Genes involved in copper resistance influence survival of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on copper surfaces

Aims:  To evaluate the killing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 on copper cast alloys and the influence of genes on survival on copper containing medium and surfaces.
Methods and Results:  Different strains of P. aeruginosa were inoculated on copper containing medium or different copper cast alloys and the survival rate determined. The survival rates were compared with rates on copper-free medium and stainless steel as control. In addition, the effect of temperature on survival was examined.
Conclusions:  Copper cast alloys had been previously shown to be bactericidal to various bacteria, but the mechanism of copper-mediated killing is still not known. In this report, we demonstrate that P. aeruginosa PAO1 is rapidly killed on different copper cast alloys and that genes involved in conferring copper resistance in copper-containing medium also influenced survival on copper cast alloys. We also show that the rate of killing is influenced by temperature.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  To use copper surfaces more widely as bactericidal agents in various settings, it is important to understand how genes influence survival on these surfaces. Here we show that genes shown to be involved in copper resistance in P. aeruginosa PAO1 can have an impact on the length of survival time on copper cast alloys under certain conditions. This is an important first step for evaluation of future use of copper surfaces as bactericidal agents.     

Accurate Determination of the Minimum HOMO Offset for Efficient Charge Generation using Organic Semiconducting Alloys

Current research indicates that exciton dissociation into free charge carriers can be achieved in material combinations with the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) offset lowered to 0 eV in non‐fullerene organic solar cells. However, the quantitative relationship between the HOMO offset and exciton dissociation has not been established because of the difficulty in achieving continuously tunable HOMO offsets. Here, the binary blends of PTQ10:ZITI‐S and PTQ10:ZITI‐N are combined to form the positive and negative HOMO offsets of 0.20 and ?0.07 eV, respectively. While the PTQ10:ZITI‐S binary blend delivers a decent power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.69% with a short‐circuit current (J_sc) of 16.94 mA cm^?2, the PTQ10:ZITI‐N with the negative offset shows a much lower PCE of 7.06% mainly because of the low J_sc of 12.03 mA cm^?2. Because the tunable HOMO levels can be realized in organic semiconducting alloys based on ZITI‐N and ZITI‐S acceptors, the transformation of the HOMO energy offset from negative to positive values is achieved in the PTQ10:ZITIN:ZITI‐S ternary blends, delivering much‐improved PCEs up to 13.26% with a significant, 74% enhancement of J_sc to 20.93 mA cm^?2. With detailed investigations, the study reveals that the minimum HOMO offset of ≈40 meV is required to achieve the most‐efficient exciton dissociation and photovoltaic performance.     

The influence of iron content on the biofouling resistance of 90/10 copper‐nickel alloys

A series of 90/10 cupronickel alloys containing iron at levels between 0% and 5% were immersed in the sea in Chichester Harbour. Samples were retrieved over a 14‐month period and subjected to scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The alloy with no iron corroded very rapidly and showed little, if any, colonisation. The 0·5% Fe and 1·5% Fe alloys developed microfouling communities dominated by the diatom Amphora, while the 2·5% and 5% Fe‐containing materials showed not only diatoms but also macro‐fouling in the form of barnacle settlement. However, the very loosely adherent nature of the iron and nickel‐rich corrosion products of these high iron alloys resulted in very poor tenacity of adhesion by the macrofouling. However, thick films of diatoms of lower copper tolerance became well established on the iron‐rich alloys. The alternative anti‐fouling mechanisms of the 90/10 copper‐nickels are discussed.     

Towards Engineering Nanoporous Platinum Thin Films for Highly Efficient Catalytic Applications

Porous metals attract significant interest for use in diverse electrochemical catalytic applications. However the fabrication of scalable and controlled porous metal structures on the nanoscale, particularly with highly catalytic pure Pt, still remains a significant challenge. We demonstrate highly engineered nanoporous Pt thin films by the dealloying of a Pt‐Si binary alloy system with a predetermined alloy composition. Controlled pore dimensions and nanostructures are obtained by tailoring the Pt‐Si alloy composition followed by selective Si etching. As a result, isotropic open nanopores are formed in continuous Pt ligaments and the porosity becomes larger on increasing the Si/Pt atomic ratio, which leads to the formation of a higher surface area and active catalytic sites. The formed nanoporous Pt film shows a 32‐times‐higher catalytic activity than Pt/C catalysts, with a high current density and low charge‐transfer resistance during methanol electro‐oxidation. The results reported here open up possibilities to develop high‐performance and reliable catalytic electrodes in energy and environmental applications.     

Fatigue strength: effect of welding type and joint design executed in Ti-6Al-4V structures

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2011.00598.x
Fatigue strength: effect of welding type and joint design executed in Ti‐6Al‐4V structures Background: This study evaluated the fatigue strength of Ti‐6Al‐4V‐machined structures submitted to laser (L)‐welding and TIG (TIG)‐welding procedures, varying the joint designs. Materials and methods: Seventy dumbbell rods were machined in Ti‐6Al‐4V alloy with central diameters of 3.5 mm. The specimens were sectioned and welded using TIG or L and three joint designs {‘I’ design, varying welding distances [0.0 mm (I00) or 0.6 mm (I06)], or ‘X’ [X] design}. The combinations of variables created six groups, which, when added to the intact group, made a total of seven groups (n = 10). L was executed as follows: 360 V/8 ms (X) and 390 V/9 ms (I00 and I06), with focus and frequency regulated to zero. TIG was executed using 2:2 (X) and 3:2 (I00 and I06) as welding parameters. Joints were finished, polished and submitted to radiographic examination to be analysed visually for the presence of porosity. The specimens were then subjected to mechanical cyclic tests, and the number of cycles completed until failure was recorded. The fracture surface was examined using a scanning electron microscope. Results: The Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn test (α = 0.05) indicated that the number of cycles resisted for fracture was higher to X for both welding procedures. To L, I06 was as resistant as X. The Mann–Whitney U‐test (α = 0.05) indicated that L joints were more resistant than TIG to I00 and I06. Spearman’s correlation coefficient (α = 0.05) indicated a negative correlation between the number of cycles and presence of porosity. Conclusion: Thus, to weld Ti‐6Al‐4V structures, the best condition is X, independent of the welding method employed.     

Mechanically Robust BiSbTe Alloys with Superior Thermoelectric Performance: A Case Study of Stable Hierarchical Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials

Bismuth telluride based thermoelectric materials have been commercialized for a wide range of applications in power generation and refrigeration. However, the poor machinability and susceptibility to brittle fracturing of commercial ingots often impose significant limitations on the manufacturing process and durability of thermoelectric devices. In this study, melt spinning combined with a plasma‐activated sintering (MS‐PAS) method is employed for commercial p‐type zone‐melted (ZM) ingots of Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃. This fast synthesis approach achieves hierarchical structures and in‐situ nanoscale precipitates, resulting in the simultaneous improvement of the thermoelectric performance and the mechanical properties. Benefitting from a strong suppression of the lattice thermal conductivity, a peak ZT of 1.22 is achieved at 340 K in MS‐PAS synthesized structures, representing about a 40% enhancement over that of ZM ingots. Moreover, MS‐PAS specimens with hierarchical structures exhibit superior machinability and mechanical properties with an almost 30% enhancement in their fracture toughness, combined with an eightfold and a factor of six increase in the compressive and flexural strength, respectively. Accompanied by an excellent thermal stability up to 200 °C for the MS‐PAS synthesized samples, the MS‐PAS technique demonstrates great potential for mass production and large‐scale applications of Bi₂Te₃ related thermoelectrics.     

A Temporary Barrier Effect of the Alloy Layer During Selenization: Tailoring the Thickness of MoSe2 for Efficient Cu2ZnSnSe4 Solar Cells

The influence of a prealloying process on the formation of MoSe₂ and thus on the performance of Cu₂ZnSnSe₄ (CZTSe) solar cells is investigated using sputtering deposition and post‐annealing approaches. The dense alloy layer, which is made by a low‐temperature prealloying process, acts as a temporary Se diffusion barrier during a subsequent high‐temperature selenization process. The formation of thick interfacial MoSe₂ can be suppressed effectively by this temporary barrier, cooperating with subsequent quick formation of compact CZTSe layer. The thickness of interfacial MoSe₂ layer in CZTSe solar cells can be tailored by adjusting the preannealing process during selenization. As a consequence, the series resistance of CZTSe solar cells is reduced to a low level (≈0.6 Ω cm²), and the performance of CZTSe solar cells is improved significantly. A CZTSe solar cell with efficiency of 8.7% is fabricated.     

多孔钛合金不同孔径大小对新骨长入的影响

目的:评价不同孔径多孔钛合金植入物在骨缺损区对新骨长入的影响。方法:采用电子束熔融(EBM)技术制备三种不同孔径(孔径分别为1.0 mm,2.0 mm,3.0 mm)的多孔钛合金材料,其孔隙率依次为73%,79%,86%。将18只家犬随机分为1.0 mm孔径材料组,2.0 mm孔径材料组,3.0 mm孔径材料组,每组6只。制备家犬双侧股骨外侧髁缺损模型,然后植入各孔径组材料,于术后4周,8周,12周分别行大体标本观察,X线片观察,组织形态学观察三组不同孔径材料与周围骨的整合情况及孔隙中的新骨长入情况。结果:通过大体标本观察和X线片观察显示,12周后三组材料均与周围紧密骨连接。其中1.0 mm孔径组材料中心明显成骨,2.0 mm孔径组和3.0 mm孔径组中心仍为较多白色组织填充。组织学观察显示,12周时2.0 mm孔径组和3.0 mm孔径组材料周围有骨质包绕,但中心空洞,基本无骨质形成。1.0 mm孔径组材料周围骨质包绕紧密,孔中新生骨形成较多,且有大量纤维母细胞和软骨细胞形成。各时间点1.0 mm孔径组新生骨面积百分比明显高于2.0 mm孔径组和3.0 mm孔径组,P<0.01,差异具有统计学意义。2.0 mm孔径组和3.0 mm孔径组相比,P>0.05,无显著差异。结论:孔径大小影响多孔钛合金材料的骨长入,适当孔径的设计将更有利于材料的传导成骨。     

Revolutionizing orthopaedic biomaterials: The potential of biodegradable and bioresorbable magnesium-based materials for functional tissue engineering

In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in magnesium (Mg) and its alloys as biomaterials for orthopaedic applications, as they possess desirable mechanical properties, good biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Also shown to be osteoinductive, Mg-based materials could be particularly advantageous in functional tissue engineering to improve healing and serve as scaffolds for delivery of drugs, cells, and cytokines. In this paper, we will present two examples of Mg-based orthopaedic devices: an interference screw to accelerate ACL graft healing and a ring to aid in the healing of an injured ACL.