Heterogeneous freezing on pyroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) thin films

Active deicing of technical surfaces, such as for wind turbines and heat exchangers, currently requires the usage of heat or chemicals. Passive coating strategies that postpone the freezing of covering water would be beneficial in order to save costs and energy. One hypothesis is that pyroelectric active materials can achieve this because of the surface charges generated on these materials when they are subject to a temperature change. High-quality poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) thin films with a high crystallinity, prefererd edge-on orientation, low surface roughness, and comprised of the β-analogous ferroelectric phase were deposited by spin-coating. Freezing experiments with a cooling rate of 1 K min−1 were made on P(VDF-TrFE) coatings in order to separate the effect of different parameters such as the poling direction, film thickness, used solvent, deposition process, underlying substrate, and annealing temperature on the achievable supercooling. The topography and the underlying substrate significantly changed the distribution of freezing temperatures of water droplets in contact with these thin films. In contrast, no significant effect of the thickness, morphology, or pyroelectric effect of the as-prepared domain-state on the freezing temperatures was found

Analisis Integrasi Padi Ikan Dalam Perspektif Agro Ekonomi

This study aimed to obtain information integration rice fish viewed from the perspective of agroeconomics. This study is motivated by the growth rate of rice production which likely to decline, decline in soil fertility due to continuous intensification. The method used was a survey method by taking the case of rice - fish farming in Solokan Jeruk District Bandung Regency West Java Province. Purposive sampling is used in this research. The expected benefit is to increase rice production, fish seed supply, income and welfare of farmers and the development of efficient utilization of paddy fields. The results showed the integration of fish rice as seen as agro-economic was positively gave the benefit for both farmers and for agricultural land itself. Keywords: rice, agro-econom

Ultrahydrophobe chitosanstabilisierte Composite-Schichten auf Aluminiumwerkstoffen

Selbstreinigende, ultrahydrophobe Oberflächen lassen sich in der Technik vielfältig einsetzen. Das ultrahydrophobe Verhalten beruht einerseits auf einer Rauigkeit im μm-Bereich und andererseits auf der chemischen Zusammensetzung der Oberfläche. Durch den gegebenen Oberflächenaufbau sind derartige Materialien jedoch empfindlich gegen Verschleiß. In diesem Beitrag wird ein Schichtverbund bestehend aus Aluminiumoxid und zwei polymeren Komponenten vorgestellt. Die Aluminiumoxidschicht wird auf dem Wege der anodischen Oxidation erzeugt. Dieses seit langem bekannte Verfahren ermöglicht nicht nur die Oxidation der Aluminiumoberfläche, sondern gestattet es, auch, definierte Oberflächenprofile einzustellen. Durch den gezielten Einbau des hochmolekularen Polymers Chitosan in die mikroprofilierte Aluminiumoxidschicht wurde eine mechanische Stabilisierung der Schicht im Sinne eines anorganisch-organischen Composites erreicht. Außerdem dienten die Amino-Seitengruppen des Chitosans als reaktives Interface für die notwendige chemische Hydrophobierung und als Reaktionszentrum für Vernetzungen, wodurch eine weitere mechanische Stabilisierung bewirkt wird. Der Schichtaufbau hat wesentliche

Superhydrophobic Aluminum Surfaces: Preparation Routes, Properties and Artificial Weathering Impact

Among the materials that can be treated in order to impart superhydrophobic properties are many originally hydrophilic metals. For this, they must undergo a sequential treatment, including roughening and hydrophobic coating. This contribution presents various preparation routes along with various characterization methods, such as dynamic contact angle (DCA) measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and spectroscopic techniques (FT–IRRAS, XPS, EIS). Micro-rough surfaces of pure and alloyed aluminum were generated most easily by using a modifie Sulfuric Acid Anodization under Intensifie conditions (SAAi). This produces a micro-mountain-like oxide morphology with peak-to-valley heights of 2 μm and sub-μm roughness components. Additionally, micro-embossed and micro-blasted surfaces were investigated. These micro-roughened initial states were chemically modifie with a solution of a hydrophobic compound, such as the reactive f uoroalkylsilane PFATES, the reactive alkyl group containing polymer POMA, or the polymer Teflo ® AF. Alternatively, the chemical modificatio was made by a Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (HFCVD) of a PTFE layer. The latter can form a considerably higher thickness than the wet-deposited coatings, without detrimental leveling effects being observed in comparison with the original micro-rough surface. The inherent and controllable morphology of the PTFE layers represents an important feature. The impacts of a standardized artificia weathering (WTH) on the wetting behavior and the surface-chemical properties were studied and discussed in terms of possible damage mechanisms. A very high stability of the superhydrophobicity was observed for the f uorinated wet-deposited PFATES and Teflo ® AF coatings as well as for some of the PTFE layer variants, all on SAAi-pretreated substrates. Very good results were also obtained for specimens produced by appropriate mechanical roughening and PTFE coating

SSBP1 mutations in dominant optic atrophy with variable retinal degeneration.

OBJECTIVE: Autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA) starts in early childhood with loss of visual acuity and color vision deficits. OPA1 mutations are responsible for the majority of cases, but in a portion of patients with a clinical diagnosis of ADOA, the cause remains unknown. This study aimed to identify novel ADOA-associated genes and explore their causality. METHODS: Linkage analysis and sequencing were performed in multigeneration families and unrelated patients to identify disease-causing variants. Functional consequences were investigated in silico and confirmed experimentally using the zebrafish model. RESULTS: We defined a new ADOA locus on 7q33-q35 and identified 3 different missense variants in SSBP1 (NM_001256510.1; c.113G>A [p.(Arg38Gln)], c.320G>A [p.(Arg107Gln)] and c.422G>A [p.(Ser141Asn)]) in affected individuals from 2 families and 2 singletons with ADOA and variable retinal degeneration. The mutated arginine residues are part of a basic patch that is essential for single-strand DNA binding. The loss of a positive charge at these positions is very likely to lower the affinity of SSBP1 for single-strand DNA. Antisense-mediated knockdown of endogenous ssbp1 messenger RNA (mRNA) in zebrafish resulted in compromised differentiation of retinal ganglion cells. A similar effect was achieved when mutated mRNAs were administered. These findings point toward an essential role of ssbp1 in retinal development and the dominant-negative nature of the identified human variants, which is consistent with the segregation pattern observed in 2 multigeneration families studied. INTERPRETATION: SSBP1 is an essential protein for mitochondrial DNA replication and maintenance. Our data have established pathogenic variants in SSBP1 as a cause of ADOA and variable retinal degeneration. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:368-383

Biallelic variants in PCDHGC4 cause a novel neurodevelopmental syndrome with progressive microcephaly, seizures, and joint anomalies.

PURPOSE: We aimed to define a novel autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder, characterize its clinical features, and identify the underlying genetic cause for this condition. METHODS: We performed a detailed clinical characterization of 19 individuals from nine unrelated, consanguineous families with a neurodevelopmental disorder. We used genome/exome sequencing approaches, linkage and cosegregation analyses to identify disease-causing variants, and we performed three-dimensional molecular in silico analysis to predict causality of variants where applicable. RESULTS: In all affected individuals who presented with a neurodevelopmental syndrome with progressive microcephaly, seizures, and intellectual disability we identified biallelic disease-causing variants in Protocadherin-gamma-C4 (PCDHGC4). Five variants were predicted to induce premature protein truncation leading to a loss of PCDHGC4 function. The three detected missense variants were located in extracellular cadherin (EC) domains EC5 and EC6 of PCDHGC4, and in silico analysis of the affected residues showed that two of these substitutions were predicted to influence the Ca2+-binding affinity, which is essential for multimerization of the protein, whereas the third missense variant directly influenced the cis-dimerization interface of PCDHGC4. CONCLUSION: We show that biallelic variants in PCDHGC4 are causing a novel autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder and link PCDHGC4 as a member of the clustered PCDH family to a Mendelian disorder in humans

Untersuchungen zur kationischen Polymerisation von Vinylmonomeren des Furans und Thiophens

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die kationische Polymerisation der heterocyclischen Monomere 2-Vinylfuran, 5-Methyl-2-vinylfuran und 2-Vinylthiophen in der Gegenwart silikatischer Partikel untersucht. Produkte dieser Reaktion sind Polymer/SiO2-Hybridpartikel und lösliche Polymere. Zu ihrer Untersuchung wurden NMR-spektroskopische Verfahren, IR-, UV/Vis-, MALDI TOF-Spektroskopie, Elementaranalyse und GPC angewandt. Damit gelang es, die Struktur der Polymere weitgehend aufzuklären. Der Einfluß der Reaktionsbedingungen auf die Ergebnisse der kationischen Oberflächenpolymerisation wurde untersucht und diskutiert. Die Ausbildung vernetzter Polymere bei der kationischen Polymerisation von 2-Vinylfuran bewirkte eine besonders starke Anbindung der Poly(2-vinylfuran)-Schicht und hohe Polymergehalte an den SiO2-Partikeln. Im Falle des Poly(2-vinylthiophens) (PVT) waren die Polymergehalte der Hybridpartikel deutlich niedriger. Es wurde eine lineare Polymerstruktur vorgeschlagen. Poly(2-vinylthiophen) und Poly(2-vinylthiophen)/Kieselgel-Hybridpartikel wurden in polymeranalogen Reaktionen mit Hydridakzeptoren und FeCl3 umgesetzt. Ziele dieser Reaktionen waren die Erzeugung von konjugierten Strukturelementen und die kontrollierte Vernetzung des Polymers über Bisthiopheneinheiten. Der Einfluß der Reaktionszeit und der Natur der eingesetzten Reagenzien auf die Reaktion von PVT mit Hydridakzeptoren wurde ausführlich studiert. Der Einfluß der Reaktionsbedingungen auf die Vernetzungsreaktion mit FeCl3 wurde mit Hilfe von GPC, IR- und 13C{1H}-CP/MAS-NMR-Spektroskopie untersucht.The following work examines the cationic polymerization of the heterocyclic monomers 2-vinylfuran, 5-methyl-2-vinylfuran und 2-vinylthiophen mediated by silica particles. The products of this reaction are polymer/SiO2-hybridpartikels and a soluble polymer part. For characterization of the products NMR-spectroscopical methods, IR-, UV/Vis-, MALDI TOF-spectroscopy, elemental analysis and GPC were used. With the help of this methods it succeeded to clear up the polymer structure. The influence of the reaction conditions on the results of the cationic polymerization was examined and discussed. Extensive crosslinking of the 2-vinylfuran monomer during cationic polymerization causes a very strong linkage of the poly(2-vinylfuran)-layer and a hight polymer content of the poly(2-vinylfuran)/SiO2-hybridpartikels. In case of poly(2-vinylthiophen) (PVT) the polymer content of the hybrid particles was notedly lower. A linear polymer structure was supposed. The reaction of poly(2-vinylthiophen) and poly(2-vinylthiophen)/silica hybrid particles with hydridacceptors and FeCl3 was studied. The objectives of this reactions were to generate conjugated structures and to cross-link the polymer by creating bisthiophene structures in a controlled manner. The influence of the reaction time and the nature of the acceptors on the reaction of PVT with the hydride acceptors was examined in detail. The influence of the reaction conditions on the cross-linking reaction with FeCl3 was studied with the help of GPC, IR- und 13C{1H} CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy