Way For Applications Research Articles

Waterborne Nonfluorinated Superhydrophobic Coatings with Exceptional Mechanical Durability Based on Natural Nanorods

AbstractPractical applications of superhydrophobic coatings are hindered by some issues, such as harmful chemicals, low mechanical durability, complicated methods, and expensive building blocks, etc. This study reports preparation of waterborne nonfluorinated superhydrophobic coatings with exceptional mechanical durability based on natural nanorods, palygorskite (PAL). A polyurethane (PU) aqueous solution and the homogeneous methyl polysiloxane‐modified PAL (PAL@M‐POS) suspension composed of methyltrimethoxysilane and the PAL nanorods in water are layer‐by‐layer spray‐coated onto glass slides for two times with PU as the adhesive layer. The PAL@M‐POS suspensions and the superhydrophobic PU/PAL@M‐POS coatings are studied using various analytical techniques. The influences of PAL and methyltrimethoxysilane on microstructure, wettability, and mechanical durability of the coatings are also investigated. The PU/PAL@M‐POS coatings feature high water contact angle (157.9°), low sliding angle (7.2°), and exceptional mechanical durability against sandpaper abrasion for 80 m and peeling with adhesive tape for 100 cycles. The mechanism behind the high mechanical durability is proposed. Also, the totally green method is simple, low‐cost, scalable, and applicable onto various substrates, which have paved the way for practical applications of the durable superhydrophobic coatings. This work provides a new avenue for the fabrication of waterborne, nonfluorinated, and mechanically durable superhydrophobic coatings using abundant natural nanomaterials.

ALMSTKHALSASTRATEJAH ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS OLNTEGH FOR TERRORIST OPERATIONS SISOLOGIH STUDY

Problem of the studyThe spread of terrorist operations in many countries, this picture confirms that there is a problem threatening the community but the entire world, terrorism, organized crime, which the problem is complicated, and contributed to the adoption of the illicit drug trade Tejarat weapon is a form of organized crime, as a result of political and economic conditions experienced by most countries, especially developing countries, these circumstances led to the inability of states to keep pace with this development in organized crime, modern and sophisticated style systematic followed by criminal organizations in achieving their goals, also contributed to the spread of this phenomenon are other factors branched workers to intensify efforts and cooperation at all levels, as appropriate, in order to improve security in the preparation and issuance of identification cards and travel documents and to prevent and detect manipulated or used a false, recognizing at the same time that States may require assistance to do so. In this regard, the International Criminal Police Organization call for the strengthening data on stolen and lost travel documents database, and we will seek to take full advantage of this tool, as appropriate, in particular through the exchange of information relating to this matter; the political and economic presidents. And terrorism is no longer just a simple phenomenon appear and then disappear. It has become a painful reality experienced by individuals, institutions and nations. And it became an individual suffering from a deterioration in the psychological structure, whether it be a spectator or a follower or a victim. So states recruit energies and capabilities to reduce this phenomenon and work to uproot man's humanity to preserve and maintain their dignity. Terrorism constitutes one of the important themes and contemporary which has great interest in the political, military, economic, social, and educational and psychological. Proof of this is what we read and we hear and see a day of events in various media so that terrorism has become a reality we live in and live with it in our daily lives. They have multiplied the means of terrorism and terrorists has proven their ability to use all the means of modern science and its applications in ways to reach their goals. And characterized dangerous terrorist operations, impact and this was due primarily dense coverage by the different media with consequent hype and excitement. In addition, information and communication technologies contribute to the rapid spread of news of terrorists, and this may help to exacerbate international terrorism.

DFT study on metal-mediated uracil base pair complexes

The most stable of metal-mediated uracil base pair complexes were determined. Method was used density functional theory, B3LYP. The calculations of systems containing C, H, N, O were described by 6-311++G(d,p) and cc-PVTZ basis sets and LANL2DZ and SDD basis sets was used for transition metals. Then Egap values of complexes were calculated and the electrical conductivity of the complexes for single nanowires was studied by band theory. Metal-mediated uracil base pair complexes which will be used as conductive wires in nanotechnology were predicted. In nanoworld, this study is expected to show a way for practical applications.

La2O3-modified highly dispersed AuPd alloy nanoparticles and their superior catalysis on the dehydrogenation of formic acid

Formic acid (FA, HCOOH), a convenient and safe hydrogen storage material, has the great potential for fuel cell applications. However, hydrogen generation of FA is inefficient in the presence of heterogeneous catalysts at relatively low temperatures, which remains a big challenge. Herein, La2O3-modified highly dispersed AuPd alloy nanoparticles (AuPdLa2O3) with small particle size have been successfully anchored on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by a facile co-reduction route. Moreover, the catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic activity and 100% hydrogen selectivity for hydrogen generation in the formic acid/sodium formate (FA/SF) system with the initial turnover frequency (TOF) value of 589 mol H2 mol−1 catalyst h−1 at 50 °C and 280 mol H2 mol−1 catalyst h−1 even at room temperature (25 °C). The present Au0.3Pd0.7-(La2O3)0.6/CNTs with superior catalysis on FA dehydrogenation without any CO generation at room temperature can not only pave the way for practical application of hydrogen storage system, but also can be extended to other catalysis system.

The racialisation of local heritage

The region of Camden, located on the outskirts of Sydney, is a growing area set to morph from a country town to a thriving suburban district. In 2007, a Sydney Islamic charity sought to build an Islamic school in the region. Local opponents protested the application in ways that expressed contemporary forms of anti-Muslim racisms in Australia. This article pays close attention to the narratives of heritage within these voices of opposition, as a sizeable number of protesters claimed the school would violate the local settler heritage in Camden. In uncovering these discourses, it was evident that a narrative of white peaceful settlement informed the ways locals mobilised local heritage in relation to the school. The racialisation and whiteness of local heritage negated the Aboriginal presence and history in Camden, and provided a template for the maintenance of white colonial hegemony and the construction of many racialised discourses. Further, these racialisations underpinned the popular anti-Muslim sentiment expressed in ways that positioned local heritage as that of national significance.

Delay-Aware Dynamic Resource Allocation and ABS Configuration Algorithm in HetNets Based on Lyapunov Optimization

In this paper, by jointly considering resource allocation and subframe type determination, we formulate a stochastic optimization programming to investigate the problem of network stability in heterogeneous networks (HetNets) with almost blank subframe (ABS)-based enhanced inter-cell interference coordination where random and finite traffic loads are considered. Then, by leveraging the Lyapunov optimization technique, an extremely simple but optimal delay-aware dynamic resource allocation and ABS configuration algorithm (DDRAACA) is proposed to solve the formulation. In the DDRAACA, at the beginning of each time slot, eNodeBs should collect current queue states of their own users, and locally calculate the resource scheduling matrix based on channel state information feedbacks. Then, the category of current subframe can be determined. Besides, considering the computational complexity and the signaling overhead brought in by the DDRAACA, another algorithm named semi-static ABS configuration with interference impact factor-based scheduling is developed. The simulation results show that both algorithms can maintain the stability of the system. In particular, no iteration and optimization tools are required in our proposed algorithms, which paves the way for practical applications.

Parametric analysis of cherenkov light LDF from EAS for high energy gamma rays and nuclei: Ways of practical application

In this paper we propose a 'knee-like' approximation of the lateral distribution of the Cherenkov light from extensive air showers in the energy range 30-3000 TeV and study a possibility of its practical application in high energy ground-based gamma-ray astronomy experiments (in particular, in TAIGA-HiSCORE). The approximation has a very good accuracy for individual showers and can be easily simplified for practical application in the HiSCORE wide angle timing array in the condition of a limited number of triggered stations.

The application of statistical methods to control the quality of the contact pairs of electrical connectors

The development of electronic technology in the direction of improving its performance and speed, accompanied by the decrease of its dimensions and mass. This trend requires a new generation of electrical connectors differing from the basic models of a large number of contacts and density of placement on the insulator, having low contact resistance and high insulation resistance, high reliability and long life. The article describes the way of practical application of statistical methods for quality control of contact pairs of electrical connectors. The objects of study of effectiveness of statistical methods of quality management selected two typical details contact pairs received by turning on automatic lathes: pin and socket. The article considers the process of collecting statistical information about the technological process automatic turning of parts of the contact pairs. Shows the results of processing statistical information about the quality of the details of the contact pairs. The use of statistical methods for quality control of contact pairs of electrical connectors allows to correctly configure technological equipment according to the results of making a test batch of parts. Recommendations are made to improve the quality of the contact pairs of connectors. Compiled by technique of quality management of contact pairs according to the results of the statistical analysis of technological processes of their manufacture.

Parametric analysis of cherenkov light LDF from EAS for high energy gamma rays and nuclei: Ways of practical application

In this paper we propose a ‘knee-like’ approximation of the lateral distribution of the Cherenkov light from extensive air showers in the energy range 30–3000 TeV and study a possibility of its practical application in high energy ground-based gamma-ray astronomy experiments (in particular, in TAIGA-HiSCORE). The approximation has a very good accuracy for individual showers and can be easily simplified for practical application in the HiSCORE wide angle timing array in the condition of a limited number of triggered stations.

Bilayer Networks within a Hydrogel Shell: A Robust Chassis for Artificial Cells and a Platform for Membrane Studies

AbstractThe ability to make artificial lipid bilayers compatible with a wide range of environments, and with sufficient structural rigidity for manual handling, would open up a wealth of opportunities for their more routine use in real‐world applications. Although droplet interface bilayers (DIBs) have been demonstrated in a host of laboratory applications, from chemical logic to biosynthesis reaction vessels, their wider use is hampered by a lack of mechanical stability and the largely manual methods employed in their production. Multiphase microfluidics has enabled us to construct hierarchical triple emulsions with a semipermeable shell, in order to form robust, bilayer‐bound, droplet networks capable of communication with their external surroundings. These constructs are stable in air, water, and oil environments and overcome a critical obstacle of achieving structural rigidity without compromising environmental interaction. This paves the way for practical application of artificial membranes or droplet networks in diverse areas such as medical applications, drug testing, biophysical studies and their use as synthetic cells.

Bilayer Networks within a Hydrogel Shell: A Robust Chassis for Artificial Cells and a Platform for Membrane Studies.

The ability to make artificial lipid bilayers compatible with a wide range of environments, and with sufficient structural rigidity for manual handling, would open up a wealth of opportunities for their more routine use in real‐world applications. Although droplet interface bilayers (DIBs) have been demonstrated in a host of laboratory applications, from chemical logic to biosynthesis reaction vessels, their wider use is hampered by a lack of mechanical stability and the largely manual methods employed in their production. Multiphase microfluidics has enabled us to construct hierarchical triple emulsions with a semipermeable shell, in order to form robust, bilayer‐bound, droplet networks capable of communication with their external surroundings. These constructs are stable in air, water, and oil environments and overcome a critical obstacle of achieving structural rigidity without compromising environmental interaction. This paves the way for practical application of artificial membranes or droplet networks in diverse areas such as medical applications, drug testing, biophysical studies and their use as synthetic cells.

Post-Interview Communication During Application to Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Programs.

Post-interview communication from residency programs to applicants is common during the U.S. residency match process. The goals of this study were to understand the frequency and type of post-interview communication, how this communication influences applicants' ranking of programs, whether programs use "second-look" visits to gauge or to encourage applicant interest, and the financial costs to applicants of second-look visits. A post-match survey was sent to 1,198 applicants to one academic orthopaedic residency program over 2 years. The response rates were 15% in 2014 and 31% in 2015, totaling 293 responses used for analysis. Sixty-four percent of applicants reported having post-interview communication with one or more programs. Seventeen percent said that communication caused them to rank the contacting program higher or to keep the program ranked as number 1. Twenty percent felt pressured to reveal their rank position, and 8% were asked to rank a program first in exchange for the program's promise to rank the applicant first. Applicants who received post-interview communication had odds that were 13.5 times higher (95% confidence interval, 6.2 to 30 times higher) of matching to the programs that contacted them. Ninety percent of applicants said that communication from a program did not change how they ranked the program with which they eventually matched. Seventeen percent were encouraged to attend second-look visits, incurring a mean cost of $600 (range, $20 to $8,000). Orthopaedic residency programs continue to communicate with applicants in ways that violate the National Resident Matching Program's Match Communication Code of Conduct, and they continue to encourage second-look visits. To improve the integrity of the match, we suggest that programs use no-reply e-mails to minimize influence and pressure on applicants, interviewers and applicants review the Code of Conduct on interview day and provide instructions on reporting violations to the National Resident Matching Program, all post-interview communication be directed to a standardized or neutral third party, and programs actively discourage second-look visits and stop requiring second-look visits.

Multiple syntrophic interactions drive biohythane production from waste sludge in microbial electrolysis cells.

BackgroundBiohythane is a new and high-value transportation fuel present as a mixture of biomethane and biohydrogen. It has been produced from different organic matters using anaerobic digestion. Bioenergy can be recovered from waste activated sludge through methane production during anaerobic digestion, but energy yield is often insufficient to sludge disposal. Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is also a promising approach for bioenergy recovery and waste sludge disposal as higher energy efficiency and biogas production. The systematic understanding of microbial interactions and biohythane production in MEC is still limited. Here, we report biohythane production from waste sludge in biocathode microbial electrolysis cells and reveal syntrophic interactions in microbial communities based on high-throughput sequencing and quantitative PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene.ResultsThe alkali-pretreated sludge fed MECs (AS-MEC) showed the highest biohythane production rate of 0.148 L·L−1-reactor·day−1, which is 40 and 80 % higher than raw sludge fed MECs (RS-MEC) and anaerobic digestion (open circuit MEC, RS-OCMEC). Current density, metabolite profiles, and hydrogen-methane ratio results all confirm that alkali-pretreatment and microbial electrolysis greatly enhanced sludge hydrolysis and biohythane production. Illumina Miseq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons indicates that anode biofilm was dominated by exoelectrogenic Geobacter, fermentative bacteria and hydrogen-producing bacteria in the AS-MEC. The cathode biofilm was dominated by fermentative Clostridium. The dominant archaeal populations on the cathodes of AS-MEC and RS-MEC were affiliated with hydrogenotrophic Methanobacterium (98 %, relative abundance) and Methanocorpusculum (77 %), respectively. Multiple pathways of gas production were observed in the same MEC reactor, including fermentative and electrolytic H2 production, as well as hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and electromethanogenesis. Real-time quantitative PCR analyses showed that higher amount of methanogens were enriched in AS-MEC than that in RS-MEC and RS-OCMEC, suggesting that alkali-pretreated sludge and MEC facilitated hydrogenotrophic methanogen enrichment.ConclusionThis study proves for the first time that biohythane could be produced directly in biocathode MECs using waste sludge. MEC and alkali-pretreatment accelerated enrichment of hydrogenotrophic methanogen and hydrolysis of waste sludge. The results indicate syntrophic interactions among fermentative bacteria, exoelectrogenic bacteria and methanogenic archaea in MECs are critical for highly efficient conversion of complex organics into biohythane, demonstrating that MECs can be more competitive than conventional anaerobic digestion for biohythane production using carbohydrate-deficient substrates. Biohythane production from waste sludge by MEC provides a promising new way for practical application of microbial electrochemical technology.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13068-016-0579-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Localized surface plasmon enhanced photothermal conversion in Bi2Se3 topological insulator nanoflowers.

Localized surface plasmons (LSP), the confined collective excitations of electrons in noble metal and doped semiconductor nanostructures, enhance greatly local electric field near the surface of the nanostructures and result in strong optical response. LSPs of ordinary massive electrons have been investigated for a long time and were used as basic ingredient of plasmonics and metamaterials. LSPs of massless Dirac electrons, which could result in novel tunable plasmonic metamaterials in the terahertz and infrared frequency regime, are relatively unexplored. Here we report for first time the observation of LSPs in Bi2Se3 topological insulator hierarchical nanoflowers, which are consisted of a large number of Bi2Se3 nanocrystals. The existence of LSPs can be demonstrated by surface enhanced Raman scattering and absorbance spectra ranging from ultraviolet to near-infrared. LSPs produce an enhanced photothermal effect stimulated by near-infrared laser. The excellent photothermal conversion effect can be ascribed to the existence of topological surface states, and provides us a new way for practical application of topological insulators in nanoscale heat source and cancer therapy.

A polarization insensitive and broadband metamaterial absorber based on three-dimensional structure

In this paper, we propose a three-dimensional metamaterial absorber based on tailored resistive film patch array. The numerical results show that a broadband abs orption more than 90% can be achieved from 58.6 to 91.4GHz for either transverse electric or magnetic polarization wave at normal incidence. And the E-field, surface current and power loss density distributions in the absorber are investigated to explain the physical mechanism of high absorption. In addition, the absorption efficiency of oblique incidence is also elucidated. According to the analysis of the E-field and power loss density distributions, we explain the absorption differences between TE and TM mode at oblique incidence. The proposed metamaterial absorber will pave the way for practical applications, such as sensing, imaging and stealth technology. Importantly, the design idea has the ability to be extended to terahertz, infrared and optical region.

Advances in Activity Cliff Research

Activity cliffs, i.e. similar compounds with large potency differences, are of interest from a chemical and informatics viewpoint; as a source of structure-activity relationship information, for compound optimization, and activity prediction. Herein, recent highlights of activity cliff research are discussed including studies that have further extended our understanding of activity cliffs, yielded unprecedented insights, or paved the way for practical applications.

Preconditioning technique for a simultaneous solution to wind-membrane interaction

A preconditioning technique is presented for a simultaneous solution to wind-membrane interaction. In the simultaneous equations, a linear elastic model was employed to deal with the fluid-structure data transfer at the interface. A Lagrange multiplier was introduced to impose the specified boundary conditions at the interface and strongly coupled simultaneous equations are derived after space and time discretization. An initial linear elastic model preconditioner and modified one were derived by treating the linearized elastic model equation as a saddle point problem, respectively. Accordingly, initial and modified fluid-structure interaction (FSI) preconditioner for the simultaneous equations were derived based on the initial and modified linear elastic model preconditioners, respectively. Wind-membrane interaction analysis by the proposed preconditioners, for two and three dimensional membranous structures respectively, was performed. Comparison was made between the performance of initial and modified preconditioners by comparing parameters such as iteration numbers, relative residuals and convergence in FSI computation. The results show that the proposed preconditioning technique greatly improves calculation accuracy and efficiency. The priority of the modified FSI preconditioner is verified. The proposed preconditioning technique provides an efficient solution procedure and paves the way for practical application of simultaneous solution for wind-structure interaction computation.

Evolution of photoinduced effects in phase-separated Sm0.5Sr0.5Mn1-yCryO3 thin films.

Systematic study on electrical transport properties has been performed in Sm0.5Sr0.5Mn1−yCryO3 thin films illuminated by the light. An evolution of persistent and transient photoinduced effects induced by the impurity doping and temperature has been observed, which is closely related to the number of ferromagnetic clusters. The maximum persistent photoinduced effect is observed at y = 0.08 and the corresponding value is about 61.7% at the power density of 13.7 mW/mm2. The underlying mechanism can be understood by the coexistence and competition of the multiphases in phase-separated manganites induced by Cr-doping. These results would pave the way for practical applications in innovative photoelectric devices of all-oxides.

Use of music software in professional activity of music teacher

The article defines the possibilities of using of information and communication technologies in professional activity of music teachers. It is determined the ways of practical application of music software, including audio editors, virtual studios, auto arrangement software and scorewriters. It is investigated the features of modern software products that can be used in professional activity of music teachers

The electrochemistry of tetrapropylammonium perruthenate, its role in the oxidation of primary alcohols and its potential for electrochemical recycling

The search for strategies aiming at more sustainable (oxidation) reactions has led to the application of electrochemistry for recycling the spent catalyst. In this work, an electrochemical study of the tetrapropylammonium perruthenate catalyst (TPAP) and its activity towards a primary alcohol, n-butanol, has been carried out as well as a control study with tert-butanol. The redox chemistry of TPAP and the transition between the perruthenate anion and ruthenium tetroxide in a non-aqueous solvent have been, for the first time, investigated in depth. The oxidation reaction of n-butanol in the presence of TPAP has been electrochemically elucidated by performing potentiostatic experiments and registration of the corresponding oxidation current. Furthermore, it was shown that, by applying a specific potential, the reoxidized TPAP is able to oxidize/convert the primary alcohol, paving the way for practical applications using TPAP in electrochemical synthesis. The conversion of n-butanol into n-butanal was proven by the use of GC-MS.