Synthesis and Photocatalytic Properties of Single Crystalline (Ga1-xZnx)(N1-xOx) Nanotubes

Recently, (Ga_1-xZn_x)(N_1-xO_x) has gained widespread attention as a comparatively high efficiency photocatalyst for visible-light-driven overall water splitting. Despite significant gains in efficiency over the past several years, a majority of the photogenerated carriers recombine within bulk powders. To improve the photocatalytic activity, we used an epitaxial casting method to synthesize single-crystalline, high surface area (Ga_1-xZn_x)(N_1-xO_x) nanotubes with ZnO compositions up to x=0.10. Individual nanotubes showed improved homogeneity over powder samples due to a well defined epitaxial interface for ZnO diffusion into GaN. Absorption measurements showed that the ZnO incorporation shifts the absorption into the visible region with a tail out to 500 nm. Gas chromatography (GC) was used to compare the solar water splitting activity of (Ga_1-xZn_x)(N_1-xO_x) nanotubes (x=0.05–0.10) with similar composition powders. Cocatalyst decorated samples were dispersed in aqueous solutions of CH₃OH and AgO₂CCH₃ to monitor the H⁺ reduction and H₂O oxidation half reactions, respectively. The nanotubes were found to have approximately 1.5–2 times higher photocatalytic activity than similar composition powders for the rate limiting H⁺ reduction half reaction. These results demonstrate that improvements in homogeneity and surface area using the nanotube geometry can enhance the photocatalytic activity of GaN:ZnO for solar water splitting.     

The Japanese Photographers of Broome: Photography and Cross-Cultural Encounter

The remote West Australian town of Broome has a unique photography heritage that sheds new light on the complexities of photography and intercultural relations. During the early twentieth century thriving Japanese communities were established in this region around the lucrative pearling industry. These Japanese communities also helped to develop a fascinating photography culture in Broome. Photography was not simply a business opportunity for the Japanese or a means of documenting people and events; it was a medium through which hierarchised social relations were produced, redefined, and challenged. This article examines photographs by these Japanese residents as an important site of cross-cultural communication and interpretation. These photographs of Anglo-Australian, Japanese, and Aboriginal residents of Broome enrich the study of cross-cultural photographic encounters, and emphasise the dynamic and dispersed qualities of Australian photographic practice and history. Here national histories of photography are usefully conceptualised as the products of imbricated social, economic, and cultural relations that operate across regional, national, and international realms.     

A neural approach for estimation of per capita electricity consumption due to age and income

Electricity consumption is influenced by number of adults and children and their relationship at household level. Household income also plays a critical role on expenditure on electricity. Accordingly, this article presents a joint probability model of electricity demand based on occupants’ age grades and household income levels. A bottom-up strategy is developed using a micro level database of 70 Australian households. A neural regression-generalization technique is devised to estimate electricity demand using back-propagation and cognitive mapping. The aggregated result is then validated against 2012 Australian national census. Accordingly, the model is improved based on a top-down review. The results show per capita electricity demand by adult and child at 0.408 kW (69 kWh/week) and 0.226 kW (38 kWh/week), respectively. The equivalent dollar values are $13.6/week and $7.6/week in 2012. At macro level, the model reveals per capita demand by all individuals at 0.324 kW (54.35 kWh/week) equivalent to dollar value of $10.87/week, across Australia. The results also show higher percentage of per capita demand for adults in high and medium income classes, and the otherwise for low income class. Ratio of child’s demand over adult’s demand is highest among the low income households, and lowset among the middle income households, while best balance between adult and child per capita demand belongs to the high income.

     

Optical and electrical characterization of a gold nanoparticle dispersion in a chiral liquid crystal matrix

We report on the effect of gold nanoparticle (Au NP) dispersion in a chiral nematic liquid crystal (LC). Polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements evidence the insurgence of an order change in the LC host. Moreover, a comparative analysis based on dielectric and voltammetric spectroscopies performed on pure LC and on Au NP-doped LC shows that Au NP’s presence besides affecting LC order influences its electric properties: ion conductivity results importantly reduced, and beyond a threshold value of the applied field electrophoresis phenomena are induced.     

Silicone membranes to inhibit water uptake into thermoset polyurethane shape‐memory polymer conductive composites

Electroactive shape memory polymer (SMP) composites capable of shape actuation via resistive heating are of interest for various biomedical applications. However, water uptake into SMPs will produce a depression of the glass transition temperature (T_g) resulting in shape recovery in vivo. While water actuated shape recovery may be useful, it is foreseen to be undesirable during early periods of surgical placement into the body. Silicone membranes have been previously reported to prevent release of conductive filler from an electroactive polymer composite in vivo. In this study, a silicone membrane was used to inhibit water uptake into a thermoset SMP composite containing conductive filler. Thermoset polyurethane SMPs were loaded with either 5 wt % carbon black or 5 wt % carbon nanotubes, and subsequently coated with either an Al₂O₃‐ or silica‐filled silicone membrane. It was observed that the silicone membranes, particularly the silica‐filled membrane, reduced the rate of water absorption (37°C) and subsequent T_g depression versus uncoated composites. In turn, this led to a reduction in the rate of recovery of the permanent shape when exposed to water at 37°C. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41226.     

Developing and Maintaining an Inspection-Ready Pipeline Safety Program

For the past several decades, pipeline incidents have resulted in highly publicized accounts of property damage, environmental harm, neighborhood destruction, serious injury, and death.     

Activity of Fluorine‐Containing Analogues of WC‐9 and Structurally Related Analogues against Two Intracellular Parasites: Trypanosoma cruzi and Toxoplasma gondii

Two obligate intracellular parasites, Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease, and Toxoplasma gondii, an agent of toxoplasmosis, upregulate the mevalonate pathway of their host cells upon infection, which suggests that this host pathway could be a potential drug target. In this work, a number of compounds structurally related to WC‐9 (4‐phenoxyphenoxyethyl thiocyanate), a known squalene synthase inhibitor, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their effect on T. cruzi and T. gondii growth in tissue culture cells. Two fluorine‐containing derivatives, the 3‐(3‐fluorophenoxy)‐ and 3‐(4‐fluorophenoxy)phenoxyethyl thiocyanates, exhibited half‐maximal effective concentration (EC₅₀) values of 1.6 and 4.9 μm , respectively, against tachyzoites of T. gondii, whereas they showed similar potency to WC‐9 against intracellular T. cruzi (EC₅₀ values of 5.4 and 5.7 μm , respectively). In addition, 2‐[3‐ (phenoxy)phenoxyethylthio]ethyl‐1,1‐bisphosphonate, which is a hybrid inhibitor containing 3‐phenoxyphenoxy and bisphosphonate groups, has activity against T. gondii proliferation at sub‐micromolar levels (EC₅₀=0.7 μm ), which suggests a combined inhibitory effect of the two functional groups.     

Structural Plasticity Is a Feature of Rheostat Positions in the Human Na+/Taurocholate Cotransporting Polypeptide (NTCP)

In the Na⁺/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), the clinically relevant S267F polymorphism occurs at a “rheostat position”. That is, amino acid substitutions at this position (“S267X”) lead to a wide range of functional outcomes. This result was particularly striking because molecular models predicted the S267X side chains are buried, and thus, usually expected to be less tolerant of substitutions. To assess whether structural tolerance to buried substitutions is widespread in NTCP, here we used Rosetta to model all 19 potential substitutions at another 13 buried positions. Again, only subtle changes in the calculated stabilities and structures were predicted. Calculations were experimentally validated for 19 variants at codon 271 (“N271X”). Results showed near wildtype expression and rheostatic modulation of substrate transport, implicating N271 as a rheostat position. Notably, each N271X substitution showed a similar effect on the transport of three different substrates and thus did not alter substrate specificity. This differs from S267X, which altered both transport kinetics and specificity. As both transport and specificity may change during protein evolution, the recognition of such rheostat positions may be important for evolutionary studies. We further propose that the presence of rheostat positions is facilitated by local plasticity within the protein structure. Finally, we note that identifying rheostat positions may advance efforts to predict new biomedically relevant missense variants in NTCP and other membrane transport proteins.     

Development of blown film linear low-density polyethylene–clay nanocomposites: Part A: Manufacturing process and morphology

In this study, linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)/clay nanocomposites with different clay contents were prepared by melt intercalation using two different compatibilizers: maleic anhydride grafted styrene–ethylene–butylene–styrene and maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (PE-g-MA). Melt intercalation was achieved by twin extrusion and nanocomposite films were produced by blown film extrusion. Effects of clay and compatibilizer fractions and type of compatibilizer on the structure, permeability, and the barrier properties of the nanocomposite films were investigated. PE-g-MA was shown to notably improve the dispersion of clay layers in the polyethylene matrix, and this was examined by atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The latter tests have also highlighted the importance of the screw configuration: the presence of mixing elements favors the dispersion and distribution of nanoclay. Moreover, differential scanning calorimetry results have shown no significant effect of the clay on the crystallinity of the composite while thermogravimetric analysis tests have demonstrated a decrease of onset and peak of decomposition temperatures. Finally, barrier properties toward water vapor transmission were measured. It was proven that not also clay, but the compatibilizer participated in decreasing the permeability of the film. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48589.     

Hydrodynamic and heat transfer properties of magnetic fluid in porous medium considering nanoparticle shapes and magnetic field-dependent viscosity

The purpose of this paper is to study the characteristics of the combined convection heat transfer and a micropolar nanofluid flow passing through an impermeable stretching sheet in a porous medium. The nanofluid flow field is affected by a magnetic field perpendicular to the sheet. The dynamic viscosity of the micropolar nanofluid changes under the influence of the magnetic field. The continuity, linear momentum, angular momentum, and energy equations are first simplified using the order of magnitude technique that, along with the applied boundary conditions and the definition of the appropriate parameters, are transferred to the similarity space using the similarity analysis. Then the resulting equations are solved using the Runge–Kutta method.The distinction of the macroscale and microscale flow fields and temperature fields resulting from different nanoparticle shapes was clarified. Increasing the Hartmann number, the vortex viscosity parameter, the magnetic parameter, the nanoparticle volume fraction, and the permeability parameter of the porous media increased the surface friction on the sheet. Increasing the vortex viscosity parameter, the magnetic parameter, and the volume fraction of the nanoparticles increases the Nusselt number.