In this study, the effects of functionalization and weight fraction of mutliwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were investigated on mechanical and thermomechanical properties of CNT/Epoxy composite. Epoxy resin was used as matrix material with pristine-, COOH-, and NH 2 -functionalized CNTs as reinforcements in weight fractions of 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0%. Varying (increasing) the weight fraction and changing type (pristine or functionalized) of CNTs caused increment in Young's modulus and tensile strength as observed during mechanical tests. CNT reinforcement improved thermal stability of the nanocomposites as observed by thermogravimetric analysis. Thermomechanical analysis showed a slight reduction in free volume of the polymer, that is a drop in coefficient of thermal expansion, prior to glass transition temperature (T g ) beside a slight increase in T g value. Dynamic mechani-cal analysis indicated an increase in storage modulus and T g owing to the strength addition of CNT to the matrix alongside the hardener. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the fractured surface(s) revealed that CNTs were well dispersed with no agglomeration and resulted in reinforcing the matrix. POLYMER COMPOSITES-2015 FIG. 4. Dimensional change as a function of temperature for pure epoxy and different epoxy/CNT composites. FIG. 5. DMA studies of neat epoxy and different CNT/E composites for a range of temperatures at 1.0 Hz frequency and 5 C/min heating rate: (a) storage modulus and (b) dissipation factor (tan d).FIG. 3. TGA weight loss data over a range of temperatures for neat epoxy and nanocomposite samples.

Background End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a major public health problem with many associated symptoms. Uremic pruritus (UP) develops in 40% of patients on hemodialysis and has major effects on the patient's life. It is also an independent risk factor for increased mortality, and its psychiatric implications remain poorly characterized in our local setup, where it tends to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. Objectives and rationale The study aims to report the prevalence of uremic pruritus in our study population and associate it with various patient parameters, which may define a subset of patients at high risk for this pruritus. We also assess the effects of uremic pruritus on the patient's quality of life (by using the Dermatology Life Quality Index; DLQI) and depressive symptoms (by using the Public Health Questionnaire; PHQ-9). Materials and methods It was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in the nephrology unit of the multi-organ failure (MOF) center of the Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from February 2019 to June 2019, during which 173 male patients on hemodialysis were selected. Informed consent was taken from patients and other skin-related causes of pruritis were excluded. Uremic pruritus was defined as pruritis lasting for at least three months after the onset of ESRD. The 5-D, PHQ-9, and DLQI questionnaires were used to assess pruritis, depressive symptoms, and quality of life, respectively. Their Cronbach's Alpha values for 73 responses were 0.83, 0.81, and 0.71, respectively. The descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS v23.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, US). Spearman's rank-order correlation, independent samples t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze study variables. Results The prevalence of uremic pruritus was 49.1%, with many patients having generalized itching. Unemployment and longer disease duration predisposed the patients towards uremic pruritus, as the mean 5-D score in this subset were greater (p<0.05 in the independent samples t-test). The results of one-way ANOVA were significant (p<0.05), indicating higher 5-D scores in worsening categories of depressive symptoms and quality of life. Spearman's correlation matrix Open Access Original Article

In this work, three new glass-ceramic compositions are designed and characterized as sealant materials for solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC), having operating temperature of 850°C. The crystallization and the sintering behavior of the glasses are investigated by using differential thermal analysis (DTA) and heating stage microscopy (HSM) respectively. The glasses show glass transition temperatures of 715-740°C, while the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of 9.3-10.3 9 10 À6 K À1 (200-500°C) are measured for the glass-ceramics, matching with the CTEs of the other cell components. The compatibility between the glassceramic sealants, the 3YSZ electrolyte and the Crofer22APU interconnect is examined by means of SEM and EDS, in the as-joined condition and after 1000 hours at 850°C in air. Compositional changes in the glass-ceramic sealants are reviewed and discussed with respect to the formed crystalline phases before and after the aging treatment at 850°C. K E Y W O R D S crystals/crystallization, Interfaces, SOEC, thermal expansion ---

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