Effect of double thermal and electrochemical oxidation on titanium alloys for medical applications

The research focuses on the development and characterization of innovative thin hybrid oxide coatings obtained in subsequent processes of thermal (TO) and electrochemical (EO) oxidation. Four different surface modifications were investigated and the microstructure was determined, the mechanical, chemical and biological properties of the Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy were assessed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray dispersion analysis, glow discharge emission spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, nanoindentation and corrosion resistance measurements. The composite layers were evaluated for antimicrobial activity, cytotoxicity bioassays and wettability tests were performed. The conducted studies of two-stage oxidation (TO + EO) have shown that it is possible to obtain layers with a different structure - crystalline and nanotubular. The formation of a nanotube layer on the surface of the crystalline layer is dependent on the thickness of the crystalline layer. The produced double titanium oxide coatings show high surface roughness, high corrosion resistance, are hydrophilic, slightly antibacterial, and not cytotoxic, which has a huge impact on the process of connecting the tissue with the implant

Performance of conventional CSZP-based ceramic coating on oxidation of carbon–carbon composites

Low-expansion compositions of Ca1−xSrxZr4(PO4)6 [CSZP] system, synthesized by solid-state reaction method were characterized for axial and bulk thermal expansion by high-temperature XRD and dilatometry to obtain a suitable composition with matching expansion behaviour with carbon–carbon composite. Sinterability of the powders was promoted by the addition of 3 and 5 wt.% ZnO and the corresponding effects on the bulk thermal properties were determined. Coating of the most suitable composition with x = 0.25 was applied on the composite by normal spraying technique. The coating was matured at 1100 °C to obtain a continuous protective layer with low porosity and almost no visible reaction at the interface. Oxidation studies of coated and uncoated composites carried out at 600–900 °C temperature range up to 6 h established that the coating helped to improve the oxidation resistance of the composite at elevated temperature

Ten polymorphic microsatellite markers in the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and cross-species amplification

Ten tetranucleotide, dinucleotide and compound microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for the round goby, Neogobius melanostomus . Analysis of 64 gobies from one nonindigenous population in Lake Erie, Ontario, Canada, indicated that allele number varied from three to 12 per locus, while observed heterozygosity ranged between 0.33 and 0.86. Eight of these primers showed some amplification in other species in four genera. These newly developed microsatellite markers are a powerful tool that will provide insights into population structure and dispersal of the round goby in their novel environment

Interdisciplinary research in artificial intelligence: challenges and opportunities

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in a variety of research fields is speeding up multiple digital revolutions, from shifting paradigms in healthcare, precision medicine and wearable sensing, to public services and education offered to the masses around the world, to future cities made optimally efficient by autonomous driving. When a revolution happens, the consequences are not obvious straight away, and to date, there is no uniformly adapted framework to guide AI research to ensure a sustainable societal transition. To answer this need, here we analyze three key challenges to interdisciplinary AI research, and deliver three broad conclusions: 1) future development of AI should not only impact other scientific domains but should also take inspiration and benefit from other fields of science, 2) AI research must be accompanied by decision explainability, dataset bias transparency as well as development of evaluation methodologies and creation of regulatory agencies to ensure responsibility, and 3) AI education should receive more attention, efforts and innovation from the educational and scientific communities. Our analysis is of interest not only to AI practitioners but also to other researchers and the general public as it offers ways to guide the emerging collaborations and interactions toward the most fruitful outcomes