Qualitative analysis of PZT (52/48) MPB using different synthesis methods

The current work reports a comparison between the structural and optical attributes of PZT (52/48) powder and thin film prepared via solid-state reaction and sol-gel spin-coating technique, respectively. The two obtained PZT samples, PZT-I corresponding to powder which was calcined at 875°C for 2 h, and PZT-II corresponding to a thin film which was annealed at 650°C for 2 h, were investigated via X-Ray Diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy, UV–Vis Spectroscopy, and SEM analysis. The diffraction spectra suggested the creation of a polycrystalline perovskite structure in both the samples. The optical band gap was evaluated using Tauc's relation. The bandgap values were found to be 3.2 eV for PZT-I and 3.87 eV for PZT-II. The bandgap values are significantly different for the PZT materials prepared by the two different methods.     

Poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) doped polypyrrole/tungsten oxide/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite films based surface acoustic wave sensors for NO sensing behavior

Poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) (PSSA) doped polypyrrole (PPy)/tungsten oxide (WO₃)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrid nanocomposite have been successfully synthesized using appropriate amounts of PSSA, pyrrole monomer, WO₃, and rGO dispersed in aqueous solution through in situ chemical oxidation polymerization. Here, a simple spin coating method was used to fabricate a nitric oxide (NO) gas sensor composed of the aforementioned nanocomposite on a surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator. This sensor can detect NO gas at concentrations of 1–110 parts per billion (ppb) at room temperature in dry air, with a sensitivity of 12 Hz/ppb and response and recovery times of <2 min. Moreover, its limit of detection (LOD) is 0.31 ppb for a signal to noise ratio of 3. It demonstrates repeatability, fast response, and recovery at room temperature. Moreover, its sensory performance remains highly stable over 30 days with only a 6.3% decrease in sensitivity. In addition, the sensor is highly selective for NO, even when nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, and carbon dioxide are applied as interfering gases. The inclusion of rGO (with large specific surface area) and the synergic effect of n-type WO₃ nanoparticles in the p-type PPy matrix (leading to p-n heterojunction region formation) possibly underlie the efficient sensing performance of our sensor.     

Comparison of a continuous flow dipper well and a reduced water dipper well combined with ultraviolet radiation for control of microbial contamination

Continuous flow (CF) dipper wells, or small countertop sinks, are used in the foodservice industry for rinsing utensils such as stirring spoons and dishers. In addition, these dipper wells are designed as continuous flow not only to rinse and clean but to also control for the buildup of microorganisms. Here, we evaluate a reduced water (RW) dipper well – with and without ultraviolet subtype C (UV-C) disinfection – for control and inactivation of Escherichia coli present on a stainless steel utensil. Overall, the RW dipper well (with and without UV-C) performed significantly better than the CF dipper well for removal of E. coli in 10% skim milk medium at various exposure and rinse times. More specifically, at 5, 10, and 30 s, the RW dipper well without UV-C achieved 1.04, 1.72, and 2.03 greater log₁₀ (CFU/ml) reduction in E. coli compared to the CF dipper well at the same treatment times, respectively. When combined with UV-C, the RW dipper well increased reduction of E. coli by 0.36–1.68 log₁₀ (CFU/ml) over prolonged use (i.e. 2 h continuous use). Moreover, the RW dipper well combined with UV-C may provide a preventative step to reduce the growth and/or persistence of bacteria on the utensil as well as the dipper well reservoir, especially for E. coli in 10% skim milk medium. To our knowledge this is the first study to evaluate the efficacy of dipper wells – both RW and CF systems – in the removal of E. coli on a stainless steel utensil.     

Silicon-silver dendritic nanostructures for the enhanced photoelectrochemical splitting of natural water

We report on the photoelectrochemical (PEC) splitting of natural water (pH 7) using silicon (Si) nanowires fitted with silver (Ag) dendrites (dendritic nanostructures) as working electrodes (photoanodes). A detailed study of the PEC water splitting process was carried out using linear sweep voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Mott-Schottky (M-S) measurements. The measured photocurrent density of 1.7 mA/cm² at an external voltage of ?0.6 V under white light illumination demonstrates the efficient decomposition of natural water using dendritic nanostructures as working electrodes. This decomposition is mainly attributed to a significant strengthening of the effective interface between working electrode surface/water and to a decline in the recombination of photoinduced carriers in the presence of Ag dendrites. We propose that the Schottky barrier between Si and Ag dendritic nanostructures favors enhanced photoinduced charge carrier separation. Photoinduced holes in Si are transferred to Ag dendrites (nano branches and leaves) that serve as a charge sink to effectively carry out the PEC oxidation of water. Photoinduced charge carrier separation enhancement was corroborated by the kinetics of our carrier recombination study. We obtained a reasonably long transient period of 80 s for the photoinduced carriers. EIS results show that the charge transfer resistance (150 Ω) of the dendritic nanostructure surface is low enough to promote interfacial charge transfer. This resistance generated a large carrier concentration of ～1.1 × 10²⁰ cm^?3 at the working electrode/water interface according to an M-S analysis. An applied bias-photon-to-current-conversion efficiency level of roughly 4% is reported, demonstrating the efficient PEC splitting of natural water.     

Numerical simulation of coupled thermo-electrical field for 20 kA new rare earth reduction cell

To solve the problems of high energy consumption, low efficiency and short service life of conventional rare earth reduction cells, a 20 kA new rare earth reduction cell (NRERC) was presented. The effects of the anode-cathode distance (ACD) and electrolyte height (EH) on the thermo-electrical behavior of the NRERC were studied by ANSYS. The results illustrate that the cell voltage drop (CVD) and the temperature will rise with a similar tendency when the ACD increases. Also, the temperature rises gradually with EH, but the CVD decreases. Ultimately, when the ACD is 115 mm and the EH is 380 mm, the CVD is 4.61 V and the temperature is 1109.8 °C. Under these conditions, the thermal field distribution is more reasonable and the CVD is lower, which is beneficial to the long service life and low energy consumption of the NRERC.     

Metal Drain Double-Gate Tunnel Field Effect Transistor with Underlap: Design and Simulation

Silicon - In this paper, we propose and simulate a novel double gate tunnel field effect transistor (DG-TFET) employing a metallic drain and a gate-drain underlap. The use of a metallic drain and...     

Pharmacotherapeutics and molecular docking studies of alpha-synuclein modulators as promising therapeutics for Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative ailment that affects dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain called the substantia nigra of the ventral midbrain. It is clinically characterized by movement disorder and marked with unusual synaptic protein alpha-synuclein accumulation in the brain. To date, only a few Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs are available on the market for the treatment of PD. Nonetheless, these drugs show parasympathomimetic related adverse events and remarkably higher toxicity; hence, it is important to find more efficacious molecules to treat PD. In our study, We chosen 22 natural compounds as inhibitors that potentially block the alpha-synuclein clump—the pathological hallmark of PD—and provide new avenues for its treatment. Most of these molecules exhibited good pharmacokinetic behaviors, making them decisively favorable drug candidates to cure PD. Molecular docking studies were performed to investigate the binding interactions between natural compounds and alpha-synuclein as anti-Parkinson drug targets. Among the examined compounds, curcumin and piperine emerged as promising phytochemicals with the highest binding affinity, key residual stable bindings and showed a good inhibitory features. Thus, the present study indicates that curcumin and piperine hold the potential to be developed as treatment options against PD. Experimental validations are needed for insights into their mechanism of action and potential clinical application.     

500kV变压器现场维修中的汽相干燥处理

本文中作者详细介绍了对一台500kV变压器,在水电站的水轮机车间,成功利用移动式汽相干燥装备进行现场维修的案例。     

Novel NiO/ZnO/Fe2O3 white light-emitting phosphor: facile synthesis,color-tunable photoluminescence and robust photocatalytic activity

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - The NiO/ZnO/Fe2O3 ternary nanocomposites with different molar ratios (1:1:1), (2:1:1), (3:1:1) and (4:1:1) were synthesized by...