Hydrogen plasma treatment of very thin p-type nanocrystalline Si films grown by RF-PECVD in the presence of B(CH3)3

We have characterized the structure and electrical properties of p-type nanocrystalline silicon films prepared by radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and explored optimization methods of such layers for potential applications in thin-film solar cells. Particular attention was paid to the characterization of very thin (∼20 nm) films. The cross-sectional morphology of the layers was studied by fitting the ellipsometry spectra using a multilayer model. The results suggest that the crystallization process in a high-pressure growth regime is mostly realized through a subsurface mechanism in the absence of the incubation layer at the substrate-film interface. Hydrogen plasma treatment of a 22-nm-thick film improved its electrical properties (conductivity increased more than ten times) owing to hydrogen insertion and Si structure rearrangements throughout the entire thickness of the film.     

Short communication: Identification of Corynebacterium bovis by MALDI-mass spectrometry

Corynebacterium bovis is a mastitis-causing microorganism responsible for economic losses related to decrease in milk production. The aim of the study was identify Corynebacterium spp. strains recovered from milk samples of subclinical mastitis by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Samples were collected during a 10-mo mastitis-monitoring program in a high-production dairy farm. In this study, 80 strains were analyzed; from these 54 (67.5%) were identified at species level as Corynebacterium bovis, 24 (31.2%) isolates were identified at the genus level as Corynebacterium spp., and only 1 (1.35%) isolated had unreliable identification. Results demonstrated that MALDI-MS could be an important technique for the identification of Corynebacterium spp. in milk.     

Comparative analysis for power generation and ethanol production from sugarcane residual biomass in Brazil

This work compares the technical, economic and environmental (GHG emissions mitigation) performance of power generation and ethanol production from sugarcane residual biomass, considering conversion plants adjacent to a sugarcane mill in Brazil. Systems performances were simulated for a projected enzymatic saccharification co-fermentation plant (Ethanol option) and for a commercial steam-Rankine power plant (Electricity option). Surplus bagasse from the mill would be used as fuel/raw material for conversion, while cane trash collected from the field would be used as supplementary fuel at the mill. For the Electricity option, the sugarcane biorefinery (mill+adjacent plant) would produce 91 L of ethanol per tonne of cane and export 130 kWh/t of cane, while for the Ethanol option the total ethanol production would be 124 L/t of cane with an electricity surplus of 50 kWh/t cane. The return on investment (ROI) related to the biochemical conversion route was 15.9%, compared with 23.2% for the power plant, for the conditions in Brazil. Considering the GHG emissions mitigation, the environmentally preferred option is the biochemical conversion route: the net avoided emissions associated to the adjacent plants are estimated to be 493 and 781 kgCO₂eq/t of dry bagasse for the Electricity and Ethanol options, respectively.     

Functionalization of polydimethylsiloxane membranes to be used in the production of voice prostheses

Abstract

The voice is produced by the vibration of vocal cords which are located in the larynx. Therefore, one of the major consequences for patients subjected to laryngectomy is losing their voice. In these cases, a synthetic one-way valve set (voice prosthesis) can be implanted in order to allow restoration of speech. Most voice prostheses are produced with silicone-based materials such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). This material has excellent properties, such as optical transparency, chemical and biological inertness, non-toxicity, permeability to gases and excellent mechanical resistance that are fundamental for its application in the biomedical field. However, PDMS is very hydrophobic and this property causes protein adsorption which is followed by microbial adhesion and biofilm formation. To overcome these problems, surface modification of materials has been proposed in this study. A commercial silicone elastomer, Sylgard^TM 184 was used to prepare membranes whose surface was modified by grafting 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate and methacrylic acid by low-pressure plasma treatment. The hydrophilicity, hydrophobic recovery and surface energy of the produced materials were determined. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of the materials were also assessed. The results obtained revealed that the PDMS surface modification performed did not affect the material's biocompatibility, but decreased their hydrophobic character and bacterial adhesion and growth on its surface.     

Economic design of water distribution systems in buildings

This article discusses an engineering optimization problem which arises in hydraulics and is related to the use of a new criterion for sizing water distribution piping in large buildings. The optimization model aims to find the most suitable interior pipe diameters for the various pipes in the system, using commercial sizes and minimizing the overall installation cost according to some boundary conditions. The problem is formulated as a non-convex nonlinear program and a branch-and-bound algorithm is introduced for its solution. A procedure is proposed to obtain a feasible solution with standard values from the optimal solution of the non-convex program. The performance of the algorithm is analysed for a real-life problem and the cost of the computed solution is assessed, showing the appropriateness of the model and the optimization techniques.     

Automatic control systems for submerged membrane bioreactors: a state-of-the-art review

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology has become relatively widespread as an advanced treatment for both industrial and municipal wastewater, especially in areas prone to water scarcity. Although operational cost is a key issue in MBRs, currently only a few crucial papers and inventions aimed to optimise and enhance MBR efficiency have been published. The present review summarises the available solutions in the area of automatic control systems and widely explores the advances in automation and control for MBRs. In this review of state of the art, different control systems are evaluated comparatively, distinguishing between control systems used for the filtration process and those used for the biological process of MBRs and describing the challenge faced by integrated control systems. The existing knowledge is classified according to the manipulated variables, the operational mode (open-loop or closed-loop) and the controlled variables used.     

SiC whisker reinforced multi-carbides composites prepared from B4C and pyrolyzed rice husks via reactive infiltration

SiC whisker reinfored carbide-based composites were fabricated by a reactive infiltration method by using Si as the infiltrate. Rice husks (RHs) were pyrolyzed to SiC whiskers, particles and amorphous carbon, and were then mixed with different contents of B₄C as well as Mo powders. The mixtures were molded to porous preforms for the infiltration. The SiC whiskers and particles in the preform remained in the composite. Molten Si reacted with the amorphous carbon, B₄C as well as Mo in the preform during the infiltration, forming newly SiC, B₁₂(C,Si,B)₃ as well as MoSi₂. The upper values of elastic modulus, hardness and fracture toughness of the composites are 297.8 GPa, 16.8 ± 0.8 GPa, and 3.8 ± 0.2 MPa m^1/2, respectively. The influence of the phase composition of the composites on the mechanical properties and the fracture mechanism are discussed.     

Comparison of Simple and Rapid Extraction Procedures for the Determination of Pesticide Residues in Fruit Juices by Fast Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Three sample treatment methods, based on QuEChERS, solid-phase extraction (SPE) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME), were compared and evaluated in order to obtain the best conditions to determine pesticide residues in fruit juice by fast gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (single quadrupole GC-MS). Analysis were performed under selected ion monitoring, acquiring the three most abundant and/or specific ions for each analyte and using their relative intensity ratios as a confirmatory parameter. The 3 methodologies (QuEChERS, SPE and SPME) were validated taking 15 selected pesticides as model compounds, using commercial apple juice. QuEChERS procedure was based on the AOAC Official Method 2007.01, using acetonitrile (containing 1 % acetic acid) as extraction solvent and primary–secondary amine during the dispersive solid-phase extraction. Oasis hydrophilic–lipophilic balance cartridges were used for SPE, and polyacrylate fibers were used for direct immersion SPME procedure. Three isotopically labeled standards were added to the samples before extraction and used as surrogate standards. Validation parameters as recoveries, limits of detection, and limits of quantification (LOQ), as well as matrix effects and sample throughput, were obtained and compared for the three extraction procedures. QuEChERS was considered faster and led to the best quantitative results. In this way, validation was extended to up to 56 pesticides by applying QuEChERS in multi-fruit juice samples, obtaining LOQs ranging from 2 to 20 μg/L for most compounds. Accuracy and precision were evaluated by means of recovery experiments at two concentration levels (10 and 100 μg/L), obtaining recoveries between 70 and 120 % in most cases and relative standard deviations below 15 %. Finally, the QuEChERS method was applied to the analysis of commercial juices, including mango–apple, pineapple, grapefruit and orange.     

Evaluation of Sample Preparation Procedures for Trace Element Determination in Brazilian Propolis by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry and Their Discrimination According to Geographic Region

Propolis is a complex mixture of substances collected by honeybees from buds or exudates of plants, beeswax, and other constituents, as pollen and sugars. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate two digestion procedures for determination of major, minor, and trace elements (Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in natura propolis samples by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). The first procedure studied was an open-vessel digestion using HNO₃ + H₂SO₄ + H₂O₂ in a heating block and the second one was a microwave-assisted concentrated acid digestion using HNO₃ + H₂O₂. Both digestion procedures led to similar results and quantitative recoveries. The residual carbon contents (RCCs) for propolis sample digests were 0.269?±?0.012 % when using the first procedure with conventional heating and 0.458?±?0.023 % by microwave-assisted closed vessel digestion, demonstrating high efficiency of both procedures. Accuracy of the results was demonstrated using a certified reference material and by comparison with a recommended official method. The t test (unpaired) at 95 % confidence level showed that there was no significant difference between determined and certified values of all analytes under investigation, except Ca concentration employing conventional procedure. The optimized microwave-assisted digestion procedure led to recoveries around 89–103 % and precision better than 5 % for most samples. The second procedure was faster, safer, and more accurate than the one based on conductive heating. Additionally, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied for checking if there was correlation between inorganic composition and source of propolis samples collected around Bahia State in the Northeast of Brazil.