The influence of processing methods on the dielectric properties of BaTi1-xGdxO3-x/2 - Based materials

In this study, the intermediate rare-earth oxide Gd₂O₃ (Gd) was substituted in different amounts (x = 0.2–2 mol%) for the formulation of BaTi_1-xGd_xO_3-x/2 (BTG_x) dielectric materials. The effect of B-site substitution was confirmed by the additional Raman active A_1g octahedral peak at ~835cm^-1 strengthened at x ≥ 0.4 mol%. Additionally, properties of 0.9BTG_0.007-0.1BA dielectric ceramics were analysed based on the influence of various processing methods as a function of sintering temperature. The focal samples were labelled Method-A (direct-mix) and Method-B (indirect-mix). As the sintering temperature (1075–1200 °C) increased, the 1 kHz response of the ε–T curves of Method-A samples transformed from a single peak to broad-narrow double peaks of high dielectric loss tangent (tan δ). Nonetheless, samples of Method-B possessed a clearly defined transmission electron microscopy (TEM) core-shell structure, flattened double-peak ε-T curves, optimised dielectric properties (ε = ~1563–1851 and tan δ < 1.5% at room temperature), and a wide-ranging temperature behaviour that meets the X8R dielectric standards (ΔC/C_25°C < ±15%). The maximum dielectric breakdown strength of Method-B samples reached ~131 kVcm, while the energy storage density was ~0.726 J/cm³ at a maximum efficiency of ~80% at 1100 °C. Thus, exhibiting good potentials for balancing temperature stability with energy storage applications.     

Novel Redox-Dependent Esterase Activity (EC 3.1.1.2) for DJ-1: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease

Mutations the in human DJ-1 (hDJ-1) gene are associated with early-onset autosomal recessive forms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). hDJ-1/parkinsonism associated deglycase (PARK7) is a cytoprotective multi-functional protein that contains a conserved cysteine-protease domain. Given that cysteine-proteases can act on both amide and ester substrates, we surmised that hDJ-1 possessed cysteine-mediated esterase activity. To test this hypothesis, hDJ-1 was overexpressed, purified and tested for activity towards 4-nitrophenyl acetate (pNPA) as µmol of pNPA hydrolyzed/min/mg·protein (U/mg protein). hDJ-1 showed maximum reaction velocity esterase activity (V_max = 235.10 ± 12.00 U/mg protein), with a sigmoidal fit (S_0.5 = 0.55 ± 0.040 mM) and apparent positive cooperativity (Hill coefficient of 2.05 ± 0.28). A PD-associated mutant of DJ-1 (M26I) lacked activity. Unlike its protease activity which is inactivated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), esterase activity of hDJ-1 is enhanced upon exposure to low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (<10 µM) and plateaus at elevated concentrations (>100 µM) suggesting that its activity is resistant to oxidative stress. Esterase activity of DJ-1 requires oxidation of catalytic cysteines, as chemically protecting cysteines blocked its activity whereas an oxido-mimetic mutant of DJ-1 (C106D) exhibited robust esterase activity. Molecular docking studies suggest that C106 and L126 within its catalytic site interact with esterase substrates. Overall, our data show that hDJ-1 contains intrinsic redox-sensitive esterase activity that is abolished in a PD-associated mutant form of the hDJ-1 protein.     

Genetic Distance and Age Affect the Cuticular Chemical Profiles of the Clonal Ant Cerapachys biroi

Although cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) have received much attention from biologists because of their important role in insect communication, few studies have addressed the chemical ecology of clonal species of eusocial insects. In this study we investigated whether and how differences in CHCs relate to the genetics and reproductive dynamics of the parthenogenetic ant Cerapachys biroi. We collected individuals of different ages and subcastes from several colonies belonging to four clonal lineages, and analyzed their cuticular chemical signature. CHCs varied according to colonies and clonal lineages in two independent data sets, and correlations were found between genetic and chemical distances between colonies. This supports the results of previous research showing that C. biroi workers discriminate between nestmates and non-nestmates, especially when they belong to different clonal lineages. In C. biroi, the production of individuals of a morphological subcaste specialized in reproduction is inversely proportional to colony-level fertility. As chemical signatures usually correlate with fertility and reproductive activity in social Hymenoptera, we asked whether CHCs could function as fertility-signaling primer pheromones determining larval subcaste fate in C. biroi. Interestingly, and contrary to findings for several other ant species, fertility and reproductive activity showed no correlation with chemical signatures, suggesting the absence of fertility related CHCs. This implies that other cues are responsible for subcaste differentiation in this species.     

Poly(lactic acid) nanocomposites: comparison of their properties with montmorillonite and synthetic mica (II)

Our study was to clarify the intercalation of polymer chains to organoclays and to improve the thermo-mechanical properties. Two organoclays were synthesized. One was a montmorillonite modified with hexadecylamine (C₁₆-MMT); the other was a fluorinated-mica modified with hexadecylamine (C₁₆-Mica). Dispersions of organoclays with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) were by using the solution intercalation method at different organoclay contents to produce nano-scale composites. The maximum ultimate tensile strength was observed for blends containing 4 wt% of either of the two organoclays and decreased with further increases in the organoclay content. The initial modulus increased with increasing organoclay content up to 4 wt% for C₁₆-MMT. When the C₁₆-MMT content was greater than this critical wt%, the modulus of the hybrids started to decrease. In contrast, the initial modulus of the hybrids using C₁₆-Mica increased continually with increasing clay content from 2 to 8 wt%. The tensile properties of the C₁₆-Mica hybrids were higher than those of the hybrids containing C₁₆-MMT. The optical translucency was not affected by the organoclay content up to 6 wt%; however, the films containing 8 wt% organoclays were slightly more cloudy.     

Pentadecane functionalized graphite oxide sheets as a tool for the preparation of electrical conductive polyethylene/graphite oxide composites

Covalent functionalization of pentadecane-decorated thermally reduced graphite oxide (GO) sheets has been studied as a tool for the preparation of polyethylene/GO composites exhibiting rheological and electrical percolation thresholds. It was accomplished through pentadecane based radical addition onto unsaturated bonds located on the GO sheets' surface using dicumyl peroxide as hydrogen abstractor. This chemical functionalization influences the affinity of the formed pentadecane grafted GO sheets for various solvents. Then, the compounding of the composites pentadecane grafted GO/PE was performed at a processing temperature of 140 °C with 25, 20, 15, 10, 8 and 5 wt% loadings. Rheological and electrical percolation thresholds were found between 10 and 15 wt% for polyethylene/pentadecane functionalized graphene oxide composites while the composite graphite/PE at the same loading percentage did not reach any percolation threshold.     

Effect of Drying Methods on Dyeing Capacity of Dyestuff Plant Materials

This article presents a study of the effect of drying methods on dyeing capacity of widespread European flora dyestuff plant materials. The natural colorants, derived from the selected plant materials, were applied on chemical pulp in order to examine their dyeability. In this work, three different drying methods were examined—the natural, the air-, and the freeze-drying method—in various conditions. The plant materials that were dried naturally show weak dyeing results in comparison with the air- and freeze-dried materials. Freeze drying significantly improved the dyeing capacity of dyestuff plant materials with high initial moisture content. On the other hand, air drying at low temperature and high relative humidity improved the dyeing capacity of plant materials with low initial moisture content.     

Enhanced energetic reasoning-based lower bounds for the resource constrained project scheduling problem

We present new and effective lower bounds for the resource constrained project scheduling problem. This problem is widely known to be notoriously difficult to solve due to the lack of lower bounds that are both tight and fast. In this paper, we propose several new lower bounds that are based on the concept of energetic reasoning. A major contribution of this work is to investigate several enhanced new feasibility tests that prove useful for deriving new lower bounds that consistently outperform the classical energetic reasoning-based lower bound. In particular, we present the results of a comprehensive computational study, carried out on 1560 benchmark instances, that provides strong evidence that a deceptively simple dual feasible function-based lower bound is highly competitive with a state-of-the-art lower bound while being extremely fast. Furthermore, we found that an effective shaving procedure enables to derive an excellent lower bound that often outperforms the best bound from the literature while being significantly simpler.     

Logical Dialogues with Explicit Preference Profiles and Strategy Selection

The Barth–Krabbe–Hintikka–Hintikka Problem, independently raised by Barth and Krabbe (From axiom to dialogue: a philosophical study of logics and argumentation. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 1982) and Hintikka and Hintikka (The sign of three: Peirce, Dupin, Holmes. In: Eco U, Sebeok TA (eds) Sherlock Holmes confronts modern logic: Toward a theory of information-seeking through questioning. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1983), is the problem of characterizing the strategic reasoning of the players of dialogical logic and game-theoretic semantics games from rational preferences rather than rules. We solve the problem by providing a set of preferences for players with bounded rationality and specifying strategic inferences from those preferences, for a variant of logical dialogues. This solution is generalized to both game-theoretic semantics and orthodox dialogical logic (classical and intuitionistic).     

Explicit reference modeling methodology in parametric CAD system

Today parametric associative CAD systems must help companies to create more efficient virtual development processes. While dealing with complex parts (e.g. the number of surfaces of the solid) no CAD modeling methodology is existing. Based on the analysis of industrial designers' practices as well as student practices on CAD, we identified key factors that lead to better performance. Our objective in this article is to propose a practical method for complex parts modeling in parametric CAD system. An illustration of the performances and the results obtained by this method are presented comparing the traditional method with the proposed one while using an academic case and then an industrial case.     

Temperature sensor based on the Er green upconverted emission in a fluorotellurite glass

The temperature dependence of the green upconverted emission from the two thermally coupled ²H_11/2 and ⁴S_3/2 levels of the Er³⁺ ion in a fluorotellurite glass has been analyzed as a function of the optically active ion concentration in order to check its availability as a temperature sensor. The infrared-to-green upconverted emission have been observed by the naked eyes after a cw laser diode excitation at 800 nm. The fluorescence intensity ratio between the thermally coupled emitting levels as well as the temperature sensitivity has been experimentally obtained up to 540 K. A better behaviour as a temperature sensor has been obtained for the less Er³⁺ concentrated glass with a maximum sensitivity of 54 × 10⁻⁴ K⁻¹ at 540 K, one of the highest found in rare-earth doped transparent materials.