The lack of complete understanding of the substrate effects on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) growth poses a lot oftechnical challenges. Here, we report the direct growth of nanostructures such as the CNTs on stainless steel 304and brass substrates using thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) process with C2H2 gas as carbon sourceand hydrogen as supporting gas mixed in Ar gas flow. We used an especi...

This paper reports nano-structured SiO2-TiO2 coatings using the sol-gel technique on 316L steel substrates. Nanoindentation, surface analysis and corrosion resistance tests were performed on different samples. The nanomechanical tests allowed to compare uncoated steel samples (Eavg = 193.24 GPa and mean hardness of 2.63 GPa and coated steel samples (Eavg = 287.38 GPa and mean hardness of 5.74 G...

A simple and efficient procedure for the synthesis of 2-amino-3-cyanopyridines from aldehydes, ketones, malononitrile, and ammonium acetate via one-pot reaction is reported. Zinc zirconium phosphate (ZPZn) nanoparticles were used as a convenient and efficient catalyst for this multicomponent reaction (MCR) under solvent-free conditions, and fair to excellent yields were achieved. The catalyst w...

In this paper, the nucleation and growth of diamond/diamond-like coatings on austenitic (AISI 316) and ferritic (AISI 430) stainless steel substrates have been investigated using torch technique. The effects of substrate surface preparation has also been studied. The quality of coatings produced has been examined using optical and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectros...

due to its wide industrial use, chromium is considered as a serious environmental pollutant. phytoremediation is an effective, economical and biocompatible method for remediation of contaminated soils. the present study is an attempt to assess the capability of populus alba l., for the phytoextraction of cr from a polluted loamy soil added with either cocopeat, litter and peatmoss as organic ma...

Given the choice of waiting for an adverse outcome or getting it over with quickly, many people choose the latter. Theoretical models of decision-making have assumed that this occurs because there is a cost to waiting-i.e., dread. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we measured the neural responses to waiting for a cutaneous electric shock. Some individuals dreaded the outcome so much ...

Alive matter distinguishes itself from inanimate matter by actively maintaining a high degree of inhomogenous organisation. Information processing is quintessential to this capability. The present paper inquires into the degree to which the information processing aspect of living systems can be abstracted from the physical medium of its implementation. Information processing serving to sustain ...

The brain can be understood as an organ that adapts to several types of internal and external influences. The interaction of these complex concurrent stimuli along life shapes the highly differentiated biologic arrangement of the brain and its consequent physiology, at any given time. The past years have seen a significant development of the knowledge about the neural substrate of language in i...

Tinnitus is an auditory phantom sensation of ringing in the ears that is experienced when no external sound is present. It is a prevalent disorder that is frequently caused by insults to the peripheral auditory and somatosensory systems, especially in the elderly. This creates an imbalance between inhibitory and excitatory transmitter actions in the midbrain, auditory cortex and brainstem (wher...

Living cells are defined in part by the possession of a membrane barrier surrounding their perimeter, thereby delineating the border between the inside and the outside. The existence of this barrier, as well as the proteins that mediate exchange of ions and other substrates across it, leads immediately to the question of how transport across the membrane, whether it be active or passive, is ach...