Growth mechanism and gas-sensing characteristics of organic-additive-free zinc oxide of various shapes

Zinc oxide is widely used in gas sensors, solar cells, and photocatalysts because of its wide bandgap and exciton binding energy of 60 meV in various metal oxides. To use ZnO as a gas sensor, it is necessary to synthesize it with surface defects and a large specific surface area. In this study, hydrothermal synthesis without surfactants was employed to obtain organic-additive-free ZnO. For morphology control, we varied the ratio of the hydroxide ion concentration to the zinc ion concentration. To confirm the growth mechanism of ZnO, we performed X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analyses. Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements were performed to analyze the surface properties. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method and probe stations were used to measure the specific surface area and sensitivity of the gas sensor, respectively. The results confirmed that flower-shaped ZnO is the most suitable gas-sensing material.     

Imperative role of electron microscopy in toxicity assessment: A review

Electron microscope (EM) was developed in 1931 and since then microscopical examination of both the biological and non-biological samples has been revolutionized. Modifications in electron microscopy techniques, such as scanning EM and transmission EM, have widened their applicability in the various sectors such as understanding of drug toxicity, development of mechanism, criminal site investigation, and characterization of the nano-molecule. The present review summarizes its role in important aspects such as toxicity assessment and disease diagnosis in special reference to SARS-COV2. In the biological system, EM studies have elucidated the impact of toxicants at the ultra-structural level in various tissue in conformity to physiological alterations. Thus, EM can be concluded as an important tool in toxicity assessment and disease prognosis.     

Comparison of Bougainvillea spectabilis and Bougainvillea glabra species inhibited in Pakistan based on microscopic studies: Light microscope and scanning electron microscope

The anatomical variations of two plants from the Nyctaginaceae family, Bougainvillea spectabilis and Bougainvillea glabra, were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy methods in this work. Bougainvillea is a dicotyledonous with defensive traits that can withstand extreme (hot and dry) settings; according to the findings, crystal inclusions in cells, woody spines, and an abnormal development pattern are all features that help them survive against predators and are unique to this species. The Bougainvillea plant's leaves are arranged in simple pattern, alternate to each other along stem having an undulate leaves edge and an oval form. The xylem and phloem, palisade, parenchyma midrib, spongy mesophyll, raphide crystal bundles, and trichomes were all visible when bracts and leaves were transversally sectioned and dyed with toluidine blue O (TBO). The presence of crystals was confirmed by a detailed examination of the transverse leaves by using bright-field and cross-polarizing microscopy. Dissecting microscopic examination showed that all the leaves revealed leaves venation pattern that had midvein, lateral veins areoles, and trichomes. Although trichomes have been identified on both sides, a closer look at a cleaned leaf dyed with TBO showed multicellular abundant trichomes on adaxial surface. Stomata complexes were typically found on the abaxial surface of the leaf according to epidermal peels. Present studies also showed that on adaxial side, stomata were lesser in number or were absent and also showed that the morphologies of the pavement cells on the adaxial and abaxial sides of the leaf differed.     

Functional organisation of the endomembrane network in the digestive gland of the Venus flytrap: revisiting an old story with a new microscopy toolbox

Up-to-date imaging approaches were used to address the spatiotemporal organisation of the endomembrane system in secretory cells of Dionaea muscipula. Different ‘slice and view’ methodologies were performed on resin-embedded samples to finally achieve a 3D reconstruction of the cell architecture, using ultrastructural tomography, array tomography, serial block face-scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM), correlation, and volume rendering at the light microscopy level. Observations of cryo-fixed samples by high-pressure freezing revealed changes of the endomembrane system that occur after trap activation and prey digestion. They provide evidence for an original strategy that adapts the secretory machinery to a specific and unique case of stimulated exocytosis in plant cells. A first secretion peak is part of a rapid response to deliver digestive fluids to the cell surface, which delivers the needed stock of digestive materials ‘on site’. The second peak of activity could then be associated with the reconstruction of the Golgi apparatus (GA), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and vacuolar machinery, in order to prepare for a subsequent round of prey capture. Tubular continuum between ER and Golgi stacks observed on ZIO-impregnated tissues may correspond to an efficient transfer mechanism for lipids and/or proteins, especially for use in rapidly resetting the molecular GA machinery. The occurrence of one vacuolar continuum may permit continuous adjustment of cell homeostasy. The subcellular features of the secretory cells of Dionaea muscipula outline key innovations in the organisation of plant cell compartmentalisation that are used to cope with specific cell needs such as the full use of the GA as a protein factory, and the ability to create protein reservoirs in the periplasmic space. Shape-derived forces of the pleiomorphic vacuole may act as signals to accompany the sorting and entering flows of the cell.     

三维激光扫描技术在矿山主溜井测量中的应用

溜井测量具有一定的隐蔽性和不确定性,测量时有相当的危险性,如何对溜井的空间形态特征和冒落状况等进行量化评判,是所有矿山面临的难题。本文介绍了三维激光扫描技术的作业流程,给出了点云数据处理的过程和方法,并以安徽开发矿业有限公司3#主溜井测量为例进行数据采集和处理分析,建立了主溜井的三维立体模型,计算得到了主溜井需要修复的体积,为溜井的安全治理和维修设计提供了可靠的数据依据。实践结果表明了三维激光扫描技术在溜井测量中应用的可行性和优越性。     

The control of paracetamol particle size and surface morphology through crystallisation in a spray dryer

The parameters governing the crystallisation of paracetamol using various conventional techniques has been extensively studied, however the factors influencing the drug crystallisation using spray drying is not as well understood. The aim of this work was to investigate the crystallisation of an active pharmaceutical ingredient through evaporative crystallisation using a spray dryer to study the physicochemical properties of the drug and to use semi-empirical equations to gain insight into the morphology and particle size of the dried powder. Paracetamol solutions were spray dried at various inlet temperatures ranging from 60 °C to 120 °C and also from a series of inlet feed solvent compositions ranging from 50/50% v/v ethanol/water to 100% ethanol and solid-state characterisation was done. The size and morphology of the dried materials were altered with a change in spray drying parameters, with an increase in inlet temperature leading to an increase in particle Sauter mean diameter (from 3.0 to 4.4 µm) and a decrease in the particle size with an increase in ethanol concentration in the feed (from 4.6 to 4.4 µm) as a result of changes in particle density and atomised droplet size. The morphology of the dried particles consisted of agglomerates of individual crystallites bound together into larger semi-spherical agglomerates with a higher tendency for particles having crystalline ridges to form at higher ethanol concentrations of the feed.     

MSCT多期增强扫描在肾脏透明细胞癌中的诊断价值

目的探讨多排螺旋CT(MSCT)多期增强扫描在肾脏透明细胞癌诊断中的规律性,提高对该肿瘤诊断水平。方法回顾性分析2016年1月~2018年6月14例均经手术切除病理证实为肾脏透明细胞癌患者的CT影像资料,所有病例均行MSCT平扫及多期动态增强扫描。结果14例肾脏透明细胞癌形态大多数呈圆形或者类圆形,瘤体最大径范围1.7cm^11.3cm,平均(4.8±1.4)cm,13例CT平扫时肿瘤密度不均匀,呈等低密度,1例呈等密度;12例出现坏死囊变,钙化1例,伴肾盂、肾盏侵犯2例;动态增强扫描可见12例包膜完整,1例均匀性强化,13例不均匀性强化;引入对比剂后皮质期,出现10例病灶强化幅度大于肾皮质,而仅4例低于肾皮质,三期平均CT值分别为110±30Hu,90±15Hu及75±14Hu,其中在实质期出现13例肿瘤强化幅度小于肾实质,仅1例大于肾实质。结论引入对比剂动态增强扫描后,肾脏透明细胞癌在皮质期明显不均匀强化,实质期强化幅度下降显著,呈现出典型的“快进快出”血流动力学强化方式,且肿瘤容易出现坏死、囊变为其特点。     

网络匿名扫描系统设计及优化

针对网络扫描工具在进行扫描时面临的溯源问题，提出了一种匿名网络扫描系统。首先将匿名系统与网络扫描工具结合以实现匿名扫描；然后在现有匿名系统的基础上实现了该系统的本地私有化；接着通过流量分析发现，Nmap的多进程扫描因为代理链的原因会变成单进程扫描而导致其扫描扫描性能较低；最后提出了一种基于多Namp进程并发的性能优化方案，将总体扫描任务分割为多个扫描任务，并分配给多个单独的Nmap进程并行运行。实验结果表明，该性能优化方案的扫描时延接近正常扫描情况下的时延，达到了提高匿名扫描系统性能的目的。因此，该优化后的网络匿名扫描系统在阻碍溯源的同时提升了扫描效率。     

Hydrolysis-resistant polyurethane elastomers synthesized from hydrophobic bio-based polyfarnesene diol

Hydrolytic stability is an essential requirement for polyurethanes (PUs) that are used in highly humid and aqueous environments. In this study, hydrolysis-resistant PU elastomers (PUEs) are synthesized based on hydrophobic bio-based polyfarnesene diol (PFD), which contains unique “bottle brushes” structure (with long branched hydrocarbon side chains). The effect of hard segment (HS) content, ranging from 30 to 50%, on the morphology and properties of PUEs is investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, tensile, water absorption, and contact angle measurements. The results show that there are prominent phase separations in the synthesized PUEs. The PUEs show a three-stage degradation process and two T_g, one is at about −66 °C and the other 61 °C, which are related to the soft segment and HS, respectively. Water contact angles of PUEs increase from 98.6 to 105.2° with the increasing of PFD structural unit fraction. After being immersed in deionized water for 30 days, PUEs show no significant degradation of both tensile strength and elongation at break, and mass changes of all samples are less than 0.5%. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47673.     

Scanning Probe Lithography Patterning of Monolayer Semiconductors and Application in Quantifying Edge Recombination

Scanning probe lithography is used to directly pattern monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) without the use of a sacrificial resist. Using an atomic‐force microscope, a negatively biased tip is brought close to the TMD surface. By inducing a water bridge between the tip and the TMD surface, controllable oxidation is achieved at the sub‐100 nm resolution. The oxidized flake is then submerged into water for selective oxide removal which leads to controllable patterning. In addition, by changing the oxidation time, thickness tunable patterning of multilayer TMDs is demonstrated. This resist‐less process results in exposed edges, overcoming a barrier in traditional resist‐based lithography and dry etch where polymeric byproduct layers are often formed at the edges. By patterning monolayers into geometric patterns of different dimensions and measuring the effective carrier lifetime, the non‐radiative recombination velocity due to edge defects is extracted. Using this patterning technique, it is shown that selenide TMDs exhibit lower edge recombination velocity as compared to sulfide TMDs. The utility of scanning probe lithography towards understanding material‐dependent edge recombination losses without significantly normalizing edge behaviors due to heavy defect generation, while allowing for eventual exploration of edge passivation schemes is highlighted, which is of profound interest for nanoscale electronics and optoelectronics.