Aaenhessellund8501

In this work a comparison of dielectric and mechanical data is presented based on experiments within the linear response limit and beyond that limit. The linear dynamic and shear-mechanical response is discussed in terms of the molecular supercooled liquid tetramethyl-tetraphenyl-trisiloxane. As the dynamics measured by the two methods depict the same temperature-dependence, the underlying cause for the observed responses is assumed to be identical for both methods, namely structural relaxation. Maraviroc The comparison of dielectric and mechanical measurements under high excitation amplitudes reveals that this cannot be assumed for the nonlinear response Mechanical experiments on metallic glasses suggest that involved energies are clearly beyond k B T, with observed nonlinear effects based on the activation of microstructural plastic rearrangements. In contrast, nonlinear dielectric measurements on another molecular glass-former involve energies clearly below k B T, so that nonlinear dielectric effects occur due to energy uptake from the electric field or entropy-based changes in the dynamics, but are very unlikely connected to the triggering of plastic rearrangements by the applied electric field.Computer simulation shows that an increase of the volume V due to point defects in a simple metallic crystal (Al) and high entropy alloy (Fe20Ni20Cr20Co20Cu20) leads to a linear decrease of the shear modulus G. This diaelastic effect can be characterized by a single dimensionless parameter K = dln G/dln V. For dumbbell interstitials in single crystals K ≈ -30 while for vacancies the absolute K-value is smaller by an order of magnitude. In the polycrystalline state, K ≈ -20 but its the absolute value remains anyway 5-6 times larger than that for vacancies. The physical origin of this difference comes from the fact that dumbbell interstitials constitute elastic dipoles with highly mobile atoms in their nuclei and that is why produce much larger shear softening compared to vacancies. For simulated Al and high entropy alloy in the glassy state, K equals to -18 and -12, respectively. By the absolute magnitude, these values are by several times larger compared to the case of vacancies in the polycrystalline state of these materials. An analysis of the experimental data on isothermal relaxations of G as a function of V for six Zr-based metallic glasses tested at different temperatures shows that K is time independent and equals to ≈-43, similar to interstitials in single-crystals. It is concluded that K constitutes a important simple kinetic parameter indicating the origin of relaxations induced by point(-like) defects in the crystalline and glassy states.A polycrystalline sample of Sr2ScFeAsO3 was studied by 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy down to 1.7 K. In contrast to the earlier Mössbauer data, the obtained in this work results indicate that Sr2ScFeAsO3 is in paramagnetic state down to 10 K, while the spectra recorded at 4.6 K and 1.7 K show a weak magnetic order of Fe moments in the Fe2As2 layers. Temperature dependences of isomer shift and quadrupole splitting/shift are compared with specific heat and electrical resistivity data from earlier investigations revealing different local Debye temperatures for the Fe2As2 and perovskite-related Sr2ScO3 layers. Finally, a fast decrease of the carrier density was observed below 80 K and this effect seems to be responsible for the absence of superconductivity in the studied compound.A variety of techniques exist for synthesizing nanodiamonds. However, it is challenging to produce nanoparticles with a size smaller than 4 nm without aggregation and large volumes of colloidal solutions containing single-digit nanodiamonds. In this study, we demonstrate a facile top-down strategy for the fabrication of monodisperse colloidal fluorescent nanodiamonds with a mean size of 3.6 nm from a suspension of commercial high-pressure and high-temperature diamond microcrystals (raw industrial materials) in an ambient environment using laser ablation in liquids. The formation of colloidal nanodiamonds is ascribed to a mechanism in which diamond microcrystals are first converted into disordered carbon nanoparticles through laser ablation. Subsequently, the amorphous carbon nanoparticles as an intermediate phase are converted into the final nanodiamonds under laser irradiation. Through the in situ covalent linking of ester and ketone groups on the surfaces of the nanodiamonds, tunable, high-performance fluorescence bioimaging can be achieved. The results suggest that single-digit fluorescent nanodiamonds can be generated from colloidal solutions.

Insects are a living resource used for human nutrition, medicine, and industry. Several potential sources of proteins, peptides, and biopolymers, such as silk, chitin, and chitosan are utilized in industry and for biotechnology applications. Chitosan is an amino-polysaccharide derivative of chitin that consists of linear amino polysaccharides with d-glucosamine and N-acetyl-d-glucosamine units. Currently, the chief commercial sources of chitin and chitosan are crustacean shells that accumulate as a major waste product from the marine food industry. Existing chitin resources have some natural challenges, including insufficient supplies, seasonal availability, and environmental pollution. As an alternative, insects could be utilized as unconventional but feasible sources of chitin and chitosan.

This review focuses on the recent sources of insect chitin and chitosan, particularly from the Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Dictyoptera, and Odonata orders. In addition, the edded products as an alternative chitin source to address food security related challenges.This paper summarizes some of the ways in which increased use of renewable energy can reduce vulnerability of nations and communities to hydro-meteorological disasters (i.e. enhance their resilience). It uses examples mainly from the small island countries of the Pacific, as the issues raised are particularly pertinent there. In particular, distributed electricity generation reduces vulnerability of supply to severe weather.