Growth Morphology Research Articles

The Effect of Adding Xylanase Enzyme to Diets of Broilers Containing De-Hulled Sunflower Meal as a Substitute for Soybean Meal on Growth, Gastrointestinal Mass, Biology, and Intestinal Morphology, Blood Serum Biochemical Traits

This study was conducted in the Poultry Research Hall of the Department of Animal Production/College of Agriculture and Forestry/University of Mosul, with the aim of studying the effect of adding xylanase enzyme to broiler rations containing de-hulled sunflower meal instead of soybean meal on digestive mass, biology and morphology of the intestines, and serum biochemicals Traits. It used 360 non-sexed broiler chicks (Ross-308), with an average hatching weight of 41.50 grams. the chicks were randomly distributed in a factorial experiment with two factors (4×2) to eight feeding treatments, with three replicates for each treatment and 15 chicks for each replicate, homogeneous in their weights. And for a period of 42 days of age. The results indicated that the substitution of de-hulled sunflower meal by 33% did not have a significant effect on live body weight, feed consumption, intestinal morphology and biology, and blood serum biochemistry compared with the control treatment. While it was observed that a significant deterioration (P≤0.05) occurred in all of these characteristics when the substitution level was increased to 66 and 100%, these two treatments also caused an increase in the relative weight of the gizzard and small intestine and in the number of pathogenic bacteria (E. coli) compared with the control treatment. The results of the statistical analysis of the interference case showed a significant decrease (p≤ 0.05) for the partial and total substitution treatments (66 and 100% Dh-SFM with or without xylanase enzyme) in the live body weight, with a deterioration in the morphological characteristics of the jejunum segment and an increase in the relative weight of the gizzard. And small intestine compared with the negative and positive control treatments.

Comparative investigations into the growth details of Histoplasma capsulatum var farciminosum on four different agar media.

Epizootic equine lymphangitis (EEL) is a chronic fungal disease that affects equids. The causative agent is a dimorphic fungus called Histoplasma capsulatum var farciminosum. H. capsulatum var farciminosum field strain 7 (D 2878/2023) isolated from the eye socket of an EEL Ethiopian horse was sub-cultured on 4 different solid media and incubated at 26°C and 37°C for 6 weeks. Details of growth morphology were recorded and shown in images during 6 weeks of incubation. H. capsulatum var farciminosum grew best at 26°C on all 4 agars, but only on sheep blood agar at 37°C as small, white dry colonies.

Interfacial growth morphologies in dense eutectic crystal mushes

Abstract We consider the interfacial growth morphologies of crystals growing in contact in crystal mushes, with a specific application to those formed by the solidification of basaltic magma. We focus on the particular case of an augite (pyroxene) crystal growing between two plagioclase crystals. The augite is treated as an equant unfaceted crystal, whereas the plagioclase is faceted, and our treatment applies generally to such combinations. The resulting three-grain junctions in natural rock samples are commonly of two distinct types. In one, the two augite–plagioclase interfaces grow towards each other with opposite curvatures, whereas in the second the curvatures of the interfaces have the same sign, giving a distinctive morphology which we have called an eagle’s beak. This paper provides a theoretical framework to provide explanations for both of these morphologies, based on the kinetics of interfacial growth.

Exploring the growth morphology and mucus secretion mechanism of IPMN using patients-derived organoids and comprehensive genome analysis

Exploring the growth morphology and mucus secretion mechanism of IPMN using patients-derived organoids and comprehensive genome analysis

Measuring Drug Response with Single-Cell Growth Rate Quantification.

Intratumoral heterogeneity is a substantial cause of drug resistance development during chemotherapy or other drug treatments for cancer. Therefore, monitoring and measuring cell exposure and response to drugs at the single-cell level are crucial. Previous research suggested that the single-cell growth rate can be used to investigate drug-cell interactions. However, currently established methods for quantifying single-cell growth are limited to isolated or monolayer cells. Here, we introduce a technique that accurately measures both 2D and 3D cell growth rates using label-free ratiometric stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy. We use deuterated amino acids, leucine, isoleucine, and valine, as tracers and measure the C-D SRS signal from deuterium-labeled proteins and the C-H SRS signal from unlabeled proteins simultaneously to determine the cell growth rate at the single-cell level. The technique offers single-cell level drug sensitivity measurement with a shorter turnaround time (within 12 h) than most traditional assays. The submicrometer resolution of the imaging technique allows us to examine the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs, including kinase inhibitors, mitotic inhibitors, and topoisomerase II inhibitors, on both the cell growth rate and morphology. The capability of quantifying 3D cell growth rates provides insight into a deeper understanding of the cell-drug interaction in the actual tumor environment.

Effect of Mo content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of CoCrFeNiMox HEA coatings deposited by high power impulse magnetron sputtering

In this work, CoCrFeNiMox high entropy alloy (HEA) films were deposited by High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) using pure Mo and equiatomic CoCrFeNi targets. The effect of Mo content on the microstructure, residual stress state, and mechanical properties of the films was investigated in the range of 0–20 at.%. All films exhibited a columnar growth morphology and a high density of planar defects. Increasing the Mo content promoted the formation of a fine-grained structure and induced the transformation from a single face-centered cubic (FCC) phase to a mixture of FCC and body-centered cubic (BCC) phases. All produced films displayed a compressive residual stress state regardless of the Mo concentration. In terms of mechanical properties, the hardness of the films increased with increasing Mo content due to solid solution and grain boundary strengthening, along with the formation of a hard BCC phase. On the other hand, the elastic modulus decreased, likely due to the formation of an amorphous phase at higher Mo concentrations.

Effects of Low-Fish-Meal Diet Supplemented with Coenzyme Q10 on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Capacity, Intestinal Morphology, Immunity and Hypoxic Resistance of Litopenaeus vannamei.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a low-fish-meal diet supplemented with coenzyme Q10 on the growth, antioxidant capacity, immunity, intestinal health and hypoxic resistance of Litopenaeus vannamei. L.vannamei with an initial weight of 0.66 g were fed with the experimental diets for 56 days. Diets D1 (20% FM level) and D2-D7 (15% FM level), supplemented with 0%, 0.002%, 0.004%, 0.006%, 0.008% and 0.01% coenzyme Q10 were formulated. In terms of growth performance, the weight gain and specific growth rate in the D2 diet were significantly lower than those in the D1 diet (p < 0.05). The final body weight, weight gain and specific growth rate in the D2-D7 diets had an upward trend, and the condition factor in the D2-D7 diets was lower than those in the D1 diet (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the crude protein and crude lipid levels in the whole body among all diet treatments (p > 0.05). In terms of hepatopancreas antioxidant parameters, the D5 and D6 diets significantly promoted the total antioxidant capacity and total superoxide dismutase activity, and significantly decreased the malondialdehyde content (p < 0.05). The expression levels of cat, mnsod and gpx in shrimp fed with the D5 and D6 diets were significantly higher than those of shrimp fed with the D2 diet (p < 0.05). In addition, the mRNA level of ProPO was increased in the D4 and D5 diets, and LZM expression was increased in the D6 diet compared with the D1 diet (p < 0.05). The villus height of shrimp fed with diets supplemented with coenzyme Q10 was significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the intestinal thickness and submucosal thickness of shrimp fed with the D6 diet were the highest (p < 0.05). After acute hypoxia stress, lethal dose 50 time in the D3-D7 diets was significantly increased compared with the D1 and D2 diets (p < 0.05), and the highest value was found in the D4 diet (p < 0.05). After stress, the expression levels of TLR pathway-related genes (Toll, Myd88, Pelle, TRAF6 and Dorsal) in the D4 and D6 diets were significantly increased compared with the D2 diet. In general, Litopenaeus vannamei fed with the D6 diet achieved the best growth, antioxidant capacity, immunity, and intestinal morphology among all low FM diets and D4-D6 diets improved hypoxic resistance.

Development and Numerical Testing of a Model of Equiaxed Alloy Solidification Using a Phase Field Formulation

A computational framework is developed to understand the transient behavior of isothermal and non-isothermal transformation between liquid and solid phases in a binary alloy using a phase-field method. The non-isothermal condition was achieved by applying a thermal gradient along the computational domain. The bulk solid and liquid phases were treated as regular solutions, along with introducing an order parameter (phase field) as a function of space and time to describe the interfacial region between the two phases. An antitrapping flux term was integrated into the present phase-field model to mitigate the amount of solute trapping, which is characterized by the non-equilibrium partitioning of the solute. The governing equations for the phase field and the solute composition were solved by the cell-centered finite volume method using the open-source computational tool OpenFOAM. Simulations were carried out for the evolution of equiaxed dendrites inside an undercooled melt of a binary alloy, considering the effect of various computational parameters such as interface thickness, strength of crystal anisotropy, stochastic noise amplitude, and initial orientation. The simulated results show that the solidification morphology is sensitive to the magnitude of anisotropy as well as the amplitude of noise. A strong influence of interface thickness on the growth morphology and solute redistribution during solidification was observed. Incorporating antitrapping flux resulted in the solute partitioning close to the equilibrium value. Simulations show that the grain shape is unaffected by changes to crystallographic orientation with respect to the Cartesian computational grid. Thermal gradients exerted discernible effects on the solute distribution and the dendritic growth pattern. Starting with multiple nucleation events the model predicted realistic polycrystalline solidification and as-solidified microstructure.

Upwelling as a stressor event during embryonic development: Consequences for encapsulated and early juvenile stages of the marine gastropod Acanthina monodon

Upwelling phenomena alter the physical and chemical parameters of the sea's subsurface waters, producing low levels of temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen, which can seriously impact the early developmental stages of marine organisms. To understand how upwelling can affect the encapsulated development of the gastropod Acanthina monodon, capsules containing embryos at different stages of development (initial, intermediate and advanced) were exposed to upwelling conditions (pH = 7.6; O2 = 3 mg L−1; T° = 9 °C) for a period of 7 days. Effects of treatment were determined by estimating parameters such as time to hatching, number of hatchlings per capsule, percentage of individuals with incomplete development, and shell parameters such as shell shape and size, shell strength, and the percentage of the organic/inorganic content.We found no significant impacts on hatching time, number of hatchlings per capsule, or percentage of incomplete development in either the presence or absence of upwelling, regardless of developmental stage. On the other hand, latent effects on encapsulated stages of A. monodon were detected in embryos that had been exposed to upwelling stress in the initial embryonic stage. The juveniles from this treatment hatched at smaller sizes and with higher organic content in their shells, resulting in a higher resistance to cracking 30 days after hatching, due to greater elasticity.Geometric morphometric analysis showed that exposure to upwelling condition induced a change in the morphology of shell growth in all post-hatching juveniles (0–30 days), regardless of embryonic developmental stage at the time of exposure. Thus, more elongated shells (siphonal canal and posterior region) and more globular shells were observed in newly hatched juveniles that had been exposed to the upwelling condition. The neutral or even positive upwelling exposure results suggests that exposure to upwelling events during the encapsulated embryonic phase of A. monodon development might not have major impacts on the future juvenile stages. However, this should be taken with caution in consideration of the increased frequency and intensity of upwelling events predicted for the coming decades.

Laser resolidification of Al-5Mg-0.1Sc alloy: Growth of cells and banded structures

The versatility of Al-Mg alloys makes them well-suited for applications ranging from everyday items to cutting-edge fields like automotive, microelectronics, and aerospace. Moreover, although Al-Mg alloys hold promise for improved surface features in components, research on their laser surface remelting (LSR) remains scarce, presenting an open opportunity to create novel components with these materials. Understanding the growth modes and morphologies of laser surface remelted products is critical in this context. Using a laser instrument, optical microscopy, SEM, XRD, Vickers hardness and image analysis techniques, a correlative analysis of microstructure features and laser heat input is proposed in this research. Furthermore, the Al-5Mg-0.1Sc (wt%) alloy was remelted using two distinct original substrates, each exhibiting varying degrees of microstructure coarsening. Additionally, four distinct laser heat input conditions were applied to each case. All molten pools regions were formed either by cells or bands, with higher growth rates producing a higher fraction of bands. While the variation in the original microstructure of the substrate did not significantly impact both cellular spacings and band/cellular fractions, the microhardness varied remarkably with the reduction in energy input from 10.0 J/mm to 1.7 J/mm. Kurz and Fisher model provided an accurate prediction of the cell spacings formed at the laser molten pool.

Supramolecular Structure, Hirshfeld Surface Analysis, Morphological Study and DFT Calculations of the Triphenyltetrazolium Cobalt Thiocyanate Complex

Polymorphism is a prevalent occurrence in pharmaceutical solids and demands thorough investigation during product development. This paper delves into the crystal growth and structure of a newly synthesized polymorph (TPT)2[CoII(NCS)4], (1), where TPT is triphenyl tetrazolium. The study combines experimental and theoretical approaches to elucidate the 3D framework of the crystal structure, characterized by hydrogen-bonded interactions between (TPT)+ cations and [Co(NCS)4]2− anions. Hirshfeld surface analysis, along with associated two-dimensional fingerprints, is employed to comprehensively investigate and quantify intermolecular interactions within the structure. The enrichment ratio is calculated for non-covalent contacts, providing insight into their propensity to influence crystal packing interactions. Void analysis is conducted to predict the mechanical behavior of the compound. Utilizing Bravais-Friedel, Donnay-Harker (BFDH), and growth morphology (GM) techniques, the external morphology of (TPT)2[CoII(NCS)4] is predicted. Experimental observations align well with BFDH predictions, with slight deviations from the GM model. Quantum computational calculations of the synthesized compounds is performed in the ground state using the DFT/UB3LYP level of theory. These calculations assess the molecule’s stability and chemical reactivity, including the computation of the HOMO-LUMO energy difference and other chemical descriptors. The study provides a comprehensive exploration of the newly synthesized polymorph, shedding light on its crystal structure, intermolecular interactions, mechanical behavior, and external morphology, supported by both experimental and computational analyses.

Fine‐scale interplay between decline and growth determines the spatial recovery of coral communities within a reef

As coral reefs endure increasing levels of disturbance, understanding recovery patterns of reef‐building hard corals is paramount to assessing the sustainability of these ecosystems. At local scales, coral recovery slows down; however, it's unclear how this trend propagates across spatial scales due to the inherent complexity of coral dynamics. In this paper, we aimed to learn about fine scale heterogeneity of coral dynamics and explore implications for assessing coral recovery at larger spatial scales. We developed a spatio‐temporal statistical model to estimate long‐term trajectories of three types of corals and predict their recovery patterns at unobserved locations within a reef. Then, model predictions were used to derive metrics that capture the interplay between coral growth and decline from disturbance(s) across time, space and growth morphology. This model is developed in the context of a substantive case study at Heron Reef using a high spatio‐temporal resolution dataset. Our results revealed that successful coral community recoveries took place in different habitats of Heron Reef and associated with various reasons. Branching corals recovered in the southern slope, due to fast growth in locations that were previously abundant. Plate corals flourished in the northern slope due to fast growth, despite a large decline and low baseline cover. They also recovered in the southern slope but in this case there was both a low decline and baseline cover. At Heron Reef, the recovery of coral communities followed specific conditions that were acting at a fine scale in a complex and heterogeneous way within habitat. This implies that capturing the variability of fine‐scale coral dynamics is an important first step to detect accurate signals of coral recovery at larger spatial scales. The approach proposes here can be further extend to the scale of a reef and beyond enabling assessment of recovery patterns representative at management scales.

Biological inhibition of denitrification (BDI): an early plant strategy for Fallopia × bohemica seedling development.

The successful plant Fallopia × bohemica presents interesting capacities for control of the soil nitrogen cycle at the adult stage, termed biological inhibition of denitrification (BDI). The BDI strategy allows the plant, via the production of secondary metabolites (procyanidins), to compete with the denitrifying microbial community and to divert nitrate from the soil for its benefit. In this study, we analysed whether seedlings of F. × bohemica can implement BDI at the seedling stage. We also determined whether soil nitrogen availability influences the implementation of BDI and seedling growth. We sowed achenes of F. × bohemica in soils representing a nitrogen gradient (six treatments) and harvested seedlings after 20 or 40 days of growth. The denitrification and related microbial communities (i.e. functional gene abundances of nirK and nirS), soil parameters (nitrate content and humidity) and plant performance (biomass, growth and root morphology) were determined. On soil without addition of nitrogen, BDI was observed after 20 days of growth, whereas a stimulation of denitrification was found after 40 days. The increase of soil N content had few effects on the activity and structure of the soil denitrifying community and on the plant biomasses or the relative growth rates. Correlations between plant and microbial parameters were observed after 20 days of growth, reflecting early and strong chemical interactions between plants and the denitrifying community, which decreased with plant growth after 40 days. This study shows that an early BDI enhances the efficiency of nitrogen acquisition in the first weeks of growth, allowing for a conservative root strategy after 40 days. This switch to a conservative strategy involved resource storage, an altered allocation to above- and below-ground parts and an investment in fine roots. It now seems clear that this storage strategy starts at a very young age with early establishment of BDI, giving this clonal plant exceptional capacities for storage and multiplication.

On the high temperature oxidation behavior of AlCrBN/TiAlNbSiN multilayer coatings with addition of boron and silicon

Developing a TiAlN-based hard coating with a multilayer structure comprising multiple nitride components shows potential to enhance the overall performance of high temperature applications. In this study, multi-target cathodic arc evaporation was utilized to deposit multilayer coatings comprising of nanostructured AlCrN/TiAlNbN and AlCrBN/TiAlNbSiN. The focus of this study is to analyze how the different coatings undergo structural changes due to the growth of oxide scale and diffusion processes that take place during oxidation when subjected to high temperatures of 900 °C, and the roles of B and Si addition in their oxidation resistance were examined. The deposited AlCrN/TiAlNbN coating showed a typical columnar structure with nanolayer stacking (average bilayer periodic thickness ~ 14.8 nm). The surface formed an oxide layer rich in titanium oxide, while the internal oxide layer of the AlCrN/TiAlNbN coating that underwent oxidation contained mixed metal oxides with a dominant composition of Al2O3, which hindered additional oxidation. The AlCrBN/TiAlNbSiN coatings, which had average bilayer periodic thickness 11.4 nm ~12.2 nm, showed fine-fibrous growth morphologies and refining effects of B and Si in the AlCrBN/TiAlNbSiN coatings, and they possessed better high temperature oxidation resistance thang that of AlCrN/TiAlNbN. Due to the formation of a protective oxidized layer with a combination of metal oxides, which minimizes the inward diffusion of oxygen during oxidation, the AlCrBN/TiAlNbSiN coating with a thicker AlCrBN layer exhibited the highest resistance to oxidation compared to the other coatings studied.

Sustenance Trial to Analyze the Effects of Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal on the Reproductive Efficiency of Sows and the Hematological Properties of Suckling and Weaning Piglets.

The escalating demand for meat, driven by global population growth, necessitates sustainable solutions for animal feed production. This study investigated the effects of substituting conventional protein resources in sow and piglet dietary regimens with black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens) meal on reproductive efficiency, blood profile, piglet growth, and intestinal tissue morphology. The results indicate that substituting animal-derived and soy proteins with BSF meal does not compromise sow reproductive performance. Although no notable disparities were observed in piglet growth, the feed conversion ratio from the 28- to 35-day age marks were lower in the BSF-fed groups. This suggests that the animal protein-BSF substitution rate may require optimization, potentially involving chitin removal from BSF meal to enhance digestibility. Minor variations in the hematological composition and properties in piglets, with elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in the high BSF group at the 28-day mark, were potentially attributable to the unique fatty acid composition of BSF meal. Moreover, this study potentiates future exploration into the efficacy of complete animal protein substitution with BSF meals on piglet nutrition and physiology, particularly in fattening pigs. The practical implementation of BSF meals in animal feed production holds promise for enhancing the sustainability of the swine industry.

Development of potential microbial agents with two new entomopathogenic fungal strains to control the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

BackgroundEntomopathogenic fungi, representing a class of microbial agent, have been widely used in the field of pest management. The objective of this work was to isolate different species of fungi and to evaluate their virulence against the destructive and invasive red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).ResultsTwo new entomopathogenic fungal strains isolated from dead diseased RPWs were identified as Metarhizium anisopliae ZZ-A1 and Fusarium oxysporum ZZ-L1 using growth characteristics, morphology, and rDNA-ITS sequence amplification. Bioassays showed that M. anisopliae ZZ-A1 strain exhibited significantly higher corrected mortality than F. oxysporum ZZ-L1 strain (90.92 vs. 77.28%) in fourth instar RPW larvae 12 days after treatment with a concentration of 1.0 × 1010 conidia/ml, as well as low median lethal concentration (LC50) and median lethal time (LT50) values.ConclusionsThe results suggest that both fungal isolates can potentially be developed as effective and persistent a microbial agent against this widespread pest, RPW. However, M. anisopliae ZZ-A1 showed relatively higher insecticidal activity than F. oxysporum ZZ-L1.

Comparing stem growth of strip-bark and whole-bark growth morphologies in a subarctic conifer (Pinus banksiana), Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Generally, organisms living near the periphery of their range experience increased environmental stress compared to individuals of the same species growing at the core of their geographic distribution. The greater environmental stress at the ecological limits of a species distribution normally leads to greater sensitivity to growth-limiting factors. For some tree species, this can lead to the development of unique growth morphologies such as strip-bark or partial cambial dieback. Previous studies have concluded that the growth differences induced by CO2 fertilization effects in high elevation strip-bark trees makes them unsuitable for climate reconstructions. However, comparisons of strip-bark and whole-bark growth morphologies at high latitude and low elevation sites are limited. This study compares the growth of strip-bark and whole-bark jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) trees near Yellowknife, Canada. Annual ring widths from trees of each morphological type were measured, and the results indicate the growth of the two populations are statistically different from one another prior to the late 19th century. After the late 19th century, growth of the two populations remains statistically different, but the average mean growth of strip-bark trees increases 44% after 1891 while average mean growth of whole-bark trees decreases nearly 11%. Climate sensitivity of the two populations was tested using monthly and seasonal climate indices from 1943 to 2015 and results indicate the two populations share similar responses to climate. The results of this research suggest these strip-bark and whole-bark trees share similar climate-growth relations at inter-annual timescales, however, their growth trends diverge at decadal to centennial timescales. The timing of cambial dieback was dated to a short time interval in the early 19th century which coincided with a period of cool summer temperatures across the northern hemisphere. Increased growth in strip-bark trees after ∼1891 could be related to CO2 fertilization effects, although further studies into intrinsic water use efficiency would be helpful in assessing this possibility more accurately.

Casting of film-cooling holes for single-crystal blades

The flawless formation of film-cooling holes (FCHs) is critical for manufacturing single-crystal blade. Presently, high-energy beam drilling is mostly used to process gas film holes, which introduces the limitations of complex hole structures that are difficult to form and processing thermal defects that are difficult to eliminate. This study demonstrates an approach to form FCHs using casting, where an indirect additive manufacturing technology using a core/shell integral ceramic mold is applied for casting. Cylindrical 0.4, 0.8, and 4.0 mm-diameters hole are cast. The influence of fine ceramic cores on the microstructure of single-crystal blades during directional solidification is investigated using simulations and experiments. The fine ceramic cores of the FCHs affect the growth morphology of dendrites around the hole, which is determined by the hole diameter, primary dendrite spacing, and local temperature filed. Owing to the thermal conductivity difference between the alloy and ceramic, the local temperature filed around the holes changes abruptly, leading to the formation of shrinkage porosity and cavities. Furthermore, the process window for the casting of FCHs is determined using the longitudinal temperature gradient (GZ) and solidification rate (VZ). The proposed approach is of practical significance for the defect-free casting of tiny structures in single-crystal blades.

Phenotypic variations induced emergence of orientation order and morphology in Bacillus subtilis biofilm growth

During the Bacillus subtilis biofilm growth on the solid MSgg substrate, the biofilm exhibits highly ordered structures such as matrix-producing-cell chains and Van Gogh bundles due to bacterial orientation order. These structures make the biofilm have strong mobility and environmental adaptability, thus making bacteria easier to survive and thrive in biofilms comparing to planktonic bacteria. We tested the behaviors of different phenotypes as well as their impacts on bacterial clusters: motile cells arrange disorderly, the biofilm made up of motile cells tends to be circular and isotropic; matrix-producing cells form cellular chains that guide motile cells along the chain to form a locally nematic phase, the morphology of the biofilm made up of both motile cells and matrix-producing cells is rendered irregular. Combining the results of a coarse-grained and individual-based model, we can control the biofilm growth through regulating environmental friction, bacterial growth rate and adhesion between cells.

Correlation between Microstructural Properties and Electric Parameters of Micro-Arc Oxidation Coatings on 5052 Aluminum Alloys with Improving Wear and Corrosion Resistance

Aluminum (Al) alloys are lightweight and machinable and have been widely used in industrial applications, particularly the formation of complex mechanical parts. However, the 5052 Al alloy frequently encounters problems like corrosion and wear during its service life, significantly impacting the equipment’s longevity. This study investigated the effects of pulse voltage (320 to 400 V) and frequency (50 to 200 Hz) on the growth and surface morphology of 5052 Al alloy films formed through micro-arc oxidation (MAO) to improve their corrosion and wear resistance while maintaining a surface roughness of less than 1 μm. The results indicate that higher operating voltages and frequencies correlated with increased thickness in the resulting ceramic oxide films formed using MAO. In addition, as the pulse frequency increased, the distribution of the holes became more uniform across the surface. We examined the surface and cross-sectional morphology, as well as the thickness of the MAO coatings, through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The corrosion and wear resistance of the MAO coatings formed under different electrical parameters were analyzed using electrochemical corrosion tests and scratch tests. The MAO coatings produced at 400 V and 200 Hz were the thickest, at approximately 4.8 μm, and demonstrated superior corrosion and wear resistance. These coatings demonstrate significantly reduced wear width, highlighting their exceptional resistance to corrosion and wear. Hole cracking occurred only above the top layer of the coating and not beneath the mid-layer, which protected the substrate from damage due to the direct passage of Cl ions through the holes.