Biological samples were collected from dogs in resource-limited communities in the North-West and Gauteng Provinces of South Africa to assess the prevalence of helminth parasitism. These samples included adhesive tape peri-anal skin swabs and fresh faecal samples for helminth examination, and thick and thin blood films (smears) and whole-blood samples in anticoagulant for examination of filaria...

A novel approach is reported for cell patterning based on addressable microheaters and a poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (pNIPAM) themoresponsive coating. This thermoresponsive coating is created by a radio frequency NIPAM plasma and is denoted as plasma polymerized NIPAM (ppNIPAM). Films of ppNIPAM with a good retention of monomer side-chain functionality are produced using low-power continuous p...

We report the results of a direct comparison of the adhesion, friction, and mechanical properties between alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer films terminated by either CH(3) or CF(3) end groups using both interfacial force (IFM) and atomic force (AFM) microscopies. The purpose of this work is to gain insight into the detailed origins of the differing frictional behavior previously observed wi...

Diamond and diamondlike carbon (DLC) films exhibit a wide range of sometimes contradictory tribological behavior. Experimentally, isolating the influences of factors such as film structure, testing conditions, and environmental effects has proven difficult. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations were used to examine the effects of film structure, passivation, adhesion, tribochemistry, and...

Polymer colloids are often copolymerized with acrylic acid monomers in order to impart colloidal stability. Here, the effects of the pH on the nanoscale and macroscopic adhesive properties of waterborne poly(butyl acrylate-co-acrylic acid) films are reported. In films cast from acidic colloidal dispersions, hydrogen bonding between carboxylic acid groups dominates the particle-particle interact...

Titanium nitride (TiN), a stable compound with the NaCl structure, has a wide range of properties which find applications in cutting tools, wear resistant parts, semiconductor metallization, and the jewelry industry. However, there are problems with preparing highly adhesive thin films which maintain good properties. Thin films of titanium nitride have been prepared by the Electron Shower (ES) ...

Crack-sensing capabilities of a carbon nanotube (CNT) doped adhesive film have been analysed from coupon level to composite repaired panel. Mechanical performance is not negatively affected by the addition CNTs, due their good distribution inside adhesive. Moreover, electrical resistance increases with displacement in both Single Lap Shear (SLS) and Mode-I joints, combined effect deformation cr...

We have characterized the frictional properties of nanostructured carbon films grown by supersonic cluster beam deposition via an atomic force-friction force microscope (AFM-FFM). The experimental data are discussed on the basis of a modified Amonton's law for friction, stating a linear dependence of friction on load plus an adhesive offset accounting for a finite friction force in the limit of...

A simple method was developed to fabricate polyethylene glycol (PEG) nanostructures using capillary lithography mediated by ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Acrylate-containing PEG monomers, such as PEG dimethacrylate (PEG-DMA, MW = 330), were photo-cross-linked under UV exposure to generate patterned structures. In comparison to unpatterned PEG films, hydrophobicity of PEG nanostructure modified sur...