Local pH variation as an initial step in bacterial surface-sensing and biofilm formation

The development of surface-associated layers of matrix-embedded microbial populations, called biofilms, is a serious problem in many medical and industrial settings. These contaminations are difficult to eradicate because of the high resistance level acquired by the cells in their particular environment. From the very beginning of the colonization process, modifications of gene expression are observed and could, at least partially, explain biofilm resistance. In order to develop anti-biofilm molecules and surface treatments, it is of pivotal importance to identify the physico-chemical parameters which activate the sensor systems of pioneering microbes when they come into contact with a surface. The aim of our study was to examine the pH variations in the local micro-environment created between the cell layer and the surface after bacteria adhesion. Using an ion-sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET), as a substratum, colonized by a curli hyperproducing strain known to form biofilms, we observed that the evolution of the pH change was significantly different in the micro-compartment in contact with the electrochemical sensor compared to that within the liquid phase.     

Determination of the yield <Emphasis Type="Italic">loci</Emphasis> of four sheet materials (AA6111-T4, AC600, DX54D+Z,and H220BD+Z) by using uniaxial tensile and hydraulic bulge tests

In sheet metal forming simulation, a flow curve and a yield criterion are vital requirements for obtaining reliable numerical results. It is more appropriate to determine a flow curve by using biaxial stress condition tests, such as the hydraulic bulge test, than a uniaxial test because hardening proceeds higher strains before necking occurs. In a uniaxial test, higher strains are extrapolated, which might lead to incorrect results. The bulge test, coupled with the digital image correlation (DIC) system, is used to obtain stress–strain data. In the absence of the DIC system, analytical methods are used to estimate hardening. Typically, such models incorporate a correction factor to achieve correlation to experimental data. An example is the Chakrabarty and Alexander method, which uses a correction factor based on the n value. Here, the Chakrabarty and Alexander approach was modified using a correction factor based on normal anisotropy. When compared with DIC data, the modified model was found to be able to better predict the hardening curves for the materials examined in this study. Because a biaxial flow curve is required to compute the biaxial yield stress, which is an essential input to advanced yield functions, the effects of the various approaches used to determine the biaxial stress–strain data on the shape of the BBC2005 yield loci were also investigated. The proposed method can accurately predict the magnitude of the biaxial yield stress, when compared with DIC data, for all materials investigated in this study.     

Investigation on formability enhancement of 5A06 aluminium sheet by impact hydroforming

High strain rate (HSR) forming has been found to be able to enhance the formability of sheet metals like electro-magnetic forming. Impact hydroforming (IHF) is proposed, in which the sheet is formed with high-pressure pulse combining hydroforming and HSR forming. An IHF bulge test setup was designed, 5A06 aluminium sheet was tested with strain rate of 2 × 10³ s^?1 showing remarkable thickness strain increase compared with quasi-static condition. A new IHF equipment is designed, the IHF process was verified effective with the equipment, complicated aluminium aircraft sheet part with high drawing ratio was formed that cannot be formed with quasi-static hydroforming.     

Modeling the material behavior of magnesium alloy AZ31 using different yield criteria

Nowadays, the finite element analysis (FEA) is playing a main rule in fields of sheet metal forming for designing processes and dimensioning parts. The most frequent yield criteria used in the FE commercial programs for the sheet-metal-forming simulation, like AUTOFORM, PAMSTAMP, etc., are Hill’48 for common steels or Barlat’89 and various BBC models for some aluminum alloys. In this paper, different yield loci for biaxial tensile stress conditions of the magnesium sheet metal alloy AZ31 are investigated. The experimental investigations have been done using the specimen geometry for the experimental setup developed at the Chair of Manufacturing Technology (LFT) of the University of Erlangen. The yielding behavior is determined basing exclusively on real material data out of experiments so that no FE calculations are necessary to detect strains and stresses. Using these data, several yield criteria are applied to approximate the real material characteristics, whereas the model of BBC’2005 leads to the best agreement for uniaxial yield stresses, the anisotropy coefficients, and the yield locus.     

Epoxy–lignin polyblends. III. Thermal properties and infrared analysis

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and IR analysis were performed on a nonviscous epoxy polymer system (EP) with Kraft lignin (L) up to 20%. Mixtures of EP with similar amounts of silica (S) as in EP–L polyblends were used as a reference system for the analyses performed. EP–L polyblends cured at room temperature exhibit a single T_g, a fact characteristic for the monophasic systems. One-step tensile storage modulus vs. temperature curves, and related one-peak tensile loss modulus vs. temperature curves were found for all the EP–L polyblends. At about 30°C the tensile storage modulus of EP does not change in the presence of lignin in amounts up to 20% by weight. All these showed that L is miscible with EP and it does not affect the crosslinking at room temperature. IR spectra led to similar conclusions. The gradual decrease of the peak values of tan δ with the amount of L in polyblends is due to an increase in the tensile storage modulus and a decrease of the tensile loss modulus at temperatures close to T_g. This fact is explained by a stronger bond between EP and L, which could be formed at higher temperatures. The DSC and DMA data are in agreement with the mechanical properties of EP–L polyblends, which were reported previously.     

Optical planar and channel waveguides in the new nonlinear crystal Ca4YO(BO3)3 (YCOB) fabricated by He+ implantation

We report the first study of optical planar and channel waveguides fabricated in the new nonlinear crystal Ca4YO(BO3) by use of MeV He+-implantations. The nx, ny, and nz refractive index modifications are studied. Losses in nonannealed YCOB waveguides measured with a CCD camera are found to be less than 2 dB cm(-1). This work is the first step toward the investigation of frequency conversion within the obtained guiding structures.     

Single-chamber filament-assisted chemical vapor deposition of polymer and organosilicate films for air gap interconnect formation

Air gaps introduced at the trench level of advanced interconnects provide a means of lowering effective dielectric constant, k_eff, without the use of mechanically weak ultra low-k films. Filament-assisted chemical vapor deposition (FACVD) is a promising technology for depositing polymers, dielectrics and metals. Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) is a novel one-step method of depositing polymers in the vapor phase while retaining properties found in solution chemistry. In this paper, we present a 300 mm FACVD tool employing iCVD and FACVD processes to deposit polymer adhesion promoter (AP), decomposable polymer (DP), and permeable SiCOH cap films for air gap integration. By decomposing the iCVD polymer to form voids, we show decreased capacitance for a 160 nm line-space single damascene structure.