Search

We describe the formation and properties of atomically bonded, optical quality, nanostructured thin glass film coatings on glass plates, utilizing phase separation by spinodal decomposition in a sodium borosilicate glass system. Following deposition via magnetron sputtering, thermal processing and differential etching, these coatings are structurally superhydrophilic (i.e., display anti-fogging functionality) and demonstrate robust mechanical properties and superior abrasion resistance. After appropriate chemical surface modification, the surfaces display a stable, non-wetting Cassie-Baxter state and exhibit exceptional superhydrophobic performance, with water droplet contact angles as large as 172°. As an added benefit, in both superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic states these nanostructured surfaces can block ultraviolet radiation and can be engineered to be anti-reflective with broadband and omnidirectional transparency. Thus, the present approach could be tailored toward distinct coatings for numerous markets, such as residential windows, windshields, specialty optics, goggles, electronic and photovoltaic cover glasses, and optical components used throughout the US military. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During waste heat recovery applications, thermoelectric (TE) materials experience thermal gradients and thermal transients, which produce stresses that scale with the TE material's coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). Thus, the temperature-dependent CTE is an important parameter for the design of mechanically robust TE generators. For three skutterudite thermoelectric compositions, n-type Co0.95Pd0.05Te0.05Sb3 (with and without 0.1 at. % cerium doping) and p-type Ce0.9Fe3.5Co0.5Sb12, the CTE was measured using two methods, i.e. X-ray diffraction on powder and bulk specimens and dilatometry on bulk specimens. Each bulk specimen was hot pressed using powders milled from cast ingots. Between 300 K and 600 K, the mean CTE values were 9.8–10.3 × 10−6 K−1 for the non-cerium-doped n-type, 11.6 × 10−6 K−1 for the 0.1 at. % cerium-doped n-type and from 12.7 to 13.3 × 10−6 K−1 for the p-type. In the literature, similar CTE values are reported for other Sb-based skutterudites. For temperatures >600 K, an unrecovered dilatational strain (perhaps due to bloating) was observed, which may impact applications. Also, the submicron particle sizes generated by wet milling were pyrophoric; thus, during both processing and characterization, exposure of the powders to oxygen should be limited. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Effective models of the mechanical behavior of thermoelectric materials under device conditions require knowledge of temperature-dependent elastic properties. Between room temperature and 600 K, resonant ultrasound spectroscopy measurements of three skutterudite thermoelectric materials, i.e. n-type Co0.95Pd0.05Te0.05Sb3 (both with and without 0.1 at.% cerium dopant) and p-type Ce0.9Fe3.5Co0.5Sb12, showed that the Young's and shear moduli decreased linearly with temperature at a rate of −0.021 GPa/K to −0.032 GPa/K, and −0.011 GPa/K to −0.013 GPa/K, respectively. In contrast, the Poisson's ratio was approximately 0.22 for the three materials and was relatively insensitive to temperature. For temperatures >600 K, the elastic moduli decreased more rapidly and resonance peaks broadened, indicating the onset of viscoelastic behavior. The viscoelastic relaxation of the moduli was least for Ce-doped n-type material, for which grain boundary precipitates may inhibit grain boundary sliding which in turn has important implications concerning creep resistance. In addition, powder processing of the n- and p-type materials should be done cautiously since submicron-sized powders of both the n- and p-type powders were pyrophoric. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction: Our aim was to characterize the cytogenetic profile that displays a certain phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), offering new directions for investigation of the etiology to the molecular level. In Mexico, data does not exist in this regard; thus, the objective of the present study was to determine cytogenetic alterations in 56 Mestizo Mexican patients with LMC., Design: Cross-sectional study (diagnosis and stage) was carried out., Materials and Methods: samples of bone marrow of 56 patients with CML in different phases were analyzed using G banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with DNA probes for Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)., Results: 19% of patients in chronic stage showed secondary chromosomal alterations in contrast with an observed 60% in patients in accelerated stage. Most frequent alterations included trisomy 8 and 19, extra Ph chromosome, and isochromosome of the 17., Conclusions: We believe this to be the first work that determines secondary chromosomal alterations in Mexican racially mixed patients with LMC. These are in agreement with those reported for other populations at the worldwide level.