Within the idealized scheme of a 1-dimensional Frenkel-Kontorova-like model, a special ”quantized” sliding state was found for a solid lubricant confined between two periodic layers [1]. This state, characterized by a nontrivial geometrically fixed ratio of the mean lubricant drift velocity 〈vcm〉 and the externally imposed translational velocity vext, was understood as due to the kinks (or soli...

A non-precious metal electrocatalyst has been developed for the oxygen reduction reaction based on nanoporous molybdenum carbide (nano-Mo2C) wires through a facile calcination of sub-nanometer periodic organic-inorganic hybrid nanowires. The highly dispersed Mo2C wires were composed of 10-15 nm nanocrystals with a mesopore size of 3.3 nm. The properties of nano-Mo2C wires were characterized usi...

Humidity influences the tribological performance of the head-disk interface in magnetic data storage devices. In this work a quartz crystal microbalance was used to measure the uptake of water on amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-CHx) films at room temperature and pressures of water corresponding to relative humidities of 25%: These experiments have used a-CHx films of varying thickness with and...

The paper presents the results of metallographic studies and tribotechnical tests samples medium-carbon steel 34KhNi3MoA coatings obtained by laser surfacing a powder multicomponent charge based on iron cobalt in ratio 3:1 with additives nano particles tantalum carbide. were processed circular defocused beam transverse oscillations normal to scanning speed. Comparative for friction wear carried...

Using femur explants from mice as an in vitro model, we investigated the effect of the physiological polymer, inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), on differentiation of the cells of the bone marrow in their natural microenvironment into the osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages. In the form of amorphous Ca-polyP nano/microparticles, polyP retains its function to act as both an intra- and extracellul...

Background: Cervical cancer is a pervasive yet preventable killer. Although routine screening exams are available to aid in the early detection of cervical cancer, women often avoid getting their routine annual screening exams. One explanation of this could be due to the discomfort of speculum exams. One way to minimize the discomfort of the speculum exam is to use gel-lubricant. However, there...

OBJECTIVE Nonlubricated plastic specula can adhere to the vaginal introitus and cause discomfort with pelvic examination. We wanted to see if application of water-soluble gel lubricant to the plastic vaginal speculum would change the unsatisfactory cervical cytology diagnosis rate. METHODS Five public health family planning clinic sites were randomized to either water-soluble gel or water onl...

Thermo-electric transport at the nano-scale is a rapidly developing topic, in particular in superconductor-based hybrid devices. In this review paper, we first discuss the fundamental principles of electronic cooling in mesoscopic superconducting hybrid structures, the related limitations and applications. We review recent work performed in Grenoble on the effects of Andreev reflection, photoni...

A thermodynamic model describing the phase transition of first order between structure states of lubricant material in the boundary friction regime is proposed. It is shown that lubricant melts with temperature increase or at shear of rubbing surfaces if the elastic strain (stress) exceeds the critical value. The phase diagram with domains of dry and sliding friction is constructed. The depende...

Molecular motors, which are precision engineered by nature, offer exciting possibilities for bio-hybrid engineered systems. They could enable real applications ranging from micro/nano fluidics, to biosensing, to medical diagnoses. This review describes the fundamental biological insights and fascinating potentials of these remarkable sensing and actuation machines, in particular, bacterial flag...