Surface integrity of nickel-based alloys subjected to severe plastic deformation by abusive drilling

Surface integrity of nickel-based superalloys after machining operations has become a topic of major interest in the aerospace sector. In the present work, the characteristics of nickel-based alloys (Alloy 718, Waspaloy, Alloy 720Li, and RR1000) subjected to abusive drilling conditions have been investigated using experimental methods such as FEG-SEM, EBSD, XRD, TEM and nano-indentation. The results indicated the presence of nano-sized grains typical of severe plastic deformation in the machined surface while the presence of plastic slip bands was observed in the sub-surface layers. Correlations between the thermo-mechanical properties of the nickel-based alloys and the severe plastic deformation features of the machined surfaces are presented.     

Study on chemical composition and biological activities of essential oil and extracts from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves

Essential oil (EO), water extract (WE), and methanol-water (MWE) (50/50 v:v) were prepared from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves. Their chemicals compounds, antioxidant, anti-inflammation and antimicrobial activities were evaluated. The EO was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The WE, and MWE compounds were identified by RP-HPLC. In EO, carvacrol, caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, spathulenol, cardinol, α-pinene, limonene, isopinocarveol and ibuprofen were identified as major compounds. Furthermore, in the WE and MWE, the major compounds were, quercetin dihydrate, protocatechuic acid and quercetin glucosyl. These results show that S. rebaudiana EO and extracts possess high antioxidant, anti-inflammation and antimicrobial properties. The antimicrobial and antifungal activities of the extracts (EO, WE, MWE) were tested on Staphylococcus aureus; Bacillus subtillis; Escherichia coli; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans, the lowest activity was founded on the EO extract.     

Assessment of the microbial diversity of Brazilian kefir grains by PCR-DGGE and pyrosequencing analysis

The microbial diversity and community structure of three different kefir grains from different parts of Brazil were examined via the combination of two culture-independent methods: PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and pyrosequencing. PCR-DGGE showed Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens and Lactobacillus kefiri to be the major bacterial populations in all three grains. The yeast community was dominated by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Pyrosequencing produced a total of 14,314 partial 16S rDNA sequence reads from the three grains. Sequence analysis grouped the reads into three phyla, of which Firmicutes was dominant. Members of the genus Lactobacillus were the most abundant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in all samples, accounting for up to 96% of the sequences. OTUs belonging to other lactic and acetic acid bacteria genera, such as Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Streptococcus and Acetobacter, were also identified at low levels. Two of the grains showed identical DGGE profiles and a similar number of OTUs, while the third sample showed the highest diversity by both techniques. Pyrosequencing allowed the identification of bacteria that were present in small numbers and rarely associated with the microbial community of this complex ecosystem.     

RadA,a Key Gene of the Circadian Rhythm of Escherichia coli

Circadian rhythms are present in almost all living organisms, and their activity relies on molecular clocks. In prokaryotes, a functional molecular clock has been defined only in cyanobacteria. Here, we investigated the presence of circadian rhythms in non-cyanobacterial prokaryotes. The bioinformatic approach was used to identify a homologue of KaiC (circadian gene in cyanobacteria) in Escherichia coli. Then, strains of E. coli (wild type and mutants) were grown on blood agar, and sampling was made every 3 h for 24 h at constant conditions. Gene expression was determined by qRT-PCR, and the rhythmicity was analyzed using the Cosinor model. We identified RadA as a KaiC homologue in E. coli. Expression of radA showed a circadian rhythm persisting at least 3 days, with a peak in the morning. The circadian expression of other E. coli genes was also observed. Gene circadian oscillations were lost in radA mutants of E. coli. This study provides evidence of molecular clock gene expression in E. coli with a circadian rhythm. Such a finding paves the way for new perspectives in antibacterial treatment.     

Annealing Temperature Effect on Bismuth Induced Crystallization of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Thin Films

Silicon - In this work, we emphasis on the Bismuth induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin films. 50 nm of bismuth thin films are deposited by vapor...     

Adaptive observer design for uncertain nonlinear ODE-PDE cascades

We are revisiting the problem of adaptive observer design for systems that are constituted of an Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE), containing a globally Lipschitz function of the state, and a linear Partial Differential Equation (PDE) of a diffusion–reaction heat type. The ODE and PDE are connected in series and both are subject to parametric uncertainties. In addition to nonlinearity and uncertainty, the system complexity also lies in the fact that no sensor can be implemented at the junction point between the ODE and the PDE. In the absence of parameter uncertainty, nonadaptive state observers are available featuring exponential convergence. However, convergence is guaranteed only under the condition that either the Lipschitz coefficient is sufficiently small or the PDE domain length is sufficiently small. To get around this limitation, and also to account for parameter uncertainty, we develop a design that involves two concatenated adaptive observers, covering the two subintervals of the PDE domain. The proposed design employs one extra sensor, providing the measurement of the PDE state at an inner position close to the ODE-PDE junction point. Both observers are shown to be exponentially convergent, under ad-hoc persistent excitation (PE) conditions, with no limitation on the Lipschitz coefficient and domain length.     

Chemical Synthesis of Organo-siloxene 2D Materials from Calcium Di-Silicide: Characterization,Dielectric and Electrochemical Studies

Silicon - Silicon is one of the most used materials in semiconductors and electronic devices. Its miniaturization in two-dimensional (2D) scale is now a great challenge to improve and/or extend its...