TiN-Ag as an antimicrobial and wear resistant coating

Nosocomial infections are a major clinical concern, posing great risks for patients and rising costs for health services providers. This work aims at developing a hard, wear resistant coating, whose antimicrobial properties shall prevent the transmission of infections. TiN coatings deposited by Physical Vapour Deposition, PVD, with different Ag contents have been studied, especially in relation to the hardness and adhesion, their microstructure and morphology. The antimicrobial activity of the surfaces has been assessed against Staphylococcus epidermidis at different time frames, one of the most troublesome source of infections in trauma and orthopaedic surgeries. The electro-tribology properties of different silver contest have been studied. Finally, the coatings have been deposited on surgical acetabular reamers and wear resistance tests have been carried out against synthetic composite bone (simulating cortical and cancellous bone). Results have shown a good coating adhesion on stainless steel (both quantitatively in the scratch tests and qualitatively in the tests against synthetic composite bone), while the hardness decreased with higher Ag percentages. Furthermore, coatings exhibited antimicrobial activity against S.epidermidis, limited silver release, a remarkable wear resistance (vs. uncoated surgical acetabular reamers), while the electrical contact resistance provided valuable information about the evolution of friction and the status of the coating. Therefore TiN-Ag coatings present promising features for reducing the risk of infections, monitoring and extending cutting edge life and quality, and thus limiting damage to living tissues, e.g. necrosis.This work was supported by the Economic Development Agency of the Basque Government under the following grants: Elkartek program, project Frontiers-V ref. KK-2019/00077 and BACTERICOAT project N. EXPT IG-2006/0000465, IT-2007/0000623, IT-2008/0000488

History and conservation of gardens in Korea

An assessment of the conservation of historic gardens in Korea reveals that this is still in a rather rudimentary state; there appears to be a general lack of understanding about historic gardens, about what is important within them and how their value may best be preserved. The official understanding of historic gardens is as tangible artefacts, yet art historical aspects of gardens are rarely a consideration even though there is a basic understanding of significance of these issues. More importantly there appears to be a lack understanding of the importance of the social and cultural context of gardens. This thesis offers seeks to explore this context in order to review modem attitudes to historic gardens and their value, in terms of international and local, cultural and political ethics. The legal framework for garden conservation is subjected to critical review, with suggestions being made as to the way ahead. Korea has a rich garden heritage, yet modem historical writing fails to explain the economic, social, cultural and political contexts of gardens, or how they were created, improved and maintained. As a result only a few gardens have been officially recognized as heritage; there are only fourteen gardens amongst a total of some 9806 sites designated as tangible cultural heritage. Moreover, in these fourteen cases protection is reliant primarily on the fact that they form the curtilage of a protected building, rather than because of their own value. Thus those historic gardens that have been well preserved owe their state of conservation to the fact that they are included in cultural heritage sites which have been designated on the basis of other elements' perceived value. Another consequence of the value of gardens not being recognized is that their full potential as tourist destinations has not been realized. Without concerted efforts to promote gardens it is unlikely that they will be properly protected. With the majority of people in Korea living high above the ground in apartment buildings, it requires considerable thought as to how they might become interested in historic garden culture. Yet with issues of global warming and sustainability causing increasing concern, energy consuming apartment living is perhaps an outmoded way of life that should be reconsidered. The historic courtyard typology, adapted to local climate conditions, should once again be considered as aú model for development. This would also enable a more sustained revival of local garden culture. This research identifies five ways of developing the conservation of historic gardens in Korea: first, historic gardens must be identified; conservation ethics must be reconsidered so that they take better account of garden heritage, particularly taking account of the proposed Global Landscape Charter; education and academic research is an essential basis for the understanding of historic gardens' conservation, and must be promoted; and the contribution a revival of garden culture can make to a sustainable future should be recognized. It will be a consequence of the shift in perspective that a greater understanding of the contribution gardens have made, that the high-rise building typology which has dominated Korea's development in the past halfcentury can be reassessed. Instead of seeing it as a reactive solution, we can gain much from incorporating conservation and its values as part of process which is integral to a sustainable future

Historia de los Papas desde San Pedro hasta nuestros días

Contiene: T. I, II, III y VDonación J. L. Estrada (Biblioteca General)Digitalizada en formato pdf tomos 1, 2 y 5

Alte und sehr alte Landkarten

Neuss: Bruno Buike 2020, 822p. - E52 - full title: Alte und sehr alte Landkarten - 800 Seiten Materialien - Reste eines Computercrashs mit Datenverlust - ENGLISH title: Old and vey old maps, 800p. material