Effect of Magnetic Magnetite (Fe3O4) Nanoparticle Size on Arsenic (V) Removal from Water.

Magnetic magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with average sizes of 5.11, 10.53, and 14.76 nm were synthesized by the chemical co-precipitation method. The surface area of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (average size of 5.11 nm) had the largest value of 167 m²/g. The adsorption capacity for removing arsenic (As(V)) from water at 3 ppm concentration was investigated by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results showed that the As(V) adsorption capacity of Fe3O4 was dependent on particle size. The maximum absorption efficiency (Hmax) reached 99.02%, the equilibrium time was 30 min; the maximum Langmuir isotherm adsorption capacity was 14.46 mg/g with Fe3O4 nanoparticle an average size of 5 nm. The results indicate that reducing the size of Fe3O4 nanoparticles is a promised way for As(V) ion removal from water and wastewater treatment.

Open-source LIMS in Vietnam: The path toward sustainability and host country ownership.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this case report are as follows: to describe the process of establishing a national laboratory information management system (LIMS) program for clinical and public health laboratories in Vietnam; to evaluate the outcomes and lessons learned; and to present a model for sustainability based on the program outcomes that could be applied to diverse laboratory programs. METHODS: This case report comprises a review of program documentation and records, including planning and budgetary records of the donor, monthly reports from the implementer, direct observation, and ad-hoc field reports from technical advisors and governmental agencies. Additional data on program efficacy and user acceptance were collected from routine monitoring of laboratory policies and operational practices. RESULTS: LIMS software was implemented at 38 hospital, public health and HIV testing laboratories in Vietnam. This LIMS was accepted by users and program managers as a useful tool to support laboratory processes. Implementation cost per laboratory and average duration of deployment decreased over time, and project stakeholders initiated transition of financing (from the donor to local institutions) and of system maintenance functions (from the implementer to governmental and site-level staff). Collaboration between the implementer in Vietnam and the global LIMS user community was strongly established, and knowledge was successfully transferred to staff within Vietnam. CONCLUSION: Implementing open-sourced LIMS with local development and support was a feasible approach towards establishing a sustainable laboratory informatics program that met the needs of health laboratories in Vietnam. Further effort to institutionalize IT support capacity within key government agencies is ongoing.

Enhancement of the electrical properties of silver nanowire transparent conductive electrodes by atomic layer deposition coating with zinc oxide.

Transparent conductive electrodes for applications in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes are important components and require low sheet resistance and high transmittance. Herein, we report an enhancement of the electrical properties of silver (Ag) nanowire networks by coating with zinc oxide using the atomic layer deposition technique. A strong decrease in the sheet resistance of Ag nanowires, namely from 20-40 Ω/□ to 7-15 Ω/□, was observed after coating with ZnO. Ag nanowire electrodes coated with 200-cycle ZnO by atomic layer deposition show the best quality, with a sheet resistance of 11 Ω/□ and transmittance of 75%.

Enhanced photoelectrochemical activity of the TiO2 /ITO nanocomposites grown onto single-walled carbon nanotubes at a low temperature by nanocluster deposition.

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) is used to observe a TiO2/ITO-coated composite nanostructure grown onto single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The SWCNTs, indium tin oxide (ITO), and TiO2 mixtures of anatase (A) and rutile (R) are clearly distinguished in the HRTEM images. The thickness of the SWCNT was about 3 nm, and the TiO2 shell included different polycrystalline structures.