Microneedle electrochemical sensor based on disposable stainless-steel wire for real-time analysis of indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic acid in tomato leaves infected by Pst DC3000 in situ.

BACKGROUND: Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and salicylic acid (SA), pivotal regulators in plant growth, are integral to a variety of plant physiological activities. The ongoing and simultaneous monitoring of these hormones in vivo enhances our comprehension of their interactive and regulatory roles. Traditional detection methods, such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, cannot obtain precise and immediate information on IAA and SA due to the complexity of sample processing. In contrast, the electrochemical detection method offers high sensitivity, rapid response times, and compactness, making it well-suited for in vivo or real-time detection applications. RESULTS: A microneedle electrochemical sensor system crafted from disposable stainless steel (SS) wire was specifically designed for the real-time assessment of IAA and SA in plant in situ. This sensor system included a SS wire (100 µm diameter) coated with carbon cement and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, a plain platinum wire (100 µm diameter), and an Ag/AgCl wire (100 µm diameter). Differential pulse voltammetry and amperometry were adopted for detecting SA and IAA within the range of 0.1-20 µM, respectively. This sensor was applied to track IAA and SA fluctuations in tomato leaves during PstDC3000 infection, offering continuous data. Observations indicated an uptick in SA levels following infection, while IAA production was suppressed. The newly developed disposable SS wire-based microneedle electrochemical sensor system is economical, suitable for mass production, and inflicts minimal damage during the monitoring of SA and IAA in plant tissues. SIGNIFICANCE: This disposable microneedle electrochemical sensor facilitates in vivo detection of IAA and SA in smaller plant tissues and allows for long-time monitoring of their concentrations, which not only propels research into the regulatory and interaction mechanisms of IAA and SA but also furnishes essential tools for advancing precision agriculture.

Interfaces between Cranial Bone and AISI 304 Steel after Long-Term Implantation: A Case Study of Cranial Screws.

Interfaces between AISI 304 stainless steel screws and cranial bone were investigated after long-term implantation lasting for 42 years. Samples containing the interface regions were analyzed using state-of-the-art analytical techniques including secondary ion mass, Fourier-transform infrared, Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. Local samples for scanning transmission electron microscopy were cut from the interface regions using the focused ion beam technique. A chemical composition across the interface was recorded in length scales covering micrometric and nanometric resolutions and relevant differences were found between peri-implant and the distant cranial bone, indicating generally younger bone tissue in the peri-implant area. Furthermore, the energy dispersive spectroscopy revealed an 80 nm thick steel surface layer enriched by oxygen suggesting that the AISI 304 material undergoes a corrosion attack. The attack is associated with transport of metallic ions, namely, ferrous and ferric iron, into the bone layer adjacent to the implant. The results comply with an anticipated interplay between released iron ions and osteoclast proliferation. The interplay gives rise to an autocatalytic process in which the iron ions stimulate the osteoclast activity while a formation of fresh bone resorption sites boosts the corrosion process through interactions between acidic osteoclast extracellular compartments and the implant surface. The autocatalytic process thus may account for an accelerated turnover of the peri-implant bone.

Influence of water radiolysis on the passive properties of 316L-stainless steel.

This work aims to study the effect of radiolytic species induced by water radiolysis on the passive behavior of 316L stainless steel. For this purpose, the stainless steel/neutral and aerated 0.02 M Na2SO4, electrolyte solution interface was irradiated with proton beams. A wide range of energies between 2 and 16 MeV was selected, varying the maximum of the energy deposition between 0.5 and 122 µm in water from the interface. The irradiation experiments were performed at the CEMHTI cyclotron in Orléans and the 4 MV Van de Graaff accelerator at IP2I in Lyon (France). A dedicated irradiation device implemented with a 3-electrode cell dedicated to perform electrochemical measurements allows to measure the surface reactivity of the stainless steel as a function of the irradiation conditions. Results show that whatever the beam energy, the corrosion potential remains unchanged. It indicates that the very short-lived, highly reactive radiolytic species drive the corrosion potential and not only the recombination products such H2O2 or H2. The stainless steel remains in the passive state whatever the irradiation conditions. However, it is shown that, during irradiation, the passive film is less protective. This evolution is attributed to radiolysis of bound water molecules in the passive film.

Preformed Stainless-Steel Crowns: Their Effects on Oral Hygiene Maintenance and Gingival Health - A Prospective Original Research.

The stainless-steel crown (SSC) is a durable restoration and has several indications for use in primary teeth such as following a pulpotomy/pulpectomy, fractured teeth, teeth with developmental defects, or large multi-surface caries lesions where amalgam is likely to fail. Due to its durability and a lifespan like the primary tooth, it could well be the gold standard in restorative care. SSCs protect the crown from fracture, reduce the possibility for leakage, and ensure a biological seal. However, the placement of the SSC should follow a meticulous technique. There are some clinical situations where the SSC may fail, leading to plaque accumulation and gingivitis. This could be secondary to improper crimping of crown margins, which lead to poorly adapted SSC. In some clinical situations, ledge formation under the crown or failure to clean excess cement can contact the gingiva and cause gingival inflammation. This study was carried out on 41 children between the ages of 4 and 10 in Al Qassim region to study the effects of SSCs on gingiva and oral hygiene. The study also aims to establish the correlation between SSC adaptation and post-insertion inflammation. The plaque and gingival index were recorded at 3 months' post SSC insertion. Clinical examination was undertaken, and gingival index (Loe and Silness 1967) and plaque index (Silness and Loe 1967) were used to record gingival health and plaque accumulation, respectively. The result for post-inflammation and SSC adaptation showed that there was no statistically significant difference in post-insertion inflammation and crown adaptation (P value = 0.216). The result for pre-operative inflammation and post-operative inflammation shows that there is no significant difference in post-inflammation and adaptation (P value = 0.47). We found that oral hygiene care had a heightening effect and oral hygiene maintenance plays a key role in preventing gingival inflammation irrespective of the SSC adaptation over short periods of time (3 months).

Comparative Evaluation of Gingival Health Among Children With Stainless Steel Crowns and Stainless Steel Bands: A Split-Mouth Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction Putting in stainless steel crowns as a post-endodontic restoration and space maintainers as a post-extraction appliance to maintain the space for the eruption of underlying teeth in case of early loss in children are some of the most commonly practised procedures that pediatric dentists undertake in their day-to-day lives. Maintaining good oral hygiene for better gingival health is important. If it is not taken care of, gradual destruction of supporting soft and hard tissues of the teeth occurs. There were numerous studies conducted over the past few years, but no split-mouth study compares the crowns and bands. Hence, this study compares the gingival health between stainless steel crowns and band and loop space maintainers. Materials and methods This split-mouth randomised controlled trial included 31 children aged between four and nine years who had stainless steel crowns on one side and a band and loop space maintainer on the other side of the mandibular arch. The split-mouth study was carried out to minimise the outcome bias as oral hygiene practices differ from one individual to another. Presence/absence of bleeding on probing (BOP) and the Gingival Index (GI) using the Loe and Silness GI were assessed at baseline and at six months. Data was entered in an Excel sheet (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington, United States) and analysed in IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23, (Released 2015; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). The significance level was fixed as 5% (α = 0.05). The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess the normality of parameters of gingival health. The parameters are described in terms of mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentages. Intragroup analysis was done using Friedman tests across the timelines. Intergroup analysis using Mann-Whitney U tests was done between the groups at different timelines.  Results At the beginning of the study, 46 children (22 girls and 24 boys) were enrolled considering the dropout. However, 15 children did not attend the follow-up review, resulting in a loss to follow-up. Consequently, only 31 children, each with a band and loop space maintainer and a stainless steel crown, were included for the final interpretation of the results in this study. At one month, both BOP and GI were significantly different (p<0.05) between the stainless steel crown and stainless steel band where the crown showed better gingival health and absence of bleeding than the band and loop. At three months and six months, gingival health improved in both groups, but there was no significant difference between the groups. The Friedman test revealed that both the stainless steel crown and stainless steel band groups had a significant difference at six months from baseline. Mann-Whitney tests were done to analyse the difference in parameters at baseline and at six months between both groups. There was no significant difference in the baseline in the parameters between the groups. Conclusion Within the limitations of the study, this study concludes that the gingival health based on BOP and GI shows a significant difference across the timeline within the groups, namely, stainless steel crown and stainless steel band, but no significant difference between the groups at various timelines.

Influence of Surface Preparation of Aluminum Alloy AW-5754 and Stainless Steel X5CRNI18-10 on the Properties of Bonded Joints.

Adhesive bonding has proven to be a reliable method of joining materials, and the development of new adhesives has made it possible to use bonding in a variety of applications. This article addresses the challenges of bonding metals such as the aluminum alloy EN AW-5754 and the stainless steel X5CrNi18-10. In this study, the effects of laser cleaning and texturing on the surface properties and strength of two bonded joints were investigated and compared with mechanical preparation (hand sanding with Scotch-Brite and P180 sandpaper). The bonded joints were tested with three different epoxy adhesives. During the tests, the adhesion properties of the bonded surface were determined by measuring the contact angle and assessing the wettability, the surface roughness parameters for the different surface preparations, and the mechanical properties (tensile lap-shear strength). Based on the strength test results, it was found that bonded joints made of stainless steel had 16% to 40% higher strength than aluminum alloys when using the same adhesive and surface preparation. Laser cleaning resulted in maximum shear strength of the aluminum alloy bond, while the most suitable surface preparation for both materials was preparation with P180 sandpaper for all adhesives.

In Situ Study of Precipitates' Effect on Grain Deformation Behavior and Mechanical Properties of S31254 Super Austenitic Stainless Steel.

Grain boundary (GB) precipitation-induced cracking is a significant issue for S31254 super austenitic stainless steel during hot working. Investigating the deformation behavior based on precipitate morphology and distribution is essential. In this study, continuous smaller and intermittent larger precipitates were obtained through heat treatments at 950 °C and 1050 °C. The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties influenced by precipitates were experimentally investigated using an in situ tensile stage inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) combined with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The results showed that continuous precipitates at 950 °C had a stronger pinning effect on the GB, making grain rotation difficult and promoting slip deformation in the plastic interval. Continuous precipitates caused severe stress concentration near GB and reduced coordinated deformation ability. Additionally, the crack propagation path changed from transcrystalline to intercrystalline. Furthermore, internal precipitates were a crucial factor affecting the initial crack nucleation position. Interconnected precipitates led to an intergranular fracture tendency and severe deterioration of the material's plasticity, as observed in fracture morphology.

Effect of Secondary Phase on Passivation Layer of Super Duplex Stainless Steel UNS S 32750: Advanced Safety of Li-Ion Battery Case Materials.

Aluminum, traditionally the primary material for battery casings, is increasingly being replaced by UNS S 30400 for enhanced safety. UNS S 30400 offers superior strength and corrosion resistance compared to aluminum; however, it undergoes a phase transformation owing to stress during processing and a lower high-temperature strength. Duplex stainless steel UNS S 32750, consisting of both austenite and ferrite phases, exhibits excellent strength and corrosion resistance. However, it also precipitates secondary phases at high temperatures, which are known to form through the segregation of Cr and Mo. Various studies have investigated the corrosion resistance of UNS S 32750; however, discrepancies exist regarding the formation and thickness of the passivation layer. This study analyzed the oxygen layer on the surface of UNS S 32750 after secondary-phase precipitation. The microstructure, volume fraction, chemical composition, and depth of O after the precipitation of the secondary phases in UNS S 32750 was examined using FE-SEM, EDS, EPMA and XRD, and the surface chemical composition and passivation layer thickness were analyzed using electron probe microanalysis and glow-discharge spectroscopy. This study demonstrated the segregation of alloy elements and a reduction in the passivation-layer thickness after precipitation from 25 µm to 20 µm. The findings of the analysis aid in elucidating the impact of secondary-phase precipitation on the passivation layer.

Enhanced antibacterial and corrosion resistance of copper-containing 2205 duplex stainless steel against the corrosive bacterium Shewanella algae.

2205 DSS is an excellent corrosion-resistant engineering metal material, but it is still threatened by microbiological corrosion. The addition of copper elements is a new approach to improving the resistance of 2205 DSS to microbiological corrosion. In this study, 2205-Cu DSS was compared with 2205 DSS to study its antimicrobial properties and resistance to microbiological corrosion in the presence of the electroactive bacterium Shewanella algae. The results showed that compared to 2205 DSS, the biofilm thickness and the number of live bacteria on the surface of 2205-Cu DSS were significantly reduced, demonstrating excellent antimicrobial properties against S. algae. Electrochemical tests and surface morphology characterization results showed that the corrosion rate and pitting of 2205-Cu DSS by S. algae were lower than that of 2205 DSS, indicating better resistance to microbiological corrosion. The good antimicrobial properties and resistance to microbiological corrosion exhibited by 2205-Cu DSS are attributed to the contact antimicrobial properties of copper elements in the 2205-Cu DSS matrix and the release of copper ions for antimicrobial effects. This study provides a new strategy for combating microbiological corrosion.

Electrobiocorrosion by microbes without outer-surface cytochromes.

Anaerobic microbial corrosion of iron-containing metals causes extensive economic damage. Some microbes are capable of direct metal-to-microbe electron transfer (electrobiocorrosion), but the prevalence of electrobiocorrosion among diverse methanogens and acetogens is poorly understood because of a lack of tools for their genetic manipulation. Previous studies have suggested that respiration with 316L  stainless steel as the electron donor is indicative of electrobiocorrosion, because, unlike pure Fe0, 316L  stainless steel does not abiotically generate H2 as an intermediary electron carrier. Here, we report that all of the methanogens (Methanosarcina vacuolata, Methanothrix soehngenii, and Methanobacterium strain IM1) and acetogens (Sporomusa ovata and Clostridium ljungdahlii) evaluated respired with pure Fe0 as the electron donor, but only M. vacuolata, Mx. soehngenii, and S. ovata were capable of stainless steel electrobiocorrosion. The electrobiocorrosive methanogens required acetate as an additional energy source in order to produce methane from stainless steel. Cocultures of S. ovata and Mx. soehngenii demonstrated how acetogens can provide acetate to methanogens during corrosion. Not only was Methanobacterium strain IM1 not capable of electrobiocorrosion, but it also did not accept electrons from Geobacter metallireducens, an effective electron-donating partner for direct interspecies electron transfer to all methanogens that can directly accept electrons from Fe0. The finding that M. vacuolata, Mx. soehngenii, and S. ovata are capable of electrobiocorrosion, despite a lack of the outer-surface c-type cytochromes previously found to be important in other electrobiocorrosive microbes, demonstrates that there are multiple microbial strategies for making electrical contact with Fe0.

Influence of ear tags on the results of body composition analysis in mice.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of marking methods on the outcomes of body composition analysis and provide guidance for the selection of marking methods in mouse body composition analysis. METHODS: Male C57BL/6J mice aged 6 weeks were randomly assigned for pre- and post- ear tagging measurements. The body composition of the mice was measured using a small animal body composition analyzer, which provided measurements of the mass of fat, lean, and free fluid. Then, the mass of fat, lean and free fluid to body weight ratio was gained. Further data analysis was conducted to obtain the range and coefficient of variation in body composition measurements for each mouse. The distribution of fat and lean tissue in the mice was also analyzed by comparing the fat-to-lean ratio. RESULTS: (1) The mass of all body composition components in the ear tagging group was significantly lower than that in the control group. (2) There was a significant increase in the range and coefficient of variation of body composition measurements between the ear tagging group and the control group. (3) The fat-to-lean ratio in the ear tagging group was significantly lower than that in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Ear tagging significantly lowered the results of body composition analysis in mice and higher the results of measurement error. Therefore, ear tagging should be avoided as much as possible when conducting body composition analysis experiments in mice.

Post-Processing Effect on the Corrosion Resistance of Super Duplex Stainless Steel Produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion.

This study examines the microstructural characteristics and corrosion resistance of super duplex stainless steel (SDSS) produced through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The analysis shows that the as-printed samples mainly exhibit a ferritic microstructure, which is due to the fast-cooling rates of the LPBF technique. X-ray and microstructure analyses reveal the presence of minor austenite phases in the ferritic matrix. The process of solution annealing led to a more balanced microstructure. Analyses of corrosion resistance, such as potentiodynamic polarization tests and EIS, indicate that heat treatment has a significant impact on the corrosion behavior of SDSS. Solution annealing and stress relieving at 400 °C for 1 h can improve corrosion resistance by increasing polarization resistance and favorable EIS parameters. However, stress relieving at 550 °C for 5 h may reduce the material's corrosion resistance due to the formation of chromium nitride. Therefore, stress relieving at 400 °C for 1 h is a practical method to significantly enhance the corrosion resistance of LPBF-printed SDSS. This method offers a balance between microstructural integrity and material performance.

Effect of Oxidant Concentration on the Oxide Layer Thickness of 304 Stainless Steel.

Ultra-thin 304 stainless steel can be used to flexibly display substrates after they have been subjected to chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). The thickness of the chemical oxide layer directly affects the polishing efficiency and surface quality of 304 stainless steel. In the study presented in the following paper, the thickness variation of the chemical oxide layer of 304 stainless steel was analyzed following electrochemical corrosion under different oxidant concentration conditions. Furthermore, the impact of the oxidant concentration on the grooves, chips, and scratch depth-displacement-load curves was investigated during a nano-scratching experiment. Through this process, we were able to reveal the chemical reaction mechanism between 304 stainless steel materials and oxidizers. The corrosion rate was found to be faster at 8% oxidant content. The maximum values of the scratch depth and elastic-plastic critical load were determined to be 2153 nm and 58.47 mN, respectively.

Comparison of Magnetron-Sputtered and Cathodic Arc-Deposited Ti and Cr Thin Films on Stainless Steel for Bipolar Plates.

In this work, the potential of magnetron sputtering, as well as cathodic arc evaporation, is investigated with regard to its suitability as a bipolar plate coating of a PEM fuel cell. For this purpose, Cr and Ti thin films were deposited onto a 0.1 mm SS316L by varying the power and bias voltage. The surface structure and thickness of the coatings are examined via SEM and tactile profilometry. Moreover, the coating variants are compared with each other based on the electrical and electrochemical properties relevant to bipolar plates. The sputtered Cr thin films achieve the lowest contact resistance values and exhibit a columnar structure with a smooth surface. Regarding the electrochemical properties, titanium deposited via cathodic arc evaporation has a low current density in the passive region and high breakthrough potential. All in all, both deposition techniques have their individual advantages for the preparation of bipolar plates' coatings. However, Ti thin films prepared via cathodic arc seem to be the most suitable option due to the combination of a high deposition rate, a low cost and good coating properties.

Investigating the High-Temperature Bonding Performance of Refractory Castables with Ribbed Stainless-Steel Bars.

Refractory materials containing calcium aluminate cement (CAC) are commonly used in the metallurgical and petrochemical industries due to their exceptional mechanical resistance, even at temperatures exceeding 1000 °C, and do not require additional reinforcement. This study seeks to advance this practice by developing ultra-high-performance structures that offer building protection against fire and explosions. Such structures require bar reinforcement to withstand accidental tension stresses, and the bond performance becomes crucial. However, the compressive strength of these materials may not correlate with their bond resistance under high-temperature conditions. This study investigates the bond behavior of ribbed stainless austenitic steel bars in refractory materials typical for structural projects. The analysis considers three chamotte-based compositions, i.e., a conventional castable (CC) with 25 wt% CAC, a medium-cement castable (MCC) with 12 wt% CAC, a low-cement castable (LCC), and a low-cement bauxite-based castable (LCB); the LCC and LCB castables contain 7 wt% CAC. The first three refractory compositions were designed to achieve a cold compressive strength (CCS) of 100 MPa, while the LCB mix proportions were set to reach a CCS of 150 MPa. Mechanical and pull-out tests were conducted after treatment at 400 °C, 600 °C, 800 °C, and 1000 °C; reference specimens were not subjected to additional temperature treatment. This study used X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods to capture the material alterations. The test results indicated that the bonding resistance, expressed in terms of the pull-out deformation energy, did not directly correlate with the compressive strength, supporting the research hypothesis.

Influence of AWJ Process Parameters on Erosion Groove Formation in Additively Manufactured Stainless Steel.

The presented manuscript focuses on the influence of process parameters of abrasive water jet technology on the creation of non-transient erosive grooves. The processed stainless steel SS 316L is additively manufactured using the selective laser melting (SLM) method. Due to the distinct mechanical properties of this material resulting from the production process, the material was machined in two planes according to the direction of the printing layers. The experimental part employed a planned experiment utilizing the DoE (Design of Experiment) method. Experiments aimed at varying process parameters (traverse speed, standoff distance, abrasive mass flow) were conducted at a water pressure of 50 MPa, assessing the parameters' impact on the removed material and the properties of the resulting non-transient erosion groove. The properties of the erosion groove, such as shape and the material removal (area of erosion groove), were evaluated. The influences of process parameters on the observed parameters were assessed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method. Experiment preparation and setup were based on a thorough theoretical analysis of the machining process with the abrasive water jet (AWJ) method. The experiment also highlights the diverse properties of the SS 316L material prepared using the SLM method when machined with AWJ technology.

Study and Application on the Electromagnetic Stainless Steel: Microstructure, Tensile Mechanical Behavior, and Magnetic Properties.

Stainless steel grade 430 is a type of soft magnetic electromagnetic material with rapid magnetization and demagnetization properties. Considering the delay phenomenon during operation, this study selected 430 stainless steel as the material and explored various metallurgical methods such as magnetic annealing and the addition of Mo as well as increasing the Si content to investigate the microstructure, mechanical behavior, and magnetic properties of each material, aiming to improve the magnetic properties of 430 stainless steel. Experimental results showed that the four electromagnetic steel materials (430F, 430F-MA, 434, and KM31) had equiaxed grain matrix structures, and excellent tensile and elongation properties were observed for each specimen. Additionally, the magnetic properties of the 430F specimen were similar under the DC and AC-10 Hz conditions. According to the hysteresis curves under different AC frequencies (10, 100, 1000 Hz), both magnetic annealing and the addition of Mo could reduce the Bm, Br, and Hc values of the raw 430F material. Increasing the Si content resulted in a decrease in Hc values and an increase in Bm and Br values.

Effect of Single Particle High-Speed Impingement on the Electrochemical Step Characteristics of a Stainless-Steel Surface.

In the process of particle erosion and electrochemical corrosion interaction, the electrolyte flow state change, product film destruction, and matrix structure change caused by particle impact affect the electrochemical corrosion process. Such transient, complex physical and electrochemical changes are difficult to capture because of the short duration of action and the small collision area. The peak, step time, and recovery time in this transient step cycle can indirectly reflect the smoothness and reaction rate of the electrochemical reaction system, and thus characterize the resistance to scouring corrosion coupling damage of metals in liquid-solid two-phase flow. In this study, in order to obtain the electrochemical response at the moment of particle impact, electrochemical monitoring experiments using a specially designed miniature three-electrode system were used to test step-critical values, including step potential, current, and resistance, among others. Meanwhile, an electrochemical step model under particle impact considering boundary layer perturbation was developed. The experimental results reflect the effect law of particle impact velocity and particle size on the peak step and recovery period. Meanwhile, the effect of particle impingement on the electrochemical step of stainless steel in different electrolyte solutions was obtained by comparing the step curves in distilled water and Cl-containing water. The connection between the parameters in the electrochemical step model and in the particle impact, as well as the effect of the variation of these parameters on the surface repassivation process are discussed in this paper. By fitting and modeling the test curves, a new mathematical model of electrochemical step-decay under single-particle impact was obtained, which can be used to characterize the change pattern of electrochemical parameters on the metal surface before and after the impingement.

Evaluation of the surface characteristics and antibacterial properties of Titanium dioxide nanotube and methacryloyloxyethylphosphorylcholine (MPC) coated orthodontic brackets-a comparative invitro study.

OBJECTIVES: White spot lesions are the most common iatrogenic effect observed during orthodontic treatment. This study aimed to compare the surface characteristics and antibacterial action of uncoated and coated orthodontic brackets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty commercially available stainless steel brackets were coated with TiO2 nanotubes and methacryloyloxyethylphosphorylcholine. The sample was divided into Group 1: uncoated orthodontic brackets, Group 2: Stainless steel brackets with TiO2 nanotubes coating, Group 3: Stainless steel brackets with methacryloyloxyethylphosphorylcholine coating, and Group 4: Stainless steel brackets with TiO2 nanotubes combined with methacryloyloxyethylphosphorylcholine coating. Surface characterization was assessed using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Streptococcus mutans was selected to test the antibacterial ability of the orthodontic brackets, total bacterial adhesion and bacterial viability were assessed. The brackets were subjected to scanning electron microscopy to detect the presence of biofilm. RESULTS: The surface roughness was the greatest in Group 1 and least in Group 2 followed by Group 4 and Group 3 coated brackets. The optical density values were highest in Group 1 and lowest in Group 4. Comparison of colony counts revealed high counts in Group 1 and low counts in Group 4. A positive correlation between surface roughness and colony counts was obtained, however, was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The coated orthodontic brackets exhibited less surface roughness than the uncoated orthodontic brackets. Group 4 coated orthodontic brackets showed the best antibacterial properties. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Coated orthodontic brackets prevent adhesion of streptococcus mutans and reduces plaque accumulation around the brackets thereby preventing formation of white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment.

Tuning Stainless Steel Oxide Layers through Potential Cycling─AEM Water Electrolysis Free of Critical Raw Materials.

Anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) have an intrinsic advantage over acidic proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers through their ability to use inexpensive, stable materials such as stainless steel (SS) to catalyze the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER). As such, the study of active oxide layers on SS has garnered great interest. Potential cycling is a means to create such active oxide layers in situ as they are readily formed in alkaline solutions when exposed to elevated potentials. Cycling conditions in the literature are rife with unexplained variations, and a complete account of how these variations affect the activity and constitution of SS oxide layers remains unreported, along with their influence on AEMWE performance. In this paper, we seek to fill this gap in the literature by strategically cycling SS felt (SSF) electrodes under different scan rates and ranges. The SSF anodes were rapidly activated within the first 50 cycles, as shown by the 10-fold decline in charge transfer resistance, and the subsequent 1000 cycles tuned the metal oxide surface composition. Cycling the Ni redox couple (RC) increases Ni content, which is further enhanced by lowering the cycling rate, while cycling the Fe RC increases Cr content. Fair OER activity was uncovered through cycling the Ni RC, while Fe cycling produced SSF electrodes active toward both the OER and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This indicates that inert SSF electrodes can be activated to become efficient OER and HER electrodes. To this effect, a single-cell AEMWE without any traditional catalyst or ionomer generated 1.0 A cm-2 at 1.94 V ± 13.3 mV with an SSF anode, showing a fair performance for a cell free of critical raw materials.