Plate Diffusion Research Articles

“3D+1D” modeling approach toward large-scale PEM fuel cell simulation and partitioned optimization study on flow field

Abstract A “3D+1D” PEM fuel cell model is developed in order to implement large-scale simulation with enhanced calculation efficiency. The model consists of the three-dimensional (3D) part and the one-dimensional (1D) part, which are related by adding two extra layers in the middle of the 3D computational domain. Bipolar plate (BP), gas channel (GCH) and gas diffusion layer (GDL) along with the extra layer (EL) form the 3D computational domain. Other components, micro-porous layer (MPL), catalyst layer (CL) and membrane (MEM) are treated as 1D computational domain and integrated into the grids of extra layer. The 3D sub-model solves conservation equations and provides scalar data for the 1D sub-model to obtain solutions of flux equations, in turn updating parameters of the 3D domain to proceed iterations. The “3D+1D” model considers the strongly-coupled physicochemical phenomena comprehensively inside PEM fuel cell including mass transfer (reactant gas and liquid water), electrochemical reaction, membrane water balance and heat transfer. The trade-off between model accuracy and calculation efficiency is evaluated with detail by comparing the simulation results and time cost of the “3D+1D” model with those of the whole 3D model. The calculation speed is found to be greatly boosted via the “3D+1D” approach and acceptable accuracy is obtained at the same time. Specifically, the simulation time can be shortened by 20 folds for the large-scale case in this study. Then, three flow field designs are compared on a 345 cm2 PEM fuel cell domain using the proposed “3D+1D” model, namely the parallel-serpentine design (PS design), the parallel design with dots in the distribution zone (PD design) and the parallel design with dots in the distribution zone and waves in straight-flow zone (PDW design). Owing to the addition of wavy structure, the PDW design gives excellent performance under high current density with low external humidification and stoichiometric ratio due to enhanced gas convection and self-humidification effect. This proves the feasibility and potential of partitioned optimization design on PEM fuel cell flow field, meanwhile emphasizing the suitability of the “3D+1D” modeling approach for occasions where the full morphology of flow field layout should be considered.

New Complexes of Nickel (II) with Mixed Ligands(2-oxime-4-(hydroxl benzilidine)pentane and (Thiosemicarbazones) and (Glycine) or(Metformine),Evaluation of Biological Activites and laser Irradiation

New nickel (II) complexes with three mixed ligand {which are 2-Oxime-4 (3- hydroxyl benzlidene) pentane (L2H); 2- chloro benzaldehyde- thiosemicarbazone (T1H) or 3,4- dimethoxy aceto-phenone thiosemicarbazone (T2H); and glycine (GH) or metformin (mf)} have been prepared by applying classical and microwave heating techniques. The resulting compounds have been characterized using analytical, physical and spectral techniques. Complexes of general formulaes [Ni(L2H)(TH)(BH)](Ac)2 in slightly neutral medium and complexes of general formula [Ni(L2)(T)(mf)] and [Ni(L2)(TH)(G)] in basic medium have been resulted. {where BH= GH or mf ligand, TH= T1H or T2H ligand, L2= deprotonated L2H ligand, T= deprotonated T1H or T2H ligand, G= deprotonated GH ligand}, high spin octahedral complexes have been resulted. No laser He-Ne type (wave length are 600- 700 nm) have been observed on the compounds, this means that the compounds are stable. Biological activity of the ligands and complexes have been evaluated using agar plate diffusion technique against Echerichia coli, Klipsila pnnemoia, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Some compounds were found to have antibacterial activity.

NOVEL CYCLIC SCHIFF BASE AND ITS TRANSITION METAL COMPLEXES: SYNTHESIS, SPECTRAL AND BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS

2, 5-hexanedione, 3,4-diacetyl, and ethylenediamine were condensed to obtain novel Schiff base ligand. Ni(II) and Co(II) complexes have been synthesized by reacting ligand with hydrated metal salts in a 1:10 ratio. Elemental analysis, IR, 1HNMR and mass spectrometry revealed unique structure, a cyclic decamer, of ligand and metal complexes. Synthesized compounds were screened for anti-microbial character against fungi viz. Aspergillus niger and Trichophyton rubrum and bacteria viz. Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, using well plate diffusion method. Investigation of antiangiogenic activity was done by CAM assay using chicken eggs. Biological activities of ligand found enhanced after coordination with metal ions.

Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Culture Supernatant of Shewanella sp. ARY1 and Their Antibacterial Activity.

PurposeIn this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized using culture supernatant of strain Shewanella sp. ARY1, characterized and their antibacterial activity was investigated against Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.MethodsThe strain Shewanella sp. ARY1 was isolated from river Yamuna, Delhi and used for biosynthesis of AgNPs via extracellular approach. Biosynthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV-Visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer, fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Antibacterial activity of AgNPs was determined by well diffusion, broth microdilution and streaking plate assay to determine the zone of inhibition (ZOI), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), respectively. The effect of AgNPs on treated bacteria was investigated by electron microscopy analysis. Further, the biocompatibility of AgNPs was tested against mice erythrocytes (RBC) by hemolytic assay.ResultsThe UV-Vis spectral analysis revealed absorption maxima at 450 nm which confirmed the formation of AgNPs. The FTIR analysis suggested the involvement of various supernatant biomolecules, as reducing and capping agents in the synthesis of AgNPs. The XRD and EDX analysis confirmed the crystalline and metallic nature of AgNPs, respectively. The TEM and SEM analysis showed nanoparticles were spherical with an average size of 38 nm. The biosynthesized AgNPs inhibited the growth and formed a clear zone of inhibition (ZOI) against tested Gram-negative strains. The MIC and MBC were determined as 8-16 µg/mL and 32 µg/mL, respectively. Further, electron microscopy analysis of treated cells showed that AgNPs can damage the outer membrane, release of cytoplasmic contents, and alter the normal morphology of Gram-negative bacteria, leading to cell death. The hemolytic assay indicated that the biosynthesized AgNPs were biocompatible at low dose concentrations.ConclusionThis study demonstrates an eco-friendly process for extracellular synthesis of AgNPs using Shewanella sp. ARY1 and these AgNPs exhibited excellent antibacterial activity, which may be used to combat Gram-negative pathogens.

Pengaruh Pemberian Ekstrak Kencur (Kaempferia galanga L.) terhadap Peningkatan Zona Hambat Pertumbuhan Bakteri Staphylococcus aureus

The prevalence of infectious diseases in Indonesia is still relatively high, for example Infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Indonesia has many traditional plants that can be used for herbal treatments containing tannins, flavonoids, and essential oils which have relatively high antibacterial activity by forming inhibitory zones in the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria which are the cause of skin infections food poisoning to systemic infections. Thereforekencur can be used as an alternative medicine. This study was intented to determine the effect of giving kencur extract (Kaempferia galanga L.) In inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. This study was experimental laboratory used plate diffusion method of “Postest Ony Control Group Design” design. There were 7 groups, 5 treatment groups and 2 control groups. The concentration of treatment group was 100%, 50%, 25%, 12,5%, 6,25% while for positive control using amoxicillin 25μg and aquadest as negative control. The bacterial used were Staphylococcus aureus. The results showed that kencur extract (Kaempferia galanga L.) had an antibacterial effect in inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.With a value of p = 0.001 or p <α. kencur extract (Kaempferia galanga L.) has an antibacterial effect in inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

An Improved Halo Method for Evaluating the Antibacterial Activity of Leather

In order to evaluate leather antibacterial activity rapidly and accurately, an improved halo method was developed based on conventional halo method and the agar diffusion plate method. During the new method, there were two layers of medium, the bottom was sterile medium and the top was medium containing microbes; more than one leather sample could be tested in a culture dish. The antibacterial activities of leather treated by nano-silver, nano-ZnO and butyl paraben against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus niger and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa were tested by the new method. The results indicated intraclass correlation coefficient values were greater than 0.7 but the P values were less than 0.05 during improved halo method testing, thus, the repeatability and reliability was comparable or even better than conventional method. Nano-silver showed excellent and broad antibacterial activity and the difference between each antibacterial agent could be observed clearly and intuitively during improved halo method testing. In sum, improved halo method was a fast, accurate, qualitative and quantitative testing method and would be a new choice for evaluating leather antibacterial activity.

Identification and Characterization of the Nuclease Activity of the Extracellular Proteins from Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium.

Pathogens have evolved an array of strategies to establish a productive infection. The extracellular proteins secreted by pathogens are one of unique mechanisms to evade the host innate immune response. Many secretory proteins transported by the bacterial secretion systems have been widely investigated in Salmonella. Certain extracellular nucleases are essential for bacterial pathogenesis. However, there is no current data available for the enzymatic properties of the proteins secreted by Salmonella. Therefore, in the present study we have identified and characterized the nuclease activity of the extracellular proteins from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. It was demonstrated that the extracellular proteins from S. Typhimurium exhibited the deoxyribonucleases activity against λDNA by agarose gel electrophoresis and agar plate diffusion method. The activity was observed at 16°C, 37°C and 42°C, and found to be highest at 42°C and inhibited at temperatures over 60°C. The nuclease activity was stable under alkaline conditions (pH 7-10) and the optimum pH was 9.0. The nuclease activity was promoted at high ionic strength of Ba2+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Ni2+. Nuclease zymography analysis revealed that there were four activity bands in the extracellular proteins; followed by LC-ESI/MS/MS analysis seven proteins were identified. As demonstrated by nuclease zymography, the recombinant 5'-nucleotidase protein expressed in the prokaryotic expression system displayed the DNase activity. To our knowledge, the present findings represent the first direct and unambiguous demonstration of the nuclease activity of the extracellular proteins from S. Typhimurium, and it provides an important fundamental for further investigation of the role of the extracellular proteins in pathogenicity and immune evasion.

Anisotropic water diffusion in mechanical joints of fiber-reinforced composite panels: numerical study

This paper presents numerical study on the effect of diffusion anisotropy on the accumulation of moisture in the net-tension and shear-out failure planes in fiber composite bolted connection. A composite plate containing four bolt holes was investigated. The effect of the edge distance-to-hole diameter ratios and the distance between two holes-to-hole diameter ratio was analyzed. The diffusion process was described by Fick’s law, and it was assumed that moisture is penetrating only through bolt holes in the composite joints. Technical computing software Mathematica was used to solve the 2D diffusion equation over the plate region and find the moisture concentration distribution. The numerical approach was validated against analytical expressions for diffusion in 2D plate. It was found that diffusion anisotropy ratio strongly influences the equilibrium moisture content. It was shown that depending on the joint geometry, there are significant differences in moisture content on the expected failure paths because of sorption anisotropy, which can lead to premature failure due to the increased damage done to the composite matrix, interface, interphase, and fibers.

Evaluation of standardized automated rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Enterobacterales-containing blood cultures: a proof-of-principle study.

Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (RAST) of bacteria causing bloodstream infections is critical for implementation of appropriate antibiotic regimens. We have established a procedure to prepare standardized bacterial inocula for Enterobacterales-containing clinical blood cultures and assessed antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) data generated with the WASPLabTM automated reading system. A total of 258 blood cultures containing Enterobacterales were examined. Bacteria were enumerated by flow cytometry using the UF-4000 system and adjusted to an inoculum of 106 cfu/mL. Disc diffusion plates were automatically streaked, incubated for 6, 8 and 18 h and imaged using the fully automated WASPLabTM system. Growth inhibition zones were compared with those obtained with inocula prepared from primary subcultures following the EUCAST standard method. Due to time-dependent variations of the inhibition zone diameters, early AST readings were interpreted using time-adjusted tentative breakpoints and areas of technical uncertainty. Inhibition zones obtained after 18 h incubation using an inoculum of 106 cfu/mL prepared directly from blood cultures were highly concordant with those of the EUCAST standard method based on primary subcultures, with categorical agreement (CA) of 95.8%. After 6 and 8 h incubation, 89.5% and 93.0% of the isolates produced interpretable results, respectively, with CA of >98.5% and very low numbers of clinical categorization errors for both the 6 h and 8 h readings. Overall, with the standardized and automated RAST method, consistent AST data from blood cultures containing Enterobacterales can be generated after 6-8 h of incubation and subsequently confirmed by standard reading of the same plate after 18 h.

Improving the Yield of Xenocoumacin 1 Enabled by In Situ Product Removal.

Xenocoumacin 1 (Xcn1), a major antimicrobial compound produced by Xenorhabdus nematophila CB6, has great potential to be developed into a novel biofungicide. However, its low yield in the producing cells has limited its possible commercial applications. In this study, we explored the effect of in situ product removal (ISPR), a well-established recovery technique, with the use of macroporous resin X-5 on the production of Xcn1 in a fermentation setting. Relative to the routine fermentation process, the yield of Xcn1 was improved from 42.5 to 73.8 μg/mL (1.7-fold) and 12.9 to 60.3 μg/mL (4.7-fold) in three and ten days, respectively. By agar diffusion plate and growth inhibition assays, the antibiotic activity against Bacillus subtilis and Alternaria solani was also found to be improved. Further study revealed that protection of Xcn1 against degradation and decrease in cell self-toxicity as well as upregulation of biosynthesis-related genes of Xcn1 at the transcription level contributed to yield improvement of Xcn1. In addition, resin X-5 significantly altered the metabolite profile of X. nematophila CB6, which could promote the discovery of new antibiotics.

79‐1: Invited Paper: A New Generation of QD‐Diffusion Plate Technology for TV

This paper reports a novel QD diffusion plate for liquid crystal display by using a three‐layer co‐extrusion method without any expensive barrier film. Quantum dots were homogeneous embedded in the polymeric matrix of the middle layer, and the upper and lower layer act as protective layers to avoid the destruction of external environment to quantum dots. The QD diffusion plate can realize 105% NTSC1931 color gamut with the same brightness as the backlight using conventional QD film. Reliability tests demonstrate that the quantum dot diffusion plate shows satisfactory stability comparable to the conventional quantum dot films under conditions of blue‐LED irradiation, high temperature and high humidity.

Improved osteogenic activity and inhibited bacterial biofilm formation on andrographolide-loaded titania nanotubes.

BackgroundDelivery of local drugs with a titania nanotube is an attractive approach to combat implant-related infection. Our earlier study has confirmed that nanotubes loaded with gentamicin could significantly improve the antibacterial ability. On this basis, the used andrographolide in this paper has a high antibacterial activity, which cannot only avoid the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria but also has simultaneously excellent biocompatibility with osteogenic cells.MethodsTwo mg of andrographolide was loaded into titania nanotubes, which were fabricated into different diameters (50 and 100 nm) and 200 nm length by the method of lyophilization and vacuum drying. We chose a standard strain, Staphylococcus epidermidis (American Type Culture Collection 35984), and two clinical isolates, S. aureus 376 and S. epidermidis 389 to research the bacterial adhesion at 6, 12 and 24 hours and biofilm formation at 48, and 72 hours on the andrographolide-loaded nanotubes (NT-A) using the diffusion plate method. Smooth titanium (smooth Ti) and nanotubes with no drug loading (NT) were also inclusive and analyzed. Furthermore, the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats mesenchymal stem cells were used to assess the influence of nanotubular topographies on the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.ResultsOur results showed that NT-A could inhibit bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on implant surfaces. NT-A and NT, especially those with 100 nm diameters, were found to significantly promoted cell attachment, proliferation, diffusion, and osteogenic differentiation when compared with smooth Ti, while the same diameter in NT-A and NT did not differ.ConclusionsTitania nanotube modification and andrographolide loading can significantly improve the antibacterial ability and osteogenic activity of orthopedic implants. Nanotubes-based local delivery could be a promising strategy for combating implant-associated infection.

The effect of the addition of propolis to resin-modified glass ionomer cement bracket adhesive materials on the growth inhibition zone of Streptococcus mutans.

Background: Orthodontic treatments progress alongside the development of adhesive materials. The present study aimed to determine the antibacterial properties of propolis, a natural product, in a mixture of resin-modified glass ionomer cement by observing the growth inhibition zone of Streptococcus mutans.Methods: This was an in vitro study conducted on 45 samples of adhesive material, which were divided into control group (resin-modified glass ionomer cement bracket adhesive material), two groups of propolis concentrations (15%, and 25%) and duration (0, 15, and 30 days). The antibacterial effect of each sample was evaluated against S. mutans using an agar plate diffusion test. Measurement of the diameter of the growth inhibition zone of S. mutans was carried out. The data obtained were analyzed statisticallyThe significance value of the Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney test was set at p <0.05, while the significance value of the normality and homogeneity test was set at p> 0.05). Datas in this study that were not normally distributed (p = 0.012) but homogeneous (p = 0.110) were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis test (p = 0.003) and then the Mann-Whitney test was performed to determine differences in significance between groups. Results: There was a relationship between concentration and duration of propolis to the growth inhibition zone of S. mutans (p=0.003). The addition of 25% propolis concentration inhibited the growth of S. mutans more than the addition of 15% and without propolis (control group). The addition of propolis to resin-modified glass ionomer cement for 15 days was more effective in inhibiting the growth of S. mutans.Conclusion: The addition of propolis to adhesive materials provides an inhibitory effect on the growth of S. mutans, which may be effective in the world of preventive dentistry.

Phytochemical, Antimicrobial and Ethnobotanical Study of Calotropis gigantea

Introduction: According to the WHO, more than 80% of world’s population depends upon the traditional medicine for primary care of health. The increased interest in plant derived drugs is mainly because of ‘herbal medicines’ are safer than costly synthetic drug. In this study, Calotropis gigantea also known as 'Aank' in Nepali was selected as the plant for the research work. Plants were collected from different parts of the Chitwan district. The objective of the study was to prepare the methanol and hexane extracts of leaves and stem of C. gigantea and carry out phytochemical screening of those extracts. Similarly, antimicrobial activity of those extract were evaluated to find its potential as drug. The ethnobotanical survey was done to find out medicinal values of the plant.&#x0D; Methods: Methanol and hexane extracts of the leaves and stem of C. gigantea was prepared by Soxhlet extraction method. Methanol was used for the extraction of various polar compounds and hexane for non-polar compounds. Phytochemical screening results showed the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids and terpenoids. The phytochemicals present in different plant extracts were analyzed by following the protocol given by Ciulei I. Inhibition of bacterial growth was tested by using agar well diffusion plate method (As per DPR/BS/SOP/ Am/1) and measured in the form of zone of inhibition (ZOI).&#x0D; Results: The ZOI shown by methanol extracts of leaves of C. gigantea for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were measured 8 mm and 13 mm respectively. Similarly, the zones of inhibition shown by hexane extract of leaves of C. gigantea for E.coli and S.aureus were measured as 11 mm and 9 mm respectively in antibacterial assay. Antimicrobial activity was not seen against Klebsiella pneumoniae by any of the extracts. The ethnobotanical study conducted showed that the plant is being used for different medicinal purposes.&#x0D; Conclusion : The findings of the study showed that the plant had high pharmaceutical importance. Traditionally, it is used alone or with other medicinal plants to treat common disease such as asthma, swelling rheumatism, diarrhoea, dysentery, syphilis, ulcer, leprosy etc. This study hopes to provide valuable information for different research.

Antimicrobial activity of leaves extracts against bacteria isolated from wound infections

Background: Lawsonia inermis (L. inermis) is perennial plant commonly called henna. It is frequently cultivated in Sudan. Beside its uses cosmetics for staining hands and as hairs dyes‚ it was reported to be useful in jaundice, enlargement of spleen, calculus affliction and skin disease. Method: This descriptive study was done during the period from December 2014 to April 2015 in order to determine the invitro antimicrobial activity of L. inermis (henna) leaves extract against standard and clinical isolates from wound swabs, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus species, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These organisms were collected from different hospitals in Khartoum State including: Soba University Hospital, Military Teaching Hospital, and Laboratory Management Center. The in vitro antimicrobial susceptibly testing was performed using cup plate diffusion method. The activity of L. inermis Linn leaves extract was controlled with four reference antibiotics including gentamicin, oxacillin, ciprofloxacin, and impinim. Results: When aqueous extract of L. inermis Linn examined against standard bacteria and clinical isolates result showed that all standard bacteria were inhibited at 100%, 50%, and 25% concentration. All clinical isolates were successfully inhibited at 100%, 50%, 25%, and 12.5%. In contrary, the activity of methanolic extract of L. inermis Linn against standard bacteria showed that all standard bacteria were inhibited at 100%, 50% concentration, However, the clinical isolates showed an inhibition rate various depending on the concentration of methanolic extract of L. inermis Linn with S. aureus being most sensitive isolate. Conclusion: We conclude that aqueous and methanolic extract of henna exhibited antimicrobial activity against all types of tested organisms both clinical and standard isolates. But the aqueous extract shows superior inhibition ability than the methanolic.

Seismicity and seismotectonics of Madagascar revealed by the 2011–2013 deployment of the island-wide MACOMO broadband seismic array

The seismicity and seismotectonics of Madagascar have been studied using an island-wide distribution of broadband seismic stations. The 28-station MAdagascar-COmoros-MOzambique (MACOMO) array was deployed for a 23-month period between 2011 and 2013. MACOMO data were supplemented by seven temporary stations from the Seismological Signatures in the Lithosphere/Asthenosphere system of Southern Madagascar (SELASOMA) project, ten temporary stations from the Réunion Hotspot and Upper Mantle - Réunions Unterer Mantel project (RHUM-RUM), and 11 permanent stations. A total of 695 earthquakes with magnitudes between ML1 and ML5.3 located within Madagascar were recorded, a new local magnitude scale was developed, and focal mechanisms were determined for 23 well-recorded events. Most of the seismicity is clustered within central Madagascar, forming NW-SE trends in the Ankaratra region and NE-SW trends in the Alaotra and Ankay regions that roughly align with extensional tectonic features. The northern and southern parts of Madagascar also show seismicity clusters that align parallel to existing tectonic features, primarily Precambrian shear zones. Focal mechanisms exhibit a wide orientation of nodal planes, show predominantly normal faulting throughout Madagascar, and provide no evidence for a sharp east-west striking plate boundary between the Lwandle and Somalian plates in the middle of the island. However, a diffuse plate boundary cannot be excluded. We suggest that topographically-generated extensional stresses is the cause of most seismicity, given that significantly fewer earthquakes are located in the lower elevation areas of the island compared to regions of higher elevations. The frequency-magnitude distribution has a b-value of ~1.2 and indicates that events with magnitude ML5 or greater should occur with an average repeat time of ~1.4 years. However, no earthquake exceeding ML6 has been recorded in the last century, suggesting that the frequency-magnitude distribution could be truncated.

Development of zinc-loaded nanoparticle hydrogel made from sugarcane bagasse for special medical application

This research is focused on the development of ZnO-NPs hydrogels through in situ method. The powerful absorption peak within the order of 320 nm confirms the presence of the zinc oxide nanoparticles arrangement because of the surface Plasmon resonance (SPR). ZnO-NPs characterization was performed by SEM, TEM, PSA, EDX, and FTIR. Additionally, the behaviour of prepared nanocomposite hydrogels swelling was examined at different pH and salt solutions. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of ZnO-NPs hydrogels against Escherichia coli (ATCC 433) and Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 1688) was measured by the use of agar disk plate diffusion process. ZnO-NPs hydrogels extracted from lab-made CMC showed a greater antibacterial action through Gram-positive bacteria (B. subtilis) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) relative to synthetic CMC acquired from the market. The hydrogels developed by ZnO-NPs can be utilized in biomedical applications efficiently.

Fabrication of Micro-Structured LED Diffusion Plate Using Efficient Micro Injection Molding and Micro-Ground Mold Core.

In this paper, a new style of micro-structured LED (light-emitting diode) diffusion plate was developed using a highly efficient and precise hybrid processing method combined with micro injection molding and micro-grinding technology to realize mass production and low-cost manufacturing of LED lamps with excellent lighting performance. Firstly, the micro-structured mold core with controllable shape accuracy and surface quality was machined by the precision trued V-tip grinding wheel. Then, the micro-structured LED diffusion plate was rapidly fabricated by the micro injection molding technology. Finally, the influences of micro injection molding process parameters on the illumination of the micro-structured diffusion plate were investigated. The simulated optical results show that the illumination of the micro-structured diffusion plate can achieve a maximum value when the V-groove depth and V-groove angle are designed to be 300 μm and 60°, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the developed micro-structured diffusion plate may improve the illumination by about 40.82% compared with the traditional diffusion plate. The prediction accuracy of the designed light efficiency simulation method was about 90.33%.

Physicochemical modifications of radioactive oil sludge by ozone treatment

Abstract An experimental study on the degradation of organic compounds from radioactive oil sludge by the ozonation process is presented. The effects of different concentrations of ozone in the oil sludge degradation over time were investigated. The experiments were performed in a 0.125 L glass reactor with magnetic stirring and a diffuser plate at the bottom to feed the ozone. The ozone concentration varied from 13 to 53 mg L−1 and the total interaction time was 1 h. To investigate the physicochemical properties of the oil sludge (solid and liquid components) prior to and after the treatment, multiple analytical characterization methods were used: Thermal Gravimetric Analysis, X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, Spectrophotometer, and Residual Gas Analyzer. The most perceptive change is in the color of the liquid medium turned from dark brown to light yellow, especially under ozone concentrations higher than 33 mg L−1. Absorbance values decreased about 3.5 times after 30 min of treatment with [O3] =53 mg L−1. FTIR spectroscopy showed that the bands associated with the CH3 and C H in CH2 disappeared during treatment. On the other hand, a greater presence of C C aromatics was observed. By residual gas analysis, various organic and inorganic gases were identified during the treatment, such as CH4, H2, CO2, and H2S. Finally, the ozonation of the oil sludge proved to be effective, due to its high reaction capacity.

Development of Copper Loaded Nanoparticles Hydrogel Made from Waste Biomass (Sugarcane Bagasse) for Special Medical Application

This research is based on the creation of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) hydrogel through in situ method. The effective UV-Vis spectroscopy absorption peak of 610 nm indicates the existence of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NP) group because of surface Plasmon resonance (SPR). Characterization of CuO-NPs was carried out by SEM, TEM, EDX, and XRD. However, the action of prepared nanocomposite hydrogels swelling was examined at different pH and saline solutions. In addition, CuO-NPs were also tested using the disk plate diffusion method by means of adverse effect of bacteria Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis) as well as Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli). The CuO-NPs hydrogels isolated from lab-made CMC (made from sugarcane bagasse) indicates that the Bacillus subtilis as well as Escherichia coli have greater antibacterial activity compared with synthetic CMC purchase from the market. CuO-NPs can be used effectively in biomedical applications with the production of hydrogels.