Ab Surface Research Articles

Tuning the Tensile and Shear Properties of a Scar Healing Composite for Mechanotherapy

Conventional scar treatment options of single pressure garment therapy (PGT) or silicone gel sheeting (SGS, Cica-Care®, Smith and Nephew, London, UK) alone lack mechanical property tunability. This article discusses a scar healing composite (PGF-Biopor®AB, Dreve Otoplastik GmbH, Unna, Germany) and how its mechanical properties can be tuned for improved mechanotherapy. A balance between compression and tension was achieved by tuning the tensile and shear properties, facilitating tension shielding and pressure redistribution for scar therapeutics. Biopor®AB-wrapping on biaxial-tensioned pressure garment fabric (PGF) allowed compression therapy and internal pressure redistribution. The Biopor®AB surface, with a coefficient of friction close to 1, strategically localizes stress for effective tension shielding. A substantial five-fold reduction in silicone tension, amounting to 1.060 N, achieves tension shielding and pressure redistribution. Simultaneously, a dynamic internal pressure-sharing mechanism distributes 0.222 kPa from each SPK-filament bundle, effectively managing internal pressure. Alongside the principle compression-silicone dual therapy, this composite design with dynamic internal pressure sharing and mechanical property tunability provides an additional pressure-relieving strategy for multiple scar therapeutics.

The search for spontaneous edge currents in Sr2RuO4 mesa structures with controlled geometrical shapes

Scanning Hall microscopy has been used to search for spontaneous edge fields in geometrically shaped mesa structures etched into the ab surface of Sr2RuO4 single crystals in order to test recent theories of the direction of edge current flow as a function of facet orientation and band filling. We find no evidence for spontaneous edge fields in any of our mesa structures above our experimental noise floor of ± 25 mG. We do, however, observe pronounced vortex clustering at low fields and temperatures, consistent with the established semi-Meissner scenario whereby a long range attractive component to the vortex-vortex interaction arises due, for example, to the multiband nature of the superconductivity. We also see clear evidence for the formation of a square vortex lattice inside square mesa structures above 1.3 K. Our results are discussed in terms of recent relevant experimental results and theoretical predictions.

Higher order Morita approximation and its validity for random copolymer adsorption onto homogeneous and periodic heterogeneous surfaces

Adsorption of a single AB random copolymer (RC) chain onto homogeneous and inhomogeneous ab surfaces with a regular periodic pattern is studied theoretically. For the averaging over disorder in the RC sequence, the constrained annealed approximation, known as the Morita approximation is employed. A general scheme for constructing the Morita approximation of an arbitrary order m is proposed; it is based on representation of the RC monomer sequence as a Markov chain of overlapping –1)-ads. The problem is solved within the framework of the generating functions approach for the two-dimensional partially directed walk model of the polymer on a square lattice. Temperature dependences of various adsorption characteristics are obtained. The accuracy of the Morita approximation is assessed by comparison with the numerical results for RC with quenched sequences obtained by the transfer matrix approach. It is shown that for RC adsorption on a homogeneous surface for AB-copolymers with adsorbing A and neutral B blocks, it is sufficient to use the Morita approximation of second or third order. If the non-adsorbing B block is repelled from the surface, then a higher order of the approximation (5th–6th) is required. An important indicator of validity of the Morita approximation is the entropy: if the order of the approximation is not high enough, the entropy becomes negative in the low-temperature regime which means that the Morita approximation is wrong in this order. In the case when the surface is periodically inhomogeneous, the Morita approximation works worse and very high orders are required, which can be beyond the computational capabilities. Moreover, the Morita approximations become degenerate: approximations of two or more consecutive orders give the same result.

Germline-Encoded Positional Cysteine Polymorphisms Enhance Diversity in Antibody Ultralong CDR H3 Regions.

Ab "ultralong" third H chain complementarity-determining regions (CDR H3) appear unique to bovine Abs and may enable binding to difficult epitopes that shorter CDR H3 regions cannot easily access. Diversity is concentrated in the "knob" domain of the CDR H3, which is encoded by the DH gene segment and sits atop a β-ribbon "stalk" that protrudes far from the Ab surface. Knob region cysteine content is quite diverse in terms of total number of cysteines, sequence position, and disulfide bond pattern formation. We investigated the role of germline cysteines in production of a diverse CDR H3 structural repertoire. The relationship between DH polymorphisms and deletions relative to germline at the nucleotide level, as well as diversity in cysteine and disulfide bond content at the structural level, was ascertained. Structural diversity is formed through (1) DH polymorphisms with altered cysteine positions, (2) DH deletions, and (3) new cysteines that arise through somatic hypermutation that form new, unique disulfide bonds to alter the knob structure. Thus, a combination of mechanisms at both the germline and somatic immunogenetic levels results in diversity in knob region cysteine content, contributing to remarkable complexity in knob region disulfide patterns, loops, and Ag binding surface.

Effect of Polymer Substrate on Adhesion of Electroless Plating in Irradiation-Based Direct Immobilization of Pd Nanoparticles Catalyst.

Pd nanoparticles were directly immobilized on acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer (AS), polystyrene (PS), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE) polymer substrates via chemical reactions induced by ionizing irradiation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed that the chemical state of the immobilized Pd nanoparticles depended on the polymer substrate type. Electroless plating was performed using the immobilized Pd nanoparticles as the catalyst, and Cu-plating films were deposited on all polymer substrates. The results of the tape-peeling test suggested that the chemical state of the immobilized Pd nanoparticles on the polymer substrates affected the plating adhesion strength. Notably, ABS with immobilized Pd particles exhibited a high adhesion strength beyond the practical level, even without prior chemical etching. It was presumed that the high adhesion strength was owing to the anchoring effect of the holes generated on the ABS surface by ionizing irradiation.

Classical phenotyping and deep learning concur on genetic control of stomatal density and area in sorghum.

Stomatal density (SD) and stomatal complex area (SCA) are important traits that regulate gas exchange and abiotic stress response in plants. Despite sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) adaptation to arid conditions, the genetic potential of stomata-related traits remains unexplored due to challenges in available phenotyping methods. Hence, identifying loci that control stomatal traits is fundamental to designing strategies to breed sorghum with optimized stomatal regulation. We implemented both classical and deep learning methods to characterize genetic diversity in 311 grain sorghum accessions for stomatal traits at two different field environments. Nearly 12,000 images collected from abaxial (Ab) and adaxial (Ad) leaf surfaces revealed substantial variation in stomatal traits. Our study demonstrated significant accuracy between manual and deep learning methods in predicting SD and SCA. In sorghum, SD was 32%-39% greater on the Ab versus the Ad surface, while SCA on the Ab surface was 2%-5% smaller than on the Ad surface. Genome-Wide Association Study identified 71 genetic loci (38 were environment-specific) with significant genotype to phenotype associations for stomatal traits. Putative causal genes underlying the phenotypic variation were identified. Accessions with similar SCA but carrying contrasting haplotypes for SD were tested for stomatal conductance and carbon assimilation under field conditions. Our findings provide a foundation for further studies on the genetic and molecular mechanisms controlling stomata patterning and regulation in sorghum. An integrated physiological, deep learning, and genomic approach allowed us to unravel the genetic control of natural variation in stomata traits in sorghum, which can be applied to other plants.

Enhanced nitrate removal by physical activation and Mg/Al layered double hydroxide modified biochar derived from wood waste: Adsorption characteristics and mechanisms

The adsorption treatment of nitrate wastewater has attracted much attention worldwide. However, most of the currently enhanced adsorption methods used chemical modification, both physically activated and chemically modified to composite carbon material lacks attention. To investigate whether the composite biochar could enhance the removal of nitrates, woody waste of apple branch as biomass feedstock was pyrolysed and CO2 activated to obtain biochar (AB), which loaded with Mg/Al layered double hydroxide (Mg/Al-LDHs) to synthesis a novel Carbon-adsorbent (AMB). The adsorption characteristics and mechanisms of NO3− on AMB were investigated by the batch experiment, adsorption models and various characterisation. The results showed that Mg/Al-LDHs are successfully modified on the surface of AB. The average adsorption capacity of AMB for NO3− is 7.43 times that of AB, and the average removal rate for NO3− improved from 13% to 83%. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of NO3− on AMB was 156.84 mg g−1. The Pseudo-second-order and Freundlich models can well simulate the kinetics and isothermal process, implying that adsorption mechanisms of NO3− on AMB were multilayer physical-chemical composite adsorption, including surface physical sorption, intraparticle diffusion, electrostatic adsorption, ion exchange, and metal-bonded bridges. Therefore, the AMB could be used as a low-cost and high-efficiency adsorbent for removing nitrate in wastewater.

Anchoring acetylene black on graphene for growing of molybdenum disulfide as high performance electrocatalysts in hydrogen evolution reaction

A series of Molybdenum sulfide/acetylene black-reduced graphene oxide composites (MoSx/AB-rGO) was prepared by a facile one-step solvothermal method. The morphology characterizations confirmed that the presence of AB could effectively prevent the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) from restacking in the solvothermal process, providing the abundant anchoring area for the MoS2 generated during the solvothermal process. For the as prepared MoS2/AB-rGO catalysts, a large number of amorphous molybdenum sulfide (a-MoS2) on the surface of rGO and low-crystallization molybdenum sulfide (1c-MoS2) on the surface of AB provide sufficient active sites for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). HER tests of MoS2/AB-rGO proved that the dual function of AB, both augmenting the active sites and elevating the conductivity, could be a well-founded account for its excellent HER activity. In contrast, MoS2/rGO synthesized without AB showed severe agglomeration and poor internal conductivity on account of interlamellar van der Waals’s force. MoS2/AB-rGO(55) exhibits high HER performance including a low onset potential (−100 mV) and a large current density (10.0 mA/cm2 at η = 142 mV), indicating it is a promising electrocatalyst for HER.

Strong Biomimetic Immobilization of Pt-Particle Catalyst on ABS Substrate Using Polydopamine and Its Application for Contact-Lens Cleaning with H2O2.

Polydopamine (PDA)—a known adhesive coating material—was used herein to strongly immobilize a Pt-particle catalyst on an acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene copolymer (ABS) substrate. Previous studies have shown that the poor adhesion between Pt particles and ABS surfaces is a considerable problem, leading to low catalytic durability for H2O2 decomposition during contact-lens cleaning. First, the ABS substrate was coated with PDA, and the PDA film was evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Second, Pt particles were immobilized on the PDA-coated ABS substrate (ABS-PDA) using the electron-beam irradiation reduction method. The Pt particles immobilized on ABS-PDA (Pt/ABS-PDA) were observed using a scanning electron microscope. The Pt-loading weight was measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Third, the catalytic activity of the Pt/ABS-PDA was evaluated as the residual H2O2 concentration after immersing it in a 35,000-ppm H2O2 solution (the target value was less than 100 ppm). The catalytic durability was evaluated as the residual H2O2 concentration after repeated use. The PDA coating drastically improved both the catalytic activity and durability because of the high Pt-loading weight and strong adhesion among Pt particles, PDA, and the ABS substrate. Plasma treatment prior to PDA coating further improved the catalytic durability.

Surface morphological and wetting characterization of the hydrophobic and superhydrophobic leaves of Pistia stratiotes L., Salvinia molesta D.Mitch., Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. and Dyckia platyphylla L.B. Smith for bioinspired oil adsorbent materials

In this paper, the surface morphology and wetting properties towards deionized water and pure oil samples with varying carbon chain lengths of adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces of Pistia stratiotes L., Salvinia molesta D.Mitch., Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. and Dyckia platyphylla L.B. Smith were characterized. The surface morphological characterization showed that P. stratiotes L. has uniseriate trichomes on adaxial (ad) and abaxial (ab) surface and S. molesta D.Mitch. has multifaceted egg-beater shaped trichomesad and achlorophyllous filamentsab. Both surfaces of the bromeliads, A. comosus (L.) Merr. and D. platyphylla L.B. Smith have peltate scutiform trichomes. Overall, P. stratiotes L. has the greatest trichome density (no.of trichomes/mm2) of ad 36.77 and ab40.10 among A. comosus (L.) Merr. > D. platyphylla L.B. Smith> S. molesta D.Mitch. Contact angle measurement showed that P. stratiotes L. has the best water repellency having (154. 39 ± 3.26)ad > S. molesta D.Mitch. > A. comosus (L.) Merr. > D. platyphylla L.B. Smith and (147.90 ±3.17)ab > A. comosus (L.) Merr. > D. platyphylla L.B. Smith > S. molesta D.Mitch. Lastly, P. stratiotes L. showed the best common pure oil adsorption capacity among the four species. Therefore, the understanding on the fundamental concept on how the leaf surface of P. stratiotes L. adsorbs the oil and reacts in response to various solvents adsorbed on the leaf surface was established.

Surface modification of ABS with Cr6+ free etching process in the electroless plating

ABS resin is widely used after the plating process. The traditional ABS resin surface etching process uses a chromic acid system, which is a great threat to environmental protection. This paper examines a new environment-friendly measure in the etching system, which is composed of HNO3, H2SO4, and NiSO4. With this system, the solution will be etching at 60 °C for 20 minutes on an ABS resin surface and causing the surface roughness of the ABS resin to become larger, and an increase of hydrophilicity. It is observed that the root mean square (RMS) of the surface roughness of the ABS resin increased from 3.21 nm to 27.5 nm after etching, and the surface contact angle of ABS resin decreased from 88.04° to 65.29°. After the etching process, the surface of ABS can be electroless plated successfully and the bonding force of coating and resin can reach 2.09 MPa. The FT-IR spectra and XPS analyses showed that hydroxyl and nitro groups on the ABS surface are as a result of etching treatment, which improves the bonding strength between ABS substrate and electroless copper plating. This new etching system can be a substitute for the traditional chromic acid system in the industry, which will greatly reduce the pollution caused by the traditional process.

A gold standard method for the evaluation of antibody-based materials functionality: Approach to forced degradation studies

The scope of this paper is to present a gold standard method to evaluate functional activity of antibody (Ab)-based materials during the different phases of their development, after their exposure to forced degradations or even during routine quality control. Ab-based materials play a central role in the development of diagnostic devices, for example, for screening or therapeutic target characterization, in formulation development, and in novel micro(nano)technology approaches to develop immunosensors useful for the analysis of trace substances in pharmaceutical and food industries, clinical and environmental fields. A very important aspect in diagnostic device development is the construction of its biofunctional surfaces. These Ab surfaces require biocompatibility, homogeneity, stability, specificity and functionality.Thus, this work describes the validation and applications of a unique ligand binding assay to directly perform the quantitative measurement of functional Ab binding sites immobilized on the solid surfaces. The method called Antibody Anti-HorseRadish Peroxidase (A2HRP) method, uses a covalently coated anti-HRP antibody (anti-HRP Ab) and does not need for a secondary Ab during the detection step. The A2HRP method was validated and gave reliable results over a wide range of absorbance values. Analyzed validation criteria were fulfilled as requested by the food and drug administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) guidance for the validation of bioanalytical methods with 1) an accuracy mean value within +15% of the nominal value; 2) the within-assay precision less than 7.1%, and 3) the inter-day variability under 12.1%. With the A2HRP method, it is then possible to quantify from 0.04 × 1012 to 2.98 × 1012 functional Ab binding sites immobilized on the solid surfaces. A2HRP method was validated according to FDA and EMA guidance, allowing the creation of a gold standard method to evaluate Ab surfaces for their resistance under laboratory constraints. Stability testing was described through forced degradation studies after exposure of Ab-surfaces to storage, pH and aqueous-organic solvent mixture stresses.

One-step direct immunoassay with horseradish peroxidase as antigen for studying the functionality of antibody surfaces

Antibody-coated surfaces (Ab surfaces) play a key role in bioanalytical tools developed for biosensors and diagnostics. Therefore, a high and well-defined functional activity of the Ab surface is required. The functional activity of the Ab surface depends on its available binding sites i.e. “the active sites” that are able to capture antigen (Ag). The number of active binding sites strongly depends on the immobilization strategy used to fix the Ab on the solid surface. Determination of layer thickness or surface topology are often used to characterize the Ab surfaces but there is no gold standard method for the study of the functionality of the Ab surfaces.For that purpose, we aim at developing an assay allowing to determine the performances of Ab surfaces. In the present study, anti-horseradish peroxidase antibody (anti-HRP Ab) is used as capture Ab covalently bound to the surface and enzyme HRP as Ag. This direct assay permits, in one-step, to generate a signal utilizing the catalytic properties of HRP. The signal is directly proportional to the amount of HRP bound on the Ab surface, and therefore to the active binding sites of immobilized Ab. The HRP/anti-HRP Ab interactions may be a useful indicator to construct accurate and reproducible active Ab surfaces and also to improve their performances in term of stability and sensitivity.Optimization of the assay parameters and quality of the results are presented. A good repeatability and an acceptable inter-day precision (RSD < 10%) are reported.

Acute Hepatitis B versus Autoimmune Hepatitis: A Clinical Conundrum

A 42-year-old Hispanic male presented with10 days of right upper quadrant pain, fatigue and jaundice. Past medical history was significant for gallstone pancreatitis s/p cholecystectomy and papillary thyroid cancer s/p thyroidectomy. He denied smoking, drinking alcohol or use of illicit substances. He had no family history of liver disease. He was from Mexico and most recently visited there one year prior. His only medication was levothyroxine and denied use of acetaminophen, NSAIDs or herbal medications. Physical exam revealed normal vital signs, jaundice and mild RUQ tenderness. Labs were remarkable for ALT of 4136 U/L, AST 3609 U/L, alkaline phosphatase 223 U/L, total bilirubin 17.3 mg/dl, direct bilirubin of 15 mg/dl, and INR of 2.2. All other laboratory tests were unremarkable. Ultrasound was unremarkable except for post-cholecystectomy state. MRCP showed mild peri-portal edema and enlarged peri-portal lymph nodes consistent with acute hepatitis. HBV IgM core Ab and HBV surface Ag were positive while HbSAb was negative. The remainder of the hepatitis viral panel was negative. Hepatitis B PCR showed viral load of 44844 IU/ml. Anti-Smooth muscle antibody (ASMA) also came back positive (1:320). ANA, Immunoglobulin, anti-mitochondrial Ab, anti-LK microsomal Ab were negative. Iron panel and ceruloplasmin were unremarkable. Liver biopsy showed minimal portal inflammation along with diffuse hepatocyte balloon degeneration non-specific for either autoimmune hepatitis or acute hepatitis B infection. He was started on tenofovir as well as prednisone, and liver function tests (LFTs) were monitored. With this dual therapy approach, LFTs improved and INR trended down. He was discharged from hospital and down trending LFTs and INR were confirmed during subsequent clinic visits. There are sporadic reports of antigen mimicry between HBV DNA polymerase and smooth muscle protein. In a study of 31 patients with acute Hepatitis B infection, 22 also had positive ASMA. Only 2 had a titer greater than 1:200 and only 1 had titer greater than 1:400. This leads to clinical uncertainty about the diagnosis of acute hepatitis B infection vs. autoimmune hepatitis in a patient with high ASMA titer. This patient had evidence of acute HBV, however given ASMA titer as high as 1:320 and non-diagnostic biopsy, no clear guideline exists for management in this scenario. We opted for management of both conditions with short term clinic follow up which confirmed favorable response.Figure: Diffuse hepatocyte ballooning and degeneration.Figure: Portal and periportal fibrosis.

Biomimetic Enamel Regeneration Mediated by Leucine-Rich Amelogenin Peptide

We report here a novel biomimetic approach to the regeneration of human enamel. The approach combines the use of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) to control the onset and rate of enamel regeneration and the use of leucine-rich amelogenin peptide (LRAP), a nonphosphorylated 56–amino acid alternative splice product of amelogenin, to regulate the shape and orientation of growing enamel crystals. This study builds on our previous findings that show LRAP can effectively guide the formation of ordered arrays of needle-like hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals in vitro and on the known role mineralization inhibitors, like PPi, play in the regulation of mineralized tissue formation. Acid-etched enamel surfaces of extracted human molars, cut perpendicular or parallel to the direction of the enamel rods, were exposed to a PPi-stabilized supersaturated calcium phosphate (CaP) solution containing 0 to 0.06 mg/mL LRAP for 20 h. In the absence of LRAP, PPi inhibition was reversed by the presence of etched enamel surfaces and led to the formation of large, randomly distributed plate-like HA crystals that were weakly attached, regardless of rod orientation. In the presence of 0.04 mg/mL LRAP, however, densely packed mineral layers, comprising bundles of small needle-like HA crystals, formed on etched surfaces that were cut perpendicular to the enamel rods. These crystals were strongly attached, and their arrangement reflected to a significant degree the underlying enamel prism pattern. In contrast, under the same conditions with LRAP, little to no crystal formation was found on enamel surfaces that were cut parallel to the direction of the enamel rods. These results suggest that LRAP preferentially interacts with ab surfaces of mature enamel crystals, inhibiting their directional growth, thus selectively promoting linear growth along the c-axis of enamel crystals. The present findings demonstrate a potential for the development of a new approach to regenerate enamel structure and properties.

Metallisation on ABS plastics using fine-bubbles low ozonated water complying with REACH regulations

Traditionally, a highly concentrated mixed solution of chromic acid and sulphuric acid has been used as an etchant for electroplating on ABS plastics. However, this etchant is hazardous and the subject of impending legislation. Therefore, the fine-bubbles low ozonated water treatment as an alternative to the chromic acid etching process has been investigated. Adhesion strengths of 0.9–1.0 kN m−1 were obtained for treatment of 30 min. From the observation of surface morphology, dimples of several hundred nanometres were formed after surface modification. Cross-sectional observation of the interface suggested that formation of a thin nano-porous anchor layer on the ABS surface was responsible for plating adhesion. This method with low ozonated water treatment provides an environmentally friendly process for plating on ABS.

Environmentally Friendly Copper Metallization of ABS by Cu-Catalysed Electroless Process

Abstract An environment-friendly surface etching and activation technique for ABS surface metallization were investigated as a replacement for conventional chromic acid etching bath and palladium catalyst. After etching by H2SO4-MnO2 colloid, the ABS surfaces became rough; meanwhile the carboxyl and hydroxyl groups were formed on the surface. With absorption and reduction by a sodium borohydride solution, copper particles were deposited on the ABS surface, which serve as a catalyst replacement for SnCl2/PdCl2 colloid. The effects of CuSO4 concentration, NaBH4 concentration, reduction temperature and reduction time on the adhesion strength between the ABS surface and the electroless copper film were investigated. The average adhesion strengths reaches 0.87 kN·m−1.

Biochip-based instruments development for space exploration: influence of the antibody immobilization process on the biochip resistance to freeze-drying, temperature shifts and cosmic radiations

AbstractDue to the diversity of antibody (Ab)-based biochips chemistries available and the little knowledge about biochips resistance to space constraints, immobilization of Abs on the surface of the biochips dedicated to Solar System exploration is challenging. In the present paper, we have developed ten different biochip models including covalent or affinity immobilization with full-length Abs or Ab fragments. Ab immobilizations were carried out in oriented/non-oriented manner using commercial activated surfaces withN-hydroxysuccinic ester (NHS-surfaces) or homemade surfaces using three generations of dendrimers (dendrigraft of poly L-lysine (DGL) surfaces). The performances of the Ab -based surfaces were cross-compared on the following criteria: (i) analytical performances (expressed by both the surface density of immobilized Abs and the amount of antigens initially captured by the surface) and (ii) resistance of surfaces to preparation procedure (freeze-drying, storage) or spatial constraints (irradiation and temperature shifts) encountered during a space mission. The latter results have been expressed as percentage of surface binding capacity losses (or percentage of remaining active Abs). The highest amount of captured antigen was achieved with Ab surfaces having full-length Abs and DGL-surfaces that have much higher surface densities than commercial NHS-surface. After freeze-drying process, thermal shift and storage sample exposition, we found that more than 80% of surface binding sites remained active in this case. In addition, the resistance of Ab surfaces to irradiation with particles such as electron, carbon ions or protons depends not only on the chemistries (covalent/affinity linkages) and strategies (oriented/non-oriented) used to construct the biochip, but also on the type, energy and fluence of incident particles. Our results clearly indicate that full-length Ab immobilization on NHS-surfaces and DGL-surfaces should be preferred for potential use in instruments for planetary exploration.

Ag films with enhanced adhesion fabricated by solution process for solar reflector applications

A simple and inexpensive solution process has been developed to construct a silver film with enhanced adhesion by electroless plating for solar reflector applications. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) were employed to characterize the surfaces. This reinforced adhesion is due to chemical covalent bonds between silver and substrate atoms. Silver maintains its unique conductivity even as a film on the ABS surface as demonstrated by four-point probe measurement. Moreover, UV/VIS/NIR spectrometer data confirms high reflectance of the Ag films in the infrared region indicating potential application for solar coatings. The method presented a convenient, compatible, and easily scalable manufacturing process with higher efficiency, which is of significant value for industrial fabrication of silver films and could have a promising future in concentrating solar systems.

Ferromagnetic Properties of SrRuO3 Thin Films Deposited on the Spin-Triplet Superconductor Sr2RuO4

We report magnetic properties of epitaxial thin films of the itinerant ferromagnet SrRuO3 deposited on the cleaved ab surface of the spin-triplet superconductor Sr2RuO4. The films exhibit ferromagnetic transition near 160K as in the bulk SrRuO3, although the films are under 1.7% compressive strain. The observed magnetization is even higher than that of the bulk SrRuO3. In addition, we newly found that the magnetization relaxation after field removal is strongly anisotropic: two relaxation processes are involved when magnetic domains are aligned along the ab-plane.