Hydrodynamic Analysis on a Photocatalytic Reactor Using ANSYS Fluent^®

Solar technology includes a wide variety of developments in environmental applications that include photovoltaic cells and photocatalytic devices, among others. Sunlight usage as a clean energy source is highly desirable in technology applications. The main interest of this proposal is to carry on with hydrodynamic analysis in photocatalytic reactors applications where sunlight is used to activate a chemical reaction to degrade water pollutants and calculations are based in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) using ANSYS®. The different steps, geometric domain, preprocessing steps, setup, and postprocessing steps, are described to display an analysis of a numerical calculation during the design of a photocatalytic reactor using the commercial software ANSYS Fluent®. This work may help as a guide for chemical reactor design and includes a numerical solution of one case for a photocatalytic reactor during its design process. In addition, simplifications are explained which enable the designer to make an efficient process of the numerical calculation. Calculations and analysis are carried over in ANSYS Fluent® a powerful multi-physics program suite to develop photocatalytic reactors

MoS₂ Thin Films for Photo-Voltaic Applications

The low dimensional chalcogenide materials with high band gap of ~1.8 eV, specially molybdenum di-sulfide (MoS2), have been brought much attention in the material science community for their usage as semiconducting materials to fabricate low scaled electronic devices with high throughput and reliability, this includes also photovoltaic applications. In this chapter, experimental data for MoS2 material towards developing the next generation of high-efficiency solar cells is presented, which includes fabrication of ~100 nm homogeneous thin film over silicon di-oxide (SiO2) by using radio frequency sputtering at 275 W at high vacuum~10−9 from commercial MoS2 99.9% purity target. The films were studied by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopy with energy disperse spectroscopy, grazing incident low angle x-ray scattering, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, atom probe tomography, electrical transport using four-point probe resistivity measurement as well mechanical properties utilizing nano-indentation with continuous stiffness mode (CSM) approach. The experimental results indicate a vertical growth direction at (101)-MoS2 crystallites with stacking values of 7-laminates along the (002)-basal plane; principal Raman vibrations at E12g at 378 cm−1 and A1g at 407 cm−1. The hardness and elastic modulus values of H = 10.5 ± 0.1 GPa and E = 136 ± 2 GPa were estimated by CSM method from 0 to 90 nm of indenter penetration; as well transport measurements from −3.5 V to +3.5 V indicating linear Ohmic behavior

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Impact Evaluation of High Energy Ball Milling Homogenization Process in the Phase Distribution of Hydroxyapatite-Barium Titanate Plasma Spray Biocoating

Air plasma spray technique (APS) is widely used in the biomedical industry for the development of HA-based biocoatings. The present study focuses on the influence of powder homogenization treatment by high-energy ball milling (HEBM) in developing a novel hydroxyapatite-barium titanate (HA/BT) composite coating deposited by APS; in order to compare the impact of the milling process, powders were homogenized by mechanical stirring homogenization (MSH) too. For the two-homogenization process, three weight percent ratios were studied; 10%, 30%, and 50% w/w of BT in the HA matrix. The phase and crystallite size were analyzed by X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD); the BT-phase distribution in the coating was analyzed by backscattered electron image (BSE) with a scanning electron microscope (SEM); the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis was used to determinate the Ca/P molar ratio of the coatings, the degree of adhesion (bonding strength) of coatings was determinate by pull-out test according to ASTM C633, and finally the nanomechanical properties was determinate by nanoindentation. In the results, the HEBM powder processing shows better efficiency in phase distribution, being the 30% (w/w) of BT in HA matrix that promotes the best bonding strength performance and failure type conduct (cohesive-type), on the other hand HEBM powder treatment promotes a slightly greater crystal phase stability and crystal shrank conduct against MSH; the HEBM promotes a better behavior in the nanomechanical properties of (i) adhesive strength, (ii) cohesive/adhesive failure-type, (iii) stiffness, (iv) elastic modulus, and (v) hardness properties

Structural Aspects LiNbO3 Nanoparticles and Their Ferromagnetic Properties

We present a solid-state synthesis of ferromagnetic lithium niobate nanoparticles (LiNbO3) and their corresponding structural aspects. In order to investigate the effect of heat treatments, two batches of samples with a heat-treated (HT) and non-heat-treated (nHT) reduction at 650 °C in 5% of hydrogen/argon were considered to investigate the multiferroic properties and their corresponding structural aspects; using magnetometry and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Results indicate the existence of ferromagnetic domains with a magnetic moment per unit cell of 5.24 × 10−3 μB; caused mainly due to voids and defects on the nanoparticle surface, as confirmed by STEM measurements

Hardness and Elastic Modulus on Six-Fold Symmetry Gold Nanoparticles

The chemical synthesis of gold nanoparticles (NP) by using gold (III) chloride trihydrate (HAuCl∙3H2O) and sodium citrate as a reducing agent in aqueous conditions at 100 °C is presented here. Gold nanoparticles areformed by a galvanic replacement mechanism as described by Lee and Messiel. Morphology of gold-NP was analyzed by way of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy; results indicate a six-fold icosahedral symmetry with an average size distribution of 22 nm. In order to understand the mechanical behaviors, like hardness and elastic moduli, gold-NP were subjected to nanoindentation measurements—obtaining a hardness value of 1.72 GPa and elastic modulus of 100 GPa in a 3–5 nm of displacement at the nanoparticle’s surface

In-situ TEM study of mechanical behaviour of twinned nanoparticles

There is strong interest in studying changes in mechanical properties with reducing grain size. The rational is that consequent dislocation glide cannot be sustained, resulting in an increase in material strength. However, this comes with the cost of a reduction in ductility. It has been shown that coherent twin boundaries in nanostructured Cu improve the ductility to 14% [Lu et al., Science 324 (2009) p. 349]. In this paper, we report for the first time the compression of individual nanoparticles using an in situ force probing holder in the transmission electron microscope. Four types of nanoparticles were tested, three with twin boundaries (decahedra, icosahedra and a single twin) and one free of defects (octahedral). Our results indicate the yield strength of the twinned nanoparticles is between 0.5 and 2.0 GPa. The total malleability for the twinned particles range from 80 to 100%. In addition, experimental results were reproduced by MD simulations of the compression phenomena and suggest that the outstanding mechanical properties are related with partial dislocation multiplication at twin boundaries