Bath Type Research Articles

Assessment of Bed Bathing Methods in the Faroe Islands

There are two types of bed baths: the traditional basin used with soap and water, and the disposable bath, which is pre-packed in single-use units and heated before use. From earlier studies it was recommended with further studies witch would strengthen the evidence. To compare the traditional basin bed bath to a disposable bed bath, there are three factors that need to bed considered: (1) duration and quality of the bath, (2) patient satisfaction and (3) nurse satisfaction.31 patients received bed baths on two consecutive days. The patients were bathed by the same nurse on both days. The bed baths were observed in relation to duration and quality. Nurses and patients were interviewed about their preferences. The study was performed in both surgical and medical floors. Both types of bed baths scored very highly in the area of quality. Significantly less time was used with the disposable bed baths (p< 0.001). The registered nurses prefer the disposable bath (78%). The patients were satisfied with both types of bed baths. There was no significant difference in the results. Even when we adapt the results in relation to the patients’ gender and age, there is still no significant difference. Patients rated the bed baths equally in most cases. By this study we applied further research in the area of personal hygiene. When all aspects of bed baths are considered (time, cost, quality, and patient and nurse preferences), both types of bed baths are secure and well received. Due to the times savings achieved and the importance of this for patients (who are weak and need nursing assistance to perform personal hygiene), we recommend the use of disposable bed baths.

Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review.

Introduction Many health benefits are claimed by individuals and facilities promoting sauna bathing; however the medical evidence to support these claims is not well established. This paper aims to systematically review recent research on the effects of repeated dry sauna interventions on human health. Methods A systematic search was made of medical databases for studies reporting on the health effects of regular dry sauna bathing on humans from 2000 onwards. Risk of bias was assessed according to the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. Results Forty clinical studies involving a total of 3855 participants met the inclusion criteria. Only 13 studies were randomized controlled trials and most studies were small (n < 40). Reported outcome measures were heterogeneous with most studies reporting beneficial health effects. Only one small study (n = 10) reported an adverse health outcome of disrupted male spermatogenesis, demonstrated to be reversible when ceasing sauna activity. Conclusions Regular dry sauna bathing has potential health benefits. More data of higher quality is needed on the frequency and extent of adverse side effects. Further study is also needed to determine the optimal frequency and duration of distinct types of sauna bathing for targeted health effects and the specific clinical populations who are most likely to benefit.

Phoenician Bathing in the Hellenistic East: Ashkelon and Beyond

Excavations of a Hellenistic neighborhood at Ashkelon revealed a suite of heavily plastered rooms, one with a mosaic floor, decorated in Greek Masonry Style. These rooms resemble the bathing suite identified in an elite 2nd-century residence at Tel Anafa and likely reflect a Phoenician style of “cleansing bathing” documented at Phoenician sites from the 4th through 2nd centuries B.C. Such suites differ in character, bathing type, and placement from Greek public and private baths in the Mediterranean and Levant, as well as from ritual baths in the Judaean tradition. The bathing suites appear at Phoenician and Phoenician-influenced sites in Israel during the Persian and Hellenistic periods but are presently under-recognized. This article presents a set of criteria by which to understand and identify Phoenician bathing suites and argues that the preference for this bathing style may, in part, explain why immersion bathing—popular in the western Mediterranean—failed to catch on in the Hellenistic East until the era of Roman control.

Nurse-assisted personal hygiene to older adults 65+ in home care setting

Background and objective: Assisting frail older adults in home care settings with personal hygiene is a daily nursing role. Both Nightingale and Henderson had in their approach to basic nursing focus on assisting patients in their need of nurse assisted bath. Since 1994 focus on using a new technology to patient in dependency of nurse-assisted bath was developed. A clinical study involving older adults in need of nurse-assisted bath was carried out in a public homecare setting. This study aimed to study and compare older adults’ attitudes, experiences and evaluation of using traditional bath with soap and water versus prepacked products to their personal hygiene.Methods: A number of 20 men and women participated in our research with focus on their daily need of nurse-assisted bath. The older adults had given a written consent. All participants were informed about the study verbally and in writing and they all agreed to participate and signed written informed consent forms. All data were handled confidentially, and the participants’ anonymity was assured. A clinical study was carried out. During three weeks, the older adults had nurse- assisted bath with soap and water two days followed by two days using prepacked was-cloths. The same nurse assisted the older adults all days, and they were interviewed before the research. Relevant data as age, gender, bath facilities at home, walking ability, dependency on help from others, contact to family/friends were collected. In the research period the older adults’ self-reported experiences with the two types of baths were registered. The nurses observed the baths with focus on the older adults’ attitude, satisfaction and experiences.Results and conclusions: The patients preferred to have their own individual choice of daily bath type. Pre-packed wash-cloths were overall preferred by the nurses.

Using the pLexsy-sat2 Expression System to Investigate Secreted Acid Phosphatases (Saps) in Leishmania Tarentolae

Paclitaxel (PTX), an anti-microtubule agent, widely used as an efficacious anti-neoplastic drug in the treatment of numerous cancer diseases. The major disadvantage of PTX drug is practical insolubility in aqueous media and poor bioavailability, which directly impacts drug absorption in human beings. In this research, we successively tried to increase the bioavailability of PTX, by synthesizing PTX-Copper nanocomposite (Cu NCP) using water bath type ultrasonication method.

Swaddled Bathing in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Replacing sponge and tub bathing with swaddled bathing can reduce stress and heat loss during the procedure of bathing. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Identify everyday NICU care that can cause stress in preterm infants. 2. Define sponge, tub, and swaddled bathing. 3. Compare the effects of swaddled bathing and other bathing methods on infant stress and heat loss. Preterm infants in the NICU are subject to many stressors that can affect their development and may have a negative impact on long-term outcomes. (1)(2) Routine handling and typical care in the NICU can be stressful for infants. (3) Sponge bathing in the NICU is one stressor that can cause physiologic and behavioral stress, manifested by signs and behaviors such as hypothermia and crying (1). Hypothermia in infants can lead to negative effects such as hypoxemia and hypoglycemia. (1) Although bathing is a nursing procedure, physicians need to be aware that different types of bathing are available for preterm infants. Three main types of bathing are available for infants. Sponge bathing is the act of bathing with a cloth or sponge without being immersed in a tub of water. Tub bathing is the act of bathing with the infant immersed in a tub of water. …

Structural investigation and sonocatalytic efficiency of Ce0.9Nd0.1O1.95 and Ce0.9Pr0.1O1.95 nanocatalysts

The cost-effective low-frequency ultrasound (42 kHz) producing bath type sonicator was utilized to demonstrate the synthesis of sequential (SP) and co-precipitated (CP) Ce0.9Pr0.1O1.95, Ce0.9Nd0.1O1.95 and their bare catalysts. The analytical characterizations of the catalysts showed that the 42 kHz ultrasound fetches the interesting physicochemical properties with unusual sonocatalytic efficiency in the resulting catalysts. In addition, the ultrasound introduced the nanoporous structure in the CeO2, Ce0.9Pr0.1O1.95 (SP, CP) and Ce0.9Nd0.1O1.95 (SP, CP) catalysts, however, the nanoporous structure was not observed for the bare praseodymium and neodymium oxides. The sonocatalytic efficiency of the catalysts was evaluated by studying the degradation kinetics of Acid Blue 113 (AB113) dye. The sonocatalytic degradation of AB113 followed the first-order kinetic rate law and the r2 (linear regression coefficient) was >0.92. The extended ultrasound irradiation of AB113 was studied for 7 h in the presence of various nanocatalysts in order to evaluate the total organic carbon (TOC) removal from the sonocatalytic microenvironment. The rapid development of cost-effective technology based on 42 kHz ultrasound assisted degradation of various environmental pollutants significantly contributes to reducing the cost required for the commercialization of advanced oxidation processes.

Acousto-chemical analysis in multi-transducer sonochemical reactors for biodiesel production

Biodiesel is a powerful alternative fuel that is less polluting and problematic to produce and implement. The production process of biodiesel also gives us the byproduct glycerol, which is a useful feedstock to produce hydrogen and syngas as fuels. With such high value as a fuel we are in need of better production technologies for biodiesel, which is currently being pursued through sonochemical reactors. The development of continuous sonochemical reactors for biodiesel production is a crucial requirement for the biofuel industry. Sonochemical reactors make use of ultrasound and acoustic cavitation to produce biodiesel from waste cooking oils (WCO). In this work we carried out both numerical simulation and experimental analysis of sonochemical reactors with multiple transducers. Through simulation, the effect of double vs a single transducer has been tested for a continuous flow sonochemical reactor. In experimental work three different cases with different ultrasound systems (bath, probe and bath+probe) have been tested. In both the studies, acoustic pressure and biodiesel conversion are analyzed. Results for the simulation show that in shorter reactors, the high cavitation from two transducers dampens the acoustic pressures leading to low conversion. However, at taller heights the effect of combined cavitation is less severe and the acoustic pressure and biodiesel yield are very similar between the designs having single and double transducers. From experiments it was found that the biodiesel conversion depends on several acoustic conditions mainly cavitation. A meticulous and insightful analysis was made to understand the difference in bath type and probe type ultrasound systems on acoustic pressure and biodiesel conversion.

Electrodeposition and Corrosion Resistance of Nanostructured Coatings Zinc-Carbon Black

The electrodeposition of Zn is a method widely used to protect materials from corrosive attack of the environment. In this type of baths the corrosion resistance increases when added to the bath nanometric materials as carbon black. Coatings in this work were produced by electrodeposited Zn with nanoparticles of carbon black with the aim of measuring the corrosion resistance of these coatings after additions. To obtain coatings used an acid bath based sulphates varying the time and the current for thicknesses greater than 2 μm. These baths were added 2 g/l of nanoparticles to generate the nanostructure coating. The coatings were evaluated by different techniques such as electrochemical potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to determine their corrosion resistance in the presence of sodium chloride 3.5%. The results revealed higher corrosion resitance property of composite coating.

Determination of Internal Stress of Ni Electroplated Samples in Sulphamate Solutions

Electroplating is a surface modification process that does not alter the bulk properties of the substrate and is conducted for improving the surface appearance, generally increasing the corrosion and wear resistance of the material to be electroplated [1]. There are several metals that can be electroplated such as Ni, Cu, Au, Co, Cd, Zn, etc. or the alloys thereof. Among these metals, Ni is the most commonly preferred one. Through the last five decades, the technology of electroplating of nickel extensively developed into a broad range of industrial coatings for both decorative and functional applications. The annual commercially electroplated nickel is over 150,000 tones worldwide [2] due to the useful properties of Ni as a coating and its versatility. There are several types of baths based on nickel chloride, nickel sulfate and nickel sulphamate [3] for Ni electroplating. Among these, the advantages of Ni electrodeposition from Ni sulphamate based solutions are low internal stress and high current efficiency (>90%). The functionalities of coatings are affected by internal stress which is a common problem of the electroplating process. The parameters of electrodeposition and additive particles which are insoluble in the bath, in the case of composite coatings [4], change the characteristics of the plating and affect the internal stress of the coatings. The influence of the electrodeposition parameters and their interaction effects on the internal stress of Ni deposits were studied by fractional factorial design. Self-interactions and cross correlations of temperature, pH, current density and bath composition on internal stress were determined by statistical analysis of results obtained from sulphamate baths. It was found that increasing temperature and deposit thickness and decreasing boric acid and chloride ion concentrations resulted in decreasing the internal stress within the parameter ranges covered in this study. [1] Popov,K.I., Djokic,S.S., Grgur,B.N.(2002), Fundamental Aspects of Electrometallurgy, Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp.1-3 [2] Nickel Plating Handbook. (2014). June 28, 2016, retrieved from; https://www.nickelinstitute.org/~/media/Files/TechnicalLiterature/NPH_141015.ashx[3] DuRose, A.H. (1997), Nickel Solution Buffers and Limiting Current Density, Surface Finishing, 48-52[4] Saraloğlu Güler, E., Karakaya, İ. and Konca, E. (2014) Effects of current density, coating thickness, temperature, pH and particle concentration on internal stress during Ni-MoS2 electrocodeposition, Surface Engineering, 30, 109-114.

Thermal and cardiorespiratory newborn adaptations during hot tub bath

Objective: To evaluate thermal and cardiorespiratory adaptation during hot tub bath and shower in healthy newborns in the first hours of life. Study design: This is a randomized blind controlled trial, registered in ReBEC (No. RBR-4z26f3) with 184 newborns divided into hot tub group (n=84) and shower (n=100). Newborns from intervention group were immersed in a hot tub with warm water up to the neck, without exposure to air flow, and control group received traditional shower. Heart rate, respiratory rate and temperature were measured before and immediately after bath by an investigator blinded to the type of bath.&#x0D; Results: Groups were similar in gender, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score at 5th minute and hours of life, p =&gt; 0.05. To analyze thermal and cardiorespiratory adjustments, difference between post-bath variables and pre-bath was calculated. In this analysis, it was found statistically significant difference between two types of bath regarding heart rate, respiratory rate and temperature. Hot tub bath decreases heart and respiratory rates and increases temperature, whereas shower provides the opposite effect (0.0001).&#x0D; Conclusion: This study demonstrates that hot tub baths and shower, in healthy newborns, promote thermal and cardiorespiratory adaptations, reflecting thermal, cardiac and respiratory positive reactions after hot tub bath.

Color optimization of red organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) through dihydroxyphenyl-substituted zinc porphyrins emitters

Abstract Four tetrakis (dihydroxyphenyl) Zinc(II) porphyrin (Zn-TDHPP) were successfully synthesized and used as fluorescent materials in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Devices were fabricated with an indium tin oxide(ITO)/poly (3,4-ethylenedi-oxythiophene):poly (styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) (55 nm)/polyvinylcarbazole (PVK):(2-(4-biphenyl)-5-(4-t-butylphenyl)1,3,4-oxadiazole) (PBD):Zn-TDHPP derivatives (80 nm)/Al (150 nm). The resultant devices had peak emissions ranging from 602 nm to 645 nm. It has been shown that with modification of Zn-TDHPP molecule having specific backbone with different functional groups R (R OH, COOH), we could change and control its optical properties such as band gap energy, photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) spectra along with its electrical properties such as current diagram of OLED devices. In addition, it is possible to modify Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of EL spectrum of fabricated OLED devices for application in the display industry. We used dichloromethane bath and Ultra-Violet laser (405 nm) for improvement of the morphology of layers. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurement showed that the morphology of the layers depends on the type of laser irradiations and solvent bath.

Newborns’ Behavioral Adaptations during Hot Tub Bath: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Bathing is a daily activity that aims at cleaning and protecting the outer covering of the body. This procedure stands out for presenting a high level of manipulation, and may interfere with the NB’s physiological and behavioral reactions, but when performed in a humanized way, like a bucket bath, it seeks to minimize the deleterious effects on these systems. The present study aims to evaluate the infant’s behavior in the bucket and shower bath. Methods: This is a randomized controlled trial, blind with healthy newborns allocated to bucket bath or shower bath group. During the bucket bath, newborns were wrapped in a towel and the body was semi-inflected and moved lightly and slowly in the water. For the shower bath, the same technique routinely adopted by the team was performed. Results: A total of 198 newborns were assessed. Shower bath increases the pain (x286.12; p<0.001) and when assessed during the shower, increased by 57% [RR=1.57(95%CI:1.47-1.68) and after, increased by 34% [RR=1.34(95%CI:1.23-1.46)]. Although both bath types have altered the behavioral state (x21.99;p=0.15), instances of crying are four times more significant during the shower bath (x233.01;p<0.001). Conclusions: Bathing in the bucket changes positively the newborn’s behavioral state, as well as protects the baby from pain, when compared to the shower bath. Trial registration: ReBEC number: RBR-4z26f3Background: Bathing is a daily activity that aims at cleaning and protecting the outer covering of the body. This procedure stands out for presenting a high level of manipulation, and may interfere with the NB’s physiological and behavioral reactions, but when performed in a humanized way, like a bucket bath, it seeks to minimize the deleterious effects on these systems. The present study aims to evaluate the infant’s behavior in the bucket and shower bath. Methods: This is a randomized controlled trial, blind with healthy newborns allocated to bucket bath or shower bath group. During the bucket bath, newborns were wrapped in a towel and the body was semi-inflected and moved lightly and slowly in the water. For the shower bath, the same technique routinely adopted by the team was performed. Results: A total of 198 newborns were assessed. Shower bath increases the pain (x286.12; p<0.001) and when assessed during the shower, increased by 57% [RR=1.57(95%CI:1.47-1.68) and after, increased by 34% [RR=1.34(95%CI:1.23-1.46)]. Although both bath types have altered the behavioral state (x21.99;p=0.15), instances of crying are four times more significant during the shower bath (x233.01;p<0.001). Conclusions: Bathing in the bucket changes positively the newborn’s behavioral state, as well as protects the baby from pain, when compared to the shower bath. Trial registration: ReBEC number: RBR-4z26f3

Observation of Adsorption Process of Single Stranded DNA to Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Surfaces by Fluorescence Quenching

Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are one of the promising nanomaterials for various applications in nanotechnology. In biomedical fields, hybrids of DNA and SWNT (DNA-SWNT hybrids) are expected to be attractive nanodevices for drug delivery and DNA sensors. For preparing DNA-SWNT hybrids, mixture of SWNT and DNA solutions are prepared via sonication. Although DNA-SWNT hybridization techniques have been established, the diverse sonication conditions in every paper may affect structures of DNA-SWNT hybrids. Here we report a method of monitoring adsorption process of DNA to SWNT surfaces using fluorescent labeled single-stranded DNA (Fluor-ssDNA). It is known that fluorescent emission of fluorescent dyes is quenched when the dye is adsorbed on SWNT surfaces. Using this unique quenching phenomenon, we evaluated adsorption process of Fluor-ssDNA on SWNT surfaces. In the experiments, 0.25 mg of SWNT powder, 50 uL of Fluor-ssDNA solution (1.0 mg/mL in tris (hydroxymethyl aminomethane buffer solution, 200mM, pH 7.5)), and 450 uL of the buffer were mixed, and then sonicated under three different sonication conditions as follows: probe type with amplitude 60% of 130 W (P60), probe type with amplitude 20% of 130 W (P20), and bath type with 80 W (B80). In order to monitor the adsorption process, samples were characterized by fluorescent spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. In the case of P60, fluorescent intensity of Fluor-ssDNA decreased 98% within 2 min. This suggests that most of Fluor-ssDNA rapidly adsorbed on SWNT surfaces. However, AFM images demonstrated that it took more time to form mono-dispersed DNA-SWNT hybrids. In the case of P20 and B80, 30 min was needed for 98% quenching. In addition, reproducibility of the B80 data was much higher than that of P20. This is an advantage of bath type sonicator.

Response Surface Optimization of Bath Type Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE) of Native Starch from Fresh Cassava Tubers

Response Surface Optimization of Bath Type Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE) of Native Starch from Fresh Cassava Tubers

At the Intersection of Texts and Material Finds: Stepped Pools, Stone Vessels, and Ritual Purity among the Jews of Roman Galilee by Stuart S. Miller

Reviewed by: At the Intersection of Texts and Material Finds: Stepped Pools, Stone Vessels, and Ritual Purity among the Jews of Roman Galilee by Stuart S. Miller Eyal Regev At the Intersection of Texts and Material Finds: Stepped Pools, Stone Vessels, and Ritual Purity among the Jews of Roman Galilee Stuart S. Miller Journal of Ancient Judaism Supplement 16. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2015. Pp. 342. ISBN 978-3-525-55069-4 Miller's book discusses the literary and archeological aspects of purity practices, mainly bodily immersion and ritual baths (miqva'ot). It focuses on the Galilee in Late Antiquity, particularly on the city of Sepphoris. Chapters One ("Misleading Use of Terminology: The "miqveh", "bet tevilah" and other "Ritual Baths"") and Two ("The Evolving, Non-Monolithic "Ritual Bath"") deal with the terminology of miqveh and the problem of identifying a miqveh in the material record. It is argued that the rabbinic miqveh is not always a manmade stepped pool since it is also possible to bathe in natural waters. Chapter Three ("Pre-Rabbinic, Non-Rabbinic, and Rabbinic Ritual Immersion Practices in the Making") explores the different types of ritual baths [End Page 517] and modern scholarly attempts to relate them to specific groups, sects, and movements. Miller includes ritual baths with a split staircase, which elsewhere this reviewer has identified with priests or priestly maintenance of purity, and ritual baths with an adjacent pool (o'tzar), which I have identified with the halakhah of the Pharisees ("Ritual Baths of Jewish Groups and Sects in the Second Temple Period," Cathedra 79 (1996): 3–21 and Cathedra 83 (1997): 169–76 [Hebrew]). Chapter Four ("Did the Author of P. Oxyrhynchus 840 Know What a "Miqveh" Was?") deals with the so-called uncanonical gospel (P. Oxy. 840), which is dated to the third or fourth century ce(?). Miller compares its references to immersion with rabbinic notions of purity and favors the view that the priest's reproach of Jesus' immersion-purification is directed not against rabbinic purity practices but rather against Jewish-Christian purity practices. Miller also demonstrates that Jews and Christians alike understood and appreciated the life-giving properties of water and regarded them as a divinely bestowed. Chapter Five ("Further Observations on Stone Vessel Finds and Ritual Purity in Light of Talmudic Sources") diverges from the main theme of ritual baths to stone vessels, which, according to rabbinic halakhah (rules), were not susceptible to impurity. These vessels are found in large numbers in Jewish sites throughout the Israel from the early first century ce to the mid-second century. Miller reviews rabbinic legal texts and criticizes the view that stone vessels were used mainly because they are not defiled. Rather he regards these vessels as an outcome of a functional development of the stone vessels industry, which also produced ossuaries for burial. To support this view Miller refers to stone vessels found in Khirbet Qumran, even though several Qumran scrolls insist that stones or vessels made of stone are capable of impurity. Chapter Six ("The Stepped Pools of the Western Acropolis at Sepphoris") is a survey of the findings of ritual baths in Sepphoris, a city that Miller treated in a separate study (Studies in the History and Traditions of Sepphoris, 1984). He now concludes that the construction and arrangement of the Sepphoris baths did not follow rabbinic prescriptions. Chapter Seven ("Understanding the Pools: Biblical Perceptions of Purity and Habitus of the Jews of 'Eres Israel") discusses biblical perceptions of purity and their impact on Jewish practices. Miller maintains that Jews observed purity laws not because they were regulated by priests or rabbis but because they were biblically derived. Chapter Eight ("Domestic Judaism and the 'Well-Ordered Bayit': Who bathed/Immersed in the Stepped Pools at Sepphoris and Why?") is perhaps the most important chapter in this book. Miller shows that rabbinic laws of purity mainly concern household practices, such as hand washing before eating and immersion related to sexual halakhic practices. In other words, the domestic environment, rather than the synagogue, was the space most affected by the spiritual properties of water. The domestic aspect of purity laws and practices corresponds well with the fact that most of...

The comparative study of the corrosion stability of Zn-Ni-Co alloy coatings deposited from chloride and sulphate baths

The ternary Zn-Ni-Co alloy coatings were electrodeposited on steel from chloride and sulphate baths. The deposition was carried out galvanostatically at different current densities at ambient temperatures from additives free baths with different ratios of Ni and Co. Corrosion behaviour of these coatings was evaluated from polarization measurements in 3% NaCl. The deposition current density exhibited small influence on the corrosion potential and corrosion current density of alloys obtained from both chloride and sulfate baths. On the other hand, [Co2+]/Ni2+] ion ratio showed a significant influence on corrosion behaviour of ternary alloy coatings, and this influence was more pronounced with alloys deposited from chloride baths. It was shown that increased corrosion protection of steel can be achieved by electrochemical deposition of ternary alloys that contained lower amount off the alloying elements, while the composition of the ternary alloy can be optimized by proper choice of the type and composition of the deposition bath.

Physical properties of Fe films electrodeposited on porous Al substrates

Two series of Fe thin films have been electrodeposited onto polycrystalline porous Al substrates using two baths: iron chloride (FeCl2) and iron sulfate (FeSO4). The texture, strain, and grain size values have been derived from X-ray diffraction experiments. Scanning electron microscopy has been employed for surface morphology. The magnetic properties were inferred from hysteresis curves that were obtained from a vibrating sample magnetometer; the external magnetic field was applied in different directions of the film plane and also perpendicular to the film. Hysteresis curves have been obtained at low temperatures (120 K (−153 °C) to room temperature). We investigate the effects of Al porosity, bath type, and deposition rate on physical properties of these Fe films. A correlation between the structural and magnetic properties is made. Different mechanisms responsible for the coercive field (HC) behavior have also been investigated.

Dicke phase transition without total spin conservation

We develop a new fermionic path-integral formalism to analyze the phase diagram of open nonequilibrium systems. The formalism is applied to analyze an ensemble of two-level atoms interacting with a single-mode optical cavity, described by the Dicke model. While this model is often used as the paradigmatic example of a phase transition in driven-dissipative systems, earlier theoretical studies were limited to the special case when the total spin of the atomic ensemble is conserved. This assumption is not justified in most experimental realizations. Our new approach allows us to analyze the problem in a more general case, including the experimentally relevant case of dissipative processes that act on each atom individually and do not conserve the total spin. We obtain a general expression for the position of the transition, which contains as special cases the two previously known regimes: i) non-equilibrium systems with losses and conserved spin and ii) closed systems in thermal equilibrium and with the Gibbs ensemble averaging over the values of the total spin. We perform a detailed study of different types of baths and point out the possibility of a surprising non-monotonous dependence of the transition on the baths' parameters.

Comparative study on physical and electrochemical characteristics of thin films deposited from electroless platinum plating baths

Physical and electrochemical properties of deposits obtained from two types of electroless platinum plating bath were investigated. One bath contained hydrazine as the reducer and lead monoxide as the stabilizer (HYD bath), and the other contained sodium borohydride (SBH) as the reducer and sodium thiosulfate as the stabilizer (SBH bath). The deposit obtained from the SBH bath had a high electric resistivity (6.0×10−5Ωcm), large tensile stress (421MPa at 0.3μm thickness) and rough surface (Ra=19.2nm) compared to HYD bath. Approximately 5 times more gas emission from the SBH bath was confirmed during electroless plating than HYD bath. The hydrogen emission during plating affected the physical properties of the resulting deposit and explained the rougher surface of platinum films from the SBH bath. The CV measurement using the deposits as the working electrode also correlated with surface area. Less than 0.5wt% of sulfur inclusion deriving from the stabilizer into the SBH bath deposit did not affect the surface roughness or electrochemical properties.