Total organic carbon quantification in soils and sediments: Performance test of a modified sample preparation method.

The total organic carbon (TOC) concentration of particulate samples is a key parameter to characterize soils and sediments. To demonstrate the applicability and reliability of a modified sample preparation method for the direct measurement of TOC contents in suspended particulate samples, we analyzed five certified reference materials (CRMs) with varying TOC concentrations using a Shimadzu TOC-L CPH analyzer. Measured values were calibrated with a multi-point curve that cover the full range of the expected TOC concentrations and the results were validated using statistical values and measures.

Correction: Selective area growth of GaN nanowires and nanofins by molecular beam epitaxy on heteroepitaxial diamond (001) substrates.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D1NA00221J.].

Selective area growth of GaN nanowires and nanofins by molecular beam epitaxy on heteroepitaxial diamond (001) substrates.

GaN-on-diamond is a promising route towards reliable high-power transistor devices with outstanding performances due to better heat management, replacing common GaN-on-SiC technologies. Nevertheless, the implementation of GaN-on-diamond remains challenging. In this work, the selective area growth of GaN nanostructures on cost-efficient, large-scale available heteroepitaxial diamond (001) substrates by means of plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy is investigated.

The furnace and the goat-A spatio-temporal model of the fuelwood requirement for iron metallurgy on Elba Island, 4th century BCE to 2nd century ce.

Scholars frequently cite fuel scarcity after deforestation as a reason for the abandonment of most of the Roman iron smelting sites on Elba Island (Tuscan Archipelago, Italy) in the 1st century bce. Whereas the archaeological record clearly indicates the decrease in smelting activities, evidence confirming the 'deforestation narrative' is ambiguous. Therefore, we employed a stochastic, spatio-temporal model of the wood required and consumed for iron smelting on Elba Island in order to assess the availability of fuelwood on the island.

On Demand Light-Degradable Polymers Based on 9,10-Dialkoxyanthracenes.

Light induced degradation of polymers has drawn increasing interest due to the need for externally controllable modulation of materials properties. However, the portfolio of polymers, that undergo precisely controllable degradation, is limited and typically requires UV light. A novel class of backbone-degradable polymers that undergo aerobic degradation in the presence of visible light, yet remain stable against broad-spectrum light under anaerobic conditions is reported.

Measuring the polymerization stress of self-adhesive resin composite cements by crack propagation.

Objectives: To test the polymerization stress of nine self-adhesive resin composite cements (G-CEM, iCEM, Bifix SE, Maxcem Elite, PANAVIA SA, SoloCem, SmartCem 2, SpeedCEM, RelyX Unicem 2) and one glass ionomer cement (control group; Ketac Cem).

Materials And Methods: The crack propagation of a feldspar ceramic (n = 130) was determined by measuring crack lengths that originated from Vickers indentations, prior to and after the application and polymerization of the self-adhesive resin cements. Results for crack propagation were converted to polymerization stress values, and statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA followed by Scheffé post hoc test.

Stiffness Estimates for Composites with Elliptic Cylindrical Voids.

A two-step homogenization procedure is presented to investigate the stiffness of a unidirectional continuous fiber-reinforced composite material containing voids of different shapes and volume contents. Since the Mori-Tanaka scheme is limited to moderate volume contents of the inhomogeneity phase, fiber and matrix are homogenized with semi-empirical relations with use of the adjusted fiber volume content in a first step. In the second step, the Mori-Tanaka scheme is applied to obtain the homogenized stiffness tensor of a transversely isotropic material containing voids aligned with the fiber direction.

Optimizing Organ Donation: Expert Opinion from Austria, Germany, Spain and the U.K.

BACKGROUND Organ donation-rates using deceased donors and organizational approaches to organ donation differ drastically between countries at a similar level of health care as measured by the Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI). MATERIAL AND METHODS Expert opinions from intensive care nurses, physicians, transplant coordinators and transplant surgeons from Austria, Germany, Spain, and the U.K.

Substrate-Independent Micropatterning of Polymer Brushes Based on Photolytic Deactivation of Chemical Vapor Deposition Based Surface-Initiated Atom-Transfer Radical Polymerization Initiator Films.

Precise microscale arrangement of biomolecules and cells is essential for tissue engineering, microarray development, diagnostic sensors, and fundamental research in the biosciences. Biofunctional polymer brushes have attracted broad interest in these applications. However, patterning approaches to creating microstructured biointerfaces based on polymer brushes often involve tedious, expensive, and complicated procedures that are specifically designed for model substrates.

PhenoFluor: Practical Synthesis, New Formulation, and Deoxyfluorination of Heteroaromatics.

We report a practical synthesis method of the reagent PhenoFluor on decagram scale, provide a new formulation of PhenoFluor as a toluene solution, which should decrease challenges associated with the moisture sensitivity of the reagent, and expand the substrate scope of deoxyfluorination with PhenoFluor to heteroaromatics.

Inflammatory response against different carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK wear particles compared with UHMWPE in vivo.

Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) and its composites are recognized as alternative bearing materials for use in arthroplasty because of their mechanical properties. The objective of this project was to evaluate the biological response of two different kinds of carbon fiber-reinforced (CFR) PEEK compared with ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in vivo as a standard bearing material. Wear particles of the particulate biomaterials were injected into the left knee joint of female BALB/c mice.