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The influence of substrate bias and chemical composition on the formed microstructure and resulting hardness of arc evaporated Zr1−xAlxN films in the compositional span 0.12≤ x ≤0.74 is investigated. A cubic ZrAlN phase is formed at low aluminum contents (x ≤ 0.38) whereas for a high Al-content, above x = 0.70, a single-phase hexagonal structure is obtained. For intermediate Al-contents, a two-phase structure is formed. The cubic structured films exhibit higher hardness than the hexagonal structured ones. A low bias results in N-rich films with a partly defect-rich microstructure while a higher substrate bias decreases the grain size and increases the residual stress in the cubic ZrAlN films. Recrystallization and out-diffusion of nitrogen from the lattice in the cubic ZrAlN films takes place during annealing at 800 °C, which results in an increased hardness. The cubic ZrAlN phase is stable to annealing temperatures of 1000 °C while annealing at higher temperature results in nucleation and growth of hexag...

The microstructure evolution and compositional variation of Ti3SiC2 cathode surfaces during reactive cathodic arc evaporation are presented for different process conditions. The results show that phase decomposition takes place in the near-surface region, resulting in a 5-50 mu m thick converted layer that is affected by the presence of nitrogen in the deposition chamber. This layer consists of two different sublayers, i.e., 1-20 mu m thick top layer with a melted and resolidified microstructure, followed by a 4-30 mu m thick transition layer with a decomposed microstructure. The converted layer contains a polycrystalline TiCx phase and trace quantities of Si-rich domains with Ti5Si3(C) at their interface. The arc discharge causes Si redistribution in the two regions of the layer, whose Si/(Ti+Si) ratio is higher in the top region and lower in the transition region compared to the virgin material.

Immunocompromised patients with influenza A were identified in Stockholm during two influenza seasons. The predominant subtypes were H3N2 during 1988-1989 and H1N1 during 1990-1991. The median age of the 25 patients was 43 years (range, 3-80 years). Twelve patients had received renal transplants and had ongoing immunosuppression. Seven patients had received bone marrow transplants between 2 days and 3 years before becoming infected with influenza virus A. Two patients were in an aplastic phase, and four had chronic graft-versus-host disease with ongoing immunosuppression. Six patients had hematologic malignancies. Two of the 25 patients had severe infections. One of these infections occurred in a bone marrow transplant recipient during an aplastic phase and was fatal; the other affected a patient who had received a renal transplant. One bone marrow transplant patient had mild but protracted infection. The remaining 22 patients had mild influenza A. We conclude that influenza A in immunocompromised patients occasionally causes severe complications but in most patients is mild and self-limiting.

Cubic metastable Ti0.34Al0.66N/TiN multilayers were grown by reactive arc evaporation using Ti33–Al67 and Ti cathodes in a N2 atmosphere. X-ray diffractometry and high resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed that metastable c-Ti0.34Al0.66N partly decomposes after annealing at 900 °C into c-TiN rich and c-AlN rich phases with retained lattice coherency. Elemental mapping by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy showed a homogenous distribution of Ti and Al in the as-deposited 25 nm Ti0.34Al0.66N layers. The annealed Ti0.34Al0.66N layers exhibited coherent 5 nm domains with high Al content surrounded by a high Ti content matrix. This nanostructure formation is discussed in terms of spinodal decomposition.

Two series of chalcogen substituted thiophene monomers have been synthesised; 3-(4-alkylchalcogenophenyl)thiophenes 1a-c and 3-(4-alkylphenylchalcogeno)thiophenes 2a-d. Polymerisations of examples of these with iron(III)chloride gave regiorandom polymers. Light-emitting diodes with low efficiency could be fabricated from poly-1a and poly-1b.

Hydrogenated carbon nitride films were deposited by reactive dc magnetron sputtering in mixed Ar/N2/H2 discharges at temperatures of 100 and 350 °C. The total pressure was kept constant at 0.33 Pa and the gas mixtures were varied in order to study the effect of the hydrogen on the resulting film structure and properties. Chemical sputtering effects taking place during deposition were found to be an important factor for the growth and structural evolution. When H2 is mixed into the discharge gas, the growth rate decreases considerably and the films become denser due to desorption of volatile species, like hydrocarbons, NH3 and HCN. For a H2 fraction above 15%, no net film growth takes place. The hydrogen concentration incorporated into the films was highest (up to ∼33 at. %) for low growth temperatures and low nitrogen concentrations. Furthermore, the results indicate that substantial amount of hydrogen are bonded to nitrogen. The incorporation of hydrogen in the structure interrupts the relatively long ba...

We investigate the forces affecting the distribution of income by analyzing an unbalanced panel of information for 16 industrialized countries for the years 1966 through 1994. Income inequality is measured with the Gini coefficient of equivalent disposable income; individuals are the unit of analysis; the statistical analysis uses panel methods. The results suggest that many factors affect the development of income inequality. Some factors are strictly economic: A decreased industrial sector generally fosters inequality, and some support is found for the view that increased trade of manufactured goods from developing countries is also a factor. Other forces are outside a strictly defined market sphere: Low inequality is found when a large proportion of the labor force belongs to a trade union and also when there is a large public sector. In addition, demographic circumstances are important, since the proportion of the population under age 15 has a positive effect on inequality. We find, however, no association between the unemployment rate and inequality

An outbreak of ornithosis in the department of infectious diseases of a general hospital is described. The outbreak comprised 12 cases aged 18–80 years. The index case had a history of contact with birds. He developed a serious illness and died. 11 persons contracted the disease after contact with the index case; 8 of them were personnel of the clinic of infectious diseases and 1 case was a patient hospitalized in the same room as the index case. All of the patients showed a typical pneumonia and one of them had symptoms of encephalitis. Treatment with doxycycline was successful. 200 healthy contacts were treated prophylactically with doxycycline. None of these displayed any symptoms of disease.

The value added of the Swedish industrial sector has earlier been calculated by Osten Johansson (OJ)2 and the Economic Research Institute (Konjunkturinstituiet, KI). 3 However, these calculations have proved to be in need of revision on various points. In the following pages new calculations are shown for a shorter period, 1941–51. Furthermore, an attempt has been made to construct a new price index since the earlier calculations of fixed prices for the industrial production also have certain weaknesses.

Transparent wood (TW) is an interesting polymer biocomposite with potential for buildings and photonics applications. TW materials need to be eco-friendly and readily processed with few defects, for high optical transmittance and low transmission scattering at wide angles (haze). Two wood templates with different lignin-content are impregnated with a new thiol-ene thermoset system. The more eco-friendly bleached wood template results in transparent wood with high optical transmission and much reduced transmission haze, due to strong reduction of interfacial air gaps. Characterization includes template composition, thiol-ene distribution, and polymerization in wood cell wall by EDX and confocal Raman microscopy, also NMR and DSC, tensile testing and FE-SEM fractography for morphology and wood/thiol-ene interface adhesion assessment. The wood template is a true nanocomposite with thiol-ene polymer located inside the nanoporous wood cell wall. Advanced TW applications require not only appropriate wood template modification and careful polymer matrix selection but also tailoring of the process to impregnation and polymerization mechanisms, in order to reduce optical defects.

C3-deposition, generated by complement activation according to the alternate pathway, was detected on borosilicate glass slides and polystyrene Petri dishes. The C3-depositions grew peripherally until the entire surface was covered. The deposits were also visualized with scanning electron microscopy and could not be washed away with low-pH (3.5) or high-pH (9.6) buffers. No consumption of complement function was detected indicating a phenomenon restricted to the glass and plastic surfaces. The C3-deposits could mediate an adherence of human neutrophils.

Controllable‐unbalanced dc magnetron sputtering of a B4C target in mixed Ar–N2 discharges has been used to deposit BN:C thin films with carbon concentrations in the range of 5–21 at. % on Si(001) substrates. The variation of the nitrogen gas consumption with nitrogen partial pressure was used to determine the sorption capacity of the sputtering source and was then correlated to the film elemental composition. An additional axially symmetric magnetic field was used to vary the discharge plasma density near the substrate in a wide range. Hence, the ion flux Ji of primary Ar+ and N+2 ions accelerated to the substrate by an applied negative substrate bias could be varied while keeping the deposition flux Jn (the sum of film building species, B, C, and N atoms) near constant. BN:C films were grown at large ion‐to‐neutral flux ratios 3≤Ji/Jn≤24, ion energies Ei≤500 eV, and substrate temperatures 150≤Ts≤350 °C. The phase and elemental composition of as‐deposited BN:C films were characterized by Fourier transform...

Using a rheometer coupled with an UV-light generator, the viscoelastic behaviour during the fast cure of star-branched polyester is investigated. The 32 arm star polymers consist of a hyperbranched polyester core, BoltornTM and linear grafts of poly(E-caprolactone) (degree of polymerisation: 20.52) with methacrylate end groups. The resins are crystalline and the melting points range from 34 to 50 .C; films can be formed and cured below 80 .C. The crossover of G. and G.. was used as the gel point. The time to reach the gel point, a few seconds, increases linearly with molecular weight.

ACS applied polymer materials 2(2), 668-676 (2020). doi:10.1021/acsapm.9b01007, The need for renewable alternatives for fossil-based aromatic material constituents is evident for a more sustainable society. Lignin is the largest source of naturally occurring aromatic compounds but has mainly been considered as waste material or energy source in the pulp and paper industry. Developments in extracting lignin from these processes provide a large source for renewable aromatic structures to be used in various applications. Producing thermosets out of lignin is a very promising route to utilize this raw material toward, for example, composite application. The buildup of the molecular network based on oligomeric lignin segments will be different from traditional thermoset analogues, where the constituents often are smaller molecules, and will have an effect on the material properties. In this work LignoBoost Kraft lignin is refined, chemically modified, and used to produce freestanding thermosets with different architectures and properties. These different thermosets are evaluated, and the possibilities to tailor the material properties through work-up and modification are demonstrated. Morphological studies on the formed thermosets using X-ray scattering show systematic differences in molecular stacking and aggregate sizes., Published by ACS Publications, Washington, DC

Carbon nitride CNx thin films were grown by unbalanced dc magnetron sputtering from a graphite target in a pure N2 discharge, and with the substrate temperature Ts kept between 100 and 550 °C. A solenoid coil positioned in the vicinity of the substrate was used to support the magnetic field of the magnetron, so that the plasma could be increased near the substrate. By varying the coil current and gas pressure, the energy distribution and fluxes of N2+ ions and C neutrals could be varied independently of each other over a wide range. An array of Langmuir probes in the substrate position was used to monitor the radial ion flux distribution over the 75-mm-diam substrate, while the flux and energy distribution of neutrals was estimated through Monte Carlo simulations. The structure, surface roughness, and mechanical response of the films are found to be strongly dependent on the substrate temperature, and the fluxes and energies of the deposited particles. By controlling the process parameters, the film struc...