of a Cu–In compound (the Cu 11 In 9 phase) at the In/Ni interface; (2) the formation of two sub-layers of the Cu 11 In 9 phase at the Cu/In interface; (3) the formation of faceted rod-like Cu 11 In 9 grains; and (4) the formation of a half-Cu 11 In 9 , half-Ni 3 In 7 microstructure after prolonged reactions. The mechanism of phase transformations is elucidated based on the calculated Cu–In–Ni ternary phase diagram using CALPHAD thermodynamic modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Catalytic ozonation promotes membrane permeate flux recovery. [•] Increasing ozone and catalyst dosage enhances permeate flux recovery. [•] The percentage removal of TOC and UV254 increased as the catalyst dosage increased. [•] The gas flowrate and catalyst dose positively influence the reduction of SDS THMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on evidence from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, a new stereocomplex crystal (DSC Tm = 175 °C, with WAXD 2 θ = 10.0° and 12.5°) is proven for the first time between structurally dissimilar chiral poly( L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) (sPMMA). There is a strong complexing capacity only between low molecular weight PLLA and sPMMA, in miscible state, at specific weight fractions (70:30). The complexing capacity is more significant when the mixtures are melt-crystallized at Tc = 110 °C or lower, and the intensity of this complex can be further enhanced if it is annealed between 100 and 160 °C, below its Tm = 175 °C. The new complex crystal can be formed only between PLLA and sPMMA, but not with isotactic or atactic PMMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigates the feasibility of using the combination of TiO2 photocatalysis and a constructed wetland to treat polluted surface water for water reclamation. The treatment efficiency of the system was evaluated by varying the hydraulic retention time (HRT), light source wavelength, and quantity of photocatalyst. The experimental results show that the combined system with 2-day HRT had better treatment efficiency in terms of treated water quality than that obtained with 0.5-day HRT. The combined system effectively decreased the monitored water quality parameters; the removal percentages increased with increasing quantity of photocatalyst. Compared with constructed wetland treatment alone, the combined system improves the treatment efficiency of polluted water. An evaluation of the possibility of using the treated water for reclamation found that only the combined system effectively removed both trihalomethane (THM) and six haloacetic acid (HAA6) precursors, which decreased their formation to levels that meet the maximum contamination levels (MCLs) of drinking water. The proposed system is thus suitable for treating agricultural and domestic wastewater for water reclamation with low operating and maintenance costs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nanocrystals of the semiconducting chalcopyrite CuFeS2 have been synthesized utilizing a facile solution-based method. Depending on the choice of precursors and synthesis conditions, the nanocrystals exhibit either a spherical (∼12 nm) or pyramidal morphology (∼30 nm), with a narrow size distribution. The band gap of the pyramidal nanocrystals is very close to the bulk value, but a larger band gap is obtained for the spherical nanocrystals likely because of size confinement effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effect of catalytic ozonation in a fluidized bed reactor (FBR) on the formation of individual disinfection by-products (DBPs) was investigated. A biofiltration column was used to evaluate the removal efficiency of biotreatment on DBP precursors. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), simulated distribution system trihalomethanes (SDS THMs), and six simulated distribution system haloacetic acids (SDS HAA6) were monitored. The source water was polluted by domestic and agricultural effluents. Catalytic ozonation removed the concentration of DOC by 8.2–51.4% depending on the dosage of the catalyst. The decreases of SDS THMs and SDS HAA6 were 41.3–51.2% and 31.7–48.3%, respectively, under the same operating conditions. Biotreatment greatly improved the removal efficiency of DOC and decreased the formation of DBPs. Up to 81.7%, 76.1%, and 81.3% of DOC, SDS THMs precursors, and SDS HAA6 precursors were removed after the catalytic ozonation followed by biofiltration, respectively. The treatment processes also influenced the proportions of individual DBP species. The proportion of bromine-containing species from the SDS THMs and SDS HAA6 increased in water samples after being treated by biofiltration alone, ozonation alone, catalytic ozonation, and catalytic ozonation followed by biofiltration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Semiconducting CuIn x Ga1−x Se2 nanocrystals (20–30nm) have been synthesized over the whole composition range using a facile solution-based method. Depending on the synthesis conditions, the nanocrystals exhibit a cubic or spherical morphology with a narrow size distribution. The band gap increases with increasing Ga concentration and the values are close to those observed in the bulk. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this study is to investigate the possibility of using a polymer material, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), as an additional carbon source to fabricate carbon nanotubes using arc-discharge method. Experiments were carried out using a graphite anode filled with a mixture of PVA and iron group catalysts. The results indicated that PVA material not only can be used for the formation of carbon nanotubes but also for the formation of some novel carbonaceous structures such as spherical nanoparticles, beaded and sheet-like carbon nanostructures. Furthermore, we found that the catalyst content in the PVA filling mixture should be lower than 50 wt%. In addition, novel catalyst precursors, such as Fe2(SO4)3 · nH2O or Fe(NO3)3 · 9H2O, were employed to grow carbon nanotubes. The results showed that these catalyst precursors can be used to form carbon nanotubes if their filling content does not exceed 50 wt%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reductively activate carbon fibers fabricated from cellulosic biomass can enable high capacity adsorption of nonpolar VOCs, and can be regenerated electrically for reuse. Reductive carbonization of cellulosic fibers via nano-sized nickel catalyst in the presence of hydrogen was examined for production of activated carbon fibers (ACFs). The results showed that 99.5 % of oxygen originally presented in the biomass was removed as measured by using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), with over 63 % carbon in form of reductive species. Such reductive ACFs demonstrated high adsorption capacities for non-polar volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Particularly, the reductive ACFs absorbed benzene at a capacity that was 8 times higher than traditionally prepared carbon fibers. That can be attributed to both the reductive surface chemistry and morphology generated by the activity of the nanocatalysts. The unique network structure of the ACFs also provided a fine conductivity, that made it possible for efficient material regeneration via electrothermal desorption. The absorbed VOCs could be completely released within 1 min upon application of a moderate electrical current, and the regenerated materials could regain 100 % of its adsorption capacity even after repeated adsorption and desorption cycles. This work demonstrated for the first time the use of nanocatalyst-assisted reductive carbonization in manipulating surface properties of bio-based carbon materials, promising the production of a new class of carbon materials for industrial applications including air quality control, gas separation, and fuel storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobia, Rachycentron canadum, is a medium-size marine fish with emerging global potential for offshore aquaculture. The processing waste, cobia liver, is a raw material rich in polyunsaturated fatty acid oils. In this study, an environmentally friendly green process, aqueous extraction (AE), was used to extract the cobia liver oil. The effect of cooking time and substrate water ratio on the oil extractability was investigated herein. The cooking time of 15 min, and substrate water ratio of 1:2 obtained the highest extraction efficiency. However, the oil extractability was only 18.8%. Thus, enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction (EAAE) was used to increase oil extractability and recovery of protein hydrolysates. The commercial proteases—including alcalase, papain, trypsin, and pepsin—were employed in pretreated cobia liver in order to increase oil release during AE. The EAAE results showed that maximum oil extractability was 38% by papain pretreatment. EAAE greatly improved the extraction efficiency; the oil extractability was double than that of AE (18.8%). The fatty acid profiles revealed that ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid contents of extracted oil obtained from AE and EAAE were 21.3% and 19.5%, respectively. Besides, the cobia liver hydrolysates obtained from EAAE by alcalase, papain, pepsin, and trypsin pretreatment showed scavenge DPPH radical activity with EC50 values of 0.92, 1.03, 0.83, and 0.53 mg, respectively. After in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion, the protein hydrolysates exhibited scavenge DPPH radical activity with EC50 values of 1.15, 1.55, 0.98, and 0.76 mg for alcalase, papain, pepsin, and trypsin, respectively. The study showed that the EAAE process can be used for extracting fish oil from fish waste while simultaneously obtaining the protein hydrolysates with antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films are used for a broad range of applications such as wastewater treatment, photocatalytic degradation activity, water splitting, antibacterial and also in biomedical applications. There is a wide range of synthesis techniques for the deposition of TiO2 thin films, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD), both of which are well known deposition methods. Layer by layer deposition with good homogeneity, even thickness and good adhesive nature is possible by using the PVD technique, with the products being used for photocatalytic applications. This review studies the effects of magnetron sputtering conditions on TiO2 films. This innovative technique can enhance the photocatalytic activity by increasing the thickness of the film higher than any other methods. The main purpose of this article is to review the effects of DC and RF magnetron sputtering conditions on the preparation of TiO2 thin films for photocatalysis. The characteristics of TiO2 films (i.e., structure, composition, and crystallinity) are affected significantly by the substrate type, the sputtering power, the distance between substrate and target, working pressure, argon/oxygen ratio, deposition time, substrate temperature, dopant types, and finally the annealing treatment. The photocatalytic activity and optical properties, including the degree of crystallinity, band gap (Eg), refractive index (n), transmittance (T), and extinction coefficient (k), of TiO2 films are dependent on the above- mentioned film characteristics. Optimal TiO2 films should have a small particle size, a strong degree of crystallinity, a low band gap, a low contact angle, a high refractive index, transmittance, and extinction coefficient. Finally, metallic and nonmetallic dopants can be added to enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 films by narrowing the band gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urine source separation, as an innovative concept for the reuse of microlevel nutrients in human urine, has drawn increasing attention recently. Consequently, removing coexisting pharmaceuticals in urine is necessary for further reuse. This study is the first to apply the solar-driven persulfate process (Solar/PS) to the investigation of cephradine (CFD) and caffeine (CAF) degradation in synthetic human urine. The results showed that significantly more degradation of CFD and CAF occurs with the Solar/PS process than with persulfate oxidation and direct sunlight photolysis, respectively. The generated reactive species ·OH, SO 4 ·–, O 2 ·– and 1O 2 were identified in the Solar/PS process. While SO 4 ·– played a dominant role at pH 6, it played a minor role at pH 9 due to the lower amount generated under alkaline conditions. The presence of chloride and ammonia negatively impacted the photodegradation of both compounds. In contrast, bicarbonate exhibited no effect on CAF but enhanced CFD degradation owing to its amino-acid-like structure, which has a higher reactivity toward CO 3 ·–. Although total organic carbon (TOC) was partially mineralized after 6 h of operation, no Microtox® toxicity was observed. [Display omitted] • CAF and CFD were effectively removed in synthetic urine via the Solar/PS process. • SO 4 ·– contributed dominantly at pH 6, while·OH played a major role at pH 9. • Cl- and NH 3 in synthetic urine had a negative impact on CAF and CFD degradation. • HCO 3 - in synthetic urine exhibited no effect on CAF but enhanced CFD degradation. • No Microtox® toxicity was observed in synthetic urine after the operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the simple solution-based route for the synthesis of size-controlled cubic CuCr2Se4 nanocrystals. It discusses the process of the thermal decomposition of the metal acetylacetonate precursors and their reaction with Se complexed to high-boiling solvent mixtures of OLA and ODE. Moreover, the researchers believe that the process can be extended to the nanocrystal synthesis in a variety of other ternary chalcogenides.

Despite their excellent fouling resistance, solubility issues of zwitterionic copolymers limit their use in membrane surface modifications by coating or blending. This work presents an innovative method to form a random copolymer of polystyrene (PS) and poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA), and modify in the same time poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes. As the polymer is formed, it is self-deposited on the membrane. Hence, a solvent for PS- r -PSBMA does not have to be found to coat the membranes. The first part of this work consisted in optimizing the reaction conditions, by varying the SBMA to styrene monomer ratio, the reaction time and the solid content in the reactive mixture. A 50/50 monomer ratio, a reaction time of 5 h and a total solid content of 5 wt% were found to lead to a water contact angle at equilibrium close to 0 and to a reduction of 90% of fibrinogen adsorption. Using the optimized membrane, efficient resistant to fouling in complex medium was achieved, as fibrinogen from a platelet-poor-plasma solution was reduced by almost 80%, compared with the unmodified membrane. Almost complete resistance to platelets, leukocytes, erythrocytes, whole blood and E. coli adhesion were achieved. Furthermore, a flux recovery ratio (FRR) of 93% was obtained after incubating the membrane in a platelet-poor-plasma solution, outperforming a hydrophilic commercial PVDF membrane (FRR = 70%). Although further optimization of the process needs to be done, the method presented is promising for facile, stable and cost-effective surface zwitterionization of membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobia, Rachycentron canadum, is a species of marine finfish with emerging global potential for offshore aquaculture. The fillet processing by-product, cobia liver, can be considered an accessible source of EPA/DHA-enriched oil. Oils are mainly extracted with hexane in the oil industry; however, extractability is greatly decreased in wet biomass as the hydrophilic surface hinders the penetration of hexane into the tissue matrix. In this study, the feasibility of agitated extraction (AE), ultrasonic extraction (UE), Soxhlet extraction (SE), homogenizer extraction (HE), and homogenizer extraction plus sonication (HES) was evaluated. HE and HES showed higher extraction efficiency than AE, UE, or SE. The highest yields: 45.7% and 50.2%, were obtained from using HE for 2 min and HES for 120 min, respectively. Both yields were close to the fat content of cobia liver, indicating that the lipids were effectively extracted. The fatty acid profiles revealed that the highest contents of 5.2% eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 19.7% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were obtained from HE and HES, respectively. These results demonstrated that HE and HES were highly efficient and the most useful among all tested methods for lipid extraction from wet biomass. Practical applications: Increasing the value of low quality processing waste is important in the food and nutraceutical industries. Cobia liver, comprising 5% of total fish mass, is a potential source of EPA/DHA-enriched fish oil. EPA and DHA decompose easily when exposed to high temperatures for a long time. HE has an advantage over traditional extraction methods due to its ability to operate at a low temperature for a short period (2 min), thereby preventing EPA and DHA decomposition. Cobia are already bred in the aquaculture industry; their livers are readily available by-products obtained after fillet processing. The oils extracted from cobia liver have high levels of EPA and DHA, therefore it is an excellent raw material to produce EPA/DHA-enriched oil. Wet biomass contains a high amount of moisture, creating mass transfer resistance for hexane penetration into the tissue matrix. Homogenizer extraction grinds the tissue matrix, disrupting the cell and dispersing the water into solvent phase. Schematic representation of the extent of cell disruption during homogenizer extraction shows its effect on the rate of lipid release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strongly interacting amorphous poly(p-vinyl phenol) (PVPh) was added into semi-crystalline poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) at 20 wt.% to generate dendritic lamellae of alternating birefringence colors, which intertwine roughly in the radial directions as periodic stripes. Optical and atomic-force microscopy analyses are performed on revealing lamellae assembly in highly dendritic PEO spherulites by crystallizing PEO/PVPh (80/20) at crystallization temperature ( T ) equals to 45 °C. The lamellae of two opposite colors in the same PEO spherulite quadrant are exactly of same geometry (of elongated plates, each being 0.2 μm in width and 2-5 μm in length), but they fan out +/−45, respectively, as they grow away from the radial direction. The opposite colored-lamellae are radiating out in radial directions, interweaving each other to display alternating colors in radial alignment. However, such alternating colors can also be similarly seen in ring-banded spherulites in many polymers. The results presented in this study have demonstrated that the lamellae of alternating birefringent colors cannot only be seen in banded spherulites, but also in spherulites with radial dendrites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral unmixing (HU) is a crucial signal processing procedure to identify the underlying materials (or endmembers) and their corresponding proportions (or abundances) from an observed hyperspectral scene. A well-known blind HU criterion, advocated by Craig during the early 1990s, considers the vertices of the minimum-volume enclosing simplex of the data cloud as good endmember estimates, and it has been empirically and theoretically found effective even in the scenario of no pure pixels. However, such kinds of algorithms may suffer from heavy simplex volume computations in numerical optimization, etc. In this paper, without involving any simplex volume computations, by exploiting a convex geometry fact that a simplest simplex of N vertices can be defined by N associated hyperplanes, we propose a fast blind HU algorithm, for which each of the N hyperplanes associated with the Craig’s simplex of N vertices is constructed from N-1 affinely independent data pixels, together with an endmember identifiability analysis for its performance support. Without resorting to numerical optimization, the devised algorithm searches for the N(N-1) active data pixels via simple linear algebraic computations, accounting for its computational efficiency. Monte Carlo simulations and real data experiments are provided to demonstrate its superior efficacy over some benchmark Craig-criterion-based algorithms in both computational efficiency and estimation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Facility maintenance and management (FMM) is an emerging issue in civil engineering. Decisions involving maintenance-related tasks are generally made based on various sources of accumulated historical data, such as design drawings, inspection records, and sensing data. Systems are developed for storing and maintaining such maintenance-related data electronically in a database. However, the data-accessing method of these systems is based mainly on text input in Web form, which is occasionally insufficiently intuitive to interpret retrieved information for decision making. Besides simple data management practices, the feasibility of implementing analysis on FMM-related data to provide estimated or predictive information for decision making should be examined. This paper presents an expert system model for the maintenance and management of existing facilities. A prototype system was developed for concept proofing. A 3D facility model is introduced in the system as the interface for accessing various maintenance-related data intuitively. Various maintenance-related data and analysis results should be presented visually on the model as much as possible to provide users with an intuitive understanding of the facility status in many aspects. Behind the 3D visualized interface is a database that integrates and stores various maintenance-related data systematically. This database information should be accumulated continuously via input from users and sensors in appropriate formats. Moreover, a reliability-based module should analyze the accumulated data periodically to provide predictive forecast information, subsequently facilitating decision making during maintenance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study develops a MEMS-based formaldehyde gas sensor based on a suspended silicon nitride microstructure with an integrated micro Pt heater, a thin-film NiO sensing layer and Pt interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) to measure the resistance changes of the NiO layer in the presence of formaldehyde. A specific orientation of the NiO layer is observed as the substrate temperature in the sputtering process is increased. The increase in substrate temperature assists in the formation of a NiO layer with the correct stoichiometric ratio (1:1). When formaldehyde is present in the atmosphere, oxidation occurs near the heated NiO sensing layer. This oxidization causes a change in the electrical conductivity of the NiO film, and hence changes the measured resistance between the interdigitated electrodes. The formaldehyde concentration is then determined from the change in the measured resistance. The application of a voltage to the Pt heaters causes the temperature of the micro-hotplate to increase, which in turn enhances the sensitivity of the sensor. The current experimental results show that the sub-micrometer grain sizes of the sputtered oxide thin film yield a high degree of sensitivity (0.33Ωppm−1), a low hysteresis value (0.7ppm), a detection capability of less than 0.8ppm, a quick response time (13.2s), a quick recovery time (40.0s) and a high selectivity over a wide range of formaldehyde concentrations in the presence of interfering species, such as acetone, ethanol and methanol. The novel micro formaldehyde gas sensor developed in this study is ideal for applications aimed at preventing and controlling sick building syndrome (SBS). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Monodisperse CuInS2nanocrystals are produced by injecting mixed metal-oleate precursors into hot organic solvents containing the dissolved sulphur sources. A better understanding of the formation mechanism of CuInS2has enabled us to tailor anisotropic shapes in the form of triangular-pyramid, circular cone, and bullet-like rods with tunable crystal phases by varying the synthetic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nb 2 O 5 layers were constructed on a mesoporous silica (SBA-15) with a thickness at an atomic-level control through a reaction of surface silanol (SiOH) groups with Nb(OEt) 5 under dry conditions followed by hydrolysis and condensation. The maximum coverage of Nb 2 O 5 at a reaction was about a half of the surface area of SBA-15 with Nb/Si = 0.07 (13.4 wt%), which consisted of monolayer Nb 2 O 5 sheets. By repeating the same procedure, single, double and triple layers were produced in a stepwise manner by once, twice and three times treatment, respectively, without any further growth of Nb 2 O 5 sheets in thickness. Thus, maintaining the mesoporous structure, the surface of SBA-15 were converted to those of mesoporous Nb 2 O 5 , which consisted of thin layers. The discrete layer growth was convinced by the sharp absorption edges of UV-Vis. absorption with excitation energy of 4.1, 4.0 and 3.9 eV for single, double and triple layers, which were much higher than the band gap of bulk-type Nb 2 O 5 (3.4 eV). The at most Nb/Si ratio of triple-layered Nb 2 O 5 sheets was 0.23, corresponding to 33.7 wt%, and the formed Nb 2 O 5 stayed in amorphous even after calcination at 500 °C. Thus, the acidic property of amorphous Nb 2 O 5 survived above 500 °C. Since phase transitions of the ordinary Nb 2 O 5 occur below 500 °C to the crystalline TT-phase (pseudohexagonal), the multilayered amorphous Nb 2 O 5 thin film prepared in the present study would be a new type of material with high surface area (>400 m 2 g -1 ) and uniform cylindrical pore systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the shape-and structure-controlled synthesis of monodisperse self-supported cobalt ferite (CoFe2O4) SP nanostructures of both spherical and rod-like structure. The study identifies the nucleation, self-assembly as well as the secondary to understand the formation mechanism. It revealed that the nanostructures respond more on external magnetic field and exhibit superparamagnetic (SP) properties at room temperature.

Abstract: Silicon-based ceramics and aluminum nitride (Si/AlN) were fabricated by pyrolysis of polysilazane (PSZ) coated AlN at 1600 °C in air, Ar, N2 and NH3 atmospheres. The results from XRD, XPS and SEM/EDS revealed the existence of crystalline phase of Si-based ceramics on AlN particles including SiO2 in Si/AlNair, SiC whisker in Si/AlNAr, SiC whisker/Si3N4 grain in Si/AlNN2, and Si3N4 ceramics in Si/AlNNH3. It was found that the thermal conductivity of silicone rubber filled with Si/AlN hybrid fillers which were fabricated in Ar and NH3, was improved. This might be due to the existence of nanoscale SiC whiskers and a thermal conductive layer of Si3N4 on Si/AlNAr and Si/AlNNH3 surface, respectively. Thus, it can be suggested that Si/AlN hybrid fillers, especially for the case of Si/AlN(Ar and NH3), can be applicable to use as thermally conductive fillers. This work may have found to be an alternative way to improve thermal conductivity, but more work needs to be done to really achieve significant improvement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Surface modification of AlN by ceramic coating method. [•] A good compatibility between amorphous SiOC ceramic film coated AlN and silicone rubber composite. [•] Effect of the morphology of PSZ and SiOC films as intermediate layer on the thermal conductivity of the composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] IMC growth in Sn–Bi/Cu joints was effectively suppressed by minor Ga addition. [•] Ga segregated quickly towards Cu and the dense γ 1-Cu9Ga4 phase formed first. [•] The γ 1-Cu9Ga4 phase grew slowly following the diffusion-controlled mechanism. [•] The γ 1-Cu9Ga4 layer acts as a native barrier for Sn diffusion and Cu–Sn reactions. [•] Phase equilibria of the Bi–Cu–Ga–Sn system were calculated using the CALPHAD method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Polymorphism and spherulite morphology of poly(1,4-butylene adipate) (PBA) influenced by two structurally similar acrylic polymers: poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA) and poly(phenyl methacrylate) (PPhMA) were investigated by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). Characterization first proves that PBA is similarly miscible with PBzMA and PPhMA, respectively, but effects of these two polymers on polymorphism and spherulite morphology of PBA differ dramatically. The depression of PBA growth rate in blends retards the formation of kinetically stable β-form crystal and favors the formation of α-form crystal of PBA. In PBA/PBzMA blend, the spherulite morphology remains all ringless after addition of PBzMA at any T c , regardless of polymorphism or not. By contrast, the spherulite morphology in PBA/PPhMA blend can change from ringless, ring-banded, to dendritic with respect to T c . In general, the formation of ring-banded spherulites in either of blends has no relation with the polymorphic crystal cells. Effects of amorphous PBzMA or PPhMA polymers on the polymorphic and ring-banded patterns on PBA differ and were likely controlled by the interaction strength between the two constituents of the blends. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study the use of polyurethane foam (PUF) as a heat seal coating for potential application in medical pouch packaging were investigated. We prepared PUF coatings at various foam densities and cell densities through mechanical foaming at various stirring speeds; then used a LUMisizer to examine their stabilities. After applying PUF coatings of various foam densities onto a medical packaging material (Tyvek®) at various thicknesses, then employed impulse heat sealing with linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) films to fabricate medical pouches. In addition to investigating the morphology, tack properties, adhesion, scratch resistance, flexibility, and durability of the PUF coats, the peel strength and air permeability of the medical pouches were also measured. Increasing the foam density of the PUF coatings increased their stability; the PUF coats prepared at a higher foam density exhibited greater tackiness (<1 g/cm), adhesion (5B), scratch resistance (HB), flexibility (passes), and durability (Δ YI ≤ 5). The peel strength measured in the T-peel configuration increased upon increasing the foam density and decreasing the coating thickness of the PUF coat/LLDPE pouches. The air permeability of the pouches increased upon increasing the foam density and cell density of the PUF coat/LLDPE pouches. Morphological studies using scanning electron microscopy were consistent with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we used a LUMiSizer® analytical centrifuge to determine the particle dispersions and size distributions of organic/inorganic composite coatings. The centrifuge was capable of recording both the measure space and time-resolved extinction profiles (STEP™-Technology) for up to 12 samples simultaneously, making it a powerful tool for the characterization and quality control of coatings. While the variation of the light extinction curves after centrifugal segregation provided a qualitative description, a rigorous formulation can provide detailed quantitative characterization. The technique used in this study allowed demixing to be accelerated and direct quantification of the dispersibility of the coatings. Because the dispersants and binders stabilized the organic/inorganic composite coatings, the dispersibility strongly depended on their concentration. The dispersibility of the coatings increased upon increasing the dispersant concentration and decreasing the concentration of the binder. Furthermore, the inorganic particles exhibited good dispersibility, without large degrees of aggregation, in the coating dispersions. We also used the LUMiSizer® to determine the particle size distribution and shelf life of coatings; the results were comparable with those obtained using dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscope and zeta potential analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nano-structured copper oxide thin films were deposited on glass substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering. The structural, morphological, electrical, and optical properties of the deposited copper oxide thin films were found to change with oxygen partial pressure. Changes in oxygen partial pressure during sputter deposition led to variations in Cu, Cu+ and Cu+2 concentrations, which resulted in corresponding changes in the electronic characteristics of sputtered semiconducting copper oxide films from initially n- to p-type and then from p-type back to n-type. These phenomena demonstrate that p-type copper oxide thin films can only be deposited by dc reactive magnetron sputtering within a narrow oxygen partial pressure range. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) and cupric oxide (CuO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates at different oxygen partial pressures by direct-current reactive magnetron sputtering of pure copper target in a mixture of argon and oxygen gases. Oxygen partial pressure was found to be a crucial parameter in controlling the phases and, thus, the physical properties of the deposited copper oxide thin films. Single-phase Cu2O thin films with cubic structure were obtained at low oxygen partial pressure between 0.147 Pa and 0.200 Pa while higher oxygen partial pressure promoted the formation of CuO thin films with base-centered monoclinic structure. Polycrystalline Cu2O thin films deposited with oxygen partial pressure at 0.147 Pa possessed the lowest p-type resistivity of 1.76 Ω cm as well as an optical band gap of 2.01 eV. On the other hand, polycrystalline CuO thin films deposited with oxygen partial pressure at 0.320 Pa were also single phase but showed a n-type resistivity of 0.19 Ω cm along with an optical band gap of 1.58 eV. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cu2FeSnS4 nanocrystals with the wurtzite structure are synthesized by quick injection of a mixture of 1-dodecanethiol and tert-dodecanethiol into a mixture of Cu(acac)2, Fe(acac)3, SnCl4, and oleylamine (210 °C, 30 min). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]