Low density,three-dimensionally interconnected carbon nanotube/silicon carbide nanocomposites for thermal protection applications

Synthesis of silicon carbide (SiC) nanostructures and their composites has been a topic of interest for the scientific community due to the unique properties that can be obtained with nanoscale features. Herein, we report the scalable fabrication of anisotropic and low density, carbon nanotube/SiC (CNT/SiC) core-shell structures synthesized via chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) of silicon on aligned CNT foams followed by heat treatment at 1350 °C. Structures made of CNT/SiC nanotube networks with a thickness of 1 cm and length of 9 cm were prepared in the present work. Upon the removal of the CNT foam via calcination of the hybrid nanocomposite in air, a free-standing mechanically robust three-dimensional network of pure SiC nanotubes was left behind. The density of the synthesized CNT/SiC is the lowest reported for any C/SiC structure. Furthermore, the CNT/SiC hybrid nano-architecture demonstrated superb heat resistance and stability in ultrahigh temperature environment.     

Synthesis of nanolayered ternary borides powders (MAB phases) by sustainable molten salt shielded synthesis/sintering (MS3) process

Journal of Materials Science - In this paper, we report the synthesis of Fe2AlB2, Mn2AlB2, and MoAlB powders by using molten salt shielded synthesis/sintering (MS3)—a sustainable processing...     

A Narrative Review of Current Understanding of the Pathophysiology of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Focus on Plausible Relevance of Vitamin D

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most prevalent endocrinopathy of reproductive years. Salient features in presentation of patients PCOS include menstrual dysfunction, hyperandrogenism and/or polycystic appearance of ovaries on ultrasound. While the diagnosis of PCOS depends on presence of specified criteria, misdiagnoses are common. Despite years of extensive research, the exact aetiology of PCOS remains largely unknown. In the past decade, apart from insulin resistance and hyperandrogenemia, anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), an important marker of ovarian reserve, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a crucial factor in angiogenesis, have been examined as plausible players of causative relevance for PCOS. Vitamin D, a sex-steroid hormone that is universally known for its relevance for skeletal health, has received increasing attention due to growing evidence supporting its pivotal in reproductive physiology and in PCOS. In this review we summarize our current understanding of the mechanisms relevant to the pathophysiology of PCOS and examine the role of vitamin D signalling in this context.     

Structural,magnetic and optical investigations of Fe and Ni co-doped TiO2 dilute magnetic semiconductors

A series of Ti_0.9Fe_0.1-xNi_xO₂ (x?=?0.0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.1) has been synthesized through the solid state reaction method at annealing temperature of 1100?°C for two hours. The synthesized samples have been analyzed by X-Ray diffractometer (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and ultraviolet visible (UV–VIS) spectroscopy for structural investigations, defects measurements, surface morphology, magnetic and optical properties respectively. Structural analysis has revealed the dominant structure of rutile. An intensity loss and peak broadening of TiO₂ (rutile) vibration lines have been observed from Raman analysis, which is an indication of presence of oxygen vacancies. Magnetic analysis has revealed ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. Optical characterization has shown the blue shift in band gap energy with increase of Ni concentration.     

Effect of foaming parameters on the physical and phytochemical properties of tomato powder

Food Science and Biotechnology - The objective of this work was to study the effect of foaming parameters on the physical and phytochemical properties of tomato powder. A central composite...     

Process development studies on recovery of clean coal from ultra fine hardcoal tailings using enhanced gravity separator

In this study, we report the experimental results with respect to the beneficiation of fine hardcoal from the Çatala?z? Coal Preparation site tailings containing about 90% (by weight) of ?600 µm size particles. These tailings contain 28.41% ash. The coal sample was subjected to a two‐stage concentration process. The underflow product of hydrocyclone under optimized conditions was further processed in Mozley Multi‐Gravity Separator to reduce the ash content of the coal. The results showed that a coal product containing 6.98% ash was obtainable with recovery of 61.73% by this two‐stage concentration process.     

Structural,Electrical and Optical Properties of PVC/ZnTe Nanocomposite Thin Films

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials - ZnTe nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using hydrothermal method and then were dispersed in poly(vinyl-chloride) (PVC) to prepare...     

The impact of delactosed whey permeate treatment on shelf‐life and antioxidant contents of strawberries

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of delactosed whey permeate (DWP) treatment on antioxidant and physicochemical properties of strawberries. Fresh strawberries treated with 3% DWP were analysed for different quality, nutritional and microbiological markers during 10 days of storage at 5 °C. The results showed that DWP treatment significantly reduced incidences of decay (70%) and numbers of total aerobic counts (～1.4 Log₁₀ CFU g^?1) and yeast and moulds (～1.8 Log₁₀ CFU g^?1). DWP treatment also inhibited the loss of firmness (15%) and maintained significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher levels of vitamin C, total phenols and antioxidant activity of strawberries. Sensory scores confirmed that the DWP‐treated strawberries retained a good appearance and overall quality. The aroma and colour attributes were not reduced during storage. These results suggest that DWP treatment has potential to extend the shelf‐life and maintain the quality of strawberries during storage.