Micro/Nano-Structuring of Medical Stainless Steel using Femtosecond Laser Pulses

AbstractThe medical stainless steel (SUS 304) surface is irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses with linear or circular polarization to form nanostructure-covered conical microstructures. The mean spacing of the conical microstructures and the type of the nanostructure can be controlled by the laser-processing parameters. The liquid test (water and normal-saline solution) demonstrates that the process provides a fast single-step structuring method to generate hydrophobic-enhanced metal parts. The biocompatibility test demonstrated that the femtosecond laser micro/nano- structuring surfaces have excellent biocompatibility properties compared to an untreated surface

Effect of microstructures on the electron-phonon interaction in the disordered metals Pd60_{60}Ag40_{40}

Using the weak-localization method, we have measured the electron-phonon scattering times $\tau_{ep}$ in Pd$_{60}$Ag$_{40}$ thick films prepared by DC- and RF-sputtering deposition techniques. In both series of samples, we find an anomalous $1/\tau_{ep} \propto T^2\ell$ temperature and disorder dependence, where $\ell$ is the electron elastic mean free path. This anomalous behavior cannot be explained in terms of the current concepts for the electron-phonon interaction in impure conductors. Our result also reveals that the strength of the electron-phonon coupling is much stronger in the DC than RF sputtered films, suggesting that the electron-phonon interaction not only is sensitive to the total level of disorder but also is sensitive to the microscopic quality of the disorder.Comment: accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Psychophysiological Assessment of Buddhist Taiwanese Chanting

The psychophysiological responses and subjective experience correlates of Buddhist chanting were recorded from a 54 year-old female Buddhist monk who performed chanting for approximately 30 to 60 minutes twice daily for 25 years. The measutes included respiration rate from upper thorax, blood volume pulse (BVP) from left middle finger with heart rate derived from BVP, finger temperature from right index finger, skin conductance (SC) from the left index finger and the ring finger and sutface electromyographic (sEMG) from right trapezius and left sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCM) and were recorded during normal chanting sequence which included reading sutra aloud with her eyes open (chanting "The Samanta-Mukha") and silent mental repetition of sutra with the eyes closed (chanting "The Heart Sutra" inside her mind). After chanting she reported feeling peaceful, more relaxation with a total focus of attention and "consciousness"-an experience that was similar to when she chanted in the temple with other monks. The most significant finding was that respiration rate changed from 7.2 br/min during pre-baseline, to 12.1 brlmin during reading sutra aloud, 5.7 brlmin during silent mental repetition of sutra and 7.5 brl/min during post-baseline. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was significantly higher during post-baseline than reading chanting and silent mental repetition of sutra. All physiological measures were significantly different for each condition. This study suggests that the subjective experience associated with chanting can not be attributed to increased RSA and slower breathing as it depends upon the style of chanting. The spiritual experience associated with chanting appears to be evoked through the focused attention on the sutra

Actinomycetes as Biological Control Agents for Calves' Brains Fungus, Diehiomyces microsporus, in Mushroom Culture.

[[abstract]]Of 384 bacterial and 426 actinomycete samples obtained from compost and casing soil, 70 bacteria and 227 actinomycetes inhibited D. microsporus on agar media. In further tests in paired cultures in compost in culture tubes the actinomycete isolate A-1759 was effective under sterile and nonsterile conditions while A-1518 was effective only in sterile compost. Isolates A-1708 and A-1713 were not effective when tested in nonsterile compost, although they both displayed a wide inhibitory zone against D. microsporus on agar. None of these isolates was inhibitory to mushroom. The bacterial isolates B-1303 and B-1304 were inhibitory to mushroom in sterile compost. The actinomycete A-1403 was parasitic to mycelium of D. microsporus on slide cultures. In tests in mushroom houses inoculation of compost with A-1403 before peak heating protected the mushrooms from a challenging inoculation with D. microsporus but was less effective when introduced at casing time. Isolate A-1759 was ineffective when inoculated to either compost or casing soil. Isolate A-1403 appeared to be closely related to Streptomyces circulatus and A-1759 to Micromonospora parva

ANALYSIS OF THE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION PATTERN AND THE CONTROLLING BALANCE DURING KICK MOVEMENT OF TAI-CHI CHUAN

The purpose of this study was to compare the pressure distribution patterns of the stable kick and unstable kick from the kick movement of a Tai-Chi Chuan athlete. A national elite female Tai-Chi Chuan athlete was the subject for this study. The Tekscan HR Mat Pressure Measurement System was used to collect the vertical ground reaction force and the pressure history of the standing foot in right kicking movement and left kicking movement. All the data of the standing foot were divided into metatarsals, tarsals and phalanges to calculate the partial force and partial pressure. The pressure-time diagram of the phalanges, metatarsals and tarsals indicated that the pressure histories trended to be stable in each time as the lefl kick completed, and the phalanges produced 'snatchy' and larger pressures acting on the ground

Biohydrogen purification using a commercial polyimide membrane module: Studying the effects of some process variables

In this work the purification of biohydrogen was attempted in mixed gas measurements using a commercial polyimide membrane module. The impact of several process variables (gas composition, temperature, ratio of retentate and feed flows) on the real separation efficiency was statistically studied applying a 3-level full-factorial experimental design. The results showed that all the factors examined could significantly affect the achievable selectivity and it was observed that the theoretical and real separation factors were remarkably different. It was also found that - in comparison with other commercially available membranes - the module reflected potential for hydrogen enrichment. Considering the design boundaries, the highest H2/CO2 gas selectivity (1.62) could be achieved at feed pressure, separation temperature and recovery value of ∼2.2 bar, 55 C and 0.6, respectively, using a 65 vol% hydrogen/35 vol% carbon-dioxide binary mixture. © 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Blow up criterion for compressible nematic liquid crystal flows in dimension three

In this paper, we consider the short time strong solution to a simplified hydrodynamic flow modeling the compressible, nematic liquid crystal materials in dimension three. We establish a criterion for possible breakdown of such solutions at finite time in terms of the temporal integral of both the maximum norm of the deformation tensor of velocity gradient and the square of maximum norm of gradient of liquid crystal director field.Comment: 22 page

A tetrahedrally coordinated cobalt(II) phosphonate with a three-dimensional framework containing two-dimensional channels

The structure of poly[caesium( I) [( mu(4)- ethylenediphosphonato) cobalt( II)]], {Cs[ Co( C2H5O6P2)]} (n), reveals a three- dimensional polymeric open framework consisting of tetrahedral Co II atoms coordinated by four different ethylenediphosphonate O atoms and intermolecular O - H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds. The largest open window is made of corner- sharing CoO4 and PO3C tetrahedra, giving 16membered rings of dimensions 9.677 ( 5) * 4.684 ( 4) angstrom(2). There are two independent ethylenediphosphonate ligands, each lying about an inversion centre

Magnetic resonance imaging of glutamate in neuroinflammation

AbstractInflammation in central nervous system (CNS) is one of the most severe diseases, and also plays an impellent role in some neurodegenerative diseases. Glutamate (Glu) has been considered relevant to the pathogenesis of neuroinflammation. In order to diagnose neuroinflammation incipiently and precisely, we review the pathobiological events in the early stages of neuroinflammation, the interactions between Glu and neuroinflammation, and two kinds of magnetic resonance techniques of imaging Glu (chemical exchange saturation transfer and magnetic resonance spectroscopy)