Evolution and stability of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole inhibitor film upon Al alloy 6061

Journal of Applied Electrochemistry - Organic corrosion inhibitors have become competent alternatives to hazardous chrome conversion coatings due to their rapid adsorption over metal surfaces in...     

Compositional Dependence of Normal Spectral Emissivity of Molten Cu-Fe Alloy

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B - Normal spectral emissivity of molten Cu-Fe alloy with different compositions was measured at the wavelength of 807 nm using an electromagnetic...     

A Flexi-PEGDA Upconversion Implant for Wireless Brain Photodynamic Therapy

Near-infrared (NIR) activatable upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) enable wireless-based phototherapies by converting deep-tissue-penetrating NIR to visible light. UCNPs are therefore ideal as wireless transducers for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of deep-sited tumors. However, the retention of unsequestered UCNPs in tissue with minimal options for removal limits their clinical translation. To address this shortcoming, biocompatible UCNPs implants are developed to deliver upconversion photonic properties in a flexible, optical guide design. To enhance its translatability, the UCNPs implant is constructed with an FDA-approved poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) core clad with fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP). The emission spectrum of the UCNPs implant can be tuned to overlap with the absorption spectra of the clinically relevant photosensitizer, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). The UCNPs implant can wirelessly transmit upconverted visible light till 8 cm in length and in a bendable manner even when implanted underneath the skin or scalp. With this system, it is demonstrated that NIR-based chronic PDT is achievable in an untethered and noninvasive manner in a mouse xenograft glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) model. It is postulated that such encapsulated UCNPs implants represent a translational shift for wireless deep-tissue phototherapy by enabling sequestration of UCNPs without compromising wireless deep-tissue light delivery.     

Facile preparation of ultra-low Pt loading graphene-immobilized electrode for methanol oxidation reaction

Pulse current electrodeposition (PCE) technique was used to prepare graphene-supported platinum nanoparticles (GN-PtNPs) electrodes for the methanol electro-oxidation reaction in acidic media. The influences of the PCE parameters (applied current density, concentration of the Pt precursor, and duty cycle) upon the as-prepared GN-PtNPs electrodes for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in terms of catalytic activity and tolerance against poisoning were studied using the Taguchi design of experiment (DOE). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio analysis provided prediction of optimal electrodeposition conditions to yield GN-PtNPs electrode which give the best MOR performance. The values of confirmatory experiment were demonstrated close to the values predicted using the Taguchi method. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that the Pt crystallites in flower-like structure were deposited evenly on the surface of graphene sheet. The Pt crystallites were predominantly in a zero-valent, metallic Pt state based on the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis.     

An enterprise modelling CASE tool and data schema requirements for the selection of software support

This paper describes a prototype CASE tool which has been implemented to support the selection of software applications. It is argued that information structures are invariably linked to the operation of the enterprise and can, therefore, be used as a powerful basis both for the suitability assessment and selection of candidate software applications. A structured methodology for the modelling of the enterprise operation and development of information requirements is first outlined to establish the application domain of the CASE tool. The functionality of the CASE tool is subsequently described, showing how aspects of the enterprise are captured in terms of organization, functionality, resource and information. It will be demonstrated how the information structures, captured by the CASE tool, are subsequently developed into a schema and used for the evaluation of a suitable software application.     

Exploiting the relationships among several binary classifiers via data transformation

The structural resemblance among several existing classifiers has motivated us to investigate their underlying relationships. By exploring into the mapping solutions of these classifiers, we found that they can be linked by simple feature data scaling. In other words, the key to these relationships lies upon how the replica of feature data are being scaled. This finding leads us directly to an exploration of novel classifiers beyond existing settings. Based on an extensive empirical evaluation, we show that the proposed formulation facilitates a tuning capability beyond existing settings for classifier generalization.     

Tunable Spectrum Selectivity for Multiphoton Absorption with Enhanced Visible Light Trapping in ZnO Nanorods

Observation of visible light trapping in zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) correlated to the optical and photoelectrochemical properties is reported. In this study, ZnO NR diameter and c‐axis length respond primarily at two different regions, UV and visible light, respectively. ZnO NR diameter exhibits UV absorption where large ZnO NR diameter area increases light absorption ability leading to high efficient electron–hole pair separation. On the other hand, ZnO NR c‐axis length has a dominant effect in visible light resulting from a multiphoton absorption mechanism due to light reflection and trapping behavior in the free space between adjacent ZnO NRs. Furthermore, oxygen vacancies and defects in ZnO NRs are associated with the broad visible emission band of different energy levels also highlighting the possibility of the multiphoton absorption mechanism. It is demonstrated that the minimum average of ZnO NR c‐axis length must satisfy the linear regression model of Z _p,min = 6.31d to initiate the multiphoton absorption mechanism under visible light. This work indicates the broadening of absorption spectrum from UV to visible light region by incorporating a controllable diameter and c‐axis length on vertically aligned ZnO NRs, which is important in optimizing the design and functionality of electronic devices based on light absorption mechanism.