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. Part of the explanation is related to the sample choice and preparation; another part is related to the fact that clay minerals are active in the short-wave infrared, whereas other elements in the composition are not. Together, this might lead to distinctly different interpretations for the same material, depending on the methods used. The main conclusion is that both methods can be useful, but care should be given to the limitations of the interpretation process. For infrared reflectance spectroscopy, the lack of an actual threshold value for the H-OH absorption feature at 1900 nm and the poorly defined Al-OH absorption feature at 2443 nm, as well as for XRD, detection limit, powder homogenizing, and the small amount of montmorillonite below 1 wt.%, was the source of discrepancies.

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. Supercooled water microdroplets are deposited and undergo a slow controlled cooling until spontaneous freezing occurs. Textured hydrophobic stainless steel surfaces functionalized with anionic polyelectrolytes brushes display unexpectedly lower freezing temperatures, at least 7 °C lower than polished untreated steel. On the basis of the entropy reduction of the crystalline phase near a charged solid surface, we used a modification of the classical heterogeneous nucleation theory to explain the observed freezing temperatures lessening. Our results could help the design of new composite materials that more efficiently prevent ice formation.

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. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art in laparoscopic palpation devices (LPDs) with particular focus on device mechanisms, sensors and data analysis. It concludes by examining the challenges that must be overcome to create effective LPD systems that measure and display haptic information to the surgeon for improved intraoperative assessment.