Influences of Sr2+ Doping on Microstructure,Giant Dielectric Behavior,and Non-Ohmic Properties of CaCu3Ti4O12/CaTiO3 Ceramic Composites

The microstructure, dielectric response, and nonlinear current-voltage properties of Sr²⁺-doped CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂/CaTiO₃ (CCTO/CTO) ceramic composites, which were prepared by a solid-state reaction method using a single step from the starting nominal composition of CCTO/CTO/xSrO, were investigated. The CCTO and CTO phases were detected in the X-ray diffraction patterns. The lattice parameter increased with increasing Sr²⁺ doping concentration. The phase compositions of CCTO and CTO were confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy with elemental mapping in the sintered ceramics. It can be confirmed that most of the Sr²⁺ ions substituted into the CTO phase, while some minor portion substituted into the CCTO phase. Furthermore, small segregation of Cu-rich was observed along the grain boundaries. The dielectric permittivity of the CCTO/CTO composite slightly decreased by doping with Sr²⁺, while the loss tangent was greatly reduced. Furthermore, the dielectric properties in a high-temperature range of the Sr²⁺-doped CCTO/CTO ceramic composites can be improved. Interestingly, the nonlinear electrical properties of the Sr²⁺-doped CCTO/CTO ceramic composites were significantly enhanced. The improved dielectric and nonlinear electrical properties of the Sr²⁺-doped CCTO/CTO ceramic composites were explained by the enhancement of the electrical properties of the internal interfaces.     

Strong convergence of a general viscosity explicit rule for the sum of two monotone operators in Hilbert spaces

In this paper, we study a general viscosity explicit rule for approximating the solutions of the variational inclusion problem for the sum of two monotone operators. We then prove its strong convergence under some new conditions on the parameters in the framework of Hilbert spaces. As applications, we apply our main result to the split feasibility problem and the LASSO problem. We also give some numerical examples to support our main result. The results presented in this paper extend and improve the corresponding results in the literature.     

An iterative method for equilibrium problems and a finite family of relatively nonexpansive mappings in a Banach space

In this paper, we introduce a new iterative method for finding a common element of the set of fixed points of a finite family of relatively nonexpansive mappings and the set of solutions of an equilibrium problem in uniformly convex and uniformly smooth Banach spaces. Then we prove a strong convergence theorem by using the generalized projection.     

In vitro biocompatibility of electrospun hexanoyl chitosan fibrous scaffolds towards human keratinocytes and fibroblasts

With the ability to form a submicron-sized fibrous structure with interconnected pores mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue formation, electrospinning was used to fabricate ultra-fine fiber mats of hexanoyl chitosan (H-chitosan) for potential use as skin tissue scaffolds. In the present communication, the in vitro biocompatibility of the electrospun fiber mats was evaluated. Indirect cytotoxicity evaluation of the fiber mats with mouse fibroblasts (L929) revealed that the materials were non-toxic and did not release substances harmful to living cells. The potential for use of the fiber mats as skin tissue scaffolds was further assessed in terms of the attachment and the proliferation of human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) that were seeded or cultured on the scaffolds at different times. The results showed that the electrospun fibrous scaffolds could support the attachment and the proliferation of both types of cells, especially for HaCaT. In addition, the cells cultured on the fibrous scaffolds exhibited normal cell shapes and integrated well with surrounding fibers. The obtained results confirmed the potential for use of the electrospun H-chitosan fiber mats as scaffolds for skin tissue engineering.     

An implicit iteration process for solving a fixed point problem of a finite family of multi-valued mappings in Banach spaces

This work is concerned with the strong convergence of an approximating common fixed point sequence of a finite family of multi-valued mappings in a uniformly convex and smooth Banach space using an implicit iteration scheme introduced by Xu and Ori [H.K. Xu, R.G. Ori, An implicit iteration process for nonexpansive mappings, Numer. Funct. Anal. Optim. 22 (2001) 767–773].     

Preparation and characterization of novel bone scaffolds based on electrospun polycaprolactone fibers filled with nanoparticles

Novel bone-scaffolding materials were successfully fabricated by electrospinning from polycaprolactone (PCL) solutions containing nanoparticles of calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) or hydroxyapatite (HA). The diameters of the as-spun fibers were found to increase with the addition and increasing amounts of the nanoparticles. The observed increase in the diameters of the as-spun fibers with the addition and increasing amounts of the nanoparticulate fillers was responsible for the observed increase in the tensile strength of the obtained fiber mats. An increase in the concentration of the base PCL solution caused the average diameter of the as-spun PCL/HA composite fibers to increase. Increasing applied electrical potential also resulted in an increase in the diameters of the obtained PCL/HA composite fibers. Lastly, indirect cytotoxicity evaluation of the electrospun mats of PCL, PCL/CaCO(3), and PCL/HA fibers based on human osteoblasts (SaOS2) and mouse fibroblasts (L929) revealed that these as-spun mats posed no threat to the cells, a result that implied their potential for utilization as bone-scaffolding materials.     

An inertial forward–backward splitting method for solving inclusion problems in Hilbert spaces

In this work, our interest is in investigating the monotone inclusion problems in the framework of real Hilbert spaces. For solving this problem, we propose an inertial forward–backward splitting algorithm involving an extrapolation factor. We then prove its strong convergence under some mild conditions. Finally, we provide some applications including the numerical experiments for supporting our main theorem.     

Ag Nanoparticle-Incorporated Natural Rubber for Mechanical Energy Harvesting Application

The energy conversion performance of the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a function of triboelectric charges which depend on the intrinsic properties of materials to hold charges or the dielectric properties of triboelectric materials. In this work, Ag nanoparticles were synthesized and used to incorporate into natural rubber (NR) in order to enhance the dielectric constant for enhancing the electrical output of TENG. It was found that the size of Ag nanoparticles was reduced with the increasing CTAB concentration. Furthermore, the CTAB surfactant helped the dispersion of metallic Ag nanoparticles in the NR-insulating matrix, which promoted interfacial polarization that affected the dielectric properties of the NR composite. Ag nanoparticle-incorporated NR films exhibited an improved dielectric constant of up to almost 40% and an enhanced TENG performance that generated the highest power density of 262.4 mW/m².     

Viscosity approximation methods for a nonexpansive semigroup in Banach spaces with gauge functions

We first investigate strong convergence of the sequence generated by implicit and explicit viscosity approximation methods for a one-parameter nonexpansive semigroup in a real Banach space E which has a uniformly Gateaux differentiable norm and admits the duality mapping j _?? , where ?? is a gauge function on [0, ??). The main results also improve and extend some known results concerning the normalized duality mapping in the literature.