Investigation of functional, physical, mechanical and thermal properties of TiO2 embedded polyester hybrid composites: A design of experiment (DoE) study

This paper presents a study on the Design of Experiments(Do E) approach to optimize the fabrication parameters of titania(TiO_2) embedded glass fiber reinforced polyester hybrid composites(HCs). HCs of unsaturated polyester resin(UPR) were fabricated using methyl ethyl ketone peroxide(MEKP) as the curing agent by hand lay-up process(HLUP) and compression molding technique(CMT). The fabrication parameters were optimized by Taguchi Do E(an orthogonal array of L25) using 3 control factors(concentration of TiO_2, concentration of MEKP and curing temperature) having 5 levels each. Statistical tools were employed to identify significant factors affecting tensile strengths and its reproducibility during HLUP. It was found that the concentration of TiO_2 in HCs significantly influenced the tensile strength(TS) followed by MEKP concentration and curing temperature. The highest value of TS was obtained at 3 wt% TiO_2, 2 wt% MEKP and 80 °C. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of TiO_2 concentration was basis for fabrication of polyester titania glass fiber hybrids(PTGFHs), which were further investigated for density and void fractions, linear shrinkage, flexural strength, impact strength, hardness and thermal behaviors. Moreover, cross-linking and hydrogen-bonding between polymeric chains, styrene, silica content of glass fiber and TiO_2 particles in PTGFHs were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.     

Electrical conductivity retention and electrochemical activity of CSA doped graphene/gold nanoparticle@ polyaniline composites

This paper reports the synthesis of CTAB mediated CSA doped PANI and GN/GNP@ PANI composite nanofibers. The as synthesized composite nanofibers were examined by TEM, SEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy; UV–visible diffused reflectance spectroscopy and TGA. The CTAB mediated CSA doped composite nanofibers showed 59% higher DC electrical conductivity at ambient temperature than that of PANI,which might be due to the enhancement in the mobility of the charge carriers and reduction in hopping distance in the composite system. The CTAB mediated CSA doped composite nanofibers compared to PANI was observed to be showing enhanced DC electrical conductivity retention after various cycles of heating, suggesting an enhancement in thermal stability of the composite structure, which could be attributed to the synergistic effect of GN,GNP and PANI. Additionally, the composite nanofibers showed greater electrochemical activity and better capacitive performance and reduced optical bandgap than that of PANI.     

Algal biomass as a global source of transport fuels: Overview and development perspectives

As a result of the global fuel crisis of the early 1970 s,coupled with concerns for the environment,the use of biofuel has been on the increase in many regions throughout the world.At present,a total of approximately 30 billion(30×109) liters of biofuel are utilized worldwide annually,although most countries rely hugely on the first generation biofuel.The limitations of the first and second generation biofuel gave rise to current interest in algae as a promising alternative to these conventional biofuel sources.Algal biomass could provide a lion’s share of the global transport fuel requirements in future.The present review highlights some important developments in,and potentials of algaculture as a major biomass resource of the future.However,the major constraint to commercial-scale algae farming for energy production is the cost factor,which must be addressed adequately before its potentials can be harnessed.     

Investigation on microstructural, mechanical and electrochemical properties of aluminum composites reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets

In present study, the microstructure, mechanical and electrochemical properties of aluminum–graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) composites were investigated before and after extrusion. The contents of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were varied from 0.25 to 1.0 wt.% in aluminum matrix. The composites were fabricated thorough powder metallurgy method, and the experimental results revealed that Al-0.25%GNPs composite showed better mechanical properties compared with pure Al, Al-0.50%GNPs and Al-0.1.0%GNPs composites. Before extrusion, the Al-0.25%GNPs composite showed ~13.5% improvement in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and ~50% enhancement in failure strain over monolithic matrix. On the other hand, Al-0.50%GNPs and Al-0.1.0%GNPs composites showed the tensile strength lower than monolithic matrix. No significant change was observed in 0.2% yield strength (YS) of the composites. However, the extruded materials showed different trends. The 0.2%YS of composites increased with increase in GNPs filler weight fractions. Surprisingly, UTS of composites with 0.25 and 0.50% GNPs was lower than monolithic matrix. The failure strain of the baseline matrix was enhanced by ~46% with 0.25% graphene nanoplatelets. The superior mechanical properties (in terms of failure strain) of the Al-0.25%GNPs composite maybe attributed to 2-D structure, high surface area and curled nature of graphene. In addition, the corrosion resistance of pure Al and its composites reinforced with 0.5 and 1.0 wt% GNPs was also investigated. It was found that the corrosion rate increased considerably by the presence of GNPs.     

Transmutation Scheme of Coin Flipping Protocol and Utilization

Coin flipping by telephone protocol（CFP） is utilized in a system to exchange a binary sequence at random between two person apart far from each other. However, CFP cannot he used in a system with many users like in a group environment system. A transmutation of CFP named T-CFP is proposed in this paper. The precondition of T-CFP is the system＇s user trusts the system center and center＇s cheating is meaningless at the same time. The significant difference between CFP and T-CFP is that CFP supports only two users while T-CFP can support many users to exchange special information. The security and efficiency of T-CFP are discussed with a detailed example on T-CFP utilization is demonstrated in this paper.     

The gene encoding R-spondin 4 (RSPO4), a secreted protein implicated in Wnt signaling, is mutated in inherited anonychia

Anonychia and hyponychia congenita (OMIM 206800) are rare autosomal recessive conditions in which the only presenting phenotype is the absence or severe hypoplasia of all fingernails and toenails. After determining linkage to chromosome 20p13, we identified homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding R-spondin 4 (RSPO4), a secreted protein implicated in Wnt signaling, in eight affected families. Rspo4 expression was specifically localized to developing mouse nail mesenchyme at embryonic day 15.5, suggesting a crucial role in nail morphogenesis.     

Genome assembly comparison identifies structural variants in the human genome

Numerous types of DNA variation exist, ranging from SNPs to larger structural alterations such as copy number variants (CNVs) and inversions. Alignment of DNA sequence from different sources has been used to identify SNPs and intermediate-sized variants (ISVs). However, only a small proportion of total heterogeneity is characterized, and little is known of the characteristics of most smaller-sized (<50 kb) variants. Here we show that genome assembly comparison is a robust approach for identification of all classes of genetic variation. Through comparison of two human assemblies (Celera's R27c compilation and the Build 35 reference sequence), we identified megabases of sequence (in the form of 13,534 putative non-SNP events) that were absent, inverted or polymorphic in one assembly. Database comparison and laboratory experimentation further demonstrated overlap or validation for 240 variable regions and confirmed >1.5 million SNPs. Some differences were simple insertions and deletions, but in regions containing CNVs, segmental duplication and repetitive DNA, they were more complex. Our results uncover substantial undescribed variation in humans, highlighting the need for comprehensive annotation strategies to fully interpret genome scanning and personalized sequencing projects.     

Texture of the nano-crystalline AlN thin films and the growth conditions in DC magnetron sputtering

DC reactive magnetron sputtering technique has been used for the preparation of Al N thin fi lms. The deposition temperature and the fl ow ratio of N2/Ar were varied and subsequent dependency of the fi lms crystallites orientation/texture has been addressed. In general, deposited fi lms were found hexagonal polycrystalline with a(002) preferred orientation. The X-ray diffraction(XRD) data revealed that the fi lm crystallinity improves,with the increase of substrate temperature from 300 ℃to 500℃. The dropped in full width half maximum(FWHM) of the XRD rocking curve value further con fi rmed it. However, increasing substrate temperature above 500 ℃or reducing the nitrogen condition(from 60 to 30% in the environment) induced the growth of crystallites with(102) and(103) orientations. The rise of rocking curve FWHM for the corresponding conditions depicted that the fi lms texture quality deteriorated. A further con fi rmation of the variation in fi lm texture/orentation with the growth conditions has been obtained from the variation in FWHM values of a dominant E1(TO) mode in the Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectra and the E2(high) mode in Raman spectra. We have correlated the columnar structure in AFM surface analyses with the(002) or c-axis orientation as well. Spectroscopic ellipsometry of the samples have shown a higher refractive index at 500 ℃growth temperature.     

Effects of drug-polymer dispersions on solubility and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> diffusion of artemisinin across a polydimethylsiloxane membrane

Artemisinin(ART) is a sesquiterpene lactone with an endo-peroxide bridge that is thought to be responsible for its antimalarial activity.It has low oral bioavailability because of aqueous insolubility,which leads to local toxicity at the site of aggregation.The present work focused on increasing its solubility and evaluating its permeation across a model membrane to mimic transdermal delivery that bypasses the hepatic metabolism.For this purpose,physical mixtures(PM),solid dispersions(SD) and lyophilized dispersions(LD) with different drug-polymer ratios(1:0.5,1:1,1:2,1:4 and 1:9) were prepared using the hydrophilic polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP).Drug-polymer dispersions were characterized using X-ray diffraction(XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR).Solubility was measured in three solvents:de-ionized water,phosphate buffered saline(PBS) and methanol.The toluene-water partition coefficient was evaluated and compared with the literature and calculated logP values.In vitro diffusion of ART was studied across a polydimethylsiloxane membrane from a saturated solution of drug-polymer dispersions.XRD patterns showed a gradual decrease in crystallinity of ART with increasing polymer concentration,while FTIR confirmed no interactions between ART and PVP.Solubility was increased up to 4-,5-and 8-fold for LD in water,PBS and methanol,respectively.The logP for toluene-water was 2.65 ± 0.3,which is in good agreement with literature and calculated logP values.Permeation was enhanced,which is attributed to the decrease in crystallinity and increase in wettability of the drug.The ART flux was significantly higher than that of pure ART(0.12 ± 0.01) with increasing PVP concentration for SD and LD formulations.In conclusion,drug-polymer dispersions with PVP improve the pharmaceutical properties of ART in the order LD>SD>PM.