A facile and green synthetic approach toward fabrication of alcea- and thyme-stabilized tio2 nanoparticles for photocatalytic applications

A facile and green synthetic approach was considered for the synthesis of stabilized titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. Extracts of Alcea and Thyme plants were used to synthesis TiO2 nanoparticles for photocatalytic applications. Evaluation of the structural and phase formation via X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated the formation of the anatase phase of TiO2 along with the rutile phase. A desired single phase of anatase was obtained upon heating the as-synthesized samples at 500 °C for 3 h. Using the information provided by the XRD analyzer and the Debye Scherer relationship, the average crystallite size was found to be around 6 and 10 nm for the samples synthesized using Alcea and Thyme plants, respectively. To determine the elemental analysis and chemical structure, the energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyzer and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were employed. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) indicated batches of ultrafine agglomerated particles for both samples, which their sizes grew by the heating process. The UV–visible analysis of photocatalytic properties confirmed the priority of TiO2 nanoparticles prepared with Thyme extracts

Numerical and experimental investigation on boding strength optimization of glass fibers-reinforced epoxy composites on a structural steel substrate

Incidence of breaks and leakages in fluid transportation pipes is a common issue in Iran. Depending on the type of pipes and environmental conditions, the breaks in the pipes may be caused by different factors, including mechanical damages, internal or external corrosions, failures, or applied stresses. In the repair of damaged pipes, there are several strategies for rebuilding and implementing the pipeline, most of which are replacing the entire exhausted pipe, using weld clamps and using composite patches. In recent years, the use of composite patches has been accepted as a low-cost, permanent, and standard method for different pipe sections with the least interruption in transportation. In the present study, the boding strength of glass fibers-reinforced epoxy composite patches on a structural steel substrate were investigated and optimal conditions of achieving enhanced adhesion strength of composite patches on the steel substrate were determined, using the Tagochi method at various curing temperatures and times. In this regard, the tensile and shear strength of epoxy, cyanoacrylate, and methacrylate-based glues as three kinds of appropriate polymers for bonding the epoxy composite on the steel substrates were tested. The mechanical strength measurements and fractured interfaces evaluations using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the methacrylate-based glue has the better adhesion strength to the steel substrate

Consultation-liaison psychiatry in a general hospital

BACKGROUND: At least one half of all patients who admitted to general hospitals, suffer from psychiatric comorbidities. Management of mental disorders in these patients, significantly, improves the course and outcome of medical diseases. The aim of this survey was to answer the following questions: 1) what is the rate of diagnosable psychiatric symptoms among medical and surgical inpatients? and 2) what proportion of them undergo psychiatric consultation?
 METHODS: Three hundred and ninety two patients admitted to medical and surgical wards of Alzahra hospital (Isfahan) from January 2005 until March 2005 were evaluated by the revised form of psychiatric symptoms checklist (SCL-90-R). The total referral records were also maintained and compared with the data of morbidity.
 RESULTS: One hundred and fifty six (42.7%) of the evaluated subjects had psychiatric co-morbidities. The most prevalent psychiatric symptoms determined in this group were depression, somatization and anxiety. Only 84 (3%) of these patients had undergone psychiatric consultation.
 CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that many of the patients, who are admitted to general hospitals, may have psychiatric co-morbidities but only a very small percentage of them receive appropriate mental cares.
 KEY WORDS: Consultation-liaison psychiatry, general hospital, mental disorder

Treatment of Strontium Hexaferrite Powder Synthesized Conventionally to Produce High Coercivity

Strontium hexaferrite powder, produced conventionally from strontium carbonate and iron oxide has been treated in nitrogen and hydrogen atmospheres and then calcined in air. Magnetic measurements after the gas treatment stage indicated a marked decrease of intrinsic coercivity and an increase in saturation magnetisation. During the calcination stage there was a recovery of the magnetic properties. The material now exhibited a remanence and saturation magnetisation close to that of the starting hexaferrite, but a very much higher intrinsic coercivity. The highest coercivity obtained was around 400 kA/m, which is very high for a hexaferrite powder, particularly one synthesized conventionally, without extensive milling. The high coercivity was attributed to a much finer grain size