In vitro biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity of chitin monomer obtain from hollow fiber membrane

This study for the first time shows the effective utilization and production of chitin monomers at laboratory level, with immense potential for its biomedical application. Low molecular weight (LMW) N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) is prepared by depolymerization of chitin using chemical method coupled with a physical separation method. A novel filtration strategy exploiting polysulfone hollow fiber membrane is used for the preparation of GlcNAc particles with 94% yield within 8.5 ± 0.5 h. This high efficiency is analyzed using high-pressure liquid chromatography. The GlcNAc obtained was further analyzed using dynamic light scattering, first derivative Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The antimicrobial properties of GlcNAc, chitin, and GlcNAc/chitin mixture were investigated using minimal inhibitory concentration against S. aureus and E. coli. Bacteriostatic property was exhibited by high molecular weight chitin, while GlcNAc and GlcNAc/chitin mixture (LMW) demonstrated bactericidal activity. Blood biocompatibility below 0.25 g/ml and cytocompatibility with NIH3T3 fibroblast cells and the proliferative efficacy suggested its utilization and suitability of these particles in biological applications.     

Shear velocity-based uncertainty quantification for rock joint shear strength

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - The shear strength of rock joints is an important property required in order to analyze the stability of rock slopes and tunnels. However,...     

Segregation and intermixing in polydisperse liquid–solid fluidized beds: A multifluid model validation study

Multifluid model (MFM) simulations have been carried out on liquid–solid fluidized beds (LSFB) consisting of binary and higher-order polydisperse particle mixtures. The role of particle–particle interactions was found to be as crucial as the drag force under laminar and homogenous LSFB flow regimes. The commonly used particle–particle closure models are designed for turbulent and heterogeneous gas–solid flow regimes and thus exhibit limited to no success when implemented for LSFB operating under laminar and homogenous conditions. A need is perceived to carry out direct numerical simulations of liquid–solid flows and extract data from them to develop rational closure terms to account for the physics of LSFB. Finally, a recommendation flow regime map signifying the performance of the MFM has been proposed. This map will act as a potential guideline to identify whether or not the bed expansion characteristics of a given polydisperse LSFB can be correctly simulated using MFM closures tested.     

Gas permeation in thin films of “high free-volume” glassy perfluoropolymers: Part I. Physical aging

Physical aging of both thick and thin films of “high free-volume” glassy perfluoropolymers was studied by monitoring changes in pure gas permeability of O₂, N₂ and CH₄. All permeability measurements were done at a fixed temperature of 35 °C for more than 1000 h of aging. Two grades of perfluoropolymers, Teflon AF and Hyflon AD, having different comonomer structures but with similar comonomer ratios were studied to understand the effect of comonomer type and content on the aging behavior. The effect of casting process (solution vs. spin coating) and solvent type (vapor pressure and boiling point) had a significant effect on the absolute permeability of both thick and thin films; however, the aging rates were more affected by thickness and solvent type rather than the casting process for similar thicknesses. After 1000 h of aging, the relative permeability for thin films of Teflon AF 2400 was decreased by 27% compared to only 10% for thick films prepared from Novec 7500 solvent. Teflon AF, which has a higher fractional free volume (FFV) than Hyflon AD, is believed to undergo significant aging well before the initial permeability measurement could be made (after ∼ 1 h of aging) and, therefore, Teflon AF materials showed a lower decrease in relative permeability compared to Hyflon AD for the same aging time. The comonomer type and content has a significant effect on the permeability; the initial absolute oxygen permeability for AF 2400 was an order of magnitude higher compared to AD 60. The physical aging of thin films of the various glassy perfluoropolymers was also tracked by recording changes in the refractive index and thickness with time by ellipsometry. The ellipsometry data also confirmed higher aging rates in Hyflon AD compared to Teflon AF materials. The volumetric aging rate, obtained from the change in the refractive index using the Lorentz–Lorenz equation, and the permeability reduction rate from the (P_1000h/P_1h) ratio showed an excellent linear correlation. The (P_1000h/P_1h) ratio also showed a stronger correlation with (T_g−35) °C than with FFV.     

A monolithically integrated high‐efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se2 mini‐module structured solely by laser

Monolithically integrated Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ mini‐modules were fabricated in order to reduce the width of patterning related dead area. The Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ layers were prepared on soda‐lime glasses using the multistage process at low substrate temperature below 500 °C. A picosecond laser with a wavelength of 532 nm was used for all of the structuring processes (P1, P2, and P3) for the monolithic integration. A “lift‐off” type structuring was applied for P1 and P3, and an “ablation” type was for P2. The laser structuring was optimized to be minimizing the dead area width, and the width of about 70 µm was successfully achieved. A mini‐module, in which the optimized structuring processes were applied for the integration, demonstrated a certified efficiency of 16.6%. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photochemistry on a polarisable semi-conductor: what do we understand today?

The continued development of ferroelectric materials into more and more consumer led applications has been at the forefront of recent ferroelectric material research. It is, however, possible to view a ferroelectric as a wide band gap semi-conductor that can sustain a surface charge density. This charge density arises from the movement of ions in the crystal lattice and the need to compensate for this charge. When viewing ferroelectrics as polarisable semi-conductors a large number of new interactions are possible. One such is the use of super band gap illumination to generate electron–hole pairs. These photogenerated carriers can then perform local electrochemistry. What is most interesting for ferroelectric materials is that the REDOX chemistry can be chosen by selectively modifying the domain structure of the ferroelectric—we can perform oxidation and reduction on the surface of the same material at spatially separate locations, or use the material to drive photoexcited carriers apart. This means we can separate the REDOX products or produce patterns of photogenerated material in places we have predetermined. This review aims to introduce the background research that has led to the current understanding as well a highlight some of the current areas that require further development.     

Failure Analysis of AISI 440C Steel Ball Screws Used in the Actuator System of a Satellite Launch Vehicle

In view of its excellent wear and corrosion resistance, AISI 440C steel is the material of choice for the fabrication of ball screws used in actuator systems of satellite launch vehicles. During the routine acceptance test of a ball screw, longitudinal cracks were observed at the shaft location of the ball screw. The optical microstructure of the ball screw material (AISI 440C) revealed the presence of aligned carbides (carbide banding). Fractographic observations revealed the cracking to be along the carbide bands. Based on detailed optical and scanning electron microscopic observations, the cracking of the ball screws was attributed to the carbide bands.     

Estimation of internal heat transfer coefficients of a hybrid (PV/T) active solar still

In this paper, an attempt is made to estimate the internal heat transfer coefficients of a deep basin hybrid (PV/T) active solar still. The estimation is based on outdoor experimental observation of hybrid (PV/T) solar still for composite climate of New Delhi (latitude 28°35′N and longitude 77°12′E). The internal heat transfer coefficients are evaluated by using thermal models proposed by various researchers. The comparison of hourly yield predicted using various thermal models to the experimental has also been carried out by evaluating the correlation coefficient and percentage deviation. It is observed that, Kumar and Tiwari model (KTM) better validate the results than the others model. The average annual values of convective heat transfer coefficient for the passive and hybrid (PV/T) active solar still are observed as 0.78 and 2.41 W m⁻² K⁻¹, respectively at 0.05 m water depth.