Changes In Surface Topology Research Articles

Controlling coating thickness distribution for a complex geometry with the help of simulation

This paper aims to develop a proper and valid simulation model for electroplating complex geometries. Since many variables influence the quality of the deposited coating and its thickness distribution, it is challenging to conduct efficient research only through experiments. In contrast, simulation can be an efficient way to optimize the electroplating experiments. Despite its potential, simulation has seen limited commercial use in the electroplating industry due to its inherent complexity and difficulty in achieving accurate precision for intricate geometries. The present study addresses the aspects that can enhance the electroplating simulation’s accuracy, which has been typically overlooked in the literature, such as the effect of current efficiency and its dependency on the current density, the input data for the electrode kinetics, the surface topology changes, and the differences between 2 and 3D simulations. The simulation model was validated by experimental results related to the coating thickness of Ni plating on a T-joint geometry. The results showed good agreement with the experimental ones, confirming the model’s ability to precisely predict the coating thickness and distribution and promote its broader utilization in the industry. Finally, the developed model was used to determine the optimal current density regime for achieving uniform coating thickness distribution on a T-joint sample.

Study of Microstructure, Texture, and Cooking Qualities of Reformulated Whole Wheat Flour Pasta by Substituting Water with Stearic Acid–Candelilla Wax–Groundnut Oil Oleogel

Oleogels, which are traditionally utilized to reduce saturated and trans fats in bakery foods, have recently shown promising applications in non-bakery foods, particularly in the enhancement of their food texture and cooking qualities. This study investigates the impact of incorporating stearic acid-containing candelilla wax–groundnut oil oleogel in various proportions on the production of whole wheat pasta. Five different pasta samples were prepared by replacing water with oleogels in varying concentrations (2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 15%), and their physicochemical attributes were evaluated using a range of analytical methods for both cooked and uncooked pasta (like microscopy, colorimetry, dimensional analysis, texture, cooking qualities, moisture content, and FTIR). Significant differences in width, thickness, and color properties were observed between the control sample (0% oleogel) and those containing oleogel, with notable variations in surface texture and color intensities, particularly with the higher oleogel content (p < 0.05). Cooked pasta exhibited lower L* values and higher a* values than uncooked pasta. Stereo zoom microscope and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) micrographs demonstrated a change in the pasta surface topology and microstructures. Dark spots on the pasta with greater oleogel concentrations (samples with 10% and 15% oleogel replacement) suggest the formation of starch–lipid complexes. Cooking induced pore formation, which was more pronounced when the oleogel content was increased, impacted the water absorption capacity, swelling index, and moisture content. The cooked samples exhibited higher moisture content and improved polymer network stability compared to the uncooked ones, indicating the potential of oleogel incorporation to modulate pasta properties in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings underscore the versatility of oleogels when their applications are diversified in non-bakery foods to enhance food texture and quality.

Experimentally detected aerodynamic drag coefficient of the agricultural tractor form considering effects of windshield angle and hood front shape

Agricultural tractors are improving their capacity, speed, and performance. However, the characteristic form of the agricultural tractors is not known in terms of aerodynamics. This is required in modeling transportational duties and their impacts on energy and environment, especially considering tractor-trailer couples. In this work, this characteristic form solely investigated apart from the couple to base a foundation. The geometry was adapted from a commercial model. The model was simplified greatly to isolate numerous parameters yielding a generic shape. Only geometrical features as parameters were selected as the nose shape as the leading surface and the windshield angle. Scaled models were tested in a wind tunnel. Drag coefficients independent from Reynolds number, drag forces, pressure distributions on the symmetry planes and pressure coefficients were obtained. An extrapolation was made in order to predict drag force related fuel consumption and CO2 emission for a full-scale tractor on-road transportation scenario based on experimentally obtained drag coefficient. It is understood that changes in tractor front surface topology and wind shield angle can lead to drag changes up to 3%. A 0.72 value of drag coefficient may be assumed for the generic agricultural tractor form. Based on this value, an on-road agricultural tractor cruising with 70 km h−1 is predicted to have a drag sourced fuel consumption of 3.9 kg h−1 and CO2 emission of 10.19 kg h−1. Tractor trailer couples and their platoons are of interest in terms of research and computational simulations that may utilize present results as validator.

Full-variable Cartesian grid method for incompressible and multiphase flows

We propose an efficient incompressible fluid solver based on a Cartesian grid and multi-moment concept. In the proposed method, velocity variables are located at cell centers, face centers and nodes in 2D, and cell centers, face centers, edge centers and nodes in 3D but the pressure variables are located only at the cell centers. The Cartesian grid is called full-variable Cartesian grid (FVCG) and the proposed method is called FVCG method. By using the FVCG method, we could improve velocity calculations (error reduction and numerical oscillation suppression) without significant increase in computational time. For instance, in a 3D multiphase flow simulation, although the FVCG method uses twice velocity resolution compared to existing methods, the increase in computational time was only 2%-9%. The FVCG method was validated through various benchmark problems, and comparisons with experiments of coalescence and separations of two liquid droplets (three different cases) and droplet splashing on a superhydrophobic substrate. These numerical results have shown that the FVCG method can efficiently simulate incompressible flows and free surface flows which involve highly complex surface topology changes with coarse grids. These numerical results have also shown that the FVCG method is robust.

Effect of Fermi surface topology change on the Kagome superconductor CeRu2 under pressure

The cubic Laves phase compound CeRu2 with a Kagome substructure of Ru has been investigated to understand myriad fascinating phenomena resulting from competition among its various physical and geometric features. Such phenomena include flat bands, van Hove singularities, Dirac cones, reentrant superconductivity, magnetism, the Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov state, valence fluctuations, time-irreversible anisotropic s-state superconductivity, etc. Extensive studies have thus been carried out since 1958 when the highly unusual coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism was proposed for the mixed compounds (Ce,Gd)Ru2. Activity has accelerated in recent years due to increasing interest in topological states in superconductors. However, there has been little investigation of the mutual influence of these fascinating states. Therefore, we systematically investigated the superconductivity and possible Fermi surface topological change in CeRu2via magnetic, resistivity, and structural measurements under pressure up to ∼168 GPa. An unusual phase diagram that suggests an intriguing interplay between the compound's superconducting order and Fermi surface topological order has been constructed. A resurgence in its superconducting transition temperature was observed above 28 GPa. Our experiments have identified a structural transition above 76 GPa and a few tantalizing phase transitions driven by high pressure. Our high-pressure results further suggest that superconductivity and Fermi surface topology in CeRu2 are strongly intertwined.

Aerodynamic optimization with large shape and topology changes using a differentiable embedded boundary method

Embedded (or immersed) boundary methods (EBMs) for CFD and fluid-structure interaction (FSI) are attractive for aerodynamic optimization problems characterized by large shape deformations and surface topology changes. At each iteration, they eliminate the need for explicitly remeshing a computational fluid domain and avoid the pitfalls of transferring information from one CFD mesh to another. However, they are vulnerable to discrete events that compromise the smoothness of the aerodynamic objective and/or constraint functions they may compute. For this reason, the realization of EBMs for gradient-based aerodynamic shape optimization requires first their endowment with sufficient smoothness guarantees. Drawing on a recently developed EBM for the solution of compressible viscous fluid and FSI problems with such guarantees, this paper demonstrates the potential of shape-differentiable EBMs for discovering optimal aerodynamic designs featuring significant shape deformations and surface topology changes. Specifically, it highlights their advantages in terms of reliability with respect to large shape adjustments and surface topology changes, efficiency, simplicity, and reduced need for user intervention. To this end, the paper showcases the application of an advanced EBM with smoothness guarantees to wing shape, wing section, and nacelle-pylon placement optimization problems formulated for a NASA Common Research Model (CRM).

Hund's coupling and spin-orbit interaction in the three-band Hubbard model: Anomalous mass renormalization in Sr2RuO4

We study electronic correlation effects in the three-band Hubbard model in presence of Hund's and spin-orbit couplings using slave-spin mean-field theory. We consider three different regimes of hopping parameter values for the model on a square lattice. For orbital diagonal and isotropic hopping, we show that spin-orbit coupling (SOC), in general, enhances electronic correlations via the reduction of orbital degeneracy. In presence of Hund's coupling $J$, SOC tends to oppose the effect of $J$ on electronic correlations. Considering symmetry allowed anisotropic hopping, we find that the quasiparticle weights become orbital selective in presence of interaction. The effect of $J$ is particularly interesting for the band filling of two particles per site. Here, the Janus-faced effect of $J$ on correlation is obtained only in the narrower band, whereas electronic correlation in the wider band get reduced by $J$ for all values of Hubbard repulsion $U$. For model parameters corresponding to ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{RuO}}_{4}$, interestingly, we find that the mass renormalizations in the bands become anomalous in presence of strong $U$ and $J$. The effective mass enhancement in the wider band becomes greater compared to that in the narrower band. We show that it originates in the peculiar electronic band structure of ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{RuO}}_{4}$, in which the spinon Fermi surface topology changes in a particular way in the presence of interactions.

Effect of Coaxial Electrode Geometry on the Electric Field Enhancement Factor for a High Voltage Vacuum Gap

We present an experimental analysis of the change in the electric field enhancement factor with varying gap size and penetration depth (P.D) of cathode into anode for a coaxial vacuum gap, diagnosed using Fowler–Nordheim analysis and optical imaging via scanning electron microscope (SEM) and time integrated Digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR). Data were collected on the Coaxial Gap Breakdown Machine (240 A, 25 kV, 150 ns, ~0.1 Hz). Experiments using five different gap sizes at nine different P.Ds are compared over runs comprising 50 shots for each case. The results show a strong link between enhancement factor and gap size, with P.D and surface topology. For large gap sizes, 150, 330, and 700 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \mathrm {m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> , the average enhancement factor value increases with increasing P.D. For smaller gap sizes, 50 and 100 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \mathrm {m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> , the average enhancement factor decreases with P.D. SEM imaging before and after plasma formation for each gap size allows for quantifying surface finish, microprotrusion growth, average blast diameter, and an estimation of the surface area breakdowns occupy. Time integrated DSLR imaging analysis of the gap at each shot allows for a determination of the distribution of breakdowns about the circumference of the gap for each case tested. The Fowler–Nordheim analysis allows for a quantitative analysis of the surface roughness of all gap sizes tested. Results show that for large gap sizes, the gap geometry and increasing area of breakdown is the main cause for increasing average enhancement factor. For small gap sizes, the dominant driving factor for small average enhancement factors—that subsequently decrease with P.D—is significant changes in surface topology due to an increased number of breakdowns.

Axisymmetric free-surface flow simulation using the moving surface mesh particle method and application to drop formation

It is difficult to accurately simulate axisymmetric free-surface flows with surface tension and topological changes, such as drop formation through a nozzle. A promising numerical method that can achieve this goal is the moving surface mesh particle method. It incorporates a moving surface mesh to explicitly represent a free-surface boundary, which enables accurate free-surface tracking and surface tension calculation. In the present study, this method is extended to an axisymmetric coordinate system. In the axisymmetric simulation, particles moving in a Lagrangian fashion result in significantly non-uniform particle distributions, leading to numerical instabilities. To circumvent this issue, a new algorithm is developed for determining the particle movement in an ALE fashion by considering a two-dimensional continuity equation. Moreover, in order to deal with the topological change arising from breakup of liquid domain, a simple algorithm employing surface mesh splitting is developed. The proposed method is verified using fundamental test cases such as axisymmetric cavity flow, axisymmetric patch test, spherical droplet oscillation, and hanging droplet. Therein, precise agreements to reference solutions are confirmed. Furthermore, the proposed method is applied to the numerical simulation of dripping faucet. As a result, complex drop formation phenomena are successfully simulated with reasonable computational cost. The numerical results are also shown to agree well with the experimental measurement in the literature, from which the validity of the proposed method is demonstrated.

The osteogenic response to chirality-patterned surface potential distribution of CFO/P(VDF-TrFE) membranes.

Piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) has demonstrated an ability to promote osteogenesis, and biomaterials with a chirality-patterned topological surface could enhance cellular osteogenic differentiation. In this work, we created a chirality-patterned surface potential distribution of CoFe2O4/poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (CFO/P(VDF-TrFE)) membranes to explore their osteogenic response under no change in surface chemical and topology, attempting to further strengthen the ability of the membranes to promote osteogenesis. The chirality-patterned surface potential distribution was established by microdomain contact polarization with the help of sinistral/dextral-patterned ITO interdigital microelectrodes. In the in vitro evaluations, the mesenchymal stem cells showed a positive response in osteogenic differentiation to CFO/P(VDF-TrFE) membranes with both sinistral- and dextral-patterned surface potential distributions, however, the dextral-patterned distribution gave a stronger response than the sinistral-patterned one. And the in vivo evaluation showed a response tend in new bone tissue formation similar to the in vitro evaluations. The stronger response in osteogenic differentiation and osteogenesis for the CFO/P(VDF-TrFE) membrane with the dextral-patterned distributions may be attributed to that the intense interaction of the cells with the electrophysiological microenvironment appears due to a correspondingly higher expression of integrin α5β1, which significantly up-regulates the Arp2/3 complex expression, a crucial factor for cytoskeleton reorganization, possibly increases cytoskeleton contractility, and strengthens the transduction of the osteogenesis-related signaling cascade. This work proves that the chirality-patterns in surface potential distributions could provide an osteogenic response similar to a chirality-patterned topological surface.

Magnetotransport in overdoped La2−xSrxCuO4 : Fermi liquid approach

Recently, several experiments on La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ (LSCO) challenged the Fermi liquid picture for overdoped cuprates, and stimulated intensive debates [1]. In this work, we study the magnetotransport phenomena in such systems based on the Fermi liquid assumption. The Hall coefficient $R_H$ and magnetoresistivity $\rho_{xx}$ are investigated near the van Hove singularity $x_{\tiny\text{VHS}}\approx0.2$ across which the Fermi surface topology changes from hole- to electron-like. Our main findings are: (1) $R_H$ depends on the magnetic field $B$ and drops from positive to negative values with increasing $B$ in the doping regime $x_{\tiny\text{VHS}}<x\lesssim0.3$; (2) $\rho_{xx}$ grows up as $B^2$ at small $B$ and saturates at large $B$, while in the transition regime a "nearly linear" behavior shows up. Our results can be further tested by future magnetotransport experiments in the overdoped LSCO.

Modulating the metal-insulator transition in VO2/Al2O3 (001) thin films by grain size and lattice strain

A series of high quality VO2/Al2O3 thin films were prepared by DC sputtering, and the effects of surface topology change on their metal-insulator transition (MIT) behaviors have been discussion in this paper. A ~103 nm-thick VO2/Al2O3 thin film shows extremely large order of magnitude change (~4.2) and low TMIT (56 ℃), and both grain size and lattice strain have been determined as the main causes responsible for the improvement of metal-insulator transition. Specifically, the increase of crystalline size that results in enlarging the grain size, has been identified significantly improves the sheet conductivity of VO2 thin films in rutile phase, which indeed also implements large change in order of magnitude. Besides, the lattice strain has been proven strongly affects the electronic orbitals (π* and d||) occupancy in rutile phase, which has been identified as the one of significant signatures in indicating TMIT change, and thus the increase of lattice strain is believed efficient to modulate TMIT. The close relationships between the surface grain size, lattice strain, TMIT and sheet conductivity in this study for sure will open the door to the fabrication and research on highly quality VO2/Al2O3 thin films.

Signatures of Fermi surface topology change in the nodal-line semimetal ZrSiSe1−xTex

The topological nodal-line semimetal (TNLS) $\mathrm{ZrSi}M$ $(M=\mathrm{S}, \mathrm{Se}, \mathrm{Te})$ is a promising platform to study the TNLS phase by tuning chalcogens. In this work, we study the evolution of the Fermi surface (FS) by tuning the Se/Te ratio in ${\mathrm{ZrSiSe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Te}}_{x}$ compounds. Transport properties and magnetometry results present signatures of Fermi surface topology change by the sudden changes in symmetry and carrier densities, as well as singularity of FSs at the critical chemical potentials. A $2\frac{1}{2}$-order Lifshitz transition occurs when 0.20 $\ensuremath{\le}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}x\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\le}$ 0.33. Another $3\frac{1}{2}$-order electron topological transition is revealed by a large diamagnetic anomaly of susceptibility at $x\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\sim}$ 0.80. In combination with first-principles calculations, this study reveals the vital roles of spin-orbit coupling, charge transfer, and shifts of the chemical potential in the evolution of FSs in this system. Our results demonstrate how the FSs evolve in ${\mathrm{ZrSiSe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Te}}_{x}$ compounds, providing fundamental clues for designing topological state switchable devices.

Molecular Regulators of Cellular Mechanoadaptation at Cell-Material Interfaces.

Diverse essential cellular behaviors are determined by extracellular physical cues that are detected by highly orchestrated subcellular interactions with the extracellular microenvironment. To maintain the reciprocity of cellular responses and mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix, cells utilize a variety of signaling pathways that transduce biophysical stimuli to biochemical reactions. Recent advances in the micromanipulation of individual cells have shown that cellular responses to distinct physical and chemical features of the material are fundamental determinants of cellular mechanosensation and mechanotransduction. In the process of outside-in signal transduction, transmembrane protein integrins facilitate the formation of focal adhesion protein clusters that are connected to the cytoskeletal architecture and anchor the cell to the substrate. The linkers of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton molecular complexes, collectively termed LINC, are critical signal transducers that relay biophysical signals between the extranuclear cytoplasmic region and intranuclear nucleoplasmic region. Mechanical signals that involve cytoskeletal remodeling ultimately propagate into the nuclear envelope comprising the nuclear lamina in assistance with various nuclear membrane proteins, where nuclear mechanics play a key role in the subsequent alteration of gene expression and epigenetic modification. These intracellular mechanical signaling cues adjust cellular behaviors directly associated with mechanohomeostasis. Diverse strategies to modulate cell-material interfaces, including alteration of surface rigidity, confinement of cell adhesive region, and changes in surface topology, have been proposed to identify cellular signal transduction at the cellular and subcellular levels. In this review, we will discuss how a diversity of alterations in the physical properties of materials induce distinct cellular responses such as adhesion, migration, proliferation, differentiation, and chromosomal organization. Furthermore, the pathological relevance of misregulated cellular mechanosensation and mechanotransduction in the progression of devastating human diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and aging, will be extensively reviewed. Understanding cellular responses to various extracellular forces is expected to provide new insights into how cellular mechanoadaptation is modulated by manipulating the mechanics of extracellular matrix and the application of these materials in clinical aspects.

Dynamical polarization and plasmons in noncentrosymmetric metals

We study the dynamical polarization function and plasmon modes for spin-orbit coupled noncentrosymmetric metals (NCMs). These systems have different Fermi surface topology for Fermi energies above and below the spin degenerate point which is also known as the band touching point (BTP). We calculate the exact dynamical polarization function numerically and also provide its analytical expression in the long wavelength limit. We obtain the plasmon dispersion within the framework of random phase approximation. In NCMs, there is a finite energy gap in between intra and interband particle hole continuum (PHC) for vanishing excitation wavevector. In the long wavelength limit, the width of interband PHC behaves differently for Fermi energies below and above the BTP as a clear signature of the Fermi surface topology change. We find a single undamped optical plasmon mode lying in between the intra and interband PHC for Fermi energies above and below the BTP. The plasmon mode below the BTP has smaller velocity than that of above the BTP. It is interesting to find that as we tune the Fermi energy around the BTP, the plasmon mode becomes damped within a range of e-e interaction strength. For Fermi energies above and below the BTP, we also obtain an approximate analytical result of plasma frequency and plasmon dispersion which match well with their numerical counterparts in the long wavelength limit. The plasmon dispersion is $\propto q^2$ with $q$ being the wave vector for plasmon excitation in the long wavelength limit. We find that varying the carrier density with fixed e-e interaction strength or vice versa does not change the number of undamped plasmon mode, although damped plasmon modes can be more in number for some values of these parameters. We demonstrate our results by calculating the loss function and optical conductivity which can be measured in experiments.

An experimental study of rain erosion effects on a hydro-/ice-phobic coating pertinent to Unmanned-Arial-System (UAS) inflight icing mitigation

An experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate the variations of the surface wettability and ice adhesion strength on a typical hydro−/ice-phobic surface before and after undergoing continuous impingement of water droplets (i.e., rain erosion effects) at relatively high speeds (i.e., up to ~100 m/s) pertinent to Unmanned-Arial-System (UAS) inflight icing mitigation. The experimental study was conducted by leveraging a specially designed rain erosion testing rig available at Iowa State University. Micro-sized water droplets carried by an air jet flow were injected normally onto a test plate coated with a typical Super-Hydrophobic Surface (SHS) coating to simulate the scenario with micro-sized water droplets in the cloud impacting onto UAS airframe surfaces. During the experiments, the surface wettability (i.e., in the terms of static, advancing and receding contact angles of water droplets) and the ice adhesion strength on the SHS coated test plate were quantified as a function of the duration of the rain erosion testing. The surface topology changes of the SHS coated surface against the duration of the rain erosion testing were also measured by using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) system. The characteristics of the surface wettability and ice adhesion strength on the eroded SHS surface are correlated with the AFM measurement results to elucidate the underlying physics for a better understanding about the rain erosion effects on hydro−/ice-phobic coatings in the context of UAS inflight icing mitigation.

Combined Minivalley and Layer Control in Twisted Double Bilayer Graphene.

Control over minivalley polarization and interlayer coupling is demonstrated in double bilayer graphene twisted with an angle of 2.37°. This intermediate angle is small enough for the minibands to form and large enough such that the charge carrier gases in the layers can be tuned independently. Using a dual-gated geometry we identify and control all possible combinations of minivalley polarization via the population of the two bilayers. An applied displacement field opens a band gap in either of the two bilayers, allowing us to even obtain full minivalley polarization. In addition, the carriers, formerly separated by their minivalley character, are mixed by tuning through a Lifshitz transition, where the Fermi surface topology changes. The high degree of control over the minivalley character of the bulk charge transport in twisted double bilayer graphene offers new opportunities for realizing valleytronics devices such as valley valves, filters, and logic gates.

Functional Polylactide Blend Films for Controlling Mesenchymal Stem Cell Behaviour.

Polymer blending is a suitable physical modification method to create novel properties of different polymers. Blending polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) produces materials with a wide range of properties. This study was the first to investigate the effect of different isomeric forms of PLA and PEG with terminal amino groups to obtain biocompatible films for human mesenchymal stem cell cultivation. It has been shown by scanning electron microscopy that the surface topology changes to the greatest extent when using films obtained on the basis of poly(d,l-lactide) and PEG with high molecular weights (15,000 g/mol). In order to obtain thin films and rapid evaporation of the solvent, PEG is mixed with PLA and does not form a separate phase and is not further washed out during the incubation in water. The presence of PEG with terminal hydroxyl and amino groups in blend films after incubation in water was proven using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Results of fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that blend films formed on PLA and polyethylene glycol diamine (PEG-NH2) are more suitable for cell spreading and focal contact formation compared to cells cultured on the surface of pure PLA films or films made from PLA and PEG.

The Antimicrobial Peptide Human Beta-Defensin 2 Inhibits Biofilm Production of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Without Compromising Metabolic Activity.

Biofilm production is a key virulence factor that facilitates bacterial colonization on host surfaces and is regulated by complex pathways, including quorum sensing, that also control pigment production, among others. To limit colonization, epithelial cells, as part of the first line of defense, utilize a variety of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) including defensins. Pore formation is the best investigated mechanism for the bactericidal activity of AMPs. Considering the induction of human beta-defensin 2 (HBD2) secretion to the epithelial surface in response to bacteria and the importance of biofilm in microbial infection, we hypothesized that HBD2 has biofilm inhibitory activity. We assessed the viability and biofilm formation of a pyorubin-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain in the presence and absence of HBD2 in comparison to the highly bactericidal HBD3. At nanomolar concentrations, HBD2 – independent of its chiral state – significantly reduced biofilm formation but not metabolic activity, unlike HBD3, which reduced biofilm and metabolic activity to the same degree. A similar discrepancy between biofilm inhibition and maintenance of metabolic activity was also observed in HBD2 treated Acinetobacter baumannii, another Gram-negative bacterium. There was no evidence for HBD2 interference with the regulation of biofilm production. The expression of biofilm-related genes and the extracellular accumulation of pyorubin pigment, another quorum sensing controlled product, did not differ significantly between HBD2 treated and control bacteria, and in silico modeling did not support direct binding of HBD2 to quorum sensing molecules. However, alterations in the outer membrane protein profile accompanied by surface topology changes, documented by atomic force microscopy, was observed after HBD2 treatment. This suggests that HBD2 induces structural changes that interfere with the transport of biofilm precursors into the extracellular space. Taken together, these data support a novel mechanism of biofilm inhibition by nanomolar concentrations of HBD2 that is independent of biofilm regulatory pathways.

Aging Effect on Microstructure and Machinability of Corrax Steel

In this paper, the influence of the aging process on the microstructure and machinability of Corrax Steel was investigated for four samples: a solution heat-treated (A0) and three samples aged at 400ºC (A4), 525ºC (A5.25) and 600ºC (A6) for four hours. The effect of aging temperature on hardness was examined. Machining tests were carried out using a CNC lathe with a multi-layer coated PVD (AlTiN) cutting tool, at various cutting speeds (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350m/min) with constant feed rate (0.1mm/rev) and 1mm constant cutting depth. The microstructure was investigated using an optical microscope and EDS attached SEM. The effect of aging on reverted austenite formation was also evaluated. In order to understand the changes in surface topology, cutting forces and vibrations were measured. With increasing aging temperature, the lath martensite was transformed to plate martensite because of the formation of precipitates and reverted austenite. Aging at different temperatures increased hardness up to 58%, cutting forces up to 117% and surface roughness up to 450%. The results describe the effect of the aging treatment on cutting forces, surface topology, tool wear and vibrations.