Mineral Interpretation Discrepancies Identified between Infrared Reflectance Spectra and X-ray Diffractograms.

Mineral composition can be determined using different methods such as reflectance spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). However, in some cases, the composition of mineral maps obtained from reflectance spectroscopy with XRD shows inconsistencies in the mineral composition interpretation and the estimation of (semi-)quantitative mineral abundances. We show why these discrepancies exist and how should they be interpreted.

Development of anti-icing materials by chemical tailoring of hydrophobic textured metallic surfaces.

Ice on surfaces can have dramatic consequences for human activities. Over the last decades, the design of new materials with anti-icing properties has generated significant research efforts for the prevention of ice accretion. Here we investigate water freezing temperatures on untreated and negatively charged hydrophobic stainless steel surfaces and use these temperatures to evaluate icephobicity.

Reviewing the technological challenges associated with the development of a laparoscopic palpation device.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has heralded a revolution in surgical practice, with numerous advantages over open surgery. Nevertheless, it prevents the surgeon from directly touching and manipulating tissue and therefore severely restricts the use of valuable techniques such as palpation. Accordingly a key challenge in MIS is to restore haptic feedback to the surgeon.