Boundary behaviour of the mappings satisfying generalized inverse modular inequalities

We study the geometric properties of the mappings for which generalized inverse modular inequalities hold. We generalize in this way known theorems from the theory of analytic mappings and the theory of quasiregular mappings, like the theorems of Fatou, M. and F. Riesz, Beurling and Lindelöf and their extensions given for quasiregular mappings by Martio, Rickman and Vuorinen.     

Thermostable Trioxane-Dioxolane Copolymers Obtained with Boron Trifluoride: Acrylonitrile Complex as Initiator

Trioxane was copolymerized with small amounts of dioxolane in benzene in the presence of a boron trifluoride:a crylonitrile complex as initiator. The kinetics of reactions was expressed in terms of topoenergetic principles. The copolymerizations had no induction periods and the maximum reaction rate was found proportional to the square of both the initiator and monomers concentrations. A zwitterionic mechanism is suggested for initiation. The activation energy for the system with 5% dioxolane was determined as 18.3 kcal/mol. The melting behavior of the copolymers is briefly discussed as a function of the dioxolane initial content, and is indicative of the amorphous-crystalline coupling phenomenon. The copolymers with ～ 5% dioxolane are thermostable in air up to 250%deg; and are recommended for practical purposes.     

Synthesis of Drim-7,9(11)-diene and Its Hydroxylated Derivatives

This article describes a new efficient synthesis of drim-7,9(11)-diene and its hydroxylated derivates from drim-8-en-7-one. Reduction of this ketone with NaBO₄ in the presence of CeCl₃ · 7H₂O afforded regio- and stereoselectively drim-8-en-7β-ol in a high yield. Its dehydration with H₂SO₄ under mild conditions led to drim-7,9(11)-diene. Noncatalytic oxidation of drim-7,9(11)-diene with OsO₄ and the catalytic oxidation with the pair OsO₄–NMO gave, in a high yield, depending on conditions, driman-7β,8β,9α,11-tetraol or its mixture with drim-7-en-9α,11-diol and drim-9(11)-en-7α,8α-diol. Under optimal conditions the total yield of these diols reached 89%. The separate, noncatalytic oxidation of drim-7-en-9α,11-diol and of drim-9(11)-en-7α,8α-diol with OsO₄ afforded driman-7α,8α,9α,11-tetraol.     

Isoflavonoid-Antibiotic Thin Films Fabricated by MAPLE with Improved Resistance to Microbial Colonization

Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative) bacteria represent major infectious threats in the hospital environment due to their wide distribution, opportunistic behavior, and increasing antibiotic resistance. This study reports on the deposition of polyvinylpyrrolidone/antibiotic/isoflavonoid thin films by the matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) method as anti-adhesion barrier coatings, on biomedical surfaces for improved resistance to microbial colonization. The thin films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, infrared microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In vitro biological assay tests were performed to evaluate the influence of the thin films on the development of biofilms formed by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. In vitro biocompatibility tests were assessed on human endothelial cells examined for up to five days of incubation, via qualitative and quantitative methods. The results of this study revealed that the laser-fabricated coatings are biocompatible and resistant to microbial colonization and biofilm formation, making them successful candidates for biomedical devices and contact surfaces that would otherwise be amenable to contact transmission.     

A Combined Experimental and Computational Study of Chrysanthemin as a Pigment for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

The theoretical study of chrysanthemin (cyanidin 3-glucoside) as a pigment for TiO₂-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was performed with the GAUSSSIAN 09 simulation. The electronic spectra of neutral and anionic chrysanthemin molecules were calculated by density functional theory with B3LYP functional and DGDZVP basis set. A better energy level alignment was found for partially deprotonated molecules of chrysanthemin, with the excited photoelectron having enough energy in order to be transferred to the conduction band of TiO₂ semiconductor in DSSCs. In addition, we used the raw aqueous extracts of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) calyces as the source of chrysanthemin and the extracts with various pH values were tested in DSSCs. The extracts and photosensitized semiconductor layers were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, and DSSCs based on raw extracts were characterized by current density-voltage measurements.     

Needle-free electrospinning of nanofibrillated cellulose and graphene nanoplatelets based sustainable poly (butylene succinate) nanofibers

Sustainable materials have slowly overtaken the nanofiber research field while the tailoring of their properties and the upscaling for industrial production are some of the major challenges. We report preparation of nanofibers that are bio-based and biodegradable prepared from poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) with the incorporation of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and graphene nanoplatelets (GN). NFC and GN were combined as hybrid filler, which led to the improved morphological structure for electrospun nanofibers. A needleless approach was used for solution electrospinning fabrication of nanofiber mesh structures to promote application scalability. The polymer crystallization process was examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the thermal stability was evaluated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), while the extensive investigation of the nanofibers structure was carried out with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). NFC and GN loadings were 0.5 and 1.0 wt %; while poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) was employed as a compatibilizer to enhance fillers’ interaction within the polymer matrix. The interactions in the interface of the fillers and matrix components were studied by FTIR and Raman spectroscopies. The hybrid filler approach proved to be most suitable for consistent and high-quality nanofiber production. The obtained dense mesh-based structures could have foreseeable potential application in biomedical field like scaffolds for the tissue and bone recovery, while other applications could focus on filtration technologies and smart sensors.     

Factors that influence the tribo-charging of insulating ducts in suction-type dilute-phase pneumatic transport systems

The aim of this study is to refine the understanding of the tribo-electrostatic phenomena that can affect the efficiency of suction-type dilute-phase transport systems. The study was conducted with mm-size ABS-PC particles, a granular material originating from genuine information technology wastes. The tribo-charging process was modelled using the response surface method of experimental design. The controlled variables were the granular material feed rate and the aspirating air speed rate. The monitored variable was the charge imparted to a well-defined section of the duct and which is equal to the charge transferred to the particles passing through that section of the pneumatic transport system. An induction type sensor connected to an electrometer has been employed for the measurements. The data were processed by a virtual instrument developed in LabView. A commercial software package was employed for estimating the effects of the various factors and predicting the optimum operating conditions, which were then confirmed by a final experiment.     

Existence of nonstationary bubbles in higher dimensions

We are interested in the existence of travelling-waves for the nonlinear Schrödinger equation in R^N with “ψ³−ψ⁵”-type nonlinearity. First, we prove an abstract result in critical point theory (a local variant of the classical saddle-point theorem). Using this result, we get the existence of travelling-waves moving with sufficiently small velocity in space dimension N4.