Monolayered versus multilayered electroless NiP coatings: Impact of the plating approach on the microstructure, mechanical and corrosion properties of the coatings

Electroless nickel-phosphorous (NiP) coatings were produced on low carbon steel substrates for a total plating time of 3\u202fh. Different preparation modalities were pursued. Multilayered coatings were produced by stacking three layers of the same composition by successive electroless plating with rinsing steps in between. On the other hand, coatings termed \u2018monolayered\u2019 for the sake of comparison were deposited by one step electroless process, with and without undergoing bath replenishment of the electrolyte during plating. All the samples were subjected to thermal annealing at 400\u202f\ub0C for 1\u202fh under argon atmosphere. The results show that the multilayer approach prevents crack propagation in the as-deposited coatings because the interfaces between layers block the advance of defects. Bath replenishment during monolayered coatings production creates pseudo-interfaces similar to those of the multilayered case but they are ineffective in terms of corrosion protection. Un-replenishment of the electrolyte promotes a change in the coating's microstructure from lamellar to columnar which severely worsens their performance. Upon annealing, the presence of interfaces, along with the recrystallization of the metallic matrix, promotes an upgrading of the corrosion performance of the multi-layered coatings. The corrosion products spread laterally at the interface where they stockpile. At a certain point, the accumulation of these by-products provokes the exfoliation of the outermost layer exposing the layer underneath to the corrosive media, thereby delaying the advancement of the corrosion attack. The results of this study highlight the importance of the plating approach selection, as well as the need for proper electrolyte maintenance during the production of high-performance electroless coatings

Thermal treatment effect on the mechanical, tribological and corrosion properties of Ni-W alloy obtained by direct and pulse plating electrodeposition

Ni-W electrodeposits have emerged as one of the most suitable alternatives to hard chromium mainly owing to their remarkable mechanical and tribological properties. Additionally, advanced technologies that require materials resistant to high temperatures could benefit from the use of Ni-W coatings. In this work, the effect of thermal treatment at different temperatures (300, 500, 700°C) on the characteristics of Ni-W coatings obtained by direct and pulse plating (PP) was studied. The morphology, composition, crystalline structure, hardness, wear rate, friction coefficient and corrosion resistance of the thermally treated coatings were analysed and compared with the performance of hard chromium coatings. The results indicate that the pulse-plated Ni-W coatings show better mechanical and tribological properties than the ones obtained by direct current. A significant improvement in hardness in Ni-W layers was achieved by thermal treatment, mainly in the films grown by PP, with minor changes in wear resistance and corrosion performance

Evaluación de los riegos de la Comunidad de Regantes V del Canal de las Bardenas

14 Pag., 2 Tabl., 1 Fig.[ES] En este artículo se presentan los resultados de las evaluaciones de riego que se han llevado a cabo dentro de la segunda fase del trabajo denominado “Mejora de la Gestión Integral del Agua de Riego en la Comunidad de Regantes V del Canal de Bardenas”. El 80 % de la superficie de esta comunidad está ocupado por suelos de plataformas residuales, mientras que el resto son suelos de aluvial. Para caracterizar la capacidad de retención de agua de los suelos (CRA) se realizó un muestro en el que se describieron 50 perfiles. Para determinar la infiltración de los suelos y los índices de calidad del riego por superficie se realizaron 50 evaluaciones de riego. Un adecuado manejo del agua a nivel de parcela y unas texturas francas-franco arenosas permiten alcanzar niveles de eficiencia medios en las parcelas de las plataformas (53 % de media), cuyos suelos se caracterizan por una baja CRA (60 mm de media). En aluviales la eficiencia llega hasta un 80 % de media, gracias a las elevadas capacidades de retención de agua de estos suelos (182 mm de media). Actualmente se está realizado un reaprovechamiento de las aguas de desagüe que posiblemente provoque que la eficiencia a nivel de comunidad sea mayor que la obtenida a nivel de parcela. Estos resultados permiten pensar que la modernización de los regadíos, mediante el cambio a un sistema de riego presurizado, tendría un fuerte impacto sobre la eficiencia en parcela, aunque el impacto sobre la eficiencia en la comunidad sería menor. La modernización tendría resultados muy beneficiosos social y económicamente para los agricultores, además de mejorar la calidad de las aguas de los ríos que atraviesan la comunidad.[EN] Results of the irrigation evaluations performed in the second phase of the project “Improvement of the Water Irrigation Integral Management in the Comunidad de Regantes V del Canal de Bardenas” are presented in this paper. An 80 % of the area of the Irrigation District is occupied by soils of residual platforms, and the rest of the soils are alluvial. A soil survey was performed for characterising the water holding capacity (WHC) of the soils, using 50 soil profiles. A total of 50 irrigation evaluations was performed for determining soil infiltration and the performance indexes of surface irrigation in the study area. An adequate water management in border irrigation and loam-sandy loam textures permit to attain 53 % application efficiency in platforms, whose soils are characterized by a low WHC (with an average of 60 mm). In alluvial soils the application efficiency is higher, with an average of 80 %, due to the high water holding capacity of these soils (an average of 182 mm). Currently, The district is enforcing a program for irrigation return flows reuse. This program surely results in an irrigation district efficiency substantially higher that the average application efficiency. With these results is possible to think that an irrigation modernization, through a change to a pressurized irrigation system will severely improve the application efficiency, but the effect on the irrigation district efficiency will only be moderate. However, this modernisation would have great social and economical benefits for farmers, and also, the water quality of rivers crossing the irrigation district will be improved.Este proyecto de investigación ha sido cofinanciado por la CICYT, por Fondos FEDER, por el CONSI+D y por la Comunidad de Regantes V de Bardenas.Peer reviewe

Tribological performance of novel Nickel-based composite coatings with lubricant particles

Abstract The present study is focused on the evaluation of the tribological performance of novel Ni/hBN and Ni/WS2 composite coatings electrodeposited from an additive-free Watts bath with the assistance of ultrasound. Lubricated and non-lubricated scratch tests were performed on both novel composite coatings and on standard Ni deposits used as a benchmark coating to have an initial idea of the effect of the presence of particles within the Ni matrix. Under lubricated conditions, the performance of the Ni/hBN composite coating was very similar to the benchmark Ni coating, whereas the Ni/WS2 behaved quite differently, as the latter did not only show a lower coefficient of friction, but also prevented the occurrence of stick-slip motion that was clearly observed in the other coatings. Under non-lubricated conditions, whereas the tribological performance of the Ni/hBN composite coating was again very similar to that of the benchmark Ni coating, the Ni/WS2 composite coatings again showed a remarkable enhancement, as the incorporation of the WS2 particles into the Ni coating not only resulted in a lower coefficient of friction, but also in the prevention of coating failure

Onabotulinumtoxina en el tratamiento de la odontalgia atípica: Descripción de un caso clínico

La odontalgia atípica (OA) se define como un dolor dental continuo en uno o varios dientes, en ocasiones precedido por procedimientos dentales, y que tras un examen completo no se detecta patología dental. Se presupone un origen neuropático cuya respuesta a tratamientos locales y sistémicos es insatisfactoria. Presentamos el caso clínico de una paciente de 50 años con OA tras extracción dental, que presentó una reducción significativa del dolor después del tratamiento local con OnabotulinumtoxinA (OnabotA) en el área sintomática. La respuesta a la administración de OnabotA en esta paciente concuerda con las observadas previamente en series reducidas de casos, por lo que podría ser una alternativa terapéutica en este tipo de dolores de difícil control. Atypical odontalgia (AO) is defined as a continuous dental pain in the area of one or several teeth, sometimes preceded by dental procedures in the absence of signs of dental pathology after complete examination. It is thought to have a neuropathic origin in which the response to local and systemic treatment is insufficient. We present the case of a 50-year-old patient with AO after dental extraction, who presented a significant reduction in pain after local treatment with OnabotulinumtoxinA (OnabotA) in the symptomatic area. The response to the administration of OnabotA in this patient is in line with what had previously been observed in small series of cases, so it could be a therapeutic alternative in this type of pain that is difficult to control

Impacto de un programa de recuperación intensificada en cistectomía radical. Estudio comparativo de cohortes

Objetivo: Evaluar los resultados de la instauración de un programa de recuperación intensificada (ERAS) para cistectomía radical en abordaje abierto con respecto a la cohorte histórica de un mismo hospital. Material y métodos: Estudio de análisis retrospectivo de 138 pacientes sometidos a cistectomía radical con derivación ileal tipo Bricker o Studer de forma consecutiva (97 históricos vs. 41 ERAS). Se compararon tasa de complicaciones a 30 días, complicaciones estadio Clavien-Dindo > 2, mortalidad, estancia y tasa de readmisión en el hospital y en cuidados críticos, reintervención y necesidad de sondaje nasogástrico, trasfusión o nutrición parenteral. Resultados: No se hallaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en cuanto a la tasa de complicaciones globales tras 30 días de alta (73,171 vs. 77.32%; OR 1,25, IC 95% 0,54-2,981; p = 0,601) ni en Clavien-Dindo > 2 (41,463 vs. 42.268%; OR 1.033, IC 95% 0,492-2,167; p = 0,93), así como en mortalidad, estancias o tasas de readmisión y reintervención. La necesidad de sondaje nasogástrico fue menor en el grupo ERAS (43,902 vs. 78,351%; OR 4,624, IC 95% 2,112-10,123; p < 0,0001), así como la necesidad de nutrición parenteral total (26,829 vs. 34,021%; OR 12,234, IC 95% 5,165-28,92; p < 0,0001) y el tiempo bajo intubación orotraqueal desde la inducción anestésica (mediana [RIC] = 325 (285-355) vs. 540 (360-600) min; p < 0,0001). Conclusión: Los programas de recuperación intensificada en cistectomía radical disminuyen el intervencionismo sobre el paciente sin aumentar la morbimortalidad

A database program for enhancing irrigation district management in the Ebro Valley (Spain)

The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03783774In the last decade irrigation districts in the Ebro Valley of Spain have started to use database applications to enhance their management operations. Such applications often put more emphasis on administrative issues than on water management issues. A new irrigation district management software called “Ador” is presented in this paper. This database application has been designed to overcome limitations identified in an analysis of the software used in the study area. Ador can be used in irrigation districts independently of the type of irrigation system (surface, sprinkler or trickle) and the type of irrigation distribution network (open channel or pressurised). It can even be used in irrigation districts combining different types of irrigation systems and different types of irrigation distribution networks. The software can be used with minimum district information. The goals are to manage detailed information about district water management and to promote better on-farm irrigation practices. Ador is currently used to enhance management of 62 irrigation districts accounting for some 173,000 hectares in the Ebro Valley.National Plan for Research and Development of the Government of Spain (AGL2000-0151-P4-02). FEDER II of the European Union (2FD97-0547-C02). I3P program of the European Union. Oficina del Regante (Government of Aragón, FEOGA funds of the European Union).Peer reviewe

Ligand binding mechanism in steroid receptors; from conserved plasticity to differential evolutionary constraints

Steroid receptor drugs have been available for more than half a century, but details 24 of the ligand binding mechanism has remained elusive. We solved X-ray structures of 25 the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors to identify a conserved plasticity at 26 helix 6-7 region that extend the ligand binding pocket towards the receptor surface. 27 Since none of the endogenous ligands exploit this region, we hypothesized that it 28 constitutes an integral part of the binding event. Extensive all atom unbiased ligand 29 exit and entrance simulations corroborate a ligand binding pathway that gives the 30 observed structural plasticity a key functional role. Kinetic measurements reveal that 31 the receptor residence time correlate with structural rearrangements observed in both 32 structures and simulations. Ultimately, our findings reveal why nature has conserved 33 the capacity to open up this region and highlight how differences in the details of the 34 ligand entry process result in differential evolutionary constraints across the steroid 35 receptors.This study was supported by The European Research Council (2009-Adg25027-535 PELE) to V.G and by the SEV-2011-00067 grant of the Severo Ochoa Program. We 536 would like to acknowledge our AstraZeneca colleagues J. Hartleib, R.Unwin and 537 R.Knöll for helpful discussions. We also thank N. Blomberg (ELIXIR) and R. Neutze 538 (University of Gothenburg) for careful reading of the manuscript.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Rhenium and yttrium ions as antimicrobial agents against multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms

© 2019 The Authors. Letters in Applied Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for Applied Microbiology. Antimicrobial resistance presents major global concerns to patient health. In this study, metal ions of molybdenum, rhenium, yttrium and thallium were tested against bacteria in planktonic and biofilm form using one strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii. The antimicrobial efficacy of the metal ions was evaluated against the planktonic bacterial strains using minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations, whilst the efficacy of the metal ions against biofilms was tested using a crystal violet biofilm assay. Live Dead staining was used to visualize the antimicrobial activity elicited by the metal ions on the bacterial cell. The results showed that higher concentrations of the metals were required to inhibit the growth of biofilms (72·9 mg l −1 to 416·7 mg l −1 ), in comparison to their planktonic counterparts. MICs of the metal ions (<46·9 mg l −1 ) (planktonic cells) did not affect biofilm formation. Overall, rhenium and yttrium were effective antimicrobial agents. Molybdenum demonstrated the greatest level of biotoxicity. When taking into account these results and the known toxicity of thallium, it is possible that rhenium or yttrium ions could be developed as effective biocidal formulations in order to prevent transmission in healthcare environments. Significance and Impact of the Study: The metal ions, molybdenum, rhenium, thallium and yttrium were tested against both Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii in planktonic and biofilm forms. This research demonstrated that all the metal ions may be effective antimicrobial agents. However, molybdenum induced high levels of cytotoxicity, whilst, there was no significant difference in the toxicity of the other metal ions tested. When considering the results for the antimicrobial efficacy and biotoxicity of the metal ions, in conjunction with the known toxicity of thallium in certain chemical compositions, it was concluded that overall rhenium or yttrium ions may be effective antimicrobial agents, one potential application may be utilizing these metal ions in hospital surface cleaning formulations