High-Throughput Fabrication of Quality Nanofibers Using a Modified Free Surface Electrospinning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Zhongbiao; Yu, Liang; Xu, Lan; Wang, Mingdi

2017-07-01

Based on bubble electrospinning (BE), a modified free surface electrospinning (MFSE) using a cone-shaped air nozzle combined with a solution reservoir made of copper tubes was presented to increase the production of quality nanofibers. In the MFSE process, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonates (SDBS) were added in the electrospun solution to generate bubbles on a liquid surface. The effects of applied voltage and generated bubbles on the morphology and production of nanofibers were investigated experimentally and theoretically. The theoretical analysis results of the electric field were in good agreement with the experimental data and showed that the quality and production of nanofibers were improved with the increase of applied voltage, and the generated bubbles would decrease the quality and production of nanofibers.

Effect of Shot Peening in Different Shot Distance and Shot Angle on Surface Morphology, Surface Roughness and Surface Hardness of 316L Biomaterial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umbu Kondi Maliwemu, Erich; Malau, Viktor; Iswanto, Priyo Tri

2018-01-01

Shot peening is a mechanical surface treatment with a beneficial effect to generate compressive residual stress caused by plastic deformation on the surface of material. This plastic deformation can improve the surface characteristics of metallic materials, such as modification of surface morphology, surface roughness, and surface hardness. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of shot peening in different shot distance and shot angle on surface morphology, surface roughness, and surface hardness of 316L biomaterial. Shot distance was varied at 6, 8, 10, and 12 cm and shot angle at 30, 60, and 90°, working pressure at 7 kg/cm2, shot duration for 20 minutes, and using steel balls S-170 with diameter of 0.6 mm. The results present that the shot distance and shot angle of shot peening give the significant effect to improve the surface morphology, surface roughness, and surface hardness of 316 L biomaterial. Shot peening can increase the surface roughness by the increasing of shot distance and by the decreasing of shot angle. The nearest shot distance (6 cm) and the largest shot angle (90°) give the best results on the grain refinement with the surface roughness of 1.04 μm and surface hardness of 534 kg/mm2.

Correlation between surface morphology and surface forces of protein A adsorbed on mica.

PubMed Central

Ohnishi, S; Murata, M; Hato, M

1998-01-01

We have investigated the morphology and surface forces of protein A adsorbed on mica surface in the protein solutions of various concentrations. The force-distance curves, measured with a surface force apparatus (SFA), were interpreted in terms of two different regimens: a "large-distance" regimen in which an electrostatic double-layer force dominates, and an "adsorbed layer" regimen in which a force of steric origin dominates. To further clarify the forces of steric origin, the surface morphology of the adsorbed protein layer was investigated with an atomic force microscope (AFM) because the steric repulsive forces are strongly affected by the adsorption mode of protein A molecules on mica. At lower protein concentrations (2 ppm, 10 ppm), protein A molecules were adsorbed "side-on" parallel to the mica surfaces, forming a monolayer of approximately 2.5 nm. AFM images at higher concentrations (30 ppm, 100 ppm) showed protruding structures over the monolayer, which revealed that the adsorbed protein A molecules had one end oriented into the solution, with the remainder of each molecule adsorbed side-on to the mica surface. These extending ends of protein A overlapped each other and formed a "quasi-double layer" over the mica surface. These AFM images proved the existence of a monolayer of protein A molecules at low concentrations and a "quasi-double layer" with occasional protrusions at high concentrations, which were consistent with the adsorption mode observed in the force-distance curves. PMID:9449346

On the Relationship between Morphology Knowledge and Quality of Translation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arbabi Aski, Mohammadreza

2008-01-01

The present study intended to investigate whether there is any relationship between morphological knowledge and quality of legal text translation from English to Persian and to what extent do Iranian M.A students of translation use morphological knowledge to guess the meaning of words when translating legal texts from English to Persian. To…

Nanoscale Roughness and Morphology Affect the IsoElectric Point of Titania Surfaces

PubMed Central

Borghi, Francesca; Vyas, Varun; Podestà, Alessandro; Milani, Paolo

2013-01-01

We report on the systematic investigation of the role of surface nanoscale roughness and morphology on the charging behaviour of nanostructured titania (TiO2) surfaces in aqueous solutions. IsoElectric Points (IEPs) of surfaces have been characterized by direct measurement of the electrostatic double layer interactions between titania surfaces and the micrometer-sized spherical silica probe of an atomic force microscope in NaCl aqueous electrolyte. The use of a colloidal probe provides well-defined interaction geometry and allows effectively probing the overall effect of nanoscale morphology. By using supersonic cluster beam deposition to fabricate nanostructured titania films, we achieved a quantitative control over the surface morphological parameters. We performed a systematical exploration of the electrical double layer properties in different interaction regimes characterized by different ratios of characteristic nanometric lengths of the system: the surface rms roughness Rq, the correlation length ξ and the Debye length λD. We observed a remarkable reduction by several pH units of IEP on rough nanostructured surfaces, with respect to flat crystalline rutile TiO2. In order to explain the observed behavior of IEP, we consider the roughness-induced self-overlap of the electrical double layers as a potential source of deviation from the trend expected for flat surfaces. PMID:23874708

Surface morphological evolution of epitaxial CrN(001) layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frederick, J. R.; Gall, D.

2005-09-01

CrN layers, 57 and 230 nm thick, were grown on MgO(001) at Ts=600-800 °C by ultrahigh-vacuum magnetron sputter deposition in pure N2 discharges from an oblique deposition angle α=80°. Layers grown at 600 °C nucleate as single crystals with a cube-on-cube epitaxial relationship with the substrate. However, rough surfaces with cauliflower-type morphologies cause the nucleation of misoriented CrN grains that develop into cone-shaped grains that protrude out of the epitaxial matrix to form triangular faceted surface mounds. The surface morphology of epitaxial CrN(001) grown at 700 °C is characterized by dendritic ridge patterns extending along the orthogonal <110> directions superposed by square-shaped super mounds with <100> edges. The ridge patterns are attributed to a Bales-Zangwill instability while the supermounds form due to atomic shadowing which leads to the formation of epitaxial inverted pyramids that are separated from the surrounding layer by tilted nanovoids. Growth at 800 °C yields complete single crystals with smooth surfaces. The root-mean-square surface roughness for 230-nm-thick layers decreases from 18.8 to 9.3 to 1.1 nm as Ts is raised from 600 to 700 to 800 °C. This steep decrease is due to a transition in the roughening mechanism from atomic shadowing to kinetic roughening. Atomic shadowing is dominant at 600 and 700 °C, where misoriented grains and supermounds, respectively, capture a larger fraction of the oblique deposition flux in comparison to the surrounding epitaxial matrix, resulting in a high roughening rate that is described by a power law with an exponent β>0.5. In contrast, kinetic roughening controls the surface morphology for Ts=800 °C, as well as the epitaxial fraction of the layers grown at 600 and 700 °C, yielding relatively smooth surfaces and β<=0.27.

Simultaneous formation of multiscale hierarchical surface morphologies through sequential wrinkling and folding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yu; Sun, Qingyang; Xiao, Jianliang

2018-02-01

Highly organized hierarchical surface morphologies possess various intriguing properties that could find important potential applications. In this paper, we demonstrate a facile approach to simultaneously form multiscale hierarchical surface morphologies through sequential wrinkling. This method combines surface wrinkling induced by thermal expansion and mechanical strain on a three-layer structure composed of an aluminum film, a hard Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film, and a soft PDMS substrate. Deposition of the aluminum film on hard PDMS induces biaxial wrinkling due to thermal expansion mismatch, and recovering the prestrain in the soft PDMS substrate leads to wrinkling of the hard PDMS film. In total, three orders of wrinkling patterns form in this process, with wavelength and amplitude spanning 3 orders of magnitude in length scale. By increasing the prestrain in the soft PDMS substrate, a hierarchical wrinkling-folding structure was also obtained. This approach can be easily extended to other thin films for fabrication of multiscale hierarchical surface morphologies with potential applications in different areas.

Morphology-Patterned Anisotropic Wetting Surface for Fluid Control and Gas-Liquid Separation in Microfluidics.

PubMed

Wang, Shuli; Yu, Nianzuo; Wang, Tieqiang; Ge, Peng; Ye, Shunsheng; Xue, Peihong; Liu, Wendong; Shen, Huaizhong; Zhang, Junhu; Yang, Bai

2016-05-25

This article shows morphology-patterned stripes as a new platform for directing flow guidance of the fluid in microfluidic devices. Anisotropic (even unidirectional) spreading behavior due to anisotropic wetting of the underlying surface is observed after integrating morphology-patterned stripes with a Y-shaped microchannel. The anisotropic wetting flow of the fluid is influenced by the applied pressure, dimensions of the patterns, including the period and depth of the structure, and size of the channels. Fluids with different surface tensions show different flowing anisotropy in our microdevice. Moreover, the morphology-patterned surfaces could be used as a microvalve, and gas-water separation in the microchannel was realized using the unidirectional flow of water. Therefore, benefiting from their good performance and simple fabrication process, morphology-patterned surfaces are good candidates to be applied in controlling the fluid behavior in microfluidics.

AFM study of the morphologic change of HDPE surface photografted with glycidyl methacrylate.

PubMed

Wang, Huiliang; Han, Jianmei

2009-05-01

The UV-induced grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and the atomic force microscopy (AFM) study of the morphologic change of the grafted surface are reported. The grafting was carried out in GMA acetone solutions with different monomer concentrations. Grafting was much faster in a solution with a higher monomer concentration. FTIR analyses proved that GMA had been successfully grafted onto HDPE. The morphologies of grafted HDPE surfaces changed with UV irradiation time. The monomer concentration had a significant effect on the morphologies of the grafted HDPE surfaces. The HDPE surface grafted in a solution with a higher monomer concentration was much rougher than that grafted in a solution with a lower monomer concentration. The growth models of the grafted granules or clusters are also proposed.

Effect of alkali treatment on surface morphology of titanium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tan, K. J., E-mail: gd130056@siswa.uthm.edu.my; Wahab, M. A. A., E-mail: cd110006@siswa.uthm.edu.my; Mahmod, S., E-mail: cd110201@siswa.uthm.edu.my

2015-07-22

Alkali and heat treatments were first introduced by Kim et al. to prepare a bioactive surface on titanium. This method has been proven very effective and widely used in other studies to promote titanium osteointegration. This study aims to investigate further the effect of alkali treatment on surface morphology of high purity titanium. High purity titanium foils were immersed in NaOH aqueous solutions of 0.5 M, 5 M and 15 M at 60°C and 80 °C for 1, 3 and 7 days. The surface morphology was examined using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). The obtained phases were analysed usingmore » Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) in the spectra range of 4000-600 cm{sup −1} at 4 cm{sup −1} resolution and 50 scans. At the same soaking temperature and soaking time, a thicker porous network was observed with increasing concentration of NaOH. At the same soaking temperature, a much porous structure was observed with increasing soaking time. At constant alkali concentration, more homogenously distributed porous surface structure was observed with increasing soaking temperature.« less

A morphologically preserved multi-resolution TIN surface modeling and visualization method for virtual globes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Xianwei; Xiong, Hanjiang; Gong, Jianya; Yue, Linwei

2017-07-01

Virtual globes play an important role in representing three-dimensional models of the Earth. To extend the functioning of a virtual globe beyond that of a "geobrowser", the accuracy of the geospatial data in the processing and representation should be of special concern for the scientific analysis and evaluation. In this study, we propose a method for the processing of large-scale terrain data for virtual globe visualization and analysis. The proposed method aims to construct a morphologically preserved multi-resolution triangulated irregular network (TIN) pyramid for virtual globes to accurately represent the landscape surface and simultaneously satisfy the demands of applications at different scales. By introducing cartographic principles, the TIN model in each layer is controlled with a data quality standard to formulize its level of detail generation. A point-additive algorithm is used to iteratively construct the multi-resolution TIN pyramid. The extracted landscape features are also incorporated to constrain the TIN structure, thus preserving the basic morphological shapes of the terrain surface at different levels. During the iterative construction process, the TIN in each layer is seamlessly partitioned based on a virtual node structure, and tiled with a global quadtree structure. Finally, an adaptive tessellation approach is adopted to eliminate terrain cracks in the real-time out-of-core spherical terrain rendering. The experiments undertaken in this study confirmed that the proposed method performs well in multi-resolution terrain representation, and produces high-quality underlying data that satisfy the demands of scientific analysis and evaluation.

Objectification of Public Bus Stop's Pavement Surface Morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Decký, Martin; Kováč, Matúš; Mužík, Juraj; Mičechová, Lenka; Ďuriš, Lukáš

2018-06-01

The article deals with the road pavement surface morphology objectification in term of the surface unevenness degradation during the life cycle of bus stop pavements. The article presents the results of long-term rut depth measurements performed during 25 years on selected bus stops which were intended to determine correlation dependences of pavement rut depth on a number of design axles. The article also presents different methods for rut depth measurements including the straightedge test, Profilograph GE, TRIMBLE CX, and dynamic Road Scanner.

Influence of shot peening on surface quality of austenitic and duplex stainless steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinoth Jebaraj, A.; Sampath Kumar, T.; Ajay Kumar, L.; Deepak, C. R.

2017-11-01

In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to enhance the surface quality of austenitic stainless steel 316L and duplex stainless steel 2205 through shot peening process. The study mainly focuses the surface morphology, microstructural changes, surface roughness and microhardness of the peened layers. Metallography analysis was carried out and compared with the unpeened surface characteristics. As result of peening process, surface recrystallization was achieved on the layers of the peened samples. It was found that shot peening plays significant role in enhancing the surface properties of 316L and 2205. Particularly it has greater influence on the work hardening of austenitic stainless steel than the duplex stainless steel due to its more ductility nature under the investigated shot peening parameters. The findings of the present study will be useful with regard to the enhancement of surface texture achieved through peening.

Tribological behaviors of UHMWPE composites with different counter surface morphologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yanzhen; Yin, Zhongwei; Li, Hulin; Gao, Gengyuan

2017-12-01

The influence of counter surface morphologies on hybrid glass fiber (GF) and carbon fiber (CF) filled ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were studied under various contact pressure and sliding speed against GCr15 steel in dry condition. The goals were to investigate the tribological behavior of GF/CF/UHMWPE composite as a kind of water lubricated journal bearing material. The friction and wear behavior of composites were examined using a pin-on-disc tribometer. The morphologies of the worn surface were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser 3D micro-imaging and profile measurement. Generally, the wear rate and friction coefficient of composites increase as the increment of counter surface roughness. The friction coefficient increases firstly and then decrease with an increase in sliding speed and contact pressure for counterface with Ra=0.2 and 3.5 μm, while the friction coefficient decreased for counterface with Ra=0.6 μm.

Surface morphology and electrochemical studies on polyaniline/CuO nano composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashokkumar, S. P.; Vijeth, H.; Yesappa, L.; Niranjana, M.; Vandana, M.; Basappa, M.; Devendrappa, H.

2018-05-01

An electrochemically synthesized Polyaniline (PANI) and Polyaniline/copper oxide (PCN) nano composite have studied the morphology and electrochemical properties. The composite is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and surface morphology was studied using FESEM and electrochemical behavior is studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique. The CV curves shows rectangular shaped curve and they have contribution to electrical double layer capacitance (EDCL).

Analysis of high-throughput screening reveals the effect of surface topographies on cellular morphology.

PubMed

Hulsman, Marc; Hulshof, Frits; Unadkat, Hemant; Papenburg, Bernke J; Stamatialis, Dimitrios F; Truckenmüller, Roman; van Blitterswijk, Clemens; de Boer, Jan; Reinders, Marcel J T

2015-03-01

Surface topographies of materials considerably impact cellular behavior as they have been shown to affect cell growth, provide cell guidance, and even induce cell differentiation. Consequently, for successful application in tissue engineering, the contact interface of biomaterials needs to be optimized to induce the required cell behavior. However, a rational design of biomaterial surfaces is severely hampered because knowledge is lacking on the underlying biological mechanisms. Therefore, we previously developed a high-throughput screening device (TopoChip) that measures cell responses to large libraries of parameterized topographical material surfaces. Here, we introduce a computational analysis of high-throughput materiome data to capture the relationship between the surface topographies of materials and cellular morphology. We apply robust statistical techniques to find surface topographies that best promote a certain specified cellular response. By augmenting surface screening with data-driven modeling, we determine which properties of the surface topographies influence the morphological properties of the cells. With this information, we build models that predict the cellular response to surface topographies that have not yet been measured. We analyze cellular morphology on 2176 surfaces, and find that the surface topography significantly affects various cellular properties, including the roundness and size of the nucleus, as well as the perimeter and orientation of the cells. Our learned models capture and accurately predict these relationships and reveal a spectrum of topographies that induce various levels of cellular morphologies. Taken together, this novel approach of high-throughput screening of materials and subsequent analysis opens up possibilities for a rational design of biomaterial surfaces. Copyright © 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nano hydroxyapatite-blasted titanium surface affects pre-osteoblast morphology by modulating critical intracellular pathways.

PubMed

Bezerra, Fábio; Ferreira, Marcel R; Fontes, Giselle N; da Costa Fernandes, Célio Jr; Andia, Denise C; Cruz, Nilson C; da Silva, Rodrigo A; Zambuzzi, Willian F

2017-08-01

Although, intracellular signaling pathways are proposed to predict the quality of cell-surface relationship, this study addressed pre-osteoblast behavior in response to nano hydroxyapatite (HA)-blasted titanium (Ti) surface by exploring critical intracellular pathways and pre-osteoblast morphological change. Physicochemical properties were evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and wettability considering water contact angle of three differently texturized Ti surfaces: Machined (Mac), Dual acid-etching (DAE), and nano hydroxyapatite-blasted (nHA). The results revealed critical differences in surface topography, impacting the water contact angle and later the osteoblast performance. In order to evaluate the effect of those topographical characteristics on biological responses, we have seeded pre-osteoblast cells on the Ti discs for up to 4 h and subjected the cultures to biological analysis. First, we have observed pre-osteoblasts morphological changes resulting from the interaction with the Ti texturized surfaces whereas the cells cultured on nHA presented a more advanced spreading process when compared with the cells cultured on the other surfaces. These results argued us for analyzing the molecular machinery and thus, we have shown that nHA promoted a lower Bax/Bcl2 ratio, suggesting an interesting anti-apoptotic effect, maybe explained by the fact that HA is a natural element present in bone composition. Thereafter, we investigated the potential effect of those surfaces on promoting pre-osteoblast adhesion and survival signaling by performing crystal violet and immunoblotting approaches, respectively. Our results showed that nHA promoted a higher pre-osteoblast adhesion supported by up-modulating FAK and Src activations, both signaling transducers involved during eukaryotic cell adhesion. Also, we have shown Ras-Erk stimulation by the all evaluated surfaces. Finally, we showed that all Ti-texturing surfaces were able to promote osteoblast differentiation

Surface Morphology Evolution Mechanisms of InGaN/GaN Multiple Quantum Wells with Mixture N2/H2-Grown GaN Barrier.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiaorun; Lu, Taiping; Zhu, Yadan; Zhao, Guangzhou; Dong, Hailiang; Jia, Zhigang; Yang, Yongzhen; Chen, Yongkang; Xu, Bingshe

2017-12-01

Surface morphology evolution mechanisms of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) during GaN barrier growth with different hydrogen (H 2 ) percentages have been systematically studied. Ga surface-diffusion rate, stress relaxation, and H 2 etching effect are found to be the main affecting factors of the surface evolution. As the percentage of H 2 increases from 0 to 6.25%, Ga surface-diffusion rate and the etch effect are gradually enhanced, which is beneficial to obtaining a smooth surface with low pits density. As the H 2 proportion further increases, stress relaxation and H 2 over- etching effect begin to be the dominant factors, which degrade surface quality. Furthermore, the effects of surface evolution on the interface and optical properties of InGaN/GaN MQWs are also profoundly discussed. The comprehensive study on the surface evolution mechanisms herein provides both technical and theoretical support for the fabrication of high-quality InGaN/GaN heterostructures.

Surface morphology of chitin highly related with the isolated body part of butterfly (Argynnis pandora).

PubMed

Kaya, Murat; Bitim, Betül; Mujtaba, Muhammad; Koyuncu, Turgay

2015-11-01

This study was conducted to understand the differences in the physicochemical properties of chitin samples isolated from the wings and the other body parts except the wings (OBP) of a butterfly species (Argynnis pandora). The same isolation method was used for obtaining chitin specimens from both types of body parts. The chitin content of the wings (22%) was recorded as being much higher than the OBP (8%). The extracted chitin samples were characterized via FT-IR, TGA, XRD, SEM, and elemental analysis techniques. Results of these characterizations revealed that the chitins from both structures (wings and OBP) were very similar, except for their surface morphologies. SEM results demonstrated one type of surface morphology for the wings and four different surface morphologies for the OBP. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that the surface morphology of the chitin is highly related with the body part. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

InGaAs quantum dots grown on B-type high index GaAs substrates: surface morphologies and optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, B. L.; Wang, Zh M.; Mazur, Yu I.; Strelchuck, V. V.; Holmes, K.; Lee, J. H.; Salamo, G. J.

2006-06-01

We systematically investigated the correlation between morphological and optical properties of InGaAs self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) grown by solid-source molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (n 11)B (n = 9, 8, 7, 5, 3, 2) substrates. Remarkably, all InGaAs QDs on GaAs(n 11)B under investigation show optical properties superior to those for ones on GaAs(100) as regards the photoluminescence (PL) linewidth and intensity. The morphology for growth of InGaAs QDs on GaAs (n 11)B, where n = 9, 8, 7, 5, is observed to have a rounded shape with a higher degree of lateral ordering than that on GaAs(100). The optical property and the lateral ordering are best for QDs grown on a (511)B substrate surface, giving a strong correlation between lateral ordering and PL optical quality. Our results demonstrate the potential for high quality InGaAs QDs on GaAs(n 11)B for optoelectronic applications.

Habitat quality affects the incidence of morphological abnormalities in the endangered salamander Ambystoma ordinarium

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Identification of early warning signals previous to the occurrence of population decline or extinction is a major challenge for the conservation of animal species. Prevalence of morphological abnormalities in a population can be one of these signals. We registered morphological abnormalities in the salamander Ambystoma ordinarium. We also evaluated the relation between habitat quality and the prevalence of abnormalities in this species. We used scores from rapid bioassessment protocols (RBPs) to assess the habitat quality of streams inhabited by A. ordinarium. A preliminary survey indicated that of 29 streams where this species has been historically registered, 13 might have few or no A. ordinarium. The association between habitat quality and the incidence of morphological abnormalities was evaluated in these 16 streams. Of 502 sampled individuals, 224 (44.62%) had at least one body abnormality. Of the 224 individuals with body abnormalities, 84 (37.5%) presented more than one abnormality. Of a total of 5,522 evaluated morphological characters, 344 (6.74%) were abnormal. Partial loss of gills and missing digits were the most frequent abnormalities. Results of a binomial logistic regression indicated that the probability of a character of an individual to be abnormal was significantly associated with habitat quality; as the levels of the quality of the habitat increased, the prevalence of morphological abnormalities decreased. These results suggest that RBPs are a quick and useful method for assessing the habitat quality of streams inhabited by A. ordinarium. Given that RBPs provide rapid and cost-effective assessments of the ecological health of aquatic ecosystems, it will be important to test if the RBPs protocols can be used to rapidly assess habitat quality for other species of stream amphibians. The negative association between habitat quality and the prevalence of morpohological abnormalities that we found indicates that habitat condition plays an important

Slip-additive migration, surface morphology, and performance on injection moulded high-density polyethylene closures.

PubMed

Dulal, Nabeen; Shanks, Robert; Gengenbach, Thomas; Gill, Harsharn; Chalmers, David; Adhikari, Benu; Pardo Martinez, Isaac

2017-11-01

The amount and distribution of slip agents, erucamide, and behenamide, on the surface of high-density polyethene, is determined by integral characteristics of slip agent structure and polymer morphology. A suite of surface analysis techniques was applied to correlate physicochemical properties with slip-additive migration behaviour and their surface morphology. The migration, surface morphology and physicochemical properties of the slip additives, crystallinity and orientation of polyethene spherulites and interaction between slip additives and high-density polyethene influence the surface characteristics. The high-density polyethene closures were produced with erucamide and behenamide separately and stored until they produced required torque. Surface composition was determined employing spectroscopy and gas chromatography. The distribution of additives was observed under optical, scanning electron and atomic force microscopes. The surface energy, crystallinity and application torque were measured using contact angle, differential scanning calorimeter and a torque force tester respectively. Each slip additive produced a characteristic amide peak at 1645cm -1 in infrared spectroscopy and peaks of oxygen and nitrogen in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, suggesting their presence on the surface. The erucamide produced placoid scale-like structures and behenamide formed denticulate structures. The surface erucamide and behenamide responsible for reducing the torque was found to be 15.7µg/cm 2 and 1.7µg/cm 2 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The influence of chemical structure on thermal properties and surface morphology of polyurethane materials.

PubMed

Brzeska, Joanna; Morawska, Magda; Heimowska, Aleksandra; Sikorska, Wanda; Wałach, Wojciech; Hercog, Anna; Kowalczuk, Marek; Rutkowska, Maria

2018-01-01

The surface morphology and thermal properties of polyurethanes can be correlated to their chemical composition. The hydrophilicity, surface morphology, and thermal properties of polyurethanes (differed in soft segments and in linear/cross-linked structure) were investigated. The influence of poly([ R , S ]-3-hydroxybutyrate) presence in soft segments and blending of polyurethane with polylactide on surface topography were also estimated. The linear polyurethanes (partially crystalline) had the granular surface, whereas the surface of cross-linked polyurethanes (almost amorphous) was smooth. Round aggregates of polylactide un-uniformly distributed in matrix of polyurethane were clearly visible. It was concluded that some modification of soft segment (by mixing of poly([ R , S ]-3-hydroxybutyrate) with different polydiols and polytriol) and blending of polyurethanes with small amount of polylactide influence on crystallinity and surface topography of obtained polyurethanes.

Morphology and electronic properties of silicon carbide surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Shu

2007-12-01

monitored using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy, and the morphology of the graphitized surface is studied using AFM and STM. Use of H-etched SiC substrates enables a relatively flat surface morphology, although residual steps remain due to unintentional miscut of the wafers. Additionally, some surface roughness in the form of small pits is observed, possibly due to the fact that the surface treatments (H-etching and UHV annealing) having been performed in separate vacuum chambers with an intervening transfer through air. Field-effect transistors have been fabricated with our graphene layers; they show a relatively strong held effect at room temperature, with an electron mobility of 535 cm 2/Vs. This value is somewhat lower than that believed to be theoretically possible for this material, and one possible reason may be the nonideal morphology of the surface (i.e. because of the observed steps and pits). Tunneling spectra of the graphene reveal semi-metallic behavior, consistent with that theoretically expected for an isolated layer of graphene. However, additional discrete states are observed in the spectra, possibly arising from bonding at the graphene/SiC interface. The observation of these states provides important input towards an eventual determination of the complete interface structure, and additionally, such states may be relevant in determining the electron mobility of the graphene. Stepped vicinal SIC{0001} substrates are useful templates for epitaxial growth of various types of layers: thick layers of compound semiconductor (in which the steps help preserving the stacking arrangement in the overlayer), monolayers of graphene, or submonolayer semiconductor layers that form quantum wires along the step edges. Step array produced by H-etching of vicinal SiC (0001) and (0001¯) with various miscut angles have been studied by AFM. H-etching is found to produce full unit-cell-high steps on the (0001) Si-face surfaces, but half

Tailoring the morphology of raspberry-like carbon black/polystyrene composite microspheres for fabricating superhydrophobic surface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bao, Yubin; Li, Qiuying, E-mail: liqy@ecust.edu.cn; Shanghai Key Laboratory Polymeric Materials

In our previous report, raspberry-like carbon black/polystyrene (CB/PS) composite microsphere was prepared through heterocoagulation process. Based on the previous study, in the present work, the morphology of raspberry-like CB/PS particle is tailored through adjusting the polarity and the concentration ratio of CB/PS colloidal suspension with the purpose to prepare particulate film for the fabrication of superhydrophobic surface. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirms the morphology of raspberry-like particle and the coverage of CB. Rough surfaces fabricated by raspberry-like particles with proper morphology are observed by SEM and clear evidence of superhydrophobic surface is shown. The structure of raspberry-like particle is analyzedmore » by atom force microscope. The proposed relationship between the hydrophobicity and the structure of CB aggregates on the surface of PS microsphere is discussed in details.« less

Surface morphology of molybdenum silicide films upon low-energy ion beam sputtering.

PubMed

Gago, R; Jaafar, M; Palomares, F J

2018-07-04

The surface morphology of molybdenum silicide (Mo x Si 1-x ) films has been studied after low-energy Ar + ion beam sputtering (IBS) to explore eventual pattern formation on compound targets and, simultaneously, gather information about the mechanisms behind silicide-assisted nanopatterning of silicon surfaces by IBS. For this purpose, Mo x Si 1-x films with compositions below, equal and above the MoSi 2 stoichiometry (x  =  0.33) have been produced by magnetron sputtering, as assessed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). The surface morphology of silicon and silicide films before and after IBS has been imaged by atomic force microscopy (AFM), comprising conditions where typical nanodot or ripple patterns emerge on the former. In the case of irradiated Mo x Si 1-x surfaces, AFM shows a marked surface smoothing at normal incidence with and without additional Mo incorporation (the former results in nanodot patterns on Si). The morphological analysis also provides no evidence of ion-induced phase separation in irradiated Mo x Si 1-x . Contrary to silicon, Mo x Si 1-x surfaces also do not display ripple formation for (impurity free) oblique irradiations, except at grazing incidence conditions where parallel ripples emerge in a more evident fashion than in the Si counterpart. By means of RBS, irradiated Mo x Si 1-x films with 1 keV Ar + at normal incidence have also been used to measure experimentally the (absolute) sputtering yield and rate of Si and Mo x Si 1-x materials. The analysis reveals that, under the present working conditions, the erosion rate of silicides is larger than for silicon, supporting simulations from the TRIDYN code. This finding questions the shielding effect from silicide regions as roughening mechanism in metal-assisted nanopatterning of silicon. On the contrary, the results highlight the relevance of in situ silicide formation. Ripple formation on Mo x Si 1-x under grazing incidence is also attributed to the dominance of

Surface morphology of molybdenum silicide films upon low-energy ion beam sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gago, R.; Jaafar, M.; Palomares, F. J.

2018-07-01

The surface morphology of molybdenum silicide (Mo x Si1‑x ) films has been studied after low-energy Ar+ ion beam sputtering (IBS) to explore eventual pattern formation on compound targets and, simultaneously, gather information about the mechanisms behind silicide-assisted nanopatterning of silicon surfaces by IBS. For this purpose, Mo x Si1‑x films with compositions below, equal and above the MoSi2 stoichiometry (x  =  0.33) have been produced by magnetron sputtering, as assessed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). The surface morphology of silicon and silicide films before and after IBS has been imaged by atomic force microscopy (AFM), comprising conditions where typical nanodot or ripple patterns emerge on the former. In the case of irradiated Mo x Si1‑x surfaces, AFM shows a marked surface smoothing at normal incidence with and without additional Mo incorporation (the former results in nanodot patterns on Si). The morphological analysis also provides no evidence of ion-induced phase separation in irradiated Mo x Si1‑x . Contrary to silicon, Mo x Si1‑x surfaces also do not display ripple formation for (impurity free) oblique irradiations, except at grazing incidence conditions where parallel ripples emerge in a more evident fashion than in the Si counterpart. By means of RBS, irradiated Mo x Si1‑x films with 1 keV Ar+ at normal incidence have also been used to measure experimentally the (absolute) sputtering yield and rate of Si and Mo x Si1‑x materials. The analysis reveals that, under the present working conditions, the erosion rate of silicides is larger than for silicon, supporting simulations from the TRIDYN code. This finding questions the shielding effect from silicide regions as roughening mechanism in metal-assisted nanopatterning of silicon. On the contrary, the results highlight the relevance of in situ silicide formation. Ripple formation on Mo x Si1‑x under grazing incidence is also attributed to the dominance

Surface quality varies with headrig chipping

Treesearch

G. Woodson; S.M. Rigby

1978-01-01

Good surface quality can be achieved on both cants and lumber produced on chipping headrigs and on edgers, but meticulous maintenance of feedworks, setworks, knife sharpness, alignment, and security in the cutterhead is required. Straight logs with small knots yield cants with smoother surfaces than crooked, butt-flared, or knotty logs. Surface quality is also...

Co-pyrolysis behavior of microalgae biomass and low-quality coal: Products distributions, char-surface morphology, and synergistic effects.

PubMed

Wu, Zhiqiang; Yang, Wangcai; Li, Yaowu; Yang, Bolun

2018-05-01

In this work, the distributions and releasing properties of the primary volatile products during co-pyrolysis of low-rank coal and green algae (GA) has been studied using fixed-bed reactor with online mass spectrometry. Surface morphology of the char was described quantitatively by SEM combined with fractal theory. Different forms of synergistic effects existed from both the yields of products and composition of the main gaseous products. Positive synergistic effects from tar yield were observed under 25% of GA from 600 to 850 °C, indicating GA promoted the formation of tar. Opposite synergistic effects on the content of H 2 and CO were gained when the mass ratio of GA was 50%. The fractal dimensions of co-pyrolysis char were less than the calculated values except under 650 °C, which meant the GA promoted the homogeneity of char surface. This work could provide essential data for proper operation parameters selecting for co-pyrolysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of substrate material and surface finishing on the morphology of the calcium-phosphate coating.

PubMed

Leitão, E; Barbosa, M A; de Groot, K

1997-07-01

The formation of an apatite-like layer was achieved by immersing Ti-6A1-4V, Ti-Al-2.5Fe, and 316 L stainless-steel substrata in Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS). The layer was characterized by surface analysis techniques, namely X-ray microanalysis and X-ray diffraction, and the morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The concentrations of Ca and P were monitored as a function of time. The morphology of the precipitate layer seems to be dependent both on the type of metal substrate and its surface finish. Polished Ti-6A1-4V and Ti-Al-2.5Fe surfaces exhibit a plate precipitate morphology, whereas rougher surfaces show scattered crystal-like precipitation. The results suggest that the layer produced by immersion of polished titanium alloys in HBSS is constituted by an amorphous apatite.

Quality of human spermatozoa: relationship between high-magnification sperm morphology and DNA integrity.

PubMed

Maettner, R; Sterzik, K; Isachenko, V; Strehler, E; Rahimi, G; Alabart, J L; Sánchez, R; Mallmann, P; Isachenko, E

2014-06-01

The aim of this work is to establish the relationship between the morphology of Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection (IMSI)-selected spermatozoa and their DNA integrity. The 45 ejaculates were randomly distributed into three treatment groups: normozoospermic, oligoasthenozoospermic and oligoasthenotheratozoospermic samples. The evaluation of DNA integrity was performed using the sperm chromatin dispersion test. It was established that DNA integrity of spermatozoa is strongly dependent on ejaculate quality (P < 0.05). The count of spermatozoa with nonfragmented DNA in normozoospermic samples was high and independent from IMSI-morphological classes (Class 1 versus Class 3, respectively) (P > 0.1). With decreased ejaculate quality, the percentage of spermatozoa with nonfragmented DNA decreased significantly (P < 0.05) independent from morphological class. Nevertheless, the rate of IMSI-selected spermatozoa with fragmented DNA within of Class 1 in normozoospermic (Group 1), in oligoasthenozoospermic (Group 2) and in oligoasthenotheratozoospermic (Group 3) samples was 21.1%, 31.8% and 54.1%, respectively. In conclusion, there is a direct relationship between morphological parameters of spermatozoa and their DNA integrity. However, the IMSI technique alone is not enough for the selection of spermatozoa with intact nuclei. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Chemical and morphological characteristics of lithium electrode surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yen, S. P. S.; Shen, D.; Vasquez, R. P.; Grunthaner, F. J.; Somoano, R. B.

1981-01-01

Lithium electrode surfaces were analyzed for chemical and morphological characteristics, using electron spectroscopy chemical analysis (ESCA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Samples included lithium metal and lithium electrodes which were cycled in a 1.5 M lithium arsenic hexafluoride/two-methyl tetrahydrofuran electrolyte. Results show that the surface of the as-received lithium metal was already covered by a film composed of LiO2 and an Li2O/CO2 adduct with a thickness of approximately 100-200 A. No evidence of Ni3 was found. Upon exposure of the lithium electrode to a 1.5 M LiAsF6/2-Me-THF electrochemical environment, a second film was observed to form on the surface, consisting primarily of As, Si, and F, possibly in the form of lithium arsenic oxyfluorides or lithium fluorosilicates. It is suggested that the film formation may be attributed to salt degradation.

Morphology of Er:YAG-laser-treated root surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, Ulrich; Stock, Karl; Hibst, Raimund

1997-12-01

From previous studies it could be demonstrated that an efficient ablation of dental calculus is possible using an Er:YAG laser with a special contact fiber tip. After improving of the design and the efficiency of light transmission of the contact tip laser treated tooth root surfaces were investigated due to morphological changes in comparison to conventional root scaling and planing. Surface modifications were observed histologically under the light microscope and by means of a Scanning Electron Microscope. During laser treatment the intrapulpal temperature increase was measured. The results show that the improved contact tip a microstructured surface can be generated, which shows no signs of thermal effects even when a laser pulse repetition rate of 15 Hz was used. Temperature increase was limited to 4 K at a repetition rate of 10 Hz and to 5.5 K at a repetition rate of 15 Hz.

Self-Healing Thermal Annealing: Surface Morphological Restructuring Control of GaN Nanorods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Conroy, Michele; Li, Haoning; Zubialevich, Vitaly Z.

With advances in nanolithography and dry etching, top-down methods of nanostructuring have become a widely used tool for improving the efficiency of optoelectronics. These nano dimensions can offer various benefits to the device performance in terms of light extraction and efficiency, but often at the expense of emission color quality. Broadening of the target emission peak and unwanted yellow luminescence are characteristic defect-related effects due to the ion beam etching damage, particularly for III–N based materials. In this article we focus on GaN based nanorods, showing that through thermal annealing the surface roughness and deformities of the crystal structure canmore » be “self-healed”. Correlative electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy show the change from spherical nanorods to faceted hexagonal structures, revealing the temperature-dependent surface morphology faceting evolution. The faceted nanorods were shown to be strain- and defect-free by cathodoluminescence hyperspectral imaging, micro-Raman, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In-situ TEM thermal annealing experiments allowed for real time observation of dislocation movements and surface restructuring observed in ex-situ annealing TEM sampling. This thermal annealing investigation gives new insight into the redistribution path of GaN material and dislocation movement post growth, allowing for improved understanding and in turn advances in optoelectronic device processing of compound semiconductors.« less

Effect of mass density on surface morphology of electrodeposited manganese oxide films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Avtar; Kumar, Davinder; Thakur, Anup; Kaur, Raminder

2018-05-01

This work focus on high surface area morphology of manganese oxide films which are currently required for electrochemical capacitor electrode to enhance their performance. Electrodeposition of manganese oxide films was carried out using Chronoamperometry for different deposition time ranging from 30 to 120 sec. Cronoamperomertic I-T integrated data have been used to analyze active mass of all electrodeposited films. Morphological study of the deposited films with different mass was carried out through scanning electron microscopy. Film deposited for 30 sec time show highest porous morphology than others. Manganese oxide films with high porosity are suitable for electrochemical capacitor electrode.

Effect of various tooth whitening modalities on microhardness, surface roughness and surface morphology of the enamel.

PubMed

Kwon, So Ran; Kurti, Steven R; Oyoyo, Udochukwu; Li, Yiming

2015-09-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of four whitening modalities on surface enamel as assessed with microhardness tester, profilometer, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Whitening was performed according to manufacturer's directions for over-the-counter (OTC), dentist dispensed for home use (HW) and in-office (OW) whitening. Do-it-yourself (DIY) whitening consisted of a strawberry and baking soda mix. Additionally, negative and positive controls were used. A total of 120 enamel specimens were used for microhardness testing at baseline and post-whitening. Following microhardness testing specimens were prepared for SEM observations. A total of 120 enamel specimens were used for surface roughness testing at baseline and post-whitening (n = 20 per group). Rank-based Analysis of Covariance was performed to compare microhardness and surface roughness changes. Tests of hypotheses were two-sided with α = 0.05. There was a significant difference in Knoop hardness changes (ΔKHN) among the groups (Kruskal-Wallis test, p < 0.0001). Significant hardness reduction was observed in the positive control and DIY group (p < 0.0001). Mean surface roughness changes (ΔRa) were significantly different among the groups (Kruskal-Wallis test, p < 0.0001). Surface roughness increased in the OTC group (p = 0.03) and in the positive control (p < 0.0001). The four whitening modalities-DIY, OTC, HW and OW induced minimal surface morphology changes when observed with SEM. It can be concluded that none of the four whitening modalities adversely affected enamel surface morphology. However, caution should be advised when using a DIY regimen as it may affect enamel microhardness and an OTC product as it has the potential to increase surface roughness.

Surface Morphology and Tooth Adhesion of a Novel Nanostructured Dental Restorative Composite

PubMed Central

Salerno, Marco; Loria, Patrizia; Matarazzo, Giunio; Tomè, Francesco; Diaspro, Alberto; Eggenhöffner, Roberto

2016-01-01

Recently, a novel dental restorative composite based on nanostructured micro-fillers of anodic porous alumina has been proposed. While its bulk properties are promising thanks to decreased aging and drug delivery capabilities, its surface properties are still unknown. Here we investigated the surface morphology and the adhesion to tooth dentin of this composite as prepared. For comparison, we used two commercial composites: Tetric EVO Flow (Ivoclar) and Enamel HRi Plus (Micerium). The surface morphology was characterized by atomic force microscopy and the adhesion strength by tensile tests. The experimental composite is rougher than the commercial composites, with root mean square roughness of ~549 nm against 170–511 nm, and presents an adhesion strength of ~15 MPa against 19–21 MPa. These results show at the same time some proximity to the commercial composites, but also the need for optimization of the experimental material formulation. PMID:28773327

Coevolution of bed surface patchiness and channel morphology: 2. Numerical experiments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Peter A.; McDonald, Richard R.; Nelson, Jonathan M.; Dietrich, William E.

2015-01-01

In gravel bed rivers, bed topography and the bed surface grain size distribution evolve simultaneously, but it is not clear how feedbacks between topography and grain sorting affect channel morphology. In this, the second of a pair of papers examining interactions between bed topography and bed surface sorting in gravel bed rivers, we use a two-dimensional morphodynamic model to perform numerical experiments designed to explore the coevolution of both free and forced bars and bed surface patches. Model runs were carried out on a computational grid simulating a 200 m long, 2.75 m wide, straight, rectangular channel, with an initially flat bed at a slope of 0.0137. Over five numerical experiments, we varied (a) whether an obstruction was present, (b) whether the sediment was a gravel mixture or a single size, and (c) whether the bed surface grain size feeds back on the hydraulic roughness field. Experiments with channel obstructions developed a train of alternate bars that became stationary and were connected to the obstruction. Freely migrating alternate bars formed in the experiments without channel obstructions. Simulations incorporating roughness feedbacks between the bed surface and flow field produced flatter, broader, and longer bars than simulations using constant roughness or uniform sediment. Our findings suggest that patches are not simply a by-product of bed topography, but they interact with the evolving bed and influence morphologic evolution.

A kinetic model for the characteristic surface morphologies of thin films by directional vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Kun-Dar; Huang, Po-Yu

2017-12-01

In order to simulate a process of directional vapor deposition, in this study, a numerical approach was applied to model the growth and evolution of surface morphologies for the crystallographic structures of thin films. The critical factors affecting the surface morphologies in a deposition process, such as the crystallographic symmetry, anisotropic interfacial energy, shadowing effect, and deposition rate, were all enclosed in the theoretical model. By altering the parameters of crystallographic symmetry in the structures, the faceted nano-columns with rectangular and hexagonal shapes were established in the simulation results. Furthermore, for revealing the influences of the anisotropic strength and the deposition rate theoretically on the crystallographic structure formations, various parameters adjusted in the numerical calculations were also investigated. Not only the morphologies but also the surface roughnesses for different processing conditions were distinctly demonstrated with the quantitative analysis of the simulations.

Molecular dynamics simulation of potentiometric sensor response: the effect of biomolecules, surface morphology and surface charge.

PubMed

Lowe, B M; Skylaris, C-K; Green, N G; Shibuta, Y; Sakata, T

2018-05-10

The silica-water interface is critical to many modern technologies in chemical engineering and biosensing. One technology used commonly in biosensors, the potentiometric sensor, operates by measuring the changes in electric potential due to changes in the interfacial electric field. Predictive modelling of this response caused by surface binding of biomolecules remains highly challenging. In this work, through the most extensive molecular dynamics simulation of the silica-water interfacial potential and electric field to date, we report a novel prediction and explanation of the effects of nano-morphology on sensor response. Amorphous silica demonstrated a larger potentiometric response than an equivalent crystalline silica model due to increased sodium adsorption, in agreement with experiments showing improved sensor response with nano-texturing. We provide proof-of-concept that molecular dynamics can be used as a complementary tool for potentiometric biosensor response prediction. Effects that are conventionally neglected, such as surface morphology, water polarisation, biomolecule dynamics and finite-size effects, are explicitly modelled.

Effect of Cu Alloying on S Poisoning of Ni Surfaces and Nanoparticle Morphologies Using Ab-Initio Thermodynamics Calculations.

PubMed

Kim, Ji-Su; Kim, Byung-Kook; Kim, Yeong-Cheol

2015-10-01

We investigated the effect of Cu alloying on S poisoning of Ni surfaces and nanoparticle morphologies using ab-initio thermodynamics calculations. Based on the Cu segregation energy and the S adsorption energy, the surface energy and nanoparticle morphology of pure Ni, pure Cu, and NiCu alloys were evaluated as functions of the chemical potential of S and the surface orientations of (100), (110), and (111). The constructed nanoparticle morphology was varied as a function of chemical potential of S. We find that the Cu added to Ni for NiCu alloys is strongly segregated into the top surface, and increases the S tolerance of the NiCu nanoparticles.

Effects of erbium, chromium:YSGG laser irradiation on root surface: morphological and atomic analytical studies.

PubMed

Kimura, Y; Yu, D G; Kinoshita, J; Hossain, M; Yokoyama, K; Murakami, Y; Nomura, K; Takamura, R; Matsumoto, K

2001-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the morphological and atomic changes on the root surface by stereoscopy, field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) after erbium, chromium:yttrium, scandium, gallium, garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) laser irradiation in vitro. There have been few reports on morphological and atomic analytical study on root surface by Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation. Eighteen extracted human premolar and molar teeth were irradiated on root surfaces at a vertical position with water-air spray by an Er,Cr:YSGG laser at the parameter of 5.0 W and 20 Hz for 5 sec while moving. The samples were then morphologically observed by stereoscopy and FE-SEM and examined atomic-analytically by SEM-EDX. Craters having rough but clean surfaces and no melting or carbonization were observed in the samples. An atomic analytical examination showed that the calcium ratio to phosphorus showed no significant changes between the control and irradiated areas (p > 0.01). These results showed that the Er,Cr:YSGG laser has a good cutting effect on root surface and causes no burning or melting after laser irradiation.

Advance in quality assessment of Chinese materia medica using microscopic and morphological methods.

PubMed

Miao, Xiao-Su; Cui, Qing-Yu; Wang, Zhao-Yi; Liu, Xiao-Na; Zhao, An-Bang; Qiao, Yan-Jiang; Wu, Zhi-Sheng

2017-09-01

Quality evaluation plays a vital role in ensuring safety and effectiveness of Chinese materia medica (CMM). Microscopic and morphological technologies can be used to distinguish CMM's characteristics, such as shape, size, texture, section, and smell, for authenticity and quality control of CMM. The microscopic and morphological applications of novel micro-technology, colorimeter, and texture analyzer for CMM identification are summarized and the future prospect is discussed in this paper. Various styles and complex sources of CMM are systemically reviewed, including cormophyte medicinal materials, fruit and seeds, pollen grain, and spore materials. Copyright © 2017 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dry etching of copper phthalocyanine thin films: effects on morphology and surface stoichiometry.

PubMed

Van Dijken, Jaron G; Brett, Michael J

2012-08-24

We investigate the evolution of copper phthalocyanine thin films as they are etched with argon plasma. Significant morphological changes occur as a result of the ion bombardment; a planar surface quickly becomes an array of nanopillars which are less than 20 nm in diameter. The changes in morphology are independent of plasma power, which controls the etch rate only. Analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that surface concentrations of copper and oxygen increase with etch time, while carbon and nitrogen are depleted. Despite these changes in surface stoichiometry, we observe no effect on the work function. The absorbance and X-ray diffraction spectra show no changes other than the peaks diminishing with etch time. These findings have important implications for organic photovoltaic devices which seek nanopillar thin films of metal phthalocyanine materials as an optimal structure.

Strain relaxation induced surface morphology of heterogeneous GaInNAs layers grown on GaAs substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelczuk, Ł.; Jóźwiak, G.; Moczała, M.; Dłużewski, P.; Dąbrowska-Szata, M.; Gotszalk, T. P.

2017-07-01

The partially-relaxed heterogeneous GaInNAs layers grown on GaAs substrate by atmospheric pressure vapor phase epitaxy (AP-MOVPE) were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The planar-view TEM image shows a regular 2D network of misfit dislocations oriented in two orthogonal 〈1 1 0〉 crystallographic directions at the (0 0 1) layer interface. Moreover, the cross-sectional view TEM image reveals InAs-rich and V-shaped precipitates in the near surface region of the GaInNAs epitaxial layer. The resultant undulating surface morphology, known as a cross-hatch pattern, is formed as observed by AFM. The numerical analysis of the AFM image of the GaInNAs layer surface with the well-defined cross-hatch morphology enabled us to determine a lower bound of actual density of misfit dislocations. However, a close correspondence between the asymmetric distribution of interfacial misfit dislocations and undulating surface morphology is observed.

The Effect of Nylon and Polyester Peel Ply Surface Preparation on the Bond Quality of Composite Laminates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moench, Molly K.

The preparation of the surfaces to be bonded is critical to the success of composite bonds. Peel ply surface preparation is attractive from a manufacturing and quality assurance standpoint, but is a well known example of the extremely system-specific nature of composite bonds. This study examined the role of the surface energy, morphology, and chemistry left by peel ply removal in resulting bond quality. It also evaluated the use of contact angle surface energy measurement techniques for predicting the resulting bond quality of a prepared surface. The surfaces created by preparing three aerospace fiber-reinforced composite prepregs were compared when prepared with a nylon vs a polyester peel ply. The prepared surfaces were characterized with contact angle measurements with multiple fluids, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and x-ray electron spectroscopy. The laminates were bonded with aerospace grade film adhesives. Bond quality was assessed via double cantilever beam testing followed by optical and scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surfaces.The division was clear between strong bonds (GIC of 600- 1000J/m2 and failure in cohesion) and weak bonds (GIC of 80-400J/m2 and failure in adhesion). All prepared laminates showed the imprint of the peel ply texture and evidence of peel ply remnants after fabric removal, either through SEM or XPS. Within an adhesive system, large amounts of SEM-visible peel ply material transfer correlated with poor bond quality and cleaner surfaces with higher bond quality. The both sides of failed weak bonds showed evidence of peel ply remnants under XPS, showing that at least some failure is occurring through the remnants. The choice of adhesive was found to be significant. AF 555 adhesive was more tolerant of peel ply contamination than MB 1515-3. Although the bond quality results varied substantially between tested combinations, the total surface energies of all prepared surfaces were very similar. Single fluid contact angle

Study on surface morphology and physicochemical properties of raw and activated South African coal and coal fly ash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, S. B.; Langwenya, S. P.; Mamba, B. B.; Balakrishnan, M.

South African coal and coal fly ash were selected as the raw materials to be used for study of their morphology and physicochemical properties and their respective activated carbons for adsorption applications. Coal and fly ash were individually steam activated at a temperature range of 550-1000 °C for 1 h in a muffle furnace using cylindrical stainless steel containers. Scanning electron micrographs revealed a change in surface morphology with more mineral matter available on the surface of the coal particles due to increased devolatilization. However, in the case of fly ash, the macerals coalesced to form agglomerates and the presence of unburnt carbon constituted pores of diameter between 50 and 100 nm. The BET surface area of coal improved significantly from 5.31 to 52.12 m 2/g whereas in case of fly ash the surface area of the raw sample which was originally 0.59 m 2/g and upon activation increased only up to 2.04 m 2/g. The chemical composition of the fly ash confirmed that silica was the major component which was approximately 60% by weight fraction. The impact of this study was to highlight the importance of using raw materials such as coal and a waste product, in the form of coal ash, in order to produce affordable activated carbon that can be used in drinking water treatment. This would therefore ensure that the quality of water supplied to communities for drinking is not contaminated especially by toxic organic compounds.

Experimental evaluation of a new morphological approximation of the articular surfaces of the ankle joint.

PubMed

Belvedere, Claudio; Siegler, Sorin; Ensini, Andrea; Toy, Jason; Caravaggi, Paolo; Namani, Ramya; Giannini, Giulia; Durante, Stefano; Leardini, Alberto

2017-02-28

The mechanical characteristics of the ankle such as its kinematics and load transfer properties are influenced by the geometry of the articulating surfaces. A recent, image-based study found that these surfaces can be approximated by a saddle-shaped, skewed, truncated cone with its apex oriented laterally. The goal of this study was to establish a reliable experimental technique to study the relationship between the geometry of the articular surfaces of the ankle and its mobility and stability characteristics and to use this technique to determine if morphological approximations of the ankle surfaces based on recent discoveries, produce close to normal behavior. The study was performed on ten cadavers. For each specimen, a process based on medical imaging, modeling and 3D printing was used to produce two subject specific artificial implantable sets of the ankle surfaces. One set was a replica of the natural surfaces. The second approximated the ankle surfaces as an original saddle-shaped truncated cone with apex oriented laterally. Testing under cyclic loading conditions was then performed on each specimen following a previously established technique to determine its mobility and stability characteristics under three different conditions: natural surfaces; artificial surfaces replicating the natural surface morphology; and artificial approximation based on the saddle-shaped truncated cone concept. A repeated measure analysis of variance was then used to compare between the three conditions. The results show that (1): the artificial surfaces replicating natural morphology produce close to natural mobility and stability behavior thus establishing the reliability of the technique; and (2): the approximated surfaces based on saddle-shaped truncated cone concept produce mobility and stability behavior close to the ankle with natural surfaces. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interfacial Interaction in Anodic Aluminum Oxide Templates Modifies Morphology, Surface Area, and Crystallization of Polyamide-6 Nanofibers.

PubMed

Xue, Junhui; Xu, Yizhuang; Jin, Zhaoxia

2016-03-08

Here, we demonstrated that, when the precipitation process of polyamide-6 (PA6) solution happens in cylindrical channels of an anodized aluminum oxide membrane (AAO), interface interactions between a solid surface, solvent, non-solvent, and PA6 will influence the obtained polymer nanostructures, resulting in complex morphologies, increased surface area, and crystallization changes. With the enhancing interaction of PA6 and the AAO surface, the morphology of PA6 nanostructures changes from solid nanofibers, mesoporous, to bamboo-like, while at the same time, metastable γ-phase domains increase in these PA6 nanostructures. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas of solid, bamboo-like, and mesoporous PA6 nanofibers rise from 16, 20.9, to 25 m(2)/g. This study shows that interfacial interaction in AAO template fabrication can be used in manipulating the morphology and crystallization of one-dimensional polymer nanostructures. It also provides us a simple and novel method to create porous PA6 nanofibers with a large surface area.

Production of Near-Mirror Surface Quality by Precision Grinding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dimofte, Florin; Krantz, Timothy

2003-01-01

Mechanical components such as gears and bearings operate with the working surfaces in intimate contact with a mating part. The performance of such components will be influenced by the quality of the working surface. In general, a smoother surface will perform better than a rougher surface since the lubrication conditions are improved. For example, surfaces with a special near-mirror quality finish of low roughness performed better than ground surfaces when tested using a block-on-ring arrangement. Bearings with near-mirror quality have been tested and analyzed; lower running torques were measured and improved fatigue life was anticipated. Experiments have been done to evaluate the performance of gears with improved, low roughness surface finishing. The measured performance improvements include an increased scuffing (scoring) load capacity by a factor of 1.6, a 30-percent reduction of gear tooth running friction, and longer fatigue lives by a factor of about four. One can also anticipate that near-mirror quality surface finishing could improve the performance of other mechanical components such as mechanical seals and heavily loaded journal bearings. Given these demonstrated benefits, capable and economical methods for the production of mechanical components with near-mirror quality surfaces are desired. One could propose the production of near-mirror quality surfaces by several methods such as abrasive polishing, chemical assisted polishing, or grinding. Production of the surfaces by grinding offers the possibility to control the macro-geometry (form), waviness, and surface texture with one process. The present study was carried out to investigate the possibility of producing near-mirror quality surfaces by grinding. The present study makes use of a specially designed grinding machine spindle to improve the surface quality relative to the quality produced when using a spindle of conventional design.

Various nanoparticle morphologies and surface properties of waterborne polyurethane controlled by water

PubMed Central

Zhou, Xing; Fang, Changqing; Lei, Wanqing; Du, Jie; Huang, Tingyi; Li, Yan; Cheng, Youliang

2016-01-01

Water plays important roles in organic reactions such as polyurethane synthesis, and the aqueous solution environment affects polymer morphology and other properties. This paper focuses on the morphology and surface properties of waterborne polyurethane resulting from the organic reaction in water involving different forms (solid and liquid), temperatures and aqueous solutions. We provide evidence from TEM observations that the appearance of polyurethane nanoparticles in aqueous solutions presents diverse forms, including imperfect spheres, perfect spheres, perfect and homogenous spheres and tubes. Based on the results on FTIR, GPC, AFM and XRD experiments, we suggest that the shape of the nanoparticles may be decided by the crimp degree (i.e., the degree of polyurethane chains intertangling in the water environment) and order degree, which are determined by the molecular weight (Mn) and hydrogen bonds. Meanwhile, solid water and high-temperature water can both reduce hard segments that gather on the polyurethane film surface to reduce hydrophilic groups and produce a soft surface. Our findings show that water may play key roles in aqueous polymer formation and bring order to molecular chains. PMID:27687001

Temporal Variability of Stemflow Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) Concentrations and Quality from Morphologically Contrasting Deciduous Canopies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Stan, J. T.; Levia, D. F.; Inamdar, S. P.; Mitchell, M. J.; Mage, S. M.

2010-12-01

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) inputs from canopy-derived hydrologic fluxes play a significant role in the terrestrial carbon budgets of forested ecosystems. However, no studies known to the authors have examined the variability of both DOC concentrations and quality for stemflow across time scales, nor has any study to date evaluated the effects of canopy structure on stemflow DOC characteristics. This investigation seeks to rectify this knowledge gap by examining the variability of stemflow DOC concentrations and quality across contrasting canopy morphologies and time scales (seasonal, storm and intrastorm). Bulk and intrastorm stemflow samples from a less dense, rough-barked, more plagiophile (Liriodendron tulipifera L. (tulip poplar)) and a denser, thin-barked, more erectophile (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. (American beech)) canopy were collected and analyzed for DOC quality using metrics derived from UV-vis spectroscopy (E2:E3 ratio, SUVA254, select spectral slope (S), and spectral slope ratios (SR)). Our results suggest that stemflow DOC concentrations and quality change as crown architectural traits enhance or diminish hydrologic retention time within the canopy. The architecture of L. tulipifera canopies likely retards the flow of intercepted water, increasing chemical exchange with bark and foliar surfaces. UV-vis metrics indicated that this increased chemical exchange, particularly with bark surfaces, generally enhanced aromatic hydrocarbon content and increased molecular weight. Because leaf presence influenced DOC quality, stemflow DOC characteristics also varied seasonally in response to canopy condition. At the inter- and intrastorm scale, stemflow DOC concentration and quality varied with meteorological and antecedent canopy conditions. Since recent studies have linked stemflow production to preferential subsurface transport of dissolved chemistries, trends in DOC speciation and fluxes described in this study may impact soil environments within wooded

Bio-Tribology Properties of Bionic Carp Scale Morphology on Ti6A14V Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W.; Y Wei, X.; Meng, K.; Zhong, L. H.; Wang, Y.; Yu, X. H.

2017-12-01

In order to improve the bio-tribology properties of Ti6A14V surface, the bionic carp scale appearance pattern on Ti6A14V surface was prepared by laser surface texturing technology. The ball-disc reciprocating linear tribological experiment under different lubricants with dry friction was carried out by MRTR multifunction friction and wear testing machine using ZrO2/Ti6A14V as friction pair. The wear scar morphology of the sample surface was observed by SEM. The results show that for dry friction, the friction factor of the bionic carp scale morphology Ti6A14V reduces by 0.23 than those without bionic carp scale morphology, a decline of 45%. Under different lubrication conditions, the friction factors of samples with the bionic carp scale are increased in varying degrees with the increase of size of bionic texturing. The friction factor with same specimen under different lubrication conditions according to the ascending order are 0.5g/dl of sodium hyaluronate +0.5g/dl-γglobulin and 0.5g/dl mixed aqueous solution of sodium hyaluronate solution and artificial saliva. The wear volume also showed a similar variation.

CONNECTICUT SURFACE WATER QUALITY CLASSIFICATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

This is a 1:24,000-scale datalayer of Surface Water Quality Classifications for Connecticut. It is comprised of two 0Shapefiles with line and polygon features. Both Shapefiles must be used together with the Hydrography datalayer. The polygon Shapefile includes surface water qual...

Formation and metrology of dual scale nano-morphology on SF(6) plasma etched silicon surfaces.

PubMed

Boulousis, G; Constantoudis, V; Kokkoris, G; Gogolides, E

2008-06-25

Surface roughness and nano-morphology in SF(6) plasma etched silicon substrates are investigated in a helicon type plasma reactor as a function of etching time and process parameters. The plasma etched surfaces are analyzed by atomic force microscopy. It is found that dual scale nano-roughness is formatted on the silicon surface comprising an underlying nano-roughness and superimposed nano-mounds. Detailed metrological quantification is proposed for the characterization of dual scale surface morphology. As etching proceeds, the mounds become higher, fewer and wider, and the underlying nano-roughness also increases. Increase in wafer temperature leads to smoother surfaces with lower, fewer and wider nano-mounds. A mechanism based on the deposition of etch inhibiting particles during the etching process is proposed for the explanation of the experimental behavior. In addition, appropriately designed experiments are conducted, and they confirm the presence of this mechanism.

Sensor-based monitoring and inspection of surface morphology in ultraprecision manufacturing processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, Prahalad Krishna

This research proposes approaches for monitoring and inspection of surface morphology with respect to two ultraprecision/nanomanufacturing processes, namely, ultraprecision machining (UPM) and chemical mechanical planarization (CMP). The methods illustrated in this dissertation are motivated from the compelling need for in situ process monitoring in nanomanufacturing and invoke concepts from diverse scientific backgrounds, such as artificial neural networks, Bayesian learning, and algebraic graph theory. From an engineering perspective, this work has the following contributions: 1. A combined neural network and Bayesian learning approach for early detection of UPM process anomalies by integrating data from multiple heterogeneous in situ sensors (force, vibration, and acoustic emission) is developed. The approach captures process drifts in UPM of aluminum 6061 discs within 15 milliseconds of their inception and is therefore valuable for minimizing yield losses. 2. CMP process dynamics are mathematically represented using a deterministic multi-scale hierarchical nonlinear differential equation model. This process-machine inter-action (PMI) model is evocative of the various physio-mechanical aspects in CMP and closely emulates experimentally acquired vibration signal patterns, including complex nonlinear dynamics manifest in the process. By combining the PMI model predictions with features gathered from wirelessly acquired CMP vibration signal patterns, CMP process anomalies, such as pad wear, and drifts in polishing were identified in their nascent stage with high fidelity (R2 ~ 75%). 3. An algebraic graph theoretic approach for quantifying nano-surface morphology from optical micrograph images is developed. The approach enables a parsimonious representation of the topological relationships between heterogeneous nano-surface fea-tures, which are enshrined in graph theoretic entities, namely, the similarity, degree, and Laplacian matrices. Topological invariant

30 CFR 57.5006 - Air Quality-Surface Only [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Air Quality-Surface Only [Reserved] 57.5006... Quality, Radiation, Physical Agents, and Diesel Particulate Matter Air Quality-Surface and Underground...-Nitrosodimethylamine. Air Quality—Surface Only [Reserved] Air Quality—Underground Only ...

30 CFR 57.5006 - Air Quality-Surface Only [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Air Quality-Surface Only [Reserved] 57.5006... Quality, Radiation, Physical Agents, and Diesel Particulate Matter Air Quality-Surface and Underground...-Nitrosodimethylamine. Air Quality—Surface Only [Reserved] Air Quality—Underground Only ...

30 CFR 57.5006 - Air Quality-Surface Only [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Air Quality-Surface Only [Reserved] 57.5006... Quality, Radiation, Physical Agents, and Diesel Particulate Matter Air Quality-Surface and Underground...-Nitrosodimethylamine. Air Quality—Surface Only [Reserved] Air Quality—Underground Only ...

Atomic force microscopic study of the effects of ethanol on yeast cell surface morphology.

PubMed

Canetta, Elisabetta; Adya, Ashok K; Walker, Graeme M

2006-02-01

The detrimental effects of ethanol toxicity on the cell surface morphology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain NCYC 1681) and Schizosaccharomyces pombe (strain DVPB 1354) were investigated using an atomic force microscope (AFM). In combination with culture viability and mean cell volume measurements AFM studies allowed us to relate the cell surface morphological changes, observed on nanometer lateral resolution, with the cellular stress physiology. Exposing yeasts to increasing stressful concentrations of ethanol led to decreased cell viabilities and mean cell volumes. Together with the roughness and bearing volume analyses of the AFM images, the results provided novel insight into the relative ethanol tolerance of S. cerevisiae and Sc. pombe.

Tissue-Specific Analysis of Secondary Metabolites Creates a Reliable Morphological Criterion for Quality Grading of Polygoni Multiflori Radix.

PubMed

Liang, Li; Xu, Jun; Liang, Zhi-Tao; Dong, Xiao-Ping; Chen, Hu-Biao; Zhao, Zhong-Zhen

2018-05-08

In commercial herbal markets, Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PMR, the tuberous roots of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.), a commonly-used Chinese medicinal material, is divided into different grades based on morphological features of size and weight. While more weight and larger size command a higher price, there is no scientific data confirming that the more expensive roots are in fact of better quality. To assess the inherent quality of various grades and of various tissues in PMR and to find reliable morphological indicators of quality, a method combining laser microdissection (LMD) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) was applied. Twelve major chemical components were quantitatively determined in both whole material and different tissues of PMR. Determination of the whole material revealed that traditional commercial grades based on size and weight of PRM did not correspond to any significant differences in chemical content. Instead, tissue-specific analysis indicated that the morphological features could be linked with quality in a new way. That is, PMR with broader cork and phloem, as seen in a transverse section, were typically of better quality as these parts are where the bioactive components accumulate. The tissue-specific analysis of secondary metabolites creates a reliable morphological criterion for quality grading of PMR.

Surface morphology and structure of Ge layer on Si(111) after solid phase epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Ryoma; Tosaka, Aki; Shigeta, Yukichi

2018-05-01

The surface morphology change of a Ge layer on a Si(111) surface formed by solid phase epitaxy has been investigated with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The Ge film was deposited at room temperature and annealed at 400 °C or 600 °C. The STM images of the sample surface after annealing at 400 °C show a flat wetting layer (WL) with small three-dimensional islands on the WL. After annealing at 600 °C, the STM images show a surface roughening with large islands. From the relation between the average height of the roughness and the deposited layer thickness, it is confirmed that the diffusion of Ge atoms becomes very active at 600 °C. The Si crystal at the interface is reconstructed and the intermixing occurs over 600 °C. However, the intermixing is fairly restricted in the solid phase epitaxy growth at 400 °C. The surface morphology changes with the crystallization at 400 °C are discussed by the shape of the islands formed on the WL surface. It is shown that the diffusion of the Ge atoms in the amorphous phase is active even at 400 °C.

Surface morphology of taste buds in catfish barbels.

PubMed

Ovalle, W K; Shinn, S L

1977-03-16

External taste buds abound on barbels of the adult catfish Corydoras arcuatus. When examined by scanning electron microscopy, they are visualized as a series of punctate, conical elevations projecting from the general surface epithelium. All taste buds were found to be of one type. Both their external and internal surface features could be clearly elucidated on intact barbels and in barbels fractured transversely at various positions along their length. An extensive nerve terminal network penetrates the base of each taste bud. Two populations of elongated cells bearing prominent microvilli project through the central pore at the tip of each bud. One set of microvilli is thicker, longer and more club-shaped than its counterpart. While both are randomly distributed within each central pore, the small, short microvilli appear to outnumber the larger ones. A third population of cells, devoid of any apical microvilli, was also seen in some of the taste buds examined internally. These cells do not project to the external surface and are interpreted as "basal" cells described in previous light and transmission electron microscope studies of taste buds in other vertebrate species. The functional significance of some of these morphological findings is discussed.

Assessing Restoration Effects on River Hydromorphology Using the Process-based Morphological Quality Index in Eight European River Reaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belletti, B.; Nardi, L.; Rinaldi, M.; Poppe, M.; Brabec, K.; Bussettini, M.; Comiti, F.; Gielczewski, M.; Golfieri, B.; Hellsten, S.; Kail, J.; Marchese, E.; Marcinkowski, P.; Okruszko, T.; Paillex, A.; Schirmer, M.; Stelmaszczyk, M.; Surian, N.

2018-01-01

The Morphological Quality Index (MQI) and the Morphological Quality Index for monitoring (MQIm) have been applied to eight case studies across Europe with the objective of analyzing the hydromorphological response to various restoration measures and of comparing the results of the MQI and MQIm as a morphological assessment applied at the reach scale, with a conventional site scale physical-habitat assessment method. For each restored reach, the two indices were applied to the pre-restoration and post-restoration conditions. The restored reach was also compared to an adjacent, degraded reach. Results show that in all cases the restoration measures improved the morphological quality of the reach, but that the degree of improvement depends on many factors, including the initial morphological conditions, the length of the restored portion in relation to the reach length, and on the type of intervention. The comparison with a conventional site scale physical-habitat assessment method shows that the MQI and MQIm are best suited for the evaluation of restoration effects on river hydromorphology at the geomorphologically-relevant scale of the river reach.

Assessing Restoration Effects on River Hydromorphology Using the Process-based Morphological Quality Index in Eight European River Reaches.

PubMed

Belletti, B; Nardi, L; Rinaldi, M; Poppe, M; Brabec, K; Bussettini, M; Comiti, F; Gielczewski, M; Golfieri, B; Hellsten, S; Kail, J; Marchese, E; Marcinkowski, P; Okruszko, T; Paillex, A; Schirmer, M; Stelmaszczyk, M; Surian, N

2018-01-01

The Morphological Quality Index (MQI) and the Morphological Quality Index for monitoring (MQIm) have been applied to eight case studies across Europe with the objective of analyzing the hydromorphological response to various restoration measures and of comparing the results of the MQI and MQIm as a morphological assessment applied at the reach scale, with a conventional site scale physical-habitat assessment method. For each restored reach, the two indices were applied to the pre-restoration and post-restoration conditions. The restored reach was also compared to an adjacent, degraded reach. Results show that in all cases the restoration measures improved the morphological quality of the reach, but that the degree of improvement depends on many factors, including the initial morphological conditions, the length of the restored portion in relation to the reach length, and on the type of intervention. The comparison with a conventional site scale physical-habitat assessment method shows that the MQI and MQIm are best suited for the evaluation of restoration effects on river hydromorphology at the geomorphologically-relevant scale of the river reach.

Uncertainties in selected surface water quality data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rode, M.; Suhr, U.

2006-09-01

Monitoring of surface waters is primarily done to detect the status and trends in water quality and to identify whether observed trends arise form natural or anthropogenic causes. Empirical quality of surface water quality data is rarely certain and knowledge of their uncertainties is essential to assess the reliability of water quality models and their predictions. The objective of this paper is to assess the uncertainties in selected surface water quality data, i.e. suspended sediment, nitrogen fraction, phosphorus fraction, heavy metals and biological compounds. The methodology used to structure the uncertainty is based on the empirical quality of data and the sources of uncertainty in data (van Loon et al., 2006). A literature review was carried out including additional experimental data of the Elbe river. All data of compounds associated with suspended particulate matter have considerable higher sampling uncertainties than soluble concentrations. This is due to high variability's within the cross section of a given river. This variability is positively correlated with total suspended particulate matter concentrations. Sampling location has also considerable effect on the representativeness of a water sample. These sampling uncertainties are highly site specific. The estimation of uncertainty in sampling can only be achieved by taking at least a proportion of samples in duplicates. Compared to sampling uncertainties measurement and analytical uncertainties are much lower. Instrument quality can be stated well suited for field and laboratory situations for all considered constituents. Analytical errors can contribute considerable to the overall uncertainty of surface water quality data. Temporal autocorrelation of surface water quality data is present but literature on general behaviour of water quality compounds is rare. For meso scale river catchments reasonable yearly dissolved load calculations can be achieved using biweekly sample frequencies. For suspended

In-Vitro Comparative Study of In-office and Home Bleaching Agents on Surface Micro-morphology of Enamel.

PubMed

Fatima, Nazish

2016-01-01

To evaluate the effect of home-use bleaching agent containing 16% Carbamide Peroxide (CP) and in-office bleaching agent with 38% Hydrogen Peroxide (HP) on surface micro-morphology of enamel. An experimental study. The discs were prepared at Material Engineering Department of NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, and surface morphology was analyzed at Centralized Science Laboratory of Karachi University, Pakistan. Duration of study was one year from January to December 2012. Forty five sound human third molar crowns, extracted for periodontal reason, were included in the study. Longitudinal sections were made using diamond disks (0.2 mm) under water lubrication to obtain enamel slabs measuring (3 mm x 3 mm). The slabs were embedded in polystyrene resin by using 2.0 cm diameter PVC molds, leaving the outer enamel surface uncovered by the resin. Ninety dental enamel slabs were prepared. The slabs were then randomly divided into 3 groups. Each group contained thirty specimens (n=30). Group 1 was kept in artificial saliva at 37°C in incubator (Memart, Germany) during whole experiment. Group 2 was treated with power whitening gel (White Smile 2011, Germany). Group 3 was treated with tooth whitening pen (White Smile 2011, Germany). The most central region or the region that was most representative of the entire surface area was used. The SEM (Jeol-Japan-JSM6380A, JAPAN) micrographs were examined to determine the type of surface presented. The enamel changes were classified as no or mild alteration, moderate alteration and severe altered surface. Regarding micro-morphology, the enamel surface of control groups showed smooth surface in general with some scattered clear scratches due to the polishing procedure. The specimens bleached in group 2 and group 3, represented areas of mild erosion. Bleaching with 38% Hydrogen Peroxide (HP) and 16% Carbamide Peroxide (CP) resulted in mild changes in surface micro-morphology of enamel.

Surface morphology of refractive-index waveguide gratings fabricated in polymer films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Yi; Song, Yan-fang; Ma, Lei; Gao, Fang-fang

2016-09-01

The characteristic modifications are reported on the surface of polymeric waveguide film in the process of volume- grating fabrication. The light from a mode-locked 76 MHz femtosecond laser with pulse duration of 200 fs and wavelength of 800 nm is focused normal to the surface of the sample. The surface morphology modifications are ascribed to a fact that surface swelling occurs during the process. Periodic micro-structure is inscribed with increasing incident power. The laser-induced swelling threshold on the grating, which is higher than that of two-photon initiated photo-polymerization (TPIP) (8 mW), is verified to be about 20 mW. It is feasible to enhance the surface smoothness of integrated optics devices for further encapsulation. The variation of modulation depth is studied for different values of incident power and scan spacing. Ablation accompanied with surface swelling appears when the power is higher. By optimizing the laser carving parameters, highly efficient grating devices can be fabricated.

Impact of plasma treatment under atmospheric pressure on surface chemistry and surface morphology of extruded and injection-molded wood-polymer composites (WPC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hünnekens, Benedikt; Avramidis, Georg; Ohms, Gisela; Krause, Andreas; Viöl, Wolfgang; Militz, Holger

2018-05-01

The influence of plasma treatment performed at atmospheric pressure and ambient air as process gas by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) on the morphological and chemical surface characteristics of wood-polymer composites (WPC) was investigated by applying several surface-sensitive analytical methods. The surface free energy showed a distinct increase after plasma treatment for all tested materials. The analyzing methods for surface topography-laser scanning microscopy (LSM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM)-revealed a roughening induced by the treatment which is likely due to a degradation of the polymeric surface. This was accompanied by the formation of low-molecular-weight oxidized materials (LMWOMs), appearing as small globular structures. With increasing discharge time, the nodules increase in size and the material degradation proceeds. The surface degradation seems to be more serious for injection-molded samples, whereas the formation of nodules became more apparent and were evenly distributed on extruded surfaces. These phenomena could also be confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, differences between extruded and injection-molded surfaces could be observed. Besides the morphological changes, the chemical composition of the substrates' surfaces was affected by the plasma discharge. Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated the formation of new oxygen containing polar groups on the modified surfaces.

Impact of initial surface parameters on the final quality of laser micro-polished surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chow, Michael; Bordatchev, Evgueni V.; Knopf, George K.

2012-03-01

Laser micro-polishing (LμP) is a new laser-based microfabrication technology for improving surface quality during a finishing operation and for producing parts and surfaces with near-optical surface quality. The LμP process uses low power laser energy to melt a thin layer of material on the previously machined surface. The polishing effect is achieved as the molten material in the laser-material interaction zone flows from the elevated regions to the local minimum due to surface tension. This flow of molten material then forms a thin ultra-smooth layer on the top surface. The LμP is a complex thermo-dynamic process where the melting, flow and redistribution of molten material is significantly influenced by a variety of process parameters related to the laser, the travel motions and the material. The goal of this study is to analyze the impact of initial surface parameters on the final surface quality. Ball-end micromilling was used for preparing initial surface of samples from H13 tool steel that were polished using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The height and width of micromilled scallops (waviness) were identified as dominant parameter affecting the quality of the LμPed surface. By adjusting process parameters, the Ra value of a surface, having a waviness period of 33 μm and a peak-to-valley value of 5.9 μm, was reduced from 499 nm to 301 nm, improving the final surface quality by 39.7%.

Thin-film-induced morphological instabilities over calcite surfaces

PubMed Central

Vesipa, R.; Camporeale, C.; Ridolfi, L.

2015-01-01

Precipitation of calcium carbonate from water films generates fascinating calcite morphologies that have attracted scientific interest over past centuries. Nowadays, speleothems are no longer known only for their beauty but they are also recognized to be precious records of past climatic conditions, and research aims to unveil and understand the mechanisms responsible for their morphological evolution. In this paper, we focus on crenulations, a widely observed ripple-like instability of the the calcite–water interface that develops orthogonally to the film flow. We expand a previous work providing new insights about the chemical and physical mechanisms that drive the formation of crenulations. In particular, we demonstrate the marginal role played by carbon dioxide transport in generating crenulation patterns, which are indeed induced by the hydrodynamic response of the free surface of the water film. Furthermore, we investigate the role of different environmental parameters, such as temperature, concentration of dissolved ions and wall slope. We also assess the convective/absolute nature of the crenulation instability. Finally, the possibility of using crenulation wavelength as a proxy of past flows is briefly discussed from a theoretical point of view. PMID:27547086

Cell morphology, viability, osteocalcin activity, and alkaline phosphatase activity in milled versus unmilled surface of the femoral head.

PubMed

Rhyu, Kee Hyung; Cho, Chang Hoon; Yoon, Kyung Sik; Chun, Young Soo

2016-12-01

To evaluate cellular activity in milled versus unmilled surface of the femoral head in 21 patients who underwent robot-assisted total hip arthroplasty(THA). The femoral head of 21 consecutive patients who underwent robot-assisted THA for osteonecrosis was used. 10 cc of trabecular bone from the entire milled surface was obtained using a curette. The same amount of trabecular bone was obtained at least 1 cm away from the milled surface and served as a matched control. Cell morphology, viability, osteocalcin activity, and alkaline phosphatase activity in milled versus unmilled surface were assessed. Cell morphology of the milled or unmilled surface was comparable; cells were smaller in the milled surface. Cell viability was a mean of 40% higher in the milled surface (107.4% vs. 67.2%, p<0.001); cell viability at 5 time points was comparable in each group. Osteocalcin activity of cells was slightly higher in the milled surface (1.43 vs. 1.24 ng/ml, p=0.69). Alkaline phosphatase activity of cells was slightly higher in the unmilled surface (150 105 vs. 141 789 U/L, p=0.078). The milled and unmilled surfaces of the femoral head were comparable in terms of cell morphology, viability, osteocalcin activity, and alkaline phosphatase activity.

A Review of Surface Water Quality Models

PubMed Central

Li, Shibei; Jia, Peng; Qi, Changjun; Ding, Feng

2013-01-01

Surface water quality models can be useful tools to simulate and predict the levels, distributions, and risks of chemical pollutants in a given water body. The modeling results from these models under different pollution scenarios are very important components of environmental impact assessment and can provide a basis and technique support for environmental management agencies to make right decisions. Whether the model results are right or not can impact the reasonability and scientificity of the authorized construct projects and the availability of pollution control measures. We reviewed the development of surface water quality models at three stages and analyzed the suitability, precisions, and methods among different models. Standardization of water quality models can help environmental management agencies guarantee the consistency in application of water quality models for regulatory purposes. We concluded the status of standardization of these models in developed countries and put forward available measures for the standardization of these surface water quality models, especially in developing countries. PMID:23853533

Effects of surface stability on the morphological transformation of metals and metal oxides as investigated by first-principles calculations.

PubMed

Andrés, Juan; Gracia, Lourdes; Gouveia, Amanda Fernandes; Ferrer, Mateus Meneghetti; Longo, Elson

2015-10-09

Morphology is a key property of materials. Owing to their precise structure and morphology, crystals and nanocrystals provide excellent model systems for joint experimental and theoretical investigations into surface-related properties. Faceted polyhedral crystals and nanocrystals expose well-defined crystallographic planes depending on the synthesis method, which allow for thoughtful investigations into structure-reactivity relationships under practical conditions. This feature article introduces recent work, based on the combined use of experimental findings and first-principles calculations, to provide deeper knowledge of the electronic, structural, and energetic properties controlling the morphology and the transformation mechanisms of different metals and metal oxides: Ag, anatase TiO2, BaZrO3, and α-Ag2WO4. According to the Wulff theorem, the equilibrium shapes of these systems are obtained from the values of their respective surface energies. These investigations are useful to gain further understanding of how to achieve morphological control of complex three-dimensional crystals by tuning the ratio of the surface energy values of the different facets. This strategy allows the prediction of possible morphologies for a crystal and/or nanocrystal by controlling the relative values of surface energies.

Investigation on Selective Laser Melting AlSi10Mg Cellular Lattice Strut: Molten Pool Morphology, Surface Roughness and Dimensional Accuracy

PubMed Central

Han, Xuesong; Zhu, Haihong; Nie, Xiaojia; Wang, Guoqing; Zeng, Xiaoyan

2018-01-01

AlSi10Mg inclined struts with angle of 45° were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) using different scanning speed and hatch spacing to gain insight into the evolution of the molten pool morphology, surface roughness, and dimensional accuracy. The results show that the average width and depth of the molten pool, the lower surface roughness and dimensional deviation decrease with the increase of scanning speed and hatch spacing. The upper surface roughness is found to be almost constant under different processing parameters. The width and depth of the molten pool on powder-supported zone are larger than that of the molten pool on the solid-supported zone, while the width changes more significantly than that of depth. However, if the scanning speed is high enough, the width and depth of the molten pool and the lower surface roughness almost keep constant as the density is still high. Therefore, high dimensional accuracy and density as well as good surface quality can be achieved simultaneously by using high scanning speed during SLMed cellular lattice strut. PMID:29518900

Measurement of the surface morphology of plasma facing components on the EAST tokamak by a laser speckle interferometry approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hongbei, WANG; Xiaoqian, CUI; Yuanbo, LI; Mengge, ZHAO; Shuhua, LI; Guangnan, LUO; Hongbin, DING

2018-03-01

The laser speckle interferometry approach provides the possibility of an in situ optical non-contacted measurement for the surface morphology of plasma facing components (PFCs), and the reconstruction image of the PFC surface morphology is computed by a numerical model based on a phase unwrapping algorithm. A remote speckle interferometry measurement at a distance of three meters for real divertor tiles retired from EAST was carried out in the laboratory to simulate a real detection condition on EAST. The preliminary surface morphology of the divertor tiles was well reproduced by the reconstructed geometric image. The feasibility and reliability of this approach for the real-time measurement of PFCs have been demonstrated.

Effects of dietary quality on basal metabolic rate and internal morphology of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geluso, Keith; Hayes, J.P.

1999-01-01

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) were fed either a low- or high-quality diet to test the effects of dietary quality on basal metabolic rate (BMR) and internal morphology. Basal metabolic rate did not differ significantly between the two dietary groups, but internal morphology differed greatly. Starlings fed the low-quality diet had heavier gastrointestinal tracts, gizzards, and livers. Starlings fed the high-quality diet had heavier breast muscles. Starlings on the low-quality diet maintained mass, while starlings on the high-quality diet gained mass. Dry matter digestibility and energy digestibility were lower for starlings fed the low-quality diet, and their food and water intake were greater than starlings on the high-quality diet. The lack of dietary effect on BMR may be the result of increased energy expenditure of digestive organs paralleling a reduction of energy expenditure of organs and tissues not related to digestion (i.e., skeletal muscle). This trade-off in energy allocation among organs suggests a mechanism by which organisms may alter BMR in response to a change in seasonal variation in food availability.

Evidence from tooth surface morphology for a posterior maxillary origin of the proteroglyph gang

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jackson, K.; Fritts, T.H.

1995-01-01

Although the front-fanged venom delivery system of the Elapidae is believed to be derived from an aglyphous or opisthoglyphous colubroid ancestor, opinion is divided as to the end of the maxilla on which the proteroglyph fang originated. This study was undertaken to determine whether the evolutionary precursor of the proteroglyph fang was (a) a grooved posterior fang which migrated anteriorly, or (b) an enlarged anterior tooth which secondarily developed a groove for the conduction of venom. The surface morphology of the maxillary teeth of colubrid genera was examined using scanning electron microscopy. Ridges present on the lingual and labial surfaces of anterior maxillary teeth and on the anterior and posterior surfaces of posterior maxillary teeth were identified as morphological markers of potential value in distinguishing the anterior and posterior maxillary teeth of colubrid snakes, and in determining the origin of the proteroglyph fang. Patterns of ridges on the surfaces of elapid fangs examined were found to be consistent with the hypothesis that the evolutionary precursor of the proteroglyph fang was an opisthoglyph fang which migrated anteriorly.

Implications of Surface Morphologies for the Distribution of Shallow Subsurface Ice in Arcadia Planitia, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, N. R.; Hibbard, S. M.; Golombek, M. P.

2017-12-01

The plains of Arcadia Planitia on Mars at 40°N and 200°E straddle the southern boundary of a latitude-dependent mantle (LDM) of shallow water-ice that holds key records for the planet's climate. Ice is not stable at mid-latitude surfaces today, but is expected to have precipitated in the past during different obliquities and climatic conditions with remnant excess ice preserved in the subsurface under a veneer of soil partially isolating it from the atmosphere. Previous work has documented evidence for substantial ice in Arcadia using gamma ray spectrometry; ground-penetrating radar reflections and dielectric constants; and surface morphologies of lobate debris aprons, expanded secondary craters, terraced craters, and surface polygons. New high-resolution orbital images have been acquired that resolve meter-scale ice-related morphologies. In particular, Arcadia exhibits widespread polygonal patterned ground created by cryoturbation, and large areas of crenulated "brain coral" terrain for which the sinuous troughs have already undergone sublimation while the sinuous ridges are still ice-rich. We examined over 200 High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) 25 cm/pixel images that resolve these morphologies indicating a complex transition of progressive ice loss at the edge of the LDM. HiRISE coverage is sparse across Arcadia; however, 6 m/pixel Context Camera (CTX) image coverage is nearly complete and fills in the gaps for terrain units with distinct textures. We find that crenulated terrain is restricted to a narrow latitude band at 38°N-43°N. Isolated shallow pits also occur northward of 40°N, and in many cases interconnect to form crenulations as part of a transitional morphologic continuum. Polygonal surface morphologies are ubiquitous farther north, but become increasingly sparse and more degraded farther south. These pits, crenulations, and polygons are sensitive to ice at depths of centimeters to a few meters, which could be easily accessible

Morphology, stratigraphy, and surface roughness properties of Venusian lava flow fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrnes, Jeffrey M.; Crown, David A.

2002-10-01

Morphologic characteristics, flow stratigraphy, and radar backscatter properties of five lava flow fields on Venus (Turgmam Fluctus, Zipaltonal Fluctus, Tuli Mons/Uilata Fluctus, Var Mons, and Mylitta Fluctus) were examined to understand flow field emplacement mechanisms and relationships to other surface processes. These analyses indicate that the flow fields studied developed through emplacement of numerous, thin flow units, presumably over extended periods of time. Although the Venusian fields display flow morphologies similar to those observed within terrestrial flow fields, the Venusian flow units are significantly larger and have a larger range of radar backscatter coefficients. Both simple and compound flow emplacement appear to have occurred within the flow fields. A potential correlation between flow rheology and radar brightness is suggested by differences in planform morphology, apparent flow thickness, and apparent sensitivity to topography between bright and dark flows. Distributary flow morphologies may result from tube-fed flows, and postemplacement modification by processes such as flow inflation and crustal foundering is consistent with discrete zones of increased radar brightness within individual flow lobes. Mapping of these flow fields does not indicate any simple evolutionary trend in eruptive/resurfacing style within the flow fields, or any consistent temporal sequence relative to other tectonic and volcanic features.

Morphology, surface temperatures, and northern limits of columnar cacti in the Sonoran Desert

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nobel, P.S.

1980-02-01

Interspecific morphological differences and intraspecific morphological changes with latitude were evaluated to help examine the distributional ranges of Carnegiea gigantea, Lemaireocereus thurberi, Lophocereus schottii, Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum, and P. pringlei in the Sonoran Desert (US and Mexico). A computer model, which predicted the average surface temperature of the stem within 1/sup 0/C of that measured hourly throughout a 24-h period, was particularly useful in studying the thermal relations of the stem apex, where the lowest surface temperature occurred. Simulated increases in stem diameter raised the minimum apical temperature for C. gigantea and may help account for the extension of its rangemore » to higher latitudes than the other species studied. However, diameter increases led to a slight decrease in minimum apical temperatures for Lophocereus schottii. The immature stems of L. schottii are morphologically distinct from the mature stems, which caused minimum apical temperatures to be 1.6/sup 0/C lower for the immature stems under given environmental conditions; thus, freezing damage to the immature stems could limit the northward extension of the range of this species. As the apical pubescence in the simulations was increased up to the normal amount (10 mm), the minimum apical temperature for the stem of C. gigantea increased 2.4/sup 0/C. Simulated increases in spine shading of the apexalso raised the minimum apical temperatures, again indicating the influence of morphological features on the temperature of the meristematic region.« less

Zerodur polishing process for high surface quality and high efficiency

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tesar, A.; Fuchs, B.

1992-08-01

Zerodur is a glass-ceramic composite importance in applications where temperature instabilities influence optical and mechanical performance, such as in earthbound and spaceborne telescope mirror substrates. Polished Zerodur surfaces of high quality have been required for laser gyro mirrors. Polished surface quality of substrates affects performance of high reflection coatings. Thus, the interest in improving Zerodur polished surface quality has become more general. Beyond eliminating subsurface damage, high quality surfaces are produced by reducing the amount of hydrated material redeposited on the surface during polishing. With the proper control of polishing parameters, such surfaces exhibit roughnesses of

Investigation of the surface morphology of biocompatible chitosan-based hydrogels and xerogels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuravleva, Yulia Yu.; Malinkina, Olga N.; Shipovskaya, Anna B.

2018-04-01

Our biocompatible hydrogel systems obtained by the sol-gel technqiue and based on chitosan and silicon polyolates are promising for medical and biological applications. The surface microrelief of these sol-gel materials (hydrogels and xerogels) based on chitosan and silicon tetraglycerolate was explored by AFM and SEM. A significant influence of the component ratio in the mixed system on the morphology and surface profile of the hydrogels and xerogels prepared therefrom was established. An increased content of the structure-forming component (chitosan) in the system was shown to increase the roughness scale of the hydrogel surface and to promote the porosity of the xerogel structure.

Surface Morphology Transformation Under High-Temperature Annealing of Ge Layers Deposited on Si(100).

PubMed

Shklyaev, A A; Latyshev, A V

2016-12-01

We study the surface morphology and chemical composition of SiGe layers after their formation under high-temperature annealing at 800-1100 °C of 30-150 nm Ge layers deposited on Si(100) at 400-500 °C. It is found that the annealing leads to the appearance of the SiGe layers of two types, i.e., porous and continuous. The continuous layers have a smoothened surface morphology and a high concentration of threading dislocations. The porous and continuous layers can coexist. Their formation conditions and the ratio between their areas on the surface depend on the thickness of deposited Ge layers, as well as on the temperature and the annealing time. The data obtained suggest that the porous SiGe layers are formed due to melting of the strained Ge layers and their solidification in the conditions of SiGe dewetting on Si. The porous and dislocation-rich SiGe layers may have properties interesting for applications.

Study of the Effect of Nanoparticles and Surface Morphology on Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration Membrane Productivity

PubMed Central

Fang, Yuming; Duranceau, Steven J.

2013-01-01

To evaluate the significance of reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) surface morphology on membrane performance, productivity experiments were conducted using flat-sheet membranes and three different nanoparticles, which included SiO2, TiO2 and CeO2. In this study, the productivity rate was markedly influenced by membrane surface morphology. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis of membrane surfaces revealed that the higher productivity decline rates associated with polyamide RO membranes as compared to that of a cellulose acetate NF membrane was due to the inherent ridge-and-valley morphology of the active layer. The unique polyamide active layer morphology was directly related to the surface roughness, and was found to contribute to particle accumulation in the valleys causing a higher flux decline than in smoother membranes. Extended RO productivity experiments using laboratory grade water and diluted pretreated seawater were conducted to compare the effect that different nanoparticles had on membrane active layers. Membrane flux decline was not affected by particle type when the feed water was laboratory grade water. On the other hand, membrane productivity was affected by particle type when pretreated diluted seawater served as feed water. It was found that CeO2 addition resulted in the least observable flux decline, followed by SiO2 and TiO2. A productivity simulation was conducted by fitting the monitored flux data into a cake growth rate model, where the model was modified using a finite difference method to incorporate surface thickness variation into the analysis. The ratio of cake growth term (k1) and particle back diffusion term (k2) was compared in between different RO and NF membranes. Results indicated that k2 was less significant for surfaces that exhibited a higher roughness. It was concluded that the valley areas of thin-film membrane surfaces have the ability to capture particles, limiting particle back diffusion. PMID:24956946

Morphology of viscoplastic drop impact on viscoplastic surfaces.

PubMed

Chen, Simeng; Bertola, Volfango

2017-01-25

The impact of viscoplastic drops onto viscoplastic substrates characterized by different magnitudes of the yield stress is investigated experimentally. The interaction between viscoplastic drops and surfaces has an important application in additive manufacturing, where a fresh layer of material is deposited on a partially cured or dried layer of the same material. So far, no systematic studies on this subject have been reported in literature. The impact morphology of different drop/substrate combinations, with yield stresses ranging from 1.13 Pa to 11.7 Pa, was studied by high speed imaging for impact Weber numbers between 15 and 85. Experimental data were compared with one of the existing models for Newtonian drop impact onto liquid surfaces. Results show the magnitude of the yield stress of drop/substrate strongly affects the final shape of the impacting drop, permanently deformed at the end of impact. The comparison between experimental data and model predictions suggests the crater evolution model is only valid when predicting the evolution of the crater at sufficiently high Weber numbers.

A dynamic monitoring approach for the surface morphology evolution measurement of plasma facing components by means of speckle interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hongbei; Cui, Xiaoqian; Feng, Chunlei; Li, Yuanbo; Zhao, Mengge; Luo, Guangnan; Ding, Hongbin

2017-11-01

Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) in a magnetically confined fusion plasma device will be exposed to high heat load and particle fluxes, and it would cause PFCs' surface morphology to change due to material erosion and redeposition from plasma wall interactions. The state of PFCs' surface condition will seriously affect the performance of long-pulse or steady state plasma discharge in a tokamak; it will even constitute an enormous threat to the operation and the safety of fusion plasma devices. The PFCs' surface morphology evolution measurement could provide important information about PFCs' real-time status or damage situation and it would help to a better understanding of the plasma wall interaction process and mechanism. Meanwhile through monitoring the distribution of dust deposition in a tokamak and providing an upper limit on the amount of loose dust, the PFCs' surface morphology measurement could indirectly contribute to keep fusion operational limits and fusion device safety. Aiming at in situ dynamic monitoring PFCs' surface morphology evolution, a laboratory experimental platform DUT-SIEP (Dalian University of Technology-speckle interferometry experimental platform) based on the speckle interferometry technique has been constructed at Dalian University of Technology (DUT) in China. With directional specific designing and focusing on the real detection condition of EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak), the DUT-SIEP could realize a variable measurement range, widely increased from 0.1 μm to 300 μm, with high spatial resolution (<1 mm) and ultra-high time resolution (<2 s for EAST measuring conditions). Three main components of the DUT-SIEP are all integrated and synchronized by a time schedule control and data acquisition terminal and coupled with a three-dimensional phase unwrapping algorithm, the surface morphology information of target samples can be obtained and reconstructed in real-time. A local surface morphology of the real divertor

The morphology of the Martian surface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carr, M.H.

1980-01-01

Most of the southern hemisphere of Mars is densely cratered and stands 1-3 km above the topographic datum. The northern hemisphere is more sparsely cratered and elevations are generally below the datum. A broad rise, the Tharsis bulge, centered at 14?? S, 101?? W, is 8000 km across and 10 km above the datum at its summit. The densely cratered terrain has two main components; very ancient crust, nearly saturated with large craters, and younger intercrater plains. In many areas the older unit is fractured and extensively dissected by small channels. The younger intercrater plains are distinctly layered in places and less dissected, less fractured, and less cratered. Both units probably date from very early in the planet's history. Cratered plains cover much of the northern hemisphere and are highly variegated. Those around the large volcanoes are covered with numerous volcanic flows whereas in other areas the plains are featureless except for craters and lunar mare-like ridges. Between 40?? N and 60?? N the plains are complex with various kinds of striped and patterned ground, low escarpments, and isolated irregularly shaped mesas. Their peculiar morphology has been attributed, in part, to the repeated deposition and removal of volatile-rich debris layers. Along the boundary between the northern plains and the densely cratered terrain to the south, the plains and cratered terrain complexly inter-finger. The old terrain forms the high ground and appears to have undergone mass wasting on a large scale. In several areas, particularly south of Chryse Planitia, the old, cratered surface has collapsed to form chaotic terrain. Large channels, tens of kilometers wide and hundreds of kilometers long, with numerous characteristics suggestive of catastrophic flooding, commonly emerge from the chaotic areas. Much of the area between 50?? W and 180?? W and 50?? N and 50?? S is cut by fractures radial to the center of the Tharsis bulge. The equatorial canyon system, Valles

Quality-control design for surface-water sampling in the National Water-Quality Network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Riskin, Melissa L.; Reutter, David C.; Martin, Jeffrey D.; Mueller, David K.

2018-04-10

The data-quality objectives for samples collected at surface-water sites in the National Water-Quality Network include estimating the extent to which contamination, matrix effects, and measurement variability affect interpretation of environmental conditions. Quality-control samples provide insight into how well the samples collected at surface-water sites represent the true environmental conditions. Quality-control samples used in this program include field blanks, replicates, and field matrix spikes. This report describes the design for collection of these quality-control samples and the data management needed to properly identify these samples in the U.S. Geological Survey’s national database.

Nano-scale surface morphology, wettability and osteoblast adhesion on nitrogen plasma-implanted NiTi shape memory alloy.

PubMed

Liu, X M; Wu, S L; Chu, Paul K; Chung, C Y; Chu, C L; Chan, Y L; Lam, K O; Yeung, K W K; Lu, W W; Cheung, K M C; Luk, K D K

2009-06-01

Plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) is an effective method to increase the corrosion resistance and inhibit nickel release from orthopedic NiTi shape memory alloy. Nitrogen was plasma-implanted into NiTi using different pulsing frequencies to investigate the effects on the nano-scale surface morphology, structure, wettability, as well as biocompatibility. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that the implantation depth of nitrogen increases with higher pulsing frequencies. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) discloses that the nano-scale surface roughness increases and surface features are changed from islands to spiky cones with higher pulsing frequencies. This variation in the nano surface structures leads to different surface free energy (SFE) monitored by contact angle measurements. The adhesion, spreading, and proliferation of osteoblasts on the implanted NiTi surface are assessed by cell culture tests. Our results indicate that the nano-scale surface morphology that is altered by the implantation frequencies impacts the surface free energy and wettability of the NiTi surfaces, and in turn affects the osteoblast adhesion behavior.

Morphological alterations of T24 cells on flat and nanotubular TiO2 surfaces.

PubMed

Imani, Roghayeh; Kabaso, Doron; Erdani Kreft, Mateja; Gongadze, Ekaterina; Penic, Samo; Elersic, Kristina; Kos, Andrej; Veranic, Peter; Zorec, Robert; Iglic, Ales

2012-12-01

To investigate morphological alterations of malignant cancer cells (T24) of urothelial origin seeded on flat titanium (Ti) and nanotubular TiO(2) (titanium dioxide) nanostructures. Using anodization method, TiO(2) surfaces composed of vertically aligned nanotubes of 50-100 nm diameters were produced. The flat Ti surface was used as a reference. The alteration in the morphology of cancer cells was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A computational model, based on the theory of membrane elasticity, was constructed to shed light on the biophysical mechanisms responsible for the observed changes in the contact area of adhesion. Large diameter TiO(2) nanotubes exhibited a significantly smaller contact area of adhesion (P<0.0001) and had more membrane protrusions (eg, microvilli and intercellular membrane nanotubes) than on flat Ti surface. Numerical membrane dynamics simulations revealed that the low adhesion energy per unit area would hinder the cell spreading on the large diameter TiO(2) nanotubular surface, thus explaining the small contact area. The reduction in the cell contact area in the case of large diameter TiO(2) nanotube surface, which does not enable formation of the large enough number of the focal adhesion points, prevents spreading of urothelial cells.

Impact of surface morphology on the properties of light emission in InGaN epilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristijonas Uždavinys, Tomas; Marcinkevičius, Saulius; Mensi, Mounir; Lahourcade, Lise; Carlin, Jean-François; Martin, Denis; Butté, Raphaël; Grandjean, Nicolas

2018-05-01

Scanning near-field optical microscopy was used to study the influence of the surface morphology on the properties of light emission and alloy composition in InGaN epitaxial layers grown on GaN substrates. A strong correlation between the maps of the photoluminescence (PL) peak energy and the gradient of the surface morphology was observed. This correlation demonstrates that the In incorporation strongly depends on the geometry of the monolayer step edges that form during growth in the step-flow mode. The spatial distribution of nonradiative recombination centers — evaluated from PL intensity maps — was found to strongly anticorrelate with the local content of In atoms in the InGaN alloy.

The variation in surface morphology and hardness of human deciduous teeth samples after laser irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalid, Arooj; Bashir, Shazia; Akram, Mahreen; Salman Ahmed, Qazi

2017-11-01

The variation in surface morphology and hardness of human deciduous teeth samples has been investigated after laser irradiation at different wavelengths and energies. Nd:YAG was employed as a source of irradiation for IR (1064 nm) and visible (532 nm) radiation, whereas an excimer laser was used as the source of UV (248 nm) radiation. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis was carried out to reveal the surface morphological evolution of teeth samples. Vickers microhardness tester was employed to investigate the modifications in the hardness of the laser-treated samples. It is observed from SEM analysis that IR wavelength is responsible for ablation of collagen matrix and intertubular dentine. For visible radiation, the ablation of collagen along with hydroxypatite is observed. With UV radiation, the ablation of peritubular dentine is dominant and is responsible for the sealing of tubules. The decrease in hardness at lower energy for both wavelengths is due to the evaporation of carbon content. With increasing energy, evaporation of water along with carbon content, and resolidification and re-organization of inorganic content causes the increase in hardness of the treated dentine. SEM as well as microhardness analyses reveal that laser wavelengths and energy of laser radiation significantly influence the surface morphology and hardness of samples.

Influence of multi-wavelength laser irradiation of enamel and dentin surfaces at 0.355, 2.94, and 9.4 μm on surface morphology, permeability, and acid resistance.

PubMed

Chang, Nai-Yuan N; Jew, Jamison M; Simon, Jacob C; Chen, Kenneth H; Lee, Robert C; Fried, William A; Cho, Jinny; Darling, Cynthia L; Fried, Daniel

2017-12-01

Ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) lasers can be used to specifically target protein, water, and mineral, respectively, in dental hard tissues to produce varying changes in surface morphology, permeability, reflectivity, and acid resistance. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of laser irradiation and topical fluoride application on the surface morphology, permeability, reflectivity, and acid resistance of enamel and dentin to shed light on the mechanism of interaction and develop more effective treatments. Twelve bovine enamel surfaces and twelve bovine dentin surfaces were irradiated with various combinations of lasers operating at 0.355 (Freq.-tripled Nd:YAG (UV) laser), 2.94 (Er:YAG laser), and 9.4 μm (CO 2 laser), and surfaces were exposed to an acidulated phosphate fluoride gel and an acid challenge. Changes in the surface morphology, acid resistance, and permeability were measured using digital microscopy, polarized light microscopy, near-IR reflectance, fluorescence, polarization sensitive-optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT), and surface dehydration rate measurements. Different laser treatments dramatically influenced the surface morphology and permeability of both enamel and dentin. CO 2 laser irradiation melted tooth surfaces. Er:YAG and UV lasers, while not melting tooth surfaces, showed markedly different surface roughness. Er:YAG irradiation led to significantly rougher enamel and dentin surfaces and led to higher permeability. There were significant differences in acid resistance among the various treatment groups. Surface dehydration measurements showed significant changes in permeability after laser treatments, application of fluoride and after exposure to demineralization. CO 2 laser irradiation was most effective in inhibiting demineralization on enamel while topical fluoride was most effective for dentin surfaces. Lasers Surg. Med. 49:913-927, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Nanoscale analysis of the morphology and surface stability of calcium carbonate polymorphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekkal, W.; Zaoui, A.

2013-04-01

Under earth surface conditions, in ocean and natural water, calcium carbonate is ubiquitous, forming anhydrous and hydrous minerals. These hydrous phases are of considerable interest for their role as precursors to stable carbonate minerals. Atomistic simulation techniques have been employed here to perform a comprehensive and quantitative study of the structural and energetic stability of dry and hydrous surfaces of calcium carbonate polymorphs using two recently developed forcefields. Results show that the dry forms are prone to ductility; while hydrous phases are found to be brittle. The (001) surface of monohydrocalcite appears to be the most stable (0.99 J/m2) whereas for the ikaite phase, the (001) surface is the most stable. The corresponding value is 0.2 J/m2, i.e. even lower than the surface energy of the Beautiful computed morphology pictures are obtained with Xiao's model and are very similar to the observed SEM images.

Morphological Evolution of Pit-Patterned Si(001) Substrates Driven by Surface-Energy Reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvalaglio, Marco; Backofen, Rainer; Voigt, Axel; Montalenti, Francesco

2017-09-01

Lateral ordering of heteroepitaxial islands can be conveniently achieved by suitable pit-patterning of the substrate prior to deposition. Controlling shape, orientation, and size of the pits is not trivial as, being metastable, they can significantly evolve during deposition/annealing. In this paper, we exploit a continuum model to explore the typical metastable pit morphologies that can be expected on Si(001), depending on the initial depth/shape. Evolution is predicted using a surface-diffusion model, formulated in a phase-field framework, and tackling surface-energy anisotropy. Results are shown to nicely reproduce typical metastable shapes reported in the literature. Moreover, long time scale evolutions of pit profiles with different depths are found to follow a similar kinetic pathway. The model is also exploited to treat the case of heteroepitaxial growth involving two materials characterized by different facets in their equilibrium Wulff's shape. This can lead to significant changes in morphologies, such as a rotation of the pit during deposition as evidenced in Ge/Si experiments.

Morphological Evolution of Pit-Patterned Si(001) Substrates Driven by Surface-Energy Reduction.

PubMed

Salvalaglio, Marco; Backofen, Rainer; Voigt, Axel; Montalenti, Francesco

2017-09-29

Lateral ordering of heteroepitaxial islands can be conveniently achieved by suitable pit-patterning of the substrate prior to deposition. Controlling shape, orientation, and size of the pits is not trivial as, being metastable, they can significantly evolve during deposition/annealing. In this paper, we exploit a continuum model to explore the typical metastable pit morphologies that can be expected on Si(001), depending on the initial depth/shape. Evolution is predicted using a surface-diffusion model, formulated in a phase-field framework, and tackling surface-energy anisotropy. Results are shown to nicely reproduce typical metastable shapes reported in the literature. Moreover, long time scale evolutions of pit profiles with different depths are found to follow a similar kinetic pathway. The model is also exploited to treat the case of heteroepitaxial growth involving two materials characterized by different facets in their equilibrium Wulff's shape. This can lead to significant changes in morphologies, such as a rotation of the pit during deposition as evidenced in Ge/Si experiments.

Multipulse nanosecond laser irradiation of silicon for the investigation of surface morphology and photoelectric properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sardar, Maryam; Chen, Jun; Ullah, Zaka; Jelani, Mohsan; Tabassum, Aasma; Cheng, Ju; Sun, Yuxiang; Lu, Jian

2017-12-01

We irradiate the single crystal boron-doped silicon (Si) with different number of laser pulses at constant fluence (7.5 J cm-2) in ambient air using Nd:YAG laser and examine its surface morphology and photoelectric properties in details. The results obtained from optical micrographs reveal the increase in heat affected zone (HAZ) and melted area of laser irradiated Si with increasing number of laser pulses. The SEM micrographs evidence the formation of various surface morphologies like laser induced periodic surface structures, crater, microcracks, clusters, cavities, pores, trapped bubbles, nucleation sites, micro-bumps, redeposited material and micro- and nano-particles on the surface of irradiated Si. The surface profilometry analysis informs that the depth of crater is increased with increase in number of incident laser pulses. The spectroscopic ellipsometry reveals that the multipulse irradiation of Si changes its optical properties (refractive index and extinction coefficient). The current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curves of laser irradiated Si show that although the multipulse laser irradiation produces considerable number of surface defects and damages, the electrical properties of Si are well sustained after the multipulse irradiation. The current findings suggest that the multipulse irradiation can be an effective way to tune the optical properties of Si for the fabrication of wide range of optoelectronic devices.

Effect of Surface Morphology and Magnetic Impurities on the Electronic Structure in Cobalt-Doped BaFe 2 As 2 Superconductors

DOE PAGES

Zou, Qiang; Wu, Zhiming; Fu, Mingming; ...

2017-02-03

Combined scanning tunneling microscopy, spectroscopy, and local barrier height (LBH) studies show that low-temperature-cleaved optimally doped Ba(Fe 1–xCo x) 2As 2 crystals with x = 0.06, with T c = 22 K, have complicated morphologies. Although the cleavage surface and hence the morphologies are variable, the superconducting gap maps show the same gap widths and nanometer size inhomogeneities irrelevant to the morphology. Based on the spectroscopy and LBH maps, the bright patches and dark stripes in the morphologies are identified as Ba- and As-dominated surface terminations, respectively. Magnetic impurities, possibly due to Co or Fe atoms, are believed to createmore » local in-gap state and, in addition, suppress the superconducting coherence peaks. Lastly, this study will clarify the confusion on the cleavage surface terminations of the Fe-based superconductors and its relation with the electronic structures.« less

Evaluation of Fine Aggregate Morphology by Image Method and Its Effect on Skid-Resistance of Micro-Surfacing.

PubMed

Xiao, Yue; Wang, Feng; Cui, Peide; Lei, Lei; Lin, Juntao; Yi, Mingwei

2018-05-29

Micro-surfacing is a widely used pavement preventive maintenance technology used all over the world, due to its advantages of fast construction, low maintenance cost, good waterproofness, and skid-resistance performance. This study evaluated the fine aggregate morphology and surface texture of micro-surfacing by AIMS (aggregate image measurement system), and explored the effect of aggregate morphology on skid-resistance of single-grade micro-surfacing. Sand patch test and British pendulum test were also used to detect skid-resistance for comparison with the image-based method. Wet abrasion test was used to measure skid-resistance durability for feasibility verification of single-grade micro-surfacing. The results show that the effect of Form2D on the skid-resistance of micro-surfacing is much stronger than that of angularity. Combining the feasibility analysis of durability and skid-resistance, 1.18⁻2.36 grade micro-surfacing meets the requirements of durability and skid-resistance at the same time. This study also determined that, compared with British pendulum test, the texture result obtained by sand patch test fits better with results of image method.

Influence of surface morphology on adsorption of potassium stearate molecules on diamond-like carbon substrate: A molecular dynamics study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Shusen; Cao, Yongzhi; Sun, Tao; Zhang, Junjie; Gu, Le; Zhang, Chuanwei; Xu, Zhiqiang

2018-05-01

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to provide insights into the influence of nano-scale surface morphology on adsorptive behavior of Potassium stearate molecules on diamond-like carbon (DLC) substrates. Particular focus was given to explain that how the distinctive geometric properties of different surface morphologies affect the equilibrium structures and substrate-molecules interactions of monolayers, which was achieved through adsorptive analysis methods including adsorptive process, density profile, density distribution and surface potential energy. Analysis on surface potential energy demonstrated that the adsorptivity of amorphous smooth substrate is uniformly distributed over the surface, while DLC substrates with different surface morphologies appear to be more potentially corrugated, which improves the adsorptivity significantly. Because of the large distance of molecules from carbon atoms located at the square groove bottom, substrate-molecules interactions vanish significantly, and thus potassium stearate molecules cannot penetrate completely into the square groove. It can be observed that the equilibrium substrate-molecules interactions of triangle groove and semi-circle groove are much more powerful than that of square groove due to geometrically advantageous properties. These findings provided key information of optimally design of solid substrates with controllable adsorptivity.

The relationship between substrate morphology and biological performances of nano-silver-loaded dopamine coatings on titanium surfaces

PubMed Central

Zhang, Weibo; Wang, Shuang; Ge, Shaohua; Ji, Ping

2018-01-01

Biomedical device-associated infection (BAI) and lack of osseointegration are the main causes of implant failure. Therefore, it is imperative for implants not only to depress microbial activity and biofilm colonization but also to prompt osteoblast functions and osseointegration. As part of the coating development for implants, the interest of in vitro studies on the interaction between implant substrate morphology and the coating's biological performances is growing. In this study, by harnessing the adhesion and reactivity of bioinspired polydopamine, nano-silver was successfully anchored onto micro/nanoporous as well as smooth titanium surfaces to analyse the effect of substrate morphology on biological performances of the coatings. Compared with the smooth surface, a small size of nano-silver and high silver content was found on the micro/nanoporous surface. More mineralization happened on the coating on the micro/nanoporous structure than on the smooth surface, which led to a more rapid decrease of silver release from the micro/nanoporous surface. Antimicrobial tests indicated that both surfaces with resulting coating inhibit microbial colonization on them and growth around them, indicating that the coating eliminates the shortcoming of the porous structure which render the implant extremely susceptible to BAI. Besides, the multiple osteoblast responses of nano-silver-loaded dopamine coatings on both surfaces, i.e. attachment, proliferation and differentiation, have deteriorated, however the mineralized surfaces of these coatings stimulated osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, especially for the micro/nanoporous surface. Therefore, nano-silver-loaded dopamine coatings on micro/nanoporous substratum may not only reduce the risk of infection but also facilitate mineralization during the early post-operative period and then promote osseointegration owing to the good osteoblast-biocompatibility of the mineralized surface. These results clearly highlight

Analysis of carotid lumen surface morphology using three-dimensional ultrasound imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Bernard; Beletsky, Vadim; Spence, J. David; Parraga, Grace; Fenster, Aaron

2009-03-01

Carotid plaque surface irregularity and ulcerations play an important role in the risk of ischemic stroke. Ulcerated or fissured plaque, characterized by irregular surface morphology, exposes thrombogenic materials to the bloodstream, possibly leading to life- or brain-threatening thrombosis and embolization. Therefore, the quantification of plaque surface irregularity is important to identify high-risk plaques that would likely lead to vascular events. Although a number of studies have characterized plaque surface irregularity using subjective classification schemes with two or more categories, only a few have quantified surface irregularity using an objective and continuous quantity, such as Gaussian or mean curvature. In this work, our goal was to use both Gaussian and mean curvatures for identifying ulcers from 3D carotid ultrasound (US) images of human subjects. Before performing experiments using patient data, we verified the numerical accuracy of the surface curvature computation method using discrete spheres and tori with different sampling intervals. We also showed that three ulcers of the vascular phantom with 2 mm, 3 mm and 4 mm diameters were associated with high Gaussian and mean curvatures, and thus, were easily detected. Finally, we demonstrated the application of the proposed method for detecting ulcers on luminal surfaces, which were segmented from the 3D US images acquired for two human subjects.

Changes in surface morphology and mineralization level of human enamel following in-office bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide and light irradiation.

PubMed

Berger, Sandrine Bittencourt; Cavalli, Vanessa; Ambrosano, Glaucia Maria Bovi; Giannini, Marcelo

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the alterations on surface morphology and mineral loss of human enamel following in-office bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide and light irradiation. Dental enamel samples were obtained from human third molars and randomly divided into 10 groups (n = 10). The control group remained untreated. Bleached groups were treated with one of three whitening products. Bleaching was performed in a single session, during which bleaching gel was applied to the enamel surface three times for 10 minutes each time. During treatment, the bleaching agents were either irradiated by a halogen light or an LED/diode laser or were not irradiated at all. Microhardness testing was performed with a Knoop indentor and the surface morphologic observations were carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cross-sectional microhardness (CSMH) and polarized light microscopy (PLM) were used to measure the depth of demineralization. The results revealed a significant decrease in surface microhardness values and changes to the enamel morphology after bleaching. CSMH and PLM showed that bleached enamel presented lower volume percentage of mineral up to 40 micrometers from the enamel surface and demineralization areas located in the subsuperficial region of enamel, respectively. It was concluded that 35% hydrogen peroxide can alter the surface morphology and the mineralization level of the dental enamel surface and sub-surface regardless of what type of bleaching light is used.

The effects of tungsten's pre-irradiation surface condition on helium-irradiated morphology

DOE PAGES

Garrison, Lauren M.; Kulcinski, Gerald L.

2015-07-17

Erosion is a concern associated with the use of tungsten as a plasma-facing component in fusion reactors. To compare the damage progression, polycrystalline tungsten (PCW) and (110) single crystal tungsten (SCW) samples were prepared with (1) a mechanical polish (MP) with roughness values in the range of 0.018–0.020 μm and (2) an MP and electropolish (MPEP) resulting in roughness values of 0.010–0.020 μm for PCW and 0.003–0.005 μm for SCW samples. Samples were irradiated with 30 keV He + at 1173 K to fluences between 3 × 10 21 and 6 × 10 22 He/m 2. The morphologies that developedmore » after low-fluence bombardment were different for each type of sample—MP SCW, MPEP SCW, MP PCW, and MPEP PCW. At the highest fluence, the SCW MPEP sample lost significantly more mass and developed a different morphology than the MP SCW sample. The PCW samples developed a similar morphology and had similar mass loss at the highest fluence. Surface preparation can have a significant effect on post-irradiation morphology that should be considered for the design of future fusion reactors such as ITER and DEMO.« less

URBAN MORPHOLOGY FOR HOUSTON TO DRIVE MODELS-3/CMAQ AT NEIGHBORHOOD SCALES

EPA Science Inventory

Air quality simulation models applied at various horizontal scales require different degrees of treatment in the specifications of the underlying surfaces. As we model neighborhood scales ( 1 km horizontal grid spacing), the representation of urban morphological structures (e....

Nanoscale analysis of the morphology and surface stability of calcium carbonate polymorphs

PubMed Central

Sekkal, W.; Zaoui, A.

2013-01-01

Under earth surface conditions, in ocean and natural water, calcium carbonate is ubiquitous, forming anhydrous and hydrous minerals. These hydrous phases are of considerable interest for their role as precursors to stable carbonate minerals. Atomistic simulation techniques have been employed here to perform a comprehensive and quantitative study of the structural and energetic stability of dry and hydrous surfaces of calcium carbonate polymorphs using two recently developed forcefields. Results show that the dry forms are prone to ductility; while hydrous phases are found to be brittle. The (001) surface of monohydrocalcite appears to be the most stable (0.99 J/m2) whereas for the ikaite phase, the (001) surface is the most stable. The corresponding value is 0.2 J/m2, i.e. even lower than the surface energy of the Beautiful computed morphology pictures are obtained with Xiao's model and are very similar to the observed SEM images. PMID:23545842

Nanoscale analysis of the morphology and surface stability of calcium carbonate polymorphs.

PubMed

Sekkal, W; Zaoui, A

2013-01-01

Under earth surface conditions, in ocean and natural water, calcium carbonate is ubiquitous, forming anhydrous and hydrous minerals. These hydrous phases are of considerable interest for their role as precursors to stable carbonate minerals. Atomistic simulation techniques have been employed here to perform a comprehensive and quantitative study of the structural and energetic stability of dry and hydrous surfaces of calcium carbonate polymorphs using two recently developed forcefields. Results show that the dry forms are prone to ductility; while hydrous phases are found to be brittle. The (001) surface of monohydrocalcite appears to be the most stable (0.99 J/m(2)) whereas for the ikaite phase, the (001) surface is the most stable. The corresponding value is 0.2 J/m(2), i.e. even lower than the surface energy of the Beautiful computed morphology pictures are obtained with Xiao's model and are very similar to the observed SEM images.

Electron mobility enhancement in metalorganic-vapor-phase-epitaxy-grown InAlN high-electron-mobility transistors by control of surface morphology of spacer layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Atsushi; Ishiguro, Tetsuro; Kotani, Junji; Nakamura, Norikazu

2018-01-01

We demonstrated low-sheet-resistance metalorganic-vapor-phase-epitaxy-grown InAlN high-electron-mobility transistors using AlGaN spacers with excellent surface morphology. We systematically investigated the effects of AlGaN spacer growth conditions on surface morphology and electron mobility. We found that the surface morphology of InAlN barriers depends on that of AlGaN spacers. Ga desorption from AlGaN spacers was suppressed by increasing the trimethylaluminum (TMA) supply rate, resulting in the small surface roughnesses of InAlN barriers and AlGaN spacers. Moreover, we found that an increase in the NH3 supply rate also improved the surface morphologies of InAlN barriers and AlGaN spacers as long as the TMA supply rate was high enough to suppress the degradation of GaN channels. Finally, we realized a low sheet resistance of 185.5 Ω/sq with a high electron mobility of 1210 cm2 V-1 s-1 by improving the surface morphologies of AlGaN spacers and InAlN barriers.

Phase study and surface morphology of beta-alumina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tak, S. K.

2018-05-01

Beta alumina ceramic is well known as a polycrystalline ceramic material. The characteristic crystal structure of beta-alumina makes it useful as a separator in sodium sulphur batteries and other electrochemical devices requiring the passage of sodium ions. β"-alumina powders for this study were prepared by zeta process. The pellets were sintered at different microwave power levels and power schedule to optimize the sintering conditions to obtain preferred β" phase with improved microstructure. Phase identification was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD analysis shows increase in β'' phase as the sintering temperature was increased from 1400°C to 1600°C. Surface morphology of the pellets was carried out by Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM). SEM studies revealed the formation and growth of platelet grains with interconnected porosity.

Optical properties and surface morphology studies of palladium contacts on mercuric iodide single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, M. A.; Azoulay, M.; Burger, A.; Biao, Y.; Silberman, E.; Nason, D.

1993-04-01

Palladium is chemically suitable for electric contacts on mercuric iodide detectors for photon and nuclear radiation detection, so the understanding of palladium contacts is important for fundamental and practical scientific purposes. A study has been conducted on the surface morphology of evaporated contacts using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical transmission and reflection. Evaporated palladium coatings are typically nonuniform and may deposit selectively on mercuric iodide surface defects. Reflection measurements show that coating thickness and surface treatment affect intensity, position, and shape of a reflected peak characteristic of the mercuric iodide structure. Results indicate that the band gap energy in the surface of the mercuric iodide is lowered by palladium contacts.

Theoretical approach for determining the relation between the morphology and surface magnetism of Co3O4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro, R. A. P.; de Lazaro, S. R.; Gracia, L.; Longo, E.; Andrés, J.

2018-05-01

Precisely controlling the different aspects of the morphology and magnetic properties of metal oxides are fundamental to materials design. A theoretical approach, based on the Wulff construction and magnetization density (M) index, is presented to clarify the relation between the morphology and surface magnetism. The M index allows us to evaluate the uncompensated spins at the (1 0 0), (1 1 0), (1 1 1) and (1 1 2) surfaces of Co3O4 with a spinel structure. The investigated morphologies show an excellent agreement with the experimental results, with the main contribution coming from the (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) magnetic planes. The present results are also helpful in clarifying the intriguing magnetic properties reported for Co3O4 nanoparticles, suggesting that the same technique may serve as a guide for the study of shape-oriented magnetic materials.

Roller compaction: Effect of morphology and amorphous content of lactose powder on product quality.

PubMed

Omar, Chalak S; Dhenge, Ranjit M; Osborne, James D; Althaus, Tim O; Palzer, Stefan; Hounslow, Michael J; Salman, Agba D

2015-12-30

The effect of morphology and amorphous content, of three types of lactose, on the properties of ribbon produced using roller compaction was investigated. The three types of lactose powders were; anhydrous SuperTab21AN, α-lactose monohydrate 200 M, and spray dried lactose SuperTab11SD. The morphology of the primary particles was identified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the powder amorphous content was quantified using NIR technique. SEM images showed that 21AN and SD are agglomerated type of lactose whereas the 200 M is a non-agglomerated type. During ribbon production, an online thermal imaging technique was used to monitor the surface temperature of the ribbon. It was found that the morphology and the amorphous content of lactose powders have significant effects on the roller compaction behaviour and on ribbon properties. The agglomerated types of lactose produced ribbon with higher surface temperature and tensile strength, larger fragment size, lower porosity and lesser fines percentages than the non-agglomerated type of lactose. The lactose powder with the highest amorphous content showed to result in a better binding ability between the primary particles. This type of lactose produced ribbons with the highest temperature and tensile strength, and the lowest porosity and amount of fines in the product. It also produced ribbon with more smooth surfaces in comparison to the other two types of lactose. It was noticed that there is a relationship between the surface temperature of the ribbon during production and the tensile strength of the ribbon; the higher the temperature of the ribbon during production the higher the tensile strength of the ribbon. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surface morphological properties of Ag-Al2O3 nanocermet layers using dip-coating technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhammad, Nor Adhila; Suhaimi, Siti Fatimah; Zubir, Zuhana Ahmad; Daud, Sahhidan

2017-12-01

Ag-Al2O3 nanocermet layer was deposited on Cu coated glass substrate using dip-coating technique. The aim of this study was to observe the surface morphology properties of Ag-Al2O3 nanocermet layers after annealing process at 350°C in H2. The surface morphology of Ag-Al2O3 nanocermet will be characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), respectively. The results show that nearly isolated Ag particles having a large and small size were present in the Al2O3 dielectric matrix after annealing process. The face centered cubic crystalline structure of Ag nanoparticles inclusion in the amorphous alumina dielectric matrix was confirmed using XRD pattern and supported by EDX spectra analysis.

Effects of polymer surface energy on morphology and properties of silver nanowire fabricated via nanoimprint and E-beam evaporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zhi-Jun; Hwang, Soon Hyoung; Jeon, Sohee; Jung, Joo-Yun; Lee, Jihye; Choi, Dae-Geun; Choi, Jun-Hyuk; Park, Sang-Hu; Jeong, Jun-Ho

2017-10-01

In this paper, we demonstrate that use of different nanoimprint resins as a polymer pattern has a significant effect on the morphology of silver (Ag) nanowires deposited via an E-beam evaporator. RM-311 and Ormo-stamp resins are chosen as a polymer pattern to form a line with dimensions of width (100 nm) × space (100 nm) × height (120 nm) by using nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Their contact angles are then measured to evaluate their surface energies. In order to compare the properties of the Ag nanowires deposited on the various polymer patterns with different surface energies, hydrophobic surface treatment of the polymer pattern surface is implemented using self-assembled monolayers. In addition, gold and aluminum nanowires are fabricated for comparison with the Ag nanowires, with the differences in the nanowire morphologies being determined by the different atomic properties. The monocrystalline and polycrystalline structures of the various Ag nanowire formations are observed using transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the melting temperatures and optical properties of four kinds of Ag nanowire morphologies deposited on various polymer patterns are evaluated using a hot plate and an ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrometer, respectively. The results indicate that the morphology of the Ag nanowire determines the melting temperature and the transmission. We believe that these findings will greatly aid the development of NIL, along with physical evaporation and chemical deposition techniques, and will be widely employed in optics, biology, and surface wettability applications.

Surface Morphology of Vapor-Deposited Chitosan: Evidence of Solid-State Dewetting during the Formation of Biopolymer Films.

PubMed

Retamal, Maria Jose; Corrales, Tomas P; Cisternas, Marcelo A; Moraga, Nicolas H; Diaz, Diego I; Catalan, Rodrigo E; Seifert, Birger; Huber, Patrick; Volkmann, Ulrich G

2016-03-14

Chitosan is a useful and versatile biopolymer with several industrial and biological applications. Whereas its physical and physicochemical bulk properties have been explored quite intensively in the past, there is a lack of studies regarding the morphology and growth mechanisms of thin films of this biopolymer. Of particular interest for applications in bionanotechnology are ultrathin films with thicknesses under 500 Å. Here, we present a study of thin chitosan films prepared in a dry process using physical vapor deposition and in situ ellipsometric monitoring. The prepared films were analyzed with atomic force microscopy in order to correlate surface morphology with evaporation parameters. We find that the surface morphology of our final thin films depends on both the optical thickness, i.e., measured with ellipsometry, and the deposition rate. Our work shows that ultrathin biopolymer films can undergo dewetting during film formation, even in the absence of solvents and thermal annealing.

Surface morphology of caldera-forming eruption deposits revealed by lidar mapping of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon- Implications for emplacement and surface modification

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, Joel E.; Bacon, Charles R.; Major, Jon J.; Wright, Heather M.; Vallance, James W.

2017-01-01

Large explosive eruptions of silicic magma can produce widespread pumice fall, extensive ignimbrite sheets, and collapse calderas. The surfaces of voluminous ignimbrites are rarely preserved or documented because most terrestrial examples are heavily vegetated, or severely modified by post-depositional processes. Much research addresses the internal sedimentary characteristics, flow processes, and depositional mechanisms of ignimbrites, however, surface features of ignimbrites are less well documented and understood, except for comparatively small-volume deposits of historical eruptions. The ~7,700 calendar year B.P. climactic eruption of Mount Mazama, USA vented ~50 km3 of magma, deposited first as rhyodacite pumice fall and then as a zoned rhyodacite-to-andesite ignimbrite as Crater Lake caldera collapsed. Lidar collected during summer 2010 reveals the remarkably well-preserved surface of the Mazama ignimbrite and related deposits surrounding Crater Lake caldera in unprecedented detail despite forest cover. The ±1 m lateral and ±4 cm vertical resolution lidar allows surface morphologies to be classified. Surface morphologies are created by internal depositional processes and can point to the processes at work when pyroclastic flows come to rest. We describe nine surface features including furrow-ridge sets and wedge-shaped mounds in pumice fall eroded by high-energy pyroclastic surges, flow- parallel ridges that record the passage of multiple pyroclastic flows, perched benches of marginal deposits stranded by more-mobile pyroclastic-flow cores, hummocks of dense clasts interpreted as lag deposit, transverse ridges that mark the compression and imbrication of flows as they came to rest, scarps indicating ignimbrite remobilization, fields of pit craters caused by phreatic explosions, fractures and cracks caused by extensional processes resulting from ignimbrite volume loss, and stream channels eroded in the newly formed surface. The nine morphologies presented

Surface morphology of caldera-forming eruption deposits revealed by lidar mapping of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon - Implications for deposition and surface modification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Joel E.; Bacon, Charles R.; Major, Jon J.; Wright, Heather M.; Vallance, James W.

2017-08-01

Large explosive eruptions of silicic magma can produce widespread pumice fall, extensive ignimbrite sheets, and collapse calderas. The surfaces of voluminous ignimbrites are rarely preserved or documented because most terrestrial examples are heavily vegetated, or severely modified by post-depositional processes. Much research addresses the internal sedimentary characteristics, flow processes, and depositional mechanisms of ignimbrites, however, surface features of ignimbrites are less well documented and understood, except for comparatively small-volume deposits of historical eruptions. The 7700 calendar year B.P. climactic eruption of Mount Manama, USA, vented 50 km3 of magma, deposited first as rhyodacite pumice fall and then as a zoned rhyodacite-to-andesite ignimbrite as Crater Lake caldera collapsed. Lidar collected during summer 2010 reveals the remarkably well-preserved surface of the Manama ignimbrite and related deposits surrounding Crater Lake caldera in unprecedented detail despite forest cover. The ± 1 m lateral and ± 4 cm vertical resolution lidar allows surface morphologies to be classified. Surface morphologies are created by internal depositional processes and can point to the processes at work when pyroclastic flows come to rest. We describe nine surface features including furrow-ridge sets and wedge-shaped mounds in pumice fall eroded by high-energy pyroclastic surges, flow-parallel ridges that record the passage of multiple pyroclastic flows, perched benches of marginal deposits stranded by more-mobile pyroclastic-flow cores, hummocks of dense clasts interpreted as lag deposit, transverse ridges that mark the compression and imbrication of flows as they came to rest, scarps indicating ignimbrite remobilization, fields of closely spaced pits caused by phreatic explosions, fractures and cracks due to extensional processes resulting from ignimbrite volume loss, and stream channels eroded in the newly formed surface. The nine morphologies

Assessment of surface water quality of inland valleys for cropping in SW Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aboyeji, O. S.; Ogunkoya, O. O.

2017-05-01

Inland valley agro-ecosystems which are a category of wetlands have potential for sustainable crop production relative to uplands. A major challenge to their utilisation in the study area is their heterogeneity in hydrology, morphology, soil types and agro-economy. The study assessed the surface water quality of three typologies of the agro-ecosystems—amphitheatre-like valley-heads (Am), valley-side (VS), and low depression (LD)—for cropping. Surface water of six sites were sampled during the wet and dry seasons. The physicochemical properties and metal concentrations of the samples were analysed. Descriptive statistics and water quality indices were used to assess the suitability of the waters of the agro-ecosystems for cropping. Results showed that the valleys have neutral to slightly alkaline waters. Values of physicochemical parameters are generally within the acceptable range for cropping. The concentration of major cations varied across the inland valley types, but exhibited similar characteristics within each valley. The dominance of the major cations is in the order of Na > Ca > K > Mg. ANOVA results indicated that there is no significant difference in the concentration of heavy metals across the valleys ( F = 2.044, p = 0.138, α = 0.05). Generally, most of the physicochemical parameters and trace metals have low concentrations and are non-toxic to plants. Values of water quality indices (sodium adsorption ratio, soluble sodium percentage, total dissolved solids and permeability index) indicated that the concentrations of minerals in waters across the valley typologies are generally within permissible limits for cropping.

An investigation on the effect of street morphology to ambient air quality using six real-world cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Jialei; Gao, Zhi; Ding, Wowo; Yu, Ying

2017-09-01

Street canyons are vulnerable to air pollution mainly caused by vehicle emissions, which are therefore closely related to pedestrians' health. Previous studies have showed that air quality in street canyons is associated with street morphology, though the majority of them have focused on idealized street models. This paper attempts to investigate the relationship of street morphology to air quality for 6 irregular real-world cases selected from America, Europe, and China, i.e. Manhattan, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, London and Nanjing. Each street is analyzed as a set of slices to propose a couple of morphology indices for quantitatively assessing the actual street morphology. Pollutant transport rate of mean flows and turbulent diffusion, net escape velocity and age of air are obtained from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to assess the ventilations and pollutant dispersion within street canyons with a parallel approaching wind. The results show that the street morphology characteristics, including the street width, lateral openings and intersections, are closely related to the air flows in street canyons. The air quality improves with a decreasing aspect ratio of central street owing to a larger vertical exchange through the street roof, which suggests an open central street is of better air quality. The lateral openings and intersections of streets have important effects on the air flows in street canyons, and the effects are particularly pronounced when the street widths are similar. The street continuity ratio indicates street continuity. It relates to the openings and the symmetry of a street and impacts on the air flows and pollutant dispersion through the lateral openings of the central street. The street spatial closure ratio is determined by the street continuity ratio and the aspect ratio of the central street. When the aspect ratio of central street is not excessively high, higher values of street continuity ratio and spatial closure ratio

System-morphological approach: Another look at morphology research and geomorphological mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lastochkin, Alexander N.; Zhirov, Andrey I.; Boltramovich, Sergei F.

2018-02-01

A large number of studies require a clear and unambiguous morphological basis. For over thirty years, Russian scientists have been applying a system-morphological approach for the Arctic and Antarctic research, ocean floor investigation, for various infrastructure construction projects (oil and gas, sports, etc.), in landscape and environmental studies. This article is a review aimed to introduce this methodological approach to the international scientific community. The details of the methods and techniques can be found in a series of earlier papers published in the Russian language in 1987-2016. The proposed system-morphological approach includes: 1) partitioning of the Earth surface, i.e. precise identification of linear, point, and areal elements of topography considered as a two-dimensional surface without any geological substance; 2) further identification of larger formations: geomorphological systems and regions; 3) analysis of structural relations and symmetry of topography; and 4) various dynamic (litho- and glaciodynamic, tectonic, etc.) interpretations of the observed morphology. This method can be used to study the morphology of the surface topography as well as less accessible interfaces such as submarine and subglacial ones.

Robust surface roughness indices and morphological interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trevisani, Sebastiano; Rocca, Michele

2016-04-01

Geostatistical-based image/surface texture indices based on variogram (Atkison and Lewis, 2000; Herzfeld and Higginson, 1996; Trevisani et al., 2012) and on its robust variant MAD (median absolute differences, Trevisani and Rocca, 2015) offer powerful tools for the analysis and interpretation of surface morphology (potentially not limited to solid earth). In particular, the proposed robust index (Trevisani and Rocca, 2015) with its implementation based on local kernels permits the derivation of a wide set of robust and customizable geomorphometric indices capable to outline specific aspects of surface texture. The stability of MAD in presence of signal noise and abrupt changes in spatial variability is well suited for the analysis of high-resolution digital terrain models. Moreover, the implementation of MAD by means of a pixel-centered perspective based on local kernels, with some analogies to the local binary pattern approach (Lucieer and Stein, 2005; Ojala et al., 2002), permits to create custom roughness indices capable to outline different aspects of surface roughness (Grohmann et al., 2011; Smith, 2015). In the proposed poster, some potentialities of the new indices in the context of geomorphometry and landscape analysis will be presented. At same time, challenges and future developments related to the proposed indices will be outlined. Atkinson, P.M., Lewis, P., 2000. Geostatistical classification for remote sensing: an introduction. Computers & Geosciences 26, 361-371. Grohmann, C.H., Smith, M.J., Riccomini, C., 2011. Multiscale Analysis of Topographic Surface Roughness in the Midland Valley, Scotland. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 49, 1220-1213. Herzfeld, U.C., Higginson, C.A., 1996. Automated geostatistical seafloor classification - Principles, parameters, feature vectors, and discrimination criteria. Computers and Geosciences, 22 (1), pp. 35-52. Lucieer, A., Stein, A., 2005. Texture-based landform segmentation of LiDAR imagery

Fracture Surface Morphology and Impact Strength of Cellulose/PLA Composites

PubMed Central

Gao, Honghong; Qiang, Tao

2017-01-01

Polylactide (PLA)-based composite materials reinforced with ball-milled celluloses were manufactured by extrusion blending followed by injection molding. Their surface morphology from impact fracture were imaged with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and investigated by calculating their fractal dimensions. Then, linear regression was used to explore the relationship between fractal dimension and impact strength of the resultant cellulose/PLA composite materials. The results show that filling the ball-milled celluloses into PLA can improve the impact toughness of PLA by a minimum of 38%. It was demonstrated that the fracture pattern of the cellulose/PLA composite materials is different from that of pristine PLA. For the resultant composite materials, the fractal dimension of the impact fractured surfaces increased with increasing filling content and decreasing particle size of the ball-milled cellulose particles. There were highly positive correlations between fractal dimension of the fractured surfaces and impact strength of the cellulose/PLA composites. However, the linearity between fractal dimension and impact strength were different for the different methods, due to their different R-squared values. The approach presented in this work will help to understand the structure–property relationships of composite materials from a new perspective. PMID:28772983

Fracture Surface Morphology and Impact Strength of Cellulose/PLA Composites.

PubMed

Gao, Honghong; Qiang, Tao

2017-06-07

Polylactide (PLA)-based composite materials reinforced with ball-milled celluloses were manufactured by extrusion blending followed by injection molding. Their surface morphology from impact fracture were imaged with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and investigated by calculating their fractal dimensions. Then, linear regression was used to explore the relationship between fractal dimension and impact strength of the resultant cellulose/PLA composite materials. The results show that filling the ball-milled celluloses into PLA can improve the impact toughness of PLA by a minimum of 38%. It was demonstrated that the fracture pattern of the cellulose/PLA composite materials is different from that of pristine PLA. For the resultant composite materials, the fractal dimension of the impact fractured surfaces increased with increasing filling content and decreasing particle size of the ball-milled cellulose particles. There were highly positive correlations between fractal dimension of the fractured surfaces and impact strength of the cellulose/PLA composites. However, the linearity between fractal dimension and impact strength were different for the different methods, due to their different R-squared values. The approach presented in this work will help to understand the structure-property relationships of composite materials from a new perspective.

Origin of phase shift in atomic force microscopic investigation of the surface morphology of NR/NBR blend film.

PubMed

Thanawan, S; Radabutra, S; Thamasirianunt, P; Amornsakchai, T; Suchiva, K

2009-01-01

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the morphology and surface properties of NR/NBR blend. Blends at 1/3, 1/1 and 3/1 weight ratios were prepared in benzene and formed film by casting. AFM phase images of these blends in tapping mode displayed islands in the sea morphology or matrix-dispersed structures. For blend 1/3, NR formed dispersed phase while in blends 1/1 and 3/1 phase inversion was observed. NR showed higher phase shift angle in AFM phase imaging for all blends. This circumstance was governed by adhesion energy hysteresis between the device tip and the rubber surface rather than surface stiffness of the materials, as proved by force distance measurements in the AFM contact mode.

Effects of scaffold surface morphology on cell adhesion and survival rate in vitreous cryopreservation of tenocyte-scaffold constructs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhi; Qing, Quan; Chen, Xi; Liu, Cheng-Jun; Luo, Jing-Cong; Hu, Jin-Lian; Qin, Ting-Wu

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of scaffold surface morphology on cell adhesion and survival rate in vitreous cryopreservation of tenocyte-scaffold constructs. Tenocytes were obtained from tail tendons of rats. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was used to fabricate three types of scaffolds with varying surface morphological characteristics, i.e., smooth, micro-grooved, and porous surfaces, respectively. The tenocytes were seeded on the surfaces of the scaffolds to form tenocyte-scaffold constructs. The constructs were cryopreserved in a vitreous cryoprotectant (CPA) with a multi-step protocol. The cell adhesion to scaffolds was observed with electronic scanning microscopy (SEM). The elongation index of the living tenocytes and ratio of live/dead cell number were examined based on a live/dead dual fluorescent staining technique, and the survival rate of tenocytes was studied with flow cytometry (FC). The results showed the shapes of tenocytes varied between the different groups: flat or polygonal (on smooth surface), spindle (on micro-grooved surface), and spindle or ellipse (on porous surface). After thawing, the porous surface got the most living tenocytes and a higher survival rate, suggesting its potential application for vitreous cryopreservation of engineered tendon constructs.

Morphology studies of hydrophobic silica on filter surface prepared via spray technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahfiq Zulkifli, Nazrul; Zaini Yunos, Muhamad; Ahmad, Azlinnorazia; Harun, Zawati; Akhair, Siti Hajar Mohd; Adibah Raja Ahmad, Raja; Hafeez Azhar, Faiz; Rashid, Abdul Qaiyyum Abd; Ismail, Al Emran

2017-08-01

This study investigated the effect of the hydrophobic surface treatment effect of air filter performance by using silica aerogel powder as an additive by using spray coating techniques. The membrane characterization tests were carried out on a filter prepared from different additive concentration. Studies on the cross-section and the distribution of particles on the membrane were carried out using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the surface morphology was investigated by x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results are shown by SEM and EDS that the microstructure filter, especially in the upper layer and sub-layer has been changed. The results also show an increase of hydrophobicity due to the increased quantity of silica aerogel powder.

A facile strategy to design zeolite L crystals with tunable morphology and surface architecture.

PubMed

Lupulescu, Alexandra I; Kumar, Manjesh; Rimer, Jeffrey D

2013-05-01

Tailoring the anisotropic growth rates of materials to achieve desired structural outcomes is a pervasive challenge in synthetic crystallization. Here we discuss a method to selectively control the growth of zeolite crystals, which are used extensively in a wide range of industrial applications. This facile method cooperatively tunes crystal properties, such as morphology and surface architecture, through the use of inexpensive, commercially available chemicals with specificity for binding to crystallographic surfaces and mediating anisotropic growth. We examined over 30 molecules as potential zeolite growth modifiers (ZGMs) of zeolite L (LTL type) crystallization. ZGM efficacy was quantified through a combination of macroscopic (bulk) and microscopic (surface) investigations that identified modifiers capable of dramatically altering the cylindrical morphology of LTL crystals. We demonstrate an ability to tailor properties critical to zeolite performance, such as external porous surface area, crystal shape, and pore length, which can enhance sorbate accessibility to LTL pores, tune the supramolecular organization of guest-host composites, and minimize the diffusion path length, respectively. We report that a synergistic combination of ZGMs and the judicious adjustment of synthesis parameters produce LTL crystals with unique surface features, and a range of length-to-diameter aspect ratios spanning 3 orders of magnitude. A systematic examination of different ZGM structures and molecular compositions (i.e., hydrophobicity and binding moieties) reveal interesting physicochemical properties governing their efficacy and specificity. Results of this study suggest this versatile strategy may prove applicable for a host of framework types to produce unrivaled materials that have eluded more conventional techniques.

Effects of surface morphology on the optical and electrical properties of Schottky diodes of CBD deposited ZnO nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mwankemwa, Benard S.; Akinkuade, Shadrach; Maabong, Kelebogile; Nel, Jackie M.; Diale, Mmantsae

2018-04-01

We report on effect of surface morphology on the optical and electrical properties of chemical bath deposited Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures. ZnO nanostructures were deposited on the seeded conducting indium doped tin oxide substrate positioned in three different directions in the growth solution. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate the morphological properties of the synthesized nanostructures and revealed that the positioning of the substrate in the growth solution affects the surface morphology of the nanostructures. The optical absorbance, photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy of the resulting nanostructures are discussed. The electrical characterization of the Schottky diode such as barrier height, ideality factor, rectification ratios, reverse saturation current and series resistance were found to depend on the nanostructures morphology. In addition, current transport mechanism in the higher forward bias of the Schottky diode was studied and space charge limited current was found to be the dominant transport mechanism in all samples.

Evolution of nanodot morphology on polycarbonate (PC) surfaces by 40 keV Ar{sup +}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goyal, Meetika, E-mail: meetika89@gmail.com; Chawla, Mahak; Gupta, Divya

In the present paper we have discussed the effect of 40 keV Ar{sup +} ions irradiation on nanoscale surface morphology of Polycarbonate (PC) substrate. Specimens were sputtered at off normal incidences of 30°, 40° and 50° with the fluence of 1 × 10{sup 16} Ar{sup +}cm{sup −2}. The topographical behaviour of specimens was studied by using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) technique. AFM study demonstrates the evolution of nano dot morphology on PC specimens on irradiating with 1 × 10{sup 16} Ar{sup +}cm{sup −2}. Average size of dots varied from 37-95 nm in this specified range of incidence while density of dotsmore » varied from 0.17-3.0 × 107 dotscm{sup −2}. Such variations in morphological features have been supported by estimation of ion range and sputtering yield through SRIM simulations.« less

Surface morphology control of cross-linked polymer particles via dispersion polymerization.

PubMed

Peng, Bo; Imhof, Arnout

2015-05-14

Cross-linked polymer colloids (poly(methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene) with diverse shapes were prepared in polar solvents (ethanol, methanol and water) via dispersion polymerization, in which a linear addition of the cross-linker was used during reaction. Apart from spherical particles we found dented spheres or particles covered with nodules, or a combination of both. A comprehensive investigation was carried out, mainly concentrating on the effect of the experimental conditions (e.g., the addition start time and total addition time, cross-linker density and the solvency of the solvents) on particle morphologies. Consequently, we suggest a number of effective ways for the synthesis of regular (spherical) colloidal particles through maintaining a relatively low concentration of the cross-linker during the entire reaction, or forcing the co-polymerization (of monomer and cross-linker) locus to the continuous medium, or using a high quality or quantity of the stabilizer. Moreover, the size of the particles was also precisely manipulated by varying the polarity of the solvents, the concentration of the cross-linker, and the amount and average molecular weight of the stabilizer. In addition, the formation of the heavily dented particles with a very rough surface prepared under a pure or oxygen-'contaminated' nitrogen environment was monitored over time. The results accumulated in this article are of use for a better understanding of the mechanism of the polymerization and control over the structure and property of polymer particles.

Infrared actuation-induced simultaneous reconfiguration of surface color and morphology for soft robotics.

PubMed

Banisadr, Seyedali; Chen, Jian

2017-12-13

Cephalopods, such as cuttlefish, demonstrate remarkable adaptability to the coloration and texture of their surroundings by modulating their skin color and surface morphology simultaneously, for the purpose of adaptive camouflage and signal communication. Inspired by this unique feature of cuttlefish skins, we present a general approach to remote-controlled, smart films that undergo simultaneous changes of surface color and morphology upon infrared (IR) actuation. The smart film has a reconfigurable laminated structure that comprises an IR-responsive nanocomposite actuator layer and a mechanochromic elastomeric photonic crystal layer. Upon global or localized IR irradiation, the actuator layer exhibits fast, large, and reversible strain in the irradiated region, which causes a synergistically coupled change in the shape of the laminated film and color of the mechanochromic elastomeric photonic crystal layer in the same region. Bending and twisting deformations can be created under IR irradiation, through modulating the strain direction in the actuator layer of the laminated film. Furthermore, the laminated film has been used in a remote-controlled inchworm walker that can directly couple a color-changing skin with the robotic movements. Such remote-controlled, smart films may open up new application possibilities in soft robotics and wearable devices.

Nanoscopic morphological changes in yeast cell surfaces caused by oxidative stress: an atomic force microscopic study.

PubMed

Canetta, Elisabetta; Walker, Graeme M; Adya, Ashok K

2009-06-01

Nanoscopic changes in the cell surface morphology of the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain NCYC 1681) and Schizosaccharomyces pombe (strain DVPB 1354), due to their exposure to varying concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (oxidative stress), were investigated using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Increasing hydrogen peroxide concentration led to a decrease in cell viabilities and mean cell volumes, and an increase in the surface roughness of the yeasts. In addition, AFM studies revealed that oxidative stress caused cell compression in both S. cerevisiae and Schiz. pombe cells and an increase in the number of aged yeasts. These results confirmed the importance and usefulness of AFM in investigating the morphology of stressed microbial cells at the nanoscale. The results also provided novel information on the relative oxidative stress tolerance of S. cerevisiae and Schiz. pombe.

Controlled surface morphology and hydrophilicity of polycaprolactone toward human retinal pigment epithelium cells.

PubMed

Shahmoradi, Saleheh; Yazdian, Fatemeh; Tabandeh, Fatemeh; Soheili, Zahra-Soheila; Hatamian Zarami, Ashraf Sadat; Navaei-Nigjeh, Mona

2017-04-01

Applying scaffolds as a bed to enhance cell proliferation and even differentiation is one of the treatment of retina diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) which deteriorating photoreceptors and finally happening blindness. In this study, aligned polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers were electrospun and at different conditions and their characteristics were measured by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and contact angle. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the diameter of fabricated nanofibers. Two factors as solution concentration and voltage value were considered as independent variables and their effects on nanofibers' diameters were evaluated by central composite design and the optimum conditions were obtained as 0.12g/mL and 20kV, respectively. In order to decrease the hydrophobicity of PCL, the surface of the fabricated scaffolds was modified by alkaline hydrolysis method. Contact time of the scaffolds and alkaline solution and concentration of alkaline solution were optimized using Box Behnken design and (120min and 5M were the optimal, respectively). Contact angle measurement showed the high hydrophilicity of treated scaffolds (with contact angle 7.48°). Plasma surface treatment was applied to compare the effect of using two kinds of surface modification methods simultaneously on hydrolyzed scaffolds. The RPE cells grown on scaffolds were examined by immunocytochemistry (ICC), MTT and continuous inspection of cellular morphology. Interestingly, Human RPE cells revealed their characteristic morphology on hydrolyzed scaffold well. As a result, we introduced a culture substrate with low diameter (185.8nm), high porosity (82%) and suitable hydrophilicity (with contact angle 7.48 degree) which can be promising for hRPE cell transplantation. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Composition, morphology and surface recombination rate of HCl-isopropanol treated and vacuum annealed InAs(1 1 1)A surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kesler, V. G.; Seleznev, V. A.; Kovchavtsev, A. P.; Guzev, A. A.

2010-05-01

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to examine the chemical composition and surface morphology of InAs(1 1 1)A surface chemically etched in isopropanol-hydrochloric acid solution (HCl-iPA) and subsequently annealed in vacuum in the temperature range 200-500 °C. Etching for 2-30 min resulted in the formation of "pits" and "hillocks" on the sample surface, respectively 1-2 nm deep and high, with lateral dimensions 50-100 nm. The observed local formations, whose density was up to 3 × 10 8 cm -2, entirely vanished from the surface after the samples were vacuum-annealed at temperatures above 300 °C. Using a direct method, electron beam microanalysis, we have determined that the defects of the hillock type includes oxygen and excessive As, while the "pits" proved to be identical in their chemical composition to InAs. Vacuum anneals were found to cause a decrease in As surface concentration relative to In on InAs surface, with a concomitant rise of surface recombination rate.

K-band observations of boxy bulges - I. Morphology and surface brightness profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bureau, M.; Aronica, G.; Athanassoula, E.; Dettmar, R.-J.; Bosma, A.; Freeman, K. C.

2006-08-01

In this first paper of a series on the structure of boxy and peanut-shaped (B/PS) bulges, Kn-band observations of a sample of 30 edge-on spiral galaxies are described and discussed. Kn-band observations best trace the dominant luminous galactic mass and are minimally affected by dust. Images, unsharp-masked images, as well as major-axis and vertically summed surface brightness profiles are presented and discussed. Galaxies with a B/PS bulge tend to have a more complex morphology than galaxies with other bulge types, more often showing centred or off-centred X structures, secondary maxima along the major-axis and spiral-like structures. While probably not uniquely related to bars, those features are observed in three-dimensional N-body simulations of barred discs and may trace the main bar orbit families. The surface brightness profiles of galaxies with a B/PS bulge are also more complex, typically containing three or more clearly separated regions, including a shallow or flat intermediate region (Freeman Type II profiles). The breaks in the profiles offer evidence for bar-driven transfer of angular momentum and radial redistribution of material. The profiles further suggest a rapid variation of the scaleheight of the disc material, contrary to conventional wisdom but again as expected from the vertical resonances and instabilities present in barred discs. Interestingly, the steep inner region of the surface brightness profiles is often shorter than the isophotally thick part of the galaxies, itself always shorter than the flat intermediate region of the profiles. The steep inner region is also much more prominent along the major-axis than in the vertically summed profiles. Similarly to other recent work but contrary to the standard `bulge + disc' model (where the bulge is both thick and steep), we thus propose that galaxies with a B/PS bulge are composed of a thin concentrated disc (a disc-like bulge) contained within a partially thick bar (the B/PS bulge), itself

Manipulation of surface morphology of flower-like Ag/ZnO nanorods to enhance photocatalytic performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

U-thaipan, Kasira; Tedsree, Karaked

2018-06-01

The surface morphology of flower-like Ag/ZnO nanorod can be manipulated by adopting different synthetic routes and also loading different levels of Ag in order to alter their surface structures to achieve the maximum photocatalytic efficiency. In a single-step preparation method Ag/ZnO was prepared by heating directly a mixture of Zn2+ and Ag+ precursors in an aqueous NaOH-ethylene glycol solution, while in the two-step preparation method an intermediate of flower-shaped ZnO nanorod was obtained by a hydrothermal process before depositing Ag particles on the ZnO surfaces by chemical reduction. The structure, morphology and optical properties of the synthesized samples were characterized using TEM, SEM, XRD, DRS and PL techniques. The sample prepared by single-step method are characterized with agglomeration of Ag atoms as clusters on the surface of ZnO, whereas in the sample prepared by two-step method Ag atoms are found uniformly dispersed and deposited as discrete Ag nanoparticles on the surface of ZnO. A significant enhancement in the adsorption of visible light was evident for Ag/ZnO samples prepared by two-step method especially with low Ag content (0.5 mol%). The flower-like Ag/ZnO nanorod prepared with 0.5 mol% Ag by two-step process was found to be the most efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of phenol, which can decompose 90% of phenol within 120 min.

Surface morphology effects in a vibration based triboelectric energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nafari, A.; Sodano, H. A.

2018-01-01

Despite the abundance of ambient mechanical energy in our environment, it is often neglected and left unused. However, recent studies have demonstrated that mechanical vibrations can be harvested and used to power small wireless electronic devices, such as micro electromechanical sensors (MEMS) and actuators. Most commonly, these energy harvesters convert vibration into electrical energy by utilizing piezoelectric, electromagnetic or electrostatic effects. Recently, triboelectric based energy harvesters have shown to be among the simplest and most cost-effective techniques for scavenging mechanical energy. The basis of triboelectric energy harvesters is the periodic contact and separation of two surfaces with opposite triboelectric properties which results in induced charge flow through an external load. Here, a vibration driven triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is fabricated and the effect of micro/nano scale surface modification is studied. The TENG produces electrical energy on the basis of periodic out-of-plane charge separation between gold and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with opposite triboelectric charge polarities. By introducing micro/nano scale surface modifications to the PDMS and gold, the TENG’s power output is further enhanced. This work demonstrates that the morphology of the surfaces in a TENG device is important and by increasing the effective surface area through micro/nano scale modification, the power output of the device can increase by 118%. Moreover, it is shown that unlike many TENGs proposed in the literature, the fabricated device has a high RMS open circuit voltage and short circuit current and can perform for an extended period of time.

Numerical Approaches about the Morphological Description Parameters for the Manganese Deposits on the Magnesite Ore Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayirli, Mehmet; Ozbey, Tuba

2013-07-01

Black deposits usually found at the surface of magnesite ore or limestone as well as red deposits in quartz veins are named as natural manganese dendrites. According to their geometrical structures, they may take variable fractal shapes. The characteristic origins of these morphologies have rarely been studied by means of numerical analyses. Hence, digital images of magnesite ore are taken from its surface with a scanner. These images are then converted to binary images in the form of 8 bits, bitmap format. As a next step, the morphological description parameters of manganese dendrites are computed by the way of scaling methods such as occupied fractions, fractal dimensions, divergent ratios, and critical exponents of scaling. The fractal dimension and the scaling range are made dependent on the fraction of the particles. Morphological description parameters can be determined according to the geometrical evaluation of the natural manganese dendrites which are formed independently from the process. The formation of manganese dendrites may also explain the stochastic selected process in the nature. These results therefore may be useful to understand the deposits in quartz vein parameters in geophysics.

Catalytic Micromotors Moving Near Polyelectrolyte-Modified Substrates: The Roles of Surface Charges, Morphology, and Released Ions.

PubMed

Wei, Mengshi; Zhou, Chao; Tang, Jinyao; Wang, Wei

2018-01-24

Synthetic microswimmers, or micromotors, are finding potential uses in a wide range of applications, most of which involve boundaries. However, subtle yet important effects beyond physical confinement on the motor dynamics remain less understood. In this letter, glass substrates were functionalized with positively and negatively charged polyelectrolytes, and the dynamics of micromotors moving close to the modified surfaces was examined. Using acoustic levitation and numerical simulation, we reveal how the speed of a chemically propelled micromotor slows down significantly near a polyelectrolyte-modified surface by the combined effects of surface charges, surface morphology, and ions released from the films.

The influence of surface properties of plasma-etched polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) on cell growth and morphology.

PubMed

Pennisi, Cristian P; Zachar, Vladimir; Gurevich, Leonid; Patriciu, Andrei; Struijk, Johannes J

2010-01-01

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or silicone rubber is a widely used implant material. Approaches to promote tissue integration to PDMS are desirable to avoid clinical problems associated with sliding and friction between tissue and implant. Plasma-etching is a useful way to control cell behavior on PDMS without additional coatings. In this work, different plasma processing conditions were used to modify the surface properties of PDMS substrates. Surface nanotopography and wettability were measured to study their effect on in vitro growth and morphology of fibroblasts. While fluorinated plasma treatments produced nanorough hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces that had negative or little influences on cellular behavior, water vapor/oxygen plasma produced smooth hydrophillic surfaces that enhanced cell growth.

Practical quality control tools for curves and surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Small, Scott G.

1992-01-01

Curves (geometry) and surfaces created by Computer Aided Geometric Design systems in the engineering environment must satisfy two basic quality criteria: the geometric shape must have the desired engineering properties; and the objects must be parameterized in a way which does not cause computational difficulty for geometric processing and engineering analysis. Interactive techniques are described which are in use at Boeing to evaluate the quality of aircraft geometry prior to Computational Fluid Dynamic analysis, including newly developed methods for examining surface parameterization and its effects.

Surface morphology correlated with field emission properties of laser irradiated nickel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalil, S. A.; Bashir, S.; Akram, M.; Ahmed, Q. S.; Haq, F. U.

2017-08-01

The effect of laser fluence on the surface morphology and field emission properties of nickel (Ni) has been investigated. Circular shaped Ni targets are irradiated with Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm, 10 Hz, 10 ns) at various fluences ranging from 5.2 to 26 J/cm2 in air. For low fluence ranging from 5.2 to 10.4 J/cm2, SEM analysis reveals the growth of unorganized channels, grains, droplets, and ridges. Whereas, at moderate fluence of 15.6 J/cm2, the formation of ridges and cones along with few number of holes are observed. However, at high fluence regime ranging from 20 to 26 J/cm2, a sharp transition in morphology from ridges to holes has been observed. The laser structured Ni targets are also investigated for field emission properties by recording their I-V characteristics and Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plots. The enhancement in field emission factor (β) and the reduction in turn on field are found to be dependent upon the laser fluence and morphology of the grown structures. For samples treated at low and moderate fluences, the growth of cones, channels and ridges is responsible for enhancement of β factor ranging from 121 to 178. Whereas, for samples treated at high fluence region, the formation of pores and holes is responsible for significant field convergence and consequently resulting in substantial enhancement in β factor to 276.

Data on the surface morphology of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V implants during processing by plasma electrolytic oxidation.

PubMed

van Hengel, Ingmar A J; Riool, Martijn; Fratila-Apachitei, Lidy E; Witte-Bouma, Janneke; Farrell, Eric; Zadpoor, Amir A; Zaat, Sebastian A J; Apachitei, Iulian

2017-08-01

Additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V implants were biofunctionalized using plasma electrolytic oxidation. At various time points during this process scanning electron microscopy imaging was performed to analyze the surface morphology (van Hengel et al., 2017) [1]. This data shows the changes in surface morphology during plasma electrolytic oxidation. Data presented in this article are related to the research article "Selective laser melting porous metallic implants with immobilized silver nanoparticles kill and prevent biofilm formation by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus" (van Hengel et al., 2017) [1].

Why do morphological phylogenies vary in quality? An investigation based on the comparative history of lizard clades.

PubMed

Arnold, E N

1990-05-22

Phylogenies based on morphology vary considerably in their quality: some are robust and explicit with little conflict in the data set, whereas others are far more tenuous, with much conflict and many possible alternatives. The main primary reasons for untrue or inexplicit morphological phylogenies are: not enough characters developed between branching points, uncertain character polarity, poorly differentiated character states, homoplasy caused by parallelism or reversal, and extinction, which may remove species entirely from consideration and can make originally conflicting data sets misleadingly compatible, increasing congruence at the expense of truth. Extinction differs from other confounding factors in not being apparent either in the data set or in subsequent analysis. One possibility is that variation in the quality of morphological phylogenies has resulted from exposure to different ecological situations. To investigate this, it is necessary to compare the histories of the clades concerned. In the case of explicit morphological phylogenies, ecological and behavioural data can be integrated with them and it may then be possible to decide whether morphological characters are likely to have been elicited by the environments through which the clade has passed. The credibility of such results depends not only on the phylogeny being robust but also on its detailed topology: a pectinate phylogeny will often allow more certain and more explicit statements to be made about historical events. In the case of poor phylogenies, it is not possible to produce detailed histories, but they can be compared with robust phylogenies in the range of ecological situations occupied, and whether they occupy novel situations in comparison with their outgroups. LeQuesne testing can give information about niche homoplasy, and it may also be possible to see if morphological features are functionally associated with ecological parameters, even if the direction of change is unknown

Surface morphology and subsurface damaged layer of various glasses machined by 193-nm ArF excimer laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Yunn-shiuan; Chen, Ying-Tung; Chao, Choung-Lii; Liu, Yih-Ming

2005-01-01

Owing to the high bonding energy, most of the glasses are removed by photo-thermal rather than photo-chemical effect when they are ablated by the 193 or 248nm excimer lasers. Typically, the machined surface is covered by re-deposited debris and the sub-surface, sometimes surface as well, is scattered with micro-cracks introduced by thermal stress generated during the process. This study aimed to investigate the nature and extent of the surface morphology and sub-surface damaged (SSD) layer induced by the laser ablation. The effects of laser parameters such as fluence, shot number and repetition rate on the morphology and SSD were discussed. An ArF excimer laser (193 nm) was used in the present study to machine glasses such as soda-lime, Zerodur and BK-7. It is found that the melt ejection and debris deposition tend to pile up higher and become denser in structure under a higher energy density, repetition rate and shot number. There are thermal stress induced lateral cracks when the debris covered top layer is etched away. Higher fluence and repetition rate tend to generate more lateral and median cracks which propagate into the substrate. The changes of mechanical properties of the SSD layer were also investigated.

The use of an ion-beam source to alter the surface morphology of biological implant materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weigand, A. J.

1978-01-01

An electron bombardment, ion thruster was used as a neutralized-ion beam sputtering source to texture the surfaces of biological implant materials. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine surface morphology changes of all materials after ion-texturing. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis was used to determine the effects of ion texturing on the surface chemical composition of some polymers. Liquid contact angle data were obtained for ion textured and untextured polymer samples. Results of tensile and fatigue tests of ion-textured metal alloys are presented. Preliminary data of tissue response to ion textured surfaces of some metals, polytetrafluoroethylene, alumina, and segmented polyurethane were obtained.

Different structural morphologies of the two surfaces in some Co-based amorphous ribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordin, G.; Buttino, G.

1992-12-01

In nearly zero magnetostriction Co-based Metglas amorphous ribbons, the anomalous Hall effect is used to investigate the behaviour of the surfaces (dull or shiny). The electronic transport properties of a double-layer film, where one of the two layers examined is ferromagnetic and amorphous, and the other is a non-magnetic film, are interpreted on the basis of the mean free path method of Bergmann and Fuchs-Sondheimer theory. The results obtained confirm the different structural morphology of the amorphous surfaces (dull or shiny) already observed by means of bending effects on the initial permeability that depends on the way of winding the ribbons in toroidal samples of the same amorphous materials.

Effects of aqueous ammonia treatment on fiber's surface morphology and enzymatic digestibility of empty fruit bunch fiber (EFBF)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Tang Pei; Hassan, Osman

2013-11-01

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of aqueous ammonia reflux and soaked treatment on the fiber's surface morphology and enzymatic digestibility of empty fruit bunch fiber (EFBF). The surface morphological changes of the fiber after aqueous ammonia treatment was linked to the sugars yield by enzymatic hydrolysis. The effectiveness of 6.25% aqueous ammonia treatment in improving enzymatic digestibility of EFBF was initially studied in reflux system and by soaking. The results showed that soaked treatment was more effective than reflux system. Further study on soaked treatment of EFBF was carried out by increasing the ammonia concentration to 12.50%. Soaking in aqueous ammonia was conducted at 30°C and 50°C for 24 hours. The results of enzymatic hydrolysis showed that sugar yield from EFBF soaked in 12.50% aqueous ammonia at 50°C was the highest. Approximately 242.91±15.50 mg/g EFBF of xylose and 320.49±28.31 mg/g EFBF of glucose were produced by the action of enzyme Cellic Ctec 2. Results of scanning electron microscopic showed that aqueous ammonia treatment by soaking had caused a more severe structural distortion on the fiber's surface and higher removal of silica bodies that embedded on the fiber than those in reflux system. The changes on the fiber's surface morphology were believed is the contributing factor that improved the enzymatic digestibility of EFBF after aqueous ammonia treatment.

Surface Morphology and Hardness Analysis of TiCN Coated AA7075 Aluminium Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinath, M. K.; Ganesha Prasad, M. S.

2017-12-01

Successful titanium carbonitride (TiCN) coating on AA7075 plates using the PVD technique depends upon many variables, including temperature, pressure, incident angle and energy of the reactive ions. Coated specimens have shown an increase in their surface hardness of 2.566 GPa. In this work, an attempt to further augment the surface hardness and understand its effects on the surface morphology was performed through heat treatments at 500°C for different duration of times. Specimen's heat treated at 500°C for 1 h exhibited a maximum surface hardness of 6.433 GPa, corresponding to an increase of 92.07%. The XRD results showed the presence of Al2Ti and AlTi3N and indicate the bond created between them. Unit cell lattice parameters in the XRD data are calculated using Bragg's law. The SEM images exhibit increasing crack sizes as the heat treatment time is increased. From the studies, the heat treatment duration can be optimized to 1 h, which exhibited an augmented surface hardness, as further increases in durations caused a drop in the surface hardness. The heat treatment effectively modified the surface hardness. Equations providing the relationships that temperature and time have with the reaction parameters are presented.

Burnishing of rotatory parts to improve surface quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celaya, A.; López de Lacalle, L. N.; Albizuri, J.; Alberdi, R.

2009-11-01

In this paper, the use of rolling burnishing process to improve the final quality of railway and automotive workpieces is studied. The results are focused on the improvement of the manufacturing processes of rotary workpieces used in railway and automotion industry, attending to generic target of achieving `maximum surface quality with minimal process time'. Burnishing is a finishing operation in which plastic deformation of surface irregularities occurs by applying pressure through a very hard element, a roller or a ceramic ball. This process gives additional advantages to the workpiece such as good surface roughness, increased hardness and high compressive residual stresses. The effect of the initial turning conditions on the final burnishing operation has also been studied. The results show that feeds used in the initial rough turning have little influence in the surface finish of the burnished workpieces. So, the process times of the combined turning and burnishing processes can be reduced, optimizing the shaft's machining process.

The nucleus of Comet Borrelly: A study of morphology and surface brightness

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oberst, J.; Howington-Kraus, E.; Kirk, R.; Soderblom, L.; Buratti, B.; Hicks, M.; Nelson, R.; Britt, D.

2004-01-01

Stereo images obtained during the DS1 flyby were analyzed to derive a topographic model for the nucleus of Comet 19P/Borrelly for morphologic and photometric studies. The elongated nucleus has an overall concave shape, resembling a peanut, with the lower end tilted towards the camera. The bimodal character of surface-slopes and curvatures support the idea that the nucleus is a gravitational aggregate, consisting of two fragments in contact. Our photometric modeling suggests that topographic shading effects on Borrelly's surface are very minor (<10%) at the given resolution of the terrain model. Instead, albedo effects are thought to dominate Borrelly's large variations in surface brightness. With 90% of the visible surface having single scattering albedos between 0.008 and 0.024, Borrelly is confirmed to be among the darkest of the known Solar System objects. Photometrically corrected images emphasize that the nucleus has distinct, contiguous terrains covered with either bright or dark, smooth or mottled materials. Also, mapping of the changes in surface brightness with phase angle suggests that terrain roughness at subpixel scale is not uniform over the nucleus. High surface roughness is noted in particular near the transition between the upper and lower end of the nucleus, as well as near the presumed source region of Borrelly's main jets. Borrelly's surface is complex and characterized by distinct types of materials that have different compositional and/or physical properties. ?? 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surface morphology of Al0.3Ga0.7N/Al2O3-high electron mobility transistor structure.

PubMed

Cörekçi, S; Usanmaz, D; Tekeli, Z; Cakmak, M; Ozçelik, S; Ozbay, E

2008-02-01

We present surface properties of buffer films (AIN and GaN) and Al0.3Gao.zN/Al2O3-High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) structures with/without AIN interlayer grown on High Temperature (HT)-AIN buffer/Al2O3 substrate and Al2O3 substrate. We have found that the GaN surface morphology is step-flow in character and the density of dislocations was about 10(8)-10(9) cm(-2). The AFM measurements also exhibited that the presence of atomic steps with large lateral step dimension and the surface of samples was smooth. The lateral step sizes are in the range of 100-250 nm. The typical rms values of HEMT structures were found as 0.27, 0.30, and 0.70 nm. HT-AIN buffer layer can have a significant impact on the surface morphology of Al0.3Ga0.7N/Al2O3-HEMT structures.

n-type doping and morphology of GaAs nanowires in Aerotaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metaferia, Wondwosen; Sivakumar, Sudhakar; Persson, Axel R.; Geijselaers, Irene; Reine Wallenberg, L.; Deppert, Knut; Samuelson, Lars; Magnusson, Martin H.

2018-07-01

Controlled doping in semiconductor nanowires modifies their electrical and optical properties, which are important for high efficiency optoelectronic devices. We have grown n-type (Sn) doped GaAs nanowires in Aerotaxy, a new continuous gas phase mass production technique. The morphology of Sn doped nanowires is found to be a strong function of dopant, tetraethyltin to trimethylgallium flow ratio, Au–Ga–Sn alloying, and nanowire growth temperatures. High temperature and high flow ratios result in low morphological quality nanowires and in parasitic growth on the wire base and surface. Alloying and growth temperatures of 400 °C and 530 °C, respectively, resulted in good morphological quality nanowires for a flow ratio of TESn to TMGa up to 2.25 × 10‑3. The wires are pure zinc-blende for all investigated growth conditions, whereas nanowires grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy with the same growth conditions are usually mainly Wurtzite. The growth rate of the doped wires is found to be dependent more on the TESn flow fraction than on alloying and nanowire growth temperatures. Our photoluminescence measurements, supported by four-point probe resistivity measurements, reveal that the carrier concentration in the doped wires varies only slightly (1–3) × 1019 cm‑3 with TESn flow fraction and both alloying and growth temperatures, indicating that good morphological quality wires with high carrier density can be grown with low TESn flow. Carrier concentrations lower than 1019 cm‑3 can be grown by further reducing the flow fraction of TESn, which may give better morphology wires.

n-type doping and morphology of GaAs nanowires in Aerotaxy.

PubMed

Metaferia, Wondwosen; Sivakumar, Sudhakar; Persson, Axel R; Geijselaers, Irene; Wallenberg, L Reine; Deppert, Knut; Samuelson, Lars; Magnusson, Martin H

2018-04-17

Controlled doping in semiconductor nanowires modifies their electrical and optical properties, which are important for high efficiency optoelectronic devices. We have grown n-type (Sn) doped GaAs nanowires in Aerotaxy, a new continuous gas phase mass production technique. The morphology of Sn doped nanowires is found to be a strong function of dopant, tetraethyltin to trimethylgallium flow ratio, Au-Ga-Sn alloying, and nanowire growth temperatures. High temperature and high flow ratios result in low morphological quality nanowires and in parasitic growth on the wire base and surface. Alloying and growth temperatures of 400 °C and 530 °C, respectively, resulted in good morphological quality nanowires for a flow ratio of TESn to TMGa up to 2.25 × 10 -3 . The wires are pure zinc-blende for all investigated growth conditions, whereas nanowires grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy with the same growth conditions are usually mainly Wurtzite. The growth rate of the doped wires is found to be dependent more on the TESn flow fraction than on alloying and nanowire growth temperatures. Our photoluminescence measurements, supported by four-point probe resistivity measurements, reveal that the carrier concentration in the doped wires varies only slightly (1-3) × 10 19 cm -3 with TESn flow fraction and both alloying and growth temperatures, indicating that good morphological quality wires with high carrier density can be grown with low TESn flow. Carrier concentrations lower than 10 19 cm -3 can be grown by further reducing the flow fraction of TESn, which may give better morphology wires.

Control of crystallographic texture and surface morphology of Pt/Tio2 templates for enhanced PZT thin film texture.

PubMed

Fox, Austin J; Drawl, Bill; Fox, Glen R; Gibbons, Brady J; Trolier-McKinstry, Susan

2015-01-01

Optimized processing conditions for Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si templating electrodes were investigated. These electrodes are used to obtain [111] textured thin film lead zirconate titanate (Pb[ZrxTi1-x ]O3 0 ≤ x ≤ 1) (PZT). Titanium deposited by dc magnetron sputtering yields [0001] texture on a thermally oxidized Si wafer. It was found that by optimizing deposition time, pressure, power, and the chamber pre-conditioning, the Ti texture could be maximized while maintaining low surface roughness. When oxidized, titanium yields [100]-oriented rutile. This seed layer has as low as a 4.6% lattice mismatch with [111] Pt; thus, it is possible to achieve strongly oriented [111] Pt. The quality of the orientation and surface roughness of the TiO2 and the Ti directly affect the achievable Pt texture and surface morphology. A transition between optimal crystallographic texture and the smoothest templating surface occurs at approximately 30 nm of original Ti thickness (45 nm TiO2). This corresponds to 0.5 nm (2 nm for TiO2) rms roughness as determined by atomic force microscopy and a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the rocking curve 0002 (200) peak of 5.5/spl degrees/ (3.1/spl degrees/ for TiO2). A Pb[Zr0.52Ti 0.48]O3 layer was deposited and shown to template from the textured Pt electrode, with a maximum [111] Lotgering factor of 87% and a minimum 111 FWHM of 2.4/spl degrees/ at approximately 30 nm of original Ti.

Surfaces wettability and morphology modulation in a fluorene derivative self-assembly system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Xinhua; Gao, Aiping; Zhao, Na; Yuan, Fangyuan; Liu, Chenxi; Li, Ruru

2016-04-01

A new organogelator based on fluorene derivative (gelator 1) was designed and synthesized. Organogels could be obtained via the self-assembly of the derivative in acetone, toluene, ethyl acetate, hexane, DMSO and petroleum ether. The self-assembly process was thoroughly characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis, FT-IR and the contact angle. Surfaces with different morphologies and wetting properties were formed via the self-assembly of gelator 1 in the six different solvents. Interestingly, a superhydrophobic surface with a contact angle of 150° was obtained from organogel 1 in DMSO and exhibited the lotus-effect. The sliding angle necessary for a water droplet to move on the glass was only 15°. Hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces were attributed as the main driving forces for gel formation.

Effect of copper concentration in the electrolyte on the surface morphology and the microstructure of CuInSe2 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, Pin-Kun; Kuo, Ting-Wei; Huang, Kuo-Chan; Wang, Na-Fu; Hsieh, Po-Tsung; Houng, Mau-Phon

2012-07-01

The surface morphology and the microstructure of CuInSe2 precursor films have been investigated by co-electrodeposition with different [Cu2+] concentrations from 2 mM to 4 mM. The characteristic of the precursor films was examined using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), glancing incidence angle X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and micro-Raman spectrometer, respectively. The surface morphology of the precursor films become more smoother and compact with choice of appropriate [Cu2+] concentration (3-3.5 mM) in the electrolyte. The relation between surface morphology and [Cu2+] concentration is also considered in terms of electrodeposition nucleation mechanisms using the mathematical models of Scharifker and Hills. It is suggested that the higher [Cu2+] concentrations can provide more numbers of nucleation sites on the surface of the electrode. Results simulated from the Rietveld refinement method suggest that decreasing dCusbnd Se is related to charge transfer from interstitial copper atoms and can affect the film microstructure. Micro-Raman spectrum also shows that the excess Cu atoms in the precursor films does not contribute significantly to large amounts of secondary phases but rather exists in the crystallite structure as other defect types.

Prediction Surface Morphology of Nanostructure Fabricated by Nano-Oxidation Technology.

PubMed

Huang, Jen-Ching; Chang, Ho; Kuo, Chin-Guo; Li, Jeen-Fong; You, Yong-Chin

2015-12-04

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used for visualization of a nano-oxidation technique performed on diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin film. Experiments of the nano-oxidation technique of the DLC thin film include those on nano-oxidation points and nano-oxidation lines. The feature sizes of the DLC thin film, including surface morphology, depth, and width, were explored after application of a nano-oxidation technique to the DLC thin film under different process parameters. A databank for process parameters and feature sizes of thin films was then established, and multiple regression analysis (MRA) and a back-propagation neural network (BPN) were used to carry out the algorithm. The algorithmic results are compared with the feature sizes acquired from experiments, thus obtaining a prediction model of the nano-oxidation technique of the DLC thin film. The comparative results show that the prediction accuracy of BPN is superior to that of MRA. When the BPN algorithm is used to predict nano-point machining, the mean absolute percentage errors (MAPE) of depth, left side, and right side are 8.02%, 9.68%, and 7.34%, respectively. When nano-line machining is being predicted, the MAPEs of depth, left side, and right side are 4.96%, 8.09%, and 6.77%, respectively. The obtained data can also be used to predict cross-sectional morphology in the DLC thin film treated with a nano-oxidation process.

A computation study on the interplay between surface morphology and electrochemical performance of patterned thin film electrodes for Li-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gur, Sourav; Frantziskonis, George N.; Aifantis, Katerina E.

2017-08-01

Recent experiments illustrate that the morphology of the electrode surface impacts the voltage - capacity curves and long term cycling performance of Li-ion batteries. The present study systematically explores the role of the electrode surface morphology and uncertainties in the reactions that occur during electrochemical cycling, by performing kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulations using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). This allows encoding of the inherent stochasticity at discrete microscale reaction events over the deterministic mean field reaction dynamics that occur in Li-ion cells. The electrodes are taken to be dense thin films whose surfaces are patterned with conical, trapezoidal, dome-shaped, or pillar-shaped structures. It is shown that the inherent perturbations in the reactions together with the characteristics of the electrode surface configuration can significantly improve battery performance, mainly because patterned surfaces, as opposed to flat surfaces, result in a smaller voltage drop. The most efficient pattern was the trapezoidal, which is consistent with experimental evidence on Si patterned electrodes.

Dependence of Plant Uptake and Diffusion of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on the Leaf Surface Morphology and Micro-structures of Cuticular Waxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Qingqing; Li, Yungui; Zhu, Lizhong; Xing, Baoshan; Chen, Baoliang

2017-04-01

The uptake of organic chemicals by plants is considered of great significance as it impacts their environmental transport and fate and threatens crop growth and food safety. Herein, the dependence of the uptake, penetration, and distribution of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the morphology and micro-structures of cuticular waxes on leaf surfaces was investigated. Plant surface morphologies and wax micro-structures were examined by scanning emission microscopy, and hydrophobicities of plant surfaces were monitored through contact angle measurements. PAHs in the cuticles and inner tissues were distinguished by sequential extraction, and the cuticle was verified to be the dominant reservoir for the accumulation of lipophilic pollutants. The interspecies differences in PAH concentrations cannot be explained by normalizing them to the plant lipid content. PAHs in the inner tissues became concentrated with the increase of tissue lipid content, while a generally negative correlation between the PAH concentration in cuticles and the epicuticular wax content was found. PAHs on the adaxial and abaxial sides of a leaf were differentiated for the first time, and the divergence between these two sides can be ascribed to the variations in surface morphologies. The role of leaf lipids was redefined and differentiated.

Tracking changes of river morphology in Ayeyarwady River in Myanmar using earth observations and surface water mapping tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piman, T.; Schellekens, J.; Haag, A.; Donchyts, G.; Apirumanekul, C.; Hlaing, K. T.

2017-12-01

River morphology changes is one of the key issues in Ayeyarwady River in Myanmar which cause impacts on navigation, riverine habitats, agriculture lands, communities and livelihoods near the bank of the river. This study is aimed to track the changes in river morphology in the middle reach of Ayeyarwady River over last 30 years from 1984-2014 to improve understanding of riverbank dynamic, erosion and deposition procress. Earth observations including LandSat-7, LandSat-8, Digital Elevation Model from SRTM Plus and, ASTER-2 GoogleMap and Open Street Map were obtained for the study. GIS and remote sensing tools were used to analyze changes in river morphology while surface water mapping tool was applied to determine how the dynamic behaviour of the surface river and effect of river morphology changes. The tool consists of two components: (1) a Google Earth Engine (GEE) javascript or python application that performs image analysis and (2) a user-friendly site/app using Google's appspot.com that exposes the application to the users. The results of this study shown that the fluvial morphology in the middle reach of Ayeyarwady River is continuously changing under the influence of high water flows in particularly from extreme flood events and land use change from mining and deforestation. It was observed that some meandering sections of the riverbank were straightened, which results in the movement of sediment downstream and created new sections of meandering riverbank. Several large islands have formed due to the stabilization by vegetation and is enforced by sedimentation while many small bars were formed and migrated dynamically due to changes in water levels and flow velocity in the wet and dry seasons. The main channel was changed to secondary channel in some sections of the river. This results a constant shift of the navigation route. We also found that some villages were facing riverbank erosion which can force villagers to relocate. The study results demonstrated

Experimental Study in Taguchi Method on Surface Quality Predication of HSM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Yan; Li, Yueen

2018-05-01

Based on the study of ball milling mechanism and machining surface formation mechanism, the formation of high speed ball-end milling surface is a time-varying and cumulative Thermos-mechanical coupling process. The nature of this problem is that the uneven stress field and temperature field affect the machined surface Process, the performance of the processing parameters in the processing interaction in the elastic-plastic materials produced by the elastic recovery and plastic deformation. The surface quality of machining surface is characterized by multivariable nonlinear system. It is still an indispensable and effective method to study the surface quality of high speed ball milling by experiments.

Effect of Sequence Blockiness on the Morphologies of Surface-grafted Elastin-like Polypeptides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albert, Julie; Sintavanon, Kornkanok; Mays, Robin; MacEwan, Sarah; Chilkoti, Ashutosh; Genzer, Jan

2014-03-01

The inter- and intra- molecular interactions among monomeric units of copolymers and polypeptides depend strongly on monomer sequence distribution and dictate the phase behavior of these species both in solution and on surfaces. To study the relationship between sequence and phase behavior, we have designed a series of elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) with controlled monomer sequences that mimic copolymers with various co-monomer sequence distributions and attached them covalently to silicon substrates from buffer solutions at temperatures below and above the bulk ELPs' lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs). The dependence of ELP grafting density on solution temperature was examined by ellipsometry and the resultant surface morphologies were examined in air and under water with atomic force microscopy. Depositions performed above the LCST resulted in higher grafting densities and greater surface roughness of ELPs relative to depositions carried out below the LCST. In addition, we are using gradient substrates to examine the effect of ELP grafting density on temperature responsiveness.

Compositions of Mg and Se, surface morphology, roughness and Raman property of Zn1-xMgxSeyTe1-y layers grown at various substrate temperatures or dopant transport rates by MOVPE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishio, Mitsuhiro; Saito, Katsuhiko; Urata, Kensuke; Okamoto, Yasuhiro; Tanaka, Daichi; Araki, Yasuhiro; Abiru, Masakatsu; Mori, Eiichiro; Tanaka, Tooru; Guo, Qixin

2015-03-01

The growth of undoped and phosphorus (P)-doped Zn1-xMgxSeyTe1-y layers on (100) ZnTe substrates by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy was carried out. The compositions of Mg and Se, surface morphology, roughness and Raman property were characterized as a function of substrate temperature. Not only the compositions of Mg and Se but also the crystal quality of undoped Zn1-xMgxSeyTe1-y layer strongly depended upon the substrate temperature. Furthermore, the growth of Zn1-xMgxSeyTe1-y layer nearly-lattice-matched to ZnTe substrate was achieved independent of the transport rate of trisdimethylaminophosphorus. Undoped Zn1-xMgxSeyTe1-y layer nearly-lattice-matched to ZnTe led to improvement of surface roughness. On the other hand, P doping brought about deterioration of crystalline quality.

Deuterium desorption from ion-irradiated tantalum and effects on surface morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novakowski, T. J.; Sundaram, A.; Tripathi, J. K.; Gonderman, S.; Hassanein, A.

2018-06-01

Compared to tungsten (W), tantalum (Ta) has shown superior resistance to helium (He)-induced surface morphology changes under fusion-relevant irradiation conditions. However, Ta is also expected to have a stronger interaction with hydrogen isotopes, potentially limiting its use as a plasma-facing material. Despite these concerns, detailed investigations on hydrogen irradiation effects on Ta are scarce. In this study, pristine and fuzzy (He+ ion-irradiated) Ta samples are irradiated with 120 eV deuterium (D) ions at various temperatures and examined with a combination of thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and optical reflectivity. TDS reveals discrete D desorption temperatures at 660 and 760 K, corresponding to trapping energies of 1.82 and 2.11 eV, respectively. Although D is retained in Ta both in higher quantities and at higher temperatures compared to W, extreme surface temperatures expected in tokamak divertors may exceed these desorption temperatures and counteract retention. Furthermore, this study indicates that Ta is relatively resistant to adverse surface structuring under D+ ion irradiation. In fact, D+ is shown to prevent and suppress Ta fuzz formation in sequential D+/He+ ion irradiation experiments. While further investigations are needed to elucidate this behavior, these initial investigations show a strong potential for the use of Ta as a PFC material.

Shale gas development impacts on surface water quality in Pennsylvania.

PubMed

Olmstead, Sheila M; Muehlenbachs, Lucija A; Shih, Jhih-Shyang; Chu, Ziyan; Krupnick, Alan J

2013-03-26

Concern has been raised in the scientific literature about the environmental implications of extracting natural gas from deep shale formations, and published studies suggest that shale gas development may affect local groundwater quality. The potential for surface water quality degradation has been discussed in prior work, although no empirical analysis of this issue has been published. The potential for large-scale surface water quality degradation has affected regulatory approaches to shale gas development in some US states, despite the dearth of evidence. This paper conducts a large-scale examination of the extent to which shale gas development activities affect surface water quality. Focusing on the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, we estimate the effect of shale gas wells and the release of treated shale gas waste by permitted treatment facilities on observed downstream concentrations of chloride (Cl(-)) and total suspended solids (TSS), controlling for other factors. Results suggest that (i) the treatment of shale gas waste by treatment plants in a watershed raises downstream Cl(-) concentrations but not TSS concentrations, and (ii) the presence of shale gas wells in a watershed raises downstream TSS concentrations but not Cl(-) concentrations. These results can inform future voluntary measures taken by shale gas operators and policy approaches taken by regulators to protect surface water quality as the scale of this economically important activity increases.

Shale gas development impacts on surface water quality in Pennsylvania

PubMed Central

Olmstead, Sheila M.; Muehlenbachs, Lucija A.; Shih, Jhih-Shyang; Chu, Ziyan; Krupnick, Alan J.

2013-01-01

Concern has been raised in the scientific literature about the environmental implications of extracting natural gas from deep shale formations, and published studies suggest that shale gas development may affect local groundwater quality. The potential for surface water quality degradation has been discussed in prior work, although no empirical analysis of this issue has been published. The potential for large-scale surface water quality degradation has affected regulatory approaches to shale gas development in some US states, despite the dearth of evidence. This paper conducts a large-scale examination of the extent to which shale gas development activities affect surface water quality. Focusing on the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, we estimate the effect of shale gas wells and the release of treated shale gas waste by permitted treatment facilities on observed downstream concentrations of chloride (Cl−) and total suspended solids (TSS), controlling for other factors. Results suggest that (i) the treatment of shale gas waste by treatment plants in a watershed raises downstream Cl− concentrations but not TSS concentrations, and (ii) the presence of shale gas wells in a watershed raises downstream TSS concentrations but not Cl− concentrations. These results can inform future voluntary measures taken by shale gas operators and policy approaches taken by regulators to protect surface water quality as the scale of this economically important activity increases. PMID:23479604

Sandblasting and silica-coating of dental alloys: volume loss, morphology and changes in the surface composition.

PubMed

Kern, M; Thompson, V P

1993-05-01

Silica-coating alloys improves chemo-mechanical bonding. Sandblasting is recommended as pretreatment to thermal silica-coating or as part of a tribochemical silica-coating process. This study evaluated the effects of sandblasting and coating techniques on volume loss, surface morphology and compositional changes in noble (AuAgCu) and base alloys (NiCr and CoCr). Volume loss was statistically significantly higher in the noble as compared to the base alloys but does not seem to be critical for the clinical fit of restorations. Embedded alumina particles were found in all alloys after sandblasting and the alumina content increased to a range of 14 to 37 wt% as measured by EDS. Following tribochemical silica-coating, a layer of small silica particles remained on the surface, increasing the silica content to between 12 and 20 wt%. Ultrasonic cleaning removed loose alumina or silica particles from the surface, resulting in only slight decreases in alumina or silica contents, thus suggesting firm attachment of the major part of alumina and silica to the alloy surface. Clinically, ultrasonic cleaning of sandblasted and tribochemically silica-coated alloys might improve resin bonding as loose surface particles are removed without relevant changes in composition. Silica content following thermal silica-coating treatment increased only slightly from the sandblasted specimen. The silica layer employed by these silica-coating methods differs widely in both morphology and thickness. These results provide a basis for explanation of adhesive failure modes in bond strength tests which will possibly optimize resin bonding. Further research is needed to characterize the outermost surface layers after these treatments and the exact location of adhesive failures.

The Influence of Crustal Thickness and Slope on the Surface Morphology of Active Lava Flows: an Experimental Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Applegarth, L. J.; James, M. R.; van Wyk de Vries, B.; Pinkerton, H.

2007-12-01

Many of the surface features that develop on `a`a and blocky lava flows relate to internal dynamics during flow emplacement, but it can be difficult to infer the precise relationships between morphology and dynamics from observations of flows either during or after their emplacement. Experiments using PEG have greatly improved our understanding of the behaviour of lavas with relatively thin crusts. Here we describe an alternative approach (similar to that of Lescinsky and Merle (2005), GSA Special Paper 396, p.136) in which the crust plays a significant role in flow development. Our experiments investigated the effect of crustal thickness and slope on the morphological development of channelised distal flows. The materials used were high viscosity (104 Pa s) silicone gel to simulate the still-fluid lava, and a mix of sand and plaster to represent the cohesive brittle crust and the confining levees. Experiments were conducted on an inclined board with a reservoir constructed at one end. Silicone was released from the reservoir through a sliding gate, where it encountered a seed flow consisting of a silicone sheet topped with a crust of known depth and constrained by levees. The models therefore represented the influx of fresh lava into a channel. Sequential digital images taken over the course of each experiment allowed marker points on the flow surface to be tracked, and these data were used to construct surface velocity maps. Several experiments were recorded using stereo imagery, allowing changes in the surface relief to be monitored. The insights from these quantitative techniques, combined with morphological observations, are used to illustrate the effect of the crust on the flow dynamics, and to show the response of the brittle crust to the movement of the viscous flow interior. An overview of the experimental techniques and results will be presented, together with an assessment of how the observed model morphologies can be related to features observed in the

Assessment of Bracket Surface Morphology and Dimensional Change

PubMed Central

Radhakrishnan, Pillai Devu; Sapna Varma, N. K.; Ajith, V. V.

2017-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the surface morphology and dimensional stability of the bracket slot at the onset of treatment and after 12 months of intraoral exposure. The study also compared the amount of calcium at the bracket base which indicates enamel loss among the three orthodontic brackets following debonding after 12 months of intraoral exposure. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 60 (0.022” MBT) canine brackets. They were divided into three groups: self-ligating, ceramic bracket with metal slot, and stainless steel (SS) brackets. The slot dimensions, micromorphologic characteristics of as-received and retrieved brackets were measured with a stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. The amount of calcium at the bracket base which indicates enamel damage was quantified using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX). Results: The results showed statistically significant alterations (P < 0.05) in the right vertical dimension, internal tie wing width (cervical), right and left depth of the slot (Kruskal–Wallis test). Multiple comparison using Mann–Whitney test showed that ceramic brackets underwent (P < 0.05) minimal alterations in the right vertical dimension, internal tie wing width (cervical), right and left depth of the slot (0.01 mm, −0.003 mm, 0.006 mm, −0.002 mm, respectively) when compared with the changes seen in SS and self-ligating brackets. SEM analysis revealed an increase in the surface roughness of ceramic with metal slot brackets and self-ligating bracket showed the least irregularity. The presence of calcium was noted on all evaluated brackets under EDX, but ceramic with metal slot brackets showed a significantly greater amount of enamel loss (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Ceramic brackets were found to be dimensionally stable when compared to SS and self-ligating. Self-ligating bracket showed minimal surface irregularity. Ceramic with metal slot brackets showed a greater

Effects of aqueous ammonia treatment on fiber’s surface morphology and enzymatic digestibility of empty fruit bunch fiber (EFBF)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ling, Tang Pei; Hassan, Osman

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of aqueous ammonia reflux and soaked treatment on the fiber’s surface morphology and enzymatic digestibility of empty fruit bunch fiber (EFBF). The surface morphological changes of the fiber after aqueous ammonia treatment was linked to the sugars yield by enzymatic hydrolysis. The effectiveness of 6.25% aqueous ammonia treatment in improving enzymatic digestibility of EFBF was initially studied in reflux system and by soaking. The results showed that soaked treatment was more effective than reflux system. Further study on soaked treatment of EFBF was carried out by increasing the ammonia concentration to 12.50%.more » Soaking in aqueous ammonia was conducted at 30°C and 50°C for 24 hours. The results of enzymatic hydrolysis showed that sugar yield from EFBF soaked in 12.50% aqueous ammonia at 50°C was the highest. Approximately 242.91±15.50 mg/g EFBF of xylose and 320.49±28.31 mg/g EFBF of glucose were produced by the action of enzyme Cellic Ctec 2. Results of scanning electron microscopic showed that aqueous ammonia treatment by soaking had caused a more severe structural distortion on the fiber’s surface and higher removal of silica bodies that embedded on the fiber than those in reflux system. The changes on the fiber’s surface morphology were believed is the contributing factor that improved the enzymatic digestibility of EFBF after aqueous ammonia treatment.« less

Correlating yeast cell stress physiology to changes in the cell surface morphology: atomic force microscopic studies.

PubMed

Canetta, Elisabetta; Walker, Graeme M; Adya, Ashok K

2006-07-06

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has emerged as a powerful biophysical tool in biotechnology and medicine to investigate the morphological, physical, and mechanical properties of yeasts and other biological systems. However, properties such as, yeasts' response to environmental stresses, metabolic activities of pathogenic yeasts, cell-cell/cell-substrate adhesion, and cell-flocculation have rarely been investigated so far by using biophysical tools. Our recent results obtained by AFM on one strain each of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe show a clear correlation between the physiology of environmentally stressed yeasts and the changes in their surface morphology. The future directions of the AFM related techniques in relation to yeasts are also discussed.

Solvent-induced synthesis of nitrogen-doped hollow carbon spheres with tunable surface morphology for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Feng; Yuan, Ren-Lu; Zhang, Ning; Ke, Chang-Ce; Ma, Shao-Xia; Zhang, Ru-Liang; Liu, Lei

2018-04-01

Nitrogen doped hollow carbon spheres (NHCSs) with tunable surface morphology have been prepared through one-pot carbonization method by using melamine-formaldehyde spheres as template and resorcinol-based resin as carbon precursor in ethanol-water solution. Well-dispersed NHCSs with particle size of 800 nm were obtained and the surface of NHCSs turn from smooth to tough, wrinkled, and finally concave by increasing the ethanol concentration. The fabricated NHCSs possessed high nitrogen content (3.99-4.83%) and hierarchical micro-dual mesoporous structure with surface area range of 265-405 m2 g-1 and total pore volume of 0.18-0.29 cm3 g-1, which contributed to high specific capacitance, excellent rate capability and long cycle life.

Standard Reference Specimens in Quality Control of Engineering Surfaces

PubMed Central

Song, J. F.; Vorburger, T. V.

1991-01-01

In the quality control of engineering surfaces, we aim to understand and maintain a good relationship between the manufacturing process and surface function. This is achieved by controlling the surface texture. The control process involves: 1) learning the functional parameters and their control values through controlled experiments or through a long history of production and use; 2) maintaining high accuracy and reproducibility with measurements not only of roughness calibration specimens but also of real engineering parts. In this paper, the characteristics, utilizations, and limitations of different classes of precision roughness calibration specimens are described. A measuring procedure of engineering surfaces, based on the calibration procedure of roughness specimens at NIST, is proposed. This procedure involves utilization of check specimens with waveform, wavelength, and other roughness parameters similar to functioning engineering surfaces. These check specimens would be certified under standardized reference measuring conditions, or by a reference instrument, and could be used for overall checking of the measuring procedure and for maintaining accuracy and agreement in engineering surface measurement. The concept of “surface texture design” is also suggested, which involves designing the engineering surface texture, the manufacturing process, and the quality control procedure to meet the optimal functional needs. PMID:28184115

The ultrastructural surface morphology of oral cancer cells and keratinocytes after exposure to chitosan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatimah; Sarsito, A. S.; Wimardhani, Y. S.

2017-08-01

Low-molecular-weight chitosan (LMWC) has the same selective cytotoxic effects on oral cancer cells as cisplatin. The cell deaths caused by the anticancer characteristics of chitosan show that apoptosis is not the death pathway of the primary cells involved. The interactions between LMWC and the cells need to be explored. The objective of this study was to compare the ultrastructural morphology of oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC Ca)-922 and noncancer keratinocyte HaCaT cell lines after exposure to LMWC and cisplatin. The cells were treated with LMWC and cisplatin, and their ultrastructural morphology was analyzed using scanning electron micrographs. Features of early apoptosis, seen as the loss of microvilli, were detected in the LMWC-exposed Ca9-22 cells, and there was a material surrounding the cells. In contrast, the LMWC-exposed HaCaT cells showed no changes related to apoptosis. The results were the opposite when cisplatin was used. This study confirms that there are differences in the ultrastructural surface morphology of LMWC-exposed and cisplatin-exposed oral cancer cells and keratinocytes that could be correlated with their biological activity.

Relationship between landscape characteristics and surface water quality.

PubMed

Chang, C L; Kuan, W H; Lui, P S; Hu, C Y

2008-12-01

The effects of landscape characteristics on surface water quality were evaluated in terms of land-use condition, soil type and slope. The case area, the Chichiawan stream in the Wulin catchment in Taiwan, is Formosan landlocked salmon's natural habitat. Due to the agriculture behavior and mankind's activities, the water and environmental quality has gradually worsened. This study applied WinVAST model to predict hydrological responses and non-point source pollution (NPSP) exports in the Wulin catchment. The land-use condition and the slope of land surface in a catchment are major effect factors for watershed responses, including flows and pollutant exports. This work discussed the possible variation of watershed responses induced by the change of land-use condition, soil type and slope, etc. The results show that hydrological responses are highly relative to the value of Curve Number (CN); Pollutant exports have large relation to the average slope of the land surface in the Wulin catchment.

Wrinkled, wavelength-tunable graphene-based surface topographies for directing cell alignment and morphology

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhongying; Tonderys, Daniel; Leggett, Susan E.; Williams, Evelyn Kendall; Kiani, Mehrdad T.; Steinberg, Ruben Spitz; Qiu, Yang; Wong, Ian Y.; Hurt, Robert H.

2015-01-01

Textured surfaces with periodic topographical features and long-range order are highly attractive for directing cell-material interactions. They mimic physiological environments more accurately than planar surfaces and can fundamentally alter cell alignment, shape, gene expression, and cellular assembly into superstructures or microtissues. Here we demonstrate for the first time that wrinkled graphene-based surfaces are suitable as textured cell attachment substrates, and that engineered wrinkling can dramatically alter cell alignment and morphology. The wrinkled surfaces are fabricated by graphene oxide wet deposition onto pre-stretched elastomers followed by relaxation and mild thermal treatment to stabilize the films in cell culture medium. Multilayer graphene oxide films form periodic, delaminated buckle textures whose wavelengths and amplitudes can be systematically tuned by variation in the wet deposition process. Human and murine fibroblasts attach to these textured films and remain viable, while developing pronounced alignment and elongation relative to those on planar graphene controls. Compared to lithographic patterning of nanogratings, this method has advantages in the simplicity and scalability of fabrication, as well as the opportunity to couple the use of topographic cues with the unique conductive, adsorptive, or barrier properties of graphene materials for functional biomedical devices. PMID:25848137

Structure, composition and morphology of bioactive titanate layer on porous titanium surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jinshan; Wang, Xiaohua; Hu, Rui; Kou, Hongchao

2014-07-01

A bioactive coating was produced on pore surfaces of porous titanium samples by an amendatory alkali-heat treatment method. Porous titanium was prepared by powder metallurgy and its porosity and average size were 45% and 135 μm, respectively. Coating morphology, coating structure and phase constituents were examined by SEM, XPS and XRD. It was found that a micro-network structure with sizes of <200 nm mainly composed of bioactive sodium titanate and rutile phases of TiO2 covered the interior and exterior of porous titanium cells, and redundant Ca ion was detected in the titanate layer. The concentration distribution of Ti, O, Ca and Na in the coating showed a compositional gradient from the intermediate layer toward the outer surface. These compositional gradients indicate that the coating bonded to Ti substrate without a distinct interface. After immersion into the SBF solution for 3 days, a bone-like carbonate-hydroxylapatite showing a good biocompatibility was detected on the coating surface. And the redundant Ca advanced the bioactivity of the coating. Thus, the present modification is expected to allow the use of the bioactive porous titanium as artificial bones even under load-bearing conditions.

Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Fracture Surface Morphologies of Core-Shell Rubber (CSR) Toughened Epoxy at Liquid Nitrogen (Ln2) Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, J.; Magee, D.; Schneider, J. A.

2009-01-01

The dynamic mechanical properties and fracture surface morphologies were evaluated for a commercial epoxy resin toughened with two types of core-shell rubber (CSR) toughening agents (Kane Ace(Registered TradeMark) MX130 and MX960). The impact resistance (R) was evaluated by the resulting breaking energy measured in Charpy impact tests conducted on an instrumented drop tower. The resulting fracture surface morphologies were examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Fractographic observations of the CSR toughened epoxy tested at ambient temperature, showed a fracture as characterized by slender dendrite textures with large voids. The increasing number of dendrites and decreasing size of scale-like texture with more CSR particles corresponded with increased R. As the temperature decreased to Liquid Nitrogen (LN 2), the fracture surfaces showed a fracture characterized by a rough, torn texture containing many river markings and deep furrows.

Summary of surface-water quality, ground-water quality, and water withdrawals for the Spirit Lake Reservation, North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vining, Kevin C.; Cates, Steven W.

2006-01-01

Available surface-water quality, ground-water quality, and water-withdrawal data for the Spirit Lake Reservation were summarized. The data were collected intermittently from 1948 through 2004 and were compiled from U.S. Geological Survey databases, North Dakota State Water Commission databases, and Spirit Lake Nation tribal agencies. Although the quality of surface water on the reservation generally is satisfactory, no surface-water sources are used for consumable water supplies. Ground water on the reservation is of sufficient quality for most uses. The Tokio and Warwick aquifers have better overall water quality than the Spiritwood aquifer. Water from the Spiritwood aquifer is used mostly for irrigation. The Warwick aquifer provides most of the consumable water for the reservation and for the city of Devils Lake. Annual water withdrawals from the Warwick aquifer by the Spirit Lake Nation ranged from 71 million gallons to 122 million gallons during 2000-04.

Lateral ventricle morphology analysis via mean latitude axis.

PubMed

Paniagua, Beatriz; Lyall, Amanda; Berger, Jean-Baptiste; Vachet, Clement; Hamer, Robert M; Woolson, Sandra; Lin, Weili; Gilmore, John; Styner, Martin

2013-03-29

Statistical shape analysis has emerged as an insightful method for evaluating brain structures in neuroimaging studies, however most shape frameworks are surface based and thus directly depend on the quality of surface alignment. In contrast, medial descriptions employ thickness information as alignment-independent shape metric. We propose a joint framework that computes local medial thickness information via a mean latitude axis from the well-known spherical harmonic (SPHARM-PDM) shape framework. In this work, we applied SPHARM derived medial representations to the morphological analysis of lateral ventricles in neonates. Mild ventriculomegaly (MVM) subjects are compared to healthy controls to highlight the potential of the methodology. Lateral ventricles were obtained from MRI scans of neonates (9-144 days of age) from 30 MVM subjects as well as age- and sex-matched normal controls (60 total). SPHARM-PDM shape analysis was extended to compute a mean latitude axis directly from the spherical parameterization. Local thickness and area was straightforwardly determined. MVM and healthy controls were compared using local MANOVA and compared with the traditional SPHARM-PDM analysis. Both surface and mean latitude axis findings differentiate successfully MVM and healthy lateral ventricle morphology. Lateral ventricles in MVM neonates show enlarged shapes in tail and head. Mean latitude axis is able to find significant differences all along the lateral ventricle shape, demonstrating that local thickness analysis provides significant insight over traditional SPHARM-PDM. This study is the first to precisely quantify 3D lateral ventricle morphology in MVM neonates using shape analysis.

Dynamic potential and surface morphology study of sertraline membrane sensors

PubMed Central

Khater, M.M.; Issa, Y.M.; Hassib, H.B.; Mohammed, S.H.

2014-01-01

New rapid, sensitive and simple electrometric method was developed to determine sertraline hydrochloride (Ser-Cl) in its pure raw material and pharmaceutical formulations. Membrane sensors based on heteropolyacids as ion associating material were prepared. Silicomolybdic acid (SMA), silicotungstic acid (STA) and phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) were used. The slope and limit of detection are 50.00, 60.00 and 53.24 mV/decade and 2.51, 5.62 and 4.85 μmol L−1 for Ser-ST, Ser-PM and Ser-SM membrane sensors, respectively. Linear range is 0.01–10.00 for the three sensors. These new sensors were used for the potentiometric titration of Ser-Cl using sodium tetraphenylborate as titrant. The surface morphologies of the prepared membranes with and without the modifier (ion-associate) were studied using scanning and atomic force microscopes. PMID:26257944

Evaluation of PBS Treatment and PEI Coating Effects on Surface Morphology and Cellular Response of 3D-Printed Alginate Scaffolds.

PubMed

Mendoza García, María A; Izadifar, Mohammad; Chen, Xiongbiao

2017-11-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging technology for the fabrication of scaffolds to repair/replace damaged tissue/organs in tissue engineering. This paper presents our study on 3D printed alginate scaffolds treated with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) coating and their impacts on the surface morphology and cellular response of the printed scaffolds. In our study, sterile alginate was prepared by means of the freeze-drying method and then, used to prepare the hydrogel for 3D printing into calcium chloride, forming 3D scaffolds. Scaffolds were treated with PBS for a time period of two days and seven days, respectively, and PEI coating; then they were seeded with Schwann cells (RSC96) for the examination of cellular response (proliferation and differentiation). In addition, swelling and stiffness (Young's modulus) of the treated scaffolds was evaluated, while their surface morphology was assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM images revealed significant changes in scaffold surface morphology due to degradation caused by the PBS treatment over time. Our cell proliferation assessment over seven days showed that a two-day PBS treatment could be more effective than seven-day PBS treatment for improving cell attachment and elongation. While PEI coating of alginate scaffolds seemed to contribute to cell growth, Schwann cells stayed round on the surface of alginate over the period of cell culture. In conclusion, PBS-treatment may offer the potential to induce surface physical cues due to degradation of alginate, which could improve cell attachment post cell-seeding of 3D-printed alginate scaffolds.

Tailoring Graphene Morphology and Orientation on Cu(100), Cu(110), and Cu(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobberger, Robert; Arnold, Michael

2013-03-01

Graphene CVD on Cu is phenomenologically complex, yielding diverse crystal morphologies, such as lobes, dendrites, stars, and hexagons, of various orientations. We present a comprehensive study of the evolution of these morphologies as a function of Cu surface orientation, pressure, H2:CH4, and nucleation density. Growth was studied on ultra-smooth, epitaxial Cu films inside Cu enclosures to minimize factors that normally complicate growth. With low H2:CH4, Mullins-Sekerka instabilities propagate to form dendrites, indicating transport limited growth. In LPCVD, the dendrites extend hundreds of microns in the 100, 111, and 110 directions on Cu(100), (110), and (111) and are perturbed by twin boundaries. In APCVD, multiple preferred dendrite orientations exist. With increasing H2:CH4, the dendritic nature of growth is suppressed. In LPCVD, square, rectangle, and hexagon crystals form on Cu(100), (110) and (111), reflecting the Cu crystallography. In APCVD, the morphology becomes hexagonal on each surface. If given ample time, every growth regime yields high-quality monolayers with D:G Raman ratio <0.1. The understanding gained here provides a framework to rationally tailor the graphene crystal morphology and orientation.

Influence of mechanical and chemical surface treatments on the formation of bone-like structure in cpTi for endosseous dental implants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsikia, Farhang; Amini, Pupak; Asgari, Sirous

2012-10-01

Commercially pure titanium samples were exposed to grit blasting and acid-alkali treatments to obtain a variety of surface compositions and morphologies. Contact roughness test and microstructural studies were employed to study the surface topography of the samples. The nature and chemical composition of surface phases were evaluated using X-ray diffraction and microanalysis techniques. Selected samples first exposed to in vitro environment were then tested to determine the surface morphology and surface microstructure. Based on the data presented in this work, it is suggested that grit blasting process utilized prior to chemical treatment stage, yields a high quality surface morphology. Such a surface morphology is expected to have superior tribological characteristics after osseointegration. Also, it appeared that the reverse sequence of processing resulted in a better biocompatibility of the product manifested by negligible amount of residual alumina on the sample surface.

Surface chemistry and morphology in single particle optical imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekiz-Kanik, Fulya; Sevenler, Derin Deniz; Ünlü, Neşe Lortlar; Chiari, Marcella; Ünlü, M. Selim

2017-05-01

Biological nanoparticles such as viruses and exosomes are important biomarkers for a range of medical conditions, from infectious diseases to cancer. Biological sensors that detect whole viruses and exosomes with high specificity, yet without additional labeling, are promising because they reduce the complexity of sample preparation and may improve measurement quality by retaining information about nanoscale physical structure of the bio-nanoparticle (BNP). Towards this end, a variety of BNP biosensor technologies have been developed, several of which are capable of enumerating the precise number of detected viruses or exosomes and analyzing physical properties of each individual particle. Optical imaging techniques are promising candidates among broad range of label-free nanoparticle detectors. These imaging BNP sensors detect the binding of single nanoparticles on a flat surface functionalized with a specific capture molecule or an array of multiplexed capture probes. The functionalization step confers all molecular specificity for the sensor's target but can introduce an unforeseen problem; a rough and inhomogeneous surface coating can be a source of noise, as these sensors detect small local changes in optical refractive index. In this paper, we review several optical technologies for label-free BNP detectors with a focus on imaging systems. We compare the surface-imaging methods including dark-field, surface plasmon resonance imaging and interference reflectance imaging. We discuss the importance of ensuring consistently uniform and smooth surface coatings of capture molecules for these types of biosensors and finally summarize several methods that have been developed towards addressing this challenge.

Studies on surface morphology and electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS thin films in presence of gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhowal, Ashim Chandra; Kundu, Sarathi

2018-04-01

PEDOT:PSS is a water soluble conducting polymer consists of positively charged PEDOT and negatively charged PSS. However, this polymer suffers low conductivity problem which restrict its use. In this paper, electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS thin films is improved by using charged gold nanoparticles. The nanoparticles used are synthesized using lysozyme protein. The nanoparticles coated with lysozyme protein possess positive zeta potential. In the presence of gold nanoparticles due to electrostatic interaction between positively charged nanoparticles and negatively charged PSS chains, modification takes place in the surface morphology and electrical behaviors of PEDOT:PSS thin films. The changes in the polymer matrix conformations in the presence of nanoparticles are studied by Fourier transformed Infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, whereas the surface morphology of prepared thin films before and after interaction with nanoparticles is investigated through atomic force microscopy (AFM). Four probe method is used to measure the variation of electrical conductivity from I-V characteristics curves.

Quality Variation of Goji (Fruits of Lycium spp.) in China: A Comparative Morphological and Metabolomic Analysis

PubMed Central

Yao, Ruyu; Heinrich, Michael; Zou, Yuanfeng; Reich, Eike; Zhang, Xiaolei; Chen, Yu; Weckerle, Caroline S.

2018-01-01

Goji (fruits of Lycium barbarum L. and L. chinense Mill.) has been used in China as food and medicine for millennia, and globally has been consumed increasingly as a healthy food. Ningxia, with a semi-arid climate, always had the reputation of producing best goji quality (daodi area). Recently, the increasing market demand pushed the cultivation into new regions with different climates. We therefore ask: How does goji quality differ among production areas of various climatic regions? Historical records are used to trace the spread of goji production in China over time. Quality measurements of 51 samples were correlated with the four main production areas in China: monsoon (Hebei), semi-arid (Ningxia, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia), plateau (Qinghai) and arid regions (Xinjiang). We include morphological characteristics, sugar and polysaccharide content, antioxidant activity, and metabolomic profiling to compare goji among climatic regions. Goji cultivation probably began in the East (Hebei) of China around 100 CE and later shifted westward to the semi-arid regions. Goji from monsoon, plateau and arid regions differ according to its fruit morphology, whereas semi-arid goji cannot be separated from the other regions. L. chinense fruits, which are exclusively cultivated in Hebei (monsoon), are significantly lighter, smaller and brighter in color, while the heaviest and largest fruits (L. barbarum) stem from the plateau. The metabolomic profiling separates the two species but not the regions of cultivation. Lycium chinense and samples from the semi-arid regions have significantly (p < 0.01) lower sugar contents and L. chinense shows the highest antioxidant activity. Our results do not justify superiority of a specific production area over other areas. Instead it will be essential to distinguish goji from different regions based on the specific morphological and chemical traits with the aim to understand what its intended uses are. PMID:29535631

Atomic scale morphology, growth behaviour and electronic properties of semipolar {101[overline]3} GaN surfaces.

PubMed

Kioseoglou, J; Kalesaki, E; Lymperakis, L; Karakostas, Th; Komninou, Ph

2013-01-30

First-principles calculations relating to the atomic structure and electronic properties of {101[overline]3} GaN surfaces reveal significant differentiations between the two polarity orientations. The (101[overline]3) surface exhibits a remarkable morphological stability, stabilizing a metallic structure (Ga adlayer) over the entire range of the Ga chemical potential. In contrast, the semiconducting, cleaved surface is favoured on (101[overline]3[overline]) under extremely and moderately N-rich conditions, a Ga bilayer is stabilized under corresponding Ga-rich conditions and various transitions between metallic reconstructions take place in intermediate growth stoichiometries. Efficient growth schemes for smooth, two-dimensional GaN layers and the isolation of {101[overline]3} material from parasitic orientations are identified.

Influence of light curing units and fluoride mouthrinse on morphological surface and color stability of a nanofilled composite resin.

PubMed

De Oliveira, Ana Luísa Botta Martins; Botta, Ana Carolina; Campos, Juliana Álvares Duarte Bonini; Garcia, Patrícia Petromilli Nordi Sasso

2014-11-01

Composite resin is a dental material susceptible to color change over time which limits the longevity of restorations made with this material. The influence of light curing units and different fluoride mouthrinses on superficial morphology and color stability of a nanofilled composite resin was evaluated. Specimens (N = 150) were prepared and polished. The experimental groups were divided according to the type of light source (halogen and LED) and immersion media (artificial saliva, 0.05% sodium fluoride solution-manipulated, Fluordent Reach, Oral B, Fluorgard). Specimens remained in artificial saliva for 24-h baseline. For 60 days, they were immersed in solutions for 1 min. Color readout was taken at baseline and after 60 days of immersion. Surface morphology was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) after 60 days of immersion. Color change data were submitted to two-way Analysis of Variance and Tukey tests (α = 0.05). Surface morphology was qualitatively analyzed. The factor light source presented no significant variability (P = 0.281), the immersion media, significant variability (P < 0.001) and interaction between factors, no significant variability (P = 0.050). According to SEM observations, no difference was noted in the surface of the specimens polymerized by different light sources, irrespective of the immersion medium. It was concluded that the light source did not influence the color stability of composite, irrespective of the immersion media, and among the fluoride solutions analyzed, Fluorgard was the one that promoted the greatest color change, however, this was not clinically perceptible. The immersion media did not influence the morphology of the studied resin. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

To attach or not to attach? The effect of carrier surface morphology and topography on attachment of phoretic deutonymphs of Uropoda orbicularis (Acari).

PubMed

Bajerlein, Daria; Adamski, Zbigniew; Kacalak, Wojciech; Tandecka, Katarzyna; Wiesner, Maciej; Jurga, Stefan

2016-08-01

Previous studies on preferences of phoretic deutonymphs of Uropodina for attachment sites have shown that they frequently select smooth and hydrophobic surfaces. The aim of our study was to provide the detailed morphological and topographical characteristics of beetle body surfaces to which deutonymphs frequently attach and to verify how the presence of setae and surface sculpture affects deutonymph attachment. The study was conducted on Uropoda orbicularis (Müller, 1776) and its common beetle carriers: Aphodius prodromus (Brahm, 1790), Aphodius fimetarius (Linnaeus, 1758), Onthophagus nuchicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Margarinotus carbonarius (Hoffmann, 1803). Morphology and topography of elytra, femora, propygidia and pygidia of beetles were analysed mainly using SEM methods supported with CLSM and AFM techniques. The hypothesis that deutonymphs may attach to surfaces covered with setae, if seta density is low enough not to disturb mite movement, was tested. The study revealed that deutonymphs attach to surfaces of various types as follows: (i) smooth, (ii) hairy, i.e., covered with setae, (iii) flat and (iv) sculptured. Smooth body parts and body parts covered with setae of low density were most frequently and intensively occupied with deutonymphs. Surfaces of high seta density were avoided by mites. Within elytra of Aphodius beetles, deutonymphs definitely preferred flat surfaces of elytral intervals. On the contrary, densely punctuated propygidium and pygidium in M. carbonarius were heavily infested with deutonymphs. We conclude that carrier surface morphology and topography are important for Uropodina deutonymph attachment, but these two factors cannot fully explain the observed relation.

To attach or not to attach? The effect of carrier surface morphology and topography on attachment of phoretic deutonymphs of Uropoda orbicularis (Acari)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bajerlein, Daria; Adamski, Zbigniew; Kacalak, Wojciech; Tandecka, Katarzyna; Wiesner, Maciej; Jurga, Stefan

2016-08-01

Previous studies on preferences of phoretic deutonymphs of Uropodina for attachment sites have shown that they frequently select smooth and hydrophobic surfaces. The aim of our study was to provide the detailed morphological and topographical characteristics of beetle body surfaces to which deutonymphs frequently attach and to verify how the presence of setae and surface sculpture affects deutonymph attachment. The study was conducted on Uropoda orbicularis (Müller, 1776) and its common beetle carriers: Aphodius prodromus (Brahm, 1790), Aphodius fimetarius (Linnaeus, 1758), Onthophagus nuchicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Margarinotus carbonarius (Hoffmann, 1803). Morphology and topography of elytra, femora, propygidia and pygidia of beetles were analysed mainly using SEM methods supported with CLSM and AFM techniques. The hypothesis that deutonymphs may attach to surfaces covered with setae, if seta density is low enough not to disturb mite movement, was tested. The study revealed that deutonymphs attach to surfaces of various types as follows: (i) smooth, (ii) hairy, i.e., covered with setae, (iii) flat and (iv) sculptured. Smooth body parts and body parts covered with setae of low density were most frequently and intensively occupied with deutonymphs. Surfaces of high seta density were avoided by mites. Within elytra of Aphodius beetles, deutonymphs definitely preferred flat surfaces of elytral intervals. On the contrary, densely punctuated propygidium and pygidium in M. carbonarius were heavily infested with deutonymphs. We conclude that carrier surface morphology and topography are important for Uropodina deutonymph attachment, but these two factors cannot fully explain the observed relation.

An electron tomography algorithm for reconstructing 3D morphology using surface tangents of projected scattering interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, T. C.; Ringer, S. P.

2010-03-01

range. The algorithm does not solve the tomographic back-projection problem but rather reconstructs the local 3D morphology of surfaces defined by varied scattering densities. Solution method: Reconstruction using differential geometry applied to image analysis computations. Restrictions: The code has only been tested with square images and has been developed for only single-axis tilting. Running time: For high quality reconstruction, 5-15 min

A pilot study of the marginal adaptation and surface morphology of glass-cermet cements.

PubMed

Chu, C H; King, N M; Lee, A M; Yiu, C K; Wei, S H

1996-07-01

This study investigated changes in the marginal adaptation and surface morphology of Ketac-Silver and Chelon-Silver glass-current cements over time. Dispersalloy amalgam was used as a control. Contralateral pairs of carious primary molars were restored with the test materials and amalgam. Clinical evaluations were scheduled at 12, 18, and 24 months after placement. Gold-plated replicas of the restorations were observed with scanning electron microscopy. Fractures and cracks in the surface of the Dispersalloy and Chelon-Silver increased the surface roughness; however, the damage was superficial and self-limiting in the Dispersalloy restorations, while in Chelon-Silver the fractures caused the material to break down in layers. A substantial quantity of pores, usually smaller than 50 microns in diameter, were observed throughout the surface of the Chelon-Silver restorations. The pores in the surface of Ketac-Silver were fewer and smaller. The incidence of cavomarginal breakdown increased with time. Chelon-Silver restorations had a higher rate of cavomarginal breakdown than did Ketac-Silver and Dispersalloy restorations up to 18 months. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the marginal adaptation of the three groups at 24 months.

Patterns of morphological variation in enamel–dentin junction and outer enamel surface of human molars

PubMed Central

Morita, Wataru; Yano, Wataru; Nagaoka, Tomohito; Abe, Mikiko; Ohshima, Hayato; Nakatsukasa, Masato

2014-01-01

Tooth crown patterning is governed by the growth and folding of the inner enamel epithelium (IEE) and the following enamel deposition forms outer enamel surface (OES). We hypothesized that overall dental crown shape and covariation structure are determined by processes that configurate shape at the enamel–dentine junction (EDJ), the developmental vestige of IEE. This this hypothesis was tested by comparing patterns of morphological variation between EDJ and OES in human permanent maxillary first molar (UM1) and deciduous second molar (um2). Using geometric morphometric methods, we described morphological variation and covariation between EDJ and OES, and evaluated the strength of two components of phenotypic variability, canalization and morphological integration, in addition to the relevant evolutionary flexibility, i.e. the ability to respond to selective pressure. The strength of covariation between EDJ and OES was greater in um2 than in UM1, and the way that multiple traits covary between EDJ and OES was different between these teeth. The variability analyses showed that EDJ had less shape variation and a higher level of morphological integration than OES, which indicated that canalization and morphological integration acted as developmental constraints. These tendencies were greater in UM1 than in um2. On the other hand, EDJ and OES had a comparable level of evolvability in these teeth. Amelogenesis could play a significant role in tooth shape and covariation structure, and its influence was not constant among teeth, which may be responsible for the differences in the rate and/or period of enamel formation. PMID:24689536

Optimization of surface morphology and scattering properties of TCO/AIT textured glass front electrode for thin film solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Addonizio, M. L.; Fusco, L.; Antonaia, A.; Cominale, F.; Usatii, I.

2015-12-01

Aluminium induced texture (AIT) method has been used for obtaining highly textured glass substrate suitable for silicon based thin film solar cell technology. Wet etch step parameters of AIT process have been varied and effect of different etchants and different etching times on morphological and optical properties has been analyzed. The resulting morphology features (shape, size distribution, inclination angle) have been optimized in order to obtain the best scattering properties. ZnO:Ga (GZO) films have been deposited by sputtering technique on AIT-processed glass. Two different ZnO surface morphologies have been obtained, strongly depending on the underlying glass substrate morphology induced by different etching times. Very rough and porous texture (σrms ∼ 150 nm) was obtained on glass etched 2 min showing cauliflower-like structure, whereas a softer texture (σrms ∼ 78 nm) was obtained on glass etched 7 min giving wider and smoother U-shaped craters. The effect of different glass textures on optical confinement has been tested in amorphous silicon based p-i-n devices. Devices fabricated on GZO/high textured glass showed a quantum efficiency enhancement due to both an effective light trapping phenomenon and an effective anti-reflective optical behaviour. Short etching time produce smaller cavities (<1 μm) with deep U-shape characterized by high roughness, high inclination angle and low autocorrelation length. This surface morphology promoted a large light scattering phenomenon, as evidenced by haze value and by angular resolved scattering (ARS) behaviour, into a large range of diffraction angles, giving high probability of effective light trapping inside a PV device.

Exosomes: Improved methods to characterize their morphology, RNA content, and surface protein biomarkers

PubMed Central

Wu, Yueting; Deng, Wentao; Klinke, David J.

2016-01-01

As a type of secreted membrane vesicle, exosomes are an emerging mode of cell-to-cell communication. Yet as exosome samples are commonly contaminated with other extracellular vesicles, the biological roles of exosomes in regulating immunity and promoting oncogenesis remain controversial. Wondering whether existing methods could distort our view of exosome biology, we compared two direct methods for imaging extracellular vesicles and quantified the impact of different production and storage conditions on the quality of exosome samples. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was compared to transmission electron microscope (TEM) as alternatives to examine the morphology of exosomes. Using SEM, we were able to distinguish exosomes from other contaminating extracellular vesicles based on the size distribution. More importantly, freezing of samples prior to SEM imaging made it more difficult to distinguish exosomes from extracellular vesicles secreted during cell death. In addition to morphology, the quality of RNA contained within the exosomes was characterized under different storage conditions, where freezing of samples also degraded RNA. Finally, we developed a new flow cytometry approach to assay transmembrane proteins on exosomes. While high-copy-number proteins could be readily detected, detecting low-copy-number proteins was improved using a lipophilic tracer that clustered exosomes. To illustrate this, we observed that exosomes derived from SKBR3 cells, a cell model for human HER2+ breast cancer, contained both HER1 and HER2 but at different levels of abundance. Collectively, these new methods will help to ensure a consistent framework to identify specific roles that exosomes play in regulating cell-to-cell communication. PMID:26332016

Tailorable Surface Morphology of 3D Scaffolds by Combining Additive Manufacturing with Thermally Induced Phase Separation.

PubMed

Di Luca, Andrea; de Wijn, Joost R; van Blitterswijk, Clemens A; Camarero-Espinosa, Sandra; Moroni, Lorenzo

2017-08-01

The functionalization of biomaterials substrates used for cell culture is gearing towards an increasing control over cell activity. Although a number of biomaterials have been successfully modified by different strategies to display tailored physical and chemical surface properties, it is still challenging to step from 2D substrates to 3D scaffolds with instructive surface properties for cell culture and tissue regeneration. In this study, additive manufacturing and thermally induced phase separation are combined to create 3D scaffolds with tunable surface morphology from polymer gels. Surface features vary depending on the gel concentration, the exchanging temperature, and the nonsolvent used. When preosteoblasts (MC-3T3 cells) are cultured on these scaffolds, a significant increase in alkaline phosphatase activity is measured for submicron surface topography, suggesting a potential role on early cell differentiation. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

n-type doping and morphology of GaAs nanowires in Aerotaxy

DOE PAGES

Metaferia, Wondwosen; Sivakumar, Sudhakar; Persson, Axel R.; ...

2018-05-10

Controlled doping in semiconductor nanowires modifies their electrical and optical properties, which are important for high efficiency optoelectronic devices. We have grown n-type (Sn) doped GaAs nanowires in Aerotaxy, a new continuous gas phase mass production technique. The morphology of Sn doped nanowires is found to be a strong function of dopant, tetraethyltin to trimethylgallium flow ratio, Au-Ga-Sn alloying, and nanowire growth temperatures. High temperature and high flow ratios result in low morphological quality nanowires and in parasitic growth on the wire base and surface. Alloying and growth temperatures of 400 and 530 degrees C, respectively, resulted in good morphologicalmore » quality nanowires for a flow ratio of TESn to TMGa up to 2.25 x 10 -3. The wires are pure Zinc-blende for all investigated growth conditions, whereas nanowires grown by MOVPE with the same growth conditions are usually mainly Wurtzite. The growth rate of the doped wires is found to be dependent more on the TESn flow fraction than on alloying and nanowire growth temperatures. Our photoluminescence measurements, supported by four-point probe resistivity measurements, reveal that the carrier concentration in the doped wires varies only slightly (1- 3) x 10 19 cm -3 with TESn flow fraction and both alloying and growth temperatures, indicating that good morphological quality wires with high carrier density can be grown with low TESn flow. Carrier concentrations lower than 1019 cm-3 can be grown by further reducing the flow fraction of TESn, which may give better morphology wires.« less

n-type doping and morphology of GaAs nanowires in Aerotaxy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Metaferia, Wondwosen; sivakumar, sudhakar; R. Persson, Axel

2018-04-17

Controlled doping in semiconductor nanowires modifies their electrical and optical properties, which are important for high efficiency optoelectronic devices. We have grown n-type (Sn) doped GaAs nanowires in Aerotaxy, a new continuous gas phase mass production technique. The morphology of Sn doped nanowires is found to be a strong function of dopant, tetraethyltin to trimethylgallium flow ratio, Au-Ga-Sn alloying, and nanowire growth temperatures. High temperature and high flow ratios result in low morphological quality nanowires and in parasitic growth on the wire base and surface. Alloying and growth temperatures of 400 and 530 degrees C, respectively, resulted in good morphologicalmore » quality nanowires for a flow ratio of TESn to TMGa up to 2.25 x 10-3. The wires are pure Zinc-blende for all investigated growth conditions, whereas nanowires grown by MOVPE with the same growth conditions are usually mainly Wurtzite. The growth rate of the doped wires is found to be dependent more on the TESn flow fraction than on alloying and nanowire growth temperatures. Our photoluminescence measurements, supported by four-point probe resistivity measurements, reveal that the carrier concentration in the doped wires varies only slightly (1- 3) x 1019 cm-3 with TESn flow fraction and both alloying and growth temperatures, indicating that good morphological quality wires with high carrier density can be grown with low TESn flow. Carrier concentrations lower than 1019 cm-3 can be grown by further reducing the flow fraction of TESn, which may give better morphology wires.« less

n-type doping and morphology of GaAs nanowires in Aerotaxy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Metaferia, Wondwosen; Sivakumar, Sudhakar; Persson, Axel R.

Controlled doping in semiconductor nanowires modifies their electrical and optical properties, which are important for high efficiency optoelectronic devices. We have grown n-type (Sn) doped GaAs nanowires in Aerotaxy, a new continuous gas phase mass production technique. The morphology of Sn doped nanowires is found to be a strong function of dopant, tetraethyltin to trimethylgallium flow ratio, Au-Ga-Sn alloying, and nanowire growth temperatures. High temperature and high flow ratios result in low morphological quality nanowires and in parasitic growth on the wire base and surface. Alloying and growth temperatures of 400 and 530 degrees C, respectively, resulted in good morphologicalmore » quality nanowires for a flow ratio of TESn to TMGa up to 2.25 x 10 -3. The wires are pure Zinc-blende for all investigated growth conditions, whereas nanowires grown by MOVPE with the same growth conditions are usually mainly Wurtzite. The growth rate of the doped wires is found to be dependent more on the TESn flow fraction than on alloying and nanowire growth temperatures. Our photoluminescence measurements, supported by four-point probe resistivity measurements, reveal that the carrier concentration in the doped wires varies only slightly (1- 3) x 10 19 cm -3 with TESn flow fraction and both alloying and growth temperatures, indicating that good morphological quality wires with high carrier density can be grown with low TESn flow. Carrier concentrations lower than 1019 cm-3 can be grown by further reducing the flow fraction of TESn, which may give better morphology wires.« less

Chlamydiae in the ejaculate: their influence on the quality and morphology of sperm.

PubMed

Veznik, Zdenek; Pospisil, Leopold; Svecova, Drahomira; Zajicova, Atanaska; Unzeitig, Vit

2004-07-01

Given the lack of information concerning the role of Chlamydia trachomatis in male fertility, the aim of this study was to ascertain and analyze the quality of Chlamydiae-positive and -negative semen. Sperm count was performed according to the 1999 World Health Organization (WHO) laboratory manual for examination of human semen and sperm-cervical mucus interaction, and sperm survival was assessed by a 120-min test. The evaluation of the morphological examination of ejaculates was carried out using the sasmo (strict morphological analysis of ejaculates) computer program. Chlamydiae were detected by immunofluorescent reaction using the Progen Biotechnik GmbH diagnostic set. Fisher's exact test and the chi-quadrate test were used for statistical analysis. Of the total of 627 sperm samples examined, Chlamydiae were detected in 136 cases (21.7%). Sperm analysis showed significant differences between Chlamydiae-positive and -negative samples. The Chlamydiae-contaminated group showed normal sperm morphology 14.4% lower, volume 6.4% lower, concentration 8.3% lower, motility 7.8% and velocity 9.3% lower than in Chlamydiae-negative samples. The average values for normal spermatozoa and motility in the Chlamydiae-positive group were also significantly reduced. Chlamydia trachomatis was found to be a possible factor in sperm pathology. These results could help to elucidate the role of Chlamydia trachomatis in male infertility.

Surface morphology evolution during plasma etching of silicon: roughening, smoothing and ripple formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ono, Kouichi; Nakazaki, Nobuya; Tsuda, Hirotaka; Takao, Yoshinori; Eriguchi, Koji

2017-10-01

Atomic- or nanometer-scale roughness on feature surfaces has become an important issue to be resolved in the fabrication of nanoscale devices in industry. Moreover, in some cases, smoothing of initially rough surfaces is required for planarization of film surfaces, and controlled surface roughening is required for maskless fabrication of organized nanostructures on surfaces. An understanding, under what conditions plasma etching results in surface roughening and/or smoothing and what are the mechanisms concerned, is of great technological as well as fundamental interest. In this article, we review recent developments in the experimental and numerical study of the formation and evolution of surface roughness (or surface morphology evolution such as roughening, smoothing, and ripple formation) during plasma etching of Si, with emphasis being placed on a deeper understanding of the mechanisms or plasma-surface interactions that are responsible for. Starting with an overview of the experimental and theoretical/numerical aspects concerned, selected relevant mechanisms are illustrated and discussed primarily on the basis of systematic/mechanistic studies of Si etching in Cl-based plasmas, including noise (or stochastic roughening), geometrical shadowing, surface reemission of etchants, micromasking by etch inhibitors, and ion scattering/chanelling. A comparison of experiments (etching and plasma diagnostics) and numerical simulations (Monte Carlo and classical molecular dynamics) indicates a crucial role of the ion scattering or reflection from microscopically roughened feature surfaces on incidence in the evolution of surface roughness (and ripples) during plasma etching; in effect, the smoothing/non-roughening condition is characterized by reduced effects of the ion reflection, and the roughening-smoothing transition results from reduced ion reflections caused by a change in the predominant ion flux due to that in plasma conditions. Smoothing of initially rough

Morphological abnormalities in prefrontal surface area and thalamic volume in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Batty, Martin J; Palaniyappan, Lena; Scerif, Gaia; Groom, Madeleine J; Liddle, Elizabeth B; Liddle, Peter F; Hollis, Chris

2015-08-30

Although previous morphological studies have demonstrated abnormalities in prefrontal cortical thickness in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), studies investigating cortical surface area are lacking. As the development of cortical surface is closely linked to the establishment of thalam-ocortical connections, any abnormalities in the structure of the thalamus are likely to relate to altered cortical surface area. Using a clinically well-defined sample of children with ADHD (n = 25, 1 female) and typically developing controls (n = 24, 1 female), we studied surface area across the cortex to determine whether children with ADHD had reduced thalamic volume that related to prefrontal cortical surface area. Relative to controls, children with ADHD had a significant reduction in thalamic volume and dorsolateral prefrontal cortical area in both hemispheres. Furthermore, children with ADHD with smaller thalamic volumes were found to have greater reductions in surface area, a pattern not evident in the control children. Our results are further evidence of reduced lateral prefrontal cortical area in ADHD. Moreover, for the first time, we have also shown a direct association between thalamic anatomy and frontal anatomy in ADHD, suggesting the pathophysiological process that alters surface area maturation is likely to be linked to the development of the thalamus. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Land Surface Process and Air Quality Research and Applications at MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale; Khan, Maudood

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation provides an overview of land surface process and air quality research at MSFC including atmospheric modeling and ongoing research whose objective is to undertake a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of the effects of accurate land surface characterization on atmospheric modeling results, and public health applications. Land use maps as well as 10 meter air temperature, surface wind, PBL mean difference heights, NOx, ozone, and O3+NO2 plots as well as spatial growth model outputs are included. Emissions and general air quality modeling are also discussed.

Developing a more useful surface quality metric for laser optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turchette, Quentin; Turner, Trey

2011-02-01

Light scatter due to surface defects on laser resonator optics produces losses which lower system efficiency and output power. The traditional methodology for surface quality inspection involves visual comparison of a component to scratch and dig (SAD) standards under controlled lighting and viewing conditions. Unfortunately, this process is subjective and operator dependent. Also, there is no clear correlation between inspection results and the actual performance impact of the optic in a laser resonator. As a result, laser manufacturers often overspecify surface quality in order to ensure that optics will not degrade laser performance due to scatter. This can drive up component costs and lengthen lead times. Alternatively, an objective test system for measuring optical scatter from defects can be constructed with a microscope, calibrated lighting, a CCD detector and image processing software. This approach is quantitative, highly repeatable and totally operator independent. Furthermore, it is flexible, allowing the user to set threshold levels as to what will or will not constitute a defect. This paper details how this automated, quantitative type of surface quality measurement can be constructed, and shows how its results correlate against conventional loss measurement techniques such as cavity ringdown times.

Surface sediment quality relative to port activities: A contaminant-spectrum assessment.

PubMed

Yu, Shen; Hong, Bing; Ma, Jun; Chen, Yongshan; Xi, Xiuping; Gao, Jingbo; Hu, Xiuqin; Xu, Xiangrong; Sun, Yuxin

2017-10-15

Ports are facing increasing environmental concerns with their importance to the global economy. Numerous studies indicated sediment quality deterioration in ports; however, the deterioration is not discriminated for each port activity. This study investigated a spectrum of contaminants (metals and organic pollutants) in surface sediments at 20 sampling points in Port Ningbo, China, one of the top five world ports by volume. The spectrum of contaminants (metals and organic pollutants) was quantified following marine sediment quality guidelines of China and USA and surface sediment quality was assessed according to thresholds of the two guidelines. Coupling a categorical matrix of port activities with the matrix of sedimentary contaminants revealed that contaminants were highly associated with the port operations. Ship repair posed a severe chemical risk to sediment. Operations of crude oil and coal loadings were two top activities related to organic pollutants in sediments while port operations of ore and container loadings discharged metals. Among the 20 sampling points, Cu, Zn, Pb, and DDT and its metabolites were the priority contaminants influencing sediment quality. Overall, surface sediments in Port Ningbo had relatively low environmental risks but ship repair is an environmental concern that must be addressed. This study provides a practical approach for port activity-related quality assessment of surface sediments in ports that could be applicable in many world sites. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low Dimensional Analysis of Wing Surface Morphology in Hummingbird Free Flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shallcross, Gregory; Ren, Yan; Liu, Geng; Dong, Haibo; Tobalske, Bret

2015-11-01

Surface morphing in flapping wings is a hallmark of bird flight. In current work, the role of dynamic wing morphing of a free flying hummingbird is studied in detail. A 3D image-based surface reconstruction method is used to obtain the kinematics and deformation of hummingbird wings from high-quality high-speed videos. The observed wing surface morphing is highly complex and a number of modeling methods including singular value decomposition (SVD) are used to obtain the fundamental kinematical modes with distinct motion features. Their aerodynamic roles are investigated by conducting immersed-boundary-method based flow simulations. The results show that the chord-wise deformation modes play key roles in the attachment of leading-edge vortex, thus improve the performance of the flapping wings. This work is supported by NSF CBET-1313217 and AFOSR FA9550-12-1-0071.

The role of the substrate surface morphology and water in growth of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Pint, Cary; Pheasant, Sean; Nicholas, Nolan; Horton, Charles; Hauge, Robert

2008-11-01

Growth of high quality, vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (carpets) is achieved using a rapid insertion hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HF-CVD) technique. The effect of the substrate morphology on growth is explored by comparing carpets grown on epitaxially polished MgO substrates to those grown on "as-cut", macroscopically rough MgO substrates. Depending on the substrate morphology, we observe differences in both the overall carpet morphology as well as the diameter distribution of nanotubes grown in the carpet based on optical measurements. In addition, we explore the role of water in the growth of carpets on MgO and the conventional Al2O3 coated Si substrates. We find that the addition of a small amount of water is beneficial to the growth rates of the SWNT carpets, enhancing the growth rates by up to eight times.

Morpho-z: improving photometric redshifts with galaxy morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soo, John Y. H.; Moraes, Bruno; Joachimi, Benjamin; Hartley, William; Lahav, Ofer; Charbonnier, Aldée; Makler, Martín; Pereira, Maria E. S.; Comparat, Johan; Erben, Thomas; Leauthaud, Alexie; Shan, Huanyuan; Van Waerbeke, Ludovic

2018-04-01

We conduct a comprehensive study of the effects of incorporating galaxy morphology information in photometric redshift estimation. Using machine learning methods, we assess the changes in the scatter and outlier fraction of photometric redshifts when galaxy size, ellipticity, Sérsic index, and surface brightness are included in training on galaxy samples from the SDSS and the CFHT Stripe-82 Survey (CS82). We show that by adding galaxy morphological parameters to full ugriz photometry, only mild improvements are obtained, while the gains are substantial in cases where fewer passbands are available. For instance, the combination of grz photometry and morphological parameters almost fully recovers the metrics of 5-band photometric redshifts. We demonstrate that with morphology it is possible to determine useful redshift distribution N(z) of galaxy samples without any colour information. We also find that the inclusion of quasar redshifts and associated object sizes in training improves the quality of photometric redshift catalogues, compensating for the lack of a good star-galaxy separator. We further show that morphological information can mitigate biases and scatter due to bad photometry. As an application, we derive both point estimates and posterior distributions of redshifts for the official CS82 catalogue, training on morphology and SDSS Stripe-82 ugriz bands when available. Our redshifts yield a 68th percentile error of 0.058(1 + z), and a outlier fraction of 5.2 per cent. We further include a deep extension trained on morphology and single i-band CS82 photometry.

Measuring the specific surface area of natural and manmade glasses: effects of formation process, morphology, and particle size

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Papelis, Charalambos; Um, Wooyong; Russel, Charles E.

2003-03-28

The specific surface area of natural and manmade solid materials is a key parameter controlling important interfacial processes in natural environments and engineered systems, including dissolution reactions and sorption processes at solid-fluid interfaces. To improve our ability to quantify the release of trace elements trapped in natural glasses, the release of hazardous compounds trapped in manmade glasses, or the release of radionuclides from nuclear melt glass, we measured the specific surface area of natural and manmade glasses as a function of particle size, morphology, and composition. Volcanic ash, volcanic tuff, tektites, obsidian glass, and in situ vitrified rock were analyzed.more » Specific surface area estimates were obtained using krypton as gas adsorbent and the BET model. The range of surface areas measured exceeded three orders of magnitude. A tektite sample had the highest surface area (1.65 m2/g), while one of the samples of in situ vitrified rock had the lowest surf ace area (0.0016 m2/g). The specific surface area of the samples was a function of particle size, decreasing with increasing particle size. Different types of materials, however, showed variable dependence on particle size, and could be assigned to one of three distinct groups: (1) samples with low surface area dependence on particle size and surface areas approximately two orders of magnitude higher than the surface area of smooth spheres of equivalent size. The specific surface area of these materials was attributed mostly to internal porosity and surface roughness. (2) samples that showed a trend of decreasing surface area dependence on particle size as the particle size increased. The minimum specific surface area of these materials was between 0.1 and 0.01 m2/g and was also attributed to internal porosity and surface roughness. (3) samples whose surface area showed a monotonic decrease with increasing particle size, never reaching an ultimate surface area limit within the

Adsorbate-driven morphological changes on Cu(111) nano-pits

DOE PAGES

Mudiyanselage, K.; Xu, F.; Hoffmann, F. M.; ...

2014-12-09

Adsorbate-driven morphological changes of pitted-Cu(111) surfaces have been investigated following the adsorption and desorption of CO and H. The morphology of the pitted-Cu(111) surfaces, prepared by Ar + sputtering, exposed a few atomic layers deep nested hexagonal pits of diameters from 8 to 38 nm with steep step bundles. The roughness of pitted-Cu(111) surfaces can be healed by heating to 450-500 K in vacuum. Adsorption of CO on the pitted-Cu(111) surface leads to two infrared peaks at 2089-2090 and 2101-2105 cm -1 for CO adsorbed on under-coordinated sites in addition to the peak at 2071 cm -1 for CO adsorbedmore » on atop sites of the close-packed Cu(111) surface. CO adsorbed on under-coordinated sites is thermally more stable than that of atop Cu(111) sites. Annealing of the CO-covered surface from 100 to 300 K leads to minor changes of the surface morphology. In contrast, annealing of a H covered surface to 300 K creates a smooth Cu(111) surface as deduced from infrared data of adsorbed CO and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) imaging. The observation of significant adsorbate-driven morphological changes with H is attributed to its stronger modification of the Cu(111) surface by the formation of a sub-surface hydride with a hexagonal structure, which relaxes into the healed Cu(111) surface upon hydrogen desorption. These morphological changes occur ~150 K below the temperature required for healing of the pitted-Cu(111) surface by annealing in vacuum. In contrast, the adsorption of CO, which only interacts with the top-most Cu layer and desorbs by 160 K, does not significantly change the morphology of the pitted-Cu(111) surface.« less

The size prediction of potential inclusions embedded in the sub-surface of fused silica by damage morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xiang; Qiu, Rong; Wang, Kunpeng; Zhang, Jiangmei; Zhou, Guorui; Yao, Ke; Jiang, Yong; Zhou, Qiang

2017-04-01

A model for predicting the size ranges of different potential inclusions initiating damage on the surface of fused silica has been presented. This accounts for the heating of nanometric inclusions whose absorptivity is described based on Mie Theory. The depth profile of impurities has been measured by ICP-OES. By the measured temporal pulse profile on the surface of fused silica, the temperature and thermal stress has been calculated. Furthermore, considering the limit conditions of temperature and thermal stress strength for different damage morphologies, the size range of potential inclusions for fused silica is discussed.

Effect of surface morphology on friction of graphene on various substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Dae-Hyun; Wang, Lei; Kim, Jin-Seon; Lee, Gwan-Hyoung; Kim, Eok Su; Lee, Sunhee; Lee, Sang Yoon; Hone, James; Lee, Changgu

2013-03-01

The friction of graphene on various substrates, such as SiO2, h-BN, bulk-like graphene, and mica, was investigated to characterize the adhesion level between graphene and the underlying surface. The friction of graphene on SiO2 decreased with increasing thickness and converged around the penta-layers due to incomplete contact between the two surfaces. However, the friction of graphene on an atomically flat substrate, such as h-BN or bulk-like graphene, was low and comparable to that of bulk-like graphene. In contrast, the friction of graphene folded onto bulk-like graphene was indistinguishable from that of mono-layer graphene on SiO2 despite the ultra-smoothness of bulk-like graphene. The characterization of the graphene's roughness before and after folding showed that the corrugation of graphene induced by SiO2 morphology was preserved even after it was folded onto an atomically flat substrate. In addition, graphene deposited on mica, when folded, preserved the same corrugation level as before the folding event. Our friction measurements revealed that graphene, once exfoliated from the bulk crystal, tends to maintain its corrugation level even after it is folded onto an atomically flat substrate and that ultra-flatness in both graphene and the substrate is required to achieve the intimate contact necessary for strong adhesion.The friction of graphene on various substrates, such as SiO2, h-BN, bulk-like graphene, and mica, was investigated to characterize the adhesion level between graphene and the underlying surface. The friction of graphene on SiO2 decreased with increasing thickness and converged around the penta-layers due to incomplete contact between the two surfaces. However, the friction of graphene on an atomically flat substrate, such as h-BN or bulk-like graphene, was low and comparable to that of bulk-like graphene. In contrast, the friction of graphene folded onto bulk-like graphene was indistinguishable from that of mono-layer graphene on SiO2

Impact of cleaning methods on the structural properties and morphology of SrTiO3 surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnay, Iciar; Rubio-Zuazo, Juan; Castro, German R.

2018-01-01

SrTiO3 is a widely used substrate for the epitaxial growth of complex systems. Nevertheless, in order to get good quality interface and avoid the formation of defects in the adsorbed layer it is essential to prepare the surface of the substrate prior to the deposition. Thermal and chemical treatments are mostly used to eliminate superficial contamination and improve the surface quality. However, there is a lack of information regarding the impact of these treatments on the formation of structural defects at the SrTiO3 surface. In this work we present a detailed characterization of the SrTiO3 surface for the different cleaning methods paying special attention to the formation of oxygen vacancies, large surface mosaicity and roughness. We prove that thermal treatment induces large surface roughness and that chemical etching produces important structural defects at the surface. Our results show that mechanical polishing provided the best compromise in terms of large surface domains, low roughness, absence of oxygen vacancies and absence of atomic structure modification, although with the presence of low level of contaminants at the SrTiO3 surface.

Sandblasting and silica coating of a glass-infiltrated alumina ceramic: volume loss, morphology, and changes in the surface composition.

PubMed

Kern, M; Thompson, V P

1994-05-01

Silica coating can improve bonding of resin to glass-infiltrated aluminum oxide ceramic (In-Ceram), and sandblasting is a pretreatment to thermal silica coating (Silicoater MD system) or a tribochemical coating process (Rocatec system). This study evaluated the effects of sandblasting and coating techniques on volume loss, surface morphology, and surface composition of In-Ceram ceramic. Volume loss through sandblasting was 36 times less for In-Ceram ceramic compared with a feldspathic glass ceramic (IPS-Empress), and sandblasting of In-Ceram ceramic did not change its surface composition. After tribochemical coating with the Rocatec system, a layer of small silica particles remained that elevated the silica content to 19.7 weight percentage (energy-dispersive spectroscopy). Ultrasonic cleaning removed loose silica particles from the surface and decreased the silica content to 15.8 weight percentage, which suggested firm attachment of most of the silica layer to the surface. After treatment with the Silicoater MD system, the silica content increased only slightly from that of the sandblasted specimen. The silica layer created by these systems differs greatly in both morphology and thickness, which could result in different bond strengths. Sandblasting of all ceramic clinical restorations with feldspathic glass materials should be avoided, but for In-Ceram ceramic the volume loss was within an acceptable range and similar to that of noble metals.

Surface Roughness and Morphology Customization of Additive Manufactured Open Porous Ti6Al4V Structures

PubMed Central

Pyka, Grzegorz; Kerckhofs, Greet; Papantoniou, Ioannis; Speirs, Mathew; Schrooten, Jan; Wevers, Martine

2013-01-01

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a production method that enables the building of porous structures with a controlled geometry. However, there is a limited control over the final surface of the product. Hence, complementary surface engineering strategies are needed. In this work, design of experiments (DoE) was used to customize post AM surface treatment for 3D selective laser melted Ti6Al4V open porous structures for bone tissue engineering. A two-level three-factor full factorial design was employed to assess the individual and interactive effects of the surface treatment duration and the concentration of the chemical etching solution on the final surface roughness and beam thickness of the treated porous structures. It was observed that the concentration of the surface treatment solution was the most important factor influencing roughness reduction. The designed beam thickness decreased the effectiveness of the surface treatment. In this case study, the optimized processing conditions for AM production and the post-AM surface treatment were defined based on the DoE output and were validated experimentally. This allowed the production of customized 3D porous structures with controlled surface roughness and overall morphological properties, which can assist in more controlled evaluation of the effect of surface roughness on various functional properties. PMID:28788357

Surface Roughness and Morphology Customization of Additive Manufactured Open Porous Ti6Al4V Structures.

PubMed

Pyka, Grzegorz; Kerckhofs, Greet; Papantoniou, Ioannis; Speirs, Mathew; Schrooten, Jan; Wevers, Martine

2013-10-22

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a production method that enables the building of porous structures with a controlled geometry. However, there is a limited control over the final surface of the product. Hence, complementary surface engineering strategies are needed. In this work, design of experiments (DoE) was used to customize post AM surface treatment for 3D selective laser melted Ti6Al4V open porous structures for bone tissue engineering. A two-level three-factor full factorial design was employed to assess the individual and interactive effects of the surface treatment duration and the concentration of the chemical etching solution on the final surface roughness and beam thickness of the treated porous structures. It was observed that the concentration of the surface treatment solution was the most important factor influencing roughness reduction. The designed beam thickness decreased the effectiveness of the surface treatment. In this case study, the optimized processing conditions for AM production and the post-AM surface treatment were defined based on the DoE output and were validated experimentally. This allowed the production of customized 3D porous structures with controlled surface roughness and overall morphological properties, which can assist in more controlled evaluation of the effect of surface roughness on various functional properties.

The use of an ion-beam source to alter the surface morphology of biological implant materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weigand, A. J.

1978-01-01

An electron-bombardment ion-thruster was used as a neutralized-ion-beam sputtering source to texture the surfaces of biological implant materials. The materials investigated included 316 stainless steel; titanium-6% aluminum, 4% vanadium; cobalt-20% chromium, 15% tungsten; cobalt-35% nickel, 20% chromium, 10% molybdenum; polytetrafluoroethylene; polyoxymethylene; silicone and polyurethane copolymer; 32%-carbon-impregnated polyolefin; segmented polyurethane; silicone rubber; and alumina. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine surface morphology changes of all materials after ion-texturing. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis was used to determine the effects of ion-texturing on the surface chemical composition of some polymers. Liquid contact angle data were obtained for ion-textured and untextured polymer samples. Results of tensile and fatigue tests of ion-textured metal alloys are presented. Preliminary data of tissue response to ion-textured surfaces of some metals, polytetrafluoroethylene, alumina, and segmented polyurethane have been obtained.

Chapter 5: Surface water quality sampling in streams and canals

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Surface water sampling and water quality assessments have greatly evolved in the United States since the 1970s establishment of the Clean Water Act. Traditionally, water quality referred to only the chemical characteristics of the water and its toxicological properties related to drinking water or ...

High-quality fiber fabrication in buffered hydrofluoric acid solution with ultrasonic agitation.

PubMed

Zhong, Nianbing; Liao, Qiang; Zhu, Xun; Wang, Yongzhong; Chen, Rong

2013-03-01

An etching method for preparing high-quality fiber-optic sensors using a buffered etchant with ultrasonic agitation is proposed. The effects of etching conditions on the etch rate and surface morphology of the etched fibers are investigated. The effect of surface roughness is discussed on the fibers' optical properties. Linear etching behavior and a smooth fiber surface can be repeatedly obtained by adjusting the ultrasonic power and etchant pH. The fibers' spectral quality is improved as the ratio of the pit depth to size decreases, and the fibers with smooth surfaces are more sensitive to a bacterial suspension than those with rough surfaces.

Morphological analysis of zirconium nuclear fuel retaining rods braided with SiC: Quality assurance and defect identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glazoff, Michael V.; Hiromoto, Robert; Tokuhiro, Akira

2014-08-01

In the after-Fukushima world, the stability of materials under extreme conditions is an important issue for the safety of nuclear reactors. Among the methods explored currently to improve zircaloys’ thermal stability in off-normal conditions, using a protective coat of the SiC filaments is considered because silicon carbide is well known for its remarkable chemical inertness at high temperatures. A typical SiC fiber contains ∼50,000 individual filaments of 5-10 μm in diameter. In this paper, an effort was made to develop and apply mathematical morphology to the process of automatic defect identification in Zircaloy-4 rods braided with the protective layer of the silicon carbide filament. However, the issues of the braiding quality have to be addressed to ensure its full protective potential. We present the original mathematical morphology algorithms that allow solving this problem of quality assurance successfully. In nuclear industry, such algorithms are used for the first time, and could be easily generalized to the case of automated continuous monitoring for defect identification in the future.

Morphological Analysis of Zirconium Nuclear Fuel Retaining Rods Braided with SiC: Quality Assurance and Defect Identification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michael V Glazoff; Robert Hiromoto; Akira Tokuhiro

In the after-Fukushima world, the stability of materials under extreme conditions is an important issue for the safety of nuclear reactors. Among the methods explored currently to improve zircaloys’ thermal stability in off-normal conditions, using a protective coat of the SiC filaments is considered because silicon carbide is well known for its remarkable chemical inertness at high temperatures. A typical SiC fiber contains ~50,000 individual filaments of 5 – 10 µm in diameter. In this paper, an effort was made to develop and apply mathematical morphology to the process of automatic defect identification in Zircaloy-4 rods braided with the protectivemore » layer of the silicon carbide filament. However, the issues of the braiding quality have to be addressed to ensure its full protective potential. We present the original mathematical morphology algorithms that allow solving this problem of quality assurance successfully. In nuclear industry, such algorithms are used for the first time, and could be easily generalized to the case of automated continuous monitoring for defect identification in the future.« less

Morphological study of polymer surfaces exposed to non-thermal plasma based on contact angle and the use of scaling laws

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felix, T.; Cassini, F. A.; Benetoli, L. O. B.; Dotto, M. E. R.; Debacher, N. A.

2017-05-01

The experiments presented in this communication have the purpose to elaborate an explanation for the morphological evolution of the growth of polymeric surfaces provided by the treatment of non-thermal plasma. According to the roughness analysis and the model proposed by scaling laws it is possible relate to a predictable or merely random effect. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and poly(etherether)ketone (PEEK) samples were exposed to a non-thermal plasma discharge and the resulting surfaces roughness were analyzed based on the measurements from contact angle, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy coupled with scaling laws analysis which can help to describe and understand the dynamic of formation of a wide variety of rough surfaces. The roughness, RRMS (RMS- Root Mean Square) values for polymer surface range between 19.8 nm and 110.9 nm. The contact angle and the AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy) measurements as a function of the plasma exposure time were in agreement with both polar and dispersive components according to the surface roughness and also with the morphology evaluated described by Wolf-Villain model, with proximate values of α between 0.91(PET) and 0.88(PEEK), β = 0.25(PET) and z = 3,64(PET).

Structure-to-property relationships in fuel cell catalyst supports: Correlation of surface chemistry and morphology with oxidation resistance of carbon blacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artyushkova, Kateryna; Pylypenko, Svitlana; Dowlapalli, Madhu; Atanassov, Plamen

2012-09-01

Linking durability of carbon blacks, expressed as their oxidation resistance, used in PEMFCs as catalyst supports, with their chemistry and morphology is an important task towards designing carbon blacks with desired properties. Structure-to-property relationship between surface chemistry determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), morphological structure determined by digital image processing of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, physical properties, and electrochemical corrosion behavior determined in an air-breathing gas-diffusion electrode is studied for several un-altered and several modified carbon blacks. We are showing that surface chemistry, graphitic content and certain physical characteristics such as Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and pore volume, determined by nitrogen adsorptions are not sufficient to explain high corrosion instability of types of carbon blacks. Inclusion of morphological characteristics, such as roughness, texture and shape parameters provide for more inclusive description and therefore more complete structure-to-property correlations of corrosion behavior of carbon blacks. This paper presents the first direct statistically-derived structure-to-property relationship, developed by multivariate analysis (MVA) that links chemical and physical structural properties of the carbon blacks to their critical properties as supports for PEMFC catalysts. We have found that balance between electrocatalytic activity and high resistance towards oxidation and corrosion is achieved by balance between amount of graphitic content and surface oxide coverage, smaller overall roughness and, finally, larger amount of big elongated and loose, and, hypothetically, more hydrophobic pores.

Plateau-Rayleigh Crystal Growth of Nanowire Heterostructures: Strain-Modified Surface Chemistry and Morphological Control in One, Two, and Three Dimensions.

PubMed

Day, Robert W; Mankin, Max N; Lieber, Charles M

2016-04-13

One-dimensional (1D) structures offer unique opportunities for materials synthesis since crystal phases and morphologies that are difficult or impossible to achieve in macroscopic crystals can be synthesized as 1D nanowires (NWs). Recently, we demonstrated one such phenomenon unique to growth on a 1D substrate, termed Plateau-Rayleigh (P-R) crystal growth, where periodic shells develop along a NW core to form diameter-modulated NW homostructures with tunable morphologies. Here we report a novel extension of the P-R crystal growth concept with the synthesis of heterostructures in which Ge (Si) is deposited on Si (Ge) 1D cores to generate complex NW morphologies in 1, 2, or 3D. Depositing Ge on 50 nm Si cores with a constant GeH4 pressure yields a single set of periodic shells, while sequential variation of GeH4 pressure can yield multimodulated 1D NWs with two distinct sets of shell periodicities. P-R crystal growth on 30 nm cores also produces 2D loop structures, where Ge (Si) shells lie primarily on the outside (inside) of a highly curved Si (Ge) core. Systematic investigation of shell morphology as a function of growth time indicates that Ge shells grow in length along positive curvature Si cores faster than along straight Si cores by an order of magnitude. Short Ge deposition times reveal that shells develop on opposite sides of 50 and 100 nm Si cores to form straight 1D morphologies but that shells develop on the same side of 20 nm cores to produce 2D loop and 3D spring structures. These results suggest that strain mediates the formation of 2 and 3D morphologies by altering the NW's surface chemistry and that surface diffusion of heteroatoms on flexible freestanding 1D substrates can facilitate this strain-mediated mechanism.

SILAR derived CdO films: Effect of triethanolamine on the surface morphology and optical bandgap energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahin, B.; Aydin, R.

2018-07-01

Nanostructured CdO films have been successfully synthesized with different ratios of surfactant triethanolamine (TEA) under SILAR condition. The influence of addition of TEA on the physical properties of CdO nanoparticles was studied. The surface morphology of the films was studied by metallurgical microscope and SEM analysis. Surface topography of the film was studied by AFM. The structural properties of the samples were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD studies confirm that the deposited CdO films has cubic structure (111) preferred orientation with well-crystallinity and purity. The optical bandgap energy was estimated based on the UV-vis spectroscopies which were obtained in the range of 2.16 eV-2.46 eV. Our study is encouraging to get enhanced surface topography by surfactant TEA.

Dry powder inhaler performance of spray dried mannitol with tailored surface morphologies as carrier and salbutamol sulphate.

PubMed

Mönckedieck, M; Kamplade, J; Fakner, P; Urbanetz, N A; Walzel, P; Steckel, H; Scherließ, R

2017-05-30

Nowadays, dry powder inhalation as applied in the therapy of pulmonary diseases is known as a very effective route of drug delivery to the lungs. Here, the system of coarse carrier and fine drug particles attached to the carrier surface has successfully been applied to overcome the cohesiveness of small drug particles. Particle properties of both carrier and drug are known to affect drug dispersion as has widely been discussed for lactose monohydrate and various drugs. This study utilises particle-engineered mannitol as an alternative carrier to discover the effect of mannitol carrier particle properties like particle shape, surface roughness, flowability or particle size on aerodynamic performance during inhalation. Spray drying as a technique to accurately control those properties was chosen for the generation of carrier sizes between 50 and 80 μm and different morphologies and therefore various carrier flowabilities. A set of these carriers has then been blended with different spray dried and jet-milled qualities of salbutamol sulphate as model drug to examine the influence of carrier particle properties on aerodynamic behaviour and at the same time to cover the effect of drug particle properties on particle-particle interactions. This experimental setup allowed a general view on how drug and carrier properties affect the Fine Particle Fraction (FPF) as indicator for inhalation performance and gave the first study to distinguish between mannitol carrier particle shape and surface roughness. Further it was possible to relate carrier particle size and shape to drug accumulation and detachment mechanisms during inhalation as size and shape had the main influence on drug detachment. The addition of jet-milled mannitol fines provided an initial insight into the improving effect of ternary powder blends as has been intensively studied for lactose monohydrate but not for mannitol yet. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Map showing general chemical quality of surface water in the Richfield Quadrangle, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Price, Don

1980-01-01

This is one of a series of maps that describe the geology and related natural resources of the Richfield 2° quadrangle, Utah. The purpose of this map is to show the general chemical quality of surface water in the area by ranges of dissolved-solids concentrations.Data used to compile this map were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights. In those areas where little or no surface-water-quality data are available, ranges of dissolved-solids concentrations of the water are inferred on the basis of such factors as geology (Stokes, 1964), precipitation, topography, known ground-water quality, and water uses – all of which affect the chemical quality of surface water.Additional information about the chemical quality of surface water in various parts of the Richfield 2° quadrangle may be found in the following reports: Hahl and Cabell (1965), Hahl and Mundorff (1968), Stephens (1974, 1976), Cruff and Mower (1976), and Cruff(1977)

[Study on morphology, quality and germination characteristics of Acanthopanax trifoliatus seeds under different habitats].

PubMed

Xiao, Juan

2014-05-01

To preliminary explore the difference of the morphological, quality and germinal characteristics of Acanthopanax trifoliatus seeds under different habitats. Collect the wild seeds from different habitats in West Mountain, and then observe their external appearances and internal structure, and test the thousand seeds weight,water content and seed vigor. What's more, the influence to germination rates of the seeds from different temperatures and light intensities in artificial bioclimatic chamber was studied. Orthogonal test in experimental plots was carried out to screen the different sowing dates, matrix types and soil depths which may influence germination rate. The external appearances and quality characteristics of wild seeds from three habitats were different. Seeds could germinate in the both light and dark, the germination rate of the habitat II was as high as 70.5% at the optimum temperature 20 degrees C in artificial bioclimatic chamber. The optimal combination A1, B1, C1 was screened out through orthogonal test, namely, the germination rate would be the highest when the seeds sowed in autumn covering with 2 cm depth of matrix type which component of the ratio of soil, sand and organic fertilizer was 6: 3: 1. There was significant difference in the morphology and germination rate of the three habitats seeds. The habitat II seeds were the optimal choice when culture seedling. The influences of different temperatures on germination rate were different, and the dried seeds should sow in current autumn, better than the next spring.

Controlling Film Morphology in Conjugated Polymer

PubMed Central

Park, Lee Y.; Munro, Andrea M.; Ginger, David S.

2009-01-01

We study the effects of patterned surface chemistry on the microscale and nanoscale morphology of solution-processed donor/acceptor polymer-blend films. Focusing on combinations of interest in polymer solar cells, we demonstrate that patterned surface chemistry can be used to tailor the film morphology of blends of semiconducting polymers such as poly-[2-(3,7-dimethyloctyloxy)-5-methoxy-p-phenylenevinylene] (MDMO-PPV), poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT), poly[(9,9-dioctylflorenyl-2,7-diyl)-co-benzothiadiazole)] (F8BT), and poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-bis-N,N’-(4-butylphenyl)-bis-N,N’-phenyl-1,4-phenylendiamine) (PFB) with the fullerene derivative, [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). We present a method for generating patterned, fullerene-terminated monolayers on gold surfaces, and use microcontact printing and Dip-Pen Nanolithography (DPN) to pattern alkanethiols with both micro- and nanoscale features. After patterning with fullerenes and other functional groups, we backfill the rest of the surface with a variety of thiols to prepare substrates with periodic variations in surface chemistry. Spin coating polymer:PCBM films onto these substrates, followed by thermal annealing under nitrogen, leads to the formation of structured polymer films. We characterize these films with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, and fluorescence microscopy. The surface patterns are effective in guiding phase separation in all of the polymer:PCBM systems investigated, and lead to a rich variety of film morphologies that are inaccessible with unpatterned substrates. We demonstrate our ability to guide pattern formation in films thick enough of be of interest for actual device applications (up to 200 nm in thickness) using feature sizes as small as 100 nm. Finally, we show that the surface chemistry can lead to variations in film morphology on length scales significantly smaller than those used in generating the original surface patterns. The variety of

Re-analysis of previous laboratory phase curves: 1. Variations of the opposition effect morphology with the textural properties, and an application to planetary surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Déau, Estelle; Flandes, Alberto; Spilker, Linda J.; Petazzoni, Jérôme

2013-11-01

Typical variations in the opposition effect morphology of laboratory samples at optical wavelengths are investigated to probe the role of the textural properties of the surface (roughness, porosity and grain size). A previously published dataset of 34 laboratory phase curves is re-analyzed and fit with several morphological models. The retrieved morphological parameters that characterize the opposition surge, amplitude, width and slope (A, HWHM and S respectively) are correlated to the single scattering albedo, the roughness, the porosity and the grain size of the samples. To test the universality of the laboratory samples’ trends, we use previously published phase curves of planetary surfaces, including the Moon, satellites and rings of the giant planets. The morphological parameters of the surge (A and HWHM) for planetary surfaces are found to have a non-monotonic variation with the single scattering albedo, similar to that observed in asteroids (Belskaya, I.N., Shevchenko, V.G. [2000]. Icarus 147, 94-105), which is unexplained so far. The morphological parameters of the surge (A and HWHM) for laboratory samples seem to exhibit the same non-monotonic variation with single scattering albedo. While the non-monotonic variation with albedo was already observed by Nelson et al. (Nelson, R.M., Hapke, B.W., Smythe, W.D., Hale, A.S., Piatek, J.L. [2004]. Planetary regolith microstructure: An unexpected opposition effect result. In: Mackwell, S., Stansbery, E. (Eds.), Proc. Lunar Sci. Conf. 35, p. 1089), we report here the same variation for the angular width.

Correlation between optical properties surface morphology of porous silicon electrodeposited by Fe3+ ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mabrouk, Asma; Lorrain, N.; Haji, M. L.; Oueslati, Meherzi

2015-01-01

In this paper, we analyze the photoluminescence spectra (PL) of porous silicon (PS) layer which is elaborated by electrochemical etching and passivated by Fe3+ ions (PSF) via current density, electro-deposition and temperature measurements. We observe unusual surface morphology of PSF surface and anomalous emission behavior. The PSF surface shows regular distribution of cracks, leaving isolated regions or ;platelets; of nearly uniform thickness. These cracks become more pronounced for high current densities. The temperature dependence of the PL peak energy (EPL) presents anomalous behaviors, i.e., the PL peak energy shows a successive red/blue/redshift (S-shaped behavior) with increasing temperature that we attribute to the existence of strong potential fluctuations induced by the electrochemical etching of PS layers. A competition process between localized and delocalized excitons is used to discuss these PL properties. In this case, the potential confinement plays a key role on the enhancement of PL intensity in PSF. To explain the temperature dependence of the PL intensity, we have proposed a recombination model based on the tunneling and dissociation of excitons.

Surface-Water Quality-Assurance Plan for the Tallahassee Office, U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tomlinson, Stewart A.

2006-01-01

This Tallahassee Office Surface-Water Quality-Assurance Plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the Tallahassee Office for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of surface-water data. This plan serves as a guide to all Tallahassee Office personnel involved in surface-water data activities, and changes as the needs and requirements of the Tallahassee Office, Florida Integrated Science Center, and Water Discipline change. Reg-ular updates to this Plan represent an integral part of the quality-assurance process. In the Tallahassee Office, direct oversight and responsibility by the employee(s) assigned to a surface-water station, combined with team approaches in all work efforts, assure high-quality data, analyses, reviews, and reports for cooperating agencies and the public.

Surface study of irradiated sapphires from Phrae Province, Thailand using AFM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monarumit, N.; Jivanantaka, P.; Mogmued, J.; Lhuaamporn, T.; Satitkune, S.

2017-09-01

The irradiation is one of the gemstone enhancements for improving the gem quality. Typically, there are many varieties of irradiated gemstones in the gem market such as diamond, topaz, and sapphire. However, it is hard to identify the gemstones before and after irradiation. The aim of this study is to analyze the surface morphology for classifying the pristine and irradiated sapphires using atomic force microscope (AFM). In this study, the sapphire samples were collected from Phrae Province, Thailand. The samples were irradiated by high energy electron beam for a dose of ionizing radiation at 40,000 kGy. As the results, the surface morphology of pristine sapphires shows regular atomic arrangement, whereas, the surface morphology of irradiated sapphires shows the nano-channel observed by the 2D and 3D AFM images. The atomic step height and root mean square roughness have changed after irradiation due to the micro-structural defect on the sapphire surface. Therefore, this study is a frontier application for sapphire identification before and after irradiation.

Sensing surface morphology of biofibers by decorating spider silk and cellulosic filaments with nematic microdroplets.

PubMed

Aguirre, Luis E; de Oliveira, Alexandre; Seč, David; Čopar, Simon; Almeida, Pedro L; Ravnik, Miha; Godinho, Maria Helena; Žumer, Slobodan

2016-02-02

Probing the surface morphology of microthin fibers such as naturally occurring biofibers is essential for understanding their structural properties, biological function, and mechanical performance. The state-of-the-art methods for studying the surfaces of biofibers are atomic force microscopy imaging and scanning electron microscopy, which well characterize surface geometry of the fibers but provide little information on the local interaction potential of the fibers with the surrounding material. In contrast, complex nematic fluids respond very well to external fields and change their optical properties upon such stimuli. Here we demonstrate that liquid crystal droplets deposited on microthin biofibers--including spider silk and cellulosic fibers--reveal characteristics of the fibers' surface, performing as simple but sensitive surface sensors. By combining experiments and numerical modeling, different types of fibers are identified through the fiber-to-nematic droplet interactions, including perpendicular and axial or helicoidal planar molecular alignment. Spider silks align nematic molecules parallel to fibers or perpendicular to them, whereas cellulose aligns the molecules unidirectionally or helicoidally along the fibers, indicating notably different surface interactions. The nematic droplets as sensors thus directly reveal chirality of cellulosic fibers. Different fiber entanglements can be identified by depositing droplets exactly at the fiber crossings. More generally, the presented method can be used as a simple but powerful approach for probing the surface properties of small-size bioobjects, opening a route to their precise characterization.

Use of 3-dimensional surface acquisition to study facial morphology in 5 populations.

PubMed

Kau, Chung How; Richmond, Stephen; Zhurov, Alexei; Ovsenik, Maja; Tawfik, Wael; Borbely, Peter; English, Jeryl D

2010-04-01

The aim of this study was to assess the use of 3-dimensional facial averages for determining morphologic differences from various population groups. We recruited 473 subjects from 5 populations. Three-dimensional images of the subjects were obtained in a reproducible and controlled environment with a commercially available stereo-photogrammetric camera capture system. Minolta VI-900 (Konica Minolta, Tokyo, Japan) and 3dMDface (3dMD LLC, Atlanta, Ga) systems were used. Each image was obtained as a facial mesh and orientated along a triangulated axis. All faces were overlaid, one on top of the other, and a complex mathematical algorithm was performed until average composite faces of 1 man and 1 woman were achieved for each subgroup. These average facial composites were superimposed based on a previously validated superimposition method, and the facial differences were quantified. Distinct facial differences were observed among the groups. The linear differences between surface shells ranged from 0.37 to 1.00 mm for the male groups. The linear differences ranged from 0.28 and 0.87 mm for the women. The color histograms showed that the similarities in facial shells between the subgroups by sex ranged from 26.70% to 70.39% for men and 36.09% to 79.83% for women. The average linear distance from the signed color histograms for the male subgroups ranged from -6.30 to 4.44 mm. The female subgroups ranged from -6.32 to 4.25 mm. Average faces can be efficiently and effectively created from a sample of 3-dimensional faces. Average faces can be used to compare differences in facial morphologies for various populations and sexes. Facial morphologic differences were greatest when totally different ethnic variations were compared. Facial morphologic similarities were present in comparable groups, but there were large variations in concentrated areas of the face. Copyright 2010 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of the morphology of adsorbed oleate on the wettability of a collophane surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Junjian; Zhang, Qin; Li, Xianbo; Wang, Xianchen; Ke, Baolin; Li, Xianhai; Shen, Zhihui

2018-06-01

The adsorption of surfactants on a solid surface could alter its wettability, which offers a wide range of relevant applications such as mineral flotation, hydrophobic material preparation and nanomaterial dispersion. The morphology of adsorbed oleate on a collophane surface was visualized using the peakforce tapping mode of atomic force microscopy (AFM), and its effect on the wettability of collophane was analysed by contact angle measurements, adsorption measurements and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The AFM images demonstrated that the adsorbed structure varied with different oleate concentrations. First, the small cylindrical micelles with concomitant monolayer and bilayer structures were observed above the hemimicelle concentration (hmc) of 1 × 10-5 mol/L, which enhanced the hydrophobicity of the collophane surface, and the collophane surface was not completely covered with the oleate monolayer due to surface heterogeneity. Then, large cylindrical micelles with a major bilayer were formed as the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of 1 × 10-3 mol/L was approached, which decreased its hydrophobicity, and finally the formation of large cylindrical micelles with multilayer at the cmc caused the hydrophilicity of the collophane surface. Therefore, there was a suitable equilibrium concentration between the hmc and cmc for oleate as a collector during mineral flotation, and oleate could also be used as a dispersant for colloidal stability when its equilibrium concentration reached the cmc. The effect of the adsorbed structure on the wettability of collophane was also confirmed by MD simulations. This study provides a good understanding of the surface modification of particles by surfactants for flotation and dispersion applications.

Quality Assessment of Landsat Surface Reflectance Products Using MODIS Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feng, Min; Huang, Chengquan; Channan, Saurabh; Vermote, Eric; Masek, Jeffrey G.; Townshend, John R.

2012-01-01

Surface reflectance adjusted for atmospheric effects is a primary input for land cover change detection and for developing many higher level surface geophysical parameters. With the development of automated atmospheric correction algorithms, it is now feasible to produce large quantities of surface reflectance products using Landsat images. Validation of these products requires in situ measurements, which either do not exist or are difficult to obtain for most Landsat images. The surface reflectance products derived using data acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), however, have been validated more comprehensively. Because the MODIS on the Terra platform and the Landsat 7 are only half an hour apart following the same orbit, and each of the 6 Landsat spectral bands overlaps with a MODIS band, good agreements between MODIS and Landsat surface reflectance values can be considered indicators of the reliability of the Landsat products, while disagreements may suggest potential quality problems that need to be further investigated. Here we develop a system called Landsat-MODIS Consistency Checking System (LMCCS). This system automatically matches Landsat data with MODIS observations acquired on the same date over the same locations and uses them to calculate a set of agreement metrics. To maximize its portability, Java and open-source libraries were used in developing this system, and object-oriented programming (OOP) principles were followed to make it more flexible for future expansion. As a highly automated system designed to run as a stand-alone package or as a component of other Landsat data processing systems, this system can be used to assess the quality of essentially every Landsat surface reflectance image where spatially and temporally matching MODIS data are available. The effectiveness of this system was demonstrated using it to assess preliminary surface reflectance products derived using the Global Land Survey (GLS) Landsat

Experimental and FDTD study of silicon surface morphology induced by femtosecond laser irradiation at a high substrate temperature.

PubMed

Deng, Guoliang; Feng, Guoying; Zhou, Shouhuan

2017-04-03

Substrate temperature is an important parameter for controlling the properties of femtosecond laser induced surface structures besides traditional ways. The morphology on silicon surface at different temperatures are studied experimentally. Compared to those formed at 300 K, smoother ripples, micro-grooves and nano/micro-holes are formed at 700 K. A two temperature model and FDTD method are used to discuss the temperature dependence of surface structures. The results show that the increased light absorption at elevated temperature leads to the reduction of surface roughness. The type-g feature in the FDTD-η map at 700 K, which corresponds to the energy deposition modulation parallel to the laser polarization with a periodicity bigger than the wavelength, is the origin of the formation of grooves. This work can benefit both surface structures based applications and the study of femtosecond laser-matter interactions.

Morphology of self assembled monolayers using liquid phase reaction on silica and their effect on the morphology of adsorbed insulin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Indu; Pattanayek, Sudip K.; Aggarwal, Varsha; Ghosh, Subhasis

2017-05-01

The effect of roughness of two different categories of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with propyl amine and propyl groups respectively on the morphology of adsorbed insulin is observed. SAMs are obtained by liquid phase reaction of silica with organo silane coupling agents (SCA). The influence of the morphology and physical characteristics of the SAMs on the reaction time and concentration of the modifiers are explored. We have tested three SCA containing propyl amine with varying groups linked to Si present on it. In addition, we have used a silane coupling agent to prepare SAM of methyl head group. The approach of these molecules towards the surface depends on the head group and the groups linked to Si of the SCA. The morphology of the surfaces is analysed using power spectral density distribution (PSD), skewness, ellipsometry thickness and surface energy. Both chemical nature and physical morphology of the adsorbent influence the morphology of the adsorbed insulin. In general, a low number of aggregates of big size are formed on the surfaces obtained from low concentration of SAMs, while a higher number but of smaller size of aggregates are formed over surfaces obtained from 1% concentration of SAMs modifiers. The peak to valley ratio of the aggregates of insulin is strongly influenced by the size of grains of SCA over the adsorbent.

Investigating the Effect of Approach Angle and Nose Radius on Surface Quality of Inconel 718

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Sunil; Singh, Dilbag; Kalsi, Nirmal S.

2017-11-01

This experimental work presents a surface quality evaluation of a Nickel-Cr-Fe based Inconel 718 superalloy, which has many applications in the aero engine and turbine components. However, during machining, the early wear of tool leads to decrease in surface quality. The coating on cutting tool plays a significant role in increasing the wear resistance and life of the tool. In this work, the aim is to study the surface quality of Inconel 718 with TiAlN-coated carbide tools. Influence of various geometrical parameters (tool nose radius, approach angle) and machining variables (cutting velocity, feed rate) on the quality of machined surface (surface roughness) was determined by using central composite design (CCD) matrix. The mathematical model of the same was developed. Analysis of variance was used to find the significance of the parameters. Results showed that the tool nose radius and feed were the main active factors. The present experiment accomplished that TiAlN-coated carbide inserts result in better surface quality as compared with uncoated carbide inserts.

Investigations of morphological features of picosecond dual-wavelength laser ablation of stainless steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Wanqin; Wang, Wenjun; Mei, Xuesong; Jiang, Gedong; Liu, Bin

2014-06-01

Investigations on the morphological features of holes and grooves ablated on the surface of stainless steel using the picosecond dual-wavelength laser system with different powers combinations are presented based on the scarce researches on morphology of dual-wavelength laser ablation. The experimental results show the profiles of holes ablated by the visible beam appear V-shaped while those for the near-infrared have large openings and display U-shaped, which are independent of the ablation mechanism of ultrafast laser. For the dual-wavelength beam (a combination of visible beam and near-infrared), the holes resemble sunflower-like structures and have smoother ring patterns on the bottom. In general, the holes ablated by the dual-wavelength beam appear to have much flatter bottoms, linearly sloped side-walls and spinodal structures between the bottoms of the holes and the side-walls. Furthermore, through judiciously combining the powers of the dual-wavelength beam, high-quality grooves could be obtained with a flat worm-like structure at the bottom surface and less resolidified melt ejection edges. This study provides insight into optimizing ultrafast laser micromachining in order to obtain desired morphology.

Influence of Substrate Bonding and Surface Morphology on Dynamic Organic Layer Growth: Perylenetetracarboxylic Dianhydride on Au(111).

PubMed

Schmidt, Thomas; Marchetto, Helder; Groh, Ullrich; Fink, Rainer H; Freund, Hans-Joachim; Umbach, Eberhard

2018-05-15

We investigated the dynamics of the initial growth of the first epitaxial layers of perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) on the Au(111) surface with high lateral resolution using the aberration-corrected spectro-microscope SMART. With this instrument, we could simultaneously study the different adsorption behaviors and layer growth on various surface areas consisting of either a distribution of flat (111) terraces, separated by single atomic steps ("ideal surface"), or on areas with a high density of step bunches and defects ("realistic surface"). The combined use of photoemission electron microscopy, low-energy electron microscopy, and μ-spot X-ray absorption provided a wealth of new information, showing that the growth of the archetype molecule PTCDA not only has similarities but also has significant differences when comparing Au(111) and Ag(111) substrate surfaces. For instance, under otherwise identical preparation conditions, we observed different growth mechanisms on different surface regions, depending on the density of step bunches. In addition, we studied the spatially resolved desorption behavior which also depends on the substrate morphology.

Effect of bath temperature on surface morphology and photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanorods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sriharan, N.; Senthil, T. S., E-mail: tssenthi@gmail.com; Muthukumarasamy, N.

2016-05-06

ZnO nanorods were prepared by using simple hydrothermal method using four different bath temperatures. All the prepared ZnO nanorods are annealed at 450°C and are characterized by using various techniques such as X-ray diffraction, UV spectra and scanning electron microscopy. Photocatalytic activity of the prepared ZnO nanorods is analyzed. A novel photocatalytic reactor designed with ZnO nanorods prepared at 90°C shows enhanced catalytic efficiency. The role of light irradiation time, bath temperature and surface morphology of the ZnO nanorods on the performance of photocatalytic reaction is analyzed.

Evaluation of correlation between dissolution rates of loxoprofen tablets and their surface morphology observed by scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope.

PubMed

Yoshikawa, Shinichi; Murata, Ryo; Shida, Shigenari; Uwai, Koji; Suzuki, Tsuneyoshi; Katsumata, Shunji; Takeshita, Mitsuhiro

2010-01-01

We observed the surface morphological structures of 60 mg tablets of Loxonin, Loxot, and Lobu using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) to evaluate the dissolution rates. We found a significant difference among the initial dissolution rates of the three kinds of loxoprofen sodium tablets. Petal forms of different sizes were commonly observed on the surface of the Loxonin and Loxot tablets in which loxoprofen sodium was confirmed by measuring the energy-dispersible X-ray (EDX) spectrum of NaKalpha using SEM. However, a petal form was not observed on the surface of the Lobu tablet, indicating differences among the drug production processes. Surface area and particle size of the principal ingredient in tablets are important factors for dissolution rate. The mean size of the smallest fine particles constituting each tablet was also determined with AFM. There was a correlation between the initial dissolution rate and the mean size of the smallest particles in each tablet. Visualizing tablet surface morphology using SEM and AFM provides information on the drug production processes and initial dissolution rate, and is associated with the time course of pharmacological activities after tablet administration.

Effects of helium ion implantation on the surface morphology of tungsten at high temperature for the first wall armor and divertor plates of fusion reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zenobia, Samuel J.

Three devices at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (UW IEC) laboratory were used to implant W and W alloys with helium ions at high temperatures. These devices were HOMER, HELIOS, and the Materials Irradiation Experiment (MITE-E). The research presented in this thesis will focus on the experiments carried out utilizing the MITE-E. Early UW work in HOMER and HELIOS on silicon carbide, carbon velvet, W-coated carbon velvet, fine-grain W, nano-grain W, W needles, and single- and polycrystalline W showed that these materials were not resistant to He+ implantation above ˜800 °C. Unalloyed W developed a "coral-like" surface morphology after He+ implantation, but appeared to be the most robust material investigated. The MITE-E used an ion gun technology to implant tungsten with 30 keV He+. Tungsten specimens were implanted at 900 °C to total average fluences of 6x1016 -- 6x1018 He +/cm2. Other specimens were implanted to a total average fluence of 5x1018 He+/cm2 at temperatures between 500 and 900 °C. Micrographs of the implanted W specimens revealed the development of three distinct surface morphologies. These morphologies are classified as "blistering", "pitting", and "orientated ridges". Preferential sputtering of the W by the energetic He+ appears to be responsible for pitting and orientated ridges which developed at high fluences (1019 He+/cm2) in the MITE-E. While the orientated ridges were the dominant morphology on the W surface above 700 °C, the pitting was prevalent below 700 °C. The blister morphology was observed at all of the examined temperatures at fluences ≥5x1017 He+/cm2 but disappeared above fluences of 1019 He+/cm 2. The "coral-like" surface morphology on W inherent to He + implantation experiments in HOMER and HELIOS developed from a combination of sources: multiangular ion incidence, ion energy spread (softening), and electron field emission from nano-scale surface features induced by He + implantation. The

Surface morphology and dislocation characteristics near the surface of 4H-SiC wafer using multi-directional scanning transmission electron microscopy.

PubMed

Sato, Takahiro; Orai, Yoshihisa; Suzuki, Yuya; Ito, Hiroyuki; Isshiki, Toshiyuki; Fukui, Munetoshi; Nakamura, Kuniyasu; Schamp, C T

2017-10-01

To improve the reliability of silicon carbide (SiC) electronic power devices, the characteristics of various kinds of crystal defects should be precisely understood. Of particular importance is understanding the correlation between the surface morphology and the near surface dislocations. In order to analyze the dislocations near the surface of 4H-SiC wafers, a dislocation analysis protocol has been developed. This protocol consists of the following process: (1) inspection of surface defects using low energy scanning electron microscopy (LESEM), (2) identification of small and shallow etch pits using KOH low temperature etching, (3) classification of etch pits using LESEM, (4) specimen preparation of several hundred nanometer thick sample using the in-situ focused ion beam micro-sampling® technique, (5) crystallographic analysis using the selected diffraction mode of the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), and (6) determination of the Burgers vector using multi-directional STEM (MD-STEM). The results show a correlation between the triangular terrace shaped surface defects and an hexagonal etch pit arising from threading dislocations, linear shaped surface defects and elliptical shaped etch pits arising from basal plane dislocations. Through the observation of the sample from two orthogonal directions via the MD-STEM technique, a basal plane dislocation is found to dissociate into an extended dislocation bound by two partial dislocations. A protocol developed and presented in this paper enables one to correlate near surface defects of a 4H-SiC wafer with the root cause dislocations giving rise to those surface defects. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Society of Microscopy. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Structural, morphological and optical studies of F doped SnO2 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandel, Tarun; Thakur, Vikas; Dwivedi, Shailendra Kumar; Zaman, M. Burhanuz; Rajaram, Poolla

2018-05-01

Highly conducting and transparent FTO (flourine doped tin Oxide) thin films were grown on the glass substrates using a low cost spray pyrolysis technique. The films were characterized for their structural, morphological and optical studies using XRD, SEM and UV-Vis spectroscopy. XRD studies show that the FTO films crystallize in Tetragonal cassiterite structure. Morphological analysis using SEM show that the films are uniformly covered with spherical grains albeit high in surface roughness. The average optical transmission greater than 80% in the visible region along with the appearance of interference fringes in the transmission curves confirms the high quality of the films. Electrical studies show that the films exhibit sheet resistance below 10 Ω ϒ-1.

Exponential increase in the on-off ratio of conductance in organic memory devices by controlling the surface morphology of the devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vyas, Giriraj; Dagar, Parveen; Sahu, Satyajit

2018-05-01

We have shown an exponential increase in the ratio of conductance in the on and off states of switching devices by controlling the surface morphology of the thin films for the device by depositing at different rotational speeds. The pinholes which are preferred topography on the surface at higher rotational speed give rise to higher on-off ratio of current from the devices fabricated at the speed. The lower rotational speed contributes to higher thickness of the film and hence no switching. For thicker films, the domain is formed due to phase segregation between the two components in the film, which also indicates that the film is far from thermal equilibrium. At higher speed, there is very little scope of segregation when the film is drying up. Hence, there are only few pinholes on the surface of the film which are shallow. So, the filamentary mechanism of switching in memory devices can be firmly established by varying the speed of thin film deposition which leads to phase segregation of the materials. Thus, the formation of filament can be regulated by controlling the thickness and the surface morphology.

Effect of resin infiltration and microabrasion on the microhardness, surface roughness and morphology of incipient carious lesions.

PubMed

Yazkan, Basak; Ermis, R Banu

2018-02-15

The effects of resin infiltration and microabrasion on incipient carious lesions by surface microhardness, roughness and morphological assessments, and resistance to further acid attack of treated lesions were evaluated. Eighty artificially-induced incipient lesions were randomly divided into five groups (n = 16): resin infiltration with an adhesive resin (Excite F, Ivoclar Vivadent, Schaan, Liechtenstein), resin infiltration with a resin infiltrant (Icon, DMG, Hamburg, Germany), microabrasion without polishing (Opalustre, Ultradent, South Jordan, UT, USA), microabrasion with polishing (Opalustre, Ultradent, Diamond Excel, FGM, Joinville, SC, Brazil), and distilled water (control group). All specimens were exposed to demineralization for another 10 d. Microhardness, roughness and morphological assessments were done at baseline, following initial demineralization, treatment and further demineralization. Data were analysed by the Kruskal-Wallis, Friedman's and Bonferroni tests (p < .05). Enamel lesions treated with resin infiltrant and microabrasion demonstrated similar hardness values, with a nonsignificant difference compared with sound enamel. Resin infiltration demonstrated lower roughness values than those of microabrasion, and the values did not reach the values of sound enamel. Further demineralization for 10 d did not affect the hardness but increased the roughness of infiltrated and microabraded enamel surfaces. Polishing did not influence the roughness of microabraded enamel surfaces. After resin infiltration, porosities on enamel were sealed completely. The surface structure was similar to that of the enamel conditioning pattern for microabraded enamel lesions. Within the limitations of this study, the icon infiltration and microabrasion technique appeared to be effective for improving microhardness. Icon appeared to provide reduced roughness, although not equal to sound enamel. Further research is needed to elucidate their clinical relevance.

Morphology of size-selected Ptn clusters on CeO2(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahed, Syed Mohammad Fakruddin; Beniya, Atsushi; Hirata, Hirohito; Watanabe, Yoshihide

2018-03-01

Supported Pt catalysts and ceria are well known for their application in automotive exhaust catalysts. Size-selected Pt clusters supported on a CeO2(111) surface exhibit distinct physical and chemical properties. We investigated the morphology of the size-selected Ptn (n = 5-13) clusters on a CeO2(111) surface using scanning tunneling microscopy at room temperature. Ptn clusters prefer a two-dimensional morphology for n = 5 and a three-dimensional (3D) morphology for n ≥ 6. We further observed the preference for a 3D tri-layer structure when n ≥ 10. For each cluster size, we quantitatively estimated the relative fraction of the clusters for each type of morphology. Size-dependent morphology of the Ptn clusters on the CeO2(111) surface was attributed to the Pt-Pt interaction in the cluster and the Pt-O interaction between the cluster and CeO2(111) surface. The results obtained herein provide a clear understanding of the size-dependent morphology of the Ptn clusters on a CeO2(111) surface.

Morphology of size-selected Ptn clusters on CeO2(111).

PubMed

Shahed, Syed Mohammad Fakruddin; Beniya, Atsushi; Hirata, Hirohito; Watanabe, Yoshihide

2018-03-21

Supported Pt catalysts and ceria are well known for their application in automotive exhaust catalysts. Size-selected Pt clusters supported on a CeO 2 (111) surface exhibit distinct physical and chemical properties. We investigated the morphology of the size-selected Pt n (n = 5-13) clusters on a CeO 2 (111) surface using scanning tunneling microscopy at room temperature. Pt n clusters prefer a two-dimensional morphology for n = 5 and a three-dimensional (3D) morphology for n ≥ 6. We further observed the preference for a 3D tri-layer structure when n ≥ 10. For each cluster size, we quantitatively estimated the relative fraction of the clusters for each type of morphology. Size-dependent morphology of the Pt n clusters on the CeO 2 (111) surface was attributed to the Pt-Pt interaction in the cluster and the Pt-O interaction between the cluster and CeO 2 (111) surface. The results obtained herein provide a clear understanding of the size-dependent morphology of the Pt n clusters on a CeO 2 (111) surface.

Sensing surface morphology of biofibers by decorating spider silk and cellulosic filaments with nematic microdroplets

PubMed Central

Aguirre, Luis E.; de Oliveira, Alexandre; Seč, David; Čopar, Simon; Almeida, Pedro L.; Ravnik, Miha; Godinho, Maria Helena; Žumer, Slobodan

2016-01-01

Probing the surface morphology of microthin fibers such as naturally occurring biofibers is essential for understanding their structural properties, biological function, and mechanical performance. The state-of-the-art methods for studying the surfaces of biofibers are atomic force microscopy imaging and scanning electron microscopy, which well characterize surface geometry of the fibers but provide little information on the local interaction potential of the fibers with the surrounding material. In contrast, complex nematic fluids respond very well to external fields and change their optical properties upon such stimuli. Here we demonstrate that liquid crystal droplets deposited on microthin biofibers—including spider silk and cellulosic fibers—reveal characteristics of the fibers’ surface, performing as simple but sensitive surface sensors. By combining experiments and numerical modeling, different types of fibers are identified through the fiber-to-nematic droplet interactions, including perpendicular and axial or helicoidal planar molecular alignment. Spider silks align nematic molecules parallel to fibers or perpendicular to them, whereas cellulose aligns the molecules unidirectionally or helicoidally along the fibers, indicating notably different surface interactions. The nematic droplets as sensors thus directly reveal chirality of cellulosic fibers. Different fiber entanglements can be identified by depositing droplets exactly at the fiber crossings. More generally, the presented method can be used as a simple but powerful approach for probing the surface properties of small-size bioobjects, opening a route to their precise characterization. PMID:26768844

Modification of Semiconductor Surfaces through Si-N Linkages by Wet-Chemistry Approaches and Modular Functionalization of Zinc Oxide Surfaces for Chemical Protection of Material Morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Fei

-functionalized carbon nanotubes. 3) Designing a universal method for the modular functionalization of zinc oxide surface for the chemical protection of material morphology.. This project involves surface modification of zinc oxide nanopowder under vacuum condition with propiolic acid, followed by "click" reaction. A combination of spectroscopy and microscopy techniques was utilized to study the surface functionalization and assembly processes. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time of fight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) were employed to elucidate the chemical structure of the modified surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were combined to obtain the surface morphological information. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were applied to confirm the experimental results and to suggest plausible reaction mechanisms. Other complementary techniques for these projects also include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to identify the chemical species on the surface and charge-carrier lifetime measurements to evaluate the electronic property of C60-modified silicon surface.

Method of making controlled morphology metal-oxides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ozcan, Soydan; Lu, Yuan

2016-05-17

A method of making metal oxides having a preselected morphology includes preparing a suspension that includes a solvent, polymeric nanostructures having multiplicities of hydroxyl surface groups and/or carboxyl surface groups, and a metal oxide precursor. The suspension has a preselected ratio of the polymeric nanostructures to the metal oxide precursor of at least 1:3, the preselected ratio corresponding to a preselected morphology. Subsequent steps include depositing the suspension onto a substrate, removing the solvent to form a film, removing the film from the substrate, and annealing the film to volatilize the polymeric nanostructures and convert the metal oxide precursor tomore » metal oxide nanoparticles having the preselected morphology or to a metal oxide nanosheet including conjoined nanoparticles having the preselected morphology.« less

Morphology modification of gold nanoparticles from nanoshell to C-shape: Improved surface enhanced Raman scattering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xing, Ting-Yang; Zhu, Jian; Li, Jian-Jun

Morphology modification of nanostructures is of great interest, because it can be used to fabricate nanostructures which are hard to be done using other methods. Different from traditional lithographic technique which is slow and expensive, morphology modification is easy, cheap, and reproducible. In this paper, modification of the optical and morphological properties of a hollow gold nanoshell (HGNS) is achieved by using H{sub 2}O{sub 2} as an oxidizer. The reshaping of these nanostructures has been demonstrated as a consequence of an oxidation process in which HGNSs are dissolved by H{sub 2}O{sub 2} under the acidic conditions provided by HCl. Wemore » investigate the oxidation process by a transmission electron microscope and propose a reshaping model involving four different shapes (HGNS, HGNS with hole, gold nanoring, and C-shaped gold nanoparticle) which are corresponding to the oxidation products of HGNSs at different pH values. Besides, the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity of each oxidation product has been evaluated by using rhodamine 6G as the Raman active probe. It has been observed that the C-shaped gold nanoparticles which are corresponding to the oxidation products at the minimum pH value have the highest SERS activity and this result can also be interpreted by discrete-dipole approximation simulations. We demonstrate that the morphology modification of HGNSs becomes possible in a controlled manner using wet chemistry and can be used in preparation of gold nanoparticles such as HGNS with hole, gold nanoring, and C-shaped gold nanoparticle with large SERS activity. These nanostructures must have potential use in many plasmonic areas, including sensing, catalysis, and biomedicine.« less

Study of variation in surface morphology, chemical composition, crystallinity and hardness of laser irradiated silver in dry and wet environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Nisar; Bashir, Shazia; Umm-i-Kalsoom; Begum, Narjis; Hussain, Tousif

2017-07-01

Variation in surface morphology, chemical composition, crystallinity and hardness of laser irradiated silver in dry and wet ambient environments has been investigated. For this purpose, the silver targets were exposed for various number of laser pulses in ambient environment of air, ethanol and de-ionized water for various number of laser pulses i.e. 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was employed to investigate the surface morphology of irradiated silver. SEM analysis reveals significant surface variations for both dry and wet ambient environments. For lower number of pulses, in air environment significant mass removal is observed but in case of ethanol no significant change in surface morphology is observed. In case of de-ionized water small sized cavities are observed with formation of protrusions with spherical top ends. For higher number of laser pulses, refilling of cavities by shock liquefied material, globules and protrusions are observed in case of dry ablation. For ablation in ethanol porous and coarse periodic ripples are observed whereas, for de-ionized water increasing density of protrusions is observed for higher number of pulses. EDS analysis exhibits the variation in chemical composition along with an enhanced diffusion of oxygen under both ambient conditions. The crystal structure of the exposed targets were explored by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) technique. XRD results support the EDS results. Formation of Ag2O in case of air and ethanol whereas, Ag2O and Ag3O in case of de-ionized water confirms the diffusion of oxygen into the silver surface after irradiation. Vickers Hardness tester was employed to measure the hardness of laser treated targets. Enhanced hardness is observed after irradiation in both dry and wet ambient environments. Initial decrease and then increase in hardness is observed with increase in number of laser pulses in air environment. In case of ethanol, increase in number of laser pulses results in

Role of carbon impurities on the surface morphology evolution of tungsten under high dose helium ion irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Ajlony, A.; Tripathi, J. K.; Hassanein, A.

2015-11-01

The effect of carbon impurities on the surface evolution (e.g., fuzz formation) of tungsten (W) surface during 300 eV He ions irradiation was studied. Several tungsten samples were irradiated by He ion beam with a various carbon ions percentage. The presence of minute carbon contamination within the He ion beam was found to be effective in preventing the fuzz formation. At higher carbon concentration, the W surface was found to be fully covered with a thick graphitic layer on the top of tungsten carbide (WC) layer that cover the sample surface. Lowering the ion beam carbon percentage was effective in a significant reduction in the thickness of the surface graphite layer. Under these conditions the W surface was also found to be immune for the fuzz formation. The effect of W fuzz prevention by the WC formation on the sample surface was more noticeable when the He ion beam had much lower carbon (C) ions content (0.01% C). In this case, the fuzz formation was prevented on the vast majority of the W sample surface, while W fuzz was found in limited and isolated areas. The W surface also shows good resistance to morphology evolution when bombarded by high flux of pure H ions at 900 °C.

A possible climate signal in the surface morphology and internal structure of Galena Creek Rock Glacier, Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, Eric; Holt, John; Levy, Joseph; Stuurman, Cassie; Nerozzi, Stefano; Cardenas, Benjamin; Pharr, James; Aylward, Dan; Schmidt, Logan; Hoey, William; Prem, Parvathy; Rambo, Jackie; Lim, YeJin; Maharaj, Kian

2016-04-01

Galena Creek Rock Glacier (GCRG) has been shown in previous studies to be a debris-covered glacier (e.g. Ackert, Jr., 1998), and is thus a target of interest as a record of climate and an element of the mountain hydrological system. The goal of this study was to investigate possible relationships between surface morphology and internal structure and composition of GCRG. This was achieved using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), time-domain electromagnetic sounding (TEM), and photogrammetry to produce digital terrain models (DTMs). We acquired 6 longitudinal GPR surveys at 50 and 100 MHz, 2 common midpoint GPR surveys, and 28 TEM soundings on GCRG from the head to the toe, and ground-based photogrammetry data were collected to produce a DTM of its cirque at 10 cm resolution. TEM soundings locally constrained the bulk thickness of GCRG to 26-75 meters. Common midpoint and hyperbola analyses of GPR surveys produced dielectric constants in the near subsurface of 4 in the upper glacier to 5-9 in the middle and lower glacier. These are consistent with clean ice and a mélange of rock with air and/or ice, respectively. GPR revealed a pervasive shallow reflector at 1-2.5m depth that we interpret to be the interface between the surface debris layer and glacier ice. There is increased structure and clutter in the GPR data beneath this interface as one moves down glacier. Observations were additionally made of a 40m wide, 4-5m deep circular thermokarst pond located on upper GCRG in the cirque. The walls of the pond revealed a cross-section of the top several meters of GCRG's interior: a dry surface layer of rocky debris 1-1.5m thick overlying pure glacier ice. An englacial debris band was also observed, roughly 50 cm thick and presenting at an apparent up-glacier dip of ~30 degrees, intersecting the surface near a subtle ridge resolved in the photogrammetry DTM. A GPR transect conducted near the pond over 6 similar ridges imaged 6 corresponding up-glacier dipping reflectors that

Monitoring surface water quality using social media in the context of citizen science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Hang; Hong, Yang; Long, Di; Jing, Hua

2017-02-01

Surface water quality monitoring (SWQM) provides essential information for water environmental protection. However, SWQM is costly and limited in terms of equipment and sites. The global popularity of social media and intelligent mobile devices with GPS and photography functions allows citizens to monitor surface water quality. This study aims to propose a method for SWQM using social media platforms. Specifically, a WeChat-based application platform is built to collect water quality reports from volunteers, which have been proven valuable for water quality monitoring. The methods for data screening and volunteer recruitment are discussed based on the collected reports. The proposed methods provide a framework for collecting water quality data from citizens and offer a primary foundation for big data analysis in future research.

Assembling strategy to synthesize palladium modified kaolin nanocomposites with different morphologies

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaoyu; Ouyang, Jing; Zhou, Yonghua; Yang, Huaming

2015-01-01

Nanocomposites of aluminosilicate minerals, kaolins (kaolinite and halloysite) with natural different morphologies assembling with palladium (Pd) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized through strong electrostatic adsorption and chemical bonding after surface modification with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES). Meanwhile, the influence of different morphologies supports on catalytic hydrogenation properties was explored. The surface concentration of amino groups on the kaolins was related to the morphology and surface nature. Electronmicroscopy revealed that the monodisperse Pd nanoparticles were uniformly deposited onto the surface of kaolins, ranging in diameter from 0.5 nm to 5.5 nm. The functional groups could not only improve the dispersion of kaolins with different morphologies in solution, but also enhance the interaction between Pd precursors and kaolins, thus preventing small Pd nanoparticles from agglomerating and leading to high activity for the catalytic hydrogenation of styrene. Pd-FK@APTES was more active compared to other samples. Selecting the kaolin morphology with a different surface nature allows the selective surface modification of a larger fraction of the reactive facets on which the active sites can be enriched and tuned. This desirable surface coordination of catalytically active atoms could substantially improve catalytic activity. PMID:26333629

Assembling strategy to synthesize palladium modified kaolin nanocomposites with different morphologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaoyu; Ouyang, Jing; Zhou, Yonghua; Yang, Huaming

2015-09-01

Nanocomposites of aluminosilicate minerals, kaolins (kaolinite and halloysite) with natural different morphologies assembling with palladium (Pd) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized through strong electrostatic adsorption and chemical bonding after surface modification with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES). Meanwhile, the influence of different morphologies supports on catalytic hydrogenation properties was explored. The surface concentration of amino groups on the kaolins was related to the morphology and surface nature. Electronmicroscopy revealed that the monodisperse Pd nanoparticles were uniformly deposited onto the surface of kaolins, ranging in diameter from 0.5 nm to 5.5 nm. The functional groups could not only improve the dispersion of kaolins with different morphologies in solution, but also enhance the interaction between Pd precursors and kaolins, thus preventing small Pd nanoparticles from agglomerating and leading to high activity for the catalytic hydrogenation of styrene. Pd-FK@APTES was more active compared to other samples. Selecting the kaolin morphology with a different surface nature allows the selective surface modification of a larger fraction of the reactive facets on which the active sites can be enriched and tuned. This desirable surface coordination of catalytically active atoms could substantially improve catalytic activity.

Assembling strategy to synthesize palladium modified kaolin nanocomposites with different morphologies.

PubMed

Li, Xiaoyu; Ouyang, Jing; Zhou, Yonghua; Yang, Huaming

2015-09-03

Nanocomposites of aluminosilicate minerals, kaolins (kaolinite and halloysite) with natural different morphologies assembling with palladium (Pd) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized through strong electrostatic adsorption and chemical bonding after surface modification with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES). Meanwhile, the influence of different morphologies supports on catalytic hydrogenation properties was explored. The surface concentration of amino groups on the kaolins was related to the morphology and surface nature. Electronmicroscopy revealed that the monodisperse Pd nanoparticles were uniformly deposited onto the surface of kaolins, ranging in diameter from 0.5 nm to 5.5 nm. The functional groups could not only improve the dispersion of kaolins with different morphologies in solution, but also enhance the interaction between Pd precursors and kaolins, thus preventing small Pd nanoparticles from agglomerating and leading to high activity for the catalytic hydrogenation of styrene. Pd-FK@APTES was more active compared to other samples. Selecting the kaolin morphology with a different surface nature allows the selective surface modification of a larger fraction of the reactive facets on which the active sites can be enriched and tuned. This desirable surface coordination of catalytically active atoms could substantially improve catalytic activity.

Influence of surface morphology on the immersion mode ice nucleation efficiency of hematite particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiranuma, N.; Hoffmann, N.; Kiselev, A.; Dreyer, A.; Zhang, K.; Kulkarni, G.; Koop, T.; Möhler, O.

2014-03-01

In this paper, the effect of the morphological modification of aerosol particles with respect to heterogeneous ice nucleation is comprehensively investigated for laboratory-generated hematite particles as a model substrate for atmospheric dust particles. The surface-area-scaled ice nucleation efficiencies of monodisperse cubic hematite particles and milled hematite particles were measured with a series of expansion cooling experiments using the Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere (AIDA) cloud simulation chamber. Complementary offline characterization of physico-chemical properties of both hematite subsets were also carried out with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and an electro-kinetic particle charge detector to further constrain droplet-freezing measurements of hematite particles. Additionally, an empirical parameterization derived from our laboratory measurements was implemented in the single-column version of the Community Atmospheric Model version 5 (CAM5) to investigate the model sensitivity in simulated ice crystal number concentration on different ice nucleation efficiencies. From an experimental perspective, our results show that the immersion mode ice nucleation efficiency of milled hematite particles is almost an order of magnitude higher at -35.2 °C < T < -33.5 °C than that of the cubic hematite particles, indicating a substantial effect of morphological irregularities on immersion mode freezing. Our modeling results similarly show that the increased droplet-freezing rates of milled hematite particles lead to about one order magnitude higher ice crystal number in the upper troposphere than cubic hematite particles. Overall, our results suggest that the surface irregularities and associated active sites lead to greater ice activation through droplet freezing.

Coevolution of bed surface patchiness and channel morphology: 1. Mechanisms of forced patch formation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Peter A.; McDonald, Richard R.; Nelson, Jonathan M.; Dietrich, William E.

2015-01-01

Riverbeds frequently display a spatial structure where the sediment mixture composing the channel bed has been sorted into discrete patches of similar grain size. Even though patches are a fundamental feature in gravel bed rivers, we have little understanding of how patches form, evolve, and interact. Here we present a two-dimensional morphodynamic model that is used to examine in greater detail the mechanisms responsible for the development of forced bed surface patches and the coevolution of bed morphology and bed surface patchiness. The model computes the depth-averaged channel hydrodynamics, mixed-grain-size sediment transport, and bed evolution by coupling the river morphodynamic model Flow and Sediment Transport with Morphological Evolution of Channels (FaSTMECH) with a transport relation for gravel mixtures and the mixed-grain-size Exner equation using the active layer assumption. To test the model, we use it to simulate a flume experiment in which the bed developed a sequence of alternate bars and temporally and spatially persistent forced patches with a general pattern of coarse bar tops and fine pools. Cross-stream sediment flux causes sediment to be exported off of bars and imported into pools at a rate that balances downstream gradients in the streamwise sediment transport rate, allowing quasi-steady bar-pool topography to persist. The relative importance of lateral gravitational forces on the cross-stream component of sediment transport is a primary control on the amplitude of the bars. Because boundary shear stress declines as flow shoals over the bars, the lateral sediment transport is increasingly size selective and leads to the development of coarse bar tops and fine pools.

Surface morphology changes to tungsten under exposure to He ions from an electron cyclotron resonance plasma source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donovan, David; Buchenauer, Dean; Whaley, Josh; Friddle, Raymond; Wright, Graham

2014-10-01

Exposure of tungsten to low energy (<100 eV) helium plasmas at temperatures between 900-1900 K in both laboratory experiments and tokamaks has been shown to cause severe nanoscale modification of the near surface resulting the growth of tungsten tendrils. We are exploring the potential for using a compact ECR plasma in situ with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to investigate the early stages of helium induced tungsten migration. Here we report on characterization of the plasma source for helium plasmas with a desired ion flux of ~1 × 1019 ions m-2 s-1 and the surface morphology changes seen on the exposed tungsten surfaces. Exposures of polished tungsten discs have been performed and characterized using SEM, AFM, and FIB cross section imaging. Bubbles have been seen on the exposed tungsten surface and in sub-surface cross sections growing to up to 150 nm in diameter. Comparisons are made between exposures of warm rolled Plansee tungsten discs and ALMT ITER grade tungsten samples. Work supported by US DOE Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000 and the PSI Science Center.

Monitoring surface-water quality in Arizona: the fixed-station network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tadayon, Saeid

2000-01-01

Arizona is an arid State in which economic development is influenced largely by the quantity and quality of water and the location of adequate water supplies. In 1995, surface water supplied about 58 percent of total withdrawals in Arizona. Of the total amount of surface water used in 1995, about 89 percent was for agriculture, 10 percent for public supply, and 1 percent for industrial supply (including mining and thermoelectric; Solley and others, 1998). As a result of rapid population growth in Arizona, historic agricultural lands in the Phoenix (Maricopa County) and Tucson (Pima County) areas are now being developed for residential and commercial use; thus, the amount of water used for public supply is increasing. The Clean Water Act was established by U.S. Congress (1972) in response to public concern about water-pollution control. The act defines a process by which the United States Congress and the citizens are informed of the Nation’s progress in restoring and maintaining the quality of our waters. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is the State-designated agency for this process and, as a result, has developed a monitoring program to assess water quality in Arizona. The ADEQ is required to submit a water-quality assessment report to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) every 2 years. The USEPA summarizes the reports from each State and submits a report to the Congress characterizing water quality in the United States. These reports serve to inform Congress and the public of the Nation’s progress toward the restoration and maintenance of water quality in the United States (Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, 1998).

Morphological effects of MMPs inhibitors on the dentin bonding

PubMed Central

Li, He; Li, Tianbo; Li, Xiuying; Zhang, Zhimin; Li, Penglian; Li, Zhenling

2015-01-01

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been studied extensively, and MMP inhibitors have been used as dental pretreatment agents prior to dentin bonding because they reduce collagen fiber degradation and improve bonding strength. However, morphologic characteristics of the collagen network after etching and of the post-adhesive dentin hybrid layers (DHL) after MMP inhibitors pretreatment have not been evaluated. Thus, we investigated demineralized dentin pretreated with chlorhexidine (CHX) and minocycline (MI) in an etch- and -rinse adhesive system with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and immuno-gold labeling markers to observe the collagen network and DHL. FESEM revealed after CHX and MI, a demineralized dentin surface and improved collagen network formation, reduced collagen degradation, and distinct gold-labeling signals. Applying adhesive after either MMP inhibitor created a better dentin interface as evidenced by immuno-gold staining, better adhesive penetration, and higher DHL quality. With microtensile bond strength tests (µTBS) we estimated bonding strength using µTBS data. Immediate µTBS was enhanced with MMP inhibitor application to the bonding surface, and the CHX group was significantly different than non-treated etched surfaces, but no significant change was detected in the MI group. Surface micromorphology of the fractured dentin resin restoration showed that the CHX group had a better resin and dentin tube combination. Both MMP inhibitors created uniform resin coverage. Thus, morphologic results and µTBS data suggest that CHX and MI can inhibit MMP activity, improve immediate bonding strength, and enhance dentin bonding stability with an etch- and -rinse adhesive system. PMID:26379873

McGET: A rapid image-based method to determine the morphological characteristics of gravels on the Gobi desert surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mu, Yue; Wang, Feng; Zheng, Bangyou; Guo, Wei; Feng, Yiming

2018-03-01

The relationship between morphological characteristics (e.g. gravel size, coverage, angularity and orientation) and local geomorphic features (e.g. slope gradient and aspect) of desert has been used to explore the evolution process of Gobi desert. Conventional quantification methods are time-consuming, inefficient and even prove impossible to determine the characteristics of large numbers of gravels. We propose a rapid image-based method to obtain the morphological characteristics of gravels on the Gobi desert surface, which is called the "morphological characteristics gained effectively technique" (McGET). The image of the Gobi desert surface was classified into gravel clusters and background by a machine-learning "classification and regression tree" (CART) algorithm. Then gravel clusters were segmented into individual gravel clasts by separating objects in images using a "watershed segmentation" algorithm. Thirdly, gravel coverage, diameter, aspect ratio and orientation were calculated based on the basic principles of 2D computer graphics. We validated this method with two independent datasets in which the gravel morphological characteristics were obtained from 2728 gravels measured in the field and 7422 gravels measured by manual digitization. Finally, we applied McGET to derive the spatial variation of gravel morphology on the Gobi desert along an alluvial-proluvial fan located in Hami, Xinjiang, China. The validated results show that the mean gravel diameter measured in the field agreed well with that calculated by McGET for large gravels (R2 = 0.89, P < 0.001). Compared to manual digitization, the McGET accuracies for gravel coverage, gravel diameter and aspect ratio were 97%, 83% and 96%, respectively. The orientation distributions calculated were consistent across two different methods. More importantly, McGET significantly shortens the time cost in obtaining gravel morphological characteristics in the field and laboratory. The spatial variation results

Recovery of condensate water quality in power generator's surface condenser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniawan, Lilik Adib

2017-03-01

In PT Badak NGL Plant, steam turbines are used to drive major power generators, compressors, and pumps. Steam exiting the turbines is condensed in surface condensers to be returned to boilers. Therefore, surface condenser performance and quality of condensate water are very important. One of the recent problem was caused by the leak of a surface condenser of Steam Turbine Power Generator. Thesteam turbine was overhauled, leaving the surface condenser idle and exposed to air for more than 1.5 years. Sea water ingress due to tube leaks worsens the corrosionof the condenser shell. The combination of mineral scale and corrosion product resulting high conductivity condensate at outlet condenser when we restarted up, beyond the acceptable limit. After assessing several options, chemical cleaning was the best way to overcome the problem according to condenser configuration. An 8 hour circulation of 5%wt citric acid had succeed reducing water conductivity from 50 μmhos/cm to below 5 μmhos/cm. The condensate water, then meets the required quality, i.e. pH 8.3 - 9.0; conductivity ≤ 5 μmhos/cm, therefore the power generator can be operated normally without any concern until now.

Nutrient Loss in Runoff from Turf: Effect on Surface Water Quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Excess nutrients in surface waters may result in enhanced algal blooms and plant growth that can lead to eutrophication and a decline in water quality. The applicatin of fertilizer to golf courses may be a source of nutrients to surface waters. Runoff studies were conducted to measure applied nitrog...

Hyperspectral, photogrammetric and morphological characterization of surface impurities over the Greenland ice sheet from remote sensing observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tedesco, M.; Alexander, P. M.; Briggs, K.; Linares, M.; Mote, T. L.

2016-12-01

The spatial and temporal evolution of surface impurities over the Greenland ice sheet plays a crucial role in modulating the meltwater production in view of the associated feedback on albedo. Recent studies have pointed to a `darkening' of the west portion of the ice sheet with this reduction in albedo likely associated with the increasing presence of surface impurities (e.g., soot, dust) and biological activity (e.g., cryoconite holes, algae, bacteria). Regional climate models currently do not account for the presence, evolution and impact on albedo of such impurities, mostly because the underlying processes driving the spectral and morphological evolution of impurities are poorly known. One for the reasons for this is the lack of hyperspectral and high-spatial resolution data over specific regions of the Greenland ice sheet. To put things in perspective: there is more hyperspectral data at high spatial resolution for the planet Mars than for the Greenland ice sheet. In this presentation, we report the results of an analysis using the few available hyperspectral data collected over Greenland by the HYPERION and AVIRIS sensors, in conjunction with visible (RGB) helicopter-based high resolution images and LANDSAT/WorldView data for characterizing the spectral and morphological evolution of surface impurities and cryoconite holes over western Greenland. The hyperspectral data is used to characterize the abundance of different `endmembers' and the temporal evolution (inter-seasonal and intra-seasonal) of surface impurities composition and concentration. Digital photographs from helicopter are used to characterize the size and distribution of cryoconite holes as a function of elevation and, lastly, LANDSAT/WV images are used to study the evolution of `mysterious' shapes that form as a consequence of the accumulation of impurities and the ice flow.

Microscopic morphological changes of the tooth surface in relation to fixed orthodontic treatment.

PubMed

Preoteasa, Cristina Teodora; NiŢoi, Dan Florin; Preoteasa, Elena

2015-01-01

Orthodontic treatment has, as any other medical intervention, in addition to its benefits, side effects, some of them being perceived as unavoidable. The aim of this case series was to microscopically evaluate the changes of the tooth surface in relation to fixed orthodontic treatment. A case series study was implemented by the usage of four extracted first maxillary premolars, from patients with previous orthodontic treatment, of 12 and 23 months. Analysis was performed using the high precision stereomicroscope (Axiovert, Carl Zeiss, Germany), at magnifications from 10× to 50×. The tooth surface corresponding to the bracket bonding area registered numerous disorderly grooves and cracks, with various directions and depths, and was flattened, having lower convexity compared to teeth surfaces where brackets were not bonded. Root resorption lacunae were more frequently observed in teeth under orthodontic treatment, these having various depths, and sizes considerably larger than those observed in teeth without orthodontic treatment. Following orthodontic treatment, teeth exhibit changes that can be perceived as being directly linked to this medical intervention. These teeth changes usually have low or moderate severity, which can be influenced at some degree by the clinical conduct of the orthodontic treatment. The stereomicroscope proved to be a high sensitivity tool for the analysis of morphological changes of teeth in relation to the fixed orthodontic treatment.

Structural Color Model Based on Surface Morphology of MORPHO Butterfly Wing Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Zhongjia; Cai, Congcong; Wang, Gang; Zhang, Hui; Huttula, Marko; Cao, Wei

2016-05-01

Color production through structural coloration is created by micrometer and sub-micrometer surface textures which interfere with visible light. The shiny blue of morpho menelaus is a typical example of structural coloring. Modified from morphology of the morpho scale, a structure of regular windows with two side offsets was constructed on glass substrates. Optical properties of the bioinspired structure were studied through numerical simulations of light scattering. Results show that the structure can generate monochromatic light scattering. Wavelength of scattered light is tunable via changing the spacing between window shelves. Compared to original butterfly model, the modified one possesses larger illumination scopes in azimuthal distributions despite being less in polar directions. Present bionic structure is periodically repeated and is easy to fabricate. It is hoped that the computational materials design work can inspire future experimental realizations of such a structure in photonics applications.

Fabrication of high quality aspheric microlens array by dose-modulated lithography and surface thermal reflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Shengzhou; Li, Mujun; Shen, Lianguan; Qiu, Jinfeng; Zhou, Youquan

2018-03-01

A novel fabrication method for high quality aspheric microlens array (MLA) was developed by combining the dose-modulated DMD-based lithography and surface thermal reflow process. In this method, the complex shape of aspheric microlens is pre-modeled via dose modulation in a digital micromirror device (DMD) based maskless projection lithography. And the dose modulation mainly depends on the distribution of exposure dose of photoresist. Then the pre-shaped aspheric microlens is polished by a following non-contact thermal reflow (NCTR) process. Different from the normal process, the reflow process here is investigated to improve the surface quality while keeping the pre-modeled shape unchanged, and thus will avoid the difficulties in generating the aspheric surface during reflow. Fabrication of a designed aspheric MLA with this method was demonstrated in experiments. Results showed that the obtained aspheric MLA was good in both shape accuracy and surface quality. The presented method may be a promising approach in rapidly fabricating high quality aspheric microlens with complex surface.

Research on the effect of coverage rate on the surface quality in laser direct writing process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Xuetao; Tu, Dawei

2017-07-01

Direct writing technique is usually used in femtosecond laser two-photon micromachining. The size of the scanning step is an important factor affecting the surface quality and machining efficiency of micro devices. According to the mechanism of two-photon polymerization, combining the distribution function of light intensity and the free radical concentration theory, we establish the mathematical model of coverage of solidification unit, then analyze the effect of coverage on the machining quality and efficiency. Using the principle of exposure equivalence, we also obtained the analytic expressions of the relationship among the surface quality characteristic parameters of microdevices and the scanning step, and carried out the numerical simulation and experiment. The results show that the scanning step has little influence on the surface quality of the line when it is much smaller than the size of the solidification unit. However, with increasing scanning step, the smoothness of line surface is reduced rapidly, and the surface quality becomes much worse.

Evaluation of primary tooth enamel surface morphology and microhardness after Nd:YAG laser irradiation and APF gel treatment--an in vitro study.

PubMed

Banda, Naveen Reddy; Vanaja Reddy, G; Shashikiran, N D

2011-01-01

Laser irradiation and fluoride has been used as a preventive tool to combat dental caries in permanent teeth, but little has been done for primary teeth which are more prone to caries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate microhardness alterations in the primary tooth enamel after Nd-YAG laser irradiation alone and combined with topical fluoride treatment either before or after Nd-YAG laser irradiation. Ten primary molars were sectioned and assigned randomly to: control group, Nd-YAG laser irradiation, Nd-YAG lasing before APF and APF followed by Nd-YAG lasing. The groups were evaluated for microhardness. Surface morphological changes were observed using SEM. Statistical comparisons were performed. The control group's SEM showed a relatively smooth enamel surface and lasing group had fine cracks and porosities. In the lasing + fluoride group a homogenous confluent surface was seen. In the fluoride + lasing group an irregular contour with marked crack propagation was noted. There was a significant increase in the microhardness of the treatment groups. Nd-YAG laser irradiation and combined APF treatment of the primary tooth enamel gave morphologically hardened enamel surface which can be a protective barrier against a cariogenic attack.

Responses of Surface Ozone Air Quality to Anthropogenic Nitrogen Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Zhao, Y.; Tai, A. P. K.; Chen, Y.; Pan, Y.

2017-12-01

Human activities have substantially increased atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen to the Earth's surface, inducing unintentional effects on ecosystems with complex environmental and climate consequences. One consequence remaining unexplored is how surface air quality might respond to the enhanced nitrogen deposition through surface-atmosphere exchange. We combine a chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) and a global land model (Community Land Model) to address this issue with a focus on ozone pollution in the Northern Hemisphere. We consider three processes that are important for surface ozone and can be perturbed by addition of atmospheric deposited nitrogen: emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone dry deposition, and soil nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. We find that present-day anthropogenic nitrogen deposition (65 Tg N a-1 to the land), through enhancing plant growth (represented as increases in vegetation leaf area index (LAI) in the model), could increase surface ozone from increased biogenic VOC emissions, but could also decrease ozone due to higher ozone dry deposition velocities. Meanwhile, deposited anthropogenic nitrogen to soil enhances soil NOx emissions. The overall effect on summer mean surface ozone concentrations show general increases over the globe (up to 1.5-2.3 ppbv over the western US and South Asia), except for some regions with high anthropogenic NOx emissions (0.5-1.0 ppbv decreases over the eastern US, Western Europe, and North China). We compare the surface ozone changes with those driven by the past 20-year climate and historical land use changes. We find that the impacts from anthropogenic nitrogen deposition can be comparable to the climate and land use driven surface ozone changes at regional scales, and partly offset the surface ozone reductions due to land use changes reported in previous studies. Our study emphasizes the complexity of biosphere-atmosphere interactions, which can have important

Surface-water quality assessment of the Clover Creek basin, Pierce County, Washington, 1991-1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarthy, K.A.

1996-01-01

Increasing urbanization in the 67-square-mile Clover Creek Basin has generated interest in the effects of land-use changes on local water quality. To investigate these effects, water-quality and streamflow data were collected from 19 surface-water sites in the basin over a 16-month period from January 1991 through April 1992. These data were used to understand the effects of surficial geology, land-use practices, and wastewater disposal practices on surface-water quality within the basin. The basin was divided into four drainage subbasins with dissimilar hydrogeologic, land-use, and water-quality characteristics. In the Upper Clover Creek subbasin, the high permeability of surficial geologic materials promotes infiltration of precipitation to ground water and thus attenuates the response of streams to rainfall. Significant interaction occurs between surface and ground water in this subbasin, and nitrate concentrations and specific conductance values, similar to those found historically in local ground water, indicate that sources such as subsurface waste-disposal systems and fertilizers are affecting surface- water quality in this area. In the Spanaway subbasin, the presence of Spanaway and Tule Lakes affects water quality, primarily because of the reduced velocity and long residence time of water in the lakes. Reduced water velocity and long residence times (1) cause settling of suspended materials, thereby reducing concentrations of suspended sediment and constituents that are bound to the sediment; (2) promote biological activity, which tends to trap nutrients in the lakes; and (3) allow dispersion to attenuate peaks in discharge and water-quality constituent concentrations. In the North Fork subbasin, the low permeability of surficial geologic materials and areas of intensive land development inhibit infiltration of precipitation and thus promote surface runoff to streams. Surface pathways provide little attenuation of storm runoff and result in rapid increases

Role of surface energy on the morphology and optical properties of GaP micro & nano structures grown on polar and non-polar substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roychowdhury, R.; Kumar, Shailendra; Wadikar, A.; Mukherjee, C.; Rajiv, K.; Sharma, T. K.; Dixit, V. K.

2017-10-01

Role of surface energy on the morphology, crystalline quality, electronic structure and optical properties of GaP layer grown on Si (001), Si (111), Ge (111) and GaAs (001) is investigated. GaP layers are grown on four different substrates under identical growth kinetics by metal organic vapour phase epitaxy. The atomic force microscopy images show that GaP layer completely covers the surface of GaAs substrate. On the other hand, the surfaces of Si (001), Si (111), Ge (111) substrates are partially covered with crystallographically morphed GaP island type micro and nano-structures. Origin of these crystallographically morphed GaP island is explained by the theoretical calculation of surface energy of the layer and corresponding substrates respectively. The nature of GaP island type micro and nano-structures and layers are single crystalline with existence of rotational twins on Si and Ge (111) substrates which is confirmed by the phi, omega and omega/2theta scans of high resolution x-ray diffraction. The electronic valence band offsets between the GaP and substrates have been determined from the valence band spectra of ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. The valence electron plasmon of GaP are investigated by studying the energy values of Ga (3d) core level along with loss peaks in the energy dependent photoelectron spectra. The peak observed within the range of 3-6 eV from the Ga (3d) core level in the photoelectron spectra are associated to inter band transitions as their energy values are estimated from the pseudo dielectric function by the spectroscopic ellipsometry.

Impact of Asian Dust on Global Surface Air Quality and Radiation Budget

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chin, Mian; Diehl, Thomas; Yu, Hongbin; Ginoux, Paul

2006-01-01

Dust originating from Asian deserts and desertification areas can be transported regionally and globally to affect surface air quality, visibility, and radiation budget not only at immediate downwind locations (e.g., eastern Asia) but also regions far away from the sources (e.g., North America). Deposition of Asian dust to the North Pacific Ocean basin influences the ocean productivity. In this study, we will use the Goddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) model, remote sensing data form satellite and from the ground-based network, and in-situ data from aircraft and surface observations to address the following questions: - What are the effects of Asian dust on the surface air quality and visibility over Asia and North America? - What are the seasonal and spatial variations of dust deposition to the North Pacific Ocean? How does the Asian dust affect surface radiation budget?

Geometrical and morphological optimizations of plasmonic nanoarrays for high-performance SERS detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, W. Q.; Wang, G.; Zhang, X. N.; Geng, H. P.; Shen, J. L.; Wang, L. S.; Zhao, J.; Xu, L. F.; Zhang, L. J.; Wu, Y. Q.; Tai, R. Z.; Chen, G.

2015-09-01

Here we present an in-depth and comprehensive study of the effect of the geometry and morphology of nanoarray (NA) substrates on their surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance. The high-quality SERS-active NA substrates of various unit shapes and pitches are assembled through electron beam lithography and fabricated by electron beam physical vapor deposition. Good agreement is found on comparing the Raman scattering results with the integrals of the fourth power of local electric fields from the three-dimensional numerical simulations. A novel type of hybrid NA substrate composed of disordered nanoparticles and a periodic NA is fabricated and characterized. The morphology of NAs has little influence on the SERS performance of hybrid NA substrates and they perform better than both their counterparts pure NA and disordered nanoparticle substrates.

Geometrical and morphological optimizations of plasmonic nanoarrays for high-performance SERS detection.

PubMed

Li, W Q; Wang, G; Zhang, X N; Geng, H P; Shen, J L; Wang, L S; Zhao, J; Xu, L F; Zhang, L J; Wu, Y Q; Tai, R Z; Chen, G

2015-10-07

Here we present an in-depth and comprehensive study of the effect of the geometry and morphology of nanoarray (NA) substrates on their surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance. The high-quality SERS-active NA substrates of various unit shapes and pitches are assembled through electron beam lithography and fabricated by electron beam physical vapor deposition. Good agreement is found on comparing the Raman scattering results with the integrals of the fourth power of local electric fields from the three-dimensional numerical simulations. A novel type of hybrid NA substrate composed of disordered nanoparticles and a periodic NA is fabricated and characterized. The morphology of NAs has little influence on the SERS performance of hybrid NA substrates and they perform better than both their counterparts pure NA and disordered nanoparticle substrates.

Improving the indoor air quality by using a surface emissions trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markowicz, Pawel; Larsson, Lennart

2015-04-01

The surface emissions trap, an adsorption cloth developed for reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter from surfaces while allowing evaporation of moisture, was used to improve the indoor air quality of a school building with elevated air concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. An improvement of the perceived air quality was noticed a few days after the device had been attached on the PVC flooring. In parallel, decreased air concentrations of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol were found as well as a linear increase of the amounts of the same compound adsorbed on the installed cloth as observed up to 13 months after installation. Laboratory studies revealed that the performance of the device is not affected by differences in RH (35-85%), temperature (30-40 °C) or by accelerated aging simulating up to 10 years product lifetime, and, from a blinded exposure test, that the device efficiently blocks chemical odors. This study suggests that the device may represent a fast and efficient means of restoring the indoor air quality in a building e.g. after water damage leading to irritating and potentially harmful emissions from building material surfaces indoors.

Prolymphocytic leukaemia: surface morphology in 21 cases as seen by scanning electron microscopy and comparison with B-type CLL and CLL in 'prolymphocytoid' transformation.

PubMed

Polliack, A; Leizerowitz, R; Berrebi, A; Gamliel, H; Galili, N; Gurfel, D; Catovsky, D

1984-08-01

The surface architecture of leukaemic cells obtained from 21 cases of proven prolymphocytic leukaemia (PLL) and eight cases of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) with 'prolymphocytoid' transformation (PL-CLL) was compared with the cell surface morphology of leukaemic cells obtained from 46 cases of B-type CLL, using the scanning electron microscope (SEM). All cases were defined by cytochemistry, immunological markers and transmission electron microscopy prior to SEM examination. B-CLL cells showed the well-recognized spectrum of surface architecture described in earlier studies. The majority of cells had moderate numbers of short microvilli, although in a minority, cells with relatively smooth surfaces predominated. In seven of the eight cases of PL-CLL, cells were villous in nature and in this respect similar to CLL cells; however, more cells with dense microvilli were seen. The prolymphocytic cells were recognized by their larger size and in 18 of the 19 cases of B-derived PLL, villous cells predominated. Two cases of T-derived PLL showed variable cell surface morphology ranging from smooth to moderately villous. It appears that B-PLL cells are most frequently villous and display more surface microvilli than B-CLL cells. B-prolymphocytes display the surface features regarded as characteristic for neoplastic B-cells as seen in patients with B-type lymphoma and leukaemia.

Acid-base accounting to predict post-mining drainage quality on surface mines.

PubMed

Skousen, J; Simmons, J; McDonald, L M; Ziemkiewicz, P

2002-01-01

Acid-base accounting (ABA) is an analytical procedure that provides values to help assess the acid-producing and acid-neutralizing potential of overburden rocks prior to coal mining and other large-scale excavations. This procedure was developed by West Virginia University scientists during the 1960s. After the passage of laws requiring an assessment of surface mining on water quality, ABA became a preferred method to predict post-mining water quality, and permitting decisions for surface mines are largely based on the values determined by ABA. To predict the post-mining water quality, the amount of acid-producing rock is compared with the amount of acid-neutralizing rock, and a prediction of the water quality at the site (whether acid or alkaline) is obtained. We gathered geologic and geographic data for 56 mined sites in West Virginia, which allowed us to estimate total overburden amounts, and values were determined for maximum potential acidity (MPA), neutralization potential (NP), net neutralization potential (NNP), and NP to MPA ratios for each site based on ABA. These values were correlated to post-mining water quality from springs or seeps on the mined property. Overburden mass was determined by three methods, with the method used by Pennsylvania researchers showing the most accurate results for overburden mass. A poor relationship existed between MPA and post-mining water quality, NP was intermediate, and NNP and the NP to MPA ratio showed the best prediction accuracy. In this study, NNP and the NP to MPA ratio gave identical water quality prediction results. Therefore, with NP to MPA ratios, values were separated into categories: <1 should produce acid drainage, between 1 and 2 can produce either acid or alkaline water conditions, and >2 should produce alkaline water. On our 56 surface mined sites, NP to MPA ratios varied from 0.1 to 31, and six sites (11%) did not fit the expected pattern using this category approach. Two sites with ratios <1 did not

Non-native three-dimensional block copolymer morphologies

DOE PAGES

Rahman, Atikur; Majewski, Pawel W.; Doerk, Gregory; ...

2016-12-22

Self-assembly is a powerful paradigm, wherein molecules spontaneously form ordered phases exhibiting well-defined nanoscale periodicity and shapes. However, the inherent energy-minimization aspect of self-assembly yields a very limited set of morphologies, such as lamellae or hexagonally packed cylinders. Here, we show how soft self-assembling materials—block copolymer thin films—can be manipulated to form a diverse library of previously unreported morphologies. In this iterative assembly process, each polymer layer acts as both a structural component of the final morphology and a template for directing the order of subsequent layers. Specifically, block copolymer films are immobilized on surfaces, and template successive layers throughmore » subtle surface topography. As a result, this strategy generates an enormous variety of three-dimensional morphologies that are absent in the native block copolymer phase diagram.« less

Non-native three-dimensional block copolymer morphologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rahman, Atikur; Majewski, Pawel W.; Doerk, Gregory

Self-assembly is a powerful paradigm, wherein molecules spontaneously form ordered phases exhibiting well-defined nanoscale periodicity and shapes. However, the inherent energy-minimization aspect of self-assembly yields a very limited set of morphologies, such as lamellae or hexagonally packed cylinders. Here, we show how soft self-assembling materials—block copolymer thin films—can be manipulated to form a diverse library of previously unreported morphologies. In this iterative assembly process, each polymer layer acts as both a structural component of the final morphology and a template for directing the order of subsequent layers. Specifically, block copolymer films are immobilized on surfaces, and template successive layers throughmore » subtle surface topography. As a result, this strategy generates an enormous variety of three-dimensional morphologies that are absent in the native block copolymer phase diagram.« less

Morphology and digitally aided morphometry of the human paracentral lobule.

PubMed

Spasojević, Goran; Malobabic, Slobodan; Pilipović-Spasojević, Olivera; Djukić-Macut, Nataša; Maliković, Aleksandar

2013-02-01

The human paracentral lobule, the junction of the precentral and postcentral gyri at the medial hemispheric surface, contains several important functional regions, and its variable morphology requires exact morphological and quantitativedata. In order to obtain precise data we investigated the morphology of the paracentral lobule and quantified its visible (extrasulcal) surface. This surface corresponds to commonly used magnetic resonance imaging scout images. We studied 84 hemispheres of adult persons (42 brains; 26 males and 16 females; 20-65 years) fixed in neutral formalin for at least 4 weeks. The medial hemispheric surface was photographed at standard distance and each digital photo was calibrated. Using the intercommissural line system (commissura anterior-commissura posterior or CA-CP line), we performed standardised measurements of the paracentral lobule. Exact determination of its boundaries and morphological types was followed by digital morphometry of its extrasulcal surface using AutoCAD software. We found two distinct morphological types of the human paracentral lobule: continuous type, which was predominant (95.2%), and rare segmented type (4.8%). In hemispheres with segmented cingulate sulcus we also found the short transitional lobulo-limbic gyrus (13.1%). The mean extrasulcal surface of the left paracentral lobule was significantly larger, both in males (left 6.79 cm2 vs. right 5.76 cm2) and in females (left 6.05 cm2 vs. right 5.16 cm2). However, even larger average surfaces in males were not significantly different than the same in females. Reported morphological and quantitative data will be useful during diagnostics and treatment of pathologies affecting the human paracentral lobule, and in further studies of its cytoarchitectonic and functional parcellations.

Folding, But Not Surface Area Expansion, Is Associated with Cellular Morphological Maturation in the Fetal Cerebral Cortex

PubMed Central

Studholme, Colin; Frias, Antonio E.

2017-01-01

Altered macroscopic anatomical characteristics of the cerebral cortex have been identified in individuals affected by various neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the cellular developmental mechanisms that give rise to these abnormalities are not understood. Previously, advances in image reconstruction of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have made possible high-resolution in utero measurements of water diffusion anisotropy in the fetal brain. Here, diffusion anisotropy within the developing fetal cerebral cortex is longitudinally characterized in the rhesus macaque, focusing on gestation day (G85) through G135 of the 165 d term. Additionally, for subsets of animals characterized at G90 and G135, immunohistochemical staining was performed, and 3D structure tensor analyses were used to identify the cellular processes that most closely parallel changes in water diffusion anisotropy with cerebral cortical maturation. Strong correlations were found between maturation of dendritic arbors on the cellular level and the loss of diffusion anisotropy with cortical development. In turn, diffusion anisotropy changes were strongly associated both regionally and temporally with cortical folding. Notably, the regional and temporal dependence of diffusion anisotropy and folding were distinct from the patterns observed for cerebral cortical surface area expansion. These findings strengthen the link proposed in previous studies between cellular-level changes in dendrite morphology and noninvasive diffusion MRI measurements of the developing cerebral cortex and support the possibility that, in gyroencephalic species, structural differentiation within the cortex is coupled to the formation of gyri and sulci. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Abnormal brain morphology has been found in populations with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the mechanisms linking cellular level and macroscopic maturation are poorly understood, even in normal brains. This study contributes new

Assessment of resin-dentin interfacial morphology of two ethanol-based universal adhesives: A scanning electron microscopy study

PubMed Central

Awad, Mohamed Moustafa

2017-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the resin-dentin interfacial morphology created by two universal adhesives using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Materials and Methods: The occlusal surfaces of ten (n = 5) molars were reduced to expose a flat surface of dentin. Two universal adhesives, Scotchbond Universal Adhesive and Tetric N-Bond Universal, were independently applied to air-dried dentin. Light-cured resin-based composite restorative materials were used to incrementally build a composite “buildup.” The specimen was sectioned mesiodistally to expose the resin-dentin interface. The inner surfaces of the specimens were polished. Samples were immersed in hydrochloric acid and then rinsed using distilled water. This was followed by immersion of the samples in 1% sodium hypochlorite solution. Then, samples were thoroughly rinsing with distilled water. Dehydration of samples was performed using ascending concentration of ethyl alcohol. Prepared samples were observed SEM at magnifications ×1500 and x4000. Results: Both universal adhesives could penetrate dentin-forming well-defined resin tags, lateral branches as well as a uniform hybrid layer. Conclusions: Two tested universal adhesives applied in self-etch mode can infiltrate into dentin-producing high-quality interfacial morphology. Similar interfacial morphology may be due to the similarity in composition and application mode. PMID:28729794

Protein interactions with layers of TiO2 nanotube and nanopore arrays: Morphology and surface charge influence.

PubMed

Kulkarni, Mukta; Mazare, Anca; Park, Jung; Gongadze, Ekaterina; Killian, Manuela Sonja; Kralj, Slavko; von der Mark, Klaus; Iglič, Aleš; Schmuki, Patrik

2016-11-01

In the present work we investigate the key factors involved in the interaction of small-sized charged proteins with TiO 2 nanostructures, i.e. albumin (negatively charged), histone (positively charged). We examine anodic nanotubes with specific morphology (simultaneous control over diameter and length, e.g. diameter - 15, 50 or 100nm, length - 250nm up to 10μm) and nanopores. The nanostructures surface area has a direct influence on the amount of bound protein, nonetheless the protein physical properties as electric charge and size (in relation to nanotopography and biomaterial's electric charge) are crucial too. The highest quantity of adsorbed protein is registered for histone, for 100nm diameter nanotubes (10μm length) while higher values are registered for 15nm diameter nanotubes when normalizing protein adsorption to nanostructures' surface unit area (evaluated from dye desorption measurements) - consistent with theoretical considerations. The proteins presence on the nanostructures is evaluated by XPS and ToF-SIMS; additionally, we qualitatively assess their presence along the nanostructures length by ToF-SIMS depth profiles, with decreasing concentration towards the bottom. Surface nanostructuring of titanium biomedical devices with TiO 2 nanotubes was shown to significantly influence the adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (and other cells too). A high level of control over the nanoscale topography and over the surface area of such 1D nanostructures enables a direct influence on protein adhesion. Herein, we investigate and show how the nanostructure morphology (nanotube diameter and length) influences the interactions with small-sized charged proteins, using as model proteins bovine serum albumin (negatively charged) and histone (positively charged). We show that the protein charge strongly influences their adhesion to the TiO 2 nanostructures. Protein adhesion is quantified by ELISA measurements and determination of the

Hydrogeochemical analysis and evaluation of surface water quality of Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiwari, Ashwani Kumar; Singh, Abhay Kumar; Singh, Amit Kumar; Singh, M. P.

2017-07-01

The hydrogeochemical study of surface water in Pratapgarh district has been carried out to assess the major ion chemistry and water quality for drinking and domestic purposes. For this purpose, twenty-five surface water samples were collected from river, ponds and canals and analysed for pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, hardness, major cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+), major anions (HCO3 -, F-, Cl-, NO3 -, SO4 2-) and dissolved silica concentration. The analytical results show mildly acidic to alkaline nature of surface water resources of Pratapgarh district. HCO3 - and Cl- are the dominant anions, while cation chemistry is dominated by Na+ and Ca2+. The statistical analysis and data plotted on the Piper diagram reveals that the surface water chemistry is mainly controlled by rock weathering with secondary contributions from agriculture and anthropogenic sources. Ca2+-Mg2+-HCO3 -, Ca2+-Mg2+-Cl- and Na+-HCO3 --Cl- are the dominant hydrogeochemical facies in the surface water of the area. For quality assessment, values of analysed parameters were compared with Indian and WHO water quality standards, which shows that the concentrations of TDS, F-, NO3 -, Na+, Mg2+ and total hardness are exceeding the desirable limits in some water samples. Water Quality Index (WQI) is one of the most effective tools to communicate information on the quality of any water body. The computed WQI values of Pratapgarh district surface water range from 28 to 198 with an average value of 82, and more than half of the study area is under excellent to good category.

MORPHOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL COMPARISON OF MICROORGANISMS IN SURFACE SOIL AND SUBSURFACE SEDIMENTS AT A PRISTINE STUDY SITE IN OKLAHOMA (JOURNAL VERSION)

EPA Science Inventory

Surface-soil and subsurface microfloras at the site of a shallow aquifer in Oklahoma were examined and compared with respect to (1) total and viable cell numbers, (2) colony and cell types that grew on various plating media, (3) cell morphologies seen in flotation films stripped ...

Crystallinity, Surface Morphology, and Photoelectrochemical Effects in Conical InP and InN Nanowires Grown on Silicon.

PubMed

Parameshwaran, Vijay; Xu, Xiaoqing; Clemens, Bruce

2016-08-24

The growth conditions of two types of indium-based III-V nanowires, InP and InN, are tailored such that instead of yielding conventional wire-type morphologies, single-crystal conical structures are formed with an enlarged diameter either near the base or near the tip. By using indium droplets as a growth catalyst, combined with an excess indium supply during growth, "ice cream cone" type structures are formed with a nanowire "cone" and an indium-based "ice cream" droplet on top for both InP and InN. Surface polycrystallinity and annihilation of the catalyst tip of the conical InP nanowires are observed when the indium supply is turned off during the growth process. This growth design technique is extended to create single-crystal InN nanowires with the same morphology. Conical InN nanowires with an enlarged base are obtained through the use of an excess combined Au-In growth catalyst. Electrochemical studies of the InP nanowires on silicon demonstrate a reduction photocurrent as a proof of photovolatic behavior and provide insight as to how the observed surface polycrystallinity and the resulting interface affect these device-level properties. Additionally, a photovoltage is induced in both types of conical InN nanowires on silicon, which is not replicated in epitaxial InN thin films.

Analysis of Surface and Subsurface Damage Morphology in Rotary Ultrasonic Machining of BK7 Glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong-xiang, Wang; Chu, Wang; Jun-liang, Liu; Shi, Gao; Wen-Jie, Zhai

2017-11-01

This paper investigates the formation process of surface/subsurface damage in the rotary ultrasonic machining of BK7 glass. The results show that during the milling using the end face of the tool, the cutting depth and the residual height between the abrasive grains constantly change with the high-frequency vibration, generating lots of cracks on both sides of the scratches. The high-frequency vibration accelerates the chips falling from the surface, so that the chips and thermal damage are reduced, causing the grinding surface quality better. A plastic deformation area is formed during the grinding, due to the non-uniform cutting force on the material surface, and the residual stress is produced in the deformation area, inducing the median/lateral cracks.

Corn stover harvest and tillage impacts on near-surface soil physical quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Excessive harvest of corn (Zea mays L.) stover for ethanol production has raised concerns regarding negative consequences on soil physical quality. Our objective was to quantify the impact of two tillage practices and three levels of corn stover harvest on near-surface soil physical quality through ...

Bubble structure evaluation method of sponge cake by using image morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kato, Kunihito; Yamamoto, Kazuhiko; Nonaka, Masahiko; Katsuta, Yukiyo; Kasamatsu, Chinatsu

2007-01-01

Nowadays, many evaluation methods for food industry by using image processing are proposed. These methods are becoming new evaluation method besides the sensory test and the solid-state measurement that have been used for the quality evaluation recently. The goal of our research is structure evaluation of sponge cake by using the image processing. In this paper, we propose a feature extraction method of the bobble structure in the sponge cake. Analysis of the bubble structure is one of the important properties to understand characteristics of the cake from the image. In order to take the cake image, first we cut cakes and measured that's surface by using the CIS scanner, because the depth of field of this type scanner is very shallow. Therefore the bubble region of the surface has low gray scale value, and it has a feature that is blur. We extracted bubble regions from the surface images based on these features. The input image is binarized, and the feature of bubble is extracted by the morphology analysis. In order to evaluate the result of feature extraction, we compared correlation with "Size of the bubble" of the sensory test result. From a result, the bubble extraction by using morphology analysis gives good correlation. It is shown that our method is as well as the subjectivity evaluation.

[Effect of hydrofluoric acid concentration on the surface morphology and bonding effectiveness of lithium disilicate glass ceramics to resin composites].

PubMed

Hailan, Qian; Lingyan, Ren; Rongrong, Nie; Xiangfeng, Meng

2017-12-01

This study aimed at determining the influence of hydrofluoric acid (HF) in varied concentrations on the surface morphology of lithium disilicate glass ceramics and bond durability between resin composites and post-treated lithium disilicate glass ceramics. After being sintered, ground, and washed, 72 as-prepared specimens of lithium disilicate glass ceramics with dimensions of 11 mm×13 mm×2 mm were randomly divided into three groups. Each group was treated with acid solution [32% phosphoric acid (PA) or 4% or 9.5% HF] for 20 s. Then, four acidified specimens from each group were randomly selected. One of the specimens was used to observe the surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy, and the others were used to observe the surface roughness using a surface roughness meter (including Ra, Rz, and Rmax). After treatment with different acid solutions in each group, 20 samples were further treated with silane coupling agent/resin adhesive/resin cement (Monobond S/Multilink Primer A&B/Multilink N), followed by bonding to a composite resin column (Filtek™ Z350) with a diameter of 3 mm. A total of 20 specimens in each group were randomly divided into two subgroups, which were used for measuring the microshear bond strength, with one of them subjected to cool-thermal cycle for 20 000 times. The surface roughness (Ra, Rz, and Rmax) of lithium disilicate glass ceramics treated with 4% or 9.5% HF was significantly higher than that of the ceramic treated with PA (P<0.05). The lithium disilicate glass ceramics treated with 9.5% HF also demonstrated better surface roughness (Rz and Rmax) than that of the ceramics treated with 4% HF. Cool-thermal cycle treatment reduced the bond strength of lithium disilicate glass ceramics in all groups (P<0.05). After cool-thermal cycle, the lithium disilicate glass ceramics treated with HF had higher bond strength than that of the ceramics treated with PA. The lithium disilicate glass ceramics treated with 4% HF had higher bond

Effect of nano-scale morphology on micro-channel wall surface and electrical characterization in lead silicate glass micro-channel plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Hua; Li, Fangjun; Xu, Yanglei; Bo, Tiezhu; Zhou, Dongzhan; Lian, Jiao; Li, Qing; Cao, Zhenbo; Xu, Tao; Wang, Caili; Liu, Hui; Li, Guoen; Jia, Jinsheng

2017-10-01

Micro-channel plate (MCP) is a two dimensional arrays of microscopic channel charge particle multiplier. Silicate composition and hydrogen reduction are keys to determine surface morphology of micro-channel wall in MCP. In this paper, lead silicate glass micro-channel plates in two different cesium contents (0at%, 0.5at%) and two different hydrogen reduction temperatures (400°C,450°C) were present. The nano-scale morphology, elements content and chemical states of microporous wall surface treated under different alkaline compositions and reduction conditions was investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Meanwhile, the electrical characterizations of MCP, including the bulk resistance, electron gain and the density of dark current, were measured in a Vacuum Photoelectron Imaging Test Facility (VPIT).The results indicated that the granular phase occurred on the surface of microporous wall and diffuses in bulk glass is an aggregate of Pb atom derived from the reduction of Pb2+. In micro-channel plate, the electron gain and bulk resistance were mainly correlated to particle size and distribution, the density of dark current (DDC) went up with the increasing root-mean-square roughness (RMS) on the microporous wall surface. Adding cesiums improved the size of Pb atomic aggregation, lowered the relative concentration of [Pb] reduced from Pb2+ and decreased the total roughness of micro-channel wall surface, leading a higher bulk resistance, a lower electron gain and a less dark current. Increasing hydrogen reduction temperature also improved the size of Pb atomic aggregation, but enhanced the relative concentration of [Pb] and enlarged the total roughness of micro-channel wall surface, leading a higher bulk resistance, a lower electron gain and a larger dark current. The reasons for the difference of electrical characteristics were discussed.

Morphological driven photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbas, Khaldoon N.; Bidin, Noriah

2017-02-01

Using a simple combination of pulse laser ablation in liquid and hydrothermal (PLAL-H) approaches, we control the morphology of ZnO nanostructures (ZNSs) to determine the feasibility of their photocatalytic efficacy. These ZNSs are deposited on Si (100) substrates and two different morphologies are achieved. In this synergistic approach, PLAL synthesized NSs are used as a nutrient solution with different pH for further hydrothermal treatment at 110 °C under varying growth time (5, 30 and 60 min). Surface morphology, structure, composition, and optical characteristics of the prepared ZNSs are determined using FESEM, XRD, FTIR and Photoluminescence (PL) and UV-vis absorption measurements. The morphology revealed remarkable transformation from nanorods (NRs)/nanoflowers (NFs) (at pH 7.6) to nanoparticles (NPs)-like (at pH 10.5) structure. XRD patterns showed better polycrystallinity for NPs with enlarged band gap than NR/NF-like structures. Both PL and UV-vis spectral analysis of ZNPs exhibited higher surface area and deep level defects density dependent morphology, where the nutrient pH and growth time variation are found to play a significant role towards structural evolution. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activities of, such ZNSs are evaluated via sunlight driven photo-degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The photocatalytic efficiency of ZNPs is demonstrated to be much superior (97.4%) than ZNRs/ZNFs-like morphology (86%). Such enhanced photocatalytic activities of as-synthesized ZNPs is attributed to the synergism of the improved surface area and defects density, which is useful for promoting the adsorption of the MB dye and suppressed surface recombination of photo-generated charge carriers.

Method for evaluation of human induced pluripotent stem cell quality using image analysis based on the biological morphology of cells.

PubMed

Wakui, Takashi; Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi; Matsubara, Kenta; Kawasaki, Tomoyuki; Yamaguchi, Hiroshi; Akutsu, Hidenori

2017-10-01

We propose an image analysis method for quality evaluation of human pluripotent stem cells based on biologically interpretable features. It is important to maintain the undifferentiated state of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) while culturing the cells during propagation. Cell culture experts visually select good quality cells exhibiting the morphological features characteristic of undifferentiated cells. Experts have empirically determined that these features comprise prominent and abundant nucleoli, less intercellular spacing, and fewer differentiating cellular nuclei. We quantified these features based on experts' visual inspection of phase contrast images of iPSCs and found that these features are effective for evaluating iPSC quality. We then developed an iPSC quality evaluation method using an image analysis technique. The method allowed accurate classification, equivalent to visual inspection by experts, of three iPSC cell lines.

Quality-control results for ground-water and surface-water data, Sacramento River Basin, California, National Water-Quality Assessment, 1996-1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Munday, Cathy; Domagalski, Joseph L.

2003-01-01

Evaluating the extent that bias and variability affect the interpretation of ground- and surface-water data is necessary to meet the objectives of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Quality-control samples used to evaluate the bias and variability include annual equipment blanks, field blanks, field matrix spikes, surrogates, and replicates. This report contains quality-control results for the constituents critical to the ground- and surface-water components of the Sacramento River Basin study unit of the NAWQA Program. A critical constituent is one that was detected frequently (more than 50 percent of the time in blank samples), was detected at amounts exceeding water-quality standards or goals, or was important for the interpretation of water-quality data. Quality-control samples were collected along with ground- and surface-water samples during the high intensity phase (cycle 1) of the Sacramento River Basin NAWQA beginning early in 1996 and ending in 1998. Ground-water field blanks indicated contamination of varying levels of significance when compared with concentrations detected in environmental ground-water samples for ammonia, dissolved organic carbon, aluminum, and copper. Concentrations of aluminum in surface-water field blanks were significant when compared with environmental samples. Field blank samples collected for pesticide and volatile organic compound analyses revealed no contamination in either ground- or surface-water samples that would effect the interpretation of environmental data, with the possible exception of the volatile organic compound trichloromethane (chloroform) in ground water. Replicate samples for ground water and surface water indicate that variability resulting from sample collection, processing, and analysis was generally low. Some of the larger maximum relative percentage differences calculated for replicate samples occurred between samples having lowest absolute concentration differences and(or) values near

Surface Water Quality-Assurance Plan for the North Florida Program Office of the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Franklin, Marvin A.

2000-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, has a policy that requires each District office to prepare a Surface Water Quality-Assurance Plan. The plan for each District describes the policies and procedures that ensure high quality in the collection, processing, analysis, computer storage, and publication of surface-water data. The North Florida Program Office Surface Water Quality-Assurance Plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the North Florida Program office for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of surface-water data.

Determination of surface morphology of TiO2 nanostructure using synchrotron radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Gangadhar; Kumar, Manoj; Biswas, A. K.; Khooha, Ajay; Mondal, Puspen; Tiwari, M. K.

2017-05-01

Nanostructures of Titanium oxide (TiO2) are being studied for many promising applications, e.g., solar photovoltaics, solar water splitting for H2 fuel generation etc., due to their excellent photo-catalytic properties. We have synthesized low-dimensional TiO2 nanoparticles by gas phase CW CO2 laser pyrolysis. The laser synthesis process has been optimized for the deposition of highly pure, nearly mono-dispersed TiO2 nanoparticles on silicon substrates. Hard x-ray standing wave-field (XSW) measurements in total reflection geometry were carried out on the BL-16 beamline of Indus-2 synchrotron radiation facility in combination with x-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence x-ray fluorescence measurements for the determination of surface morphology of the deposited TiO2 nanostructures. The average particle size of TiO2 nanostructure estimated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was found to closely agree with the XSW and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) results.

Interactions of donor sources and media influence the histo-morphological quality of full-thickness skin models.

PubMed

Lange, Julia; Weil, Frederik; Riegler, Christoph; Groeber, Florian; Rebhan, Silke; Kurdyn, Szymon; Alb, Miriam; Kneitz, Hermann; Gelbrich, Götz; Walles, Heike; Mielke, Stephan

2016-10-01

Human artificial skin models are increasingly employed as non-animal test platforms for research and medical purposes. However, the overall histopathological quality of such models may vary significantly. Therefore, the effects of manufacturing protocols and donor sources on the quality of skin models built-up from fibroblasts and keratinocytes derived from juvenile foreskins is studied. Histo-morphological parameters such as epidermal thickness, number of epidermal cell layers, dermal thickness, dermo-epidermal adhesion and absence of cellular nuclei in the corneal layer are obtained and scored accordingly. In total, 144 full-thickness skin models derived from 16 different donors, built-up in triplicates using three different culture conditions were successfully generated. In univariate analysis both media and donor age affected the quality of skin models significantly. Both parameters remained statistically significant in multivariate analyses. Performing general linear model analyses we could show that individual medium-donor-interactions influence the quality. These observations suggest that the optimal choice of media may differ from donor to donor and coincides with findings where significant inter-individual variations of growth rates in keratinocytes and fibroblasts have been described. Thus, the consideration of individual medium-donor-interactions may improve the overall quality of human organ models thereby forming a reproducible test platform for sophisticated clinical research. Copyright © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Predicting internal lumber grade from log surface knots: actual and simulated results.

Treesearch

Christine Todoroki; Robert A. Monserud; Dean L. Parry

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was threefold: 1) compare actual with simulated lumber yields; 2) examine the effect of measurement errors associated with knot angles and morphology. on lumber grade; and 3) investigate methods for predicting lumber quality within unsawn logs from surface knots. Twenty-eight Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii(Mii irb.)...

Surface passivation of nano-textured fluorescent SiC by atomic layer deposited TiO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Weifang; Ou, Yiyu; Jokubavicius, Valdas; Fadil, Ahmed; Syväjärvi, Mikael; Petersen, Paul Michael; Ou, Haiyan

2016-07-01

Nano-textured surfaces have played a key role in optoelectronic materials to enhance the light extraction efficiency. In this work, morphology and optical properties of nano-textured SiC covered with atomic layer deposited (ALD) TiO2 were investigated. In order to obtain a high quality surface for TiO2 deposition, a three-step cleaning procedure was introduced after RIE etching. The morphology of anatase TiO2 indicates that the nano-textured substrate has a much higher surface nucleated grain density than a flat substrate at the beginning of the deposition process. The corresponding reflectance increases with TiO2 thickness due to increased surface diffuse reflection. The passivation effect of ALD TiO2 thin film on the nano-textured fluorescent 6H-SiC sample was also investigated and a PL intensity improvement of 8.05% was obtained due to the surface passivation.

Surface modification to prevent oxide scale spallation

DOEpatents

Stephens, Elizabeth V; Sun, Xin; Liu, Wenning; Stevenson, Jeffry W; Surdoval, Wayne; Khaleel, Mohammad A

2013-07-16

A surface modification to prevent oxide scale spallation is disclosed. The surface modification includes a ferritic stainless steel substrate having a modified surface. A cross-section of the modified surface exhibits a periodic morphology. The periodic morphology does not exceed a critical buckling length, which is equivalent to the length of a wave attribute observed in the cross section periodic morphology. The modified surface can be created using at least one of the following processes: shot peening, surface blasting and surface grinding. A coating can be applied to the modified surface.

The influence of concrete mixture’s rheological properties on the quality of formed concrete surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daukšys, M.; Klovas, A.; Venčkauskas, L.

2017-09-01

This study mainly lays emphasis on examining the influence of concrete mixture rheological properties on the quality of formed concrete surfaces. Mixture’s fine aggregate change was taken into the consideration. Over the course of concrete mixture preparation the inner ratio of fine aggregate (sand: fraction of 0/1 and 0/4) was changed. The idea was to increase the quantity of fine particles in the total aggregate’s volume therefore quantity of sand (fraction 0/1) was increased. Six different concrete mixture’s compositions were designed as well as three specimens (concrete piles of 1m2 surface area) were casted. Rheological properties of concrete mixtures were analytically obtained and the quality of formed concrete surfaces was evaluated using image analysis method “BetonGUY 2.0”. As can be obtained from the dependence between concrete mixture rheological properties and its formed surface quality, the increase of concrete mixture’s yield stress and plastic viscosity reduces the quantity of air pores on formed concrete surfaces.

Quality of surface water in the Suwannee River Basin, Florida, August 1968 through December 1977

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hull, Robert W.; Dysart, Joel E.; Mann, William B.

1981-01-01

In the 9,950-square mile area of the Suwannee River basin in Florida and Georgia, 17 surface-water stations on 9 streams and several springs were sampled for selected water-quality properties and constituents from August 1968 through December 1977. Analyses from these samples indicate that: (1) the water quality of tributary wetlands controls the water quality of the upper Suwannee River headwaters; (2) groundwater substantially affects the water quality of the Suwannee River basin streams below these headquarters; (3) the water quality of the Suwannee River, and many of its tributaries, is determined by several factors and is not simply related to discharge; and (4) development in the Suwannee River basin has had observable effects on the quality of surface waters. 

Structure refinement for tantalum nitrides nanocrystals with various morphologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Lianyun; School of Science, Beijing Jiaotong University, 3 Shang Yuan Cun, Haidian District, Beijing 100044; Huang, Kai

2012-07-15

Graphical abstract: Tantalum nitrides nanocrystals with various phases and morphologies for the first time have been synthesized through homogenous sodium reduction under low temperature with the subsequent annealing process under high vacuum. Highlights: ► The spherical TaN, cuboidal TaN{sub 0.83} and TaN{sub 0.5} nanocrystals have been synthesized through homogenous sodium reduction under low temperature with the subsequent annealing process under high vacuum. ► The crystal structures of different tantalum nitrides were determined by Rietveld refinement on the X-ray diffraction data and the examinations of electron microcopies. ► The specific surface area of the tantalum nitrides powders was around 10 m{supmore » 2} g{sup −1}. ► Tantalum nitrides powders could be suitable for capacitor with high specific capacitance. -- Abstract: Tantalum nitrides (TaN{sub x}) nanocrystals with different phase and morphology have been synthesized through homogenous sodium reduction under low temperature with the subsequent annealing process under high vacuum. The crystal structures of tantalum nitrides were determined by Rietveld refinement based on the X-ray diffraction data. The morphologies of various tantalum nitrides nanocrystals in high quality were analyzed through the electron microcopies examinations. The spherical TaN nanoparticles, cuboidal TaN{sub 0.83} and TaN{sub 0.5} nanocrystals have been selectively prepared at different annealing temperatures. In addition, the specific surface areas of the tantalum nitrides nanocrystals measured by BET method were around 9.87–11.64 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}, indicating that such nano-sized tantalum nitrides could be suitable for capacitor with high specific capacitance.« less

Growth of porous anodized alumina on the sputtered aluminum films with 2D-3D morphology for high specific surface area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, M. W.; Chung, C. K.

2014-08-01

The porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) with high-aspect-ratio pore channels is widely used as a template for fabricating nanowires or other one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures. The high specific surface area of AAO can also be applied to the super capacitor and the supporting substrate for catalysis. The rough surface could be helpful to enhance specific surface area but it generally results in electrical field concentration even to ruin AAO. In this article, the aluminum (Al) films with the varied 2D-3D morphology on Si substrates were prepared using magnetron sputtering at a power of 50 W-185 W for 1 h at a working pressure of 2.5 × 10-1 Pa. Then, AAO was fabricated from the different Al films by means of one-step hybrid pulse anodizing (HPA) between the positive 40 V and the negative -2 V (1 s:1 s) for 3 min in 0.3 M oxalic acid at a room temperature. The microstructure and morphology of Al films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope, respectively. Some hillocks formed at the high target power could be attributed to the grain texture growth in the normal orientation of Al(1 1 1). The 3D porous AAO structure which is different from the conventional 2D planar one has been successfully demonstrated using HPA on the film with greatly rough hillock-surface formed at the highest power of 185 W. It offers a potential application of the new 3D AAO to high specific surface area devices.

Surface properties and aggregate morphology of partially fluorinated carboxylate-type anionic gemini surfactants.

PubMed

Yoshimura, Tomokazu; Bong, Miri; Matsuoka, Keisuke; Honda, Chikako; Endo, Kazutoyo

2009-11-01

Three anionic homologues of a novel partially fluorinated carboxylate-type anionic gemini surfactant, N,N'-di(3-perfluoroalkyl-2-hydroxypropyl)-N,N'-diacetic acid ethylenediamine (2C(n)(F) edda, where n represents the number of carbon atoms in the fluorocarbon chain (4, 6, and 8)) were synthesized. In these present gemini surfactants, the relatively small carboxylic acid moieties form hydrophilic head groups. The surface properties or structures of the aggregates of these surfactants are strongly influenced by the nonflexible fluorocarbons and small head groups; this is because these surfactants have a closely packed molecular structure. The equilibrium surface tension properties of these surfactants were measured at 298.2K for various fluorocarbon chain lengths. The plot of the logarithm of the critical micelle concentration (cmc) against the fluorocarbon chain lengths for 2C(n)(F) edda (n=4, 6, and 8) showed a minimum for n=6. Furthermore, the lowest surface tension of 2C(6)(F) edda at the cmc was 16.4mNm(-1). Such unique behavior has not been observed even in the other fluorinated surfactants. Changes in the shapes and sizes of these surfactant aggregate with concentration were investigated by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM micrographs showed that in an aqueous alkali solution, 2C(n)(F) edda mainly formed aggregates with stringlike (n=4), cagelike (n=6), and distorted bilayer structures (n=8). The morphological changes in the aggregates were affected by the molecular structure composed of nonflexible fluorocarbon chains and flexible hydrocarbon chains.

Van der Waals Layered Materials: Surface Morphology, Interlayer Interaction, and Electronic Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeh, Po-Chun

The search for new ultrathin materials as the "new silicon" has begun. In this dissertation, I examine (1) the surface structure, including the growth, the crystal quality, and thin film surface corrugation of a monolayer sample and a few layers of MoS2 and WSe2, and (2) their electronic structure. The characteristics of these electronic systems depend intimately on the morphology of the surfaces they inhabit, and their interactions with the substrate or within layers. These physical properties will be addressed in each chapter. This thesis has dedicated to the characterization of mono- and a few layers of MoS2 and WSe2 that uses surface-sensitive probes such as low-energy electron microscopy and diffraction (LEEM and LEED). Prior to our studies, the characterization of monolayer MoS2 and WSe2 has been generally limited to optical and transport probes. Furthermore, the heavy use of thick silicon oxide layer as the supporting substrate has been important in order to allow optical microscopic characterization of the 2D material. Hence, to the best of our knowledge, this has prohibited studies of this material on other surfaces, and it has precluded the discovery of potentially rich interface interactions that may exist between MoS 2 and its supporting substrate. Thus, in our study, we use a so-called SPELEEM system (Spectroscopic Photo-Emission and Low Energy Electron Microscopy) to address these imaging modalities: (1) real-space microscopy, which would allow locating of monolayer MoS2 samples, (2) spatially-resolved low-energy diffraction which would allow confirmation of the crystalline quality and domain orientation of MoS2 samples, and, (3) spatially-resolved spectroscopy, which would allow electronic structure mapping of MoS2 samples. Moreover, we have developed a preparation procedure for samples that yield, a surface-probe ready, ultra-clean, and can be transferred on an arbitrary substrate. To fully understand the physics in MoS2 such as direct

Morphological and physiological evaluations of seedling quality

Treesearch

Diane L. Haase

2007-01-01

Seedling quality and subsequent field performance can be influenced by various stress factors. Measuring seedling quality can help to identify possible crop problems in order to make informed decisions for culturing, lifting, storing, and planting. In addition, seedling quality data can help seedling growers and users to better understand annual patterns among species...

Extracting hurricane eye morphology from spaceborne SAR images using morphological analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Isabella K.; Shamsoddini, Ali; Li, Xiaofeng; Trinder, John C.; Li, Zeyu

2016-07-01

Hurricanes are among the most destructive global natural disasters. Thus recognizing and extracting their morphology is important for understanding their dynamics. Conventional optical sensors, due to cloud cover associated with hurricanes, cannot reveal the intense air-sea interaction occurring at the sea surface. In contrast, the unique capabilities of spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data for cloud penetration, and its backscattering signal characteristics enable the extraction of the sea surface roughness. Therefore, SAR images enable the measurement of the size and shape of hurricane eyes, which reveal their evolution and strength. In this study, using six SAR hurricane images, we have developed a mathematical morphology method for automatically extracting the hurricane eyes from C-band SAR data. Skeleton pruning based on discrete skeleton evolution (DSE) was used to ensure global and local preservation of the hurricane eye shape. This distance weighted algorithm applied in a hierarchical structure for extraction of the edges of the hurricane eyes, can effectively avoid segmentation errors by reducing redundant skeletons attributed to speckle noise along the edges of the hurricane eye. As a consequence, the skeleton pruning has been accomplished without deficiencies in the key hurricane eye skeletons. A morphology-based analyses of the subsequent reconstructions of the hurricane eyes shows a high degree of agreement with the hurricane eye areas derived from reference data based on NOAA manual work.

Correlation between morphology, electron band structure, and resistivity of Pb atomic chains on the Si(5 5 3)-Au surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jałochowski, M.; Kwapiński, T.; Łukasik, P.; Nita, P.; Kopciuszyński, M.

2016-07-01

Structural and electron transport properties of multiple Pb atomic chains fabricated on the Si(5 5 3)-Au surface are investigated using scanning tunneling spectroscopy, reflection high electron energy diffraction, angular resolved photoemission electron spectroscopy and in situ electrical resistance. The study shows that Pb atomic chains growth modulates the electron band structure of pristine Si(5 5 3)-Au surface and hence changes its sheet resistivity. Strong correlation between chains morphology, electron band structure and electron transport properties is found. To explain experimental findings a theoretical tight-binding model of multiple atomic chains interacting on effective substrate is proposed.

Quantitative Morphologic Analysis of Boulder Shape and Surface Texture to Infer Environmental History: A Case Study of Rock Breakdown at the Ephrata Fan, Channeled Scabland, Washington

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ehlmann, Bethany L.; Viles, Heather A.; Bourke, Mary C.

2008-01-01

Boulder morphology reflects both lithology and climate and is dictated by the combined effects of erosion, transport, and weathering. At present, morphologic information at the boulder scale is underutilized as a recorder of environmental processes, partly because of the lack of a systematic quantitative parameter set for reporting and comparing data sets. We develop such a parameter set, incorporating a range of measures of boulder form and surface texture. We use standard shape metrics measured in the field and fractal and morphometric classification methods borrowed from landscape analysis and applied to laser-scanned molds. The parameter set was pilot tested on three populations of basalt boulders with distinct breakdown histories in the Channeled Scabland, Washington: (1) basalt outcrop talus; (2) flood-transported boulders recently excavated from a quarry; and (3) flood-transported boulders, extensively weathered in situ on the Ephrata Fan surface. Size and shape data were found to distinguish between flood-transported and untransported boulders. Size and edge angles (approximately 120 degrees) of flood-transported boulders suggest removal by preferential fracturing along preexisting columnar joints, and curvature data indicate rounding relative to outcrop boulders. Surface textural data show that boulders which have been exposed at the surface are significantly rougher than those buried by fan sediments. Past signatures diagnostic of flood transport still persist on surface boulders, despite ongoing overprinting by processes in the present breakdown environment through roughening and fracturing in situ. Further use of this quantitative boulder parameter set at other terrestrial and planetary sites will aid in cataloging and understanding morphologic signatures of environmental processes.

Surface morphology and nanomechanical properties of tribological antiwear films derived from zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aktary, Mirwais

The protection of mechanical equipment from wear is of significant economic interest. It has been estimated that up to half of a percent of the gross domestic product of industrialized countries goes to replacing mechanical components that have lost compliance due to wear. Antiwear additives are key ingredients in lubrication oils that assist in protecting components from wear during high loads. These agents form sacrificial films on metal parts that limit the adhesion between the contacting surfaces and reduce the wear rate considerably. One of the most common classes of compounds employed as an antiwear agent is zinc dialkyldithiophosphates (ZDDP). This work will explore the formation, structure, and mechanical properties of ZDDP derived antiwear films on the nanoscale. These studies are important because the macroscopic performance of antiwear coatings is dictated by their nanoscale surface properties. As a first study, scanning force microscopy (SFM) is employed to track the formation of films formed from the thermooxidative decomposition of ZDDP on gold substrates. The SFM analysis is correlated with infrared spectroscopy to relate surface structure to chemical composition. The morphology and mechanical strength of ZDDP tribofilms formed at the interface of sliding stainless steel contacts is also investigated. The tribofilms evolve morphologically with contact time and are characterized by distinct segregated islands at low times that transforms to a full film at longer times. The nanomechanical properties of the tribofilms are evaluated by nanoindentation analysis. It is found that the films are mechanically softer than the underlying steel substrate. SFM and nanoindentation analyses reveal that calcium sulphonate detergents promote the formation of ZDDP tribofilms and impart to them greater mechanical stability. By contrast succinimide dispersants reduce the capacity of ZDDP to form effective antiwear films. The first application of SFM and nanoindentation

Modeling the characteristic etch morphologies along specific crystallographic orientations by anisotropic chemical etching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Kun-Dar; Miao, Jin-Ru

2018-02-01

To improve the advanced manufacturing technology for functional materials, a sophisticated control of chemical etching process is highly demanded, especially in the fields of environment and energy related applications. In this study, a phase-field-based model is utilized to investigate the etch morphologies influenced by the crystallographic characters during anisotropic chemical etching. Three types of etching modes are inspected theoretically, including the isotropic, <100> and <111> preferred oriented etchings. Owing to the specific etching behavior along the crystallographic directions, different characteristic surface structures are presented in the simulations, such as the pimple-like, pyramidal hillock and ridge-like morphologies. In addition, the processing parameters affecting the surface morphological formation and evolution are also examined systematically. According to the numerical results, the growth mechanism of surface morphology in a chemical etching is revealed distinctly. While the etching dynamics plays a dominant role on the surface formation, the characteristic surface morphologies corresponding to the preferred etching direction become more apparent. As the atomic diffusion turned into a determinative factor, a smoothened surface would appear, even under the anisotropic etching conditions. These simulation results provide fundamental information to enhance the development and application of anisotropic chemical etching techniques.

Cell surface distribution and intracellular fate of asialoglycoproteins: a morphological and biochemical study of isolated rat hepatocytes and monolayer cultures

PubMed Central

Zeitlin, PL; Hubbard, AL

1982-01-01

A combination of biochemistry and morphology was used to demonstrate that more than 95 percent of the isolated rat hepatocytes prepared by collagenase dissociation of rat livers retained the pathway for receptor-mediated endocytosis of asialoglycoproteins (ASGPs). Maximal specific binding of (125)I-asialoorosomucoid ((125)I-ASOR) to dissociated hepatocytes at 5 degrees C (at which temperature no internalization occurred) averaged 100,000-400,000 molecules per cell. Binding, uptake, and degredation of (125)I- ASOR at 37 degrees C occurred at a rate of 1 x 10(6) molecules per cell over 2 h. Light and electron microscopic autoradiography (LM- and EM-ARG) of (125)I-ASOR were used to visualize the surface binding sites at 5 degrees C and the intracellular pathway at 37 degrees C. In the EM-ARG experiments, ARG grains corresponding to (125)I-ASOR were distributed randomly over the cell surface at 5 degrees C but over time at 37 degrees C were concentrated in the lysosome region. Cytochemical detection of an ASOR-horseradish peroxidase conjugate (ASOR-HRP) at the ultrastructural level revealed that at 5 degrees C this specific ASGP tracer was concentrated in pits at the cell surface as well as diffusely distributed along the rest of the plasma membrane. Such a result indicates that redistribution of ASGP surface receptors had occurred. Because the number of surface binding sites of (125)I-ASOR varied among cell preparations, the effect of collagenase on (125)I-ASOR binding was examined. When collagenase-dissociated hepatocytes were re-exposed to collagenase at 37 degrees C, 10-50 percent of control binding was observed. However, by measuring the extent of (125)I-ASOR binding at 5 degrees C in the same cell population before and after collagenase dissociation, little reduction in the number of ASGP surface receptors was found. Therefore, the possibility that the time and temperature of the cell isolations allowed recovery of cell surface receptors following collagenase

The Effect of CFRP Surface Treatment on the Splat Morphology and Coating Adhesion Strength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganesan, Amirthan; Yamada, Motohiro; Fukumoto, Masahiro

2014-01-01

Metallization of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites aggrandized their application to aircraft, automobile, and wind power industries. Recently, the metallization of CFRP surface using thermal spray technique, especially the cold spray, a solid state deposition technique, is a topic of research. However, a direct cold spray deposition on the CFRP substrate often imposes severe erosion on the surface owing to the high-impact energy of the sprayed particles. This urges the requirement of an interlayer on the CFRP surface. In the present study, the effect of surface treatment on the interlayer adhesion strength is evaluated. The CFRP samples were initially treated mechanically, chemically, and thermally and then an interlayer was developed by atmospheric plasma spray system. The quality of the coating is highly dependent on the splat taxonomy; therefore the present work also devoted to study the splat formation behavior using the splat-collection experiments, where the molten Cu particles impinged on the treated CFRP substrates. These results were correlated with the coating adhesion strength. The coating adhesion strength was measured by pull-out test. The results showed that the surface treatment, particularly the chemical treatment, was fairly successful in improving the adhesion strength.

Effect of surface morphology on drag and roughness sublayer in flows over regular roughness elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Placidi, Marco; Ganapathisubramani, Bharathram

2014-11-01

The effects of systematically varied roughness morphology on bulk drag and on the spatial structure of turbulent boundary layers are examined by performing a series of wind tunnel experiments. In this study, rough surfaces consisting of regularly and uniformly distributed LEGO™ bricks are employed. Twelve different patterns are adopted in order to methodically examine the individual effects of frontal solidity (λF, frontal area of the roughness elements per unit wall-parallel area) and plan solidity (λP, plan area of roughness elements per unit wall-parallel area), on both the bulk drag and the turbulence structure. A floating element friction balance based on Krogstad & Efros (2010) was designed and manufactured to measure the drag generated by the different surfaces. In parallel, high resolution planar and stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was applied to investigate the flow features. This talk will focus on the effects of each solidity parameter on the bulk drag and attempt to relate the observed trends to the flow structures in the roughness sublayer. Currently at City University London.

Morphology of Nano and Micro Fiber Structures in Ultrafine Particles Filtration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimmer, Dusan; Vincent, Ivo; Fenyk, Jan; Petras, David; Zatloukal, Martin; Sambaer, Wannes; Zdimal, Vladimir

2011-07-01

Selected procedures permitting to prepare homogeneous nanofibre structures of the desired morphology by employing a suitable combination of variables during the electrospinning process are presented. A comparison (at the same pressure drop) was made of filtration capabilities of planar polyurethane nanostructures formed exclusively by nanofibres, space polycarbonate nanostructures having bead spacers, structures formed by a combination of polymethyl methacrylate micro- and nanofibres and polypropylene meltblown microstructures, through which ultrafine particles of ammonium sulphate 20-400 nm in size were filtered. The structures studied were described using a new digital image analysis technique based on black and white images obtained by scanning electron microscopy. More voluminous structures modified with distance microspheres and having a greater thickness and mass per square area of the material, i.e. structures possessing better mechanical properties, demanded so much in nanostructures, enable preparation of filters having approximately the same free volume fraction as flat nanofibre filters but an increased effective fibre surface area, changed pore size morphology and, consequently, a higher filter quality.

Decalin-assisted light emitting porous Si formation and its optical, surface and morphological properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karatutlu, Ali; Istengir, Sumeyra; Cosgun, Sedat; Seker, Isa; Unal, Bayram

2017-11-01

In this research paper, light emitting porous silicon (Lep-Si) samples were fabricated by a surfactant-mediated chemical stain etching solution in order to form homogenous luminescent nanostructures at room temperature. As an industrially important solvent, decalin (decahydronaphtalene) was used as a surfactant in the HF/HNO3 solutions in order to control the etching process. Morphological, surface and optical properties of the Lep-Si samples were examined using atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) techniques. These characterization techniques were correlated with the various etching times including depth dependent luminescence profiles for the first time. We report the optimum conditions for production of the most efficient Lep-Si using decalin (decahydronaphtalene) and possible structural origins of light emission using the depth dependent luminescence measurements.

Craterlike structures on the laser cut surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shulyatyev, V. B.; Orishich, A. M.

2017-10-01

Analysis of the laser cut surface morphology remain topical. It is related with the fact that the surface roughness is the main index of the cut quality. The present paper deals with the experimental study of the relatively unstudied type of defects on the laser cut surface, dimples, or craters. According to the measurement results, amount of craters per unit of the laser cut surface area rises as the sheet thickness rises. The crater diameter rises together with the sheet thickness and distance from the upper sheet edge. The obtained data permit concluding that the defects like craters are observed predominantly in the case of thick sheets. The results agree with the hypothesis of crater formation as impact structures resulting from the melt drops getting on the cut channel walls upon separation from the cut front by the gas flow.

Surface properties and morphology of mixed POSS-DPPC monolayers at the air/water interface.

PubMed

Rojewska, Monika; Skrzypiec, Marta; Prochaska, Krystyna

2017-02-01

From the point of view of the possible medical applications of POSS (polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes), it is crucial to analyse interactions occurring between POSS and model biological membrane at molecular level. Knowledge of the interaction between POSS and DPPC (1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) allows prediction of the impact of POSS contained in biomaterials or cosmetics on a living organism. In the study presented, the surface properties and morphology of Langmuir monolayers formed by mixtures of POSS and the phospholipid (DPPC) at the air/water surface are examined. We selected two POSS derivatives, with completely different chemical structure of substituents attached to the corner of the silicon open cage, which allowed the analysis of the impact of the character of organic moieties (strongly hydrophobic or clearly hydrophilic) on the order of POSS molecules and their tendency to form self-aggregates at the air/water surface. POSS derivatives significantly changed the profile of the π-A isotherms obtained for DPPC but in different ways. On the basis of the regular solution theory, the miscibility and stability of the two components in the monolayer were analysed in terms of compression modulus (C s -1 ), excess Gibbs free energy (ΔG exc ), activity coefficients (γ) and interaction parameter (ξ). The results obtained indicate the existence of two different interaction mechanisms between DPPC and POSS which depend on the chemical character of moieties present in POSS molecules. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of deposition time on the surface morphology and photoelectrochemical properties of copper doped titania nanotubes prepared by electrodeposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmud, M. A.; Chin, L. Y.; Khusaimi, Z.; Zainal, Z.

2018-05-01

A great attention has focused on Cu doped titania nanotubes (Cu/TiNT) as a versatile advance material since it can be employed in various promising technological applications. The current study reported on the influence of various deposition times on the surface morphology and photoelectrochemical properties of Cu/TiNT via electrodeposition technique. Cu loaded on the TiNT surface was detected with prolonged deposition time. For photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurement, the highest responsive photocurrent density was obtained at 20 minutes with 54.3 µA/cm2. Too long duration (40 mins) resulted in poor performance of Cu/TiNT as only 22.6 µA/cm2 of photocurrent being generated.

Improved Epitaxy and Surface Morphology in YBa2Cu3Oy Thin Films Grown on Double Buffered Si Wafers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, J.; Kang, L.; Wong, H. Y.; Cheung, Y. L.; Yang, J.

Highly epitaxial thin films of YBCO have been obtained on silicon wafers using a Eu2CuO4/YSZ (yttrium-stabilized ZrO2) double buffer. Our results showed that application of such a double buffer can significantly enhance the epitaxy of grown YBCO. It also leads to an excellent surface morphology. The average surface roughness was found less than 5 nm in a large range. The results of X-ray small angle reflection and positron spectroscpy demonstrate a very clear and flat interface between YBCO and buffer layers. The Eu2CuO4/YSZ double buffer could be promising for coating high-TC superconducting films on various reactive substrates.

Morphology-dependent photo-induced polarization recovery in ferroelectric thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J. Y.; Liu, G.; Sando, D.; Nagarajan, V.; Seidel, J.

2017-08-01

We investigate photo-induced ferroelectric domain switching in a series of Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (PZT/LSMO) bilayer thin films with varying surface morphologies by piezoresponse force microscopy under light illumination. We demonstrate that reverse poled ferroelectric regions can be almost fully recovered under laser irradiation of the PZT layer and that the recovery process is dependent on the surface morphology on the nanometer scale. The recovery process is well described by the Kolmogorov-Avrami-Ishibashi model, and the evolution speed is controlled by light intensity, sample thickness, and initial write voltage. Our findings shed light on optical control of the domain structure in ferroelectric thin films with different surface morphologies.

Towards Enhanced Performance Thin-film Composite Membranes via Surface Plasma Modification

PubMed Central

Reis, Rackel; Dumée, Ludovic F.; Tardy, Blaise L.; Dagastine, Raymond; Orbell, John D.; Schutz, Jürg A.; Duke, Mikel C.

2016-01-01

Advancing the design of thin-film composite membrane surfaces is one of the most promising pathways to deal with treating varying water qualities and increase their long-term stability and permeability. Although plasma technologies have been explored for surface modification of bulk micro and ultrafiltration membrane materials, the modification of thin film composite membranes is yet to be systematically investigated. Here, the performance of commercial thin-film composite desalination membranes has been significantly enhanced by rapid and facile, low pressure, argon plasma activation. Pressure driven water desalination tests showed that at low power density, flux was improved by 22% without compromising salt rejection. Various plasma durations and excitation powers have been systematically evaluated to assess the impact of plasma glow reactions on the physico-chemical properties of these materials associated with permeability. With increasing power density, plasma treatment enhanced the hydrophilicity of the surfaces, where water contact angles decreasing by 70% were strongly correlated with increased negative charge and smooth uniform surface morphology. These results highlight a versatile chemical modification technique for post-treatment of commercial membrane products that provides uniform morphology and chemically altered surface properties. PMID:27363670

Experimental Investigation on Surface Quality Processed by Self-Excited Oscillation Pulsed Waterjet Peening

PubMed Central

Ding, Xiaolong; Kang, Yong; Li, Deng; Wang, Xiaochuan; Zeng, Dongping

2017-01-01

High-speed waterjet peening technology has attracted a lot of interest and is now being widely studied due to its great ability to strengthen metal surfaces. In order to further improve the mechanical properties of metals, self-excited oscillation pulsed waterjets (SOPWs) were used for surface peening with an experimental investigation focused on the surface topography and properties. By impinging the aluminum alloy (5052) specimens with SOPWs issuing from an organ-pipe oscillation nozzle, the hardness and roughness at various inlet pressures and stand-off distances were measured and analyzed, as well as the residual stress. Under the condition of optimum stand-off distances, the microscopic appearances of peened specimens obtained by SEM were displayed and analyzed. Results show that self-excited oscillation pulsed waterjet peening (SOPWP) is capable of improving the surface quality. More specifically, compared with an untreated surface, the hardness and residual stress of the peened surfaces were increased by 61.69% and 148%, respectively. There exists an optimal stand-off distance and operating pressure for creating the highest surface quality. SOPWP can produce almost the same enhancement effect as shot peening and lead to a lower surface roughness. Although such an approach is empirical and qualitative in nature, this procedure also generated information of value in guiding future theoretical and experimental work on the application of SOPWP in the industry practice. PMID:28841184

Automated surface quality inspection with ARGOS: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiefhaber, Daniel; Etzold, Fabian; Warken, Arno F.; Asfour, Jean-Michel

2017-06-01

The commercial availability of automated inspection systems for optical surfaces specified according to ISO 10110-7 promises unsupervised and automated quality control with reproducible results. In this study, the classification results of the ARGOS inspection system are compared to the decisions by well-trained inspectors based on manual-visual inspection. Both are found to agree in 93.6% of the studied cases. Exemplary cases with differing results are studied, and shown to be partly caused by shortcomings of the ISO 10110-7 standard, which was written for the industry standard manual-visual inspection. Applying it to high resolution images of the whole surface of objective machine vision systems brings with it a few challenges which are discussed.

Morphological study of polymethyl methacrylate microcapsules filled with self-healing agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahangaran, Fatemeh; Hayaty, Mehran; Navarchian, Amir H.

2017-03-01

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microcapsules filled with epoxy prepolymer, 3-aminomethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexylamine, and pentaerythritol tetrakis (3-mercaptopropionate) as healing agents have been prepared separately through internal phase separation method for self-healing purposes. PMMA with two different molecular weights (M bar1 = 36,000 g/mol and M bar2 = 550,000 g/mol) were used with two types of different emulsifiers (ionic and polymeric) to prepare microcapsules. The morphology of healing agent microcapsules was investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). It was found that PMMA microcapsules separately filled with epoxy and amine had core-shell morphologies with smooth surfaces. The mercaptan/PMMA particles exhibited core-shell and acorn-shape morphologies. The surface morphology of mercaptan microcapsules changed from holed to plain in different emulsion systems. The spreading coefficient (S) of phases in the prepared emulsion systems were calculated from interfacial tension (σ) and contact angle (θ) measurements. The theoretical equilibrium morphology of PMMA microcapsules was predicted according to spreading coefficient values of phases in emulsion systems. It was also found that the surface morphology of PMMA microcapsules depended strongly on the nature of the core, molecular weight of PMMA, type and concentration of emulsifier.

Near-surface stratigraphy and morphology, Mississippi Inner Shelf, northern Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flocks, James G.; Kindinger, Jack; Kelso, Kyle W.; Bernier, Julie C.; DeWitt, Nancy T.; FitzHarris, Michael

2015-01-01

In June 2013, as part of the MsCIP project, the USGS conducted a geophysical survey consisting of about 650 line-kilometers (km), encompassing an area of approximately 212 square kilometers (km2). The survey area extended from 1 to 13 km offshore of Petite Bois Island. The geophysical investigation included interferometric swath bathymetry, sidescan sonar, and chirp subbottom profiling. The intent of the survey was to provide geologic information that would assist the USACE in developing a sediment sampling strategy for identifying deposits suitable for shoreline restoration operations. The data from the geophysical survey would also further our understanding of the geologic framework along the inner shelf. Numerous seafloor and subbottom features were identified. At the surface, shoals and shelf sand sheets of various sizes and orientations are the predominant morphology. In the subsurface, Holocene- and Pleistocene-age features include marine transgressive deposits infilling older fluvia distributary systems. These interpretations from the geophysical research were integrated with sediment cores collected by the USGS and USACE to provide textural and volumetric information.

Surface-water characteristics and quality on the Osage Reservation, Osage County, Oklahoma, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abbott, Marvin M.; Tortorelli, Robert L.

2002-01-01

Concern about the effects of early oil-industry practices of surface disposal of produced-brine water prompted an investigation of the surface-water quality on the Osage Reservation. About 38,600 oil wells have been drilled on the Osage Reservation since drilling began in 1896. The Osage Reservation comprises three major drainage basins. The Caney River Basin is in the northeast, the Bird Creek Basin is in the southeast, and the Salt Creek Basin in the west. Variations in streamflow on the Osage Reservation during a year primarily result from variations in the quantity and frequency of rainfall, evapotranspiration, and reservoir operations. Most streams do not flow during low rainfall periods in late summer, early fall, and in winter. Percent of mean annual discharge is largest during March through June, averaging 54 to 62 percent and smallest during December, January, July, and August, averaging only 14 to 21 percent. The basin areas of Caney River in the reservation (251 square miles), Salt Creek (273 square miles), and Sand Creek (227 square miles) are about the same and the basin areas of the Bird Creek Basin (418 square miles) and Homily Creek Basin (383 square miles) are similar in area. One hundred forty surface-water sites were sampled once during either February, March or August 1999. The surface-drainage areas, incremental basins, between sample sites along a stream, range in size from 0.26 to 123 square miles with a median of 8.6 square miles. Total number of oil wells upgradient of the samples sites is 31,432 or 80 percent of the total in the reservation. The total number of oil wells in the Caney River Basin in the reservation (2,975 wells), Salt Creek Basin (4,619 wells), and Sand Creek Basin (3,858 wells) are about the same and the total number of oil wells in the Bird Creek Basin (8,858 wells) and Hominy Creek Basin (7,842 wells) are similar. The number of oil wells per square mile in the incremental basins ranges for 0.86 to 154. Surface

Surface-water quality-assurance plan for the U.S. Geological Survey Washington Water Science Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastin, Mark C.

2016-02-19

This Surface-Water Quality-Assurance Plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the U.S. Geological Survey Washington Water Science Center (WAWSC) for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of surface-water data. This plan serves as a guide to all WAWSC personnel involved in surface-water data activities, and changes as the needs and requirements of the WAWSC change. Regular updates to this plan represent an integral part of the quality-assurance process. In the WAWSC, direct oversight and responsibility by the hydrographer(s) assigned to a surface-water station, combined with team approaches in all work efforts, assure highquality data, analyses, reviews, and reports for cooperating agencies and the public.

Environmental setting, water quality, and ecological indicators of surface-water quality in the Mermentau River Basin, southwestern Louisiana, 1998-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Skrobialowski, Stanley C.; Mize, Scott V.; Demcheck, Dennis K.

2004-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey collected data from 29 wells and 24 surface-water sites in the Mermentau River Basin, 1998-2001, to better understand ground-water and surface-water quality; aquatic invertebrate communities; and habitat conditions, in relation to land use. This study was apart of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, which was designed to assess water quality as it relates to various land uses. Water-quality data were evaluated with criteria established for the protection of drinking water and aquatic life, and bed-sediment data were compared to aquatic life criteria. Water-quality and ecological data were analyzed statistically in relation to drainage area and agricultural land-use integrity. Concentrations of nutrients and major inorganic ions in ground water and surface water generally were highest in the southeastern part of the study area where soils contain thick loess deposits. Peak concentrations of nutrients in surface water occurred March-may at two sites with high agricultural intensity; the lowest concentrations occurred August-January. The greatest potential for eutrophic conditions in surface water, based on nutrient concentrations, existed March-May, at about the same time or shortly after ricefields were drained. Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) were exceeded for sulfate, chloride, iron, or manganese in samples from 20 wells, and for iron or manganese in samples from all surface-water sites. Fewer pesticides were detected in ground water than in surface water. In 11 of of the 29 wells sampled, at least one pesticide or pesticide degradation product was detected. The most frequently detected pesticides or pesticide degradation products in ground water were the herbicides benzaton and atrazine. Concentrations of 47 pesticides and degradation products were detected in surface water. At least 3 pesticides were detected in all surface-water samples. In 72 percent of

Morphology of the European species of the aphid genus Eulachnus (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Lachninae) - A SEM comparative and integrative study.

PubMed

Kanturski, Mariusz; Karcz, Jagna; Wieczorek, Karina

2015-09-01

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods were used for the first time to elucidate the external morphology of the European species of the genus Eulachnus (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Lachninae), a representative genus of the conifer-feeding aphids tribe Eulachnini. We examined and compared the external morphology of apterous and alate viviparous females from the parthenogenetic generation as well as oviparous females and alate males belonging to the sexual generation. FE-SEM images based on HMDS and cryo-SEM preparation techniques revealed better image quality than the CPD technique in regard to surface tension and morphological signs of cell deteriorations (i.e., existence of depressions, drying artifacts and membrane blebs). Three morphologically different species groups "agilis", "brevipilosus" and "cembrae" were proposed due to the differences in head, antennae, legs and dorsal chaetotaxy as well as dorsal sclerotization. The most characteristic features and differences of representatives of these groups are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of urban surface parameterizations in the WRF model using measurements during the Texas Air Quality Study 2006 field campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S.-H.; Kim, S.-W.; Angevine, W. M.; Bianco, L.; McKeen, S. A.; Senff, C. J.; Trainer, M.; Tucker, S. C.; Zamora, R. J.

2010-10-01

The impact of urban surface parameterizations in the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model on the simulation of local meteorological fields is investigated. The Noah land surface model (LSM), a modified LSM, and a single-layer urban canopy model (UCM) have been compared, focusing on urban patches. The model simulations were performed for 6 days from 12 August to 17 August during the Texas Air Quality Study 2006 field campaign. Analysis was focused on the Houston-Galveston metropolitan area. The model simulated temperature, wind, and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) height were compared with observations from surface meteorological stations (Continuous Ambient Monitoring Stations, CAMS), wind profilers, the NOAA Twin Otter aircraft, and the NOAA Research Vessel Ronald H. Brown. The UCM simulation showed better results in the comparison of ABL height and surface temperature than the LSM simulations, whereas the original LSM overestimated both the surface temperature and ABL height significantly in urban areas. The modified LSM, which activates hydrological processes associated with urban vegetation mainly through transpiration, slightly reduced warm and high biases in surface temperature and ABL height. A comparison of surface energy balance fluxes in an urban area indicated the UCM reproduces a realistic partitioning of sensible heat and latent heat fluxes, consequently improving the simulation of urban boundary layer. However, the LSMs have a higher Bowen ratio than the observation due to significant suppression of latent heat flux. The comparison results suggest that the subgrid heterogeneity by urban vegetation and urban morphological characteristics should be taken into account along with the associated physical parameterizations for accurate simulation of urban boundary layer if the region of interest has a large fraction of vegetation within the urban patch. Model showed significant discrepancies in the specific meteorological conditions when nocturnal

Influence of polymer coating morphology on microsensor response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levit, Natalia; Pestov, Dmitry; Tepper, Gary C.

2004-03-01

Nanoscale polymeric coatings are used in a variety of sensor systems. The influence of polymer coating morphology on sensor response was investigated and it was determined that coating morphology plays a particularly important role in transducers based on optical or acoustic resonance such as surface acoustic wave (SAW) or surface plasmon resonance (SPR) devices. Nanoscale polymeric coatings were deposited onto a number of miniature devices using a "solvent-free" deposition technique known as Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solutions (RESS). In RESS, the supercritical solvent goes into the vapor phase upon fast depressurization and separates from the polymer. Therefore, dry polymer particles are deposited from the gas phase. The average diameter of RESS precipitates is about two orders of magnitude smaller than the minimum droplet size achievable by the air-brush method. For rubbery polymers, such as PIB and PDMS, the nanoscale solute droplets produced by RESS agglomerate on the surface forming a highly-uniform continuous nanoscale film. For glassy and crstalline polymers, the RESS droplets produce uniform particulate coatings exhibiting high surface-to-volume ratio. The coating morphology can be changed by controlling the RESS processing conditions.

Impacts of drought on the quality of surface water of the basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, B. B.; Yan, D. H.; Wang, H.; Cheng, B. F.; Cui, X. H.

2013-11-01

Under the background of climate change and human's activities, there has been presenting an increase both in the frequency of droughts and the range of their impacts. Droughts may give rise to a series of resources, environmental and ecological effects, i.e. water shortage, water quality deterioration as well as the decrease in the diversity of aquatic organisms. This paper, above all, identifies the impact mechanism of drought on the surface water quality of the basin, and then systematically studies the laws of generation, transfer, transformation and degradation of pollutants during the drought, finding out that the alternating droughts and floods stage is the critical period during which the surface water quality is affected. Secondly, through employing indoor orthogonality experiments, serving drought degree, rainfall intensity and rainfall duration as the main elements and designing various scenario models, the study inspects the effects of various factors on the nitrogen loss in soil as well as the loss of non-point sources pollution and the leaching rate of nitrogen under the different alternating scenarios of drought and flood. It comes to the conclusion that the various factors and the loss of non-point source pollution are positively correlated, and under the alternating scenarios of drought and flood, there is an exacerbation in the loss of ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen in soil, which generates the transfer and transformation mechanisms of non-point source pollution from a micro level. Finally, by employing the data of Nenjiang river basin, the paper assesses the impacts of drought on the surface water quality from a macro level.

Influence of gamma irradiation on the surface morphology, XRD and thermophysical properties of silicide hexoboride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzayev, Matlab N.; Mehdiyeva, Ravan N.; Garibov, Ramin G.; Ismayilova, Narmin A.; Jabarov, Sakin H.

2018-05-01

In this study, compounds of B6Si were irradiated using a 60Co gamma source that have an energy line of 1.25 MeV at the absorbed dose rates from 14.6 kGy to 194.4 kGy. Surface morphology images of the sample obtained by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) show that the crystal structure at a high absorbed doses (D ≥ 145.8kGy) starts to be destroyed. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that with increasing radiation absorption dose, the spectrum intensity of the sample was decreased 1.96 times compared with the initial value. Thermal properties were studied by Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method in the temperature range of 30-1000∘C.

Channel degradation and restoration of an Alpine river and related morphological changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campana, Daniela; Marchese, Enrico; Theule, Joshua I.; Comiti, Francesco

2014-09-01

River degradation and thus necessity for restoration are major issues worldwide. However, adequate methodologies to assess morphological variations linked to these actions and the morphological success of restoration interventions are still to be determined. The Ahr River (South Tyrol, Italian Alps) was characterized until the mid-twentieth century by an anabranching and meandering pattern, but starting from the 1960s it underwent intense channel degradation in terms of narrowing, incision, and floodplain disconnection. In the period 2003-2011, several reaches of the Ahr River were restored by widening and raising the channel bed. The planimetric changes that occurred historically in the Ahr River were determined by the interpretation of 10 maps and aerial photos covering the period 1820-2011. The estimation of the incision that occurred during the degradation phase was assessed by the difference in elevation between gravel surfaces, whereas the changes introduced by restoration interventions in two reaches were evaluated through the comparison of topographic cross sections surveyed in year 2000 and a high-resolution bathymetric LiDAR survey flown in late 2012. The MQI (Morphological Quality Index) was applied to different reaches in order to test how assessment methodologies respond to degradation and restoration actions. The combined analysis of planform and vertical changes indicates that gravel mining has been the largest pressure for the river, but a change in sediment/flow regimes probably led to the channel adjustments that occurred during the early twentieth century. The restoration measures have locally increased channel width, elevation, and morphometrical diversity compared to the unrestored reaches, as well as the morphological quality assessed by MQI. However, the extent of the modifications brought about by restoration works differs between the two restored reaches, pointing out the need for a quantitative analysis of the historical evolution of each

Statistical approaches used to assess and redesign surface water-quality-monitoring networks.

PubMed

Khalil, B; Ouarda, T B M J

2009-11-01

An up-to-date review of the statistical approaches utilized for the assessment and redesign of surface water quality monitoring (WQM) networks is presented. The main technical aspects of network design are covered in four sections, addressing monitoring objectives, water quality variables, sampling frequency and spatial distribution of sampling locations. This paper discusses various monitoring objectives and related procedures used for the assessment and redesign of long-term surface WQM networks. The appropriateness of each approach for the design, contraction or expansion of monitoring networks is also discussed. For each statistical approach, its advantages and disadvantages are examined from a network design perspective. Possible methods to overcome disadvantages and deficiencies in the statistical approaches that are currently in use are recommended.

Nanoscale Morphology Evolution Under Ion Irradiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aziz, Michael J.

We showed that the half-century-old paradigm of morphological instability under irradiation due to the curvature-dependence of the sputter yield, can account neither for the phase diagram nor the amplification or decay rates that we measure in the simplest possible experimental system -- an elemental semiconductor with an amorphous surface under noble-gas ion irradiation; We showed that a model of pattern formation based on the impact-induced redistribution of atoms that do not get sputtered away explains our experimental observations; We developed a first-principles, parameter-free approach for predicting morphology evolution, starting with molecular dynamics simulations of single ion impacts, lasting picoseconds, andmore » upscaling through a rigorous crater-function formalism to develop a partial differential equation that predicts morphology evolution on time scales more than twelve orders of magnitude longer than can be covered by the molecular dynamics; We performed the first quantitative comparison of the contributions to morphological instability from sputter removal and from impact-induced redistribution of atoms that are removed, and showed that the former is negligible compared to the latter; We established a new paradigm for impact-induced morphology evolution based on crater functions that incorporate both redistribution and sputter effects; and We developed a model of nanopore closure by irradiation-induced stress and irradiationenhanced fluidity, for the near-surface irradiation regime in which nuclear stopping predominates, and showed that it explains many aspects of pore closure kinetics that we measure experimentally.« less

Impact of indoor surface material on perceived air quality.

PubMed

Senitkova, I

2014-03-01

The material combination impact on perceived indoor air quality for various surface interior materials is presented in this paper. The chemical analysis and sensory assessments identifies health adverse of indoor air pollutants (TVOCs). In this study, emissions and odors from different common indoor surface materials were investigated in glass test chamber under standardized conditions. Chemical measurements (TVOC concentration) and sensory assessments (odor intensity, air acceptability) were done after building materials exposure to standardized conditions. The results of the chemical and sensory assessment of individual materials and their combinations are compared and discussed within the paper. The using possibility of individual material surface sorption ability was investigated. The knowledge of targeted sorption effects can be used in the interior design phase. The results demonstrate the various sorption abilities of various indoor materials as well as the various sorption abilities of the same indoor material in various combinations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surface quality of silicon wafer improved by hydrodynamic effect polishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Wenqiang; Guan, Chaoliang; Li, Shengyi

2014-08-01

Differing from the traditional pad polishing, hydrodynamic effect polishing (HEP) is non-contact polishing with the wheel floated on the workpiece. A hydrodynamic lubricated film is established between the wheel and the workpiece when the wheel rotates at a certain speed in HEP. Nanoparticles mixed with deionized water are employed as the polishing slurry, and with action of the dynamic pressure, nanoparticles with high chemisorption due to the high specific surface area can easily reacted with the surface atoms forming a linkage with workpiece surface. The surface atoms are dragged away when nanoparticles are transported to separate by the flow shear stress. The development of grand scale integration put extremely high requirements on the surface quality on the silicon wafer with surface roughness at subnanometer and extremely low surface damage. In our experiment a silicon sample was processed by HEP, and the surface topography before and after polishing was observed by the atomic force microscopy. Experiment results show that plastic pits and bumpy structures on the initial surface have been removed away clearly with the removal depth of 140nm by HEP process. The processed surface roughness has been improved from 0.737nm RMS to 0.175nm RMS(10μm×10μm) and the section profile shows peaks of the process surface are almost at the same height. However, the machining ripples on the wheel surface will duplicate on the silicon surface under the action of the hydrodynamic effect. Fluid dynamic simulation demonstrated that the coarse surface on the wheel has greatly influence on the distribution of shear stress and dynamic pressure on the workpiece surface.

Morphological properties of collagen fibers in porcine lamina propria

PubMed Central

Johanes, Iecun; Mihelc, Elaine; Sivasankar, Mahalakshmi; Ivanisevic, Albena

2009-01-01

Objectives Collagen influences the biomechanical properties of vocal folds. Altered collagen morphology has been implicated in dysphonia associated with aging and scarring. Documenting the morphological properties of native collagen in healthy vocal folds is essential to understand the structural and functional alterations to collagen with aging and disease. Our primary objective was to quantify the morphological properties of collagen in the vocal fold lamina propria. Our secondary exploratory objective was to investigate the effects of pepsin exposure on the morphological properties of collagen in the lamina propria. Design Experimental, in vitro study with porcine model. Methods Lamina propria was dissected from 26 vocal folds and imaged with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Morphological data on d-periodicity, diameter, and roughness of collagen fibers were obtained. To investigate the effects of pepsin exposure on collagen morphology, vocal fold surface was exposed to pepsin or sham challenge prior to lamina propria dissection and AFM imaging. Results The d-periodicity, diameter, and roughness values for native vocal fold collagen are consistent with literature reports for collagen fibers in other body tissue. Pepsin exposure on vocal fold surface did not appear to change the morphological properties of collagen fibers in the lamina propria. Conclusions Quantitative data on collagen morphology were obtained at nanoscale resolution. Documenting collagen morphology in healthy vocal folds is critical for understanding the physiological changes to collagen with aging and scarring, and for designing biomaterials that match the native topography of lamina propria. PMID:20171830

Improvement of magnetorheological finishing surface quality by nanoparticle jet polishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Wenqiang; Li, Shengyi; Guan, Chaoliang; Shen, Xinmin; Dai, Yifan; Wang, Zhuo

2013-04-01

Nanoparticle jet polishing (NJP) is presented as a posttreatment to remove magnetorheological finishing (MRF) marks. In the NJP process the material is removed by chemical impact reaction, and the material removal rate of convex part is larger than that of the concave part. Smoothing thus can progress automatically in the NJP process. In the experiment, a silica glass sample polished by MRF was polished by NJP. Experiment results showed the MRF marks were removed clearly. The uniform polishing process shows that the NJP process can remove the MRF marks without destroying the original surface figure. The surface root-mean-square roughness is improved from 0.72 to 0.41 nm. power spectral density analysis indicates the surface quality is improved, and the experimental result validates effective removal of MRF marks by NJP.

Satellite skill in detecting extreme episodes in near-surface air quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz, D. J.; Prather, M. J.

2017-12-01

Ozone (O3) contributes to ambient air pollution, adversely affecting public health, agriculture, and ecosystems. Reliable, long-term, densely distributed surface networks are required to establish the scale, intensity and repeatability of major pollution events (designated here in a climatological sense as air quality extremes, AQX as defined in Schnell's work). Regrettably, such networks are only available for North America (NA) and Europe (EU), which does not include many populated regions where the deaths associated with air pollution exposure are alarmingly high. Directly measuring surface pollutants from space without lidar is extremely difficult. Mapping of daily pollution events requires cross-track nadir scanners and these have limited sensitivity to surface O3 levels. This work examines several years of coincident surface and OMI satellite measurements over NA-EU, in combination with a chemistry-transport model (CTM) hindcast of that period to understand how the large-scale AQX episodes may extend into the free troposphere and thus be more amenable to satellite mapping. We show how extreme NA-EU episodes are measured from OMI and then look for such patterns over other polluted regions of the globe. We gather individual high-quality O3 surface site measurements from these other regions, to check on our satellite detection. Our approach with global satellite detection would avoid issues associated with regional variations in seasonality, chemical regime, data product biases; and it does not require defining a separate absolute threshold for each data product (surface site and satellite). This also enables coherent linking of the extreme events into large-scale pollution episodes whose magnitude evolves over 100's of km for several days. Tools used here include the UC Irvine CTM, which shows that much of the O3 surface variability is lost at heights above 2 km, but AQX local events are readily seen in a 0-3 km column average. The OMI data are taken from X

Photocatalytic activity of ZnWO₄: band structure, morphology and surface modification.

PubMed

Zhang, Cuiling; Zhang, Hulin; Zhang, Kaiyou; Li, Xiaoyan; Leng, Qiang; Hu, Chenguo

2014-08-27

Photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants is an important application area in solar energy utilization. To improve material photocatalytic properties, understanding their photocatalytic mechanism is indispensable. Here, the photocatalytic performance of ZnWO4 nanocrystals was systematicly investigated by the photodegradation of tetraethylated rhodamine (RhB) under simulated sunlight irradiation, including the influence of morphology, AgO/ZnWO4 heterojunction and comparison with CoWO4 nanowires. The results show that the photocatalytic activity of ZnWO4 is higher than that of CoWO4, and the ZnWO4 nanorods exhibit better photocatalytic activity than that of ZnWO4 nanowires. In addition, the mechanism for the difference of the photocatalytic activity was also investigated by comparison of their photoluminescence and photocurrents. AgO nanoparticles were assembled uniformly on the surface of ZnWO4 nanowires to form a heterojunction that exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity under irradiation at the initial stage. We found that a good photocatalyst should not only have an active structure for electrons directly to transfer from the valence band to the conduction band without the help of phonons but also a special electronic configuration for the high mobility, to ensure more excited electrons and holes in a catalytic reaction.

Morphological Evolution of Block Copolymer Particles: Effect of Solvent Evaporation Rate on Particle Shape and Morphology.

PubMed

Shin, Jae Man; Kim, YongJoo; Yun, Hongseok; Yi, Gi-Ra; Kim, Bumjoon J

2017-02-28

Shape and morphology of polymeric particles are of great importance in controlling their optical properties or self-assembly into unusual superstructures. Confinement of block copolymers (BCPs) in evaporative emulsions affords particles with diverse structures, including prolate ellipsoids, onion-like spheres, oblate ellipsoids, and others. Herein, we report that the evaporation rate of solvent from emulsions encapsulating symmetric polystyrene-b-polybutadiene (PS-b-PB) determines the shape and internal nanostructure of micron-sized BCP particles. A distinct morphological transition from the ellipsoids with striped lamellae to the onion-like spheres was observed with decreasing evaporation rate. Experiments and dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations showed that the evaporation rate affected the organization of BCPs at the particle surface, which determined the final shape and internal nanostructure of the particles. Differences in the solvent diffusion rates in PS and PB at rapid evaporation rates induced alignment of both domains perpendicular to the particle surface, resulting in ellipsoids with axial lamellar stripes. Slower evaporation rates provided sufficient time for BCP organization into onion-like structures with PB as the outermost layer, owing to the preferential interaction of PB with the surroundings. BCP molecular weight was found to influence the critical evaporation rate corresponding to the morphological transition from ellipsoid to onion-like particles, as well as the ellipsoid aspect ratio. DPD simulations produced morphologies similar to those obtained from experiments and thus elucidated the mechanism and driving forces responsible for the evaporation-induced assembly of BCPs into particles with well-defined shapes and morphologies.

Morphology and surface topography of the schistosome Bivitellobilharzia nairi from the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Rajapakse, R P V J; Iwagami, M; Wickramasinghe, S; Walker, S M; Agatsuma, T

2013-09-01

Bivitellobilharzia nairi was first recorded from an Indian elephant (Elephas maximus) in Berlin. Infections with this parasite have become increasingly important in E. maximus maximus populations in Sri Lanka. The present work is the first morphological description of this schistosome from Sri Lanka. A number of adult worms were recovered from a dead Asian elephant near the elephant orphanage, Pinnawala, in Sri Lanka. The observed clinical features of the infected elephant included emaciation, subventral oedema and anaemia. Post-mortem results indicated that the liver was enlarged and adult schistosomes were found in the blood vessels of the liver parenchyma. The total number of worms recovered from a portion of the liver was 129,870, which is an average of 22 worms per 100 g of liver. The present study uses both light microscopic and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques for the morphological and topographical characterization of this parasite and to permit comparison with other species of schistosomes. Morphologically, these worms correspond very well to the description of B. nairi by Dutt & Srivastava (1955). Moreover, it is clear that B. nairi is a distinctive species easily differentiated from other schistosomes. The SEM study of the tegument of male worms shows that the surface of B. nairi is smoother than in other schistosomes.

U.S. Geological Survey quality-assurance plan for surface-water activities in Kansas, 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Painter, Colin C.; Loving, Brian L.

2015-01-01

This Surface Water Quality-Assurance Plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the Kansas Water Science Center (KSWSC) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of surface-water data.

Contributions of Morphological Skill to Children's Essay Writing

PubMed Central

Northey, Mary; McCutchen, Deborah; Sanders, Elizabeth A.

2015-01-01

Morphological skills have previously been found to reliably predict reading skill, including word reading, vocabulary, and comprehension. However, less is known about how morphological skills might contribute to writing skill, aside from its well-documented role in the development of spelling. This correlational study examines whether morphological skill, as measured by a sentence generation task tapping both derivational morphology and meta-syntactic skills, predicts performance on a standardized essay writing task for fifth- and eighth-grade U.S. students (N = 233), after controlling for grade level, comprehension, and writing fluency. Multilevel analyses indicated that morphological skill and writing fluency were each uniquely predictive of essay quality, and this finding was consistent regardless of whether accurate spelling was required in the morphological task. Our results suggest that morphological skills play an important role in writing, as has been previously documented in reading and spelling. PMID:26957783

Surface-Water Quality-Assurance Plan for the USGS Wisconsin Water Science Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garn, H.S.

2007-01-01

This surface-water quality-assurance plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the Wisconsin Water Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Discipline, for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, management, and publication of surface-water data. The roles and responsibilities of Water Science Center personnel in following these policies and procedures including those related to safety and training are presented.

Age-related differences in morphological characteristics of residual skin surface components collected from the surface of facial skin of healthy male volunteers.

PubMed

Chalyk, N E; Bandaletova, T Y; Kyle, N H; Petyaev, I M

2017-05-01

Global increase of human longevity results in the emergence of previously ignored ageing-related problems. Skin ageing is a well-known phenomenon, but active search for scientific approaches to its prevention and even skin rejuvenation is a relatively new area. Although the structure and composition of the stratum corneum (SC), the superficial layer of epidermis, is well studied, relatively little is known about the residual skin surface components (RSSC) that overlay the surface of the SC. The aim of this study was to examine morphological features of RSSC samples non-invasively collected from the surface of human facial skin for the presence of age-related changes. Residual skin surface component samples were collected by swabbing from the surface of facial skin of 60 adult male volunteers allocated in two age groups: 34 subjects aged in the range 18-32 years and 26 subjects aged in the range 58-72 years. The collected samples were analysed microscopically: the size of the lipid droplets was measured; desquamated corneocytes and lipid crystals were counted; and microbial presence was assessed semi-quantitatively. Age-related changes were revealed for all studied components of the RSSC. There was a significant (P = 0.0126) decrease in the size of lipid droplets among older men. Likewise, significantly (P = 0.0252) lower numbers of lipid crystals were present in this group. In contrast, microbial presence in the RSSC was significantly (P = 0.0019) increased in the older group. There was also a trend towards more abundant corneocyte desquamation among older men, but the difference has not reached statistical significance (P = 0.0636). Non-invasively collected RSSC samples present an informative material for studying age-related changes on the surface of the SC of human facial skin. The results of this study confirm earlier observations regarding age-associated decline of the efficiency of the epidermal barrier and can be used for testing new approaches to skin

Functional Surface of the golden mussel's foot: morphology, structures and the role of cilia on underwater adhesion.

PubMed

Andrade, Gabriela Rabelo; de Araújo, João Locke Ferreira; Nakamura Filho, Arnaldo; Guañabens, Anna Carolina Paganini; Carvalho, Marcela David de; Cardoso, Antônio Valadão

2015-09-01

In this study we characterized the surface morphology and ultrastructure of the foot of the golden mussel, Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857), relating its characteristics to the attaching mechanisms of this mollusk. The observation of the foot of this bivalve reveals the presence of micro-scaled cilia with a unique shape, which has a narrowing at its end. This characteristic was associated to the capacity for underwater adhesion to substrates through the employment of van der Waals forces, resembling the adhesion phenomenon of the gecko foot. The temporary attachment during locomotion by means of the foot to substrates was observed to be strong even on smooth surfaces, like glass, or hydrophobic waxy surfaces. Comparing TEM and light microscopy results it was possible to associate the mucous secretions and secreting cells found along the tissues to the production of the byssus inside the groove on the ventral portion of the foot. Not only our experiments, but also the state of the art allowed us to discard the involvement of secretions produced in the foot of the mussel to the temporary adhesion. Through SEM images it was possible to build a virtual three-dimensional model where total foot surface was measured for the estimated calculation of van der Waals forces. Also, some theoretical analysis and considerations have been made concerning the characteristics of the functional surface of L. fortunei foot. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and processing of ELISA polymer substitute: The influence of surface chemistry and morphology on detection sensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosseini, Samira; Ibrahim, Fatimah; Djordjevic, Ivan; Rothan, Hussin A.; Yusof, Rohana; van der Marel, Cees; Koole, Leo H.

2014-10-01

Despite the known drawbacks of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), one of the deficiencies that have relatively been ignored is the performance of ELISA substrate itself. Polystyrene (PS), as the cost effective material of choice for mass production of ELISA well-plates, has shown obvious lacks of suitable physical and chemical properties for protein attachment. The general concept of this work was to develop a potential substrate that can be suggested as a material of choice for production of a new generation of ELISA analytical kits. Spin-coated thin films of polymethyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid (PMMA-co-MAA) on silicon surfaces were designed and processed for detection of dengue virus. Coated surfaces of different molar ratios have been investigated as carboxyl-functionalized layers for obtaining platform for biomolecule immobilization with high level of protein activity. To improve the sensitivity of detection, we have used amine functional "spacers", hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI), which were covalently bonded to the surfaces of PMMA-co-MAA coatings. Results demonstrate that the variation of surface concentration of carboxyl groups of PMMA-co-MAA can be used to control the amine surface concentration after carbodiimide coupling with HMDA and PEI spacers. The presence of amine spacers increases hydrophilicity of the coatings and significantly impacts the polymer surface morphology. In particular, protein immobilization via amine-bearing spacers has been achieved in two effective steps: (1) carbodiimide bonding between amine spacer molecules and PMMA-co-MAA polymer coatings; and (2) covalent immobilization of antibody via glutaraldehyde reaction with amine groups from amine-treated surfaces. The application of PEI spacer in comparison to HMDA has shown much higher intensity of detection signal in ELISA experiment, indicating better immobilization efficiency and preservation of antibody activity upon attachment to the

A translation micromirror with large quasi-static displacement and high surface quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Yuan; He, Siyuan

2017-01-01

A large displacement with high surface quality translation micromirror is presented. The micromirror consists of a magnetic actuator and a mirror plate. The actuator and the mirror plate are fabricated separately using two processes and then bonded together. The actuator consists of a moving film which is a 20 µm thick nickel film fabricated by MetalMUMPs and a solenoid located underneath the moving film. The moving film is designed to curve up through the residual stress gradient in the nickel film and a curve-up mechanism which includes four trapezoidal plates and anchoring springs. The mirror plate is simply diced from a polished silicon wafer and coated with a metal thin film. The mirror plate is bonded onto the central ring of the moving film. A solenoid attracts the moving film along with the mirror plate downwards to realize translation. A quasi-static displacement of 123 µm is achieved at a driving current of 400 mA. A high mirror surface quality is realized, e.g. 15.6 m of curvature radius and 2 nm surface roughness.

Control of morphology and function of low band gap polymer–bis-fullerene mixed heterojunctions in organic photovoltaics with selective solvent vapor annealing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Huipeng; Hsiao, Yu-Che; Hu, Bin

2014-05-07

We reported how by replacing PCBM with a bis-adduct fullerene (i.e. ICBA) we significantly improve the open circuit voltage (VOC) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) in P3HT bulk heterojunctions. But, for the most promising low band-gap polymer (LBP) systems, replacing PCBM with ICBA results in very poor shortcircuit current (JSC) and PCE although the VOC is significantly improved. Therefore, in this work, we have completed small angle neutron scattering and neutron reflectometry experiments to study the impact of post-deposition solvent annealing (SA) with control of solvent quality on the morphology and performance of LBP bis-fullerene BHJ photovoltaics. Our results showmore » that SA in a solvent that is selective for the LBP results in a depletion of bis-fullerene near the air surface, which limits device performance. SA in a solvent vapor which has similar solubility for polymer and bis-fullerene results in a higher degree of polymer ordering, bis-fullerene phase separation, and segregation of the bis-fullerene to the air surface, which facilitates charge transport and increases power conversion efficiency (PCE) by 100%. The highest degree of polymer ordering combined with significant bis-fullerene phase separation and segregation of bis-fullerene to the air surface is obtained by SA in a solvent vapor that is selective for the bis-fullerene. The resultant morphology increases PCE by 190%. These results indicate that solvent annealing with judicious solvent choice provides a unique tool to tune the morphology of LBP bisfullerene BHJ system, providing sufficient polymer ordering, formation of a bis-fullerene pure phase, and segregation of bis-fullerene to the air surface to optimize the morphology of the active layer. Furthermore, this process is broadly applicable to improving current disappointing LBP bis-fullerene systems to optimize their morphology and OPV performance post-deposition, including higher VOC and power conversion efficiency.« less

Lanthanum Nitrate As Electrolyte Additive To Stabilize the Surface Morphology of Lithium Anode for Lithium-Sulfur Battery.

PubMed

Liu, Sheng; Li, Guo-Ran; Gao, Xue-Ping

2016-03-01

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is regarded as one of the most promising candidates beyond conventional lithium ion batteries. However, the instability of the metallic lithium anode during lithium electrochemical dissolution/deposition is still a major barrier for the practical application of Li-S battery. In this work, lanthanum nitrate, as electrolyte additive, is introduced into Li-S battery to stabilize the surface of lithium anode. By introducing lanthanum nitrate into electrolyte, a composite passivation film of lanthanum/lithium sulfides can be formed on metallic lithium anode, which is beneficial to decrease the reducibility of metallic lithium and slow down the electrochemical dissolution/deposition reaction on lithium anode for stabilizing the surface morphology of metallic Li anode in lithium-sulfur battery. Meanwhile, the cycle stability of the fabricated Li-S cell is improved by introducing lanthanum nitrate into electrolyte. Apparently, lanthanum nitrate is an effective additive for the protection of lithium anode and the cycling stability of Li-S battery.

A Program to Improve the Triangulated Surface Mesh Quality Along Aircraft Component Intersections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cliff, Susan E.

2005-01-01

A computer program has been developed for improving the quality of unstructured triangulated surface meshes in the vicinity of component intersections. The method relies solely on point removal and edge swapping for improving the triangulations. It can be applied to any lifting surface component such as a wing, canard or horizontal tail component intersected with a fuselage, or it can be applied to a pylon that is intersected with a wing, fuselage or nacelle. The lifting surfaces or pylon are assumed to be aligned in the axial direction with closed trailing edges. The method currently maintains salient edges only at leading and trailing edges of the wing or pylon component. This method should work well for any shape of fuselage that is free of salient edges at the intersection. The method has been successfully demonstrated on a total of 125 different test cases that include both blunt and sharp wing leading edges. The code is targeted for use in the automated environment of numerical optimization where geometric perturbations to individual components can be critical to the aerodynamic performance of a vehicle. Histograms of triangle aspect ratios are reported to assess the quality of the triangles attached to the intersection curves before and after application of the program. Large improvements to the quality of the triangulations were obtained for the 125 test cases; the quality was sufficient for use with an automated tetrahedral mesh generation program that is used as part of an aerodynamic shape optimization method.

Strong Dependence of U.S. Summertime Air Quality on the Decadal Variability of Atlantic Sea Surface Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Lu; Mickley, Loretta J.; Leibensperger, Eric M.; Li, Mingwei

2017-12-01

We find that summertime air quality in the eastern U.S. displays strong dependence on North Atlantic sea surface temperatures, resulting from large-scale ocean-atmosphere interactions. Using observations, reanalysis data sets, and climate model simulations, we further identify a multidecadal variability in surface air quality driven by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). In one-half cycle ( 35 years) of the AMO from cold to warm phase, summertime maximum daily 8 h ozone concentrations increase by 1-4 ppbv and PM2.5 concentrations increase by 0.3-1.0 μg m-3 over much of the east. These air quality changes are related to warmer, drier, and more stagnant weather in the AMO warm phase, together with anomalous circulation patterns at the surface and aloft. If the AMO shifts to the cold phase in future years, it could partly offset the climate penalty on U.S. air quality brought by global warming, an effect which should be considered in long-term air quality planning.

Impact of Bay-Breeze Circulations on Surface Air Quality and Boundary Layer Export

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loughner, Christopher P.; Tzortziou, Maria; Follette-Cook, Melanie; Pickering, Kenneth E.; Goldberg, Daniel; Satam, Chinmay; Weinheimer, Andrew; Crawford, James H.; Knapp, David J.; Montzka, Denise D.;

Comparison of Galunggung1982-83 and Eyjafjalla-2010 Eruptions: definition of eruption dynamics from 3D Ash Surface Morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aydar, E.; Höskuldsson, A.; Ersoy, O.; Gourgaud, A.

2012-04-01

We consider that all works, concepts on aviation safety, security codes, establishment of warning systems etc begin in 1982, when two commercial jumbo jets en route to Australia across Indonesia suffered loss of engine thrust from ingesting volcanic ash from the erupting Galunggung Volcano, Java, and descended more than 20,000 ft before the engines could be restarted (Casadevall, 1991). It is not the only incident of this kind but this Galunggung eruption had a pionner character attracting attention on aviation safety against volcanic eruptions in international community. As the needs for precautions on aviation safety against volcanic ash encounters began with Galunggung 1982 eruption and as we all concerned by the measures taken by ICAO due to Eyjafjallajökull-2010 eruption, we aimed to investigate this last huge airspace perturbing eruption and compare the volcanic ashes produced by those two eruptions. Volcanic ash characterization should be most important parameter to understand how the eruption concerned unrolled. Galunggung 1982-83 eruption was exceptionally long, lasting about nine months between 5 April 1982-8 January 1983). During this well known eruption, the composition of the erupted magma evolved from andesite (58% SiO2) to Mg-rich basalt (47% SiO2), while the style of the eruption changed drastically through time (Katili and Sudrdajat, 1984; Sudrajat and Tilling, 1984; Gourgaud et al., 1989 gourgaud etal 2000). Paralel to chemical changes and water consumption, eruption dynamic was also changed and occured in three eruption phases with different eruptive styles as an initial Vulcanian phase (5 April-13 May), a phreatomagmatic phase (17 May-28 October) and a Strombolian phase (3 November-8 January), have been recognized (Katili and Sudradjat,1984). We examined the surficial morphological features of proximal tephra collected from Galunggung and Eyjafjalla volcanoes. Surface texture and morphology of volcanic ash particles change according to various

The effect of welding parameters on surface quality of AA6351 aluminium alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yacob, S.; MAli, M. A.; Ahsan, Q.; Ariffin, N.; Ali, R.; Arshad, A.; Wahab, M. I. A.; Ismail, S. A.; Roji, NS M.; Din, W. B. W.; Zakaria, M. H.; Abdullah, A.; Yusof, M. I.; Kamarulzaman, K. Z.; Mahyuddin, A.; Hamzah, M. N.; Roslan, R.

2015-12-01

In the present work, the effects of gas metal arc welding-cold metal transfer (GMAW-CMT) parameters on surface roughness are experimentally assessed. The purpose of this study is to develop a better understanding of the effects of welding speed, material thickness and contact tip to work distance on the surface roughness. Experiments are conducted using single pass gas metal arc welding-cold metal transfer (GMAW-CMT) welding technique to join the material. The material used in this experiment was AA6351 aluminum alloy with the thickness of 5mm and 6mm. A Mahr Marsuft XR 20 machine was used to measure the average roughness (Ra) of AA6351 joints. The main and interaction effect analysis was carried out to identify process parameters that affect the surface roughness. The results show that all the input process parameters affect the surface roughness of AA6351 joints. Additionally, the average roughness (Ra) results also show a decreasing trend with increased of welding speed. It is proven that gas metal arc welding-cold metal transfer (GMAW-CMT)welding process has been successful in term of providing weld joint of good surface quality for AA6351 based on the low value surface roughness condition obtained in this setup. The outcome of this experimental shall be valuable for future fabrication process in order to obtained high good quality weld.

Morphology selection for cupric oxide thin films by electrodeposition.

PubMed

Dhanasekaran, V; Mahalingam, T; Chandramohan, R

2011-10-01

Polycrystalline cupric oxide thin films were deposited using alkaline solution bath employing cathodic electrodeposition method. The thin films were electrodeposited at various solution pH. The surface morphology and elemental analyzes of the films were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, respectively. SEM studies revealed that the surface morphology could be tailored suitably by adjusting the pH value during deposition. Mesh average on multiple lattice mode atomic force microscopy image was obtained and reported. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Experimental and theoretical study to explain the morphology of CaMoO4 crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, F. K. F.; Oliveira, M. C.; Gracia, L.; Tranquilin, R. L.; Paskocimas, C. A.; Motta, F. V.; Longo, E.; Andrés, J.; Bomio, M. R. D.

2018-03-01

CaMoO4 crystals were prepared by a controlled co-precipitation method and processed in a domestic microwave-assisted hydrothermal system with two different surfactants (ethyl 4-dimethylaminobenzoate and 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic dianhydride). The corresponding structures were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement techniques, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescence measurements. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the morphology of the as-synthesized aggregates. The structure, the surface stability of the (001), (112), (100), (110), (101), and (111) surfaces of CaMoO4, and their morphological transformations were investigated through systematic first-principles calculations within the density functional theory method at the B3LYP level. Analysis of the surface structures showed that the electronic properties were associated with the presence of undercoordinated [CaOx] (x = 5 and 6) and [MoOy] (y = 4 and 3) clusters. The relative surfaces energies were tuned to predict a complete map of the morphologies available through a Wulff construction approach. The results reveal that the experimental and theoretical morphologies obtained coincide when the surface energies of the (001) and (101) surfaces increase, while the surface energy of the (100) facet decreases simultaneously. The results provide a comprehensive catalog of the morphologies most likely to be present under realistic conditions, and will serve as a starting point for future studies on the surface chemistry of CaMoO4 crystals.

Surface oxidation of GaN(0001): Nitrogen plasma-assisted cleaning for ultrahigh vacuum applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gangopadhyay, Subhashis; Schmidt, Thomas, E-mail: tschmidt@ifp.uni-bremen.de; Kruse, Carsten

The cleaning of metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxial GaN(0001) template layers grown on sapphire has been investigated. Different procedures, performed under ultrahigh vacuum conditions, including degassing and exposure to active nitrogen from a radio frequency nitrogen plasma source have been compared. For this purpose, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and scanning tunneling microscopy have been employed in order to assess chemical as well as structural and morphological surface properties. Initial degassing at 600 °C under ultrahigh vacuum conditions only partially eliminates the surface contaminants. In contrast to plasma assisted nitrogen cleaning at temperatures as low as 300 °C, active-nitrogen exposure at temperaturesmore » as high as 700 °C removes the majority of oxide species from the surface. However, extended high-temperature active-nitrogen cleaning leads to severe surface roughening. Optimum results regarding both the removal of surface oxides as well as the surface structural and morphological quality have been achieved for a combination of initial low-temperature plasma-assisted cleaning, followed by a rapid nitrogen plasma-assisted cleaning at high temperature.« less

Molecular basis of crystal morphology-dependent adhesion behavior of mefenamic acid during tableting.

PubMed

Waknis, Vrushali; Chu, Elza; Schlam, Roxana; Sidorenko, Alexander; Badawy, Sherif; Yin, Shawn; Narang, Ajit S

2014-01-01

The molecular basis of crystal surface adhesion leading to sticking was investigated by exploring the correlation of crystal adhesion to oxidized iron coated atomic force microscope (AFM) tips and bulk powder sticking behavior during tableting of two morphologically different crystals of a model drug, mefenamic acid (MA), to differences in their surface functional group orientation and energy. MA was recrystallized into two morphologies (plates and needles) of the same crystalline form. Crystal adhesion to oxidized iron coated AFM tips and bulk powder sticking to tablet punches was assessed using a direct compression formulation. Surface functional group orientation and energies on crystal faces were modeled using Accelrys Material Studio software. Needle-shaped morphology showed higher sticking tendency than plates despite similar particle size. This correlated with higher crystal surface adhesion of needle-shaped morphology to oxidized iron coated AFM probe tips, and greater surface energy and exposure of polar functional groups. Higher surface exposure of polar functional groups correlates with higher tendency to stick to metal surfaces and AFM tips, indicating involvement of specific polar interactions in the adhesion behavior. In addition, an AFM method is identified to prospectively assess the risk of sticking during the early stages of drug development.

Chrysanthemum morphology, photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant capacity are differentially modified by light quality.

PubMed

Zheng, Liang; Van Labeke, Marie-Christine

2017-06-01

The effect of light quality on leaf morphology, photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant capacity of leaves that fully developed under a specific spectrum was investigated in Chrysanthemum cv. Four light treatments were applied at 100μmolm -2 s -1 and a photoperiod of 14h using light-emitting diodes, which were 100% red (R), 100% blue (B), 75% red with 25% blue (RB) and white (W), respectively. Intraspecific variation was investigated by studying the response of eight cultivars. Overall, red light significantly decreased the leaf area while the thinnest leaves were observed for W. Chlorophyll content and Chl a/b ratio was highest for W and lowest under R. B and RB resulted in the highest maximum quantum yield (F v /F m ) and quantum efficiency (Φ PSII ). A negative correlation between heat dissipation (NPQ) and Φ PSII was found. Blue light induced the highest hydrogen peroxide content, which is a proxy for total ROS generation, followed by W and RB while low contents were found under R. The antioxidative response was not always correlated with hydrogen content and differed depending on the light quality treatment. Blue light enhanced the proline levels, while carotenoids, total flavonoid and phenolic compounds were higher under W. Intraspecific variation in the responses were observed for most parameters with exception of leaf thickness; this intraspecific variation was most pronounced for total phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Surface-water-quality assessment of the Yakima River basin, Washington; project description

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKenzie, S.W.; Rinella, J.F.

1987-01-01

In April 1986, the U.S. Geological Survey began the National Water Quality Assessment program to: (1) provide a nationally consistent description of the current status of water quality, (2) define water quality trends that have occurred over recent decades, and (3) relate past and present water quality conditions to relevant natural features, the history of land and water use, and land management and waste management practices. At present (1987), The National Water Quality Assessment program is in a pilot studies phase, in which assessment concepts and approaches are being tested and modified to prepare for possible full implementation of the program. Seven pilot projects (four surface water projects and three groundwater projects) have been started. The Yakima River basin in Washington is one of the pilot surface water project areas. The Yakima River basin drains in area of 6,155 sq mi and contains about 1,900 river mi of perennial streams. Major land use activities include growing and harvesting timber, dryland pasture grazing, intense farming and irrigated agriculture, and urbanization. Water quality issues that result from these land uses include potentially large concentrations of suspended sediment, bacteria, nutrients, pesticides, and trace elements that may affect water used for human consumption, fish propagation and passage, contact recreation, livestock watering, and irrigation. Data will be collected in a nine year cycle. The first three years of the cycle will be a period of concentrated data acquisition and interpretation. For the next six years, sample collection will be done at a much lower level of intensity to document the occurrence of any gross changes in water quality. This nine year cycle would then be repeated. Three types of sampling activities will be used for data acquisition: fixed location station sampling, synoptic sampling, and intensive reach studies. (Lantz-PTT)

Morphology Analysis and Optimization: Crucial Factor Determining the Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells.

PubMed

Zeng, Wenjin; Liu, Xingming; Guo, Xiangru; Niu, Qiaoli; Yi, Jianpeng; Xia, Ruidong; Min, Yong

2017-03-24

This review presents an overall discussion on the morphology analysis and optimization for perovskite (PVSK) solar cells. Surface morphology and energy alignment have been proven to play a dominant role in determining the device performance. The effect of the key parameters such as solution condition and preparation atmosphere on the crystallization of PVSK, the characterization of surface morphology and interface distribution in the perovskite layer is discussed in detail. Furthermore, the analysis of interface energy level alignment by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy is presented to reveals the correlation between morphology and charge generation and collection within the perovskite layer, and its influence on the device performance. The techniques including architecture modification, solvent annealing, etc. were reviewed as an efficient approach to improve the morphology of PVSK. It is expected that further progress will be achieved with more efforts devoted to the insight of the mechanism of surface engineering in the field of PVSK solar cells.

On the morphological instability of a bubble during inertia-controlled growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martyushev, L. M.; Birzina, A. I.; Soboleva, A. S.

2018-06-01

The morphological stability of a spherical bubble growing under inertia control is analyzed. Based on the comparison of entropy productions for a distorted and undistorted surface and using the maximum entropy production principle, the morphological instability of the bubble under arbitrary amplitude distortions is shown. This result allows explaining a number of experiments where the surface roughness of bubbles was observed during their explosive-type growth.

A phase field crystal model simulation of morphology evolution and misfit dislocation generation in nanoheteroepitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Chen, Z.; Cheng, C.; Wang, Y. X.

2017-10-01

A phase field crystal (PFC) model is employed to study morphology evolution of nanoheteroepitaxy and misfit dislocation generation when applied with enhanced supercooling, lattice mismatch and substrate vicinal angle conditions. Misfit strain that rises due to lattice mismatch causes rough surfaces or misfit dislocations, deteriorates film properties, hence, efforts taken to reveal their microscopic mechanism are significant for film quality improvement. Uniform islands, instead of misfit dislocations, are developed in subcritical thickness film, serving as a way of strain relief by surface mechanism. Misfit dislocations generate when strain relief by surface mechanism is deficient in higher supercooling, multilayers of misfit dislocations dominate, but the number of layers reduces gradually when the supercooling is further enhanced. Rough surfaces like islands or cuspate pits are developed which is ascribed to lattice mismatch, multilayers of misfit dislocations generate to further enhance lattice mismatch. Layers of misfit dislocations generate at a thickening position at enhanced substrate vicinal angle, this further enhancing the angle leading to sporadic generation of misfit dislocations.